NST January 2022: Janus

ditty1234

Grateful for a whole day of cover, for ds1's friend visiting and a sunny day and walk to work. And another NSD day! 
And grateful for a short week as only 2 more face to face teaching days! 
Made a lasagne, talked to ds2 for a long time, and im off to bed,

pollyanna_26

weenancyinAmerica said:

I understand that the reason for not naming the places was because some of them look to see how they are being mentioned on the Internet. So a cover-up to keep the comments from being found. Of course, if you were saying really nasty things you might want to hide it, but most on this forum don't do that. But even I (who live in America) have figured out what the markets are - just from visiting there. I remember visiting a Sainsbury in London and wandering about in awe. I never knew there were that many varieties of beans and potatoes. And I loved buying our evening meal at the deli counter before going back to our hotel. I have figured out that Aldi's (which we now have here) and Lidl's are among the least expensive and Waitrose and Marks and Spencer's Food Stores among the most expensive - except for YS stuff. When I visited with my parents back in 2005, they loved looking for the YS stuff for our dinners. I had worked out a budget for the trip, and we were able to stay way under it by careful shopping - that, and my parents actually preferred shopping at the charity shops and department stores rather than going sightseeing at castles and tourist sites. They even wanted to use the buses and trains rather than taxis. They had a great trip and still came home with half the money we had started with. I enjoyed showing them how I had traveled on my trips made on my own and with tour groups and individuals looking for their ancestral homes (I did genealogym.

From what I recall we weren't supposed to be seen promoting different companies by naming them in posts. That was on the old platform where every morning there would be a lot of reports of overnight spamming and many of us would be reporting it the following morning.

Moving to the Vanilla ptatform seemed to put an end to spam. I post over on the Garden Fence thread and was recently surprised to see a post from foreign parts talking of their wonderful replacement fence service and how wonderful it would be for us to order a new fence from them. I had a little giggle. We're very fond of our old fence thank you very much and didn't even bother to report it.

polly

weenancyinAmerica

Big brother is watching what we say you know. Sometimes I think my computer is listening in to my conversations. I was talking to a friend on the phone about doing Scottish research and letting her know that she would soon want to get a Scottish dictionary when doing early research - and my computer immediately had a ad up for a dictionary of Old Scots. Never before, never since - downright scary. And it was just something I said - not something I typed!

mothernerd

weenancyinamerica I giggle whenever I mention Iceland (the freezer food shop) and I start getting travel insurance offers for my trip to Iceland (so usually use icyland). I just thought it was so we weren't giving them free advertising on the site (just because I use them doesn't mean I approve of everything they do).

F0xh0les it's not quite like that. I have cousins coming from Cambridge, Abingdon etc and they deserve a butty and a pasty at least before the long journey home. My auntie Marion was the first to die and she organised her own funeral. She did reach her 60th birthday (she proudly showed us all her bus pass) but died before the end of that week, when she was planning to hold her 'surprise birthday party' - my uncle said he found bottles of spirits hidden all over the house and she had ordered the pasties. So they just changed the order with the bakery and the food was used for after her funeral.

Her husband (eldest uncle) was the next to go (their son, a late baby, lost both his parents before he was twenty). I remember him standing alone by the graveside and I went to stand by him and told him to take as much time as he needed and one of my male cousins came and stood at his other side and we just waited until he was ready to leave. Shortly afterwards, his sisters said that if we weren't careful, we would only all be meeting at funerals and we ought to organise some cheerful events. Some people living away would come back for a week at a time, as long as they still had someone here who could put them up. 

So when one of them had a second baby, he was Christened in Newmarket where they were living but then had a blessing at a church here, followed by a party at the home of the sister who still lived here. The priest said something lovely at the blessing about us all promising to tell him our (family) stories.

