Cherry takes the reins

in_need_of_direction

Love the gratitude list

Cherryfudge

A day off and guess what? I'm struggling to get things done. However, anything I can do today will mean things go more smoothly in the immediate run up to Christmas so I need a list.
So far:
DD's gifts from us and from her Grandpa have arrived.
Found I have missed the last posting date for something I was going to order for DH.
A load of washing is nearly ready to go on the line.
Polished the cake server so it's silver again.
Checked work emails and have a verbal agreement from the manager to take leave in Christmas week. The actual request hasn't been processed yet so it's not absolutely certain.

Still to go:
wrap as many gifts as I can.
Go through people's wish lists and sort out other things for DFiL to give.
Polish some furniture
Text the colleague who has agreed to cover for me on Christmas Eve and the Friday of that week.
Write a Christmas letter to go in cards.
Feed the cake.

Cherryfudge

I really should be in bed by now.

My list from earlier:
wrap as many gifts as I can. Some done
Go through people's wish lists and sort out other things for DFiL to give. Not done
Polish some furniture Not done
Text the colleague who has agreed to cover for me on Christmas Eve and the Friday of that week. Not done - still not got the official permission through.
Write a Christmas letter to go in cards. Not done
Feed the cake. Not done

Apart from that things have been quite productive, really.

I did about three loads of washing and had to use the dryer for some, though the ones that went out on the line got about half dry. I've wrapped some more gifts and sorted out DD's old room so I can at least get in: the wrapped presents are behind the door in orderly fashion and the unwrapped ones are downstairs in four bags and a box - so I really need to hide them before I leave for the old house tomorrow.

A has been round to visit his Grandpa and reports that he's stayed in bed all day but is alert and doesn't seem as down as he did the other day.

L and J came here and sorted out their tree (which we've borrowed). Who would have thought a Christmas tree could be dauntingly complicated? Well, thanks to their efforts it looks good and L has bedecked the mantlepiece with a garland and tiny lights so it looks very up-market. They actually only came to pick up J's post, so we did rather well out of it.

I have bought and collected tomorrow's tickets, reclaimed them from Mum's estate and paid my CC off as I know from experience that I won't remember what I have and haven't done if I leave it till I get back. I've also sorted all work's cards, though I haven't yet wrapped my Secret Santa.

16/12/19
Spending:
Travel £55.77 (reclaimed from estate)
Housekeeping £8.53
MS:
My large hot chocolates and cappuccino sachets are back on offer - surely they've only just come off offer price? But I got one of each anyway.
10th coins saved = 40p
Got £5.13 off my rail fare with split tickets.
Our bathroom clock sadly died (it's been with us a lot of years and featured a cartoon character that DS2 loved when he was a child) but there's one I rather like at Mum's old house so now I shall bring it home and be glad I don't have to part with it.
Decluttering:
24 batteries into recycling. Finished some chorizo from the freezer and a roll of wrapping paper. Still resisting buying more paper!

Tonight I'm thankful for the opportunity to keep another clock from my parents' house! Also for seeing L and J and for their help with the tree.

Cherryfudge

I've not long arrived home -I must be getting older as the journey has really tired me despite actually getting a seat all the way.

I got rather rained on and couldn't get a lift from the station as the family are all at work and I can't be bothered waiting for a taxi. I've had a nice shower and I'm going to grab some tea, having eaten too much in the way of pies recently it needs to involve something healthy. Then I'm off to do the sleep in at work.

Time spent at Mum's old house was quite fruitful: I sorted all the remaining bits of jewellery that I could fine (more may yet emerge and most is already here waiting to be shared out), went through a bookcase of my Dad's books and selected some to keep (he was interested in everything... everything!) and sorted more of the random stuff that was in the cupboard under the kitchen window. A box of oddments is packed to go to charity at some point and some cleaning has been done. Other than that I have to admit to reading two excellent books which somewhat detracted from my productivity, and having a walk to the next village where I discovered the lovely greengrocer is about to close. And it rained, but not all the time.

I also saw the lady who keeps an eye on things and she gave me a signet ring she's found in the garden which I think was my grandfather's, and which will go to DS2, who has the same initial.

Spending:
Housekeeping £1.25 + £3.80 + £1.10 =
Entertainment (i.e. coffee on return train) £3.00
MS:
Free apples and potatoes.
Decluttering:
There's a list somewhere, plus the two scented candles I gave to family members who don't wheeze when they're lit.

I'm thankful tonight for all I got done while away, a seat on the train on the way back and good books to read.

Cherryfudge

Today has been an NSD on the High Street but I did send off two late orders for presents so really it's a far-from-NSD. However I've finally worked out how to send off for a rail ticket refund - I missed doing it the last two times because I found the system confusing and eventually the claims timed out. (I use different rail companies and its taken me till now to work out I start with a claim to the first one affected, even if it was the knock on effect that caused the problem). Anyway a claim has gone in - I think it might get me £14.05 which would be nice.

I still have some small presents to get and both birthday and Christmas presents for my brother in law. There's something I hoped to get for DH but I've ordered something unplanned (but needed) for him today so if I don't manage the other thing it's not too bad.

DS2 still hasn't come up with a suggestions list so I've sent off for something he needs and will use... hopefully can't go too far wrong.

Spending:
Gifts £104.97
MS:
Partial refund of train ticket applied for.
Decluttering:
Nothing today but my list while at Mum's was as follows: dusty silver paper star stickers, perished rubber thimble, rusty tape dispenser, dried up eraser, 3 rusty safety pins, 2 rusty paper clips, plate hanger, chocolate box lid, broken lampshade, electric potato peeler, electric foot spa, empty hand cream, gritty blue tack, four bits of paper, cut glass carafe (not a particularly nice one), jug with sunflowers on, picture of Australia, two plant pot holders, 5 small pieces of china, candlestick, 3 photo albums, a baton slicing guide and a napkin ring.

Some of these are boxed up to go to charity but I have mentally decluttered them.

Today I'm thankful for the ability to give gifts that I hope will be useful/enjoyed by their recipients.

Honeysucklelou2

That's quite a list of decluttering! Never heard of an electric potato peeler!

Cherryfudge

Honeysucklelou2 wrote: »

That's quite a list of decluttering! Never heard of an electric potato peeler!

It's a biggish cylinder with rough interior edges that whirls the potatoes round, skinning them as they go. Doesn't do dents, of course! I seem to remember it made a mighty noise, or rather, the tumbling spuds did. Far too big and noisy for my house but the electrics work so maybe someone will find a use for it.

Honeysucklelou2

Ahhh, I think my great uncle used to use one...he used to peel potatoes for a chippy and described something that tumbled the potatoes.

Sun_Addict

That was a lucky find in the garden. I wonder how long it had been there for?

Doing well with all the decluttering, you seem to have been doing it forever

Cherryfudge

I think it was a domestic-sized version of a commercial 'thing that peels potatoes'. Still too bulky for my little kitchen, though!

The ring in the garden... many years, I think. My grandad is unlikely ever to have been in the garden there but he passed away in (I think) 1956: an early death. So the ring would have passed to my Dad, who died about 13 years ago and wasn't mobile for a couple of years before that. He never wore jewellery so it would probably have been dropped while he carried some tins up to the greenhouse - the lady who cares for the house between my visits says she's seen tins there but that greenhouse has been overgrown for a long time so we haven't got in it to find out what's there. It's amazing it was found!