No Food, No Stuff ... and Death to the Dust Bunnies

 

I think I'm sick of food!!

Eating the food, buying the food and blogging about the food ... so I decided I would start to do a bit of decluttering and sell a few more things instead.

I started to think about getting rid of stuff when I was dusting the other day.  Now dusting itself is a thing I do only when I have absolutely nothing else to do, I would prefer to read a book, play with a dog, talk to a cat, dig a hole ... anything except move dust from one place to another.  I wonder how much dust we make, churn up and remove in our lifetimes ... I would hazard a guess at enough to stuff a double mattress with.

Anyway as I dusted the bowl in the photo, the bowl that has sat there since the day I moved in and although looked very pretty was actually doing nothing except taking up space and catching some of the aforementioned dust.  I decided I had dusted it for the last time.

I took it's photo and added it to my Facebook Marketplace page ... it sold within two hours along with a folder containing 120 DVDs that I knew I would never watch again to the same lady.  The DVDs were for her Mum to watch and the bowl ... well I guess she'll either be selling it on for a profit or dusting it for the next few years.

Either way I now have £10 in my coat pocket that I can drop in the collection buckets for the people of Ukraine next time I go shopping or for a coffee at Booths.

And one less thing to dust.  😀

Sue xx

Some Inspiration for My Challenge

So I had a bit of a sort out yesterday of some of my books, perusing the shelves for any that might prove of inspiration or of use to me during this Challenge.  I carefully managed to get down some of the more frugal type cook books from my top shelf in the kitchen ... the one I can barely reach now ... and replaced them with the red flour bin, into which I put some of the chocolate bars with the longest date on them.

I moved them to where the red bin had previously been sitting on top of my little drawer unit.  Much more safely accessible for me and handy for a quick browse through when I finally get around to menu planning.

On the living room bookcase I moved a few of the more inspirational books together, tidying as I went along ... no doubt I'll forget where I've put other books now!!

On the bedroom bookcase my wartime rationing books were pretty much together anyway, but I rounded up a few strays.

And repositioned a few of the books I discovered still packed in boxes in Alan's spare room, there is still one more box of books there so I will have to go and have a look at what's in it.

This photo reminded me ...

... I promised Sue in Suffolk a peek at what the spotty books in the Christmas pile on the sideboard were.  😃

A few more of the wartime books unpacked last month.  These are all bound to be inspirational over the next year as I resort to more vegetables and less of the expensive things like vegan cheese.  A wartime ration of 4oz of cheese a week may come back into force!! 

(That was amount on average that a vegetarian got in exchange for their meat ration.)

And finally, here is the book that inspired my No Spend Challenge ... and I haven't even read it yet!!  I read  about it and it really piqued my interest, well that and getting sick of being constantly bombarded with adverts and emails from various companies trying to sell me stuff.  I am just fed up with stuff and shopping in general.

After the last couple of years I want even more for this to be a year of simplicity and taking a step back from consumerism and acquiring things.  Moving home and having to have so much work done and buy new things ... although it was very necessary ... simply drove me over the edge.

Here's to a year of no spending, no shopping and simplicity.

Sue xx

Blogmas - Advent Day 2

 

The Day 2 Advent calendar doors gave me some Christmas tree socks and a little clear brow gel ... something that I actually use now and then, so it's a real winner of a day. 

 I have to say I am loving the socks, the only trouble is they are more of a Summer-thickness sock than one for Winter, so I actually have my thermal ones on today.  But heck I don't mind wearing Christmas tree socks with my shorts next July ... I could even start a new trend.  😀

In other news, the Challenge coffers were added to nicely this morning with another £45 from a Facebook Marketplace sale.  My last one I think, people are starting to mess about asking for things and then not responding to messages, and it's a good job my phone is on silent from 10pm each night as the number of enquiries you get in the wee small hours, especially on a Friday or Saturday night is ridiculous.  Shopping when you are drunk on FB Marketplace seems to be a thing!!

What did I sell, well as beautiful as my Le Creuset casserole and pie dish were they have just never been used much, and not at all since I moved into my new smaller home.  They are heavy decorative things just to dust and the casserole took up space on the open shelves that I just don't have to spare.  So I thought it far better that I sell them on to someone who would actually use them and appreciate a bargain.  I have had ten years of them and I can bet I can count on one hand the number of times they have each been used ... although they looked beautiful on my wooden shelves at Isfryn.

