Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Seasidegal58 said:

I had my genes done some months ago - my result was 97% British Isles (43% English and the rest a mixture of Irish, Scottish and Welsh) - the last 3% was Swedish so that's my bit of Scandinavia!  😃
That was a good price on the running shoes Cherry - it's so important to get good fitting running shoes with proper support.  I use walking boots in the winter if it is icy out. When I went on a Norwegian winter cruise before Covid my DD gave me some elasticated steel crampon type things that you pull on over the soles of your boots for really icy conditions. They're excellent but you have to remember to take them off if you go inside and walk on a hard floor or you'll go skidding over backwards on your behind!😀

I chose these particular ones because I've had them twice before and they suit me, but the company updates them each year of course so the time may come when I'll have to try others.

I have some of those elasticated grips too - there's a small patch on my walk back from work which doesn't get the sun in winter and can be like glass, so on bad days they're very useful. They're quite ingenious, I'd never have thought of putting springs under my feet to help me stay upright, but done the right way, it works.

Cherryfudge

Another NSD: I have a few bits of shopping I want but not enough to warrant a trip out. I had a lazy morning though I did get ahead on my language apps and got some laundry done. It's been clear and bright, and quite breezy, so things fried well. There were some crocheted doilies from the old house which have come up nicely though of course no one uses them nowadays! The handiwork is pretty, though. However did people manage to do such small-scale stitches?

Work was quiet too: so quiet that all the clients fell asleep by 8!

DH spent £15.39 on groceries and also an unknown amount on paint (£25?). We needed one of those that stops stains leeching through and it seem to have done the trick.

This evening I'm thankful for a sunny day and having nearly mastered what form of 'de' goes where in French! I'm scared of new language stuff so it's encouraging to have done something I don't remember doing at school.

Seasidegal58

You have made me think of going back to Duolingo. Trouble is I get so far then stop for a while, then find myself having to start again at the beginning!😂

Cherryfudge

Seasidegal58 said:

You have made me think of going back to Duolingo. Trouble is I get so far then stop for a while, then find myself having to start again at the beginning!😂

I have several such experiences to my name! I tell myself I've started, not that I've given up.

What language(s) are you learning?

Cherryfudge

I'm so tired! I went for a run yesterday morning which was great but undoubtedly I'm not at peak fitness so I was an odd mixture of invigorated and tired. Late/sleep in/early at work, though they were straightforward shifts. Two staff members have immediate family with Covid and now one of those has had a positive test. The staff member who was unwell last week is still off, leaving a shift too short, so I've volunteered for that. I still get day off midweek.

I've also booked my Covid booster vaccine and this year's flu jab during the coming week.

I did a little bit of shopping yesterday, just groceries, and when I got home today, DH and I decided to go for a coffee, then on to the supermarket. This evening, however, by the time we got to the end of Strictly, I was missing a contestant and it turned out I'd slept through part of it!

DH had good news from the friend who was taken into hospital during the week: he's home for the weekend and doesn't have to be back in till Tuesday, and the doctors have told him they are aiming for a cure, which is amazing news.

Spending:
Yesterday - housekeeping about £3
Today - coffee out about £5
Housekeeping £12.88
Garden £5

This evening, in no particular order, I'm thankful for extra shifts, for opportunities to get my vaccines and for our friend's positive news.

in_need_of_direction

So pleased to hear positive news on dh’s friend.

Cherryfudge

A quiet day today: church was online (DH went to the actual service but I prefer to stay away from people + enclosed spaces, all the more so with masks no longer being compulsory).

I've got some more knitting done, and I've been at work. It was a quiet shift so my colleague and I put the world to rights, or at least our corner of it.

I'm giving serious thought to joining the union. I did many years ago but the local branch where I lived then wasn't very organised. Things are uncertain in the care sector now, with staffing so stretched that there are some upcoming weeks when I'm working more than full time despite a part-time contract, and more than that, places are closing for lack of staff so who knows where I could be asked to work?

