greent's mfw journey

Moneyfordreams

I curse anyone who uses my haircutting scissors or sewing scissors... I always do OHs hair. DD1 the hairdresser has no idea how to do his short back and sides. Happy birthdays to Ds and mum.  

greent

Thanks for the bday wishes for DS3 and my mum - there was indeed LOTS of cake! - and lots of leg0 (not for my mum...… )

Haircuts went so well that I'm down to do another trim on the boys this week! (Well - not DS1 - his is still fine - looks rather good, actually - I took all the colour off the back so it's just the front which is turquoise now and longer, and that makes a great contrast to the very short and shaped dark brown back and sides ) I watched about 3 hours worth of yootoob videos on haircutting - and they all had about rolling outwards with the trimmer and not cutting beyond second knuckle of fingers - just like you said, Suffolk_lass   DH's colleagues also complimented him on a Teams call about his new cut

The weather has changed lots here - although the rain is not penetrating past the top few mm of soil. I've been harvesting a few strawberries from the garden -far fewer than previous years - but it is a new strawb bed, so I wasn't expecting much this year. We also have cherries ripening - I've picked a few, but am leaving lots for the birds. The weather this week / 'June drop' has knocked dozens of cherries, plums and pears from the trees - it doesn't look like many apples set anyway. We also have new fence at the rear of us (yeay!) - just need to do shared edge with neighbour (getting someone in for that)

Managed to pay extra £1200+ to BTL in May - whoop! Have started this month with an extra £660 - bringing the balance of the 'big' sub account to below £40K - yippee!!! (The small acct of < £5k has an extra 5 years to run) We still keep changing our mind about what to do with the property long term! 

'Broke into' Wales last week with DD - we drove to her flat (an hour door to door) to collect lots of things left there and clean the place. We parked over the road from the front door, took food and drinks with us and saw a lone cyclist when crossing the road and that was it   There's still a few items left which DH will collect with her later this month and she can then leave her keys there for the lettings agents We brought back random bits of food, too - some will go to foodbank (cheap baked beans...) and the rest has been amalgamated in. Things which she won't need until she has her own place have been cleaned and boxed up and stored in the garage loft (lots of kitchenware, etc)

DS3 is returning to school on Monday... we shall see what he thinks of it. He is in Y6. We have watched a video of the new set up and entering/ leaving procedures. It is a very, very different environment - goodness knows what the youngest ones will make of the changes, let alone the 10 and 11year olds. School are relaxed on uniform, so we are planning school polos and jumpers with 'normal' shorts/ joggers. His trainers only just fit, so I'm going to try and get the next size up online.... although having just had a look I don't like any of them. I may try and get a cheap pair from somewhere like M'ta1an instead (he's lived in flip flops recently!)
 It'll also be a big change getting up to an alarm...…!!

BA have cancelled our flights to Orlando - no surprise there and I'm glad they cancelled rather than me having to cancel and take a voucher. Instead I've asked for a refund which they've said yes to and should take 10 working days.... Unlike the NY refund from Secret Escapes which we are STILL waiting for (DH now doing chargeback) Need to figure out what to do about the park tickets for Orlando now... Hopefully we can manage to go next year.... fingers crossed

We are having a takeaway tonight - Indian - suppose I should actually get on and order it!  

greent

So Saturday's curry was fab - really yummy - the best we've had in a loooong time and well worth the £60 it cost....!

Had a look at the ISA today - it's recovered well from the low point back in April(?) and is now back at over 12% return. The small pensions we transferred to V'nguard are also performing well - mine has a 16.62% return already and DH's 13.? % - pleased with that. Still a long way to go with them, but am happy right now

DH has to take a week of his annual leave by the end of this month - probably going for the last week - so he's compiled a list of jobs to hopefully do that week (some small bits of DIY, clean the carpets etc) along with a much longer list of jobs where we need professionals in (some remodelling, some electrics, a new gas fire.....) - I think he thinks we have a secret stash of money somewhere, as I estimate it comes to around £60k!! - think they'll take a while to get done.....

DS3 went back to school today - class of 14 on single desks, etc, etc.... he seems ok with it, which is good - and has seen friends - albeit they can't play their usual games - which is fab Just hope it all stays ok for the remaining few weeks of term (his last ones at primary)

greent

DS3's school have today confirmed that they aren't taking any other year groups in before Sept (at earliest) as all classrooms and available staff (some still shielding) are being utilised for YR, Y1, Y6 and keyworker children. Probably the right thing to do - would logistically be a nightmare and mean everyone in only 2 almost-full days/ week at best, I think - and would mean staff working with at least 2 different groups each week. As it is, DS3 is home today as (like a lot of schools, I believe) they are 'deep-cleaning' the school today - as they will be doing every Weds until the end of term.

DS2's school are hardly having any Y10 and Y12's in over the next few weeks, either. They are a selective school, so no 'catchment area' as such - it's a case of you need to pass the entrance test, be in the top 150 to do so and then if you (your parents) agree to the travel and getting you there every day you're in - around 25% are out of county and another 60% out of town, I think. Obviously out of town doesn't always mean a long journey (we are out of town) but often does in Glos..... A lot of students are therefore having a journey time of 1hr+ for school. School buses aren't running, the trains have said they don't want schoolchildren on.... it's all rather difficult! (Not that it applies to DS2, as he is in Y9 at present, anyway)

Have just watched Boris.... can't say that I'm fussed on having all retail being able to open from next week - it's crazy enough in the supermarkets sometimes as is! I do enjoy Sir Keir questioning Boris, though - regardless of politics (I have voted for both sides in relatively recent times) I do love someone of Sir Keir's verbal ability running rings around others - goes some way to show why he was so good at his past job.

