Cherry takes the reins

Sun_Addict

It’s good to see it still light at past 5pm now, feels hopeful for Spring. Talking of old threads can you remember that young woman who used to do the meal plans on a very tight budget, was it Sammy Kay or something like that? I often wonder how she’s doing. I still keep my bookmarks for a couple of diaries of forumites who we sadly lost - taxi and kissjen 😢

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

It’s good to see it still light at past 5pm now, feels hopeful for Spring. Talking of old threads can you remember that young woman who used to do the meal plans on a very tight budget, was it Sammy Kay or something like that? I often wonder how she’s doing. I still keep my bookmarks for a couple of diaries of forumites who we sadly lost - taxi and kissjen 😢

Yes, and if the birdsong in your area is anything like the song in our garden, spring is definitely just around the corner.

I don't remember Sammy Kay or kissjen, but there are a few others I miss from years back. Wordsmith was one who I am fairly sure won't be back in another guise. I think I came across taxi ages ago. It's the sad thing about making forum friends: when they go and you can't even find out what happened. There was a young woman whose sister helped her out a lot with her debt who suddenly went away not far short of making the last payment, so I hope her sister paid some more for her and she simply had no reason to come back online. There will be others, of course, who come back under another identity.

I had a very quiet shift this morning, then at the very end of it, as I was the last of the morning staff giving a handover to the afternoon people, everything seemed to happen at once and I ended up staying another hour to see it right. Tomorrow I'm hoping we will get a team meeting together so I can find out whether we are needed this weekend, but it's possible we may be stood down. I suppose it's an hour I can claim back, but if we are stood down then there will be another 13 to find from somewhere.

Tonight's tea was a chicken and bacon pie and I was proud of myself for actually making shortcrust pastry which was moderately successful. I normally buy it ready made as I'm not confident with pastry. However I was able to use a pastry cutter salvaged from the old house which, together with the icy water we're getting from the tap at the moment, did the trick.

99p spent on reading matter today: Vol 2 of the Jeeves omnibus was on daily deals. I also did the weekly supermarket shop this evening (I felt more like going to sleep after a short night's sleep last night and an early start today, but I woke up once I was outside. Another cold night with very clear stars, but probably not as cold as last night and no snow today). Anyhow, I've spent £2.50 on chocolate for DH's Valentine's Day and £51.16 on housekeeping.

Things I'm thankful for this evening: making pastry, another day off tomorrow, good reading matter and DH getting his snow boots.

Cherryfudge

Snow again today! The fourth out of five days when this has happened, but only for a bit of the afternoon. However it's been literally freezing so I've stayed in, done some deep cleaning (bathroom and the ornaments from the fish tank), had a chat with A and H who turned up to return some things while on a walk (hardy souls) and later rang J who was raging because their letting agent has reneged on a written agreement about the notice they should give, which will cost her and L about £700-800. They have agreed a date to move to the new house based on being able to give the notice the agreement stated.

Estate agents aren't in our good books at the moment but DH, who is massively more diplomatic than I am, rang ours to arrange for my parents' old house to go back on the market ASAP. They haven't in any way acknowledged the email the other day with the knotweed data attached, possibly because it also sets out (in DH's diplomatic 'praise sandwich' format) the problems they have left us with. 

Other than that, I've finished my knitting (am hoping to pop into town for more yarn tomorrow) and have heard that work is staying open this weekend so I'm on shift tomorrow afternoon.

And my thankfulnesses list: Not having to take leave or work elsewhere tomorrow, finishing the knitting successfully and DH getting a lot of fun out of photographing the garden birds: he was quite fascinated by a handsome bullfinch which I told him is a Yorkshire flamingo (I don't think he believed me) and some hungry goldfinches. Wild birds are a bit of a joke here as he used to be convinced any large enough bird that wasn't a seagull was an eagle, but now we have buzzards nearby and the winter weather is bringing in birds we never see when it's warmer, so he's becoming more informed.

Honeysucklelou2

Wow a 4th day of ❄️. My children have heard snow on the forecast for the last 3 days but none has appeared, though they are ever hopeful!!

Well done on the pastry🙂.

Cherryfudge

Honeysucklelou2 said:

Wow a 4th day of ❄️. My children have heard snow on the forecast for the last 3 days but none has appeared, though they are ever hopeful!!

Well done on the pastry🙂.

Thank you.
We do tend to get snow in this area and I would have thought it was relatively rare for you, but I hope they get at least some so they don't feel cheated out of it. It's still lying here but no fresh snow today.

Cherryfudge

I forgot to add yesterday that DH has been very MS and replaced the innards of the bath taps. They are those modern ones with a ceramic piece instead of a rubber washer so we thought they'd never wear out but there was calcification inside, presumably forcing the components apart and making it leak. Now I'm experimenting with limescale remover so we can reuse the old part if and when the new one calcifies.

Cherryfudge

A very quiet Valentine's day!  I've been at work for much of it, but I did my flow test before going (and got another negative ).