It's almost time to count my money and see just how much I have for next years shopping Challenge.

Sue xx 🎄

It's December - Blogmas - Advent Day 1

 

Yay, it's December.  

The run up to Christmas seems to have started everywhere very early this year and I usually really enjoy this time, and yes I did at first, but it seems there's only so much excitement in me.

Hopefully my two lovely Advent calendars, plus my Jacquie Lawson online one will get me back in the Christmas spirit ... oh and my new little fake Christmas tree was delivered last night so that will need decorating and placing somewhere I won't trip over it. 🎄

We've each got two Advent calendars this year in a bid to cheer ourselves up, so of these one was bought my me and one by Alan, and he's got a Lindt chocolate one that he bought for himself and a cheese, chutney and cracker one bought by me that has been stashed in his fridge for the last couple of weeks ... I do hope he hasn't been secretly nibbling on those cheeses!!

Can you guess which one I bought for me and which is the one that Alan chose to get me?

Sue xx 🎄

Christmas is Coming ... Just Do It YOUR Way

 

Christmas is coming in at us at a pace this year.  

The Christmas ads are urging us to spend, spend, spend more than ever before.  Seemingly because of last year we are all being encouraged to spend twice as much this year.  Yes, we were 'confined to barracks' so to speak, but most of us managed to muddle through with the help of alcohol, food and television.  Do we really need twice as much money spent or food to eat this year?  Now I actually like watching Christmas adverts on the whole, after all they make a pleasant change from insurance, funerals and charities begging for just £2 of your money once a month for life to save all the poor little doggies ... for God's sake spend the £50,000 the advertising has cost you ON the actual doggies!! Sorry for the little side rant, where did that come from!!  What I was going to say was at least they show happy families, nice food and glamourous people in evening attire doing ridiculous things clutching bottles of perfume.  How the other half live eh!!

But the pressure on parents must be enormous these days, it seemed bad enough when my two were little all those years ago and I remember spending more money than I should have at the last minute due to advertising pressure.  But spending the following weeks child benefit and thus the food shopping money on a couple of extra gifts for each of them to open under the Christmas tree never made them happier or made Christmas 'more special'.  What made it special was time with us, playing games together, visiting their grandparents and playing snooker with Uncle Graham.  Those are the memories that they treasure now in their 30s and 40s.  (It always shocks your opponent when you play snooker or pool left-handed and you are a right-handed person ... those lessons were worth it!)

And while I understood the need for sparkle and early fairy lights last year why are there so many houses fully decorated already ... and I hasten to add a lot of these have been up and twinkling through windows in the dark of the evening since October. 

 Pumpkins and Christmas Trees a lovely double celebration ... gosh it must get confusing 😁😂

Of course there are those that say this ☝

And yes you are more than entitled to your opinion, but I am firmly in the camp of at least wait until the 1st December.  I mean think of the layers of dust .... or do you actually dust your Christmas tree?  I mean I see December as the once a year month I have off from dusting, I just lay out a garland, stand cards on every surface and warn everyone NOT to write their names in the dust or Santa will be cross. 🎅

But my main message is, no matter what everyone else says ... me included ... do Christmas your way and resist pressure to spend more than you can afford to spend.  If you have thousands in the bank and no other use for it, ignore all the frugal bloggers making Christmas crackers out of newspaper and trees out of twigs and wrapping gifts they bought in the January sales and just blow it on all the Christmas things we are told we need and have to have to enjoy the holiday season, the Christmas bedding, the cushions, the crockery, the magazines, the Advent calendars, the excessive gift buying BUT and yes it is that great big but ... if you don't have that much just keep things simple.

Watch the Christmas movies, you know the ones that started on the Christmas Movie Channel and Channel 5 on 1st October and ones that make you go 'awww' when the girl always gets the guy, the dog always get a new home, and Santa always saves the day.  Read the books ... the charity shops always have lots of brilliant children's Christmas books at this time of year.  Have a games day, or a Harry Potter marathon movie watching day with popcorn and hot chocolate.  In short do the things that make the memories ... one day in the future that could be what you treasure the most.

When asked a few years ago about his favourite childhood memories of Christmas Day, one of my sons said it was the year we got wrapped up and walked on the beach in the afternoon and thought we were in quicksand when it got boggy, but his Dad saved the day and rescued us.  The Game Gear that we had maxed out the credit card to buy was third on the list ... second place went to the mint flavoured Vienetta that we had instead of Christmas pudding.

