Cherry takes the reins

Sun_Addict

Thank goodness you noticed the withdrawn application in time, how strange though. Fantastic news that you’ve got an interview 🥳

Cherryfudge

Thank you @Honeysucklelou2 and @Sun_Addict. Yes, extraordinary timing. I am so glad of modern technology that enabled me to transfer the bulk of the application across in a blink. I wonder whether the 'withdrawal' was a technical issue at their end as the site is down this evening.

It's been one of those days where you wake up and the world is no longer the same. You know when you switch your phone on and the notifications come through? First was the Covid app updating because of the end of restrictions (officially, though obviously we are still wearing masks in various places and DH is still working from home and people are still getting infected and hundreds are dying of it every day... but we've got to the point where most people aren't too bad and we'd heard of parties in Downing Street so the restrictions are gone...), then there was the BBC news to say Russia has invaded Ukraine. Then DH was sitting at his work computer wondering if he'd get any calls through today. This actually turned out well as he had a number of interesting queries and said it's nice to use his brain after the months of reading from scripts. Then I looked out of the window and huge flakes of snow were falling thickly. I went into the lounge to check through my phone and after about half an hour opened the curtains to find the snow had gone and we had blue sky and sunshine.

I've walked the dog again this morning then came back through town to buy food to eat at work (the bananas bought last week are evergreen) and just about made it to work before it was too obvious I was late. I was worried because my bank card was nowhere to be found but it turned up after work in the pocket of a waterproof that DH had had in the car, so that was something and nothing.

A colleague came in for the night shift telling us she's just paid £50 to fill her Toyota Yaris. I can see the knock-on effect of this further rise in fuel costs affecting food prices in short order. Other prices, too, and of course the cost of transport.

Spending
Housekeeping £10.55

Things to be thankful for tonight: snow giving way to sunshine, very tasty quiche for lunch, two meet-ups planned for tomorrow (day off), DH enjoying the first day of his new work regime, finding my bank card.

Honeysucklelou2

Yesterday certainly was surreal with Freedom day here  and the juxtaposition of the Russia / Ukraine situation. Petrol prices here have risen by about 4p a litre overnight. It is disconcerting because it will impact the already rising food prices. 

Glad you found your bank card!

Cherryfudge

It's been a beautiful day here, sunny and so warm I didn't need a coat. H and I went for coffee this morning (her treat) then I wandered round the supermarket for some odds and ends, and investigated a charity shop for interesting yarns. No interesting yarns found (they are getting scarce) but I did find treasure - a display shelf designed to look like a dolls' house. It was only a fiver and it went across town to my friend's house with me so she could admire it too. She had ideas of using it to display things whereas I was so intent on making an unusual dolls' house of it that I'd already nearly walked into a car making a turn on a side road. Oops.

I had coffee with my friend and took the dog for a delightful walk on a country road near her place. It was idyllic. Fat sheep in the fields and blue sky above. We kept to the pavement because no way am I taking a dog near sheep, but it was just the perfect outing. Afterwards my friend drove me home to save me carrying all my shopping, bless her.

Not often I go out for coffee and buy a house.  

I don't think I've mentioned that the changes to DH's work mean he no longer has to do Saturdays so for a while we will be able to plan weekends together! Both of us are looking forward to the car boot season.  

Spending
Hobbies £5.00
Housekeeping £8.39
Gift £1 (baby sunhats in the sale, ready for GDG's holiday).

Tonight I'm thankful for a lovely day and good company, for proper warmth out of doors and for Saturdays with DH to look forward to.

Cherryfudge

Another no-coat day though I did put my thick hoody over a fleece. I walked the dog this morning but didn't allow myself much time so DH had to collect me by car - so much for the cost of fuel. Diesel was £155 point something when we went past a garage earlier. The dog walk was nice though.

DH had mentioned our traditional Saturday fish and chips uses beef fat which, while it makes good F&C, isn't the best for our cholesterol levels so we decided to give it a miss and made corned beef hash today. I think it cost us about £3 instead of £7.50ish, and we enjoyed it.

After lunch we had a big family meet-up at J and L's for the first anniversary of their buying their house and their puppy's first birthday. If you include the dog, there are now nine of us! We had a walk round their local park which is easy for the pram but quite interesting, then went back to theirs for cake and chat which lasted into the evening. Driving back over what's been a pitch black road through the winter, I could see the last of the daylight even though it was well after six. Usually the road inspires me to think how empty those miles are, and how huge the sky is.

