Moving on

Cherryfudge

New geranium is doing very well thanks (as are its friends).

I spent a bit of time after work tidying up by the back step - it's not recovered from being a building site but was disappearing under water buckets which I've now moved to one side. The various potato bags and larger pots are grouped between the bay window and the door, and the small pots are in front of the log store, so it at least has a semblance of intention about it.

DH has kindly got gluten free bread and pasta for my niece so I've not been to the shops. He's also cleaned the kitchen.

I dashed round doing bits of jobs before my meeting so the laundry is done, including some hand washing and two cushion covers that I kept forgetting to wash the last few times visitors came! They look nice now but aren't dry yet. I also fed the houseplants and did some photocopying for Sunday, but really haven't managed much actually in the house. Lunch was tuna and avocado, tea was cereal and yogurt and I've just had a crumpet with cheese - so I've not made huge inroads into the fridge.

The meeting was really good: lots to go on. Work was three hours - and I really must update my timesheet.

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

Perhaps subconsciously you like the freedom a non permanent contract gives you. 

I kept my geraniums going over winter last year by keeping them in the greenhouse. Mine are bright coral and so cheery. 

I don't even think it's subconscious! I've traded paid hours for lots of activities (too many, I'm still trying to reduce what I have landed myself with!) but for some reason I like the freedom. It means I can do more things with my time, but it also means I won't be contractually stuck in the situation I was in before.

I wish we had a greenhouse. Perhaps one day! Meanwhile my big geranium has been kept going in the lounge window for several years. Last autumn I took about a third of it off, but it's grown back, and more. It's a gorgeous deep red, and the new one is pink and white. I hope to keep both going... perhaps I need a bigger window? There are also cuttings of the red one out in the garden, where they show up beautifully.

Cherryfudge

My list for the morning:

Make up the guest bed
Ironing
Clean bathroom
Tidy dining room
Hoover
Empty bins

in_need_of_direction

Ironing should wait for cooler weather 

Cherryfudge

in_need_of_direction said:

Ironing should wait for cooler weather 

DH is kindly doing it, having already vacuumed!

rtandon27

@Cherryfudge - awwww, your DH is a gem!

Cherryfudge

rtandon27 said:

@Cherryfudge - awwww, your DH is a gem!

I know.

Lots of jobs done, more keep suggesting themselves. Some of those need to go on the back burner till that random, magic 'sometime next week' when I will doubtless have forgotten. I will make a note on the whiteboard to sort tins and dry goods though as I have too many that wouldn't fit into an emergency meal or three.

Cherryfudge

Well, the house isn't perfect but it's okay and we are having a nice time with my niece. She's so nearly grown up now and interesting to talk with. Also, after seventeen years, she's changed her hair and it really suits her. It was her graduation present to herself.

We chatted for a while then J and the baby arrived and shortly afterwards I had to leave for work. I was asked to clean an area that usually takes three hours and reminded them I only had an hour and a half. They were aware and told me just to do the basics - but even so I left about twenty minutes later than planned, though that's allowing for grabbing a snack half way through and getting washed and changed before leaving. I hurried down to the get-together for the children's team and arrived feeling hot and sweaty! However I cooled down after a while and enjoyed pizza with the others followed by an activity where we looked back on the good things that have been going on. As yesterday, a worthwhile thing to have done and I got chatting with one of my team yesterday about an idea for the coming year, so I think progress is being made there. She's also offered to do an activity with the kids this Sunday that I think they will enjoy.

When I got home I sat up chatting with my niece and now I must grab a shower and get some sleep!

rtandon27

Sounds like a lovely day @Cherryfudge - and don't forget that neicey came to see you, not the house!!!

Cherryfudge

My niece has now seen all her cousins on my side, but what a wet day it's been! In the morning we drove up to the moors to meet with A, H and the girls and a lot of other people has decided to go to the area as well, but when we parked opposite each other, the rain was falling so hard we rang each other to discuss plans and ended up driving back to town and having a walk there. Even so, we got rained on so in the end we went back to theirs for a chat.

After that we went to the supermarket for some lunch items, then drove to D's, which is about an hour away. The rain fell thick and fast: loads of spray on the road and everyone going steadily and keeping their distance. It was nice to see D again as we see less of him than of the others. His girlfriend was out and we didn't see her at all but we chatted for half an hour and he drove us to where he could get free parking. The plan was to go to the art gallery but on the way there was so much surface water that my feet got soaked through. At least it wasn't cold or windy, and we had our waterproofs and umbrellas, and the background warmth meant summer clothing dried while we were indoors. The gallery wasn't to my taste but there were some interesting things. After this we went to N8ndos, who are to be recommended for their thorough system for allergens, then back to D's for hot drinks, chat, solving D's abandoned crosswords and generally a relaxed evening (and borrowing socks, in my case).

Costs today have been supermarket food, entry to the gallery and eating out.

On the drive home I texted one of the helpers for the kids' session tomorrow and we sorted out the start of a  running order, and I've written out my story script and printed it since we got home. DH has offered to make the main meal tomorrow so I got the recipe and ingredients out so he can prepare it in the morning. We need to be away in good time to get my niece to the train.