Cherry takes the reins

Sun_Addict

Good you got the run done while the weather was nice. Hangs head in shame - we replaced all our original 1930s doors except for one with modern doors. The door we kept still has the unpainted Canadian Redwood on the inside. Still got the original door frames but they’ve been painted over a few hundred times probably over the years. 

Cherryfudge

Someone somewhere in the future will probably say of us 'They destroyed all the original 1960s hardboard overlay', but I'm not going to worry about that. I happen to like older things (some of them) but it's not everybody's cup of tea. So I wouldn't worry about it, SA.

I never knew they are Canadian redwood but they are exactly like what I saw when I googled it.

Today DH started helping at the sound desk at church but I watched online as usual, then the weather cheered up so DH went for a walk in the afternoon while I was at work. I remembered I hadn't sent in my timesheets but had enough spare time to do October's and November's, discovering two extra shifts that I nearly didn't claim for, and some sleep ins too. So it's been financially worth doing. I still have to sort out the paperwork for the extra half sleep in I claimed for in September, but it's nice to have some extra to come.

The little knitting project is nearly done but I'm too tired to finish it tonight.

So, nothing spent and plenty to be thankful for: the feeling of success of actually having a handmade thing near completion, DH saying he's thinking of getting me a year's access to some courses I've been enjoying (as a Christmas present), DH having the opportunity to do something he enjoys and knows a bit about (DFiL was very keen on sound engineering or whatever the proper term is so DH is passing on his skills), remembering to put my timesheets in!

Cherryfudge

A day off today, and two more to come.

I went online for the team meeting this morning though... but it didn't last long. Then DD and I went into town and bought takeaways to eat in the park in lieu of our Christmas shopping day: we were the only ones at the picnic tables . Warm coats and boots were the order of the day but it didn't rain and we enjoyed ourselves. Then we got Christmas hot drinks and meandered up the High Street till it was time for her hair appointment, after which I got lots of Christmas shopping. This evening I've sorted everything I've got so far...

I treated myself to Thai green curry for tea but it was too hot and I ended up drowning it in yogurt so I could finish what I'd made. Then there was a knock at the door: J and L dropping off our Christmas present from his parents, so I donated the rest of the jar of curry to them.

I don't know yet how much I've spent. I paid off the CC this morning and that will be all skew whiff as some of the items need to be refunded. While sorting the Christmas presents I found a returns label that I'd not noticed in the packaging, so that will make tomorrow a bit more straightforward.

Spending:
Eating out/entertainment £6 approx
Toiletries 39p
Stationery £1
£90.10
Hobbies £8.00 (batteries for my running lights! Tempted to record them as medical as it helps me stay healthy )
Housekeeping £9.47

Things I'm grateful for: time with DD, shopping done, finding something for my Secret Santa amongst other things, so that can be wrapped and delivered and safely ticked off my list!

Cherryfudge

Such a grey day! Ironic, perhaps, that it sounds like 'Grade A'. It rained most of the time.

I wonder what 8th December was like in 1919? That was when my Dad was born. He would have been 101 by now.

I got some parcels wrapped to return, and a couple of orders sent off and I end up £14 in pocket which doesn't hurt, especially after all yesterday's spending. I got so fed up with being indoors that I went to the shops even though it could have waited till tomorrow. By the time I set off it was after three and going dark: when I came out of the first shop it was almost completely dark. I'm so glad the longer days are only just around the corner!

I had my online meeting with my friends this evening: I invited them to bring their current knitting and crochet projects which were good talking points before our study: 45 minutes isn't really enough time to combine the two, though so I'll learn from that and maybe have a knit and natter in the New Year.

My little knitting project is almost done: she's a nurse doll and just needs her face mask but not tonight.

Spending:
Housekeeping £20.22 (some of this is preparatory to Christmas)
Gifts £29.75

This evening I'm thankful for a study that went better than I deserved after I'd not put much time in, for some fresh air and the ability to go out of doors even though it's dark and cold because this is a fairly safe area and I'm in good health, and for lots of yarn stash so I can make little projects rather than spend all my time on the computer or in a book (housework? What housework?)

Cherryfudge

Oh dear, I'm really not getting down to stuff today! However it's not raining so if I organise myself I might get a run.

Things to do:
Put bedding in to wash
Dress in running gear
Go to work to get my weekly Covid test
Go straight on to run
Make mask for nurse doll

Things already done:
Stayed up far too late and had middle-of-the-night toast
Slept in
Had breakfast
Printed out vintage knitting pattern someone gave me and made a start: it's a string shopping bag but I'm using up some dk yarn that's been in the stash and is all crinkly so it's been pre-used somewhere. Is okay for making a bag with, though, especially an experimental one!

Cherryfudge

My cunning plan worked. The test is done, the run is run, the doll is finished and wrapped. The string bag is progressing and I have a sore back: I think I overdid carrying shopping the other day so it's Epsom Salts in the bath soon.

