Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

A very busy day: we left just before 10 and arrived back about a quarter past seven and most of the time at the house was spent dashing round trying to make sure I had the things I wanted, and occasionally discovering new stuff: yes, even now! I don't think I've left anything I wanted, but the car was very full and in the ten minutes or so between arriving home and DH having to leave for a meeting, I only unpacked part of it. Some covers and towels have gone in the washer as things smell musty when they get back here. I'm saving doing the actual washing till tomorrow as I'll buy some very scented fabric conditioner to help cover the smell. Most things seem to be okay quite quickly but I might as well give them some help.

A few kitchen items have gone in the dishwasher, not because they needed it but because it was easier than finding a home for them straight away. Books and boxes are just piled up.

I spent the journey there texting neighbours and had some nice messages back - and some sets of keys arrived though the estate agent wasn't sure they had a key for the outer door, so we've left that open. However, as that's the door with the letter box, we couldn't put our keys through into safety, and neither could anyone else. As a result the adjacent house is going to hand theirs over in person and I'll post these. The inner door is locked, but has no letter box.

We've left their gifts (drinks and biscuits) where they will see them when they go into the middle of the house, and a card, with the spare keys nearby.

The lady who has been looking after the house turned up and we had a chat before she collected her things. I asked her if there was anything else she wanted so she asked for a couple of items and I donated the cleaning supplies to her. Apparently she started working for Mu in 2003 so it's been a long time. A couple of people have said 'end of an era' to me, and they are quite right. DH found it sad but I'm not sure I actually believe I've finished with it. It's been vivid in my mind in a rather PTSD way - not traumatically, but in a sense that I recall details very sharply. I wonder whether that will fade? I suppose it will eventually, but for today I'm just thankful to be in my own bed tonight.

The day started wet and has been showery but the last few hours were beautiful so we left the house in bright sun under a deep blue sky: perfect. there were three or four rainbows on the way home and a tint of autumn along the road sides. We went back the scenic way, to avoid the spray on the motorway. It's lovely almost the entire way.

Cherryfudge

End of an era.

When I started this diary in March 2017, sorting Mum's estate was still largely ahead of me: now it's almost done. I took a call from the solicitor this morning to say the mortgage had been paid off: roughly the equivalent of what I earn in seven years and it's gone in an instant. This evening while I was at work, DH checked and saw the rest of the money had just landed in the Executors' account. The Estate Agent is paid, and the Solicitor is preparing their bill. I think there will be some bank charges and the Land Registry fees will already have gone.

Must say we've never had so much money in 'our' account before! Of course there are the above outgoings and some refunds (Council Tax, any utilities overpayments, insurance refund). Then there are the remaining expenses, most travel, that haven't yet been reclaimed, then my sister and I get half each.

It will take a while to trawl through the paperwork (serves me right for not keeping on top of it).

It's a very odd thought, that I won't go back. I have a feeling the house may stop haunting me now, though.

It almost feels as though I need to start a new diary once these bits are tied up, as there are no remaining debts to be sorted (though the mortgage wasn't strictly mine). I'll give due warning if I do but it's perhaps best to keep it all together, and the next stages will be about what to do with the money (I want it to provide some sort of pension) and sorting our house which is fuller than ever as we've inherited from both sets of parents. Then there's the matter of the time that will be freed up now I'm not travelling to the old house...

It's very odd that my parents, who didn't have much money and sometimes had a struggle to pay for the upkeep of the house, have left us so much. It had somehow never occurred to me how much it would be once the mortgage was paid off and the residue was added to the money Mum left. I had done the ball park figures but had only done them for my inheritance. However, with my sister's still in there, it's double what I'd been ready to see!

Talking of time being freed up, this weekend will be full on as I'm working at another base - the one with a desperate staff shortage, even worse than ours - and I've now got my rota up till December so I've picked up some extra shifts. I'm going to see how this goes: in theory I could ask for more hours on my contract and they would be likely to agree but I need to see how I cope before I commit to anything.

So, an NSD from me, on this extraordinary day, and I will have to get to bed soon because I need sleep if I'm to be on best form for this weekend's secondment. I was talking to another of the members of staff who's been asked to go: she worked there last year so she knows it well. Neither of us is exactly looking forward to it, but how bad can it be? And after these three days that I've agreed to, I could refuse more but I know the place is desperate so maybe it wouldn't be right to say no...

I'm thankful this particular battle is over and the rest is hopefully fairly straightforward. I'm also grateful to my parents for their provision, for the hard times they went through in order to get us to this point. They made some decisions I need to learn from as their beloved house was a huge commitment and in the end meant they were more isolated and health suffered, but they also chose a beautiful place to live and a house that was always a safe home, full of character and love.

Sun_Addict

What a lovely post Cherry. End of an era indeed.

IzzyBee

What a lovely post hope all goes well for you 

Cherryfudge

Thank you @IzzyBee and @Sun_Addict.

Quick declaration of spending before I hare off to work:
Housekeeping £7.50
Clothes £19.99

evebeme

Your post brought tears to my eyes Cherry. Wishing you all the very best as you go forward in your life. Eve

Honeysucklelou2

Wow, just catching up on your diary. How amazing that, at the end, the completion went through just like that. It has been a long  journey for you - what thought provoking lessons to consider.

