Cherry takes the reins

Honeysucklelou2

Hope your DS2’s finger is ok now.

I remain very impressed that you get out to run.   Hope the form filling goes well.

Cherryfudge

Thanks @Honeysucklelou2, we've not heard back so hopefully no news is good news!

I got to bed a little earlier last night but woke up feeling really woozy. With DH's encouragement I managed a short run before work which will help towards the next time. 

Not much more progress on the paperwork as DH can't supply much of the info. I'm hoping my sister comes back to me with bits I don't know as we remember different things.

I've spent 99p on another e-book but other than that haven't bought anything today.

Things I'm thankful for: DH's encouragement, another easy shift and slightly more sleep last night.

Cherryfudge

Being married to DH has its advantages: he spotted that I was on sleep in on the night of 13th, which I'd completely forgotten. Hence no post for that day. Today (actually yesterday, 14th) has been much nicer weather and reached the giddy heights of ten degrees so I went for a run before work. DH bought bread for me, soup for himself and a present for DD, and I spent £7.99 on a gift for someone. The present for DD was on a 1 day 25% discount and a friend at work tipped me off. So £9 instead of £12.

Money-wise, I finally got round to sending an email to correct a mistaken payment in my September salary which actually dated from August - then I got a message to say no claims could be made after 93 days, so I've had to go round the houses and send all sorts of details in just so they can take £20 off me and reimburse me a fiver. I've still got to ring someone in office hours to get them to restore access to my timesheets which has delayed all this, but I might get round to that tomorrow as neither DH nor I is working, so I can use his work computer (same employer) rather than try to get on a work computer at my place in office hours. These things aren't simple.  

There's nothing else to report really.

Tonight I'm thankful I've got my head round the details needed for the work stuff, and that they have been okay about putting it right. I'm also thankful for fairer weather and time to go out in it, and that J and L will be near enough at Christmas for us to go out for a walk with them.

Cherryfudge

Oh dear, I've been shopping. Mostly Christmas stuff: presents and food and a couple of everyday small items.
I completely forgot to try to sort out the pay claim but it can wait another day.
The news is talking about mixing households at Christmas being a big mistake, certainly the shops in town have suddenly become markedly more cautious, possibly as a response to pre-Christmas traffic. I wish they would limit it more but I don't know if it would be enforceable and even today there was the occasional unmasked person in town.

DS2 texted at last, to say he doesn't know what he wants for Christmas . Ah well. I've warned him I may have to guess but actually I generally prefer to do that, apart from that he doesn't want clothes, and they would be the easiest thing to get him right now.

I was shopping for Christmas socks when I saw the perfect gift for H, but her present is already bought. Solved that one in consultation with A: her original gift will now be for her birthday shortly after Christmas. The socks had been written off as I hadn't found nice ones, till I found lots of fun ones somewhere I never suspected would have much. Not too expensive, either: a lot of the ones online seem to be overpriced.

I've also bought small toiletries, scented hand sanitiser, Christmas cards and the like: I'm sure the family has long since realised I have a perpetual list of stocking fillers and lay bets among themselves what will be in there this year.

Spending:
Christmas cards £9.00
Toiletries (for me not gifts) £5.74 (buy one get 2nd half price)
Gifts £35.43 + £7.08 + £3.48 (including buy 3 for the price of 2 so that saved £1)
Housekeeping £9.15 (including some bits towards Christmas)
Hobbies 65p

I got all of 4p off on a Mr L coupon and £1 back on the scratchcard on their app - I never buy scratch cards but it's hard to resist them when they just appear for free! That only has a week to go though.x

My thankful list: finding my list of presents bought! DH helping with the wrapping after nobly cleaning the oven. Pre-Christmas meetup with friends on video. Good advice from a friend who helped me see that effort put into the bag I was knitting is not wasted, but it's perfectly okay to pull it back if I don't like it! So I now have two small balls of wool and no scraggly bag. I also have her permission from her to treat myself to the right yarn for the project.

