Thunderstruck

Well, it's all chaos at pennypincher cottage, I've completely lost the plot and all semblance of time and space appear to have left the building!

The OH has a new work pattern and has to finish teaching at his new studio by 9pm.  He is now back at 9.30, having sorted his paperwork and driven the 2 minute journey home. That's kind of wrecked my blogging time, which was generally 9 till 11pm.

I've got a small shop on ebay, fusing my love of a charity shop, or any other bargain with selling on ebay, something I have been doing for years (cleared a loft and shed plus all my vintage toys over the years). It's a proper business, all registered and above board, and I'm finding doing the books at the end of every month quite depressing at present, having very small profits while building the business is a challenge when you are used to receiving a salary once a month, with all those pesky deductions already done for you!  I should be grateful to be turning a profit, albeit small, after just a few months and slapdash input!

I have also obtained a small business premises near OH, on the same estate, and as it is just down the road, it's proving very handy.  

We lost one of the rescued banties, Florence, in March, she was never well so it was a blessing in disguise that she is no longer with us.  This left me with a dilemma. Do I have rescue hens and possibly end up with my beautiful 8 year old bantam being picked on by bigger hens, or do I buy brand new point of lay (POL) banties and let her continue to enjoy life? Of course, Lola the bantie came first and we purchased a Hamburgh and Friesian from the Domestic Fowl Trust in Warwickshire.

Lola took to them quite quickly, thank goodness, and has since taught them all her naughty habits, I can now listen to her 'let me out' screech in three different tones! Hierarchy has been sorted, and Daphne the Hamburgh is the new second in command, with Maureen the Friesian at the bottom of the pecking order.

Here they are, Daphne is black and white, Maureen is gold (Maureen was named by OH after Maureen O'Hara as she is a feisty redhead)

 Daphne laid for us the morning after she arrived, and Maureen a week later.  We now have a dozen little eggs a week, with the occasional one from Lola, proving she ain't past it yet. 

Pure white Lola egg on the left, pearl white Daphne egg on the right, just to add to the confusion Maureen lays a white egg, should've checked the earlobes before I decided on breeds, doh!

I've had to buy myself a new all singing and dancing phone for business use, internet on the go for ebay and unlimited texts and calls for the rental, got a bargain though so not too much damage done.  Thank goodness for tax deductables!

No major visits to report on as we have been relishing our new found wealth (?) and shopping for all those things we were cutting back on for the past few years, clothing, toiletries etc, we have managed on the very basics for far too long!  However, we have a holiday booked soon and will be sharing the trip with you all.

I am seriously hoping all will soon settle with times and organisation and I will be back with regular blogs soon, thanks for hanging on in there while chaos ensued in the background xx