Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

I seem to have spent a good part of the last few days at work: Friday was very hot till early evening when we had flickering lightening and rather distant thunder with not much rain but a spectacular orange glow instead of any sort of definition around the sunset. I did take delivery of my winter boots and some tops for DH and we're keeping them all which surprises me as there's always something to go back.

I did the sleep in at work on Friday, and the early Saturday shift. This morning we had church (online) and this afternoon was work again. I've asked for a day's leave later in the month to give extra time to work on Mum's place but I may not get it as a couple of people are off then.

I had another phone call from the couple who were interested in Mum's house and it turns out they had been told a completely wrong price when they looked round a couple of years ago, so it's unlikely they'll be buying even though they're keen. The price they'd been told - and at this distance we don't know where it came from - is less than half what the estate agent reckoned earlier this year. I don't expect it will reach his valuation but I really could do with it staying closer to his and not what they'd been told.

We've also had some very heavy showers, and DH is in the process of replacing the gutters again.

Spending
Household 27th - £60.50 (taps),31st - £21.30 (guttering), 2nd £5.00 (tape measure)
Housekeeping 28th £3.00, 1st £11.82
Clothes £24.99 (my boots), £32.97 (DH's tops)
Postage £12.98 (includes postage to that company for a year and a return label which I can use against a future order).

This evening I'm thankful for a really interesting talk at church this morning, progress on my course, new boots  and a morning run that set me up beautifully for the day.

Cherryfudge

A delicious day. DH and I cleaned out the gutters (he cleaned out the gutters, I held the ladder and declined to go up) but it was the most beautiful morning, one of those sunny tee-shirt days that is just comfortable but doesn't get too hot, with a slight coolness on the skin that makes you alert but not at all cold. Gutters done, I finished part one of my current study, chatted to the window cleaner and made a start on some of the garden on the kitchen side of the house.

After lunch we treated ourselves to an afternoon out in the gardens of a nearby English Heritage site and after some discussion decided to trade in our entrance fees for a year's membership. I reckoned that now DH isn't working, we can go there if I'm off shift, so we have a ready-made 'free' treat. We also have DH's auntie visiting soon, and some friends have asked if they can come in September, so with a lot of places still shut or very limited, it's an easy option - take a picnic and have a wander round. We also got a Rishi Special (it wasn't called that) - half price coffee, juice and a snack. I hadn't even realised the café was participating in the 'eat out to help out'.

We are still discussing what we can afford in the way of a holiday but this has changed our focus: we want to make the most of it so might just have a couple of days near one of the attractions we'd both like to go to, and spend some more time sightseeing and walking from the old house while we still have the use of it (I'm sure we'd do more clearing, too, and there's no TV or Internet so we'd struggle to stay long).

Heading home, I picked up the shopping for Wednesday's trip over to Mum's old house, then it was corned beef hash for tea and a walk across town to drop things off at two of my friends' houses and a forgotten bag at DD's. Again, the weather was perfect for walking. DH brought his bike along so he could head back and watch whatever came on TV at nine, but I added the length of the (very sleepy, twilit) High Street just because I was enjoying the walk so much. I'm hoping it will have burned off the odd calorie or several as I've not lost any weight this week!

I had some sad news from a friend whose family member has had a flare of an old condition, so it hasn't been an unshadowed day, but we exchanged a few messages and I'm hoping I managed to lift her spirits a bit.

Spending (will be approximate until I hunt down the receipts)
Window cleaner (household) £5.00
Entertainment £107.00 (but that lasts 15 months )
Housekeeping £20.17
Entertainment £3.60 (café at half price)
Gifts £1.40

Today I'm grateful for a lovely day and DH to spend it with, seeing DD and my friends, and all those new 'free' places to visit.

Cherryfudge

What a wet morning! I've been trying to get my Am azon account to reapply my gift card. I switched to debit card payment as we ordered some more masks (£9.99 a couple of weeks ago, £2.50 now!) and I didn't want them to come out of my present money. When I tried to switch back so I could treat myself to a book, I couldn't find out how. Do I need to dig out the gift card and put the number back in? Good job I haven't thrown it out, but where did I put it? There doesn't seem to be an easy way to switch between them in the 'My Account' tab. In the end I just pressed 'buy' on my Kindle so I suspect it's gone on the debit card not the gift card, but it's 99p so I'm not overly worried.
I had an email from the bank to say they're reducing interest rates on my Cash ISA. I don't think they can get much lower!

Spending so far:
Milk bill (housekeeping) £5.84
e-book 0.99 (might or might not have come off my gift card).
Medical (masks) £2.50

Sun_Addict

I love how you see the positives in every day no matter how small. Sounds like you've got a good plan in place for the sightseeing break from the old house while you've still got it. The interest rates are so low now we'll be paying the banks soon!  I opened a monthly saver account with my bank as it's about the best rate I can get right now at 1.85%, better than nothing.

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

I love how you see the positives in every day no matter how small. Sounds like you've got a good plan in place for the sightseeing break from the old house while you've still got it. The interest rates are so low now we'll be paying the banks soon!  I opened a monthly saver account with my bank as it's about the best rate I can get right now at 1.85%, better than nothing.