Hope the shift at the different place goes smoothly.

Great news about the wedding. 

Cherryfudge

Thank you @evebeme and @Honeysucklelou2. 

Three days of working elsewhere have been good but I’ve been glad I have today off. I’m supposed to be getting things ready for DH’s birthday but haven’t made much progress.

We went for a run this morning: it’s quite a bit colder but that was okay as we warmed up. I’ve done three loads of washing as rain is forecast for tomorrow. It’s nearly dark already so I’d best bring the rest in - the heating’s on low so it will finish drying okay.

I've not spent much in the last few days but there’s a problem with our internet so I’ve loaded my phone with extra data (£7.50) and am getting on with my knitting. The grey jumper now has a front and the start of a sleeve.

DH, A, L and DS2 are off to see the Bond movie so I need to clear the stuff I’ve dumped in DS2’s bed in case he wants to stay over. I need to check for birthday cake ingredients too (DD is feeding us a birthday dinner), wash my hair and tidy the lounge floor which is covered in papers.

 We’ve closed the utilities account for the old house and DH had an hour on the phone trying unsuccessfully to find someone to discuss the bill with. Payments have been going out steadily on DD, with £1-200 credit for several years. In June it was £200+ in credit, then in July it jumped to £1,000+ in debit, but they also reduced our payments. As the house has been mostly empty and subsequent bills show the £1,000 being whittled away again, I can only think I made an error putting a reading on the website.

That would be the website we can’t get into on the computer and while I have the app in my phone, it’s faulty and won’t accept the account.

I’ve looked at old statements but I can’t find those for the crucial months, so I don’t think I can sort this out without the company’s help. I didn’t spot it on the bills when it happened as you have to scroll right down, and they had decided we were paying too much, which suggests we were in credit…

Cherryfudge

How nice it’s been to have a day off, DH too, though it’s been absolutely bogging it down nearly all day. We have plastic over the bay window sofa but the ceiling above has only got a bit damp. Gutters front and back are overflowing so there are little waterfalls either side of the house. The problem may be the angle of the gutters but we’ve tried in vain to get anyone out to them.

It’s DH’s birthday so we had planned to go and look at an art gallery. The target gallery turned out to be shut so we’ve booked for tomorrow.

DH spent £110.00 replacing our missing drill: searched everywhere we can think of with no sign of it so it may have been half inched.

I spent £35.06 on groceries as I wanted brandy to soak the Christmas cake fruits. I’ve made DH’s birthday cake and some lemon-topped fairy cakes too.

Our internet was was fixed this morning so they’ve said we don’t need to wait in tomorrow. Then this evening it’s off again…

DH had another abortive attempt to sort out the utilities bill from the old house but after a total of an hour and twenty minutes mostly on hold we’ve given up. If they want the money they say we owe, they will have to ask for it.

In more positive news, DH has informed the Council about the sale of the old house, so there should be a refund of some Council Tax.

We had a birthday family get-together at J and L’s this evening which was lovely. Rare nowadays to get everyone in the same room.

Things I’m thankful for this evening: DH enjoying his birthday, J’s hospitality, seeing the family, talking about nice plans for the future: the baby and Christmas.

Cherryfudge

We are a little further on with the questioned bill for the old house's utilities. It looks as though they didn't have a gas meter reading between when we changed company (Sept. 2019) till May of this year, and during that time the meter rolled over from 999 to 000.

The earliest reading I can find is 0160, (1st April 2020) so it looks as though this theory is correct. The helpful chap at the other end of the phone is going to look into it and see if it looks right, as it doesn't seem to tally with gas usage - but of course there is winter fuel to account for so I'm not entirely holding my breath on having it written off!

Today the storm has blown over and it's 'fresh', ie. not very warm but a lot brighter. The second load of bedding from the old house is in the machine and the duvet and pillows are Febreezed and hanging on the line to air. Everything smells musty! It was always the way as the house acquired that smell while empty... I'm hoping washing, laundry disinfectant, fabric conditioner, fresh air and sunshine will cure it! Oh, and a hot wash for the cottons. My sister binned a load of bedding that was beyond keeping but this is okay in terms of condition. Some of it bought for my use while clearing the house (I like a duvet and Mum was one for strange layers of blankets that had to be folded back on themselves in some precise way that didn't make sense to me).

The bulk of this bedding is going to my sister's house up in the borders as they returned this year to find some of theirs missing! My sister wondered if her SiL or the woman who keeps the keys had taken it out to launder or air and forgotten to return it. How can you accidentally have an entire set of bedding?!

Today I've logged into my online banking which is looking healthy but I had to do a password reset: obviously not been checking often! My next job is to pay off the CC and stir the Christmas cake fruit.

Something I overlooked yesterday because there was a lot else going on, but DH's blood tests, while still not right, are heading in the right direction. A definite something to be thankful for. It's likely some kidney damage was caused when he was put on a new medication a few years ago, but he's been off that family of medications for a while now and the symptoms they caused have reduced considerably. He's also reduced the 'go-to' medication and made a small but significant dietary change - which has made a lot of difference to symptoms.