Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

Duolingo has also told me I’m in the top 1% of students 🥳 I love how the app is so encouraging.

I need to do a PoA for Mr SA. I went to a work presentation on them a few months ago and realised how important it was. Worthwhile for anyone to do even it if won’t be needed for a while. 

I love the encouragement too - makes all the difference! In fact it's probably why I'm still around and using it regularly. Without it, I'd have continued to think I wasn't good at languages.

I hadn't thought about doing a PoA for myself/DH but of course none of us knows what might be needed and when, so it probably needs to go on the list with wills and funerals: thought out and in place (says she who still has both the above to arrange ). 

badmemory

I actually believe that a POA can be more important than a will.  After all it is fairly straightforward what happens to your assets when you die, but if for some reason you can't look after your own affairs it can cause serious problems.

Cherryfudge

A rainy day here with the promise of ice and high winds later, what fun! However I'm having a meal out with some of my Tuesday group this evening. Two didn't feel they could come what with Covid and health conditions, but the rest of us are looking forward to it and I'll do a flow test first.

There are too many bitty things to be doing with my day off so I'll see what I can make headway with:

laundry - in the machine right now. Tumble dryer to be used later.
ironing
sock mending (there are a few darns needed on 'worth mending' pairs)
make Christmas pudding
look at people's Christmas lists and choose for DD (earrings she wanted are out of stock )
Solve dropped stitch on knitting (in the middle of intarsia - eek)
Any general housework tasks.

There may be more, I'll see how these go.

Cherryfudge

My friends and I had a good meal out at a village pub/restaurant which has been in the same (consistently good) hands for years. We were wondering about another lockdown with Omicron being in the country, so it was particularly valued. I'm now very full after just a main course and a coffee. The desserts looked luscious but I think it would have been stupid to have one as I'm never going to burn those calories and I'd just feel ill now.  

Storm Barra appears not to be as bad as last week's but going to the shops this afternoon was a bit of an expedition with long boots, bobble hat, gloves and a waterproof. I got a few presents, some groceries and cold wet knees.

The list now looks like this:
laundry - done
ironing - done
sock mending - started
make Christmas pudding - not done
look at people's Christmas lists and choose for DD - not done
Solve dropped stitch on knitting - half the problem area unpicked
Any general housework tasks - time mostly spent on shopping.

I do have a note of all expenditure but I'm not going to attempt to categorise everything tonight. I paid off the credit card today so no charges due. I know I've spent just over £100 today but I did it carefully.

Tonight's thankfulnesses: a cosy house and a hot water bottle, day off tomorrow and DH coming home, celebrating Christmas with my friends, progress on the baby blanket at last!

Cherryfudge

Yesterday's spending:
Housekeeping £18.28
Household £3.95
Entertainment (meal out) £17.00
Gifts £47.40
Clothing £7.45
Toiletries £1.75
Donations £3.07

Total £98.90

Today's plans:
Mix that pudding!
Finish taking back the knitting
Make a fresh start on the bit that went awry
Look at those Christmas lists!
Write a newsletter
Update the spreadsheet

Cherryfudge

Another e-book bought today (99p).

A bit of progress on the knitting: it's slow and painstaking at this point because the wrapped threads have to unwrap every few stitches or I'll just have a mess with which I can do nothing.

It's cheered up, weather-wise. DH came back at lunch time and as usual has been beetling about getting things done. I sorted out the wrapping paper box and found the gift tags, and for good measure paired up stray Christmas cards with envelopes. DH has a great system called 'actually writing cards' which is a skill rather beyond me but does result in stray cards and even strayer envelopes after Christmas which I then pack in a box and add new cards from the January sales. At some point the day of reckoning had to come, and mostly, it has.

I got a whiff of fresh air and decided to refill all the bird feeders and finally plant the fritillaria I bought some weeks ago. It's now in a pot in the shed waiting for spring along with the begonia tubers as their foliage has all gone now. Intriguingly, one of the bird feeders now has the lid ajar and a fat ball missing! We rarely see squirrels here but what else could it be? Of course, it could be that we rarely see them because they see us first.

DH and I went for a walk along our shorter running route which goes through the outskirts of town and at dusk we got the best view of the Christmas lights. I think they have started earlier this year, probably because people looked to them for cheer last year and it worked so well. It was a really nice walk: crisp and cold and clear. I don't mind being out if I can see the sky.

