Cherry takes the reins

Sun_Addict

Agree it's best to stay away while he's so vulnerable, I know it must be difficult and understand why you would want to see him in person. Sending positive vibes xx

Cherryfudge

DSiL went o see her Dad this morning and reported back that he wasn't so good again. She also advised that there was likely no added hazard if I visited him now. She has a medical background so her opinion is good. I took into account that no one seems to have caught my infection (though I can't get rid of it and the doc has confirmed it's bacterial) so this afternoon DH and I went out for a walk and spent a little time with DFiL. He is very sleepy but seems to understand when spoken too. He's too weak to make himself understood but I got one or two words: just things like whether he wanted the TV on. DH sat and read to him for a while then DFiL was falling asleep again so we left. We also popped in to see an older acquaintance who has been there a little while and who DH discovered in passing. We had a lovely time with him, he's very funny with his tales of things overheard from his room (I urged him to write a screen play) so we left on a positive note.

DSiL and her husband have flown off this evening: a very sad day for them as they may not see her Dad again. Hopefully they will have a relaxing few days before getting back to work as the strain on them has been huge.

Nothing spent today: I'm working the early shift tomorrow after my week off, then have most of the next two days off after that. It will be odd getting back into the swing of things.

Decluttering has made slight progress: I think there have been four paper decisions and two catalogues. I don't suppose I can count chocolate, can I?

Today I'm thankful that DSiL, DBiL and I have all been able to visit DFiL (we did all the appropriate hygiene stuff so risk of infection was minimised), and also for being able to spend time with the other person at the nursing home.

Cherryfudge

No change today, apart from going back to work and finding a couple of my colleagues are going through tough times. The shift itself was all right though, and Dh, who is still on Christmas Leave, was able to have a sunny walk in the winter woodland.

His Dad was being turned in bed when DH went to visit (I didn't go as I've been with a client who has a horrible chest infection), so DFiL was awake and able to make himself heard enough to ask for a paper! This is progress indeed from the other day where he was unconscious, but it's hard to know what to hope for as he is so frail. It's good that he can take an interest in things. J and L dropped in at ours after their short break in Scotland, wanting to know how he is. J was in tears because they are very close to him but feel they said their goodbyes the other day. I was able to give them the Christmas presents from him which as J said gives them something to talk to him about if they can visit him tomorrow.

My sister and her family are coming to visit tomorrow: they know the situation so they know there's a possibility I may have to call it off but right now I don't think we will have to. DS2 put the order for DBiL's Christmas and birthday presents through on @mazon Pr!me this morning so I hope they arrive before the guests do! It's a joint Christmas and birthday thing for all three of them as the adults have birthdays near Christmas and I've not seen my niece since spring. This reminds me I need to wrap the presents I managed to sort out in a timely way, and pay DS2 for his expenditure.

Spending
Gifts 28.00
MS
Leftovers for dinner (which also means a bit more fridge space).
No decluttering.

Today I'm thankful for DFiL seeming to communicate a bit better, and that DH was gad he'd been.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Happy new year Cherry _party_

Cherryfudge

It's been a nice day and a rainy year with rather a lot of butterflies! I will probably be back later to do the day's details, meanwhile...

Happy 2020 everybody!

Cherryfudge

Yesterday... my sister and her family came over. We don't see them often as they live abroad but we had a super time. My niece is now old enough to come with excellent ideas for funny games so a good time was had by all. It was lunch out (DH paid) as DS and DN have some dietary restrictions so it was suggested this would make catering easier. We were joined by J and L for lunch and part of the afternoon, and they also fitted in a visit to DFiL who seems to be gaining strength though he is confused. I suspect this means he is still fighting the infection and maybe has a slightly raised temperature but they can't give him antibiotics any more so he has to fight it himself. J thinks he was confused because his bed has been moved to facilitate care so he isn't recognising the room, but this can be changed or may put itself right.

I've added one of my vouchers to @mazon as I wanted a book (paid for entirely by the voucher and I have half the voucher left), and have repaid DS2 for DBiL's presents. The presents were a little saga in themselves. I think they must have arrived while everyone was out but there was no delivery note so I didn't think they'd come and apologised to DBiL. Then I had an inspiration and checked where parcels are sometimes dropped off, and there they were so he had them unwrapped.

I checked my CC account which I'd proudly left up to date at Christmas, and quite a lot had built up in terms of last minute purchases. This is going to have to change as our income will be less this year. I can account for most of it but some £25 isn't yet accounted for, probably because the provider changed the format of the accounts so it's hard to see everything recent in one go. Anyway I've paid the largest sums off and will work through the others in the hope I can locate it all soon.

This morning I've been pretty lazy but have added the C25K app to my phone with the intention of getting my fitness levels up again. DH and I have managed walks most days over the holidays. He isn't doing strenuous exercise till he sees the specialist (booked soon) but that's no reason not to spend time together and look after our health and well being (said she sternly). I didn't run much last year but I'm near the end of the antibiotics and while I still have an odd feeling in my throat, it's much better than it was. I'll make another GP appointment to discuss the reaction to the initial drugs and any lingering symptoms but I need to be proactive so resolutions include running and losing weight. I doubt I'm the only one!

