Cherry takes the reins

in_need_of_direction

I hope you bought something lovely 

Sun_Addict

When I’ve dropped off the running for a bit I ease myself back in by doing interval running and build it back up. I can highly recommend a podcast called Motion Traxx. It’s on the podcasts app you get on your phone. It’s the one I used to start running many years ago.

Cherryfudge

in_need_of_direction said:

I hope you bought something lovely 

Well, There was a teal jumper that I loved and it wasn't acrylic and DH really liked it too... so that was one.
Then there was a 'going out/partyish' winter top that I'd noticed a while ago... so that was two.
Then I checked because I'd fallen for a particular Christmas jumper that had been too much when I saw it, and there was one left in my size. Three.
Of course they aren't here yet so I may find they don't suit for some reason but I loved all of them and hadn't forgotten them and all three were in the sale so I saved something like £55, so I'm very happy with them so far.  

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

When I’ve dropped off the running for a bit I ease myself back in by doing interval running and build it back up. I can highly recommend a podcast called Motion Traxx. It’s on the podcasts app you get on your phone. It’s the one I used to start running many years ago.

Thanks for this, SA, I will investigate. It's not one I'd come across but a recommendation is more useful than browsing.

Cherryfudge

Some spending today, the food shop came to £26.21.
I've also finished my course and am slightly put out because I couldn't print out the certificate, but I'll try again tomorrow.
It was lovely to see A briefly this morning, when he dropped off the key for the flat: he's been wallpapering for us. I'm hoping we can have a walk for the four of us once restrictions ease again and he seems to like the idea. We also heard from DS2 who sent a photo of himself feeding a squirrel!
A bit of money wasted today when we discovered the sausages in the fridge were a week out of date, and some saved as I've given us both haircuts in recent days. I know that's not an actual saving at the moment, what with hairdressers being shut, but it would have to be cut all the more when they reopen.
Tonight I'm thankful for hearing from both the DSes (and DD, who replied to comments on the thread), for a warm weather forecast tomorrow and for the blue anemones I saw in someone's garden, just being  beautiful. Oh, and the finished course.

Cherryfudge

It's been an uneventful few days but the weather has been beautiful. I've been at work over the weekend and finally got my January and February timesheets in (I'd had January's returned as there were some claims that are now Covid-funded and I guess employers prefer it to come out of that rather than their own coffers. Anyway, that's done and dusted. I've picked up a couple of extra shifts including a couple of hours this morning but was relieved to hear that they are looking at recruitment as we are supposed to be increasing our workload and are understaffed. I've also been asked if I'd swap a shift as some are currently short of staff. The first option would have been a problem but thankfully I was let off that as I queried whether it would affect my weekend enhancement, and I was then offered something very close to my old rota which would give me four days off together, so I jumped at it. I don't expect it to take effect for a few weeks though.

Most of today has been a day off and so are the next couple of days. My friend and I went far a walk this afternoon in the lovely sunshine: we admired other people's houses, found frogspawn and I recommended a book to her. All in all a good use of time.

I've planted up a terracotta bowl I found at Mum's house so some irises and alpines now have a home instead of sitting around in plastic pots. I've also done a lot of study for a new course and some language app practice and it's all been interesting. At teatime we had a chaotic family video call, with our connection to DD breaking up, then DS1 phoning in, my connection breaking down, DS2 ringing from the middle of a supermarket and DD calling back on another app. Eventually everyone except DS2 got to talk - and we'd warned him it was at 5 so I think he could possibly have arranged to be somewhere that wasn't a supermarket if he really wanted to.

I've spent nothing for a few days: DH did some grocery shopping today but I don't know how much.

Tonight I'm thankful for time spent out of doors with a good friend and a sunny day for good measure, for interesting things to learn about and for getting through my French practice with no mistakes. That's not as impressive as it sounds, LOL.

Cherryfudge

I didn't realise I'd missed so many days. 

The weather has gone cold again, but DH has had the lawnmower sharpened and the grass has had a haircut so we are definitely headed in the right direction. He and I had a walk on Tuesday (23rd) which contrasted markedly with that of the day before. It was back to my furry hoodie which is a step away from a coat... I bought it a couple of years ago and it was such a good choice: I'll go without a coat if I can and the hoodie extends the non-coat season nicely. Anyway, we went up the path by the side of a little wood which was too muddy to attempt last week. At the top we found a couple of patches that were still too muddy for sane people but we edged round by hanging onto fence posts and bits of trees and managed not to fall in, and the view was great from the top: ominous clouds across the plain with sun breaking through. In the evening I had my video call with my friends again: one of them had just been on a webinar talk with a famous comedian. It's interesting how people are managing to find new ways of occupying themselves.

