Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

A couple of forgotten spends from yesterday: £3 towards the tip at the restaurant (DH paid and I think it was about £35-40), £7.50 top up for my phone data.

Thanks for the shift wishes, @Onebrokelady. Today's went okay. I've realised I'm shift lead most of the weekend with the same group of four staff on each shift apart from Sunday when there are only three staff but one extra client. This is someone very straightforward, though, so no particular worries there. The difficulty would be if one of us went sick.

Today I noticed the greengage trees are dropping plums although I picked all I could the other day. I had another round up. Lots of blackberries also waiting to be harvested.

I texted my former neighbour to see if she would like some greengages - she's a fan too - and had a newsy text back including the information that she's having a baby, which is lovely news.

I checked my email this evening after work and have received one from the house buyers, wanting a reduction. I had wondered, and when I looked at the work listed I suspect it's a fair ask. DH thinks so too, though he also suggested meeting them part way. I've forwarded it to my sister for her opinion - I won't be making up my mind tonight.

I've also been browsing the web to start on Christmas presents! Well, and birthday presents too. I think I will be putting in an order of about £30 for stocking filler type presents. I'm going to delay sending it so it has more chance of arriving while we're here.

Spending:
Housekeeping £1.68 + lost receipt from Mr T.
Household £1.49

Things I'm thankful for tonight: time with DS2 yesterday, former neighbour's news, smooth shift, greengages.

Cherryfudge

Yesterday was a bit of a rush: I made cakes for DH's charity funds raiser but they weren't brilliant. They will taste better than they look, which is how it always is with my cakes! Shame but at least the job is done.

I was chatting to a colleague about holidays later and she showed me a photo of her dream kitchen, spotted in a self catering cottage. The chairs were identical to one at the old house so it will go to her if we can get it in the car next week. Nice to know what will become of it!

I got a good night's sleep last night which is enormously helpful as there's a lot to be done over the next few days, both at work and at the old house. I've acknowledged their email and said I'm consulting with the other executors. I'm still waiting to hear back from my sister, I know she's picked up so hopefully she will contact me reasonably soon.

A bit of spending yesterday, too: £30.89 on gifts for Christmas and £12.06 on a gift for DS1 to encourage him. Despite finding himself in difficult circumstances, he's running a marathon next month for charity but last I heard he was exhausted after training. He did the Great North Run a few years ago and came in bouncing but I suppose this is double the length.

I'm back at work tonight so here are my things to be thankful for: finding some study material that seems to be meeting a need. Good sleep. Making a start on Christmas shopping (sorry to mention it so early but the time evaporates between then and now!). Plenty of contributions for the cake stall. A quiet morning at home. Communication from DS1. 

Cherryfudge

I never got as far as tidying DS2's old room, by the way... it's on the list!

in_need_of_direction

Of course it is. Given that we don’t know how things will pan out between now and Christmas, I’d prioritise the shopping over the room

Onebrokelady

Glad your shift was ok Cherry 😊
I might be making a starry on my Christmas shopping this week after seeing some lovely Pjs in M&S yesterday, I didn't buy them then and there because I wanted to go away and think about it. I always get my daughters some pjs and socks and always struggle to find some but this year I've found both already 🎉🎉

Cherryfudge

Another okay shift - one client unwell but not drastically. I'm now off for a few days but from tomorrow will be at the old house - is this the last time? - so not a restful few days. Then I'm coming back on Wednesday and straight to an overnight at work on Thursday. Two colleagues needed shift swaps and that meant I could pick up Friday morning (originally my shift that had been swapped a while ago) and the afternoon and night before. This is such a turn-around from a couple of months ago: being shift lead all weekend and learning as I went along how to balance this particular set of staff and clients has been a positive experience. I think I'm mentally gearing up to the long-considered 'perhaps when I no longer have the house to do, I will go back to working more hours'. Not so long ago I couldn't take the extra strain of shift leads. I think it's partly because I don't want to do the final bits of the house sale ad am avoiding it by immersing myself in work. However I know things have to be less stressful once it's handed over and I no longer have all those journeys and (formerly solitary) stays away from home.

I should be really tired from two sleep ins but I'm not. I hope I can slow down soon and sleep! I was awake at something like half past six or seven this morning and eventually got up, said a quick hello to work people and went home, only to find DH was still asleep and I'd left my keys indoors! It was okay as I'd left the hose lying in the garden so I spent a few minutes watering the pots then managed to get Dh on the phone and he let me in. I played on the computer for a while then we went for an early run - something we rarely manage. It wasn't a long one as we're working our way through C25K again. Then a hurried shower and it was time for church. This week we attended via YouTube so I could have a rest before the afternoon shift. It was really interesting - climate emergency Sunday - so afterwards DH and I sat down and made a list of things we feel we could do to be more environment-friendly. The first test for me tonight is not to have an unnecessary bath as I've already showered...

