Breaking Through, Travelling On

Karmacat

Hiya :j

Been back dahn Sarf for a couple of days - sleeping after the journey is *so* desirable And then there was starting to get to grips with the garden again, which I did yesterday. Just as my brother promised/warned me, its started to take off, spring is definitely sprung.

The trip went well in terms of scanning photos and getting the probate done, but we'll be holding off on preparing to sell the house, for various reasons, which calms down the timeline somewhat ... one huge bonus is that we didn't have to go see the Awkward Auntie, who made so many problems during the week of the funeral, because the things we're giving her as keepsakes can hang around the house a while longer. Big relief all round on our part.

The upstairs of my house has become more and more disorganised, because of bringing inherited bits and bobs home piecemeal, so today I couldn't bear it any longer and I've done a wholesale reorganisation. Thats going well too - there isn't much stuff, but everything is everywhere.

It's Sunday, isn't it ... between retirement and the long trips, I haven't been quite sure :rotfl: The most important thing on a Sunday is to catch up on mse threads :j:j:j

Cheery_Daff

Glad you got a rest on the way back KD :j and that the trip went well. Holding off on selling the house sounds sensible for now.

Good on you reorganising your own house too! :j

I know what you mean with the garden - all manner of things popping up in mine :eek: Can't wait for lighter nights - I'm at work all day and at the weekend DIY feels more important at the minute but once the evenings are lighter, I can pop out and do a bit of weeding to keep on top of things...

Love that you're losing track of the days

Karmacat

Hi Cheery :hello:

I'm looking at my subscribed diaries in reverse order, and yours is the last one I haven't seen, excuse me

The garden is odd to look at - it looks so much bigger, the more I cut back the hedges to somewhere near the boundary fences I've realised its not *quite* all my fault - the crowded planting is taken to a ridiculous level. Plants which are actually different forms of spreading trees were planted only about three feet from one another, all down one side of the garden, and have also been overtaken, by about eight feet, by the neighbour's box hedge (thats *completely* my fault ).

There's still plenty to do, and my brother has offered to come down and help me instal a retaining sub-wall on the other side - my soil is slowly dribbling into next door's on the other side, helped by their dogs scrabbling away at it, and there needs to be a bit of a barrier.

Exciting times :j

earthgirl

I'm the opposite I feel I've so much reorgsnising to do that I can't seem to get moving! It will be easier once I start. I hope.

Can't wait to get back in the garden either..potatoes ready to go in first I think.

Karmacat

I'm very familiar with that, believe me, earthgirl - thats why I became quite well known for a while for the whole "15 minutes" thing trouble is, when that goes on for years, you're left with a wasteland. Even now - there's no way I could plant a rootcrop in my garden, between the condition of the clay soil and the roots of weeds and grass, they'd be overcome in short order.

While I'm waiting for my brother to come down here, I have A Cunning Plan - I'm going to put cardboard down at the back of the border, right next to the problematic fence, and weight it down with gro-bags. Keeps the weeds down where we'll need to dig, and gets some soil ready for when we've dug. Simples.

Unfortunately, I have Round Two of my cluster fly infestation I may go all out and buy an industrial strength fogger for the loft.

I was clearing away around an old buddleia, right by the fence. I don't know how its managed to get leaves on it this year, but it actually broke away in my hand, certainly didn't need a pruning saw, poor thing! At this rate, I'll have the space to weatherproof the fence!

EatingTheElephant

Amazing progress KC, although it sounds like there is still a lot left to keep you busy for a while!

Karmacat

EatingTheElephant wrote: »

Amazing progress KC, although it sounds like there is still a lot left to keep you busy for a while!

Thanks EE actually, I couldn't have put it better myself I'm really pleased at what I've done, but there's *so* much yet to do.

Amazingly Special Finance Post coming up in ten seconds - I've been working on my 2017 Plan (woke up about 4.30, dozed, then gave up and dozed in front of the tv instead). I started writing it back in February so the first ones are done (I'll mark them).

I'm off to see my business partner in the late morning - just hope I don't fall asleep on the train

rtandon27

Welcome back from lands above!

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, excited about this amazingly special finance post :applause:

Pah to cluster flies though :eek: how vexing. Hope they buzz off soon

Karmacat

Done: 10 items
- ensure insurance company have deleted my card
- check money in English and French bank
- make notes on the ratesetter account emails
- inform savings accounts that I don’t pay tax
- send money to France
- pay French accountant
- check on refund from hmrc
- update work website for colleague
- English accounts
- French accounts
- spend bonus vouchers at iceland


Done, but finish or make sure: 9 items
- check French management company: have my cheques been credited?
- change their direct debit if necessary
- check the french accountant has been paid
- spend boots points, mine and mum's.
- sort paypal: am now only using one account, but how do I use the US$10, as well as the sterling?
- probate forms finished and signed, make sure we receive it back.
- decided how much additional pension payment I can make: it's only £2,500, to keep things simple, got to do that in the first part of this week.
- remember to spend £1 and £5 coins and notes
- tried to log on to hmrc the other day, and the ringback (an added security feature) isn't working **again** - need to sort that


Still to do: 17 items
- ask french accountant if I need separate insurance, or does management company pay for this?
- check on NI bill – I don’t think its taken by dd any more!
- spend my nectar card points
- existing regular saver only has one more payment to make, remember to start a new one asap.
- sort talktalk bill, change provider, booster for router, state of the wires, complaint
- sort mobile: orange or giffgaff, unlock mobile
- open little isa
- cash the little cheque in the desk
- split "other isa" into two.
- check again on how much of my pension funds are in cash and stocks, adjust proportions appropriately.
- I let a cahoot account go dormant, reactivate it and do the next point on here instead:
- open a 2nd current account: opening bonus, interest rate, Reg Saver, no of dir debits
- online selling, some postal, some collect only.
- rejig my ISAs – some have matured, they’re now on the worst possible rates.
- shall I invest in Brighton Energy?
- dehydrator book: even though it might be easy to buy, I might instead research the particular items I want to dry, and print out each one, or put it on kindle, I really don't want to buy a whole book on dehydrating, its very offputting for some reason.
- soon coming up to *next* year's accounts. Get them ready, if not done!

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