Get a grip woman!

Baileys_Babe

I agree with trix-a-belle write down your todo list then you can organise it by grouping items by project, or time taken - clearing the quick easy jobs will give you a sense of achievement, or filter out all the jobs you can delegate, or separate the list into jobs for that 1 person can do alone, those for 2 - probably you & DH, those needing 3 people - who is best to help and lastly those needing to be dealt with by professionals.
Also for each item work out what equipment & materials are needed.
At least this way you can be doing some preparation and feel like things are happening whilst waiting for payday.

Suffolk_lass

You are both right. I have three lists on the go at the moment and I need to pull them together. I have made a couple of Tea-bread loaves for our craft sale on Saturday morning. I must make biscuits and a couple more cakes so our "made in the village" stall is not too bare.

We had a FB Marketplace buy yesterday - about 20 (+ pieces) of light-weight breeze blocks for £15 - these will be the base for my new greenhouse. The foundations and assembly of which have been delayed by our work on the van.

I am going over to the farm with DH today to write a proper shopping list of the parts we need to make it water-tight, having removed all the seals that were expiring. Hopefully and wet bits that were plugged up are now drying out.

Re the van, I think we have agreed to refit the bathroom. The current shower is too small for us to use and the structure of it takes up too much inflexible space, with the toilet too close and a couple of over-large storage cupboards where I think we can do better. It is not the number one priority job but it is pretty high on my list.

I have juggled money this morning. I have lent some to DS as he omitted to put his timesheet in, in time to get paid by his first job so has very little to live on (-£115 when I looked this morning) after all his bills and other payments have been made. He will have to use his CC for fuel and use the timesheet money to pay it off in full, in January. Closer to us, I have made a small OP to the mortgage, rounding the repayment up to £200 and moved some to the Coop account so we satisfy the minimum paid in per month criteria (to get the £4 per month loyalty payment).

I did a big shop yesterday too, topping up on things like oat bran, prunes, brown sugar and dried fruit.

We have our Village Christmas Lunch Club on Friday and we are providing two elements - DH will make his rather nice sausage rolls and I will make some small roasted potato bits (think the bits left in the pan after you have removed the potatoes - I plan a whole pan of these!). Coffee before I go and get dressed I think...

Karmacat

You're doing well, SL - your van sounds like its going to be lovely. And its great that you've got a friendly farm to store it - I always see that on renovation programmes, and its brilliant to know that it really works in real life

Suffolk_lass

Sorry if I am a bit quiet. We have some stuff going on with people locally (not us) that is taking a lot of emotional energy.

On the up-side, two of my friends who have been very quiet have contacted me so I know they are both OK. I suspect one has things going on and she put me off meeting up yet but I am arranging to meet the other in the New Year.

Following a call from my Aunt I may have another five for Boxing Day this year too. Lots to do today - we have a chair to collect from about an hour away (FB Marketplace) and might manage to combine it with a beach walk if we get our bums in gear!

Karmacat

I'm glad you're okay in yourselves, SL. "Another" five for Boxing Day! Oh my word ... I really hope you get that beach walk in today - the forecast was horrendous round here, but its gorgeous.

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Echoing KC - glad you are both ok in yourselves too.

Popping in to say thank you so much for sharing your recipe for lamb neck. I have frozen the meat for this because i ended up ill & so couldn't make it at the time and now i don't have the veg to do with it. I have saved the recipe though and look forward to making it

Nice to hear you have friends who have been in touch as well - i hope the one who can't meet up yet is ok too.

I have loved hearing about your camper van / mobile home. I would love one with some cheery bunting in place

Suffolk_lass

Ooh, Cheery bunting for the awning...! I like that idea - we have some battery LED Fairy lights but bunting sounds lovely!

Suffolk_lass

Definitely a bit too much seasonal celebrating over here. Friday I confess to having more to drink than I intended. Yesterday was almost a lost day. I sat round like a wet pile of rags for a few hours and then went to bed for nearly 3 hours before getting up, getting ready and going out again. My jaded feeling was back by 9pm and I was keen to come home as soon as politeness allowed. A bit of a shame given that we do enjoy the company of the friends we were with but sometimes it's a hot water bottle, a couple of tablets and an early night that are needed more. So much for pretending to be a grown up!

In money news DS has cocked up and we need to bail him out. This wasn't what we hoped for from our emergency fund, but at least we have it there to use.

Today we will try and get the rest of the cards written and the indoor decorations up. Hopefully DS will help DH with the outside lights tomorrow, so that all is ready for when my Mother arrives on Thursday.

Suffolk_lass

I got up at 05:30 to finish my cards - so all the ones that need posting are done. I have run out of stamps but that's fine. I will run to the PO later and sort that.

We are trying to get the van sorted before Christmas as we don't want to overstay our welcome but it is so great, having time to sort the jobs under cover. Yesterday DH patched the holes in the roof. I had already filled the screw-holes with polyurethane-mastic but closer examination suggested a branch may have ripped off the attachment under previous ownership so a more substantial patch has been secured (for under £20!).

DS is coming over to go for a walk with me later - he needs to get some daylight and fresh air. I have always known he suffers with SAD a bit and it is certainly evident at the moment. That and being income poor, he is struggling and can't see how to make changes.

Local friends are struggling at the moment and it makes me sad that I cannot change things for them.

Karmacat

But you're right, you can't change things for them what you can do is be open about how *you* live your life, maybe? Some of it, anyway - extra money, bargaining down utilities. Hard when you suspect DS has SAD though, sympathies to him on that.