Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Nothing spent today, extra shift at work completed plus half an hour as sometimes things all happen at the last minute.
Some expense coming up as the computer wouldn't work this morning. DS2 got it going eventually but we are going to need a new charger (and ideally, a new battery too). It's being held together with parcel tape at the moment!
I've done much of my packing for the holiday, a couple of loads of laundry and not much else (apart from work). DS2 is still poorly: it's definitely starting to look as though he's inherited DH's condition which is treatable but not curable. Can't say for sure though. He now has a doctor's appointment - next Thursday. But at least we have an NHS.
Today I'm thankful for discovering how nice peaches are in yogurt... and the NHS.:)

Honeysucklelou2

The courses sound interesting especially the food as medicine.

Cherryfudge

I thought so too Honeysucklelou… it's on future learn if you're interested, starting in November.

Today, DS2 reports he is feeling better! I am so pleased... I think it's highly likely he has DH's condition, which has gone down in his family for many generations, but nowadays is much more treatable. I have always wondered which of the children would get it: DD is highly unlikely to as she has inherited my cast iron insides.

I'm supposed to be sorting last minute things before the holiday to take the pressure off tomorrow, but it's raining which as we all know means I am more likely to sit at the computer. It should dry up later and in the meantime I'm going to be answerable for: finishing as much of my packing as possible, polishing an item of furniture and making a healthy soup. I came across the stub of a book from a recent TV series on Kindle this morning and it has some great ideas for vegetarian soups, plus the latest Mr T magazine has some pulse-based recipes that sound like my sort of thing but which will have to be put on hold till after next week.

Am I the only one who thinks a holiday in Spain is great because I can stock up on southern-grown dried herbs with fantastic taste?

Cherryfudge

It turned into a beautiful day, so I even decluttered the weeds and dead stuff from a few plant pots and got the towels washed and on the line. Despite the rain this morning, I had to water things as it's been so windy they were drying out.

Nothing spent today - oops, no £2. DS picked up my favourite coffee at a discount and I paid him back. (He had even noticed the right one out of a bewildering choice, bless him).

DS2 is looking quite a bit better.

I had a lovely experience while putting the washing out: I noticed a tiny sparrow sitting on a towel on the end of the line nearest the kitchen so I told it to stay put while I got my camera. I left the kitchen door open so I didn't startle it, but as I came back it took flight - right into the kitchen, where it sat on my shoulder. I put my phone in selfie mode and got a few pictures but obviously had to take it out of doors again. It was still on my shoulder so I reached up and picked it up. It wasn't bothered at all! No fluttering or any sign of alarm.

I held it in my hand - it was such a baby it didn't know it was supposed to be afraid - and walked over to the hedge to encourage it to hop onto a twig. Instead it stood on my palm looking around (while I took more photos) then ran up my arm, across my collar bones (sweatshirt not skin) and nestled on the other shoulder! I picked it up and tried to put it in the hedge again and it repeated the performance three or four times! In the end I was convinced I couldn't leave it as the cats would get it, so I knocked on my neighbour's door. He's the man who raised blackbirds to adulthood and released them last year. We had a bit of a discussion and he fed it then put it in a big cage out of doors so if the parents appeared he could release it to their care. When I went to work later the cage had gone so I don't know what happened next. I've been showing off my photos at work, of course.

Spending:
Housekeeping £2.00
MS:
Someone brought a kilos of plums into work and I made a large plum cobbler - I had a piece too. Nice, but not good for weight loss.
Picked up a few more sleep-in shifts for after the holiday.
Decluttering:
A rusty pin, two catalogues and a jar of spice (which went to work).

Tonight I'm thankful for a better day for DS2 and a visit from a sparrow!

Honeysucklelou2

That's amazing! How lovely to have been able to get that close to a bird.

Cherryfudge

I am still nearly packed for the holiday! Good job it's under a week, though when we did three weeks last year I was super-organised and did a diagram of what clothes went with what, and when we would have to do laundry. The trouble with going for a shorter stay is all the things I have to be sensible and leave out because I'm just not going to need them.

DH got our travel money out this morning. It's as well he waited as he got a better exchange rate than last week, though it's still near parity. 90p = 1 Euro. On the plus side, I knew I'd given DS2 some Euros when he was on holiday earlier in the year and thought I only had change left but there's 54.55E there. Then when DS2 heard I was counting my Euros, he gave me the change he'd brought back! Well, he's in the process... some of it turned out to be Swiss Francs which weren't what I gave him so he's off searching his room. (5.23 so far...)

I have been checking the booking and realised we do have hotel breakfast after all - there was me thinking we stupidly hadn't booked any. I bought loads of snacks to help us not to spend too much on lunches and save us spending too much on food tomorrow night - but we've managed on £15 less housekeeping money again this week.

The diet has gone well - definitely losing weight up till this morning, but DSiL and DBiL are over and treated us to a meal out so now I'm incredibly full and definitely ate more than I've burned up. They are visiting DFiL but staying with J and L so this is the only bit of time we'll have with them.

Other than that J and L have been round which is a first since they had a bust-up with DS2 while we were away the other week. They didn't see anything of each other while they were here but at least they've been in - and left a load of washing on the line. Meanwhile I got a bit more tidying and blackberrying done in the garden, and picked what greengages and damsons I could find. There aren't that many of each but we had a good crop last year so the trees are resting this year.

Spending:
Medical £1.30
Holiday £16.00 (remember to add points to B00ts card when I get home)
Housekeeping £11.43
Donation £10.45
MS:
Blackberries, greengages and damsons from the garden.
Under-spend on housekeeping over the week.
Meal out tonight from DSiL.
Return of Euros and emergence of stashed Euros.
Home made instead of shop-bought compost in planters.
Decluttering:
2 plant pots and a plant label, 2 planters tidied up in the garden and DH took the garden rubbish to the tip.

I'm thankful for DSiL and DBiL visiting and being generous in buying us a lovely meal, for DS2 returning money (I thought I wouldn't see it again!) and fruitfulness from the garden.

Cherryfudge

A few pre-holiday spends, some in Euros.

I bought a language guide ebook (£2.99 I think) and a 'daily deal' book to read - but sent that back and got an immediate refund as the advertised prices for Kindle daily deals aren't attached to the products today! I've emailed but not heard back yet. A shame as I think I wuold have enjoyed the book.

I've transferred yesterday's holiday expenditure from holiday savings, then today DH has pre-booked us for an attraction we want to see - E50, which I think is £45.

Another non-MS thing: it was clear, bright and chilly this morning! 16.5 inside the house, 5 degrees out of doors, so the heating has been on a bit. Gorgeous day though.

I've suddenly remembered I hadn't paid the lady who looks after Mum's house, so that cheque has been written.

That's it for now... my thankfulness today is for a holiday, lovely weather, DH to share it with and lots of good advice from friends as to what to see.

Cherryfudge

By way of a P.S.: I found a pound in a suitcase! It's going into savings as we'd obviously not missed it.

Sun_Addict

We put our heating on for a bit yesterday. Switched it off again today as it was glorious.

I'm on a holiday countdown with you - 2 weeks on Tuesday :j

Cherryfudge

Back home.

Good to be home, I don't think I'm cut out for holidays... not wanting to be ungrateful especially as there were some really nice aspects but there were also some difficulties around feeling unwell, spending more than I wanted to and travel problems...

More anon, I'm going to unwind.