It puts a lot into perspective doesn't it!!

Sue xx

Inspiration for Decluttering

 

Inspiration for a good decluttering session can come from many places, personally just recently while I have been forced to take things easy ... so bloody easy ... I have been plonking myself in front of the television and watching YouTube videos from all over the world.

I grab a snack, as seen here a pitta bread pizza, or a big mug of coffee and tumble down a rabbit warren of many twists and turns.

My Stuff (2013) DVDRip - YouTube

I paid for and watched this particular film a few years ago and then last week found it again on YouTube.  It's something I would loved to have done if I had been able to when I moved into my new place ... not the naked bit though 😄  I think I would have started with just ten items and then added things over the course of six months.  It's fascinating to watch though and there was a Channel Four series that was based on this guys idea a few years ago, but I can't find any of that online.

Extreme minimalist challenge: 1 item per day for 30 days - YouTube

Next I found this guy who set himself a challenge based on the My Stuff Video, equally as fascinating.

The Minimalists: Less Is Now | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

And then of course there are the original Minimalist guys and their  Less is Now and other documentaries on Netflix.

And of course things shift and change as you move through life, but these days I think most us would agree that we own far too much 'stuff'.  More than we need and more than our children or family will want to be left with once we are gone.  How easy life would be ... and here speaks someone who has just moved from a caravan, back to a house, into a flat and then into a lodge all in less than a year.  If I ever move again it WILL be with even less for sure.

Now I'm off to tumble down yet another rabbit hole, who knows what I will stumble across this time.

Have a great weekend.

Sue xx

Saving Things for Best

 

Claude Monet - The Boat Studio 1876

I think I confused some of my readers yesterday when I said  ...to quote myself   'It was a recently made quilt but made from vintage fabrics, so it's pretty precious to me and full of memories.'  There were so many helpful tips on looking after my lovely old quilt and preserving it, and I really do thank you for those.  But I wasn't asking for tips I was simply stating things as they are, those of you who have  got to know me over the years know that I use my things for the purpose for which they are intended all the time.  Yes I might have been 'quite dismayed when it came out of the washing machine' and I saw all it's rips and tears, done I hasten to add before it went into the washing machine!!

In my life I don't have best plates, best cutlery or best textiles of any description.  If I love something I use it daily, I use it until it wears out and then and only then do I replace it with something that I can love all over again.

We aren't in this world to store up treasures, we are here to live lives and lives are so much better lived if you love your surroundings, your stuff and your day to day things.  So there are no things in my life packed in away in boxes or drawers for best, waiting to be used on special occasions.  Each and every day that we are on this planet is a special occasion and I use my things as though each and every day could be my last.

After all when I'm gone are either of my large hulking sons going to want a delicate old quilt full of memories and dog hairs?  No they will probably do what I did when my Nana and Gran died and just help themselves to something small and meaningful.  Then they can go off and spend all the money I saved from not buying day today things to use while the best stuff lay languishing.

Sue xx

Renovating the Little Green Chest

I was asked about the little green chest that I have just renovated, so here it is.

I was a bad blogger and totally forgot to get a 'Before' photo, but I remembered just in time to take a interior shot so you could sort of see what the original colour of the wood was.  This photo shows the grey of the undercoat, I had just enough in old tin to do all of the chest.

The outside was a deep mahogany colour, just like the inside of the lid, but it didn't look nice, it just looked old and cheap.  This photo was taken just as I was starting the first coat of the green paint.

I originally got this as a swap when Alan decided he didn't want his butchers block anymore, it was taking up too much room in the Man Cave and was far too heavy to move around.  We tried to sell it on Facebook Market place but there was no interest, so we went back to the Old Auction Rooms where we had bought it from originally and asked the lovely guy there if he would do a swap for something else ... and he said yes.  We chose a little cast iron bedroom fireplace and this old blanket box.  We were going to put the fireplace in the spare room but the photos for the sale of the house were taken before we installed it, so we decided to sell it instead and made an easy £55.

Anyway after it sitting in Alan's Man Cave for over a year I finally set to and started it's renovation.  Lots of sanding and then three coats of a paint, one undercoat in grey and two coats of the green paint that we have had since we lived at Jointers Farm, and the chest was starting to look as I had envisioned.

