Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

It's been a good day chez Fudge.

Dh has been working from home: his last day is tomorrow. He's heard nothing back from higher management about him staying on to help so we assume it's not happening unless they do something last minute tomorrow.

We haven't spent anything yet but I'm going to spoil that by paying the milk bill soon. I've contacted some friends, done some cleaning, emailed my manager (again), sent off an appeal for a review of the Council Tax at Mum's old house, tidied a bit more garden and made curry for tea. I used a posh jar of sauce this time so it was more or less guaranteed to be a success. There's a small portion over which is now in the freezer. I think I forgot to say that yesterday's dinner was cottage pie leftovers. I don't normally choose anything with beef in but this was delicious, possibly because I made gravy using Bratens@uce, a sort of gravy powder we bought in Switzerland, which is very tasty. I've just found it online in the UK but as with everywhere, they haven't any delivery slots.

No news from DS2 but I can see from Whats@pp that he checked his phone at 4.15 so I'm not too worried. DD put up an old Christmas photo of us all and there was a chorus of 'Don't we all look young!' I didn't point out that it was only taken three months ago!

Spending
Milk bill £5.84
MS
Appealed the exhorbitant CT bill for Mum's old house.

Today I'm thankful for another good run and weather just challenging enough to make me feel I've done something, but not so challenging that I didn't go. Also for sight of messages from the kids, and a little bit more garden progress.

WannabeFree

I haven't fully caught up yet. I'm so useless with this new layout. The weather has been crazy hasn't it?  Hope DS is keeping safe at work. You must be so proud of him though. 

Food shopping is extortionate really compared to budget brands isn't it? 

Hope you and the family are keeping well x

Cherryfudge

WannabeFree said:

I haven't fully caught up yet. I'm so useless with this new layout. The weather has been crazy hasn't it?  Hope DS is keeping safe at work. You must be so proud of him though. 

Food shopping is extortionate really compared to budget brands isn't it? 

Hope you and the family are keeping well x

We are thanks Wannabe - I've been following your diary but not posting much. So glad you got another bottle of medicine.
The children seem to be occupying themselves well - how is the skirt coming along?

Yes, I'm very proud of DS2 - though it's scary. Today's news seems a little more optimistic so I am taking heart from that, and from realising that more people are getting better than are succumbing.

Yes, I'm missing my budget brands! I expect I will discover some new 'likes' among the costlier brands, but I can't get drawn in!

Cherryfudge

It's been what DH called 'a curious day': his last day with the employer he's been with over a quarter of a century, but working from home the last few days. He Skyp3d his team for a farewell chat this afternoon. He's quite upset to leave them but remains convinced it was the right decision as the work wasn't sustainable for him.

I had an email from my work: we have one more week in our current state then are converting to a small unit to care for people who are being released from hospital. We will still be working there, which is reassuring as we know each other and how the building works. Our nearest neighbours are going all over the place as their unit is closing: it doesn't have facilities that could be used in this situation.

I'm kind of enjoying my days off: this was two of four and I spent a lot of it cooking. I had some donated milk that had gone out of date but when opened still smelled okay. I've made a spiced bread pudding (interesting as I seem to have forgotten to add sugar but the currants in it made a sweetener so I guess I've saved sugar, money and our waistlines). I also made scones and yogurt. I'm delighted as the yogurt has nearly had its eight hours and appears to have worked. I've only once succeeded in making it before and that stayed in the fridge too long so I was scared of it and sadly threw it out. Another time I made it too hot and it died. I now have a few days to be very inventive with yogurt recipes before this batch goes out of date, but it's nice to see it has that sort of jelly consistency that I seem to remember from past attempts.

All ideas for using massive quantities of yogurt gratefully received! Overnight oats are already a staple dish (and there's only me eats it).

DD and I have been sending each other pictures of what we've cooked: she has chickpea and peanut butter blondies, and flapjacks. Cooking is such a nice thing to be doing when all around us rugs are flying from under our feet. She's working from home and is on leave: supposedly putting in some study for her Masters and was going to be training for some long distance runs but can only do 'normal' bits of exercise. Talking of exercise, it was my non-running day so I haven't done any exercise at all. I probably need to tune in to Joe Wickes of a morning as so many seem to be doing - never mind if it's aimed at children!

A no-spend day for some reason, unless you count putting through the milk payment that I meant to do the other day.

DH went for a bike ride after work and combined it with dropping some scones and some herb roots off at H and A's door. They won't want for mint or oregano now - I've warned A to keep the mint in a pot or risk it taking over. My own gardening has been limited by me being busy elsewhere and losing my onions (!) which turned up on a window sill. I also split a packet of carrot seeds on the carpet and spent some time picking them out! Unexpected trials of a wanna-be vegetable gardener.

