Monday 2 January 2017

Eight years old today.

Well hello, how are you, welcome, come on in. We have a little celebration going on, the 2nd of January is the anniversary of the very first blog post, eight years ago, so Happy Birthday blog. 
After an operation when I was 59 I had 12 weeks off to recover, and when I was ready to go back to work, they announced they were closing the depot. I didn't have a job to go back to. And so I became unemployed. I didn't have much money because I had been reducing my hours at work, which reduced my pay. I had also been living on a pittance, my JSA had been reduced because I was receiving a little bit of insurance money. Those were hard times, but some of it was of my making because I scaled back the driving. It was just unfortunate that I had to take sick leave for a while. 
So this blog was started in the January, and I survived on little money until my 60th birthday in May. It was a big sigh of relief when my pension kicked in. Things are much improved now, my thriftyness and penny pinching has helped me to pay off my mortgage, change my car twice, and have holidays and days out. Now I am ticking over nicely living within my means, and happy with my lot.  
I think I have had all the mileage updates for the 2016 walking challenge. Counting up, 21 people have passed the 1000 mile mark. I think that's bloomin great, you should all be proud of yourselves. Some of you have come very close to it, also a great achievement, and a lot of you have done so well by sticking with it. As I always say, having a go and doing what you can, is better than sitting on your bum and doing nothing. So well done everyone. 
The challenge was not a competition, not a race, but I've picked out two names at random for a prize. So step forward Helen D and Vicki. Big cheer. Send me your addresses and I'll send you a little surprise in the post. 
Up to now there are 50 names on the list for 2017. Wouldn't it be good if we could get half of them to the 1000 mile mark. It would be chuffin great. 25 people fitter than when they started at the beginning. I know December is a long way off, but as you can see, it is achievable Good luck everyone. 
Right, what's next. My lunch yesterday. Not much food left in the fridge. A spud in the microwave, grated cheese, a tomato, and sliced beetroot. A nice simple cheap meal. 
 The other day I made this, enough for two days of lunch and dinner. Two smallish onions chopped, handful of Quorn pieces, carrots, Brussels Sprouts, frozen broad beans, sweetcorn, and frozen cranberries. Start it off with a slug of oil, add water and splash of fruit juice. Curry powder, turmeric, vegetable granules, coriander, Danish blue cheese, and cream cheese. Simmer till veg is soft, add water if needed.

I cooked plenty of wholemeal pasta, enough for three meals, and the fourth portion was a topping on a microwaved spud. I didn't bother freezing it, kept it in the fridge, and microwaved it before eating. My goodness it was ever so tasty. I will need to go shopping at some point this week, seems like ages since I last went to the shops. Not much left in the fridge.

Find the cat. Heidi has a new hidey hole, ha ha. Isn't it funny, just when you think they have found the ideal place, they move on to somewhere else.

That's it, all blogged out, nowt else left to say. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

40 comments:

  1. Congrats! Also how lovely to see that bods from all over the world are joining in the challenge (from people whose names I don't recognise too). Natalie

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  2. Happy Bloggyversary - hears to many more.
    xx

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  3. Gosh I didn't know all of your story. Wow, thank you for being so inspirational and letting people like me learn from you. I am wishing you a v happy new year. I go back to work tomorrow. Hugs, kitx

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  4. Happy birthday blog! And a mighty fine one it is too. Well done you for writing a post most days and for keeping it interesting and relevant. I suppose that must be challenge, once you have covered the obvious things what do you wrote about? But you have such a varied range of interests that it's always fresh and useful to read your posts. Here's to many more years of great blogging and good living,xxxx

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  5. Woohoo! Thank you! How exciting - I've emailed my address. Congratulations on the blog's 8th anniversary and may it continue to go from strength to strength in the future! Vicki

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  6. happy birthday to your blog its a great read tessa

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  7. Happy blog 8th birthday; you've shared so much knowledge and always come up with an interesting and informative topic - keep going, I read it most days to see what I can glean.
    Amanda

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  8. Well done on 8 years of blog writing and here#s hoping for 8 more - at least

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  9. I have been reading your blog since 2011, and enjoyed it greatly!
    Congrats to all your walkers!
    Hugs to Heidi!

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  10. Happy Birthday blog. I have read you from the go get, many times over.

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  11. I am so glad you keep telling people it is not the income but the expenses that creates assets - and a good life! Keep going!!

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  12. Ha ha, love the new sleeping spot. When I had a cat, one morning we just couldn't find her even though we knew she had been indoors at night (no cat flap). We searched and were thoroughly puzzled until suddenly she jumped down from the top of the top kitchen cupboards. There wasn't even enough room between the top of the units and the celing for her to stand up!

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  13. Eight years! That's quite an achievement. I think your blog is fantastic Ilona, you have a very clear voice and a concise style. Your content is valuable and entertaining. Can you tell I'm a big fan? Thanks so much, Karen.

