Tales from The Shire

in_need_of_direction

my sympathies to you and those affected by this loss.  Take care 

Jessy103

Sorry to hear that Fortune. Take care x

teapot2

Sorry to hear that sad news Fortune x

brizzlegirl

So sorry to hear that FS. Take care of yourselves 

Hugs,

Brizzle xx

Fortune_Smiles

Subdued

Thank you everyone.  Our friend was elderly and had underlying health conditions but I still feel he was taken before his time.  He was a Chelsea Pensioner so I have agreed to paint some poppy stones in his honour.  My neighbours run a Pop Up Poppy Shop for Remembrance Day in our local independent supermarket and have asked me to do some for them to raise funds.  I may do some slate paintings too if I can find some more slates.

It's left me feeling sad and subdued but I know I need to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  Mr F is back at work from home this week and that is helping to give us a bit more structure.

I started painting the roller blind but the paint only did for one side so I will have to order another pot.  The blind looked great on the table but patchy when up so a few more coats are going to be needed.  It is keeping more of the glare out though so effective if not attractive yet.

Lunch for the last couple of days has been Hearty Pasta Soup which is always a good stand by for using up bits and pieces of veg from the fridge and freezer.  Supper last night was Creamy Prawn & Spring Vegetable Pot (which was tastier than I expected) and Courgette Carbonara the night before.

Today will be a varied day as I have lots of little jobs to do around the house and garden.  I'm hoping to do some rock painting too as I still have a lot of leftover paint to use up.  I also need to start putting together a quiz night for Sunday.  This weekend's quiz was a lot of fun and I've agreed to host the next one.  We're going to have a bingo night on Saturday too.  It is nice to 'see' family together even if it is only virtually.

Take care everyone.

Fortune x

Moneyfordreams

sorry to hear about your friend Fortune, x

Fortune_Smiles

New Approach

I think I need to formulate an entirely new approach to life now we're living with Corona Virus.  It's going to be with us for a long time and my current 'life pending' approach won't work for the long term.  I'm going to sit down and think things through properly, decide what's most important over the next 12 months and set some new goals.  Post pending....

I finished off lots of little jobs in the house and garden yesterday.  Think I may have lost the lettuce and sweetpea seedlings my neighbours gave me - things got a bit hot in the cold frame yesterday 😕  Must go out in a minute and open it up.

Lunch yesterday was Courgette & Caramelised Red Onion Tart with a side salad.  Supper was Bean & Bangers One-pot to which I added some odd veg that needed to be used up, served with mash.  There's enough of both left to feed us for today.

I've finished Week 1 of C25K, although it took a little longer than a week 🙄  Missed doing yoga last week but I'm going to do some once I've finished this post.

Spends today have been for Car0, which I drink instead of coffee, and more paint for the roller blind.  I'm not planning on spending anything else.

Right - off to open up the cold frame and do some yoga.

See you later

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

The New Normal

I sat outside in the sunshine yesterday and had a long think about our life going forward under Covid.  Mr F and I had a chat about my thinking over supper and agreed that the very, most important thing in all of this is health: financial, physical and mental...

Financial 💰

• I put together a spreadsheet this morning tracking the potential savings we can put aside over the course of this year.  It includes monthly figures and the impact the loss of Mr F's job would have on us at each point.  Reassuringly, if Mr F's job disappeared tomorrow, I think we could limp through until I can draw my pension.  I haven't included Mr F's bonus or payrise as we can't be certain that either will come through
• We will need to pay closer attention to budgets and spending priorities.  The window repairs/replacements are a priority and something we can't leave as they are letting a lot of water in.  I've included the cost in my spreadsheet but whether we'll be able to get the work done is another matter.  I'll give the company a call next week
• Mortgage OPs will stop for the time being.  If we find we don't need the money we can always overpay a lump sum later on
• I will continue to budget some fun money which we can use for gardening, books, films, hobbies, etc.  I think that's going to be important for our physical and mental health going forward
• We're considering whether to re-open the Annex.  It is entirely separate from the house and I think I could service it safely with some careful planning.  At the moment you can only let to Covid Responders and I'm not sure what market there would be as there is no wifi or washing machine available.  I'll research the implications further before making a decision.

Physical Health 🏃‍♀️

• We are very fortunate in that we have indoor and outdoor space to use to keep fit.  We can walk and run on the property.  Mr F has a multi-gym in the barn (I remember he nagged me to budget for it, and I was cross about spending the money at the time, but it has turned out to be a very good investment).  I have space in the house to use my yoga DVDs.  As always, for me, it is about making fitness a priority
• I think I mentioned earlier that we are eating very healthily at the moment.  There was an early blip with cake and wine but we have reigned that in now.  I'm finding it hard to stick to a budget for food shopping as the T£$co deliveries are irregular and I feel as though I have to get what I can when I can.  We are definitely spending more on food as a result but I think healthy meals trump costs right now.  I'm tracking my calories but would still like to indulge in a few treats at the weekend.  It's important for our mental health right now not to feel deprived of everything.

Mental Health 🤸‍♀️

• Socialising is the big challenge.  We'll be joining my family by video call on a Saturday night for bingo and possibly Sunday's for quiz nights.  I've contacted the boys to set up a regular call with them too.  Also my girlie group.  Not all are on the platform I use and some prefer to use other apps, however, I think there may be one or two who are happy to 'meet up' this way.  My writing group use a platform I'm not that comfortable with from a security point of view.  However, I might not have any other option if I want to continue to meet with them.  My friends from other groups I might 'mop up' by hosting quiz or games nights
• Mr F and I usually spend time together exploring the local area, eating out and visiting friends and attractions.  None of which are available to us now.  Instead we will find some joint projects to work on in the house and garden, have film nights and look for live performances to watch and virtual tours to join
• I'll continue with my painting and writing as the mood takes me
• I have a meditation app called $miling Mind which I've tinkered with previously.  I'm now planning to use it to round off my yoga practice and whenever I feel the need for calm
• We may have to venture out at some point to the supermarket, pharmacy, petrol station, etc but will only do so when absolutely necessary.  If shopping needs to be done then I'll go out.  Anything else Mr F can get as I think he feels the need to escape the homestead more than I do.

I'm feeling more positive now I have a plan and some goals to work towards.  Ultimately, I'll be happy to come through this with our health intact and with a roof over our heads.  Welcome to my new normal 🙂

Fortune x

Moneyfordreams

The new normal   I think the acceptance of change allows the step forward . your home sounds like a fabulous place to be. I've stopped the wine, but the cake is still happening (just less) 

Fortune_Smiles

Moneyfordreams said:

The new normal   I think the acceptance of change allows the step forward . your home sounds like a fabulous place to be. I've stopped the wine, but the cake is still happening (just less) 

Hi Money

up until now I've been approaching Covid as a short-term hiccup but all the recent findings and reports suggest that it's going to cause much longer-term disruption.  I felt quite depressed about it at first but it always helps to focus on what I can do rather than what I can't.  We'll be mourning our lost life and plans for a bit I expect but there are still so many positives to find.  You're right - we are very fortunate with the house and I am so, so glad we made the move when we did.  We've decided to have wine and cake at the weekends.  A few treats are still in order I think 🍰🍷😁

Fortune x