This evening I had another video meeting with my friends: strange things were happening with the app, or more likely I need more practice but we had a great chat. One of these friends is a week into isolating for 12 weeks which must be very hard for her but she is showing a brave face. Elsewhere I have heard that a friend who has been poorly for some days now has a temperature, which is concerning.

No news from DS2, but I can see he's checked his Wh@tsApp so I know he's still around in some form. I think he's mentally separated from us here unless dragged into contact, rather like missionaries who 'go native'.  

Tonight I'm thankful I could use that milk and not waste it: I'm thankful for my time with friends tonight: I'm thankful for DH's years with that employer and the provision it's been for us. I'm thankful the situation in my job is resolved and the decision has gone the way it has. I'm also thankful that it's payday and I know the money is in - and what a difference two months with no more mortgage has made! However we won't now be getting a bills contribution from DS2 or any income from DH so we are going to need to take care of our spending. DH and I are both independently trying to reuse tea leaves, LOL!
I'm also thankful that DH and I get on well: this time of strain must be incredibly hard for families where there is tension, strife and danger. I know we must come out the other side of this, and it's likely not to be anything as long as the wars my parents and grandparents lived through. It's another sort of war, and we know from their example that these things are for while and you don't go back, you go through - and that there will be medical and other advances made as a direct outcome that will benefit the world of the future.

in_need_of_direction

Brilliant words of gratitude.  Thank you

Sun_Addict

Just catching up with you Cherry and heartening to read about the things you're grateful for.  This is something we all need to focus on right now instead of the gloom and doom.  I've been doing the Joe Wicks workouts at 9am everyday and really enjoying them, not just for kids. Mr SA has started with his hay fever too.

Cherryfudge

I was still in bed at Joe Wicks time (and never got as far as Youtubing him).  

It's been a tiring day in a positive way. DH and I went for a run in the morning which was a bit longer than earlier weeks of the programme, and I think I'm still feeling the effects. DH couldn't run the latter part of it as he's having tendon problems, so he said it didn't count as his exercise and took himself off for a lengthy bike ride in the afternoon as well! I'm not sure this is the spirit of the law, but cycling seems to be one of the best way to avoid human contact and he said the route he took was empty. 

I did some gardening, maybe an hour and a half's worth. I have a little area clear of ivy, herb bennet and ragged robin now: I've turned the soil over and mixed in some home made compost, which was an adventure in itself as I had to clear access to the hatch on the compost bin. 

This evening I've made progress with one of my courses and they keep sending me details of others on my wish list. So far I haven't succumbed.

Tea yesterday was that modern luxury, tuna pasta. Today I made a pie with leftover chicken and gammon from the freezer and plenty of mash and veg. The potatoes DS2 left are sprouting so I took the sprouted ends off to plant and cooked the rest of them. I don't know if I'm going to be able to get enough garden ready in time for all the things I want to plant!

I was too awake to sleep till about three this morning, though I've been sleeping well recently. I think it shows I need exercise every day, and today I've certainly had that.

It's good we've managed to avoid the shops again. I need to look at my bank account soon, and also repay us for travel costs incurred for the estate. Nothing monetary happening... it seems somehow irrelevant though I know reality must kick in sometime. More importantly, I've heard from all the children and all are well.

So no spending or money saving as such to record, though once I get these plants in I will be on the way to money saving. I've decluttered armfuls of ivy roots and dead bramble, as well as three stumps of dead shrubs that were buried in the border. The recycling centre is closed so disposing of non-compostable twigs and roots is going to be a problem. A neighbour has an incinerator but I've complained to him about the smell before so I feel hypocritical asking if we can use it!

That's about it for today: I'm thankful for texts and a call from the children, for lots of exercise and for a small bit of tidy garden! It was cold today but dry and not too windy - fine for gardening and running. I'm also happy about my yogurt, which is now potted up in a nice big jar alongside a jug of whey (more scones, anyone?)

in_need_of_direction

I too have completely taken my eye off finances bar knowing that we aren’t really spending.  A status update and a plan are needed

Honeysucklelou2

Surprising how satisfying clearing those brambles can be...well done. We did have a little bonfire at the allotment to get rid of the mounds we had chopped.

Cherryfudge

Today's to do list in no particular order:
conquer the ironing pile ready for going back to work tomorrow
try putting some of the driest twigs in the log burner Amazingly, this worked! Not for green twigs, though.
do Joe Wicks workout
wash my hair
put away dry laundry that doesn't need an iron
do some hand washing
try to finish my finances course (3/4 of the way there)
chat with DH about changing our banking
make lunch
make dinner
draw up a shopping list because I think we will need to shop tomorrow
tidy kitchen
do two items of mending

I'll be back periodically to cross things out.