A Better View 🌄

rtandon27

Happy New Year 2024!

Hope you are both recovered from any late night NYE festivities!  We only just made it past midnight & are paying the price today 🤣🤣🤣

savingholmes

Happy New Year!

VintageHistorian

Happy New Year Fortune! Hope you have a narcissist-free 2024!

Fortune_Smiles

Happy New Year 🥳

Thank you everyone for your New Year wishes - particularly for a year free from narcissists which I think an eminently sound resolution 😂

Our guests left yesterday.  I thoroughly enjoyed hosting them but I also enjoy the peace and quiet that comes after they've all gone home 😆  Mr F and I were exhausted so had a gentle day tidying and relaxing.  I continued a jigsaw we'd started with our guests when the weather took such a nasty turn we didn't want to leave the house.  Mr F started the lego project gifted to him when he left his job.  I also meal planned for the week to make good use of leftovers and did the grocery shop (we've had Baked Panetonne French Toast for breakfast with forest fruits - leftovers from our New Year's Day breakfast).

This New Year feels different for us as Mr F didn't have to rush back to his desk yesterday or jet off to some far distance land.  It's lovely 😁  There is work to do though.  We received the long term contract we were expecting so will be taking a good look through that before, hopefully, signing it and sending back.  We also received a further contract for two jobs which we will need to review too.  Our first invoice is due to be paid on the 10th of this month so I am keeping a close eye on it's progress.  It hasn't even been viewed yet but we have had Christmas of course which tends to delay work stuff 😆

I'm intending to get a few chores done today, update my 2024 diary and sort out some goals for the year.

I hope 2024 turns out to be a healthy, happy and prosperous one for you all.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

What's in Store for 24?

Our key focus this year will be establishing the business and much of that is an unknown quantity at the moment.  So, I'm going to set a general direction for the year and revisit, flex, tighten, etc as things settle down:  So a bit vague in places and intended to be a starting point:

Health 🧘‍♀️

• get new glasses.  I went for an eye test before Christmas, picked up a prescription and chose frames so this is just a matter of going into the main town to pick them up and have them fitted
• control my blood pressure.  I had another spike between Christmas and New Year and it took a few days to get back to normal.  so I'm going to monitor this more closely and try to find out whether it's related to anything in particular
• improve my fitness.  This will involve avoiding UPF and exercising three times a week.

Wealth 💰

• establish the business.  We already have a number of clients (maybe enough) and Mr F has started to get a clearer idea of which jobs he'll take and pass on.  Now we need to get a feel for our new work patterns and cash flow.  Getting paid something would be nice too 😆
• instal a new boiler.  Ours is definitely on it's last legs now and has caused us some problems during December.  I'm hoping it will limp on until the Spring so we can have the work done when the weather improves.  It was twelve years old when we moved in six years ago so it's had a good innings.  I've been saving for a new one since we got here so, although I'll hate to see the money leaving our savings, the money is there and will do the job we intended for it
• put in a boot room.  The boiler is in a small room at the back of the house which Mr F uses as his study.  It's cosy in the winter but like the sahara in the summer.  It looks out onto our courtyard and would make an ideal boot room if we removed the window and put in a door.  We've been talking about making an office in the annexe so that would free the room up.  We don't have an enclosed porch, utility room or boot room at the moment and it would make life much easier if we did have one

Happiness 👶

• make good use of the time we have now we're working part-time.  We're not sure what that will look like yet but we're hoping to get out into the garden more, go for longer walks and have some date days.  Once our new work pattern has settled I'll revisit this
• carry on with my painting, sewing, writing and (reduced) WI activities
• oh... and prepare to be a grandmother 😉

Fortune x

beanielou

Congratulations to you on the forthcoming arrival 

Humdinger1

Sounds fab @Fortune_Smiles! Grandmother?! Xx

greent

Ooh - exciting news, Fortune! 👶

Cheery_Daff

Ooh Fortune, what exciting family news! Congratulations!!! 

Exciting other plans too of course 😊

badmemory

According to my neighbours who have 3 of massively different ages, one of the best things is being able to hand grandchildren back.

I someone is working from home then it seems to be the best idea to separate that as far as possible from normal everyday life.  The odd day doesn't seem to be a problem but when it is several days it can get a bit too much "in your face".