I think we are at the end of the snow! Yesterday I got 'volunteered' by the early shift to take someone for a short walk: I chose a local road which a colleague thought was ice-free (parts of it were) and we walked for about ten minutes then turned round to come back - and found ourselves walking into the iciest blast ever. Today, armed with a relatively 'warm' (above zero) weather forecast, I offered to take her again. She was dithering and someone else asked if he could go so he and I set out, got to the end of the road and the rain began. By the time we got back to base (less than 10 minutes) I had a bad case of brain freeze, but just above my nose. I'm guessing that the metal nose-strip on my mask was the guilty party. Then I had the young lady to take out but thankfully she got as far as the corner of the road and said 'No, no!'  

I've sent 99p on a recipe e-book, but my old Kindle is playing up. From the newer (hard to use) Kindle I can see there's been some sort of reconfiguration but the older one now has a repeated notification about 'launcher debug options' which I don't remember installing and which is incomprehensible. It's full of sliding scales so I've set most of them around the middle of the range. Playing it safe. However the screen seems less responsive and frequently jumps or scrolls unpredictably. For instance, if I try to put an 8 in a game of Suduko, I might find a 2 in its place, or I might try to turn a page in a book and find it goes in the wrong direction. I think I might have some research to do.

I spent about an hour trying to sort out last month's time sheet but while I think I've got all the various bits of hours assembled and a note of things to check, I can't verify it as the company's website wasn't playing ball. I've also heard that there's been a small delay in recruiting for a new manager, and that a colleague from the relief staff has handed in his notice. I hope we might get him back once things go back to normal and we can offer more shifts. Sadly that makes three relief staff, one manager and two people doing my job who have left in about four months. While we have fewer people using the service due to Covid, we can keep juggling and make it work, but if we try to increase client numbers - which will probably coincide with general lessening of restrictions - we will be struggling. We still have one person off with what I suspect is long covid, too.

So that was Valentine's day. The day the thaw began.

Things I'm thankful for: some successful activities with clients today (as well as the freezing walks). More recipes to explore. Daffodils and carnations from DH.

Cherryfudge

Isn't this milder weather wonderful?! All the snow and ice has magically vanished. I celebrated by hanging the washing on the line and enjoying a bit of warmth in the sun. Ten degrees! A whole eleven degrees higher than yesterday!

Work was a bit odd today: I was contacted beforehand to ask if I had any training to do as the only person due in tonight was sick so there wouldn't be anyone to look after. I had - I think the person who sent the message had forgotten he'd done my supervision the previous evening and I'd discovered six or seven courses either overdue or due soon. So I was asked to go in and catch up on some of these which was fine as it was just me and one other member of staff - who had nearly an hour's drive to get here. I'm still bemused as to why we weren't asked to work from home as both of us have computer access and surely it reduces risk if we minimise contact with other staff?

We locked up early and come home (as we used to in the spring when there were no clients), so I've been home since just after seven.

DH has had a text for his Covid jab so he's booked on Thursday. 

Nothing spent.

Things I'm thankful for: warmer weather! DH's vaccination appointment. Days off coming up.

Sun_Addict

The warmer weather is fantastic. I went out in my winter coat yesterday and was sweating. Not complaining though.

Cherryfudge

I haven't done amazing amounts today but I feel as though I've come a long way - and yea, the mild weather is wonderful and really helps!

We heard from J and L that although they had some difficulties over giving notice on their flat, it's now sorted and it looks as though they will be moving a week on Friday! I'm not saying to them, of course, but I'm in the doldrums about their going. It will be a drive or a train journey to see them now. However they've been going pillar to post for years and a house of their own is a big step forwards.

I decided to use the NHS wellbeing habits to try to get me out of the slump in mood and I think I've managed most of them now.
Connect: I've had texted conversations with all the children and with H as well today, and this evening I had my video call with friends which was interrupted by a power cut, but only briefly. We've also borrowed A's power hose as the paths around our house are filthy - that gave Dh a chance to go and have a chat with him.
Be active: Dh and I went for a run, which was lovely. He's rather asthmatic at the moment so I outpaced him but the going was pretty good and we did about two and a half miles on a road that goes to a neighbouring village. On the way back who should we see but J! She was returning from a work visit but stopped for a chat, and I'm meeting her for a walk tomorrow.
Give: I made some marmalade and offered some to the children, two of whom have accepted. I've also said I'd join in a fundraiser that my friend is organising for charity, but that's not happened yet.
Be mindful: I spent some time tidying the garden, which gave me time out of doors before my run, has improved the look of things (a bit) and gave me the first sight of this year's crocuses. The bird song is lovely and I collected a few everlasting sweet pea seeds that had grown through a choisya. 
Learn: that's still to come but I have my five-minute language sessions via app to do when I've written this.

All this is definitely good for the mood. I'm probably going to be one of those who remain wary after lockdown is over and done with as I still feel unready for it to ease, especially as it seems it will be 'irreversible' (I always like to have a duvet to hide under) - but it's not happened yet and by the time it does, more people will be vaccinated.

Spending
Window cleaner £5

Today I'm thankful for milder weather, a good run after some weeks of walks, crocuses, chats with the children and my friends and having a bread maker so I can avoid the shops tomorrow but still have time for a walk, getting my Covid tests done and possibly even progressing with tidying the garden.