I don't know why but I didn't just want to paint the inside, so I decided to line it with fabric instead.  The bottom had three of the four screws that hold the legs on sticking up in the corners, and being so old and totally rusted up I couldn't screw them in any further or or get them out, so I had to find a solution or risk hurting myself if I forgot they were there.

Then an Amazon delivery arrived and in it some padded foam rectangles ... fate!!

They were quickly cut to size and I could get on with the lining.

The material is the king-size bed 'foot runner' that came on the Van bed when we bought it, and matches the bedroom curtains there.  I had brought it home to turn it into a cushion cover, but that had never happened and then I thought it looked pretty good against the soft green of the blanket box.  

Unfortunately, there was not enough to do the sides, base and  lid, so I decided to do the base rather than the lid with the fabric.  I have no plan for lining the lid yet ... something will happen at the right time, it usually does  😃

To attach the fabric I totally cheated and bought a can of spray glue from Amazon and it was all cut to size and stuck in place before I knew it.

It spent a long time balanced on a cardboard box while I gave it the three coats of paint it took to perfectly cover the dark brown.

But I love how it turned out and I love the soft green.

And I also love that somehow it reminds me of a friendly little alien face.

I'm not completely sure of it final purpose yet, but in the back of my mind it may be used to store my Christmas decorations and have my small television and DVD player stood on top in my new home.  Perhaps in the spare bedroom if I have one, so I can  have it permanently set up to play my exercise DVDs, and then only have to lift the tv and player off twice a year to get decorations out and then put them away again.

Sue xx

A Lovely Relaxing Weekend & Car Boot Sale Finds

I had a break from all but a bit of social media and from the internet in general over the weekend.  We had no plans as such and just enjoyed the sunshine, although of course it was far too hot to walk the dogs other than very early in the mornings and very late at night.

What we did manage was a first outing to car boot sale on Sunday morning.

We got up nice and early so we could have a quiet coffee, feed and walk the dogs in the cool along the riverbank and then leave the Van so it was safe for them to be alone in it for the morning.  Luckily although it was warm there was a lot of cloud cover so the sun wasn't beating down on the Van as it had been the day before.  But we closed the curtains on the 'morning sun' side of the Van just to be on the safe side and opened all the windows, the large ones on the security setting and the small top ones fully open.  Happy that we had left them safe, and with Radio Two for their entertainment we set off by 9am ... which is not early if you are looking for re-sale items or exceptional bargains but was early enough for us to browse.

As you can see from the top photo (my car boot garden gnome version of Alan) and this one, I managed to snap up a few good bargains, even more bargainous as Alan paid for the cushion and donated £10 towards my table.

We had two pit stops.  Once for a black coffee for me, and a bacon roll and a milky coffee for Alan and the second time, a couple of hours later, for two more coffees and a cheeseburger for Alan ... and I might have succumbed to a portion of curry sauce and chips as my early morning Weetabix seemed to have been soooo many hours earlier  😁

When we got home the dogs were pleased to see us and happily, the Van was deliciously cool, and while Alan cracked open two cans of cider I took a couple of quick photos of my goodies.

The cushion had just caught my eye, it's design and colours will fit in well with the Van for now and will be good in my new place.  

The curtains which I had spotted one of on a charity stall and was just about to buy it, when luckily the lady remembered there was another still with it's original cardboard header on in another basket under the table, were also meant for my new place but may well be pressed into service here at the Van if we are going to be living here for a while between homes.  They were £3 the pair.

A lucky find was a brand new pastry brush for 50p.  I don't have one here at the Van, I've just been using my fingers, but a recipe I want to try out for the Ration Challenge needs the dough to be brushed with oil between folding and refolding, so I had just added a pastry brush to my shopping list ready for my next trip to a supermarket.  Result!!

The Bohemian Rhapsody DVD was one we both wanted after originally seeing the movie at the cinema when it first came out.  But as it was still at nine or ten pounds in most supermarkets we were waiting for the price to drop ... it did at the car boot sale to £1.  The other DVD is actually series six of ' House', the only series missing from my collection ... and was a real bargain at just 20p.

But the star purchase of the day was this beautiful old oak side table.

