The Best Is Yet To Come

slm6002

I received an email earlier to say that i do qualify for the winter payment.  It says they will be giving me a one off payment of £100 which is very kind of them.  Will put it towards next years coats / clothes for the kids as i am pretty sure heating bill is up to date.  Just done our tests and all negative so far.  Looks like we can all go to the outdoor cooking tomorrow.

slm6002

What a lovely sunny day we have had.  We have been to our free outdoor cooking session (because kids are on free school meals).  We learnt to make a camp fire and then cooked red lentil dahl and flat breads.  It was yummy and 2 out of 3 children also enjoyed it (i had taken lunch for DS as he doesn't like to expand his food tasting very much - it takes a lot of nagging). The children then made dens and ran around in the sun.  Then we did some archery before being given a big box of food to bring home to keep us going for the next 5 days.  We have ingredients for pizza, toad in the hole, sausage and veg bake, pasta dish and burgers and wedges.  All fresh food and the majority of dishes they will all eat.  I am really lucky to have been given this chance to do this and be given the food boxes (not our first time going).  I feel i may have caught the sun a little.
I have also spoken with solicitors secretary who has asked the solicitor on my instruction to chase XH.  Hopefully that will give his silly bottom a kick and get things done.  Looking more likely though that the ERC will go down now, before it gets paid.

slm6002

Well I had an email this morning saying that my solicitor had received a reply from his solicitor, saying they are going through the paperwork their end.  Not sure if that means they are nearly there or just waiting on his paperwork to be received.  Anyway at least they are aware we are more than ready and its their end that's holding things up.
Been out in the gorgeous sunshine again today.  Have been painting the metal railings around our patio area (been needing to be done for several years) as we have had the right weather.  Done most of it but a few areas left as ran out of paint.  New paint pot ordered and hopefully will arrive tomorrow and i can finish that little project and tick it off the list.  We have planted a pot up with colourful flowers for next to the front door.  Hopefully this will create a bit more curb appeal, although it doesn't look quite right yet. I caught the sun yesterday and seem to have done the same today.  Sun cream out tomorrow!  Cashed out another £10 for surveys and changed it to another voucher for xmas.
Need to get off bum (feet hurting) and make the homemade burgers for dinner from our box.  Going to sleep well again tonight.

caeler

At least you’ve been acknowledged! Hopefully it won’t be much longer. 

slm6002

Well it looks like i will definitely not need to pay the higher rate ERC - yay.  Finished painting the garden railings and putting another pot of flowers by the front door.  Its starting to look a little better outside.  Now need to work on the inside

Kitten868

You are so upbeat and fit so much in despite all that's going on. He has lost. He has lost you. You're a marvel pulling everything together and make everything work without much at all. 
Hope you enjoy your time off together. 

Your dream is not going away. Its just on hold. It will all be over soon and then you'll be the only one pulling the strings xxxx

slm6002

Good Morning everyone and Happy Easter.  Thank you Kitten for your lovely words as always.  Not much has happened here other than enjoying family time.  Spent most of yesterday being visited by family members that rarely visit, but because its Easter they think they should.  Kids have a large pile of chocolate each and some have offered me the odd bite   We can now relax as all the people we didn't really want to see have been and gone. DD has arranged for us to meet up with some friends today and the kids will be skating.  I've not really had any social events for so long.  The snow seems to have been and gone without any excitement (really was quite pathetic snow compared to the last lot lol).  Not too much planned for this weeks holiday as last week was full of appointments.  Still need to get over to see dad for Easter egg treasure trail (he hadn't quite finished all of the clues ready for yesterday).  I'm hoping to get the bathroom painted and then if that goes well maybe move onto another room.

slm6002

Just spent the last half hour unclogging my hoover and trying to make it work.  So much hair wrapped around the brushes.  Now all clean and waiting for the filters to dry.  If it still doesn't work then I have no idea as every inch of it has been cleaned.  It's not a cheap hoover, in fact I treated myself when XH left.  I have never had to maintain an appliance so much to keep it going.  Back to cheap and cheerful next time.  Anyway I am waiting for carpet man to come and quote for hall laminate.  Once he says its all go the carpet is being removed as all I can smell now is cat wee.  I tried to book a trip to the tip as the black bags are mounting up, but the wait is over a week.  Looked at getting a skip, but almost 2 weeks wait.  Everyone must be having a good clear out and spring clean.  Still hoping and waiting solicitors email pops up in my inbox saying its all done lol

slm6002

Well today is wages day so i have transferred money to all of my pots.  My emergency pot now stands at £1017.  I think i am going to aim for £3000 in there. 
I also heard from the solicitor today to say that although he hasn't signed the paperwork she has transferred the money to his solicitors with the strict instruction not to transfer it to him until they have the paperwork in their hand.  I was a bit warry about but she assured me they wouldn't just give it to him.  It also shows that we are not holding up the process our end if it ever went to court.  She has also obviously realised what XH is like and hopes that by doing this it will tempt him into signing the remaining paperwork sooner rather than later.  Until this has been received she wont pay off the mortgage though, so i still don't completely own the house and don't have the final figures to go to the mortgage advisor with.  A bit more waiting but hopefully soon.

caeler

Another step closer!