So my cousin and I had 40th birthday parties - his at a local club with his son (boasting by proxy) about how much his parents had paid for the buffet. At one point my father decamped to the place next door with several of my cousins because women weren't allowed in there. Six weeks later I had my party (at home, all food prepared by me - I didn't do a side of salmon but in all other ways my food was superior, and some of my cousins younger children were thrilled when I told them there was a wooden train set laid out on my bed for them to play with, used a door for a surface). 

We're a very parochial family really. My father was the first person in his family not to live in the same street and for 10 years we lived next door to one of my uncles, his wife and 2 cousins (not always happily). My eldest uncle was a maths genius but didn't go to grammar school (his choice) because his parents couldn't have afforded the uniform and (even when I started) your parents had to sign an agreement that you would stay until you were 16 (first exam stage) and his parents would need his wage as soon as he was able to leave school at 14.

My youngest aunt went to the Catholic grammar 8 miles away but chose not to go on to university. She worked at a local firm and studied to be an industrial Chemist at night school. The degree must have been a forerunner for polytechnic or BTEC type qualifications. I remember her talking to my DS2 (also a chemist) at my cousin's 60th, about how the degree was introduced because so many women (early sixties) left to get married before completing their studies.

My cousins have always been supportive. They came to the surprise 80th I organised for mum, listened to my side of the story and could see how mum was being exploited by her partner's family - she loved him but carried on looking after him far too long, to the detriment of her own health, left all the decisions to his family even when his own doctor said he should be in a home. They just live a long way away and have there own problems - eldest cousin is one of the vulnerable people I'm trying to protect, has had cancer for five or six years and is awaiting a serious operation for other problems.  She has 8 grandchildren and until about 3 years ago was still helping out with childcare.

I don't mind feeding the women from the mother's Union and church - they were all very kind to me after my brother died, always speak to me when we meet and ask after mum (they were also very aware of the strain my mother was under. They've always invited mum to any special events at church and many would visit or call to chat when she could no longer get to church services.

Sorry I'm using this as therapy again. I have an interview at the Jobcentre at 10.40, I don't think it will do a bit of good and am quite apprehensive (calmed down a little now). I need to apply for PIP but my niece said that would take at least 3 months and if I get this, I should get it now (they might take it back when I get through probate).

I did cadge my brother's Christmas money (all accounted for in my little pink book) and I have the money that was in mum's handbag. One of her cousin's said I mustn't be stuck. DS3 wanted to know what that meant and I told him that she meant I should go to her if I needed money.

At home water is once again coming up through the drain (only seems to be water, not carp) but DS3 is worried (and doesn't want to pay 5th time for big sucky or cameras. I phoned Mr and Mrs Builder, saying I had bad news and would like a bit of help and advice. Mrs builder was crying (Mr Builder might have been too) and they want to come to the funeral (won't want to come to the Crematorium, normal people understand about me wanting to keep the vulnerable members of my family alive) but will call round later in the week to see if any of the not draining properly stuff is easily fixable and what to do about the rest (some might be United Utilities responsibility) and I've also asked for advice on planning my much needed new kitchen - I said mum had said he'd been right about her cooker (he wanted her to have a built in oven, she thought the one she had was fine
but soon afterwards found she could put things in but not take them out again). As I said before, Having a 'forever' kitchen with all the adaptations I need would make a great difference to my quality of life (DS1 suggested installing a stairlift as well - would have to be heavy duty as i suspect DS3 and Beloved would also make use of it).

Will have to go, need to throw the accumulated files in a bag and hope I can find all the info they need and would like to gather all the 'extra' bedding because I have found a cs that can make use of it.

Grateful for family and members of the extended family who aren't entitled and think they are the most important people in the universe and my sense of humour (might need it to get through the interview - should I try to make the interviewer cry). No don't be mean, there are enough mean people in the world but thankfully many many kind ones.

pollyanna_26

P{P is not a means tested benefit MN. Good luck.

pollyx

ETA I'm assuming you may be applying for ESA. Slightly easier but PIP is the non means  tested one . Less reductions and messing about. so worth applying for.You have plenty of medical evidence in your favour.

