Cherry takes the reins

Honeysucklelou2

Velvet freak, do you recall any of the shapes and colours you saw in your grandmother’s garden? Or any photos of the garden, that you could perhaps match the plants? I planted a pyracantha in my garden last year because it was one of my grandfather’s favourites and every time I pass it I think of him.

Cherryfudge

Another thought on finding those family plants: if you see something that reminds you of a loved one (or something that you like but don't know what it is), take a photo. I have an app called 'Picture this' (there may be others) that will analyse the photo and tell you what the plant is likely to be and how to look after it.
Long before mobiles came on the scene, I saw a winter-flowering shrub with little pink flowers that smelled delicious. It took me a long time to trace it but I've had one growing by the garden gate for years now: Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn. Every winter it tells me I was right to look long and hard for it, because it brightens my life every time I get a waft of the perfume. So the searching may sound like hard work but it can pay off massively.

Cherryfudge

Yesterday didn't go to plan. 

Most importantly, late on we had a call from the nursing home to say DFiL's condition had changed, so we went and spent an hour with him. DS2 was kind enough to drive us which I think helped him too as he owed his grandpa a visit, and his nursing experience was helpful to us as we wondered whether to stay or not. J and L turned up too - they had kind of said their goodbyes earlier so L didn't come in but J did, and I think DFiL knew she was there though he was on midazolam and never really conscious. We stayed about an hour but by then he seemed a little improved and DS2 told us that it could be a while yet so we went home. DH has gone to work this morning though not to a distant meeting that would have meant an hour and a half's drive if his Dad became more poorly. As it was, A went in very early and found his Grandpa about the same as we'd seen him though a bit restless (possibly the midazolam wearing off?).

So we are back to waiting for 'the call'. He will leave a gap in all our lives but he's so tough he won't go till his body just stops. J and DH both think he's waiting for his 90th birthday but that's not till summer so I'm thinking he may have to celebrate it on the other side, when at least he can be with those who've already gone.  

Other than that, the weather yesterday was supposed to be foul: hail and high winds, but it was sunny and blowy most of the day. I got lots of washing done though DS2's uniform had to be tumble dried. It's nice to have hand washed a few jumpers. They aren't 'posh' ones but are fairly new and will stay looking that way a bit longer if I don't machine wash them for a while. This morning there's another load in the machine and some sunshine but a forecast of more rain any time now.

Yesterday I used up some of the roast chicken in a pasta dish so the spicy lentil soup will have to be for today but I have all the ingredients already. I also did some more of my course: it's quite interesting and this part isn't too challenging so I moved more than expected. I chose the only time of the day when the weather forecast was right, to go to the shops! It was too windy for an umbrella and I had my thick coat on but the rain was so icy that I stopped to wind my scarf round my head. Bitter! Then when I came out of the supermarket, the sky was clear again! 

DH got the car back from the garage. Cost of repairs £160 but it would have been £260 as they were going to charge him for a part before he reminded them this part had been replaced by them before and had a lifetime guarantee. It all goes to show it pays to know your stuff as it was on their books but they didn't check till he challenged them. Anyway it was a timely repair as he met me at the supermarket and drove us home.

Spending
Housekeeping £12.56
MS
DH saved us £100 on car repairs
The coffee I wanted isn't on offer so I didn't buy it.
Decluttering
I read myself to sleep by taking 80 sample books off my kindle. It seems to have speeded up for some reason.

I'm thankful we all managed to see DFiL and he seems peaceful. I'm also thankful DH has decided against going to the distant meeting as he needs to be available and have a quiet day.

Sun_Addict

Sorry to hear DFIL has gone downhill.  There's nothing worse than waiting for "the call", been there myself a few times. I'm glad you all got to see him and that he appears to be peaceful.  You never know he might live to see his 90th, especially if he's determined bless him.

Cherryfudge

An NSD (thanks to the weather) and no real news on DFiL. I did however hear that a friend lost her Mum today after a few weeks of unexplained decline, which is very sad.
I've spent most of the day on a course that I rashly signed up for imagining I could do more than one thing at once. I'm now a quarter of the way through and it times out in two days. I did look to see if there were any future dates I could move to but none have become available. My other course is going quite well.
Other than this, I've baked a double batch of banana muffins which count as decluttering four bananas and a tub of spread, then I made the soup I'd planned but which was a bit lacklustre, possibly because I'd assumed our pot of cumin was in date, which it wasn't.
So, no spending, decluttering as above and money saving only in that I used things I already had, and we had free logs for the log burner from a tree that was felled at Mum's old house.
Tomorrow I'm back to work and on Sunday J and L have invited us to theirs to eat.

I'm thankful for free courses that interest me, for being able to stay in out of the wintery weather and for a (brief) mild spell this morning.

VelvetFreak

Thanks Cherry Her place is quite a far way from me and has new owners, so I don't think I'll be able to visit any time soon. I did go past a few years ago and I think i recall everything being dead because of the drought I know that she loved roses, so I will plant those one day when I actually have a proper garden

Onebrokelady

Sorry to hear Dfil has gone downhill Cherry 😟

Cherryfudge

What a shame about the garden drying in the drought. Nice to be able to plan for some roses, though. I wonder how much they can be drought-proofed?

Quite a quiet day here. I didn't spend anything but handed £15 over to DH as he needed to get food shopping and spent most of his share on the supermarket for us both the other day. I think there's about £2.60 left in my share till Monday.
I spent my free time before work ploughing on with the course which is really interesting - a shame it times out tomorrow! I will sign up for it in the future though.

Dh has used his time well, replacing a phone cable that was crumbling with a modern one that's a bit shorter and might just improve our internet. 

Work was quiet too: I actually made progress on files which never get updated when we're busy. I got back to hear that the nursing home had called DH out again as DFiL's condition is worse. He spent some time there and so did A, but DFiL isn't awake so in the end they came away. DH made what I think is the right decision: he's asked them not to call him overnight. There's no point living on tenterhooks when there's nothing we can do, we've said goodbyes a few times now. If anything changes overnight, we're better knowing in the morning after a rest.

Money-wise, we've had a look at the info that's been sent across for DH's pension and the news is a bit depressing: if he takes it now he will lose about 33%. I think we can defer taking it for a while but we have to find out if it makes any difference to defer it once he's stopped contributing. There's no question of him keeping the job on: if he hadn't decided to leave, his health would have slid further (there are still some rather significant unknowns in this respect) and his boss was set on having him out too. He has his new job to look forward to though the paid aspect is only till the autumn after which it goes to a zero-hours contract. Still that gives time to look out for something else, and he does have transferable skills.

Money saving today was having a bit of housekeeping left over that might go into savings, in addition to which I finished yesterday's soup for dinner and have picked up that three hour shift I mentioned the other day. There's also a full shift another week which I'm thinking about. It would mean a day less working on the old house, though, and I'm wanting to press on with that.

Decluttering was just the one item: I gave Dh permission to take the fish tank to the charity shop as no one's buying.

Today I'm thankful for my course which is enjoyable (and when it's finished there will be any number of others to do), for getting some admin done at work and a family meal at J and L's tomorrow.

VelvetFreak

Sorry to hear your DFiL is not doing well
Well done on decluttering the fish tank.

Cherryfudge

Just updating to let you know DFiL passed away late yesterday evening. He's going to be missed but I'm so glad he's no longer suffering.
The family is going ahead with our get-together this evening, it just seems the right thing to do.