We have some great photos too: J got one with everyone except herself and I suppose had we thought of it we could have asked someone to get us all together.

I haven't spent anything but DH got gammon for tomorrow's dinner, corned beef and potatoes for today's, bathroom cleaner and some tins of fruit.

Tonight I'm thankful that, however bad things are in the world, spring still comes and we have been able to spend time together. I'm also thankful for the content of today's Bible in One Year app (I'm not up to date so not really today's) which was encouraging so I sent it to my church friends.

Cherryfudge

Today I actually made it into real life church, not online, as DH was taking part in the service (I chickened out so he took my place!). We talked to a couple of friends afterwards then went home for a light lunch and out again mid afternoon for a walk - so not much to report really! We went to my friend's for coffee on the way home (dropped her dog off: her damaged leg is slowly improving but not to the point of extensive dog exercise). She gave me a lovely hellebore for the garden so I need to find a place for it.

On the way back home we bumped into a lady I know who's moved house so of course we did some more catching up - a sociable day! All the walking is good and the cloudless blue sky seems to be a fairly regular feature nowadays. no lambs in the fields yet but the sheep are getting very plump.

Tomorrow I have various tasks and people to contact, I just hope I can remember all of them. Once again a month has flown by and things that should have been done, like sorting the wretched pension overpayment, haven't happened. I do want to use the photo app to get some prints for Aunty and some family ones like the gathering of the clans yesterday. Besides this I've my interview clothes to sort out and I want to read through the notes from relevant courses so I can sound intelligent on Wednesday. Financial things need doing: there's a cheque for the lady who used to see to Mum's house - we've stayed in touch but she doesn't know my sister and I have agreed a thank you gift, which I really need to send! My sister has asked me to keep her share of the inheritance in the holding account as she's not in the UK and has a problem with her UK account, but we are getting to the end of the agreed six months after which we'll release the reserved money that we held back in case the estate had any unknown expenses. In other words, eventually we will get round to paying ourselves! Of course being me I know I still have few travel claims I never made so once this interview is over I need to get out old diaries and calendars and start looking through old bank statements. Tedious but finite.

Tonight I'm thankful for meeting friends and a walk in the countryside, for tasty dinner (gammon and lots of veg) and for the prospect of Ukrainian/Russian talks after the horrors of the last few days. How those will go I couldn't say but Churchill was right about 'jaw, jaw' being better than 'war, war'.

badmemory

Whilst I agree with you about jaw jaw, unfortunately with Putin if the Ukraine gives an inch on "all get out of our country", he will just take it as a reason/invitation to walk straight in.  He's a bully & that is how bullies behave.

Cherryfudge

badmemory said:

Whilst I agree with you about jaw jaw, unfortunately with Putin if the Ukraine gives an inch on "all get out of our country", he will just take it as a reason/invitation to walk straight in.  He's a bully & that is how bullies behave.

Looking at video footage of him I think he's a bully and more than a bully. Those are not sane-looking eyes! Perhaps the talking will give people a chance to get out of the line of fire and hospitals a chance to treat the wounded though.

The influx of refugees in the neighbouring countries is already a huge issue for those countries and will be for everyone, most of all for the people who are being bullied out of their homes and livelihoods and the right to an ordinary life...

badmemory

Thankfully Ukraine didn't just keel over like the Crimea.  But I don't expect Putin to honour the temporary cease fire.

Cherryfudge

The list from yesterday is live (and growing):

Photo app - reviewed some photos but put this on hold.
Clubcard points - done
interview clothes to sort out - done
read through the notes from relevant courses
documents needed for interview
cheque for the lady who used to see to Mum's house
Note for friend's family
Walk dog - done
Re-book leave - complicated - made a start by withdrawing leave no longer needed.
Contact group re tomorrow - done
Contact other group re Wednesdays - done
Check holiday email - done - it looks nice!
DH to send bed details to Aunty

From yesterday:
"we are getting to the end of the agreed six months after which we'll release the reserved money that we held back in case the estate had any unknown expenses. In other words, eventually we will get round to paying ourselves!" DH, who knows more about these things than I do, says we need to sort out my sister's part of the estate at the same time as ours though expenses can be claimed beforehand. So no sudden movement here.

travel claims (once the interview is over)
pension payment (ditto)

General replacements to order:
mattress
2 sofas (found out the model we like is the same as the one J and L bought last year so we've had some useful advice and were able to check measurements in situ)
Microwave
dining plate and bowl (discovered this is cheapest locally)