Sun_Addict

I never buy scratchcards and one year Mr SA bought me a special Christmas one that cost £5. I moaned like mad at him for spending £5 on it but soon changed my mind when I won £25 😀 I downloaded the Mr L app but haven't used it yet, the store is a fair walk from my house so have to particularly want something from there to make it worthwhile. Used to pass it everyday when I was physically in the office though.

Cherryfudge

Lucky you SA!
I can see that app is drawing me in but even if it didn't exist I'd be going to Mr L as I really like the fruit and veg, cured meats, varieties of cheese etc.

Cherryfudge

I don't know what's up with my sleep pattern but I didn't drop off till 4 this morning, but I must have rested as I've been all right today.

It's rained a lot but I got myself out to do the weekly Covid test, then started on some jobs. Two lots of laundry are done (and tumbled or hung on the airer as it's not the weather for line drying). I cleared the bay window sill, cleaned it all down, watered the plants and washed the glassware that lives there, while DH took gifts round for H and A to open at Christmas - they are going to her parents this year. I was just pausing to take a photo of the sunset when DS2 turned up on an illegal visit!

I insisted on hand gel and he's good at distancing, but he had a negative Covid test yesterday so I suppose he's about as safe as he can be. He'd come to collect a dehumidifier and heater: the new house has its downside. DH arrived back so we all had a catch up: DS2 admired the newly painted kitchen door and I gave him his new Christmas socks. I think he may be planning on being our third household after Auntie goes home but these plans seem a bit vague! He's not one for doing Christmas shopping any earlier than he has to, either! It was lovely to see him, a real treat (and he liked the socks).

While I was making tea (toad in the hole) after he'd gone, I tidied a few larder bits and pieces. I won't say it's all in order but there's actual freezer space which was part of the plan. 

I'm not too happy with the government for not reducing the 'Christmas bubble' time (that phrase will look odd in the future). I'm not sure why it lasts five days anyway: surely most gatherings will be over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day? I know we have Auntie coming (I think we'd never hear the last of it if we didn't) and of course today DS turned up, but it's madness really. I'm hoping Auntie will have done as requested and had two weeks where she doesn't meet with her 'other bubbles' (!) and I will know if I'm Covid-free up to the day before Christmas Eve, but I'm still not happy about it.

Incidentally DS2 says the Covid figures are doing really well where he works and most of their Covid-positive patients are from outside the area.

Nothing spent today and DH took back a present that was damaged when it arrived. Another is on order which he will pick up tomorrow.

This evening I'm thankful to have seen DS2 IRL (even though he should have rung so we could take stuff out for him to collect!) and that he and I have had a steady stream of negative tests. (DH's job doesn't qualify him for them). I'm also thankful that I got a routine check-up done yesterday (one down two to go but I don't know where the contact details for those have gone). Oh, and dentist and optician's but I'll wait for appointments for those.

I'm also happy that the bay window is pretty again, despite being overcrowded with overwintering plants. It makes me feel I'm a bit more in control.

Cherryfudge

I had Internet problems last night so I got a better night's sleep but no diary entry.

Yesterday I had a panic-y text from the neighbours at Mum's old house to say did I know there were workmen in and banging about? I didn't: as far as I knew the estate agent was showing the buyer round again. When I rang the estate agent it turns out it was the buyer's architect who had turned up late and had to be left to inspect while the estate agent went to another viewing. Then in the evening the housekeeping lady texted me to say the side gate was left unlocked (which is a security issue for the back of the house, but it's swollen so she couldn't shut it), and the back door keys have gone. I guessed the architect had moved them so this morning I rang the estate agent again and they were supposed to ring me back but didn't. A job for tomorrow.

I didn't get any exercise either day apart from some Mr L shopping this afternoon (by which I mean 19th). I had some coupons to use and a £1 discount which displays in a novel way on the receipt - the £1 is split between all the items so some have 5p off, some have 15p, some have 17p etc. I wonder why? I did get DH a selection of chocolate that he really likes for his stocking (he and DD still fall short of the stocking filler total the others have - a perennial juggling act!). I also bought Christmas food.

