Tales from The Shire

Fortune_Smiles

Thanks guys 😘 It did turn out to be a fabulous day although it was very much unplanned.  We didn't book the tea until the day before and I hadn't really thought about doing anything up until then.

Maybe that's why it was so lovely - it was unexpected.

Fortune x

jennystarpepper

Late birthday felicitations X

ruby_eskimo

Happy belated birthday Fortune!  Sounds like a lovely day, if full of unexpected plans!  Wishing you luck with the home check for your Ukrainian ladies, fingers crossed it can all go through smoothly and quickly.

greent

Belated birthday wishes!! 🎂  How lovely that you found the earring 💎 (and what a fantastic present Mr F gave you back for your 50th) x

Fortune_Smiles

Still Waiting

Our Ukrainian ladies are still not here 😢  We finally received their visas after 14 days.  However, the mother and child they are travelling with are still waiting for theirs.  The mother does not speak english and is frightened to travel without them.  They cannot leave their friend alone in this situation so we continue to wait.

I cannot tell you the heartbreak and anguish this whole process is causing.  I am not ashamed to say that I have been in tears on several occasions about it all.  Goodness knows what it is doing to the refugees.  It's shameful to make them go through this.  Our ladies have been lucky but there have been moments when we've been worried that they'd end up homeless and starving far from home.

We have spent some money getting things ready for them - extra bedding and toiletries mainly.  You may remember we'd spruced up the guest rooms before Christmas so there hasn't been much to do.  One of our ladies has Celiac Disease though so we'll need to budget for that in our grocery shop.  We'll be taking the Government's 'Thank You' for hosting.  It will cover the extra utillities, fuel and food costs.  Anything left over we'll put towards clothing, etc for them.  I don't think it will go far and we're prepared to contribute whatever is needed from our own funds too

The majority of people have been overwhelmingly kind and supportive.  A few have commented that our own homeless and veterans aren't being helped.  We support those causes too!  Plus other national and local causes.  Always have done and will continue to do so.  One of those people was Uncle F 😡 who I doubt has ever put his hand in his pocket to help anyone.  I don't see him offering the self-contained annex in his new home to help a veteran.  I, not very diplomatically, reminded him that we quite often tried to help people in need including our own friends and family.  These causes aren't mutually exclusive - you can support more than one.

On top of all of this, Mr F came back from London last week with Covid 😲 He's not feeling too bad but, if I come down with it, it might impact our guests' arrival.  I'm testing every day and am negative so far so I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed 🤞 It never rains...

On the upside, our guests are safe for the moment and we do now know that the Visa Office has the outstanding applications (there was a possibility they were lost earlier 😲).

So we wait on...

Fortune x

badmemory

I can't believe Mr F is still being a pain!

I don't know how you are coping with all the stuff going on, I mean what can be so difficult?  Bad enough for you but those poor women & their families.  All I can do is wish you all the mental strength to deal with it. 

Have you been able to source some English as a foreign language classes for the lady who doesn't speak it or can that all be done on line now?

VintageHistorian

I too have noticed the "but what about helping people in the UK!?" lot very rarely help anyone, in the UK or otherwise.

Shame Uncle F is continuing to dig himself into a deeper hole but some people can't see past the end of their own nose, which they will promptly cut off the moment they want to spite someone else.

savingholmes

I hope the visa and travel arrangements can be sorted soon. I imagine they are quite desperate. It's a horrific situation. Well done for helping.

jennystarpepper

VintageHistorian said:

I too have noticed the "but what about helping people in the UK!?" lot very rarely help anyone, in the UK or otherwise.

Shame Uncle F is continuing to dig himself into a deeper hole but some people can't see past the end of their own nose, which they will promptly cut off the moment they want to spite someone else.

Very true, I doubt these people even know what a food kitchen or homeless shelter looks like.

I'm not trying to point fingers at uncle 'F'... but just at the range of people who do not think.

jennystarpepper

It's an amazing thing you are doing , thank you for helping them. X