Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

I've been on my feet a lot of today, it's as well the clocks change so I can sleep a bit longer! I'd offered to help out with an eco festival in town. It turned out they had plenty of volunteers but I stayed anyway, learnt lots and made some new friends so that was all good. I didn't spend anything either, though Dh got groceries and chips, and probably some DIY stuff. He's replaced the broken kitchen socket so we have use of the washing machine again, and cut the dry lining ready to apply to the dining room bay.

As for me... I spent some time talking to the people at various displays, listening in to a lot of Q&A sessions, eating cake, getting freebies (seeds, recipes, lots of leaflets), learning clothes repair techniques from the Repair Café people and going for a guided walk round the town's community gardens. I've made a few notes and taken some photos.

Tea tonight has been fish from the freezer and chips from the chippie. 

Oh, and I decided DH can't be my power of attorney (I'll have to get one set up one of these days) because he really doesn't engage with money, though he forces himself to do the finances for his Dad's flat which is now let out. Admittedly I am not the best, but I find it interesting, while he avoids it.

badmemory

The problem with a POA is you need someone you can totally trust to do the right thing FOR YOU regardless of their normal feelings & that can be difficult.  I have my son but then I have spent the last 30 of his 42 years indoctrinating him.  Still not convinced he would get me enough interest though.  Often though you just need someone to say - yes pay the bills & make sure nobody steals your money.  Being a landlord is a lot harder than being a normal POA.

Cherryfudge

I think I'd trust all my family to try to make the decisions in my best interest, @badmemory, but part of it is that I wouldn't want to overburden anyone. I think one of the children would invest money well, but the others would do reasonably well while perhaps understanding me better. DH and I had another talk and agreed that as we have our finances set up at present, we are probably best placed to look out for each other's interests, the difficulty would be if both of us declined in capacity but paying by DD and so forth hid that decline until something went wrong. That's what happened with my parents. I do see what you mean about 'the right thing FOR YOU', it's a tricky one.

He hates doing the landlord stuff, which is one reason I wouldn't want to land him with other financial responsibilities. He's got a good brain with a finance-averse bias.

So last night must have been very rainy: it looks as though water came up to the level of the back step at some point! Not too bad at all today, though.

I helped with the little ones at church in the morning, then DH made lunch (tuna pasta) and went for a walk. I didn't get much done really, though we both walked into town later to post a card, and saw some welcome blue sky. There were proper gold leaves on the ground, soggy ones. As it's nearly November, I think the trees have finally got the message about autumn colours, or some of them have. There's still a lot of green up there.

I've run a  hot wash and tumble dry as there were towels and dust sheets to do, and the heating's been on morning and evening.

We watched the woodwork programme and I've started crocheting another pair of fingerless gloves following my friend's suggestion to use a smaller hook. This pair doesn't seem nearly as oversized! Then I remembered I still haven't got winter clothes out of the loft so I've brought down two bin bags of them, plus a bag of gloves and hats and a bag of trousers that I think may end up being offered to DD as I'm not a size 10 these days.

Tomorrow I need to be up early as I've offered to help at the holiday club at church and have to be there for nine.

Cherryfudge

Odd that I mentioned DH's landlord role: he's just discovered the tenant's contract expired a while ago! To give him credit, he was on the phone to her straight away and will drop off a renewed one tomorrow.

I had fun helping with the holiday club: the children were a nice bunch and it was well thought out. It's very much a learn g curve for me as I've not done anything like this in decades. I'll be back there on Thursday.

On the way home I got my glasses fixed (delicate design that occasionally drops a side) and asked for more advice for the dry eye problem. This explains my medical spending of about £7 on gel, but they're said I can go back if it goes on being a problem.

Having dozed off once I got home, I'm thinking quite a bit about the TA job. If offered it, I think I could only accept if they could reduce the hours. That might be an option as they're also wanting someone to cover dinner time and half an hour of TA work, so there might be some wiggle room. Very odd to think this looks like being my last 'free' week after all this time off work, but there may not be much forthcoming from the relief post at first.

Dinner was spinach, lentil and sweet potato stew from things I had in the house, but I bought a gift hot chocolate to put in L's stocking, and various bits and pieces at beeandem where they are cheap.

Cherryfudge

Posting a list to get me moving: we don't need to look after DGD this morning (mum's now on maternity leave) though we're taking her to something later.

DH is therefore home and getting things done. He's already plastered around the dry lining he put up yesterday, washed the kitchen floor and hoovered. I've got a headache from reading in bed (and am putting off getting needed eye-test because I hate choosing new frames, but it needs to be done while my time is more bookable). Between the noise and it still being morning, it's hard to get my brain in gear.

To do:
send a link I promised to someone
sort out date for coffee with a friend
Start reconciling this month's accounts as much as I can
check work emails
check personal emails
follow up missing emails for my contract if they aren't there.
Book eye test

Crazycatlady2

Me and daughter need new glasses and we used glasses direct as you can borrow frames for 7 days to try free 

Cherryfudge

Crazycatlady2 said:

Me and daughter need new glasses and we used glasses direct as you can borrow frames for 7 days to try free 

That's an idea -  haven't tried them but I'm forever needing to call in and get the current pair adjusted, which might not happen online. I know some place have an ipad and take a photo so you can see how frames look, which makes sense to me.

