Moving on

rtandon27

Lovely ta-da list Cherryfudge!

Sun_Addict

I thought of you today when our office cleaner thanked me for picking up a paper towel that had fallen to the floor. She had a meltdown a few days ago when there was a very rare queue for our bank of 20 toilets (and this is just on one floor out of 9) and someone complained about her closing off a few she was in the process of cleaning. She shouted there are too many people using these toilets and if you all didn’t use too much loo roll she wouldn’t have to keep unblocking them 😬 She always seems very stressed and is lovely when you take time to speak to her, most people ignore her which is a shame. 

Laura_Elsewhere

Cherryfudge said:

 I also restricted myself to one bag of fresh sprouts (marked down to 10p so cheaper than Sains Christmas discount). I realised I'd had to throw out half a bag of the last lot as DH doesn't have them and there are only so many of my meals that can accommodate them. This should do for Christmas dinner plus a few spares, so I'm about to prepare and blanch them while I remember. 

After years of throwing out unused sprouts I now buy twenty-one loose sprouts, and pick nice ones, which gives us ten each for Xmas dinner, plus one for luck... I prepare them and blanch them and then they go into the freezer, along with the half-roasted little sausages wrapped in bacon, the bread sauce, the turkey breast joint and anything else I can prepare in advance! 

Cherryfudge

badmemory said:

I decided that this house was the one the apprentices built.  There isn't a wall that would look acceptable if it was just painted & this is not an old house, not even 15 years old when I bought it.

My parents' house was older, and built on the side of a hill. It had had over a hundred years of gravity on clay soil so I expect the whole thing had moved a bit in the general direction of Ireland.

I suspect the one we have is more or less right, but in the corner where the clock is, the floor slopes down where we had to have a joist repaired. The house was made with a down pipe that empties over a grid right next to an air brick that leads to the underfloor space with wooden joists. Hence replacement joist and one corner lower than the surrounding floor, possibly because the weight of a storage heater above over unsupported floorboards proved too much for level flooring.

Cherryfudge

rtandon27 said:

Lovely ta-da list Cherryfudge!

Thank you. 

Sun_Addict said:

I thought of you today when our office cleaner thanked me for picking up a paper towel that had fallen to the floor. She had a meltdown a few days ago when there was a very rare queue for our bank of 20 toilets (and this is just on one floor out of 9) and someone complained about her closing off a few she was in the process of cleaning. She shouted there are too many people using these toilets and if you all didn’t use too much loo roll she wouldn’t have to keep unblocking them 😬 She always seems very stressed and is lovely when you take time to speak to her, most people ignore her which is a shame. 

Oh, your poor cleaner! Most people are leaving as we come in so that pressure isn't there. Our office staff are generally really nice and stop to chat if they see me, but it's after their working hours so there's less pressure to be getting on with work. When I worked in those offices our cleaner was really interesting: she had a flock of sheep which she had adopted as individual lambs.

From my observations, IT use the most toilet roll and the call centre uses most paper towels. It's funny how entire departments seem to take on distinct characteristics.

Laura_Elsewhere said:

After years of throwing out unused sprouts I now buy twenty-one loose sprouts, and pick nice ones, which gives us ten each for Xmas dinner, plus one for luck... I prepare them and blanch them and then they go into the freezer, along with the half-roasted little sausages wrapped in bacon, the bread sauce, the turkey breast joint and anything else I can prepare in advance! 

That's precision for you! The perfect solution to food waste. 

Cherryfudge

Yet another full-on day. DH had tachycardia right through till bedtime from late morning, but is determined not to think too much about it, though he did have a rest for a while. By bed time he said it had slowed a bit. I can't help being concerned but the doctors are saying the heart is healthy and we think the episodes are triggered by sudden activity.

Other than that, we had a shopping trip to try to get hold of hot chocolate, the sort you make with milk. It's gone! My favourite one is no where to be found and the own-brand ones are sold out, leaving only the high-end ones. I've looked it up and apparently there was an issue with the quality. Meanwhile, I've spotted the first Creme egg wrapper of the season...

