Cherry takes the reins

Sun_Addict

Glad you have your new door in place. We had our back door replaced with patio doors leading into the garden and although our back garden is very secure I felt safer having a roller blind to pull down at night so can understand you wanting to screen the clear glass. 

Cherryfudge

So Storm Eunice is just passing over us: nothing like as bad up here as you people down south have had it. In fact though there have been some high winds and heavy showers, they were nicely interspersed with blue sky and sunshine and there was warmth in the sun. Out and about, there are crocuses, snowdrops and winter aconites aplenty in people's gardens, all very clean and bright after the rains.

I actually got up just after eight, determined to walk my friend's dog before the forecast high winds arrived at eleven. I was half dressed and getting washed when I realised I was getting splashed with rainwater through the partially open bathroom window! That never happens due to the angled opening, which made me realise how high the wind was and how heavy the rain. I texted my friend and also the person on this morning's cleaning team to say I thought we needed to stay at home, but half an hour later it had all blown over and the sky was blue!

The person from the cleaning team had told be the Met Office app said the weather wasn't too bad in our area (I'd been looking at the BBC which was forecasting extremes of wind with snow). I changed my mind and walked down to do the cleaning with hardly a drop of rain falling on me. While I was in there someone mentioned the heavy rain outside, which I didn't see, and the 122mph gust on the Isle of Wight. Then when I came out it was all nice again so I walked the dog as per original plan.

I'm doing well on the exercise front recently but will admit to buying myself a toffee Danish for lunch so I won't have lost much weight today!

I had coffee with my friend after the walk and didn't get home till four, having stopped to buy groceries on the way back.

Spending:
Housekeeping - £1.20 (pastry) + £8.44 (from memory, can't find the receipt)

Things I'm grateful for today: hot water (it's just so nice, apart from being useful and everything), the first real warmth in the sun, the storm having passed, another day off tomorrow.

Cherryfudge

Today started with breezy dry weather so I put some towels in to wash which then had to be part dried in the tumble dryer as it began to rain. I had an early lunch and set off to walk my friend's dog, by which time snow was starting. We had a video from J and L to show the snow they were driving through (on the way to Otley, so much more exposed than here), and shortly after, a friend reported her husband and his mum were stuck in snow near Skipton. J and L then got stuck too but thankfully all managed to get moving again and reached safety soon after.

I wrapped myself in a creative amount of layers and the walk with the dog was actually quite fun. By the time we were half way around, the snow dried up - it hadn't settled - and the sun came out!

I got some groceries on the way home and realised after I'd paid that the reason I couldn't find my receipt yesterday was that that particular till doesn't seem to be issuing them. I think I spent about £12, which included cappuccinos, fruit, frozen peas and yogurt.

I haven't done a lot with the rest of the day though there's a bit of progress on the knitting. DH had a tidy up as, weather permitting, he's going to bring Aunty over to stay for a couple of days and will leave tomorrow afternoon. He's made a cake and I'll give some thought to a meal for Monday. We'll get fish & chips on Tuesday so today in their stead we finished up bits and pieces from the fridge and freezer.

Spending 
Housekeeping £12?

Tonight I'm thankful for safe journeys for those who got caught in the snow, fun walking the dog and the additional fitness I get from it, DH playing the piano which is lovely even when he's just practising jazz chords. Also the sun coming out this afternoon and learning I can have a good walk even when the weather is theoretically not on my side.

Cherryfudge

Another wet and windy day today! My friend's neighbours are taking the dog out so I have the day at home.

Fun and games with the online service this morning: for some technical reason it didn't start as expected and YouTube waited a few minutes then found me an alternative all by itself. I have therefore been to church in Leicester today despite never having visited the city! It was a relevant talk so I stuck with it even when my own came back and afterwards switched to HTB (big London church) where they start about the time mine ends. DH went to the building so he didn't miss any but ended up listening along with me, then we had a quick lunch and he's set off to Aunty's where he will stay tonight.

I had vague thoughts of jobs to be done and have accomplished a couple though DH did the main tidying for a guest bit. I repaired a couple of DH's tee-shirts so they'll live to fight another day and I hoovered the bread bin which makes me feel better about it though I would be very surprised if a bread bin inspection happened. I think it says something about me: I can't control major things so small items being neat and tidy makes me feel good about them even if the rest of the place is in need of help.

Most bins are emptied but I won't take the kitchen bin out till the rain lets up, if it does. The plants need watering, and there are various other things on the list, none of which is top priority. I actually feel like doing some sewing while listening to YouTube or similar, so some of that may happen too.

Cherryfudge

Some progress made - I think what they call an 'eclectic mixture', some useful, some not. I spent some time mending a birdfeeder that was taken down the other when the new door was put in, so water has got in and the seeds have sprouted! I had to take it to bits to clean it (bleach and disposable gloves, as we're in an avian flu area) but I got it cleaned, dried and refilled. Aunty probably won't even see it but at least the birds will be fed.

Spare bird food and buckets from when I cleaned the fish out have been put in the shed out of the way but I spoilt the tidying up effect because the wind is getting up again so I've brought the recycling boxes indoors (too late at night to reopen the shed).