There are a few tiny scratches on the top, but something that a good layer of wax polish will cover up easily, apart from that it is in beautiful condition.  I had spotted it earlier from a distance on the field, and after our second pitstop headed over to where I thought it was, only to find myself a few lanes away ... this is a large car boot sale.   I got to the stall just as the pair of elderly ladies were packing up and the table was sitting in the back of their estate car.  I politely asked if I could have a look at it and asked how much they wanted, she said  "It's £20.".   I was just looking at it and running my hand over it's gorgeous pedestal leg and she said  "But you can have it for £15 ... it's going to a good home isn't it?".  I had my purse out so quickly, handed over mine and Alans cash and thanked her profusely.

It really is going to a good home ... my new home  💓  

I didn't realise how solid and heavy it was until I got back to the Van ... as Alan had carried it from it previous owners car back to his ... and I turned it over to read the little label I had spotted on the bottom of the leg.  

It looks like my little table pedestal table is from a really good maker.  The oval metal label says Archer and Smith which is a company founded fifty years ago.  I Googled them to see if I could find anything about my table, but it seems they've moved on to bigger and much posher things in the last few years, including pieces for royal palaces and luxury yachts.  But I am hazarding a guess that this was a bespoke early piece as they have nothing of a similar size in their back catalogue and their style has most definintely moved on.

Anyway it is going to be perfect in amongst the other things that will be coming with me to my new home, which could be coming sooner rather than later, as last Fridays viewing went very well with Alan showing the prospective buyers around and giving them all the information they needed.

We have our fingers firmly crossed, and if we haven't heard anything by the end of today we will be phoning our agent for some feedback.

Sue xx

Things That Mean Something

I don't have a lot of stuff.  

Those of you that have followed me for a while know that over the years I have whittled away at my possessions and it's still an ongoing thing.  I'll never end up with just a Pug and a back-pack, but I'm most definintely treading on this earth a lot lighter than I used to, and it is still an ongoing process.  This next, and possibly final house move will see me with even fewer possessions to my name.

But I do like things that mean something.  

This wall for instance holds happy family holiday memories, a framed card from a blog reader that is a watercolour of one of my favourite places, little plaques with words that resonate ...

... and something that makes me smile.

And reminds me on a daily basis not to take life too seriously!!

Something a certain little girl does so well  😄

Sue xx

Caravans on the Move

With my Van being on the corner as you drive into the caravan park ... currently the only way to drive into the caravan park itself due to the back gates being closed for Track and Trace requirements ... I get to see all comings and goings.  One of the most fascinating is when the guys are playing 'musical caravans'.

Caravans are moved around the park for lots of reasons, sometimes the owners just want a change of scenery ... the riverbank pitches are a firm favourite, or they want new neighbours or to be nearer the amenities.  And for the sum of around £800 you can have your van repositioned into any available space wherever you want on site.  It costs that much as it involves disconnecting, and reconnecting to the mains services, repositioning of your TV aerial or satellite dish and of course the safe transportation of your Van from point A to point B so this also includes the insurance for your van being on the move .  All this takes two men a good couple of hours to achieve.

Other reasons for vans being towed past my window include total removal from the site for older vans, they are usually taken across the river if they are very old and either sold on to be a building site office for a cheap price or they are broken down completely for disposal.

Sometimes people will part-exchange their old van for a new model, bought through the caravan park owners and the game of musical vans means old out and new in to the same space on the park.  And sometimes there is a mass bring on, something that happens every few years when the caravan park owners upgrade their small fleet of van rentals for ten new models.  Part exchanging the older ones to the people on the park that have even older models that they want to replace.

A caravan being moved past my Van is always brought to my attention as it is done to loud cries of  'left hand down, left hand DOWN, LEFT HAND DOWN, now right hand down.  With the instruction getting louder and more insistent as it is repeated.  The driver of the Landrover is instructed by the guy walking backwards in front of him with a better view of whether the 38ft long Van is about to take out a guttering or snag on a corner, so shouted instructions are vital for the safety of everything and everyone in the caravans path. 

This one moved past without a mishap and is currently now parked outside the office, I'll walk Suky past later and have a nosey to see if it is for sale.  The person that had this one now has a brand spanking new model parked in the same place that this one came from.

Doggy walking around the caravan park is always a game of  'Oh is that new? That's nice, I wonder where the old one is?  Things here can change on an almost daily level.

Oh and look what I found in the bin when I was putting out my rubbish bag yesterday.  Far too nice to stay in the bin and be smashed and ultimately end up in landfill.  So I rescued it.  I have no idea what I will do with it but it's far too pretty not to live on in another life.

