Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

A longish day, though I've so far avoided spending anything (this may change).

Getting up early, for once, I put the washer on at seven to take advantage of overnight electricity. I did another load later in the day and most of it dried on the line.

I did the early shift almost entirely in one room looking after a poorly person and getting to know a new colleague, then an extra half hour at the end trying to help sort out the rota.

Time is running out to order for Dh's birthday: I bought him something and have the booklist he handed out, but it's a special birthday so I wanted to add something more. At least I have a card for him!

Dinner is ready - sausages - so off I go.

ETA: I've re-done the mend on a cardigan I bought for next to nothing, and I'm very happy with the result (no more hole in the shoulder). 

Things to be thankful for: lovely woolie cardigan now wearable, a good walk at sunset with DH and some lovely views, good colleagues giving back-up that made life better for a sick person.

Cherryfudge

Today didn't start to plan - not a very good night's sleep (too hot? too cold? Itchy? Thirsty? I can never work it out). I woke up with aching muscles and I'd not had my prescription text so I'd run out of a tablet. The text came through at 8.30 so later in the morning I wandered down to collect it. I don't have breakfast till half an hour after the tablet, but I bumped into my friend who had the bereavement recently and we stood talking for nearly an hour. It wasn't a cold day but as I hadn't eaten, it took a while and some painkillers to warm up and stop aching. I was very glad I'd seen my friend, though.

DH has had a day off and is working on a piece of the hall wall where there's been damp. He got lots more done than I did: I was huddled over the computer till mid afternoon with a heated pad on my lap, but eventually I decided I had to get up and do something. I went to the shops to try to get a book off Dh's birthday wish list but no luck. I did find something else for him to read, though, and got the grocery shopping.

Dinner was a new recipe, for a vegetable tagine. It wasn't inspiring and the chilli in it gave me palpitations, so that's one I needn't save. I don't think DH was very keen, either, as he didn't have seconds. He had a meeting to go to which was perfect timing for me to wrap his birthday gifts and have them put away before he got home. I also opened some cleaning products I'd sent for and gave the multi-surfacer a trial run in the kitchen. It's one of those where you dilute a small tablet of the product in a reusable bottle, and the subscription sends another tablet every however long. The trial is free so effectively a free product but if I like it I'll have more.

Since then, I've sewn up a winter hat of DH's ready for the cold weather, and found a basket to dump hats, gloves and scarves in.

Spending:
Gift: £10 - 0.95 as I had points on a loyalty card, so £9.05. Also £1.50 for chocolate.
Housekeeping: £11.64

Tonight I'm thankful for time with my friend, a very mild day and DH's repairs around the house.

Cherryfudge

We've had a good day celebrating Dh's birthday: he had the day off so we had a meal out, a wander round the art gallery, hot drinks in a favourite cafe and a further mooch round the shops.

Lots of sundry costs, not all of which I know:
Parking £?
Main meal out £33
Coffee, tea and cake £?
£1 donation to art gallery (I didn't have much change )
Soft toy from charity shop - gift for DGD - £1
Book for DH £1.50
Another book for DH (gift from me) £25
Magnetic whiteboard for me £2
Food bag clips £3
Stocking filler gifts £10

Things to be thankful for: DH , tomorrow morning to try to get on top of some household jobs (necessary!), sunshine breaking through this afternoon.

Cherryfudge

Feeling a bit overwhelmed today by the sheer amount of things to do before our friends arrive for the weekend. I only have this morning and an hour or so tomorrow morning as work, including tonight's sleep in, gets in the way. DH has this evening after work to do his share.

The washer is on, so I hope the rain holds off. This afternoon is supposed to be quite warm. Credit card is paid up to date so no last-minute dash to get in there before charges accrue.

There seem to be a lot of colds going the rounds. I think that's why Dh and I have had swollen glands/sniffles. I feel better today, but I suppose that's autumn for you, and reduced immunity due to avoiding contact over lockdown.

Right, time I got a move on.

in_need_of_direction

They are friends. They will understand and probably laugh with you over a missed bit of dust. Don’t wear yourself out to the point where you short change the visit

Cherryfudge

Thank you INOD, you're right.

Been an exhausting couple of days, but now I have the weekend off.

Work on Thursday (6th) went smoothly but I stayed up till one to go through the rota, find myself a couple of sleep-in shifts and work out the details of what I need to claim for August. I have it all in my diary - the actual claim hasn't gone in yet. There was a small amount of tidying when I got in from work, then a couple of hours or so helping with the church cleaning (very glad of someone else arriving early and doing a lot of the hard graft) before going home via shops for food and a couple of items of toiletries.

Work today was demanding as we had so many medications to handle and check and double check and administer and record. (Eleven times in five hours, some of which were multiple meds). The only other trained person was worrying about it, so I spent a lot of time scouring the charts and trying to ensure we hadn't missed anything. I'm as sure as I can be that we didn't. I also had concerns about someone we were supporting but that came to nothing and in fact, a new colleague came up with a very useful insight that helped things run well.

I feel I need a break now! Nice that we have one and our weekends off are being respected, as I looked ahead and realised the shortage of staff this weekend has overshadowed an unworkable shift on Monday. There was a work-around which I've written down and sent to the team leaders to look at over the weekend, but it depends on them being willing to make a cancellation, which is unlikely to happen.

Am looking forward to tomorrow (later today) and seeing the family.

Spending:
Toiletries £1 (nice discovery: the large size is 50p cheaper than the small one).
Medical £3.49
Housekeeping £8.90 (resorted to a ready meal and some pies but the combination of them cost less than the ready meal I got a couple of weeks ago).

DH bought a couple of LED bulbs which seem to be improving our light levels as well as cutting costs, and he's also done grocery shopping.

To be thankful for: support from colleagues and management, an uneventful evening, progress made with the housework, our friends being able to visit after a couple of tough years for them.

Honeysucklelou2

Hope you have a lovely weekend with your friends.

Cherryfudge

I think I need sleep again! It's been a full day, celebrating DH's birthday with friends and family. Our weekend guests (old friends) came to meet baby N in the morning, then we met up with the rest of the family for a meal. The main course was very good and I was tempted to pudding but settled for coffee (which was A Good Choice). DH paid but I don't know what it came to.

DH has a bag full of presents, baby N greatly enjoyed making his musical birthday card sing! I can't believe I didn't make him a cake, though he had one from his church group the other day. I think this week has been so full on that I've just had to take each day as it came. He isn't worried about it, but I've promised him he's owed cake!

We wore the meal off with a walk round a local beauty spot: the weather was lovely and some of the trees are decidedly autumnal amidst all the green. Lovely to look at. I also had texts from work where it turns out the rota problems had been dealt with, but no one had informed us. Can't in them all.

Most people had to go home after the walk, but J brought the dog and came to us with for a while afterwards, so the day was extended. I was struggling to stay awake earlier but of course I've got past that now.

Nothing spent by me, lots and lots to be thankful for and another day out tomorrow to look forward to.

Sun_Addict

Sounds like you’re having a lovely weekend 😃

Cherryfudge

A couple of small spends to log while I remember: I topped up my phone data by £3 yesterday, which is happening most months now so perhaps I need to increase my contract? It's usually only halfway through the payment period.

Also £1.99 on an e-book.

Lovely sunny day again but a bit breezy. We are all heading out to the coast.