I see Boris's Plan B is going to happen: no surprises there. I'm wondering if my planned shopping trip with DD on Saturday and meeting up with DS2 for lunch is such a good idea but unless I hear of Omicron where we are headed, I think I'll still go.

This evening I made another soup (lentil and chorizo) and have finally mixed the pudding. It suddenly occurred to me that I can start it steaming tomorrow morning, and DH, working from home, can keep the water topped up and take it off the hob when it's had its time. The recipe says 6-8 hours, by which time I'll be at work. The slow cooker was perfect for this but alas! It had an accident some months ago and we haven't replaced it.

This evening I'm thankful for clearer skies, being able to feed the birds, being able to feed us and being able to plan to meet up with grown up children. Lots of blessings there.

Cherryfudge

What a busy day (yesterday, as it's gone midnight)! I'd offered to do a share of the church cleaning in the morning: it took us a good couple of hours plus chatting time. I got home with just enough time to get a Christmas jumper out of the loft for Christmas jumper day (when did that become a thing?) and grab some lunch - good job I had soups in the fridge. I part-baked a potato and shoved it in my bag with some cheese for a work meal.

Work was scheduled for 3.30-9, my shortest shift, but I ended up working 2.30-9.30 to ensure enough staff cover. Meanwhile someone is waiting for PCR results and can't work their weekend shifts. It was already the most patchwork weekend I can remember: I was asked a couple of weeks ago if I could do a shift though it's my weekend off. I said I'd do Sunday and now I'm doing a longer-than-planned shift on Sunday while someone else takes the other part of the missing colleague's hours. Someone from another team is taking on the Saturday: I didn't offer as I've arranged to go shopping with DD and meet up with DS2. I've not even had time to ring up to book a table for lunch so I hope I remember in the morning!

Another colleague gave me a lift to the supermarket after work as I'd forgotten to ask DH to get bread and milk (he did, however, put the washing our for me; it was a beautiful day and six degrees felt mild and clement after it being just above freezing, wet and windy for a few days, so I'm glad I remembered the washing!) The bread and milk expedition turned into a treasure hunt with a few vegetable bargains and hasty shopping for weekend food to cover an extra meal at work and a drink to take in the car.

My baked potato and cheese is back in the fridge: I was supposed to eat after seeing to a client's evening routine and that was fine as some people had bought a takeaway with free spring rolls which I helped eat. At this point I was still meant to go home at eight so at half past seven I was writing up my notes and decided I could take my food home and eat there. Then anther client needed assistance and in the middle of this we had the phone call about the colleague going off sick, so it just didn't happen!

I've packed a bag with stuff for tomorrow: hand gel and masks go everywhere now, don't they? Also post for the children that's come to us, a drink, ibuprofen... you know the drill. It will buy me a little time in the morning.

No knitting got done but Row 9 is now right and I can do more maybe tomorrow night.

Spending:
Entertainment £2.10 (takeaway drink for DH)
Housekeeping £20.28 (expensive bread and milk! Actually bargains and work supplies too).
Gifts £3.97

Tonight I'm thankful for the energy to get through today and a straightforward shift at work, for the chance to do something at church (too easy not to be involved but joining in is making a big difference to me) and for the beautiful weather.

Seasidegal58

I've just caught up with your diary Cherry. I hope some suitable job vacancies come winging your way....
Re. the earlier conversations on the POA, funnily enough my DD and I were discussing one for me today. She is going to organise this with a solicitor friend who specialises in these. 

badmemory

SSG why don't you look at what filling in a POA entails, you can look online.  Unless you really want to complicate things it is simple to DIY & a fraction the price.  You can cause your attorney problems by writing something like - your doctor can tell your attorney what is going on & they can attend the appt.  It has been known for a hospital to read that & decide that it means only your GP & they won't keep the attorney/family informed.  If you trust your attorney and you shouldn't be using them if you don't, then the complicated restictions just cause problems.

Seasidegal58

Thanks @badmemory - my attorney will be my DD and it will be the full Monty financial and health related LPA. The solicitor drawing it up is a very good friend of DD's (who is very conversant in law herself) and will be doing it at 'cost' so to speak.