Moving on

Watty1

Love the ditch and dine

Cherryfudge

Fridge and soup didn't get done but I arranged the flowers and cleaned the living room, and amazingly my Tuesday group and I managed to meet! It's been months since we all got together so that was really nice. They are going on a weekend away with a couple of others this weekend: I was invited but honestly I find group activities so tiring that I've declined. I need quiet both ends of the day to get going and to recharge my batteries.

Today is lovely and sunny and DH has the day off so he's gone for a walk in the woods. This afternoon he's helping out at the charity shop so I want to get together a handful of donations that are waiting to go. As for me, I'm planning on another run, followed by a short shift at work and hosting the church group this evening. Hence a quiet morning!

Yesterday's spending was £11.72 on food.

Cherryfudge

I'm realising I have a list of things I'm avoiding so I must make some progress asap.

• send cheque from Mum's estate
• sort out a few financial things, but that will be easier once the cheque has gone.
• try on/return mustard-coloured jacket
• try on/leave feedback for tee shirt
• write up latest lot of receipts
• clean fridge
• make soup
• make dinner - chickpea tikka again
• put laundry in while the weather is good

Cherryfudge

The plan for the day got rather frayed at the edges. The people who were going to host tonight had a bug so, as our lounge was guest-ready, I offered to provide the venue.

DH and I had our main meal at lunchtime as I was working later, but I can't run on a full stomach so the run has been deferred. DH went to help at the shop and realised he'd mis-read the rota, then he went for a flu jab but couldn't have one on the spot and has been told when to come back. We therefore had a free-ish afternoon and did some more work on reducing the overgrown greengages. I even picked a handful of lingering fruit from them.

Part way through this, having already done some emergency planning to let J get the present I've sent for L, but which is accidentally in my name so I had to send her a photo of my passport to get the shop to release it, I realised we hadn't sent L's birthday card. DH therefore went out again to do that while I got all the twiggy bits of the lopped branches into the greenie wheelie bin and used the loppers to make kindling -sized sticks which are now in a giant bag to dry for the next two years. The thickest branches are piled up on the side of the lawn till we get the chain saw out.

I think I spent about an hour and forty minutes on wood cutting, so I got exercise without having my run.

I only had two hours at work due to this evening's meeting, and DH gave me lifts both ways. It was quite nice because the manager where I worked on Friday has emailed my manager to say how pleased she was with the work I'd done. The thing is, I'd been asked to do some specifics and had worked hard on those but it meant the offices were largely untouched. I think the area is a bit too big, which puts rather an unfair expectation on the person who normally works there.

When I got home, I got changed out of uniform and people started arriving but there were only four of us as others are unwell, on holiday etc. I think this particular group, nice though we are (!) really need a bit more direction... 

I haven't spent anything though DH bought the birthday card. He's also picked up a load of apples on his bike ride earlier - I tell him I think he's turning into me with these MS ways.

Most of my above list didn't get done either: the tee shirt was tried and doesn't fit, but I couldn't find the jacket that needs to be returned by tomorrow if I'm to get a refund. There's a job for the morning. The usual vat of tikka has been made and the washing is done but not dried.

Honeysucklelou2

Catching up on your diary. The greengage harvest sounds amazing…it has been an excellent year for fruit!

Cherryfudge

Honeysucklelou2 said:

Catching up on your diary. The greengage harvest sounds amazing…it has been an excellent year for fruit!

Thanks for reading. Yes, it was a brilliant harvest, so I will try not to be negative if next year's is sparse. I think plums often rest for a year between good crops. We have also taken most of the height off that tree now, as the high branches were unreachable. Of course, it will spring back.

The was one tall branch that bent right down with the weight of fruit and I've left that long, thinking we could bend it over and grow it as an arch. Still wondering if that would work: it looked lovely bent over the lawn and made the garden more interesting but it's also a bit random.

Today is sunny again and all of a sudden I have 101 things to do and am finding it difficult to get my head round it all. Planned events are cleaning at church and using the visit to stock up some bits for the Sunday morning kids' group. I've already sent various messages to people about the group and upcoming team meeting, so that bit of admin is sorted. I'm working from 5.

The white board on the fridge is filling up with things to do and shopping I need to pick up.

The mustard coloured jacket remains missing so I won't be able to return it unless that changes today. The tee shirt I got from Vinted is too small so I'd like to return that but the seller has said nothing about a returns policy so I think it would be more effective if I just accept it and sell on or donate - I'd lose about as much in posting it back as I paid for it.

