Seasidegal's Scrimpy Retirement Diary!

Seasidegal58

I arrived at DD's a short while ago and am just drinking a warming mocha!  The traffic getting into London was horrendous and I was a little worried at one stage that I would miss my train. Still, I got to the station ok and the train was only ten minutes late arriving at DD's town, what with all the rain which was teeming all the way on my journey and is still coming down here.  Looking out on the fields from the train on my way up everything looked sodden and flooded ☔️

We're staying in this evening as DD is cooking - DSis and OH are arriving tomorrow so we have meals booked out both Friday and Saturday. 

I had some extra bad news yesterday about my friend's husband who has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. He is currently in hospital as he has a terrible chest infection and yesterday morning he was told that he had at the maximum three weeks to live and basically there was nothing they could do. They were devastated but then in the afternoon the powers that be have found him a slot for treatment at one of London's best cancer hospitals. I haven't had the full story from my friend but it transpires that it looks like the tumour should have been picked up by the hospital quite a few months ago so it's looking like it could be negligence. I'm hoping to speak to her this evening. 

On another sad note another friend has contacted me as her little 18 month old granddaughter has just been diagnosed with leukaemia. She is now receiving treatment at one of our finest children's hospitals so we are all praying for her too. 

I can't believe how much awful news I have heard lately. 
Sorry for the depressing post. 😞

MSE SCRIMPY THINGS
My car fare to the station at home end and taxi from rail station to DD's - thats's all for today. I turned off the heating and all things electric apart from the Sky box before I left. 

beanielou

Such such sad sad news 

milann

That’s so sad SSG…..sending positive vibes your way 

Seasidegal58

Thank you both. ❤️‍🩹

Sun_Addict

Dreadful news on both counts. Lung cancer is treatable if it’s picked up early so it’s disgusting he’s been let down. I hope the good hospital can do something for him. It’s so sad about the little girl but hopefully she will respond well to treatment and get through it 🙏

in_need_of_direction

Best wishes to you and your poorly friends.

Seasidegal58

Thank you @Sun_Addict and @in_need_of_direction. 

My friend's husband is having treatment after all. I finally spoke to her last night and there seems to have been an unholy mess-up with diagnosing all due to his continuing chest infection. He has been moved to the cancer hospital and has started his treatment today.  Fingers crossed for him and my other friend's little granddaughter. 🤞💕
I've had a lovely time at DD's and am off back home tomorrow. DSis and OH drove back home yesterday. We had a good mooch around the town on Saturday - luckily the rain stopped by the time we got there as we walked in. It was heaving everywhere - around all shops and the Christmas market. We had a really nice brunch at the famous cafe and bakery there - we queued for about twenty minutes, which wasn't too bad considering how popular it is. DSis and OH had a successful day - bought boots for themselves.  She got a smart woollen dress and a few little stocking gifts for little nephew. DD bought a couple of cookery books and I bought DD and her OH a pair of living room side tables that she spotted as their main Xmas present. The Black Friday reductions had started so most things were discounted. 

Yesterday we decided to hit the big outlet a few miles out of town, which was a good idea as it's all under cover and the weather turned appalling. DSis and OH bought some Xmas gifts for each other. DD bought two work blouses in Ralph Lauren Polo and I bought DD some new pillow protectors, a chocolate penguin in Hotel Chocolat as a present for little nephew, and some Yankee Candle car fresheners as an Xmas gift for DSis's OH. There was a blanket 25% discount across the board at the outlet as well as the usual reductions
We also went out for two lovely meals on the Friday and Saturday evenings. 

Today DD was back WFH - I was going to have another mooch into town but the rain today has been torrential so I scrubbed that idea.  DD and I are going to hunker down tonight by the fire and watch Netflix!

SCRIMPY MSE THINGS 
Apart from the bits above, I had a couple more taxi fares and I bought the Saturday brunch for all as DD bought dinner one evening and DSis and OH bought dinner on the other.  

My work pension went into my account on Friday ready for assigning on YNAB on the 1st. I have also opened another cash ISA with Family Building Society as I haven't used any ISA entitlement this tax year and I need to ensure that I don't bridge the savings interest allowance this year. It's on for 1 year fixed at 3.8%. 

milann

Your time with dd sounded lovely. 20 minute wait was good for the cafe…..I bet a lot were eating at the Christmas market.
The weather has been dire. Luckily the river wasn’t flooded as I know it floods a lot there 😳

Seasidegal58

Thanks @milann. 😀
Twenty minutes was a good time - though the queue had increased quite a bit when we left. There were loads of food/drink stalls though - all with queues. 

There are no current flood warnings here at the moment although it's being closely monitored. The rain has been and is torrential at the moment so things could change. ☹️

EssexHebridean

That sounds like a lovely time being had there SSG. So sad to hear about your friend and the little one both so poorly though - fingers crossed for their respective treatments being successful.