It would cost me about an hour's wages each month.

I'm not pressing the button on it tonight, but I'm seeing more colleagues joining and the local branch seems to be very helpful when approached.

Tonight I'm thankful for our winter duvet! Even though it's not all that cold tonight. For progress made by unions even if I've not always agreed with everything they've been involved in. For an easy shift. For a trip to a neighbouring town tomorrow to sort out my booster vaccine.

Cherryfudge

I had the best night's sleep last night - didn't wake up till 9.30! By then DH was already at the dentist so I got the dishwasher and washing machine running and they were nearly finished when he got home. He then gave me a lift to my Covid booster appointment but was still numb from his filling so he didn't succumb to my hints about going for a coffee while we were out.

I managed to fit in a work meeting online with a cooked lunch and a very hurried bit of ironing as well as playing on the computer for a while, then it was off to work. I was shift lead and there were only two of us and of course something happened workwise and the only senior person we could get hold of was our new team leader. She was supportive as someone to talk it through with but wasn't really in a position to do much so we made our best judgement and I've emailed the manager with details. As the evening progressed it became evident things had settled down and our judgement would seem to have been in the best interests of those most affected, though in fact it went against policy. Sigh. You can't win 'em all.

Tonight I'm thankful for a good night's sleep, autumn colours and a safe outcome at work.

Cherryfudge

Lazy day today: I think I needed it! I got the ironing done this morning and played about with the language apps. After lunch we were supposed to go for a run but I came over so tired that I went back to bed for an hour and have felt much better since.

A neighbour called round with a big bag of cooking apples so DH is pleased! I've not had any via work this year but there are still loads from my sister's garden and we find a few windfalls on our travels.

I spent £3.50 on a couple of knitting/crochet patterns: they were meant to be kits but the kits had sold out. I chose to get the patterns so I can research the yarn and buy equivalent if I need to. I've been busy knitting this evening while watching Bakeoff and Who Do You Think You Are. I did 6cm of the thick jumper and a few rows of the lighter one. Eventually they'll be finished and I'll be free to work on new projects!

I had a brief chat with DH about my joining the Union. He said it he had had to pay professional fees in the early days of his career so the money went on that rather than on joining a union and after the professional fees were no longer necessary, somehow he never got round to the union. I gather by that that he is okay with my spending the money! I think it might be a wise move but today the knitting patterns took precedence!

So tonight I'm thankful for a relaxed day, progress on projects and an afternoon sleep.

Cherryfudge

Today is not going to plan, but in a nice way.

We were woken last night by an alarm bleeping. It turned out to be the carbon monoxide detector where, once opened, the battery cover and one of the batteries was all damp. Nothing around was wet at all so I think the battery was breaking down: it must be years old. I replaced it (note to self: check all alarm batteries) and found I couldn't get back to sleep so I got a snack and played on my phone for a while, then slept till 9,30 again.

A bit later I had a phone call from work to say a colleague has had to cancel and staffing is such they are shutting the service overnight. I was the only one left on shift! I can be paid as it's not my doing. I think some of that pay mill be going towards Union membership...

The trainers I ordered have arrived and are going to be tried out soon.

DH was asked to go out to do some photography for a local enterprise but he's back now. The photography thing is interesting as my family have a history of being photographers, back to the early 20th C. when my great uncle ran a photographic business - but DH has picked up the baton!

I'm currently putting off doing any knitting as I found a dropped stitch and need to work it back in using a crochet hook, which takes what feels like a disproportionate amount of time. The bullet journal has been back in use recently (it comes and goes) particularly for tracking progress on the knitting as two man-sized jumpers is a big project for me and I want to do other stuff too.

I'm also looking through my Kindle (just under 700 books, though many are samples) to find some I'd like as paperbacks. Some books are just better when you can flip between sections, you know?

Right, I'm off to brave the knitting.