KxMx

New claims for ESA (New Style ESA) can only be made if you have certain NI contributions for last 2 years which usually means been in employment.

Everything else now is Universal Credit so I think that's what she means. 
UC is means tested even if later awarded LCW or LCWRA.

There is a long wait for PIP claims currently and I believe a 3 month waiting period on UC before they will consider a medical assessment. But there will still be a basic allowance payable which is usually approx £75 a week. 

I believe carers allowance runs on for 8 weeks after a death too. 

32b3in2013

weenancyinAmerica said:

I understand that the reason for not naming the places was because some of them look to see how they are being mentioned on the Internet. So a cover-up to keep the comments from being found. Of course, if you were saying really nasty things you might want to hide it, but most on this forum don't do that. But even I (who live in America) have figured out what the markets are - just from visiting there. I remember visiting a Sainsbury in London and wandering about in awe. I never knew there were that many varieties of beans and potatoes. And I loved buying our evening meal at the deli counter before going back to our hotel. I have figured out that Aldi's (which we now have here) and Lidl's are among the least expensive and Waitrose and Marks and Spencer's Food Stores among the most expensive - except for YS stuff. When I visited with my parents back in 2005, they loved looking for the YS stuff for our dinners. I had worked out a budget for the trip, and we were able to stay way under it by careful shopping - that, and my parents actually preferred shopping at the charity shops and department stores rather than going sightseeing at castles and tourist sites. They even wanted to use the buses and trains rather than taxis. They had a great trip and still came home with half the money we had started with. I enjoyed showing them how I had traveled on my trips made on my own and with tour groups and individuals looking for their ancestral homes (I did genealogy tours). 

I am exactly the same when I go to New York,  I love walking around the supermarket, and I am always amazed at the number of different things (or different flavours) in the supermarkets there.  I love shops in other countries!!


No NSD day for me yesterday, I had to expand my over the counter drugs supplies, and bought some night nurse, which thankfully seems to have worked.  I also bought a bottle of lemonade.

Today is going to be a NSD, which makes 9/16+ I believe.  I have some cheese bites and curly fries cooking in the oven,  tonight I am going to have a jacket spud and the last greggs steak pie from the freezer.

Just looked further at my budget and I have paid an extra £148.03 off of my credit card this month, in addition to the usual direct debit which was paid at the beginning of the month.  I have sold 8 items on Vinted, gave a bag of clothes to a friend who has lost 5 stone in the past year and taken 2 sacks of clothes and shoes to the charity shop - all in all, not a bad start to the year.

I hope everyone is well.

32b3

Thrifty_Taylor

Another NSD here, think it might be 10 now.

Sorted & filed paperwork today, then went through a bag rammed full with things. Some dumped, some put in a better place. Found a missing earring - hooray!

Grateful for my missing earring being found, a message from DS3 saying he loved me & being accepted for the Warm Home Discount

lcc86

Turtles I have a quick question about tax:

Left my job on Friday but have a week's annual leave so am technically still employed until 21/01. Started another job yesterday with another employer. Checked my payslip for my old job today and they've taxed me under the BR code. Are they allowed to do this if I am still employed? Payday is 22nd of every month so not sure if that factors into it at all? If they are allowed, that's fine, but if not what's the best way to challenge it?

Anyway, aside from all that, another NSD today. Lots of back pain so have booked an appointment with a physio for the weekend. Would rather not spend the money but need to do something. 

beanielou

Thrifty_Taylor said:

Another NSD here, think it might be 10 now.

Sorted & filed paperwork today, then went through a bag rammed full with things. Some dumped, some put in a better place. Found a missing earring - hooray!

Grateful for my missing earring being found, a message from DS3 saying he loved me & being accepted for the Warm Home Discount

great news on the warm home.
Must check mine.