Holding On and Letting Go 🎈

Fortune_Smiles

beanielou said:

Happy shiny new diary Fortune. 

themadvix said:

Lovely to see you back Fortune! 😊

Hi both 😊 - thanks for joining me.

Fortune x

savingholmes

Glad you are back posting... 

Cornish_mum

Hi Fortune welcome back, so lovely to see you posting again CM

Fortune_Smiles

savingholmes said:

Glad you are back posting... 

Cornish_mum said:

Hi Fortune well back, so lovely to see you posting again CM

Thank you both - I'm glad to be back.  It's been a busy, spendy time and I'm ready for calm to return 😆

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

A Moment of Calm

Mr F has just taken our Ukrainian guests to the airport.  It's the first time I've been in the house alone for over two months so it feels strangely still.  They are flying to Romania and will be travelling by car from there across the border home.  It will be a long and arduous journey for them.

My second post on a new diary is usually a list of goals but I don't feel quite ready for that yet.  Our guests arrived just as we reached our financial milestone and all our time and money have been directed at supporting them.  So I've no idea how the budget will work with just the two of us and the rising costs of living.  Time will tell.

So I think I'll just do some thinking here while all is calm and quiet.

Health

I've been so busy looking after other people that I've neglected to look after myself - I've over-eaten, drunk too much coffee and done virtually no exercise for weeks.  There have also been some stressful times which were to be expected given the circumstances.  So, I'm going to focus on myself for a while and try to restore some equilibrium.

Wealth

The costs of hosting were far more than I anticipated - largely due to providing two, separate, special diets.  We also wanted to show our guests a little of the country so there have been some social events and trips to fund.  We still do not have any of the promised Government money.  Fuel costs rose sharply just as they arrived and there was a lot of running around to do particularly in the first month.  We had decided to take our foot of the brake for a little while but I'd like to feel I had some control over the budget, hence the return to a diary.

Happiness

Hosting two almost strangers in one's home could be a recipe for diaster but it has been far easier than I'd hoped.  Despite the circumstances back home, our guests have been good company and a great help around the house and garden.  I have felt the strain a little as we are rural and they were dependent on me to ferry them around.  I also felt I needed to distract them and get them out of the house so I've had very little me time.  We had just arranged a car for them so they could become more independent and then circumstances changed at home and they had to make plans to leave.  The car is still coming 😲 but more on that later.  I've been to a couple of WI meetings on my own in the last week or so as the ladies wanted to stay at home and pack and make plans for their journey.  I will miss their company but it did highlight that I've been missing out on some of the things I enjoy.

I think I have a general direction to move in for the next few weeks.  Some friends are coming on Tuesday evening to stay in the Annexe but it's only for the one night and my guests helped me get everything ready in there before they left.  We've all agreed to eat out that night so there won't be much work for me to do.  Then we'll have the place properly to ourselves and I can have a good think.

It's been an emotional day and I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight... and maybe a glass of wine.

It's good to be back.

Fortune x

beanielou

Shocking (or maybe not) to read that none of the money from the government has yet materialised. Some hosts would be depending on that money to help with costs. 

Fortune_Smiles

beanielou said:

Shocking (or maybe not) to read that none of the money from the government has yet materialised. Some hosts would be depending on that money to help with costs. 

I know Beanie.  There's been delay after delay and they keep moving the goal posts.  I have finally passed a DBS check which initially wasn't needed but later considered mandatory (along with the welfare visit which was initially conducted via telephone and text 😲 but later required in person).  I'm hoping I've crossed the finish line now and the money will appear soon.  I'm holding off telling them our guests have left as I'm sure it will throw the whole thing up in the air again and we'll end up with nothing.  They can legally leave the UK for a fortnight before they lose their place on the Scheme anyway and they have to be with us for at least two weeks of each month for us to quality for the payment so, as long as I don't claim anything for July we'll be legal 😆

Fortune x

Jessy103

Good to have you back, Fortune x

savingholmes

Good that you can focus on your needs again and re-find your balance.

Fortune_Smiles

Jessy103 said:

Good to have you back, Fortune x

Thanks Jessy 😊

savingholmes said:

Good that you can focus on your needs again and re-find your balance.

I do feel a bit out of sync SH.

Fortune x