Simple living in the country - back to basics

Cheery_Daff

Afternoon MSE chums,

What a lovely sunny day! 😊😊 I am on strike 🙄 And using the opportunity to have a nice calm day and get some stuff done. We have sampled a new ish cafe in town (will be going back, it was cheery 😊) and run some errands, and now I am out in the garden, having a brief break from digging post holes for the new chicken run extension. 

Not sure there's much financial to report. Car insurance is sorted, house insurance sorted. LPG bill came in the post today but I'd already seen the online one anyway. Annual mortgage statement came yesterday, as of 1st Jan we were at just over £171k, which still feels extortionate, but is far less than the £215k we started with 5 years ago. Made a few small overpayments last year but nothing substantial, and that will continue until we've built savings up again.

MB is being a nuisance, down £99 in Jan, and down another £70 odd this month, AND both subscriptions have come out now, so that's almost another £300 down 😱 I know it all evens out over time, and I've had thousands from it over the last couple of years, but still 😱 Anyway, plugging on. I could reduce the variance by reducing spin sizes, but that then takes more time - so I've opted for higher spin sizes for now. Just waiting for the graph to even out! 

Anyway, it feels good to be outside and doing stuff 😊😊 although it's cold and windy and my nose won't stop running 🙄

We did say we'd do an experimental bit of supervised mingling for the old and new chickens today, so I might go and make us a cuppa to take into the run while we act as Beaky Police 😂

Trying to re-embrace my simple living diary title, more thoughts on that later. In the meantime, here's my bench 😊😊😊 and I am delighted to be sitting on it 😊😊

beckstar1975

Oh my that's gorgeous, is that from your land? Just stunning, I long to live somewhere like that (DH needs a lot of convincing and my health means it may not be sensible)

Mrs_Money_Penny

What a lovely view. How calm and peaceful. I’d never get anything done in the nice weather xx

Fortune_Smiles

That's a gorgeous view Cheery.  Hope the chicken mingling goes well.

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

Thank you all 😊 Beckstar, yes, that's from the end of the garden, it's a lovely view but very windy sometimes! 😂 I often don't get much done, whatever the weather 🙄😂

Still, I've dug another 4 holes today, so that's 6 out of the 10 done now, down to a level where there are stones I can't shift. Will try to get the rest done tomorrow.

Supervised mingling done, mostly alright but there was a bit of naughty pecking from the new ladies 🙄 We'll keep at it, in short bursts, until they're more used to each other. 

And we've written the letter about Mr Cheery's national insurance contributions. He worked with the same employer continuously for 18 years, but there are three non-consecutive years where HMRC says there were no contributions 🙄 We've been told they should be able to sort it out if we write to them but I'm not holding my breath!

And now we're going to get out for a little walk in the last of the light 😊

beckstar1975

Hopefully good news is there's going to be ACAS talks next week to hopefully come up with something that's agreeable to all, I' in a different union (plus our uni isn't in national pay negotiations) but still feel bad working when I know academic colleagues like you are striking - as we're remote the picket is far less difficult to cross than if we were all back in person . . 

hope chickens manage to come up with an agreeable solution soon too

Cheery_Daff

Fingers crossed for agreeable solutions all round, beaky and human! Don't feel bad though Beckstar, there's really no need. I know several people who are in the union who aren't striking - everyone's just got to do what their personal circumstances and beliefs allow. As you know, I have VERY mixed feelings about the whole thing myself.

Anyway, had a nice walk in the past of the light, very chilly out there but good to have a leg stretch. Might make a risotto for tea 😊

KajiKita

I tooted the pickets outside the hospital on the way in and out today 😊

KK

badmemory

Has Mr Cheery still got his P60s for those years?  They used to accept them.  Unfortunately it isn't unknown for some employers not to have filed some before it was all computerised.  Or for someone to do it using the wrong employers ref or the wrong NI No.  Actually if he does have his P60s they may show the incorrect NI No or employers ref & that would be problem solved.

Cheery_Daff

No relevant P60s sadly. He left nearly 15 years ago, and the first missing year is about 30 years ago. But yes, some would have been before it was computerised which would explain I suppose, even if they had years before and after. I did find a letter from 1993 saying 'we don't have an NI number for you, please fill in this form and return it' but I suspect he may not have done... although they the next year is fine so who knows. 

Anyway, he's got a full workplace pension record from all those years, which should demonstrate he worked there. We'll see what comes of it. 

Made a nice risotto using some of the mushrooms I dried at the end of last year 😊