I've bought some cotton to repair a dark reddish-purple jumper and its almost impossible to match the colour so I'm hoping I can knit back as much as possible with a tatting hook. It's very fine thread! Then anything left un-mended will have to have the cotton I just bought. I was hoping to get yarn to make a net bag, too, but the knitting aisles were roped off while stock was being replenished. I did complain about this as there was actually nobody working there and I'd chosen to go at a quiet time of day to reduce the risk of virus, but my effort was rather wasted. On the plus side I found an old knitting magazine on my Kindle with a small pattern I would very much like to do - I'd forgotten all about it.

Spending
Clothing £1.75 (thread)
Housekeeping £6.69
Gifts £3.47

Found £1.61 under the bed!  

Tonight I'm grateful for a weekend off, signs of progress with the house sale (though I hate to think how much stuff I never managed to sort through ) and mild weather (13 degrees, though wet and rather windy).

Cherryfudge

I was up late again last night getting gloomy about selling the house, which isn't constructive but I suppose I need to come to terms with it, and having the whole process so long-drawn out has only postponed it. Still, with today's news including staying local when possible, I'm not about to head over there for a while.

My hand will probably be forced eventually because the buyer will want to take possession! Meanwhile I need to make a bit more progress with all the stuff I shipped over here a couple of months ago and which seems to have slowed considerably.

It's been nice weather, mild and breezy again and quite a lot of sunshine so I did all the laundry and DH and I went for a short run, getting home as it was going dark. He bought us fish and chips for tea and we watched the Strictly final. So pleased Bill Bailey won as I've backed him all the way, though in all fairness I thought Maisie should have had the title, with HRVY a close second. It's all been a source of happiness for the last few weeks though, a bit of magic and party atmosphere (and people actually being allowed near each other!).

We haven't heard from Auntie about the new restrictions: I didn't think the government had it in them to get tough but the ease of transmission of the new variant of the virus has pushed them into it. I hope it saves lives but I'm afraid it may also cost some.

I'm expecting Auntie will still come to us as she lives alone and we don't have any of the kids here (though J and L sent a photo of them meeting up with DS2 earlier, which will have been good for all of them). I don't think she'd cope well if we said 'no', though it means DH going against guidance (not law) to fetch her. She would have to go home on Boxing Day but she might prefer that to not coming. I'm already worrying about the increased risk at work after Christmas when we will see people who have been in larger support bubbles than normal.

I haven't spent anything today and apart from the run and the laundry, haven't done anything useful either. It's been mostly displacement activity as there is plenty of Christmas prep and general tidying to do.

Things I'm thankful for tonight: nice pic of DS2, J and L together. Sunshine. Lovely end to 'Strictly'. DH being off work now till after Christmas. 

Cherryfudge

It's been a reclusive sort of Sunday. I woke up at 10.15 (having been up in the middle of the night having a texted conversation with a friend!) and asked DH why he hadn't woken me as I it was nearly time for Church. I'd forgotten it was the carol service this evening so only the activities for children this morning. A lazy morning was then had, rather overshadowed by having to wait till Auntie would be in from her walk so Dh could ring her.

Long story short, he and I ended up having a row because while she is okay with us shortening her time, she let drop during the conversation that she had met a friend for coffee. As I'd asked that she didn't 'bubble' with anyone for a couple of weeks before visiting, I was furious, but DH finished the conversation without asking more. When I'd calmed down I could see that it might well have been a takeaway coffee out of doors but I'm very on edge about having someone in the house and having to take work-type precautions while she's here instead of being able to relax. I always feel as though I'm policing people because I ask them if they've washed their hands or whatever, and I'm going to have a window open in the lounge while she's here, never mind the weather. At least I have a few days to get calmed down and it's a shorter visit than was planned originally.

Other than that DH had got the decs down from the loft - he still hasn't bought a tree! - and I found some mending to satisfy my displacement activity urge. Dh wrote cards for the neighbours. I played carols on the piano (I hardly touch the poor thing nowadays, it was a casualty of lockdown). We made friends again and spent the evening in front of the telly: two carol services, some 'best of Bakeoff' and a new Star Trek series.

Nothing spent.

And I'm thankful for a husband I can still be friends with, Auntie being generally a careful person, the people and technology that make broadcasting possible, DD's superb Christmas cake (she sent a photo and it looks much more professional than anything I've ever done).