31/12/19
Spending
Book (used gift voucher) 10.32
MS
Still using up Christmas dips!
DS paid me my half of money raised from selling an item from the estate. Not a huge amount but it will go into savings. (+£17.50).
Decluttering
A few items from the old house off loaded onto my sister! I tried to pass on some jewellery I can't wear as well but no one wanted it so I'll just donate it. I have a friend who somehow gets me items I can't use - so nearly right, but missing the target (earrings for pierced ears when I don't have piercings). This morning we have thrown out two chipped cups as we have so many new ones and no space and of course yesterday I 'got rid' of various gifts to their rightful owners and some packaging plus another empty hand cream into the recycling.

I'm thankful for DFiL reaching another decade (depending how you count it) and for a sunny day today... and all the butterflies in 2019, as mentioned above. A great year for them.

Cherryfudge

An NSD today. Dh and I had a walk in the sunshine up along my favourite running route. I may not be able to run it at present but walking it at a decent pace is good and the views are beautiful. Dh later went to see his Dad and reports a small improvement.

Dh is back to work tomorrow and I'm back this evening.

NSD
MS
Raided the freezer and cupboards for tea and have done quite well out of it. Also whisked up some double cream so I have a small pot of buttermilk in the freezer and the rest is butter - cheap butter as the cream was marked down but washing the butter and adding salt will keep it fresh for longer.
Decluttering
several hundred emails - and I've unsubbed from three or four senders.

Today I'm thankful that DH has had a good break from work - I can see it doing him good! Also for our walk which was enjoyable as well as good for us.

Honeysucklelou2

What a good idea to make butter...must look for marked down cream.

It is so precious to see family members who live abroad isn't it? Video calling is a good second but always great to actually be with them!

Hope work goes well this evening.

Cherryfudge

My three sleeps at work are successfully accomplished: last night I got a really good sleep and dozed off after the alarm went. With it being Saturday, the morning was quiet and staff must have been largely in the communal area as I didn't hear them. The middle night had been disturbed so I think I slept extra-well in consequence. I'm back in for a late this afternoon.

Nothing spent yesterday: the day before I got some groceries but that was all. I've been so submerged in work that there's little to report. I've restarted my paper journal but that's been scanty, too.

2/1/20
Spending
Housekeeping 5.84
MS
Toast at work.
Eating mostly from supplies.
10th coins into savings: 55p
Remaining housekeeping 23.74 :j
Decluttering
Nothing of note.

I'm thankful for no news from DFiL (taking that to be a good thing), for a low-spend week and for successfully negotiating the extras at work.

Cherryfudge

Some groceries bought today... it's been a weird sort of day really as it seems a few things have gone wrong, though nothing dire.

I got in from work to find DS2 had used th tumble dryer for a random load of clothes including things that never normally go in there. That upset me as some bits have shrunk and everything was very screwed up, but I've decided if the socks are too small, I will have more space in my sock drawer and if the bras are shrunk, well, I was about due some new ones anyway. If the jeans are too small, that's an incentive to lose weight!

The washing machine has decided not to spin and I'm guessing the brushes are worn out as they've been making a horrendous noise for a while which we really should have done something about. Thankfully my work has laundry facilities so I got permission to spin and dry the soggy bedding there and our bed is inhabitable once more (we are also trying the very posh pillowcases I got from TK M@xx which are part of my cunning plan to make bits of our lives as hotel-like as possible. Really comfy bedding is a key to that).

At lunch time I noticed that the fish tank had suddenly become cloudy, so I cleaned the filter as that was all I had time for before work. The filter is now running better but the water is worse and google suggests it's a bacterial build up due to overfeeding. As someone else fed the fish while I was working the last few days, and I've recently been changing them onto a new food, I suspect that's the cause and it looks as though I shouldn't change the water but allow the balance to restore itself over a few days. I hope this is the right advice as I've lost a tank of fish to water imbalance before, but the fish themselves seem okay since I cleaned the filter. (I actually heard them gulping at the surface which is what made me realise something wasn't right, and it's looking as though the filter was clogging up and running under par. At least they aren't gasping for air now).

Then at work I was talking to a colleague who was very upset and I wondered if I had been wrong to have that conversation though he's an up-front sort of person and had been putting out what I saw as hints on a certain topic. There wasn't really anything I could say or do to change the situation so I can only hope it helped to talk.

Added to which, it's felt like a Friday not a Saturday.

I gave £15 to DH to put towards the weekend shopping, so I have got to the end of the week with a handful of coins to put to savings.

Spending
Housekeeping 4.78
MS
Cake at work from a colleague.
£2 coin into savings
10th coins into savings 40p
£1.54 left over housekeeping money so that's going into savings too.
Decluttering

Today I'm thankful for a little progress for DFiL: apparently yesterday he was able to sit in a chair for a short while, though today he was very sleepy and DH didn't feel he was able to get through to him much. I'm also grateful for having access to information and facilities: it makes a big difference to our lives that we can research online or pop into a local shop to get repairs investigated.
Four containers to the eco shop/work.