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  14. Happy Birthday Ilona's blog. Good wishes for a happy 2017 blog year!

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  15. Congratulations on an interesting and inspirational blog. I've learnt a lot from your approach to life and feel this has given me the confidence to make changes in my own life such as reducing my hours in a job I increasingly dislike and doing more of what makes me happy. Wishing you all the best for the year ahead. Kristel

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  16. You've done well Illona. Congratulations on being so frugal and on achieving an 8th blog anniversary! Happy New Year too!

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  17. Just wanted to give you one of my favourite quorn recipes, quorn beef ash. It's just quorn chunks, I did use the beef ones but haven't seen them lately. Cubed potatoes, onions, carrots, gravy granules and water. I add all sorts of veg. But boiled up or put in the slow cooker, warming and gorgeous. A big dollop of brown sauce, yum.
    Any leftovers can be mashed and made into pasties.
    Happy new year.

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  18. Happy Birthday blog and best to you and the animals, Ilona!

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  19. Congratulations on eight years! I am happy you stuck with it!

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  20. Happy Ilona Blog Anniversary - we have been with
    you from the beginning (you are so addictive!!)
    Wendy (Wales)

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  21. Happy anniversary and congratulations on how your life has improved. I didn't realize your tight circumstances before you turned 60. What a huge difference your ability to recognize necessities versus luxuries has made. It also shows how change is possible. Thank you for your blog, I really enjoy it.

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  22. Happy anniversary! I enjoy reading your blog every morning, it is a good start into the day. And thank you for sharing your story and the reasons you started your blog.
    Please count me in with the new 1000 miles challenge. Taking part has done me so much good in 2016. I had a nice start into the new year running after my grandson for the last two days, I know that it doesn´t count, but it was more tiring than walking 10 miles.

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  23. Happy blogoversary! I have enjoyed your blog this last year. Glad I found you! It's very cold outside and so there's no walking....most of the week. Did this weekend though. Even if it's a mile a day that's better than nothing. The only way I'd walk 1000 miles is if we drove somewhere then went on a walk. Which would be fine. We've done that...hiked on to see falls for my photography wishes. Happy New Year!

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  24. Congratulations on keeping such a wonderful blog going, I always read while having my first cuppa.
    I would like to be added to the list but I will only be able to walk a little aday due to various reasons but at least I will go out even for a little while each day.
    Best wishes,
    Hazel c uk

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  25. Happy Anniversary. You have taught us so much x

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  26. Congratulations on your success, happy anniversary. It's great to hear what made you, you. Tx

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  27. Well done on the blog, you write practically every day, which is a fantastic achievement, and we learn so much from you. Can't remember how many years ago I found you online, but I've gone back to the beginning and re-read everything several times, and each time I find something very helpful.

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  28. Congratulations on your eighth blog anniversary, Ilona. So inspirational. Susan (wife of Edward)

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  29. Congrats on 8 years of blogging and sharing tips and tidbits from your life with us. I like your idea of keeping track of how many miles we walk; now that I adopted a shelter dog I walk him 3 times a day and I am sure the miles add up.

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  30. I love that you post ever day- well almost. I only manage once a week usually so I know the effort you put in. thank you

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  31. Congratulations...

    I have appreciated reading your blog this past year (about how long I have been reading it)...

    very nice, and enjoy most all of it...the trips/hikes/food/art/info

    all very nice

    Thank you.

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  32. Heidi by name Heidi by nature x

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  33. Your meals always look yummy! I wouldn't use the Quorn though, before we moved hubby worked for Premier Foods who makes it, after seeing how it was processed (very highly processed!) into a sodium laden slurry he wouldn't even contemplate eating it. Same with margarine. As he says : once seen never eaten!

    We use lentils a lot,lentils, chickpeas, all different pulses provide our protein. Nuts too, although we try not to eat them by the handful, very moreish!

    I've roasted some chickpeas in the oven today, absolutely delicious.

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  34. A huge "well done" to you for writing such an inspirational blog for all this time, thank you for the effort you put into keeping your many fans enthused about living a meaningfull life within our means.
    With very best wishes fro The Country Cook

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  35. Congratulations to you on the blog anniversary! Eight years, wow. I think I started reading you 4 or 5 years ago.

    Your meals look lovely as always - I like the sound of danish blue cheese!

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  36. Happy blog birthday Ilona!

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  37. Happy 8th Blogging Anniversary Ilona♥ I've loved tagging along, it's been wonderful:) Linda xx

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  38. Happy Blog Birthday. Eight years is a good number ,and it's been lovely following your journey, you've helped a lot of people along your way. xx

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  39. Happy Happy Blog Birthday! You are such an inspiration in so many ways....you will never know much you changed my life...:) Much love from: KarenV NC in USA

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