Baked some huuuuuge carrot cake muffins today - essentially because I decided I wanted to use up some mahooosive cake cases and also had some tinned pineapple left in the fridge from DH and DD having gammon last week. Cake cases must be around 12 years old! Result is some very scrummy large muffins DD and DS3 also baked some fab gooey double choc cookies as well

Looks like the sun is out for the evening (has been drizzling on and off all day - not enough to help the garden, though) - so may go for a walk later - fed 2 swans and their 7 cygnets at the canal last night

Suffolk_lass

I'm with you on watching Boris and co being tested at PMQT. I also saw the bit where Priti Patel insisted she did understand how it felt to be black and of immigrant heritage, relating it to name-calling at school. I have no doubt she experienced some racism but somehow she managed to convey it in such a way that it reminded me of a programme in which David James (the former football goalkeeper) was identified as a psychopath, in the true sense of the description - not cruel but entirely unable to emotionally connect. Maybe it is a defence thing but her performance always grates for me - she pauses mid phrase, so the emphasis is on the wrong bit and it makes it very difficult to follow, as there is often an "and" clause, just when you think you have followed. I have been looking hard at myself for unconscious bias or prejudice but I really do think it is her.

I'm chuckling about big cakes - I have been making things in a tray and cutting them up smaller than the number of portions. It is a complete waste of time! Brownies for example, seem to have begun to appear with a hot drink and again with greek-style yogurt and fruit for dessert! (where is that little piggy icon!?)

Tahlullah.H

Hope you get the money back for the holiday.  Nothing quite as galling as knowing they are getting money for old rope, and many people think 'its a small amount, I can't be bothered to chase it'  How much are they making from this?  I hope the charge back works.

Suffolk_lass

Sorry @greent - I was definitely in GOB mode last week (grumpy old bag) and posted political on your thread. Lots of Spam posts being reported across the forum at the moment

brizzlegirl

Hi SL, think I agree with you and greent, politicians are there to be scrutinised..
Sounds good with you greent, I agree an occasional takeout is important. We had one on Friday and loved it. No pans to wash afters too, that ranked as an equal first to the taste in my mind

greent

Argh - was talking to DD and lost a post!

I don't mind a bit of politics now and again on MSE - I do find we tend to be more 'civilised' about it than some of the posts/ 'discussions' (using that term very loosely...!) on Fb00k, where I see a lot of bigotry and bullying

The carrot and pineapple muffins were huge and extremely yummy - would definitely attempt them again (I say 'attempt', as I didn't really follow a recipe)

DS1 and I weeded half of the strawberry bed again yesterday - it looks good when checking it this morning, but just emphasises how much the other half needs doing (made worse by the fact I tend to do the same half most of the time) We were removing all of the random love-in-a-mist and aquilegia plants which seem to have sprung up yesterday, along with Queen Anne's Lace & potentilla. The other end has all those plus bindweed and a lot of speedwell.  We left the random tomato and red lettuce plants which have popped up (presumably from the hm compost) - I doubt the tomatoes will come to much, but the lettuces are doing great  

Huge cloudburst last night at pm for around an hour - much needed, and actually appears to have done much more for the garden than the near-constant small drizzle we had the other day. Also meant we had a gorgeous day yesterday - and a lovely canalside evening walk, where we fed the ducks, including some tiny and still very fluffy ducklings (all the others we've seen are quite large now) My favourite are still the family of 7 cygnets we regularly see with their parents, though - we've watched them from quite small to now-adult-duck sized

Not much else  going on here. DS3 seems to be mostly enjoying being back at school 4 days/ week. His sleep is rubbish, though - he is now sleeping in our room - that seems to be how Covid has affected him. Will get him back to his in the Summer hols period - it's not worth the added hassle to him (and more broken sleep for us) right now - it's only a month to go, after all. 

Smkt trip this morning - should be quick, but in reality it won't be as a queue outside is almost guaranteed. I miss quick shopping trips! (food only - I'm not interested in going clothes etc shopping - although will need new uniform for DS2 and DS3 at some point - DS3 due to change of school, and DS2 because they change uniform from Y9 to Y10 - grrr)

greent

Have had quite a few small fb00k and flebay sales in the past 10 days - insignificant amounts in general, but a lot has been outgrown/ unwanted toys and books which the children get the money for, so they're happy and I'm happy stuff has left. I have a growing pile in the garage for the CS so am looking forward to when they reopen for donations:) I've also applied to volunteer at our local one - they said they'd be happy to have me on a not-regular basis to work around invigilating and cover supervisor work (my ideal plan is to do a Sat morn there with DS2 whilst hes doing his DofE volunteering and then an ad-hoc shift or 2 in the week, depending upon what I'm up to) The small sales add up - I've just exceeded my net sales figure for the year   I'm not going to increase it, as we really dont have that much nowadays to get rid of and a lot does go to the CS in 'normal' times (gift aided under DH's name and the resulting figure put on his self assessment tax form:)