I've fed and watered all the plants and cleaned the windowsill where they were, I've moved DS2's tank of newts out of the room where Aunty will be staying (!), I've spent ages deep-cleaning the back of the larder door when I saw what a mess it's surreptitiously become and I've done other kitchen cleaning.

My dinner was a mushroom goulash to use up various bits and pieces. There's a spare portion for the freezer but a bit more space in the freezer too, with all those mushrooms cooked.

There area a couple of hours in the morning for things like cleaning the kitchen floor and last minute tidying up, but Aunty believes in arriving early so they will be here before lunch, though coming from the other side of the country. Storm Franklin is due tonight (silly me, thinking the high winds today were it), so I hope they have a safe journey.

Nothing spent today.

Things to be thankful for: a tasty dinner that actually gives me more space in the freezer, milder weather, a back door that opens and shuts without a battle and getting to the time of year when I can feed my houseplants again.

Cherryfudge

I had more time than I expected this morning: DH and Aunty were delayed by travel conditions then sensibly stopped for lunch so it was nearer one than eleven when they arrived, and by that time I'd gone to the shops. Since then we've been enjoying the tidy house! I even got laundry done while the weather held: it was nearly dry when there was a heavy downpour but we rescued it and it's now ironed and airing.

While I was out I also bought a couple of doormats which isn't very exciting but they look smart and will hopefully help protect the carpets.

A nice little incident this morning: I posted something on social media about studying French and actually had a short conversation with someone in French as a result. I later spotted a mistake in what I'd written but I at least managed to get across what I wanted to say.

J is not in my good books: she said she'd come to see Aunty at seven and by 8.30 hadn't turned up or replied to messages. Then she rang to say she'd had dinner with a friend and had lost track of time, so we've rearranged for tomorrow. It's not like her but she sounded bright and cheerful when she rang so I'm not sure whether she thought it was a looser arrangement than we did, or if she'd had a glass or two and wasn't 100% herself.

I'm back at work tomorrow after all these days off. There's a lot of pasta left from dinner this evening so I don't have to think about lunch, which is just as well as the bananas I bought the other day are stubbornly green!

Spending:
Housekeeping £17.63 (probably spent around £5.80 more than we would normally - so how do people account for entertaining guests? Is it simply a percentage of expenditure? In this case I've looked at what we wouldn't have bought if it was just us, but of course there are items there that aren't used up so we will get 'freebies' later. At the end of the day I know it's just money out, it all goes the same way, I'm just wondering about a technicality).
Household £22.98

This evening I'm thankful for being able to get the house clean and reasonably tidy (though it shows me I need to get on with sorting the boxes brought back from Mum's old house). Also for J being safe, if annoying! And for the warmer weather - coat not needed when I walked to the shops.  

Cherryfudge

My early shift was very quiet but I accidentally added an hour by popping into my usual service to check the new rota. I ended up helping to clean the fish tank (!), checking my emails and doing my best to sort out the leave I need over March (booked on a different rota so I will need to do some withdrawing and applying).

Fell asleep again this afternoon. Both the friends I try to meet with on a Tuesday are unwell so we called off the evening meeting.

J came round with the dog after tea to see Aunty and stayed about an hour and a half then after she'd gone (and I'd hoovered up the shredded pine cones) the others watched TV and I went to check my emails. I've never heard back from the job application which I thought was a bit odd and so I went through the tracking link which I'd not used before. To my great surprise it shows the application was withdrawn a few weeks ago. I don't know what that's all about but the information to query it is via an actual address and phone number so I couldn't ask about it till tomorrow. Instead I checked the website for new vacancies and saw this one had been re-advertised, with the deadline an hour and a half away! Thankfully the website has a 'save your CV' facility to I hastily uploaded from the 'withdrawn' application and reapplied within about twenty minutes. Phew.

I then had a further look for interesting jobs and came across one that would use the other side of my current skill set but could suit me very well. I've got till March 2nd to apply.

Spending
e-book 99p

Things I'm thankful for tonight: a good visit for Aunty and nice weather for them to go out today, spotting the problem with the job application and being able to rectify it, another possible post to go for and for sunny weather today.

Honeysucklelou2

What a blessing you were able to go back and track the application with enough time to resubmit! 

Cherryfudge

Honeysucklelou2 said:

What a blessing you were able to go back and track the application with enough time to resubmit! 

It is - and I've got an interview! That's at the beginning of March so I have some days to get revising.

We had a relatively early start (for me) this morning as DH's aunty was getting the train home. We walked to the station with her, then on to my friend's house where we collected the dog and had a walk with him before heading home. I was hit by weariness when we got in and fell asleep right after lunch! I wonder if I need my thyroid levels checked again?

A quick sleep set me just about right, though, and we've had a pleasant shift at work. A colleague had a look at the other job I spotted yesterday and pointed out a reason why it wouldn't really work for me, which is quite a relief because it frees me to focus on the interview.

Nothing spent today.

I'm thankful for a really quick positive response to my application, having the house to ourselves again and holding my own against my sons when playing Wordle!

Honeysucklelou2

That’s great news about the interview...hope all goes well.