That's an amazing rate nowadays, SA! I though the same as you re interest rates I got half way to following up Martin's recommendations on National Savings accounts (i.e. I looked quickly at about midnight one night). I just don't see the point in leaving the money withering away if there's a choice, but the best option today seems to be about making the withering last longer.

Feeling productive right now as I managed to put together a colouring sheet for my friends while we do our study tonight! Some people study better while doodling.

Cherryfudge

The e-book seems to have come off the gift card so I'm left wondering whether the kindle is set up to use the card or whether the whole account defaults to that as long as there's credit available, after which it goes on the debit card. The book turns out to be a great time-waster - I was up half the night reading! Still some saved for our time away, though.

DS1 came round this morning to work on insetting the sink into the new kitchen worktop. It looks lovely, though we won't be putting it all in place this side of being away.

DH did more grocery shopping this morning. We never seem to get everything all in one go. Diesel, too, but some of that will be reclaimed from Mum's estate.

Spending
Housekeeping £13.79
Fuel (from the other account) £32.48
Phone top up £2.50

Today I'm thankful for seeing DS1 and his skilled help with the kitchen, and for a small amount of cantact with DS2 - not because it's small but because it's contact and DD. Also for DH's company which makes these trips a lot more enjoyable.

Cherryfudge

Back from two nights away and a very long walk (but not as much sorting as last time) and more or less straight into work. We had a nice time away, actually, though I didn't sleep brilliantly and felt quite muzzy and unwell for a while. We had decided on a walk to a local viewpoint, though, and booked lunch at a lovely café in the next village which was busy despite all the social distancing. After lunch I was full and felt a lot better, but the walk that was supposed to be a couple of hours or so lasted at least four hours, so I needed to calories! We discovered some beautiful houses and friendly local people, and the resulting conversations extended the time away quite a bit.

I've rescued a few tubs and pots from the garden and some photos albums and books from the house. I waded through more old papers, most of which have gone in the recycling but I kept letters from people I remember. I know - that's not efficient clearing. One thing that struck me as very poignant was a scrap of newspaper with a  photo of a boy in a kayak which he'd made himself. It dates back to about 1936 and in my Dad's writing around the margin it says the lad was a close friend of his at school but when the war came, he was listed as 'failed to return'. I do wonder if that's the last trace of this boy, as he won't have had descendants and the promise and ingenuity that must have made his parents so proud of their fifteen-year-old was snuffed out far too early.

Spending
Entertainment (meal out) £29
Housekeeping (chocolate and fizzy drinks on the way back from our walk) £4.64
Housekeeping (posh bread from the deli) - unknown. (DH reports that the deli doesn't do remote payments so he had to go to the cash point and get a 'piece of paper' out, which the shop assistant then traded for 'another piece of paper and some little metal things' as well as the bread. It's amazing how our culture has eased so er… easily into card payments in such a short time (though I still pay the window cleaner in (hand gelled) cash.

Tonight I'm thankful for a super meal out with DH, feeling up to walking about eight miles even if it meant I didn't get much work done on the house, and getting back and sound.

Cherryfudge

DH bought chips today - a portion between us as usual! Much as I love chips I have to admit they don't help me lose weight.

It's been warm again, though not as warm as yesterday and the cool air this evening makes me think I might fit in a short run tomorrow, if I'm organised. That's definitely better for the weight loss: when I miss a few days I find I don't have enough 'spare' calories to feel satisfied.

Spending
Housekeeping £22.04
Household £3.50 for a chrome plated compression tee 15mm. I have no idea what that is.
Another phone top up (we haven't got our usual access at work so I'm going through more data) £2.50

Tonight I'm thankful for getting some gardening done, and nice photos from J and L, currently camping in Cornwall.

Cherryfudge

Very little to report: I didn't fit in a run after all but we tried a new recipe after church (a cod and vegetable stew that's supposed to have lots of micronutrients in). It was nice enough to make again but I have to admit to throwing a few seriously unhealthy veggies into the compost: the fridge needs a proper sort and clean which I am ashamed of.

Our church has a link in Lebanon so there's been a collection to help the people affected by the bomb. It's an unbelievably terrible situation. If only the contents of that warehouse had been donated or sold to farmers, crops would have benefitted and none of this would have happened.

Work is a bit stressful for various reasons. I was debating whether to go on the Skype meeting tomorrow but I've just remembered I've promised to meet my friends for a distanced coffee and the meeting isn't compulsory so I won't be there, but that means I can't second the voices of concern. There are a few things that need to be sorted... isn't it always so?!

Tonight I'm thankful for someone offering to cover a shift that I'd offered for but didn't really want, a new shower gel that smells beautiful, and the prospect of spending time with my friends tomorrow.

Cherryfudge

I forgot: I bought a couple more e-books. Total £1.48. I would say 'that will keep me quiet' but one is Florence Nightingale's 'Nursing Notes' and I've already caught myself expounding the virtues of a well-aired sick room to a long-suffering friend.