Sue xx

Groundhog Wash Day

Even the dogs look as though they're saying  'you've already washed those Mum'.

I've been putting out the same washing every four days since lockdown began.  Four of my t-shirts and one of Alan's.   It's good that it's been that regular in some ways as it means we've had no rain and excellent drying conditions  ... but it's getting boring.  AND ... my clothes are starting to wear out.  The jeans were already old working jeans and  I've been living in them, well them and the other pair and the other stripey t-shirt that I'm wearing while these clothes dry in the sunshine.

It seems that I have turned  into a blue and whiter stripey lockdown prisoner.  

The only time I put on nice jeans has been when I've ventured out to the supermarket, and I think that's been four or five times since lockdown began, so they haven't need to be washed and are just hanging on the hook on my bedroom wall ready for the next shopping expedition.

Last night I went a bit mad and before I climbed into the bath I fed the jeans I had just taken off to the log burner.  Oh they lit the room up so well as they were engulfed in flames.  Ever the arsonist that's me  🔥

I have totally forgotten to unpack any Summer items up to now and have just been living in my Van uniform of stripey t-shirts.  I did have two lovely new t-shirts that Alan bought me for my birthday, well I bought them and explained away the extravagance by saying they were off him for my birthday, you know how it is ... but they are still hanging in the Van wardrobe unworn awaiting my return.

So today I am in my only other pair of 'scruffy lockdown work jeans' and I have decided to unpack my Summer things and go through them just like I went through the books last week asking the question  'Do I really want to keep this? '  It will be interesting to see if it changes the core of clothes that I have worn and packed away each year for the past few years.  Oh and while I'm doing that I will do the same for any thicker Winter jumpers that I pack away.

I promise not to set fire to anything I am no longer keeping though  😃

Sue xx

Changing the Question ...

Anyone who reads or has read any of my blogs will know that for the past few years I have been on an ongoing decluttering journey.  I've sorted through clothes, books, furniture, kitchen stuff, and numerous areas of bitty bits, and I've always asked myself the question ...

 ' What can I get rid of that I either don't want or don't need any more? '.

At the end of last week I started looking through a few of my books in the same old way asking myself the same question, then I ground to a halt with the shelves just like this.  Over the past few days I looked at them every time I came into the living room and passed them every time I went into the bathroom and looked at them with unimpressed eyes, wondering why I had even started if I didn't have the heart to finish the job.

The job in question, was to only own enough non-cookery books to fill these shelves and the cupboard beneath.

And to only have on the built-in shelves any books that I couldn't make my mind up about so needed glancing through, or that were cook books, or were Alan's.

Yesterday I had a bit of an epiphany and changed the question to a much more simple one.

' What books do I really want to keep? '

Then I took all the books off the shelves and left them stacked on the floor overnight.  I removed all the ornamental bits and gave the shelves a really good clean.

It was somehow soothing to see the shelves like this during the evening, and it gave me the chance to get myself into gear for a big sort out today.

They are going to look a lot different in a couple of hours.

And the books will finally be done ... for the last time.

Sue xx

Hot Water Bottle Snuggles

A certain little someone didn't want to get out of bed this morning.  

Hot water bottles are Suky's favourite thing and hot water bottle snuggles are enough to keep her in bed far longer than a Pug who has gone since teatime yesterday without having a 'comfort break' should.  She's got the bladder of an elephant so I'm not worried, it's just weird when you want a walk in the glorious morning sunshine and the dog doesn't  🌞

In other maybe less, maybe more, interesting news I have spent the last two days gradually unpacking the stuff we brought with us on Friday and the stuff that we stored under the bed when we left the Van in December.  There are some things in there that we put into the Van last year and that have never been used ... or read ... they are the first things going into the car boot sale bag ready to take back to Wales with me.  We are ruthlessly getting rid of all stuff  that isn't of use or of interest at both locations.

One box of things are going straight back under the bed until December though are the the plastic holders for the damp proof granule things ... I'm sure there's a proper name for them, but it's early, I've only had one coffee and I need fresh air when that Pug finally surfaces ... that stop the caravan turning into a mouldy, damp mess over the three month closed season.  I went slightly overboard buying the refill packs last year so I have enough in another box to use at the end of this season.

Talking of going overboard … is anyone getting a stockpile together of food during this Coronavirus pandemic?  I noticed in Aldi and Sainsbury's yesterday that the shelves have been picked pretty bare in some sections.

Sue xx