Mortgage free in Forever Home :-)

Humdinger1 · 22 October at 9:48AM

You could write yourself a note to put under the Christmas tree, saying that you are through and done with the PC? That would be a fab present to self. Love Humdinger xx

KajiKita · 22 October at 6:28PM

Thanks @PennysIntoPounds, @skint_spice, @Watty1 😊

Humdinger1 said:

You could write yourself a note to put under the Christmas tree, saying that you are through and done with the PC? That would be a fab present to self. Love Humdinger xx

That’s a really good idea … 😉

Some weeks ago I set some salvia cuttings going. Tonight I rummaged through the bags and pots and found … one cutting with roots! 🤩👏😊😂❤️
My normal hit rate with cuttings is zero, so I’m actually quite pleased with that 😉

I have also replied to my uncle (on my dad’s side) who emailed me the other day to ask how I am with something suitably anodyne and non-committal … 😉

KK

PennysIntoPounds · 22 October at 9:13PM

Ah that's nice of family members to be in touch.
Yay for the salvia cutting, I love a bit of salvia

KajiKita · 24 October at 6:39PM

Work was as busy this morning as the rest of the week, but I got my assessment task done for the health and safety course I went on about a month ago (I finally got the assessment assignment on Wednesday this week, after chasing hard for it!) so at least that’s ’off my desk’ …
I was aiming to leave on time today but got held up keeping an eye on the sparkys FINALLY changing the lamps in the weird globes in the atrium reception we have (I don’t trust this slightly madcap team to work at heights sensibly, without a bit of an eye on them … I’d already caught them this morning, with two men in one cherry picker with only one harness between them ... 🙄😂)

Headed into town and got some critical to me supplies from gr@pe tr33 - always prefer to buy these in person as I can check the expiry dates and get the bright pink ground cranberry for my overnight oats - so much less bitter! 😉

Picked up some fresh mushrooms for dinner tonight and then headed past home to the next village to collect my prescription (which has been increased again this week … 🙄).

Lobbed a washing load in the machine and finally sat down to some lunch at 2pm.

Had a brief chill with a wet Chloe in my lap … daft, soggy, soppy, cat ❤️ and then got stuck into:
- deep clean and filter change of water jug
- ordering new water filters
- cleaning the downstairs loo
- cleaning the bathroom
- throwing the washing through the tumble drier briefly to get it mostly dry and then onto the heated airer (it had been beautiful sunshine all morning and just as I was turning into our road it clouded over and was spitting by the time I unlocked the door … how rude! 😉😂)

Had another chill on the sofa with Mr KK and mutually appropriate cuppas - had the weekly meals discussion, finished the Sainsbugs order and then had a bit of time to do a couple of crochet blanket rows and even a teeny bit of tapestry 😊🤩❤️

I have a very long and quite challenging PC email to respond to, but I think I will leave it until tomorrow and even sleep on it before I respond as it is pulling up huge frustration in me …

Fajitas for dinner with chicken for Mr KK the mushrooms for me 😊 I have a little of my mix left that I will riff with some eggs into some kind of frittata for Sunday breakfast for me 😊 The left over sour cream with chives will be saved and used in the pasta, peas and cheese mix that we’re having later in the week’s meal plan 😊

Mr KK has decided to ‘go on the books’ with his always-working-for-customer - it’s just getting too expensive and complex to be self employed anymore and he’s had enough. At least he’ll get holiday pay and sick pay finally, at the age of 61!! 😂😂

KK

Watty1 · 24 October at 6:58PM

Do you really need to stay at the PC as it is so draining? Can you not take a leave of absence and never go back? Surely someone will step up if you find yourself unable to fit the work in ?? (You have btw convinced me never to stand for a PC)

KajiKita · 24 October at 6:58PM

Oh and I’m off on an adventure tomorrow. Heading 90 minutes south to Lacock Abbey to meet a (fb) friend (we’ve met before 😊) who is heading up from Devon so we can meet ‘in the middle’ 😊 There are meant to be pretty gardens, the abbey and a photography exhibition by Werner Bischof - no idea what to expect, but the artistic stimulation is always welcome 😊

KK

PennysIntoPounds · 24 October at 7:04PM

What a productive day!

Good for Mr KK for deciding on simplifying things for himself (and your mutual household budgets hopefully)
And good for Chloe for recognising an absorbent heated dryer when she sees one 😁

KajiKita · 24 October at 7:13PM

Watty1 said:

Do you really need to stay at the PC as it is so draining? Can you not take a leave of absence and never go back? Surely someone will step up if you find yourself unable to fit the work in ?? (You have btw convinced me never to stand for a PC)

I have two traits working together that mean it’s not possible for me to do this (loyalty - in this case to the Chair who I really respect and get on well with - she won’t be far behind me in resigning….) and a determination to be professional (to whatever standards I think have to apply …).

I have a risk register to write - that won’t be too bad, it’s primarily an intellectual exercise.
I need to continue responding to various emails and other inputs until the end of the year.

The good thing is that this isn’t actually my job, so I *can* and have started to walk away from nonsense like this until I’m in the mind set to deal with it.

In my actual job I would have to drive myself, bend myself, invest energy in, to respond in the time frame required by the role.

That is just about manageable… but I’ll be glad when it’s done.

This particular email landed late morning today. I’ve already had one useful idea about how to respond in a way that is constructive just by waiting and leaving the back of my head to ‘digest and process’ the message …

Btw, my experience probably doesn’t reflect all PCs. There’s a whole series of factors (the PC membership, the PC previously having been run really poorly and we are having to run to catch up, the last Chair having had a nervous breakdown and me having to step in from Vice Chair at zero notice, the busybody MotP, our tiny size and minute precept, the Clerk being very compliance driven but a strikingly poor communicator and so on and so forth) that mean our / my situation is fairly unique … (I hope! 😂).

KK