Cherry takes the reins

Sun_Addict

I read it as =sum (of xxxx) if you see what I mean.  I often cheat and use the auto sum function. 

Great news about the pay 🥳

Sad news about L’s grandad sounds like he’ll leave lots of fond memories amongst the sadness. 

Lovely about the little hedgehog, thank goodness you saw it. I hope it enjoys its luxury  winter stay in the warm. 

badmemory

If you think of it in language terms as equals the sum of -

Cherryfudge

Keep it coming, guys (and girls)! DH isn't strong on spreadsheets so it helps me learn when you suggest ways of thinking about it.

It's a beautifully sunny day here, but windy too. I've just realised I have less than an hour and a half till I have to be in my pre-training session, so I need to think about lunch and getting camera-ready. Pyjamas are warm and comfy but... !

I also have lots of tidying up to do, and wrapping. I've sent off a very last-minute order for some stocking fillers, and taken dinner out of the freezer to defrost, but that's about it.

Cherryfudge

I've had more energy today, which feels so nice! Not 100% of voice and I'm trying not to start coughing, but at least I've been able to get things done instead of feeling washed out.

The afternoon was the final introductory session of my course and it looks as though she's happy for me to start the qualification in January, provided there are enough others interested for them to run the session I want.

This evening we had salmon for dinner with veg and some of the cheap potatoes (I have a feeling we will get through quite a lot of them). Then we had a walk down to L!dl for pastries (I was good and resisted them as I still have one in the freezer) and more potatoes, along with carrots, shallots and parsnips from the Christmas 15p range, and some other bits and pieces. Iceland was still open so we popped in for milk and DH got 8 Pink Lady apples for £2, which is a bit of a bargain.

When we got home, we wrapped presents for quite a while so that's broken that job. I'm using a  little table that's been buried in DD's old room but is now out in DS2#s old room - and it's great. A clear, dedicated worksurface! I planned to use it for my sewing machine but I've realised I still have a craft project to finish so that will probably be the next use of the table.

DS2 has finally sent me some ideas of what he'd like for Christmas and I can't find the link he used. It looks as though it's out of stock so I've asked if he'd rather have the right thing. late. He won't reply as the screenshot he sent me showed his phone battery was 4%!

Expenditure:
Gifts £31.27
Housekeeping £16.02

Cherryfudge

So the turn of the year is grey and not conducive to tackling things, yet an hour ago I was thinking I wished I were fit enough to go for a run. That would be a very good new year's resolution.

The parcel I ordered yesterday has just come, so more wrapping needed. I am so stuck for things for a couple of people's stockings! However, there are items that were bought months ago for DGD1 so it will be good to have that space back again.

I didn't sleep long enough: I had a dry throat making me want to cough, but had to avoid waking DH. I suppose I can't expect to be bounding with energy, but I hardly know where to start. My usual answer to that one is 'just start somewhere'. What would be useful is some more Christmas stockings as there are three people who don't have one for whatever reason. Perhaps I'll get those, even though that will leave other shopping to be bought at some point.

WelshmansDaughter

Because you can put both numbers and letters into excel, there has to be something which tells the cell you are starting a formula. "=Sum" is an instruction. "Sum" is a label. 

Cherryfudge

Thanks, @WelshmansDaughter, it will take me a while but I'm building a picture!

Today didn't go according to expectations: I ended up going back to bed about eleven and sleeping for an hour and a half! After that I got dressed, had some lunch and eventually got myself out of the door and doing some shopping. I've bought lots more stocking fillers and a couple of Christmas veg. I had a text from Tesco which I assumed was a warning that my data was running out, but as it renews tomorrow, I didn't open it. When I got home, I found out it was actually a warning that my credit card was near its limit! Of course, it's had a laptop and a boiler to carry around for the last few weeks.

I still had money in my account that I'd moved in from inherited money to cover the laptop, so I've paid off a chunk. I hope it goes through quickly, though, as today's spending could push me into penalties, despite me stopping using it as soon as I realised what was going on. The main money for the boiler is sitting in another current account but when I went to pay it off the other day, DH had just paid his credit card off so it wouldn't let me take any more out, and I thought it would take a few days till it allowed more through.

Later on, DS2 texted back and sent a link for the item he wants, so I've bought that on the debit card attached to DH's wages - DH knows, it's a joint account and the gift is from both of us. In fact, DS2 has chosen under the agreed gift amount so if I have any brilliant inspiration costing about £5 tomorrow, I could add a little something for him. Just in case the main present doesn't arrive on Sunday.

I've also cancelled Amaz0n Prime, knowing I have access to it till 4th January but not wanting it to roll on and start costing me.