Yesterday I went shopping for a new washing line and spent about £20. I'm not to be trusted on these trips! Nearly everything I bought was useful and yes, I got the washing line. Dinner was lentil and chorizo soup and there's a spare portion in the freezer for a work meal.

In the evening I'd picked up a sleep in at work, then I was on the early shift today which tired me out though it was too quiet really. The internet round here has been dodgy for a couple of weeks and it must have hit a blip again because one of the clients was getting exasperated with the ipad. We ended up going for a long walk, listening to larks (invisible) above the fields and wrens (very close at hand) in the hedgerows, so it was a nice experience but I can't account for being so tired later. I hadn't even had a hay fever tablet!

Since coming home I've had a bath and dozed on the sofa so I have some energy back. I made pizza for tea using some of the toppings from the previous day's shopping, and there's enough left to make dinner tomorrow, so a job saved there. I need to rest tonight and get my mojo back as I've swapped to an early on Saturday, but tomorrow is a day off.

Spending (24th)
Gift (choc for DS2 and Easter egg for DH) £2 + £4.99
Household £1
Housekeeping 10.15
Medical £1.99

Tonight I'm thankful for a date for my second vaccine (next week), a nice peaceful hour or so to unwind after work, being able to get a Fairtrade Easter egg for DH (he specified Fairtrade ) and for seeing several wrens while out of the walk this morning.

Cherryfudge

The most productive thing I've done today has been some clearing in the larder. It was one of those 'one thing leads to another' events. The microwave interior is disgusting (peeling paint and rust) though the exterior is fine, so I've been looking into whether it can be stripped back and repainted (apparently it's worth a try). I'm sure we've done the damage ourselves by not drying it regularly, so that set me off looking for the microwave plate cover which I know we had. It's no where to be seen, perhaps I gave up on remembering to use it and donated it somewhere. However the top of the freezer is now cleaned and rearranged, the shelf above it is partly emptied and two larder shelves are cleaned and tidied. I've even used up two lots of flour and some mixed dried fruit, thrown out a container that had seen better days and chucked a part-bottle of wine that wasn't fit for vinegar.

In between times DD asked to borrow our washing machine again so I've seen her when she dropped the washing off and when she collected it. She's tried a few shops for the new door seal for their washer but everyone seems to be waiting for a delivery. I'm not sure how they'd manage if we couldn't help, it's been weeks.

Alongside this, I found I'd had a text to say a parcel had been delivered, but it was nowhere to be seen despite a photo of it on the doorstep. I ran out to search for both parcel and delivery van - the text was sent 15 minutes earlier so I thought they might still be in the area - but couldn't see either. Long story short, it had been delivered to a neighbour whose door looks enough like ours for me not to see the difference on the photo! By the time my neighbour discovered it and brought it round, I'd already notified the delivery company, told DD, told DH and texted a friend who works for the same people in another area.

I have my parcel, and I've tried on the things and love two out of three. The other is waiting for daylight to make a decision.

I've also been Easter egg shopping (£15.96 plus £2.50 on a greetings card) and got some more groceries. We weren't organised this week which is why I've been twice. Housekeeping came to £30.47.

Things I'm thankful for today: arrival of my parcel (safe in spite of all my misgivings!), seeing DD, having Easter eggs sorted and the greetings card which is somewhat overdue but at least it will be sent!

Cherryfudge

I was on the early shift this morning and it's still pretty quiet - next week we have three people staying at the same time, which is still under capacity for a five-bed unit. However, the vaccine roll-out has made a big difference both in how many feel safe to come in and how protected both staff and clients are.

Today I took a chap for a saunter round the local area and proved to myself once again that there is an entire estate out there that's disgracefully unfit for wheelchair users. An unbelievable amount of pavements have a dip to allow wheels to go down, but no corresponding dip on the far kerb to allow us to go up again! In one place the pavement narrowed to the point that I had to inch the chair along or risk tipping into the gutter, and everywhere there are potholes. When I got home I tipped a lot of Epsom Salts into a hot bath so I'm hoping my back and joints won't suffer but the strain it puts through them is considerable. I must remember never to go that way again! It does seem wrong, though, that a person should be prevented from going through part of the town they live in because of inconsiderate planning/maintenance.

Moan over. The actual walk was pleasantly sunny and the chap was happy so that makes up for it. Also I'm not as tired as I was the other day.

Tonight I'm thankful for H and A dropping off cake for us! Not only do we get cake ( ) but it's a bit of a return to normality for them. H is more herself though I know from what A says that that's skin deep. Still, being able to get skin deep normality is positive.

Sun_Addict

You don’t realise until you’re involved with a wheelchair/mobility scooter how inaccessible some places are. We are limited to where we can go locally for this very reason. And don’t get me started on people who park their cars on the pavement 🤬

You’ve reminded me I need to get Easter eggs for the GKs. We will actually be able to see them again next weekend.