Moving on

Sun_Addict

You seem to find some great bargains on Vinted. I've only glanced at it a few times so haven't been tempted - yet 😆

Cherryfudge

The bargains are great - it's full of things I never knew I really wanted! However, by the time you add the buyer protection money that's part of the deal, then the postage, it's rarely under a fiver. Still great fun but not MS unless you have iron will power.

I was reminded this afternoon, having been looking online for replacement mop heads and washing up bowls and finally buying locally, that online can cost twice as much as local. I do miss Wilkos and their range of cheerfully coloured bowls, but that's not really worth worrying about.

Cherryfudge

Another quiet day as DH was at work and it was cold outside. Most of the evidence for me being up at all is in the form of things hanging up to dry, but I did some prep for the special week at church. Eventually I had some lunch (vegan cheese in an omelette with spinach, then counterbalanced the healthy element with half a giant cookie, followed later by three shortbreads left over from Christmas). Other jobs included re-ordering H's birthday present and making a note of the rest of my CC payments from January. (I know - would have been better done at the time).

My hair hasn't been trimmed since October, so I took some off the ends and gave it a wash. My theory is that it grows from about mid-February, so I thought I'd prepare in advance. I did DH's the Saturday before last.

I've been to collect a parcel that DH will give me for either my birthday or Christmas, so I didn't open it but I know it's the big Denby bowl for my collection. I've also bought more hot chocolate and some cleaning equipment. I remembered to pop into the pharmacy for my prescription and they queried it, asking if I'd been in to pick it up on Friday. That was worrying, as I've no memory of going in then, so I just said perhaps DH had collected it for me, and left. When I asked him later, he hadn't, so we searched and there it wasn't. I also bought a frozen leg of lamb, reduced at Ice1and. It's waiting for Easter.

We've finished the latest batch of chickpea tikka then had a lovely evening service at church. A friend sat by me and I tactfully didn't say anything in DH's hearing as he doesn't know she's pregnant and it doesn't seem to be common knowledge - then later he commented on the baby bump! She's super-slim so perhaps it's generally known. I also got interrupted by a text to say my prescription is ready. Given my recent history of forgetting things I'd ordered, that was a relief but not entirely a surprise. I think one of the staff had checked off the wrong order on their computer system. A similar thing happened once before with a very tired and overworked member of staff trying to run the service single-handed.

DS2 sent a rare communication to the family WhatsApp to say they have heating. I remembered one of the others had said the boiler wasn't working properly but I assumed it was a one-day thing, not all week.

Lastly, I switched on Portuguese lessons on Duo in the hope of having a few words when we go there. I tried it once before and find the pronunciation difficult, so I will have to say 'obrigado' to everyone as that's one thing I can say recognisably.

Spending:

Household £11.55

Housekeeping £1.99

Gift £18.00

Watty1

A pal is very competent in Portuguese and her top tip for the pronunciation would be to use your sat nav or google maps in the language. Hers used to chatter away a lot when she knew where she was going so she got used to just hearing the language. (She is excellent at languages, loves Portugal and wanted to learn so did via Duolingo but the sat nave was a fun tip) .

Cherryfudge

What a good idea @Watty1 ! I think 'getting your ear in' is a massive part of it.

Sun_Addict

As long as you learn the basics like hello, goodbye, please, thank you and a few food/drink items that would be better than nothing. I’ve got a coffee break Spanish podcast in my favourites so maybe worth looking for something similar in Portuguese. We’ve only been to Portugal once, it was lovely and the locals were very welcoming. Don’t know why we haven’t been back.

rtandon27

@Cherryfudge - I love G00gle translate for more complex sentences! It's also great for reading ingredients on all the wonderful foodstuffs in grocery stores! Many a time I've been saved from buying something outside my comfort zone after being drawn in by pretty packaging!

Cherryfudge

Well, I now have G00gleTranslate on my phone - I can certainly see the value for menus as well as if we want to get transport somewhere! I must remember to swap my L1dl app to show the local offers while we are there, as we're self catering. @Sun_Addict, I am working on those very words! I may not need them but I'd like to try.

I don't think I've spent anything today: DH has been out and about as he usually is on a day off, and has collected my prescription as well as driving me to the afternoon class and collecting me from work this evening. He's also sorted out our travel insurance which we put on my credit card in the hope of getting a few pence back as loyalty points.

I asked him to get chocolate as a thank you for the lifts the tutor gave me. Then the person I've been supporting through the class passed her exam and the tutor gave her chocolate to celebrate and some for me too, for supporting her. She passed well so not only is she happy but so are the tutor and I, so I'm hopeful I may get the same role again as she progresses.

I had two and a half hours at my evening job and I'm quite tired now.

Cherryfudge

I'm not sure I can remember much of Friday though I indulgently stayed in bed far too long and gave myself a headache playing on my phone. Some progress made in the afternoon as I made a start on my bit of the cleaning at church. My sense of time being what it is, however, I had to leave for work part way through.

DH gave me a lift home as it was raining (again) and told me I'd had a call from the husband of the lady who used to be my Sunday School teacher. I'd not had her customary newsy letter either this Christmas or last so I suspect she had passed away, and when I rang back, he told me she had. My letter at Christmas had prompted him to find my number in her address book. She will be much missed, but I will try to keep in touch with him.

Today has been a faint mist of drizzle most of the day. DH fitted in a morning bike ride and I did the laundry. We decided to finish up some bits and pieces for lunch. My choice was leek and potato soup from the freezer, which was too salty. There must have been something else wrong as well because this evening I've had stomach ache and kidney ache. Anyway, the soup is all gone now.

DH has treated himself to another painting so I seized the moment (while he was happy and had just spent out a bit, so was vulnerable! 😉) and we had a chat about finances. As a result he now understands a bit more about our bank accounts and has transferred some into savings from current. Yes, I could have done it but that wouldn't have been constructive as I knew he likes to see enough in current! I think I persuaded him that swapping surplus into an account that at least pays interest is better unless it's needed this month.

In the afternoon we went out for coffee/ Earl Grey / cake to the little place out of town that a friend introduced me to last year, then on for a local walk. I'll try to upload a few pictures: wintery but picturesque.

From there I went to finish the cleaning I started yesterday, with help from DH who knows where things are kept and can do refills and hoovering while I mopped (new mop = new toy). The rain started properly about this point and when we got home, the power was off. Duly reported and used my phone to find emergency tealights while DH contacted A and H to ask if he could cook his cheese on toast at their house! They kindly invited us to share their curry but we'd already had a main meal and at that point the lights came back. Our street is odd in that the lights seem to be on rather random circuits, meaning some people are unaffected, but the woman at the power company told me 24 people had lost power.

DH and I have both heard a rustling behind the bath panel! I hoped it was pigeons on the roof outside but I think that was wishful thinking. It's possible a mouse has got through the pipework, which could be a real nuisance as those pipes lead into the boiler cupboard in the spare room and from there to wherever a mouse wants to go. I'm going to put a trap there tonight, just in case.

DH's financial progress led to a discussion on how many accounts we have open, and I've started to research some better ones. I've also listed a further three items on V1nted (weather was so good earlier that I got decent photos). Nothing spent by me today, though DH bought his painting. The coffee etc came to £12.20 and groceries (DH's shopping) £13.08 plus an oddment of £2.48 which I think was probably DIY.

Cherryfudge

Atmospheric mist over the Vale of York!