This evening we had sea bream for dinner with some Mediterranean veg from the freezer. Delicious, and all the better because both had been yellow-stickered items, and DH cooked them for us. We spent another hour wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings. I  bought a couple of new ones for the latest family members: DS2's girlfriend and DGD2. DGD2's is really sweet: grey velvet with a silver deer in sequins and a furry top. Much the nicest one around!

Expenditure:
Gifts: £41.30 + approx £30.99 on DS2's present
Housekeeping: £5.40
Toiletries £2.20
Per food £1
Medication: £0.49

Cherryfudge

Another quite mild day. It feels odd not having the heating on more, but I'm not complaining.

This morning, I decided to open up my old laptop because I discovered I wanted a document that hadn't carried over. How much time did I waste waiting using something so slow? It was still slow even after I spent far too long updating three drivers and clearing junk. The only other thing I did was more present-wrapping.

The afternoon was spent at DGD's birthday party, which was great, mostly family with a few friends of DGD's. One is the daughter of a chap who was one of A's best friends since before primary school age. It always seems strange to me that you can be friends with someone from before you can remember, then your children grow up together. My parents both moved away from where they grew up, and so did I, so I've no experience of it, though I'm still in touch with one person from my primary school.

I got lots of photos and videos so we've captured her presents being opened and a few funny family moments.

We drove home via a local place that has fantastic Christmas lights, so we could show DS2 and his girlfriend, then I had to dahs round hiding presents so DS2 could find a plug in his old room. It turned out to be a tiny thing hiding in a cupboard. They also took the three bundles of coat hangars he left behind, which is great.

Dh made corned beef hash for our dinner, then I fell asleep over a program about Harrods. DH was in the West End with his then girl friend the day it was bombed. I'd been in Harrods itself just a week before.

We stirred ourselves enough to get to the supermarket for Christmas food so we don't have to shop tomorrow. We're having chicken and gammon, but I've bought lots of the 15p veg as I'm not one to miss a bargain. Freezer space is limited as ever, but I have three bags of potatoes (we are already eating these), two of parsnips (I'll make soup that I can freeze), one each of carrots and shallots, a swede and a  red cabbage. There's are neither chocolate oranges not bread sauce to be found anywhere! I could make bread sauce but DH is sorrowing over the 'real thing' from the packet!

Expenditure:
Donation £1 for the Christmas Lights display
Housekeeping £25.59.

Incidentally, I decided I wanted pears in the fruit bowl and ended up choosing some with 39p off. They are large and splendid - but even with the discount, it was four for £1.91. Nearly fifty pence a pear, roughly the same as large oranges. Eek.

I could have bought smaller and cheaper, I suppose.

in_need_of_direction

The pears are still a lot cheaper than a bar of chocolate

Cherryfudge

H'mmm, depends how good a chocolate and how big a bar, @in_need_of_direction. But we had one each and they are really good. This is me breaking the habit of a life time and having something at its prime rather than putting it off till it's past its best.

It was Christingle at church this morning. The flame had been passed from one place to another from Bethlehem, so it added a layer of meaning to holding it. I was also supposed to be helping with refreshments after the service but there had been a miscommunication so they had quite a lot of helpers, a milling crowd and not much for me to do.  I did get a shortbread in passing, which is nice but has given me a desire for more. I'd brought milk so I now have four pints I don't have plans for! I will see if H and A can use it but they are away soon so I doubt it.

I had a few conversations with people, and my voice was a bit of a wreck afterwards, but I managed to hold off coughing and it's getting better each day.

I made a chickpea tikka for dinner, which is very filling. There are about another five portions in the freezer to feed us next week, etc. We were going for a walk in the afternoon but it was very windy so DH took some cards round locally and I dug through the loft for more Christmas decs. We have too many but I don't like to throw away old favourites. I did find some vases that I'd forgotten and which have gone in the donations pile. I've made the tree blue and silver this year and found more baubles to match it as well as the decals for the glass door.

This evening we've watched the Christmas Repair shop which was very pretty, though I still think it's filmed in early summer. Since then I've had a bath and washed my hair, and DH has gone to bed so I'm sneaking his presents out of their hiding places (and wrapping a couple more).

It will be odd being just the two of us for Christmas dinner, though DH is happier as he found somewhere that still had bread sauce for sale. We're planning to enjoy our presents from each other then go to church, have dinner and go to see A and H. We are having a family get-together the day after so main presents will be then.

Happy Christmas (or other, depending on what you observe), one and all.

(Which sounds rather like the end of an Enid Blyton story: I found a box of Malory Towers in the Loft. I didn't know I had them. Malory Towers is obviously a dishevelled, dusty place in need of Kim and Aggie if what I saw is anything to go by).