I managed a supermarket trip that set me back all of 5p, and I paid by card because that's all the till would take. They had discounted the Christmas discount and parsnips were about a penny each. Later I went back for my prescription and bought more stuff, including a gammon for Christmas. Total housekeeping spending is £8.94.

Work was really quite after yesterday: my colleague was right and the party was the final bash before people taking Christmas leave. 

I've wrapped DGD's birthday present and J dropped off a contribution to Christmas dinner while we were out (DH at work Christmas meal and choir practice). This puzzled me as I found the drinks but it took some time to locate the food. How she fitted it in the freezer I don't know!

Cherryfudge

Just when I thought things had settled, I've had some sorting to do for the pre-schoolers. One of the advantages of being leader is that I can change the programme which is what I've done for this week. I won't tackle it till this afternoon after DGD's birthday party. The session is shorter than usual to let the children take part in the pretty bit of the carol service where there are lit candles, but they still need a story and a craft activity. I took the opportunity to ask if any parents want to help out in the coming year: I'd be surprised to get any takers right now but the idea is introduced so I can nudge it come the new year.

Right - time to switch on party mode and celebrate with DGD!

Cherryfudge

Things have moved on! DGD had her birthday party with immediate family including grandparents, uncles and aunties and another child who she knows well. They kept it more low-key which I think was a good call as both girls are still tired after whatever bug or bugs they had. It was nice to see so many of the family though.

When we got home I stayed up till stupid o'clock trying to make some cardboard figures to tell the story for today's session but in the end I didn't use them. I think a useful New Year's resolution for me would be to spend a bit of time practising drawing people. I did A level art back in the day but I've not kept it up.

I had some big surprises following my message about more volunteers: two parents have offered, and one of the existing team is going to lead a session. Today's session was very full on as there were visiting children who thankfully all had a grownup with them but we had eleven which is the most since I've been running it. Cue hurried prep of extra craft activities! I generally prepare for 10, 'just in case'.

DH was in the choir for the carol service, of which I saw the end but was rather preoccupied making sure all the children I couldn't immediately see were actually safe with families while not dripping hot candle wax on myself or anyone else. It makes life interesting. Afterwards DH said he'd go carol singing for a charity he supports. They nearly had to call it off but the forecast gales waited an hour or so, so funds were raised. The afternoon, though, was very windy and DH put stones out to hold down the chicken coop roof - once I actually have chickens I'll have to have storm plans in place, if only a sturdy plank that can run the length of the coop with the stones on.

It's all quiet now. I've filled one of the bird feeders as the wild birds seem very keen on peanuts but are trying not to eat the 'fat balls'. These were cheap ones and I'm wondering if they were perhaps made with vegetable fat, which I've heard is not good for birds.

Dinner was sausage pasta, eaten while catching up on the Christmas Sewing Bee. Another resolution for next year will be the perennial one about learning to use my sewing machine!

Nothing spent. Too tired to do much useful though the Christmas cards are now put up.

Justcrackingonwithit

Sounds like a busy and full on day @Cherryfudge hope you got a good nights sleep last night. 

I’ve just moved into my new house and I don’t seem to see many birds in my garden, although think that might be be because there are a lot of cats around…..

Cherryfudge

Justcrackingonwithit said:

Sounds like a busy and full on day @Cherryfudge hope you got a good nights sleep last night. 

I’ve just moved into my new house and I don’t seem to see many birds in my garden, although think that might be be because there are a lot of cats around…..

Hiya, nice of you to visit my diary Justcracking! Yep, it's been busy... plans for today are wrapping presents, bits of housework and work later.

I'm sure the cats scare the birds away to some extent, but I think it took a while for us to become known to the local avian population in spite of having neighbours who are bird-friendly. There are magpies, sparrowhawks and cats around the area but we have trees and hedges so the birds have vantage points and shelter which must make them feel a bit safer. I also made a bird bath which gets used, and try to ensure it doesn't freeze over so they can drink. There are quite a few bird feeders around: a bit of a legacy from wfh during lockdown when we realised how nice it is watching the birds when on the computer!

ETA: That's DH on the computer, not the birds (sending tweets).