#SoCS / JJJ - 31/1/26 - Scratch an Itch

Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 31st and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “scratch an itch.” Use it any way you’d like. To join in the fun click HERE.

I was thinking about taking this prompt literally and wondering out loud how I would cope with scratching an itch if Hubby wasn't around.  You know the one, that point on your back that you just can't quite reach no matter how much you contort yourself. 

But of course scratching an itch is also about satisfying a craving.  I've been good this week and not given in to the temptation of chocolate that's in the house.  Mainly because I've started taking a collagen supplement that is chocolate flavoured and I'm mixing it with warm milk.  It actually tastes really nice but I'm just a bit wary of having a migraine induced chocolate overload so I haven't scratched that itch.

I also went to the library to return a book, one that I hadn't even read, and came away with no new books despite browsing the "New In" book shelf where several books caught my eye.  But I have enough books on my TBR pile to probably last me a year so I really don't need to scratch that itch either.

So now, is it just me, or does writing about this topic create an itch in that impossible to reach place?  Thankfully Hubby is in the house so I will get my itch scratched!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend all.

Fridays Fave Five - 30/1/26 (And JJJ - Cinnamon)

It's Friday and time to look back on the week and find the blessings.  Susanne keeps us on our toes and you can find her blog and all the details here.

It's been a fairly uneventful week here but there are always good things going on

1)  It's been incredibly wet over the month of January but I did manage a walk around the lake on Monday despite it being incredibly muddy so thankful for my wellies.

2)  Tuesday I did my keep fit class and then had coffee (well tea for me) with friends who also attend the class.  Always good to have a catch up.

3)  We spent time with grandchildren Nathan and Ella on Sunday.  Ella who is only 5 is getting much better at playing games but we also had a long spell playing with the Playdoh. (And the colours didn't get mixed!)

4)  Yesterday was Foodbank day and as always it was very busy.  We had two visits from schools.  The first one was a group of older students who are studying Charity and Money Management as part of their course so they were very interested to hear how the Foodbank operates etc.  Some of them brought donations and several wanted to know how they could volunteer.  We often have students who are doing their Duke of Edinburgh awards spending time at the Hub so there are opportunities for them.

The second visit was from a primary school group of Year 6 pupils who had done a week of collecting for the Foodbank and they brought in a huge donation of canned and dried goods which we're always grateful for.

We also had an unannounced visit from the Hygiene team from the local council and we retained our 5 star rating!  

It was such a busy morning that Sally (who usually works with me in the stockroom) and I didn't even have time for a cup of tea or in my case a chocolate croissant or in Sally's case a cinnamon pastry.

(Just slipping in today's Just Jot it January prompt there lol.)

5)  I've decided to give a collagen supplement a go.  The order was delivered earlier this week and thankfully the chocolate flavour I ordered is delicious.  So I'm thankful that it shouldn't be too difficult to fit it into the daily routine and that I didn't have to think about the cost either.

I also got a delivery of garden bird and swan/duck food this week.  Again I'm thankful that we're in a position to be able to do these things now that we're retired.

Now I'm off to try and get a walk in before the rain returns.

Have a good weekend all.

(The Just Jot it January prompt was from Tessa K who blogs  HERE.  The Just Jot it challenge is hosted by Linda HERE.)

JJJ - 29/1/26 - Prompt

Today is the 29th, and our prompt is brought to us by Cheryl. Thank you, Cheryl! You can find her blog HERE.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 29th, 2026 is “prompt.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

When I started this challenge I was trying to get my posts done promptly but, as has often been the case, I'm looking at the clock thinking I should be getting ready for bed, and cobbling together a post that follows the prompt albeit a bit loosely.

There.  I've managed to get the prompt in a couple of times so that will suffice for today.  Phew, only 2 more days to go.  But thankfully the challenge has seemed to make January go quicker.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 28/1/26

Wednesday means Hodgepodge time - thanks as always to Joyce for providing the questions.  We join in HERE.

1. I live in the south so we're pretty much only talking about the weather right now. Give us a weather report from where you live. Does the kind of weather you're having today affect your mood in some way?

Rain, rain and lots of mud where I walk so yes it does affect my mood if I can't get out as much.

2. Avocados, kale, cauliflower and cottage cheese have all had their time to shine. 2026 brings us the year of the cabbage. Is this a vegetable you like? If so, what are some of your favourite dishes that call for cabbage?

I do like cabbage.  I wouldn't say I love it though.  We don't have a specific regular dish that calls for cabbage but we will have it as a side vegetable with lots of things.

3. Was a Cabbage Patch Doll a part of your childhood? Or maybe your children's childhood? What's a toy trend from your childhood you remember wanting for your own?

Well I had to check out the dates for this and they came out several years before our daughter was born so they sort of passed us by a bit.

Toys from my childhood?  That's stretching the memory lol. Barbie and Sindy dolls.

4. Something you've spent a lot of time doing lately?

Blogging!  I've almost completed the Just Jot it January challenge so I've managed to blog every day so far this month.

5. Somehow it's the last week of January...sum up your month in just three sentences.

Rain, more rain.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Of course there was more than rain happening but the month does seem to have flown by.