Eye test is now booked and emails checked. I have some more paperwork through so I'm hoping that's all I need to get started. I'm wading through it but the headache continues despite paracetamol, so it may take a while. 

Cherryfudge

I didn't manage the first three items on my list but I did some housework before H came round to deposit DGD who then went to a play session at the library with us. We've had a nice afternoon but Dh and I were both dozing off - he while I looked after DGD and me after watching the Bakeoff. I missed my medication this morning, which isn't supposed to matter for a day but perhaps it contributed to the tiredness. I've collected my prescription now so I should be back on track tomorrow.

We got a few groceries - about £5.30 - but had some more of yesterday's casserole for tea, and there's a bit left for my lunch tomorrow.

I feel as though I'm coming down with a cold, possibly caught while at the eco festival on Saturday. More paracetamol this evening, which won't cure it but might help get rid of the looming sore throat.

It was L's birthday, but we haven't met up with them. His card arrived in time and he had his present early.

I've been quite tired recently and so has DH, so I'm getting a bit concerned about the job interview next week. I would really struggle with the hours advertised so I could only take it (if offered) if they could juggle it to fewer hours.

Meanwhile, A and H's baby is due on Tuesday, which is when I've said we'll go to a fundraiser for my friend's charity! Of course the baby may arrive early - the doctors won't let it go late. H says it can come any time as long as she's had her hair appointment! I have a bag semi-packed but need to add makeup, medication and electricals. It only takes a few minutes to get to their house so if we get a phone call at 3 am, I can probably cope, but Dh has pointed out that if H goes into labour in the next three days, most of the child care will be down to me. I'd better pack an umbrella with the forecast being so wet as I'm bound to need to get food shopping while I'm there.

Cherryfudge

It's been a very productive day, thanks to milder, breezy weather and a hint of sun - and possibly also thanks to my having taken my medication again. Just as I generally wonder where my energy's gone, sometimes I wonder where it's all come back from.

It was so nice being able to fling windows open and let real air in, and I spent much of the day turning round as much laundry as possible. This meant I didn't do the Christmas cake, yet again, but I did have a brief trip to the shops to get mackerel and couscous for tea.

I could tell I was throwing myself into activity to avoid some job, and worked out DH's jumper with a hole under the arm was probably the culprit. In the end I mended this and another of his jumpers and I'm very pleased with the result. The lady I spoke to on the Repair Café still last Saturday recommended using embroidery thread for some repairs, so I did. The results are better than ordinary sewing thread on cotton jumpers. And a saving of about £80-£90 in not buying new jumpers.  

The cold is sort of still here, but less than yesterday. I don't know what's going on as it should have developed not shrunk!

I checked my emails and sent my new manager some details so she can book a laptop for me in case I get any online students. That's exciting, it almost feels as though it's real! I'm still humming and ha-ing over the TA interview but I may as well just go and see how I feel about it at the time. I think it's a lot, potentially starting two jobs at once, but a steady income would be handy, if less exciting. I also worked out that if I got the TA post, that would be breathing space to work on some skills like proofreading and spreadsheets that might give me more scope to work from home when I'm older.

Talking of being older, the children's holiday club played 'Jerusalema' the other day and it's a real earworm, so I've been dancing round as one does when unobserved ( ) and I'm sure it's done me good.  

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £9.71
Gifts £2.20
Medication : £3.40

Cherryfudge

A rainy day, and my cold decided to come back so I've been snuffly, but someone gave me a lift to the holiday club this morning so I didn't get soaked and actually arrived early. I didn't have the wherewithal to give it 100% but the kids were sweet and I think they all enjoyed themselves. Did I mention lunch is included? Today was sausages, veg and mash. A little boy noticed I didn't get a cake afterwards (adults don't) so I told him I'd get one later, and treated myself to custard slices on the way home - with 20p off - one for tomorrow as well.

I tried to update the money but the banking site was buffering madly and I gave up and went back to bed with a hot water bottle till DH got in! The TV has been buffering a lot as well so I checked the broadband speed and DH is trying to find out what we should be getting. There was a massive rollout of a more up to date provider locally earlier in the year so we could see if they will run the service into our road - they are only yards away and it would be nice not to have to keep waiting for whatever we're watching.

I know the weather has been dire down south and I'm thankful it's just wet up here, but it's so dark! At least yesterday was a reminder that it's not actually cold and the blue sky isn't all that far away.

Dinner tonight was liver and bacon - a big pack of each so there are three packages going in the freezer: two of liver and bacon for two, and one of bacon bits for pies, casseroles and anything else that might come to mind. There are also a couple of bacon breakfasts for DH in the fridge. £5.17 for the meat content of 8 portions, not counting all the lardon-style bits to flavour other things. Mind you, that doesn't take into account the cost of things to have with them, or cooking.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £9.93