I would like to get on with stuff in the garden but that will have to wait, and perhaps the running will too as that plus too lots of cleaning is going to be quite a lot to take on.

Seasonally, a flock of various little birds has descended on our garden over the last few days. Not dozens, but noticeable numbers on the bird feeders: blue t1ts, great t1ts and a robin mostly. Also seasonally, Oct0pus have said we are paying too much and they will be cutting the bill by about £40 from next month! I don't quite understand this as elsewhere on their site it recommends a slightly higher amount of credit than out account has built up.

Then there are lots of financial bits and pieces to sort out and I admit I keep sticking my head in the sand about those. Decisions! At least I'm free to make them, even if I do vastly overthink.

Right, time for another cuppa, stop hiding in my pyjamas and get out into the day.

...and I still have to go through the course notes and see if there's anything I need to prep for seeing my course mentor tomorrow.

redofromstart

I am having lots of small birds visiting too, a good 20 on the feeders as I type.  Excellent pence per smile value I think.

Cherryfudge

What a great way of phrasing that, @redofromstart! The pence per smile are busy as I type.  

Cherryfudge

In the end, I got a fair amount done, including a job that's been a 'frog' for years: sending a cheque to the lady who used to clean for Mum. My sister and I agreed to give her a gift as a bit of a 'thank you' for all she did for Mum, but the money's been sitting there waiting for me to find the right card and the right words. In the end I realised it's a case of 'just do it' and it's been holding me up on some other financial things, so I found a card in the card drawer and sent her a little message of appreciation. It's now in the post and I've texted ahead to let her know to expect something (she doesn't know what).

I waited at home till the laundry finished and it mostly dried on the line over the afternoon, then I went to the pharmacy as I needed to check something with my medication. I admit I bought a 69p pumpkin on the way out, before going on to do the cleaning and the bits of jobs like restocking the cupboard. Now the cleaning team has expanded, there's so much less to do that I spent a lot of time looking at the list as though I'd never done the jobs before. I think I got done what needed to be done, then came home via Asd4, where I got discounted celery (23p), 2 packs of chillis at 12p each, a bag of limes for 24p and a tin of tomatoes (43p).

It was a rush getting to work as it was spitting with rain and I had to get the washing in, but I had three hours there and followed it up with a skulk round Lid1 for any lurking bargains. I spent £12.43 there, of which £2.99 was a book for our eldest Grand daughter at Christmas. I also got some ambient-storage Indian ready meals which were £1.59 each. They are quite small portions but they're going in the emergency/backup cupboard and could be bulked out with tomatoes or chick peas if we were stuck in and needed to feed ourselves.

That has also taken me over the £100 spent in one month for the first time, so I can choose a free handwash, shower gel or item of haircare.

I've given a bit of thought to the course but not actually got my notes out. It's late now so that will have to wait for the morning.

Cherryfudge

This morning seemed quite busy, but instead of looking at the course it was about getting a few jobs done. De-seeding and chopping the chilis to freeze took a while - so fiddly when I wear gloves, so regrettable when I don't! I also realised the windows need a good clean but settled for doing the windowsill in the lounge as there wasn't time for more at that point. I also finished the ironing so I could clear it out of the lounge.

DH's work scheduler had an off-day and he should have started half an hour later. However, that gave him an hour's lunchtime so he came home and we had more tikka while watching the bake-off.

I spent the afternoon with my course mentor and we had a useful time trying to untangle the confusion caused by our cohort dropping out of the main course and continuing it locally, then that 'locally' being disrupted twice which has put us thoroughly behind the main contingent. Despite the interruptions to the course, she's pleased with how I'm doing but there are definitely areas I need to get stuck into that I've been avoiding!

This evening I only had two hours at work so I used the extra time to check a couple of supermarkets for left over pumpkins. No luck on that one but I have a couple to cook. Once again I've bought a few bargain veg and some smoked ham so I had a nice summery supper of ham, mayo and tomato on crispbreads. I confess to three packets of cappuccinos while they are on discount (I've reduced to one a day from two) and a couple of tinned curries for the emergency cupboard which is at last starting to have recognisable meals in it). I also picked up a couple of books from the charity bookshelf at the supermarket and a stocking-filler gift.

Poor DH is still coughing a lot but that could take some time to go. It's been very windy for the last 24 hours and a bit wet, but also lovely and mild (since when was 15 degrees mild?) so I don't think the weather helps. I've also noticed the bathroom ceiling is growing its cold weather grey coat so I will need to get busy with the vinegar tomorrow. Mould will certainly not help the cough.

Expenditure:
Books £1
Gifts £2.99
Housekeeping £20.75