Easter 2025 I’m coming to get you!

beanielou

Naughty 👿 

Hettyhound

Millie has been in all night so maybe she listened to me 😂🤣. Found her this morning sat on the windowsill looking out into the fog.  It’s the first time she’s been back on the sills as she hasn’t been strong enough to jump up; it was heart warming to see 🙂🐈

Hettyhound

So I went and did a food shop yesterday and it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared.  Not many customers in but I think I just hit it at the right time however I’ve never seen so many people restocking shelves as some were looking fairly empty; I think they are all heroes 👍 I spent a bit more than normal but would have even without a lockdown as it was first shop of the month and the cupboards were very empty.  I had to tell my son yesterday that he can’t play out with the other children in the street while we are in lockdown 😔. I think he understood why but it must be difficult for a 7 year old to understand all the changes.  We have the chrome book from school again, can’t remember if I’ve mentioned that we are now borrowing one on a weekend/holidays so he can do his homework nearly all of which is using a computer.  That will keep him occupied a bit with his spellings and maths and we are also going to write to Santa 🎅 As we can’t go on the Santa special this year we are going to use the post office free write to Santa service.  It’s also dvd night so I'm sure I can keep him occupied.  I need to start looking for a few stocking fillers from Santa so might try and do this sooner rather than later as all will be coming online.  Got some different greyhound food yesterday which was cheaper and specifically  for retired greyhounds; Hetty hasn’t tried it yet but keeps sniffing at the packet, she will eat anything though.  Trying to decide what my lockdown hobby will be this time.  Last lockdown I got fit by doing Joe Wicks 90 days (and I’ve still kept if off since finishing in August), this time I might consider either getting my old clarinet out and trying to relearn or getting my drawing pencils out.  Which will I get the time to do? Probably neither🤣

Hettyhound

I’ve just re done my energy deal via energy club and I’ll look for new car insurance tonight, although my re quote wasn’t too bad, only gone up £7.  Hoping I can at least match it and potentially get money via topcashback.  Damp, misty day again but we have been out with the dog this morning and will probably get out for another walk this afternoon,  I’ve got some cooking to do and my to do list is still quite long but knocked a few things off it yesterday.  I’ve ordered some seeds to start planning for next year’s veg, couldn’t get any autumn planting garlic though so I’ll have to look elsewhere.  Not tried it before but fancied giving it a go.  Garden is a bit of a mess so might use my lunch break to do half an hour each day to chip away at it; good intentions eh 😉

themadvix

Delurking to say you can just break a bulb of normal garlic up into cloves and stick these in the ground with the tops just sticking out and they’ll grow into lovely bulbs of garlic by next summer. Hth!

Hettyhound

Oooooh thanks for the tip, I didn’t know that!  Well I bought 4 bulbs in the supermarket on Friday so I will “repurpose” one 😁

Hettyhound

Afternoon 🙂 today is my first new mortgage rate direct debit day.  The interest was £102.12 but that should drop to around £68 from next month.  This one had 20 days at old rate and only 10 on the new.  It was lovely to see my payment drop by £100 😁

Hettyhound

Made my first overpayment of £200 on the new mortgage rate.  There should be some more paid off nearer payday but I like to keep a buffer in my current account just in case.  I’m tracking my payments carefully as this year for the first time I will reach the op 10% limit.  My plan is anything over the limit will go into my saving account and then when the new limit starts I can overpay a chunk.  My rate is fixed until 31 December 2022 so 1 January 2023 is when I can start chucking everything at it to get the remainder cleared.  I’ve roughly calculated that by this point there will be around £33-34k left to clear but even on the standard interest rate the monthly payment will only be 250-300 a month.  Hope everyone is doing OK 🙂

Hettyhound

Morning everyone 👋, hope all is safe with you and yours.  Hanging on another week before making the next overpayment but the money is sat in my account ready to move.  I’m on holiday on Monday so the final bits of Christmas shopping will be bought and I’m hoping to get in the garden too to get some tidying up done.  I’m going to try extremely hard not to buy food for Christmas that isn’t warranted and keep “nibbles” down at an acceptable level 🤣.  I will be buying extra anyway for the fact my son will be at home raiding the cupboards for 2 weeks!  I’ve got some holiday booked but in Christmas week I’m working half days in the morning but hols in the afternoon; I’m really hoping he will entertain himself and let me get on 🤞 Our work place VC grandly said that we can all have 4 extra days free holiday allowance for either the week before Christmas or the week after new year; this was swiftly followed by an email from the department director saying no not possible due to work commitments!  Agreement is I can keep my holiday as I’d  already booked it and then be given an extra 4 days for another time.  I’m going to take 4 days off in a row in January once Alex is back at school; this is totally unheard of and I’m so excited 😆 Also I have a date in my diary for 2021 as tickets have been booked for Gardeners World.  Could this be a return to “normality”?

savingholmes

How exciting on the 4 days extra leave. Where I am they are talking about 3 days - but we may not be eligible... Really hope they find a way for us too otherwise it feels like a slap. Well done on your OP plans. Glad school are still helping out with the computer side of things