DH tells me A and H dropped in this afternoon. That's good news as we'd not seen either for a couple of weeks and weren't often hearing back if we messaged them so we were wondering what was going on and how they were.  I think the balance is positive but still some issues.

So tonight I'm thankful for their visit, for having a list to work on at the old house, for DH's company on the trip, for a set of shift leads behind me and for lots to think about from this morning's service - oh, and for getting in a run.

Cherryfudge

We got back from the old house yesterday (Wednesday) but I was too tired to do my diary. Some spends...

On Tuesday, the first of the hot days, we decided to get our exercise in early-ish, before it became too warm. We ended up having a long and lovely walk down the canal tow path, stopping for lunch at a pub and walking back. It took till mid afternoon so I didn't get any clearing done till the evening. however, it was like a little holiday and I don't regret it.

Yesterday was even hotter but we got lots done: the main 'rescuing' is just about done and while there are still furniture and books, the house has a very different feel from where we started.

We did have a couple of freebies - apples and pears - from the local community near the old house. Oddly, and for the first time as far as I know, the very old apple tree at the old house was bare. It's surrounded by long grass and there were no marks to show so much as a cat had been through, so I don't think it's been taken.

The big news is that we've agreed to reduce the price of the house as there's so much to be done on it. Advice on whether to do this and if so, by how much, has varied. A and H said agree to the whole reduction. My sister's husband said all the repairs were foreseeable so we shouldn't reduce. DH and I both thought the whole amount was possible but I suspect the buyers had hoped we would meet them half way to their request (this is what we did with the original asking price). Anyway we've offered them two thirds of what they asked for and are waiting to hear back.

This afternoon / overnight / tomorrow morning I'm back in work then off for a week. We will be at home on Saturday, hoping to see DD in the Great North Run on Sunday then going on from there for a week in the Borders at my sister's place. (She lives abroad so the house is available to us).

Spending:
Meal out - entertainment - £20.95
Drinks - about £5 - Dh paid.
Greengrocer's - housekeeping- not sure, will see if DH remembers but the peaches were the sweetest ever.
Deli - household - about £2.50.
E-book £2.99

And I'm thankful because that trip is over, I've retrieved various bits and pieces that I now need to find homes for and we've had an extra little summer.

Cherryfudge

Yesterday's shift was quite quiet but I was woken by an alarm just before 5.30 this morning. The alarm turned out to be nothing but I didn't get back to sleep.

This morning someone called in sick and my colleague has spent the entire morning trying to cover the weekend shifts without cancelling clients. It's getting incredibly complex. They've had no luck recruiting to either of the senior posts, and between people being sick and people being on leave, we are very thin on the ground over the next few days.

However, I'm now one of those on leave (though I have said they can ask me to help cover Saturday as DH now has to work).

Good news in that the house buyers have accepted our meeting-you-part-way price so it looks as though the house sale is going ahead. They are speaking to their solicitors today.

Spending - yesterday:
Housekeeping £9.06

And the things I'm thankful for: being nearly at the end of sorting out the house. A quiet shift yesterday. Time off!

Sun_Addict

That is really good news about the house - finally 🥳

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

That is really good news about the house - finally 🥳

We emailed back and as far as we can tell it's all in the hands of the solicitors now.

Today is annual leave for me but DH has been working. I know I need to push on so we can go and watch DD in the Great North Run tomorrow then have our week away, but I'm struggling to make myself do the things I need to get done. Would be nice to have a day off, just nothing I have to get ready for!

Good news this lunch time in that DH's younger niece has just got engaged. That makes three family engagements this year!

I've done a few things:

• arranged with DD to keep an eye on the house / water plants / feed the fish over the next week,
• several loads of laundry including removing the fur collar from what turned out to a be a faux astrakhan coat found in Mum's wardrobe (odd stickiness explained when I found half a dozen gungy blackcurrant and liquorice sweets in a pocket! The computer doesn't have an emoji for that) and putting the coat in the washer
• went for a run: the route I did in the first lockdown is now largely deserted and 'mine' again
• gave myself a bit of a pedicure
• made a list...

Apart from that I've been reading a diary on here and knitting.

A couple of finance-related things in the offing:

• my phone battery is dying of overwork. I've not had it a year yet but I keep it on all the time and top up the charge several times some days, so no wonder. I think my family lives in my phone and I have some games and language learning apps that I use a lot, so really it's a reflection of my areas of need. I miss the kids so I have their photos and some social media. I need things to keep my brain exercised / give me a feeling of achievement / distract me when I get anxious. All a recipe for an exhausted battery!
• DH is fed up of not being able to get anyone to fix the gutter and is talking about getting a set of ladders and doing it himself. 

Right, the washer has stopped and the shops will close if I don't get out and about very soon.