Frump to Fab 2017 - A Whole New World

3forholidays

LL Thanks for letting us know about the etiquette programme. Just watched it on catchup and found it rather enlightening.

maddiemay

lessonlearned wrote: »

Oh Maddy I am so sorry you cannot be with us. If I met you at the train station at the London end would that help.

LL - that is such a kind thought, I'm afraid that I am a bit crook ATM, swollen and extremely painful ankles, knee and hands/wrists, not able to walk very far and getting up and down steps/kerbs difficult. My Immunology consultant has decided that it is not just caused by that condition and I am waiting a referral to a rheumatologist as it may be Rheumatoid Arthritis or Psoratic sp?Arthritis, whilst I don't want it to be either of those, a diagnosis and treatment might be good.

I will be with you in spirit and you never know for another time:D

lessonlearned

maman wrote: »

Thanks for the heads up on the etiquette programme LL. I checked and it's on BBC 4 later tonight along with a number of other things I'd enjoy. There's such junk on tv that I like to have things to hand for when I feel like relaxing.

I often watch BBC4 - they have some nice little quirky documentary type programmes. I shall be watching or more likely recording the one about Beehives and Bobs. And they often have good music programmes on too. Nice for a trip down memory lane.

Tonight I shall be watching Poldark. Now the million dollar question is this - is Demelza going to be daft enough to have an affair with the young aristo and whatever will happen when the truth gets out that Ross is the father of Elizabeth's baby. :rotfl:

lessonlearned

Well now......interesting episode of Poldark. :rotfl:

Maddie. I am sorry to hear you are struggling so much. I hope you get some respite soon. Hopefully once you get a proper diagnosis then you can start getting the right treatment.

These auto immune conditions are so difficult and so complicated. And unfortunately they seem to be becoming ever more common.

I have been in a quite a lot of pain this last few days. No idea why, probably a combination of factors. I have indulged in too much wheat and have also probably overdone things a bit. So it's back to very strict paleo again. The changeable weather doesn't help.

Maybe it's linked to my emotions. It will be the third anniversary of my husbands death on Thursday and truth be told I have been feeling a bit low and a tad tearful.

I think our emotions do play a big part in our physical well being, my fibro certainly is always worse when I'm stressed or overtired. I guess it's just time for a bit of extra TLC.

I didn't manage my full step count today, only reached about half and I had to push myself to achieve even that. Still better than nothing.

hex2

savingfortomorrow wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has tips on a really good clarifying shampoo. I am on assignment in an area with dire water quality and when the salt runs out you feel it on your skin and scalp. It is something people here complain a lot about affecting skin. So I am itching all over from the rotten water. I feel like buy a bottle of volvic to wash my hair but it would be rather extravagant, I guess. .

I was having problems with mine feeling plasticy but I swapped to bed head urban antidotes reboot which has really helped. I use it alternative washes as I dont want it to strip my colour.

I have fond memories of supersoft once that was brilliant for hard water. You had to shake the bottle to mix it before you used it if I remember correctly?

savingfortomorrow

i bought the shampoo that sells the most in the supermarket. you know you have water issues when there is no posh shampoo but something like fairy liquid. it seemed to work as a base and then used a ton of conditioner.

chanie

Hi fabbers,

Today, I took the children to Eltham Palace, to get out of the house for a few hours, as yesterday rained the whole day I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live in a house that large. The one thing I did notice is the lack of 'stuff' that people owned, considering the owners wealth (based on the furniture in the bedrooms). It certainly made me think about the amount of stuff people own today.

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

it has been a stressful few days for me. I got a Benefit Notification letter from Lambeth Council to my online account 2 days ago. They had re-calculated my Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support from 3rd April 2017 to devastating effect. They had determined that I owed them a total of £1355 of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support. :eek: I was also told I no longer qualify for Council Tax Support and my Housing Benefit was being reduced by more than £47 a week! :mad:

I had to gather all the supporting evidence that I could get together quickly to prove that I was not in receipt of a weekly occupational pension, as they were stating as fact on my Benefit Notification Letter.

I did release just over £4500 I had in a pension plan in April 2017 when I turned 55 years old. I have saved £4,000 in 2 savings accounts. Lambeth Council seem to be suggesting that even though this money is my only savings, that because it came from me redeeming my pension plan, they are entitled to spread it across the year from 3rd April 2017 to 4th April 2018 and treat it as an occupational pension. Yet the upper limit for savings is £16.000 that affects your right to claim Benefits, so I am not sure why Lambeth Council have taken this stance, so I have to challenge their decision.

I have lodged a Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support Dispute form with all of my supporting evidence asking for the decision to be looked at again.

My hope is that this decision will be overturned, based on my evidence and we will not be looking at a year of extreme hardship. I have explained everything to my son and my daughter and they understand why I am not prepared to spend any of the £4,000 savings. We all need a financial bulwark against future financial difficult times.

As if I did not have enough financial worries not receiving any salary or SSP at this time in my life and enduring through all my ongoing health issues.

On a lighter note, the rain has ceased here in London and today is a sunny, warm day. Tomorrow evening I am going to a cinema/club night event at The Grand in Clapham Junction on my own and I am really looking forward to it.:D If I am not too tired on Sunday, then I will be returning to Karaoke on Sunday evening.

.

Floss

Sugarbaby, do you also have proof of you not being entitled to sick pay / SSP whilst you are off work? That will also affect your overall income.

sugarbaby125

Floss wrote: »

Sugarbaby, do you also have proof of you not being entitled to sick pay / SSP whilst you are off work? That will also affect your overall income.

Hi Floss,
I got the general manager to confirm in writing that my employers were not paying me a salary or SSP while I am ill. My employers sent me the form SSP1 in June to explain to the DWP why they could not pay me SSP and to support my claim from the DWP. When I telephoned the DWP they said I could not claim SSP from them if I do not pay National Insurance contributions.