Holding On and Letting Go 🎈

SandyShores

I feel lucky that MrShores does his own laundry these days, my only issue is that he likes to use the clothes racks to dry his clothes and it feels that sometimes these become permanent 'art installations'.  I'm pleased to be relieved of the laundry 'duty' - the years of washing everyones clothes and ironing mammoth amounts of shirts etc. - so I don't mind taking the dry stuff off the racks now and then and putting them away, but occasionally I'll leave it and see who breaks first.

@Suffolk_lass, my first thought was 'eww', and my second was about how people take time to do something when they are going to be caught out, when doing it right the first time was probably easier   Mr Shores likes a little moan, usually about some trivial task e.g. a few crumbs left on the worktop, but these days he knows he will be met with 'instead of wasting time moaning you could have just used your energy to wipe the crumbs up and probably in less time'.  Oh how I wish young me had some of the tactics older me has - I'd have spent a lot more time smelling the roses

FlacosFloozie

Glad that you're feeling better FS- chronic pain really does drag you down.

Re the sewing patterns, sizes are very variable so always worth looking at the size chart for each company but also the finished garment measurements. These should be a bit bigger than your own to allow for movement, unless you're using a stretch fabric. Its pretty standard to need to size up quite a bit as a lot of the major pattern companies base things on a 1940/50s population. Most of the newer online companies tend to be closer to modern sizing.

badmemory

I was just wondering if they still do the multi size patterns like they used to do.

Fortune_Smiles

"We might think we are nuturing our garden, but of course it's our garden that is really nurturing us." Jenny Uglow

Hasn't it been glorious 🌞 We've spent most of the weekend in the garden and the veg patch is now all prepped and planted except one half of the herb bed which still needs weeding.  Everything has been direct planted as we were late getting started this year so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something comes up 🤞  The potatoes are showing their heads so that's good news.  It's lovely to see everything so neat and tidy - just all the flower beds to do now 😮

Our local independent supermarket turned up with our hanging baskets at lunchtime.  We buy from them every year because they are such good value for money and beautiful.  So the house is looking very pretty.  Late May is my favourite time of year.  Our May Tree is in full bloom along with the hawthorn in the hedgerows and you can smell the blossom the minute you walk out of the house.  The wildflowers are blooming in the orchard and there are bumble and honey bees everywhere.  I wish I could stop time for a while and linger here.

I also finished the toile I was making.  I had to change the construction a little to get the fit right (first time I've had the confidence to do this so I'm feeling very smug) and take the usual 2" of the length to accommodate my short little legs 😂  I love the shape of the trousers but there seems to be a too much fabric around the hips as they balloon out over the tummy when I sit down.  So I think I'll make another toile with the hips taken in a bit.  I want to get the fit right before I buy any fabric and the toiles won't go to waste as I'm making them out of old duvets and they'll make fabulous pyjama bottoms.  I also need practice and each garment means a little improvement in my stitching.  Thank you for the pattern advice @FlacosFloozie - very appreciated.  And yes @badmemory all the patterns I've made so far have been multiple sizes but I think you can order singles sizes now from the newer independent companies 

Mr F did some checks and maintenance on the car we bought for our Ukrainian guests.  Now we know the company car ownership has been sucessfully transferred to him we can sell the other.  We were holding on to it because I didn't trust things to go smoothly with the lease company... which they didn't but the car is now ours at least.

We've  been eating salads and soup for the last few days.  I made a big pot of Cauliflower Cheese Soup on Friday and we got three meals out of it 👍

Mr F has just left for his business trip and you'll be pleased to hear he didn't have to go commando.  Very funny to hear your laundry tales 😂

I hope you're sitting in a garden somewhere with the sun shining on you.

Fortune x

beanielou

No sun here sadly all weekend.
Raining now 

savingholmes

Sorry you didn't have great weather Beanie. It was lovely here.

Glad FS that Mr FS managed to go away with suitable laundry... 

Glad the car saga is resolved.

rtandon27

Popping on to say hello - hope all is ticking along in the Fortunate household! 😘

beanielou

Hope all is well in Fortunate land 

Fortune_Smiles

rtandon27 said:

Popping on to say hello - hope all is ticking along in the Fortunate household! 😘

beanielou said:

Hope all is well in Fortunate land 

Thanks for checking in on me guys - it's appreciated.  All is well in the Fortunate household, just very busy and some big stuff to think about.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Big Life Stuff

It seems another chapter is starting for the Fortunate household.  We have decided that it's time for Mr F to set up as self-employed 😲  He is planning to hand in his notice on 1 November 😲

We've been talking about this for a long time.  His work involves a lot of travel and, although Covid curtailed this for a couple of years, it's ramping up again now.  He is also in a role with a lot of responsibility but limited authority which can be frustrating and stressfull.  And he's had a new boss for the last three months who seems very directive and happy to extend the scope of his role without consultation or indeed even meeting him 🤔  Frankly - he's approaching retirement age and, as he charmingly puts it, is getting too old for this s**t 🤭

So we have a lot of plotting and planning to do.

Wealth

• Mr F and I are both taking our main pensions already.  These bring in just enough to cover our essential outgoings but there isn't anything to spare.  However, it means we'll be able to keep a roof over our heads and won't starve - which is a great blessing in the current climate
• in order to maintain the house, save for emergencies and live a little, Mr F will need to obtain 4 days work a month.  This doesn't sound a lot but will make a huge difference to our lives
• we have 6 smaller deferred pensions.  2 of these are so tiny I'm not factoring them into our plans.  The remaining 4 would not provide much in the way of annuities but could be useful as flexible drawdown
• our current thinking is to save as much money as possible between now and the new year to provide a cushion during the transition and to use the deferred pensions to pay off any mortgage remaining at the end of our fixed rate two years from now.  If needed, or if it makes sense tax-wise, we could take the pensions earlier
• there may be some budget areas that need adjusting due to the change.

Health

• to make sure we can enjoy the time we'll be gaining, we'll need to keep as fit and healthy as possible.  Mr F is better at exercising than I am but my shoulder is almost healed and I've started yoga again
• our meal plan is usually well-balanced and nutricious, however, I'll take another look to see how it can be improved and how we can keep costs reasonable
• Mr F has booked two weeks annual leave so he can get some distance from work and think things through.

Happiness

• Mr F has already identified several social groups he'd like to get involved in and has a long list of diy/craft projects he wants to do
• I'll be resigning from the WI Committee.  I do a lot with the WI and it feels like too much at the moment.  Particularly when Mr F and I will finally have the opportunity to do things together
• I have finally found a dog sitter for FDawg 🥳  So we can go further afield or for days out which don't accommodate dogs.  She is even happy to house sit for us so a holiday might even be possible 😁  It's impossible to get good kennel places here unless you book a year ahead so this will make a huge difference to us.

So, once again, we'll be looking to find some balance - the story of my life 😂  There'll be no point freeing up all this time if we can't fund the things we want to do with it.  And this won't be the final chapter for us either.  Mr F won't want/be able to work forever but, at that stage, we'll be looking at downsizing.  In the meantime, we want to enjoy our time here as much as possible.

I'm excited and terrified.  I'm going to use my diary to help me prepare for the change but also to ensure that we remember to live a little whilst all this is going on.  This year has really brought home how events can turn on a sixpence so I want us to make a few memories too.

Wish us luck 🍀

Fortune x