Some Random Bits, Plans and Pictures

I'm gradually getting back into the groove of things, but I still feel a little bit of post-holiday blues. It always seems worse when coming back from a visit to family knowing it will be a while before I see them again. There were lots of good times had though and that's what I'll try to look back upon. I allowed myself last week to be a little blah about everything, but now it's time to get back into the groove of things. 

I have been writing myself a little list each day and it does seem to help things plodding along. I need to get back on the decluttering wagon. It just seems a little overwhelming and I need to pick a place to start. Even over these last few days I've been picking up some magazines to sort through. They are one of the things on my list to read and let go of, an easy thing to do you would think. There are a few that I will pass on to someone else and others I've ripped a page or two out of and the rest will be going into the recycle pile. I shall continue with that again this week. There's a pile by my chair that I am going to get through this week. 

Another thing I need to get a handle on is the food shopping. I know that prices have gone up in England, but I was surprised at how much cheaper food was there than here in the US. It makes me cringe when I see some of the prices I'm paying for basic items. So, the plan going forward is to make sure I shop around for prices. I used to do it a lot when we were on a tighter budget, but I sort of got out of the habit. There is a new Aldi's opening up nearer us and I shall make sure to check out their vegetable prices. I am going to look for some new recipes so that I can combine sales with some new menu choices. I want to make sure I use up all of the ingredients in the fridge, perhaps having a clear-up day at the end of the week when it's a hodge-podge of items. 

Any tips for cutting down the budget? I meal plan each week which does cut down on impromptu visits to the shops and unnecessary buys. Any recipe sites you really like? I'm also looking for some lovely British recipes - tried and tested hopefully!

Think that's enough for today. I'm going to think on the decluttering and where to start. 

Leaving this with a few pics from the visit. I took a lot of them!

My sister and I visited The Castle on the Hill - Framlingham Castle. I've been there a few times, but for my sister it was her first visit. We had a fun time!

Sunday...no, Monday Adventures!

 I was going to name this post Sunday Adventures and then I remembered that it was actually Monday. Groan. It's going to be another of those weeks lol. You know the ones, where you are always trying to remember what day it actually is and then feel off-kilter all week long. 

We did go out this morning. There was a Dense Fog Advisory and - wow - was it really foggy! We couldn't see much of anything. So much for going out and taking some nice photos lol. 

These photos were taken with my phone

Our first stop was at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon. The plan was to walk along the pier, maybe see the lighthouse and some birds. What happened? Could not see the lighthouse and couldn't walk far as the ice was still really thick on the pier. See? No lighthouse. You can usually see it as you walk along here. Can't even see the lake!

The trees looked quite eerie. 

From Muskegon we travelled down the lakeshore to Grand Haven. It was still foggy but we could see a little more. The water was quite calm looking.

There was still some ice around. There was a little left on the lighthouse, but lots on the path. I can't imagine how thick this was at one point!

It's a walkway. Or it is normally a walkway. There was a huge chunk of ice blocking the path. No, I didn't climb over it. There is another way to reach the path and I went that way. 

It was nice to get out and have a walk. It wasn't too cold, just above freezing. I would have liked to see the sun but, hey, it wasn't raining or snowing so that was a good thing. Tomorrow looks like rain, so maybe no walk. My poor walking friend is out of commission for a while. She broke her foot again! I might take this time to explore some other places to walk. It depends on cooperation from the weather. 

As for the rest of tomorrow, it's time to get back on the wagon. I have lots of cleaning and sorting to do. I packaged up a couple of sale items and have made a couple more sales so will get them packed up tomorrow. The usual problem areas are again problem areas so they need to be tackled. I have a meal planned for tomorrow, but have to check the freezer and cupboards to make a meal plan for the rest of the week and see if there is anything needed from the shops on Wednesday. It's a short week, but everybody will be back at work. 

I want to get started on being creative, but there are some things I need to tackle first. Keeping on track is the goal, so creativity can follow!

I hope everyone has had a good start to the new year. 

More tomorrow!