Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

I don't think I spent anything today (yesterday!): I had a fiver in housekeeping which I handed over to DH as he had to get some shopping but we aren't doing a 'big dinner' tomorrow as we reckon Christmas dinner will do nicely in a few days' time. There are still some coins in my purse so those will go into savings.

DH has been to see his Dad today and the news isn't good. He is getting weaker - though DH says he seemed to like the look of the little book on trains that I sent him. He definitely isn't going to be up to Christmas dinner at A and H's, so we will go to spend some time with him that afternoon.

In better news I am now back into the account for my new phone and so far it seems to work, though downloads are slow and I've still not got a screen protector so I can't take it anywhere without a lot more care than I usually give.

Work was quite busy but nice as we did a Christmas Dinner and had management permission to eat with the people who are staying, so a free meal and there will be another in a few days as we aren't supposed to reheat food so once I had a plate of turkey set aside for sandwiches, the rest went into a soup for the staff 'do' next week. We are allowed to reheat for staff, not for clients.

Dh and I have put our Christmas cards up: we seem to wait ages before getting round to it as it means putting up strings, but it looks nice now. DH had a marathon effort of buying on behalf of his Dad this afternoon but those are all bought and wrapped now, and my parcel with DS2's present and some other things came today too.

NSD.
MS:
£1.57 left over from housekeeping is added to savings.
Free dinner at work.
Decluttering:
None today.

Tonight I'm thankful for a good shift and for getting my phone working (phone number yet to be transferred but that's another story), and for DFiL… I don't know how long we will have him with us but what a lovely man. I just pray his decline is gentle on him.

Honeysucklelou2

What a thoughtful prayer...

Cherryfudge

Another NSD, though I owe DS2 for some Christmas treats.

I somehow missed last posting day - I wonder when that was? - so I have some late cards to write. Tomorrow is the first of seven days off (I was going to help out at work on Boxing Day night but realised that mucks up plans for DH and I to spend a few days working on Mum's old house and thankfully someone else has agreed to do it).

My list for tomorrow includes wrapping everything that stands still, collecting my prescription, ringing up about changing my phone number and basically anything I can talk myself into doing, then mid afternoon we are having a buffet at work so I'm going to socialise for a few hours. In the evening DH and I will probably find more wrapping to do.

NSD
MS:
Kept away from the shops.
Decluttering:
Nothing to report.

Tonight I'm thankful for time off and opportunities to see family and spend time with them over the next few days.

WannabeFree

Have a lovely Christmas Cherry x

HairyHandofDartmoor

Just popping in to say Happy Christmas :xmastree: :xmassign: :santa2:.

Honeysucklelou2

Merry Christmas Cherryfudge :xmastree:

Onebrokelady

:xmastree::xmassign:Merry Christmas Cherry,I hope you all have a lovely time

Cherryfudge

Thank you everyone - I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

I have bought presents and food (again) today and a 99p e-book for myself.

I need to go and wrap the last few things now, so accounts will have to wait. I have paid DS2 for the Christmas treats he got on my behalf, reclaimed a cash payment from Mum's estate and sorted out, well not a lot. CC wants looking at as a few bits went on it where it would get me extra pennies. Paypal is up to date. I need to do meter readings at some point but that will wait.

One of those odd things: I have had a bag of bits from last Christmas tucked in a corner all year (!) - I thought it was things I'd been given but wouldn't really use. Today I pulled it out and found a restaurant voucher and an @mazon gift card, so all of a sudden I'm richer than I thought!

I'm thankful for last year's Christmas presents (:D), a lovely evening with J and L and our families and for good health news for both DFiL and my friend's sick husband. And I'm thankful for Christmas, though it's a hard time for so many, it still brings a lot of happiness.

Cherryfudge

We've had an otherwise-marvellous Christmas Eve and Day, overshadowed by DFiL's deteriorating condition. They have decided not to keep giving him antibiotics as he gets C. Diff. which further weakens him, so it's now up to whether his body can fight infection. DH says DFiL couldn't make himself understood yesterday as his voice is too weak and he has difficulty writing due to another condition. He also seems to be hallucinating somewhat - brushing things away that aren't there, for instance. He's been like this before when ill. Anyway we have decided to stay at home so we will be there if the phone goes. Work on Mum's house will wait.

On Christmas Eve everyone except DS2 (who had had four and a quarter hours' sleep and was on night shift) went to J and L's for a family evening with L's brother and parents. A really nice, relaxing time was had by all. A and H were there too, so our original family was four-fifths together.

Of course I stayed up late finishing the wrapping - however well ahead I get, it still takes me till long-gone midnight on Christmas Eve. However for the first time in 28 years, we got a lie in on Christmas morning then just pottered about before Church, which was the usual Christmas morning mix of a service and children demonstrating their toys. Three drone-type efforts and a hover board this year (prize haul for a connoisseur of Christmas morning like me) among all the usual dinosaurs, colouring pens and so forth.

Back at home we woke poor DS2 who then had to finish his wrapping and eventually emerged a little late but still in one piece. I helped him carry three baskets with lumpy wrapping paper covers out to the car and we all set off for A and H's. Lunch was all it should be - all our kids and their other halves together and A, who has done a few Christmas dinners over the years, coming up trumps.

After lunch we only had till about 3.30 when J and L had to leave to get their second dinner (!) at his parents', so we gave and received their gifts first, then everyone had their share of the hampers from DS2. He did us proud, though I fear he may have alarmed his bank manager. The hampers were amazing, and he'd done them all himself (when he should have been getting a few hours' sleep). Once J and L had gone, the rest of us opened our presents and generally unwound.

DH then dropped me back home as I don't want to give DFiL my chest infection, and the others went to see him but as I said before, he was in poor shape so they didn't stay long. Meanwhile I got tea ready at ours and we opened a few presents that hadn't made it into the car, munched various goodies and rang or texted family and friends before winding up the evening with a game of Taboo. As I said, a superb Christmas apart from worry about DFiL.

Today has been quiet: we shampooed a carpet that I hadn't got round to before Christmas, got a bit of shopping and went for a walk. It's nice being at home instead of working on the other house, but waiting for the phone to ring is unpleasant. I've also finally started the antibiotics I was prescribed a month ago. After the side effects I had from the first lot, I put these off till enough cold symptoms had disappeared for me to be sure I still had the sore throat, but the last few days have proved I have.

I think it's time I worked out what I've spent recently...

Sun_Addict

Sorry your Christmas was marred by DFIL not being well. Hope he picks up. Remember that feeling well of waiting for the phone to ring

You and me both need to tot up recent spends xx