Sharon - bear keeps a close eye on things. We joke about stuff. I'll say things like, 'I love you so much that I paid full price for this.' It's not a bad thing to take forward.
Wherethejourneytakesme - I think I've seen some calls to ban tarmac on gardens because of the issues that it causes with flooding. I hope you stay dry.
Fifitr - From what I understand, there are more storms now because of climate change. The hotter the air, even by half a degree, then the more energy in the atmosphere and therefore more storms. I suspect it may get worse. It can also lead to more episodes of 'Beast from the East' ironically because it affects wind patterns so air comes from a colder direction. In fact, there is a even a small chance that we could get a mini ice age because the melting ice caps could interfere with the North Atlantic Conveyor (I think I've got it right). It produces the Gulf Stream which keeps the UK comparatively warm compared to other places at the same latitude. If the Gulf Stream stops (which is plausible in the right mathematical models) then suddenly the UK gets a lot colder and it could kick of a serious cold event. The last thing I saw about it, though, was that the Gulf Stream may stop but it wouldn't cool down as much as was thought a decade or so ago.
As for bear and budgets, well, as he has Christmas and his birthday so close together, he has to budget for stuff if he wants things mid year. Poor lad can't wait for his next birthday/Christmas if he fancies something in March. He gets £1 for every year of his age per week and he has to save up for things like computer games. I know in the past, when he has been desperate for particular sets of pens and pencils, he's asked for jobs to do for me for extra money. He's got a selection of the fancy pencils, like the Derwent Watercolour pencils, which he was using tonight. I asked him about Caran D'Ache and bear's eyes lit up. Apparently they are much superior to those he already has and he has just spent some time investigating them on Amazon (and explaining them to me - I didn't really catch it all). I'll let him budget for it if he wants them. He said it was fine to share this.
He's having a lot of fun, and I'm encouraging him. It's good to be creative. It's actually a colouring book but with watercolour paper, so he can use it with more than just the pencils. And if he does spend a fortune on something he doesn't use, well, then it's better to learn the lesson now rather than later.
I have considered giving him a budget for clothes (though I would get the school uniform and basic underwear) but bear is currently fairly uninterested in clothes and such like. I'll keep that idea in reserve.
I need to remember to take pics. I got the Co-op Delivery and I was happy with it. If you are stuck and need a delivery but can't get a slot with the main players, then I recommend that you at least try a sample delivery. NB, this isn't a paid for thingy, though I think I should get on to getting the online shopping blog going again as I think I could be useful. On here, I'm just sharing what I know in these times.
I ordered a few bits. Minimum order is £15 plus carrier bag fees, and the delivery charge varies (I paid 99p). I think it is meant for the smaller orders. If I understand it, mine was delivered by Just Eat rather than the Co-op in a van, so it was just someone in their car. But the chilled stuff came cold, the small bag of frozen chopped onions were still frozen and everything was there. I think it is more expensive than Tesco/Asda/Morrisons but it isn't bad quality. There is a strong ethical side to the Co-op, even after all these years, and if you sign up for a card then a (very small) percentage of all that you spend will be donated to local charities.
The men of the house approved. I got a jar of pasta sauce for 49p (yes, I can make my own, but this was easy, inexpensive and probably better than I could make) and the men liked it. I stirred into fried mushrooms and onions before adding it to the pasta and (Co-op) meatballs and it was very nice. I got some packs of melon chunks as a treat which also met with approval. There are also some gluten free options as well, which I'm grateful for. I will use them again for the bits for sandwiches, I think. By the time I've added some sandwich meat, wraps and fruit, I should easily reach £15 and then do a monthly top up with Tesco. It would have to be once a month as getting a slot with Tesco is difficult.
btw Aldi do deliveries through Deliveroo, and I think I'll trial them soon.
Writing stuff - two more sleeps until Under the Bright Saharan Sky comes out. And speaking of bargains, it is currently 77p but will be around £3 from 21st January.
Hugs and good health to all.
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