Nothing spent. I'm feeling really good from the run, perhaps all the more because of the miserable weather recently. I've decided 6C is even better than my previous preferred temperature of 11C! I get nicely warmed up but not too hot and there aren't many people out to get in the way. I also did 6K, which meant I got thoroughly 'all systems go' and ran better than I do over a shorter distance. Now all I have to do is keep it up.  

Tonight I'm thankful for finishing the knitted gift, clear weather to run in and texted conversations with all my children at some point in the last 24 hours.

Cherryfudge

DS2 sent a Whats App at 5.20 this morning asking what to do as he had a ring stuck on his finger. I didn't pick it up till several hours later by which time J had given him advice but he texted again to say it was still on. By this time we were advising A&E and he finally went there and had it cut off. The picture of the released hand looks very sore, I hope he hasn't done any damage. He said the ring isn't his and is someone's birthday present so I'm in the dark as to whether he was giving it or merely trying it on. A bit of research tells me it's worth about £35 so at least it's not thousands!

Other than that, the main event of the day has been printing the long forms we need to fill in for the house buyer. I'm so not looking forward to filling them in! Perhaps I'm seeing problems where there are none. After all, the buyer can see some major work that needs to be done on the house and is still wanting to buy. I did find out it's no longer on the website, which must mean the estate agent is hopeful.

Work was fairly uneventful. We have a colleague back who had had to stay with another service because of the pandemic, and it was good to see her.

I've spent 99p on a Kindle book. I nearly bought another but while it was still showing on daily deals at 99p, when I checked with the store prices it had actually gone up to £9.99! I hate it when that happens. I got an overpayment refunded once as the store prices hadn't kept up with the advertised price, but this seems to be the other way around: it's coming off the offer. I might be adventurous and get it out of the library.

So it looks as though there's no imminent Brexit trade deal... forgive me for not sounding surprised. I suppose, like everything else, it will 'all come out in the wash'. What a mess at the moment, though. Still, I'm not going to waste energy worrying over it: there's not a lot I can do.  

Things I'm thankful for tonight: hearing a bird sing as if it were spring. Not all the time but one lovely song that stood out because its not been heard for so long. I'm thankful for the nice cheap but healthy meals I managed today, too - lentil and chorizo soup and overnight oats. And a day off tomorrow.

Cherryfudge

Another day of not getting things done - my own fault as I was up till about 3, reading. Stupid, but it's become a powerful habit recently, and I haven't had early shifts to force me out of it.

I got half way through the afternoon before giving myself a shake and finishing getting dressed! Sad, I know, but the fact I could shake myself out of it proves it was low mood not depression. Nevertheless I've made sure I had some cod liver oil because that's what works for me.

Since getting my slates on, I've put the duvet cover in the dryer and the rest of the laundry on the airer - so much for making the most of a dry day but it was predominantly dry in the sense of no water actually falling out of the sky. The ground is visibly wet. I also emptied the compost bucket (that now sits outside the back door) onto the compost heap and took the opportunity to get earthworms for DS2's newts, so they have had their exercise for the day as hunting is a big motivator for them.

I then deep cleaned bits of the kitchen but that's on hold as the dishwasher is running to clean the plastics like spatulas and bag clips. Meanwhile I've fed the Christmas cake. not sure what the next stage is: the only rules of displacement activity are to do things that may have been at the back of my mind so long as they aren't what I should actually be doing (in this case, the remaining big form for the house sale: DH helped with the shorter one earlier).

Sun_Addict

I think the cold gloomy weather doesn’t help with motivation. Some days I could quite happily stay in my PJs all day if I didn’t have to take the dog out. 

Cherryfudge

I had just this conversation with a couple of colleagues the other day, SA! Pyjamas till it's time to put uniform on!  

And it's been a  gloomy day again, and I've stayed in again... DH went out on some errands and brought back salmon for tea some I am duly nourished. I've got a kitchen drawer properly turned out and cleaned: there was a myriad of utensil-type stuff in there and I've thrown out some broken plastic spoons and a plastic drinking straw. Everything else is washed and replaced apart from a box of icing nozzles which I keep in case I ever need to ice anything (about once every two or three years).

I did manage to finish up a flavoured mayo with dinner. DH doesn't 'do' dressings except gravy or custard so it takes me ages to get through them. I have a similar problem with using up scented hand creams, which I love. I use some every night but it's best to have practical, heavy-duty unscented ones for work and housework so I still have a beautiful one unopened from last Christmas as well as about three on the go.

I've made progress with my experimental knitted shopping bag, but it became obvious that the royal blue wool from The Stash wouldn't be enough to complete it. I tried adding in puce and pale grey stripes but it was, franky, hideous, so the puce has come out and the blue and grey is passable.

The plan is to finish my book now, rather than risk being up till 3 again, then get up at a reasonable time tomorrow and hopefully go for a run before lunch. That might help set the body clock back to something approaching normal.

Tonight I'm thankful that DH loves the new coat I talked him into! He feels the cold, but not in this coat! I'm also thankful that I can knit: I'm enjoying these little projects and have slightly decreased The Stash.