I am not sure why but, since I retired, I appear to have become Mrs BOGOF. Show me a bargain and I'm on it like a limpet. Perhaps it's because I have a lot more time, these days, to peruse the advertisements in the
local newspapers and cut out all the "special offers."
Here's one: a free cappucino when I visit a certain coffee bar. OK, it's not my drink of choice, but, hey it's coffee and milk, what's
not to like? - and, like I said, it's free! The fact that I will have to drive 7 miles there and back, plus pay for parking and Mr B will doubtless insist on having a strong filter coffee to go with my free cappucino is
neither here nor there.
Today Mr B and I headed off to a local garden centre which is under new ownership. I had been completely seduced by its offer of "buy one hot meal and get another
one free" - plus a buy-one-get-one-free herbaceous plant. Mr B did point out that (i) we were having Sunday Roast for dinner, so didn't really need another hot meal today; and (ii) it's daffodil bulbs I keep saying I need, not plants of the herbaceous
variety. However he was in the mood to humour me, so off we set.
Have you ever noticed that there is always a lot more than "garden" items in a Garden Centre? I'm not complaining, you understand,
just stating a fact. Come half-term, there's just so much going on at this particular centre. As part of a programme of "Spooktacular Half Term Fun" I could decorate a pumpkin or a harlequin mask, don't you know? Paint a spooky pencil case!
Decorate a monster cupcake! Enter a "Creepy Colouring Competition." Spooktacular, indeed.
Mr B points out that the grandchildren who will be visiting us this half-term have grown right out of such
activities. It is a sad thought. Maybe next year my little Welsh boys can come to visit. They would just LOVE to do some creepy colouring. And in a year or three, the Middle of the Darling Daughters will be sure to bring Little Ninja Baby
down, if there's even half a chance of painting a spooky pencil case. Poor babe, he's not even born yet and I am already organising his social life...
We saved £20 on our trip out. We had
to spend £30 which we didn't actually need to spend, in order to achieve this excellent result, but that's not the point. Actually Mr B was more impressed with the garden centre's offer that it would replace, free of charge, any plant which died
within three years of purchase. This was a truly foolhardy offer, he said, given my proven track record of plant-care. There had never been anyone like me (he was warming to his theme, you can tell) for Failing to Look After Anything Properly.
That's a bit rich, in my view. I have been looking after Mr B for over 46 years and so far, so good.
And, before you ask, no I didn't get him on
a BOGOF offer...