Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

DH started to move glass ready to install in the greenhouse. First huge sheet (he should have waited for me). Long story short, it exploded all over the garden. Cue Henry vacuum cleaner. You could not make it up. So sad.

Karmacat

Oh no!  So sorry to hear that, SL.  Yes, he should have waited for you, sigh ...

themadvix

Oh no!!

Suffolk_lass

Too cold to be out for long but we have glazed both the doors and installed some of the triangular bits (the ones that don't require the huge sheets to be in place underneath them. Even the doors were complicated and involved further engineering modifications to make the space for the middle pane extend by about 2mm. All much slower than we hoped.

I am missing DS terribly. He is a key worker (with adults who cannot live alone) at a residential facility and so we have not seen him for nearly a fortnight. He is working at least, so earning a little bit. He will be penniless this month coming though as the company took on loads of new people so people like him who work flexible shifts had no work for nearly 3 weeks until others started to stay home to look after children rather than clients. I cannot imagine a more miserable scenario for him.

Karmacat

Well, good to hear about the greenhouse, but your poor DS sounds like he's got the worst of both worlds though the work is vital, thats for sure.

Suffolk_lass

In the end I nominated myself to drive DH down to his mother’s funeral. I thought he might appreciate the company and it was a chance for him to quietly reflect. It was small, with ten mourners (one SIL with one of her daughters, and the other with her husband and three of her Sons, one with partner, and DH and DS). Also the celebrant and a team of five from the funeral directors - no table for the coffin, it was four pall bearers, not 2m apart.

I stayed in the car but I was glad I went, and sent a few minutes quietly contemplating a long and full life. DS does not do social media so was surprised by the choices of music and readings.

In the course of a quick chat across between our cars it emerged that the Police stopped him at the weekend, challenging why a twenty-something, rather scruffy young man was out in his car at 9.15pm. He had been working but they rang his employer to check. Evidently the tone of the engagement shifted after that was confirmed. I hope they recorded his car registration as that of a key worker. He could do without people assuming he has done something wrong.

There is a fair bit of that online. People who know nothing about the people they are judging are quick to condemn the actions of others. How many actually know what the man four doors down does for a living that means his partner has to take four children shopping with her?

Anyway. Today the wind has dropped and I am hopeful we can get some more glass moved and hopefully installed in the greenhouse. What an epic project it has turned into.

themadvix

Glad the funeral went smoothly SL. Sorry to hear about your DS being stopped like that though - hopefully the new guidance for the police will stop the attitude that you must be doing something wrong if you’re out. As I can’t imagine NHS workers look that tidy after a shift (and likely not in uniform), I really don’t think there should be any judgement! Haven’t the police realised like the rest of us that it’s the least well remunerated among us that have been declared key workers?!

I think an epic project is just what is called for at the moment!

Karmacat

That sounds like a really good decision to drive your DH down to his mum's funeral, SL, I hope he was comforted by it.

And ... words fail me for your poor DS.  Madvix put it really well, its the least remunerated, doing the most practical jobs, who are the key workers.

Your focus on the greenhouse is great!  And I'm absolutely sure it will pay huge dividends.

Suffolk_lass

We now have glass in all the walls and some of the wall frame is even stable in the epic greenhouse build. Today I am hopeful that the remaining roof glass can be fitted. DH is working so hard on this and was out there until 6pm yesterday, modifying the frame so that the brace struts can be reaffixed to give it the stability it needs. I came indoors for lunch and fell asleep in the chair and did not wake up until 5.15pm. It was the least I could do to make dinner. 

I have started a new thread in Old Style on Reverse Meal Planning. My intention is to use up things I already have in by making meals planned around them, rather than doing my traditional approach of planning meals and then shopping for what I need. Hopefully it will give me a much-reduced grocery spend (though we use more dairy produce than I realised). Do feel free to have a look and chip in if you like that sort of thing. Here is a link.

Today DH is making sourdough bread (started last night) and I shall make fresh soup, using wonky fridge veg. We also delivered three more shares of his sourdough starter to three more households in the Village. 

In money news, he was paid his teachers' pension today and if we were to only use the allowed for amounts, we could manage within it. I need to transfer £100 to that account when my pension comes in, to ensure we meet the criteria for the (Coop) loyalty bonus. 

Karmacat

How lovely to share the starter around the village!  I might need to add your Old Style thread to my bookmarks, hope its going well.