Moving on

Cherryfudge

DH is feeling quite a bit better this evening and ate a light dinner - soup - so he has some more energy. We've both said how difficult it is not knowing from day to day how things will be, but I expect that's the reality for so many people and we are blessed not to have had much of it to date. Of course we could have done without this bug but it's at least given us something else to focus on apart from DH's other health issues!

I found I was dragged down by it most of the day but eventually got distracted and felt a lot better for it. It helps that I go out to work and can use my initiative to find jobs to do if it's a quiet shift. Then I walked home in a beautiful twilight: blue sky and towering creamy-pink clouds catching the colour of the setting sun.

Tomorrow I've said I'll do most of the childcare as DH doesn't have much strength at present but wants to see the children. I've already texted my Tuesday friends and explained I'm happy to meet but not host while DH is unwell, as I think he needs some quiet space in the evening. And I need to text DD and see how her first day at work after maternity leave has been, and how the little one was at nursery as the first two trial visits went quite well then the third one, the baby was upset throughout.

Well, I need sleep or tomorrow will be predictably suboptimal.

in_need_of_direction

I wouldn’t worry too much about sub optimal, it’s probably more than most people aspire to. I also experienced a beautiful pink tinged sunset when heading to pick dd up from the airport. Hopefully dh will continue to improve

Watty1

Sub optimal days are more than so many of us manage that I'd just go with that - although - I hope you find moments of joy in it anyway and that DH continues to feel better.

Cherryfudge

@in_need_of_direction and @Watty1 , thank you for those words, which make me realise I should be grateful for the opportunity to have the day, even if I struggle with aspects of it! And indeed I'm really grateful to have this input and time with the grand children.

We did have a good day, though we got very tired doing it 'Grandma's way', which means we don't go far from the house and I join in the games for hours. DH's 'way' is to go out to an activity in the morning but DGD1 doesn't like this (though she loves the library and the swings once we get there). Like me, she's not a morning person. DH copes by keeping them occupied. I cope by being occupied by them! I suppose they get something from each approach.

Anyway, DH kindly dropped me round to their house and stayed a short while before going home till lunch time. By the time he'd come back, I'd joined in a pretend cake-making session; had to resuscitate a dead mermaid (drowned in a ball pool and very resistant to being zapped by fairy godmother magic); soothed DGD2 who dived into a cushioned ring, propped up against the corner of a wall on which she then hit her head; and introduced the idea of a magic library (in a princess palace, of course. The books sing and some have moving pictures). I made their sandwiches and let them watch TV, then handed them over to DH while I fell asleep on the sofa.

When I woke up, they were still watching TV, so we went into the garden and blew bubbles, and they rearranged garden furniture. It was rather limited by rain showers and DH was being driven crazy by the fast flow of changing plans but I had some little suncatcher painting activities so we got those out and the girls were amazingly focussed on them. The whole atmosphere became calm and everything slowed down, so I learned from that to have something valued but slow to do. We do read to them, especially DH does, but DGD1 seems to create a bit of a cascade of activities that flow into one another and plans change very quickly.

By the time the showers stopped, we were ready to do something else so we took the scooters out round the block (it took a while to sort out all the elbow and knee pads as well as helmets, but I found later that there is no absolutely fair way to distribute one pair of knee pads, two pairs of elbow pads and two odd right-arm elbow pads between two people).

It was then about time to go home. Thankfully DH had bought Southern Fried Chicken yesterday so we had that for tea and it saved a trip to the shops. We really needed some rest! My friend had offered coffee and biscuits at hers this evening and I was torn between that and getting some rest, but apologised and had a home evening instead. I think it was probably a good idea.

So I don't think I've spent anything today. I sold an item on V1nted yesterday (£2) and DH kindly posted it, but nothing else of financial note. I've yet to work out whether my Kindle is one of those that won't be updated after next month, but I'm wondering about downloading a few more classic books as the theory is that downloaded books will still be accessible. I really feel that no longer updating certain models is a short-sighted move: plenty of people will struggle to replace a Kindle without planning for the money, so there must surely be some loss of e-book sales as a result. Fine that they want to drive the product forward, but it has value on a basic e-reader level which this decision doesn't seem to be respecting.

Watty1

My kindle won't update. Your idea of downloading some of the (free) classics is a brilliant one. I'm going to do that. I did look at the price of a new one but couldn't really justify putting that through the business (after all it does not need a kindle) so think I will use the library instead.

WelshmansDaughter

The Kindle app for the phone/tablet works for me. It has the added bonus of meaning I can check the library apps as well before I buy anything.

rtandon27

Our kindle is one of the ones being affected. I'm saddened not because I use it much, but because it was the one we bought my dearly departed mother-in-law which instantly made her the coolest granny on the block! I remember fondly how she announced to me one day that she had mastered bringing up her bible readings for church in a font large enough for her to read easily. She felt she had one up on all the other old dears who were using reading glasses and magnifiers on their 'old-fashioned' paper bibles. Such a fond memory!

TBH - I use the kindle app on both my phone and tablet to read books, when I'm not reading one on either of the library apps. It's really convenient to be able to access all the books on one device and pick up from wherever I've left off last, seemlessly, even if all I have is five minutes to spare and my phone in hand.

badmemory

How do you know which kindles won't update. I have 2 as my old one (from 2012) started to misbehave so I got a new one. The old one of course works fine now but I can't read it in the dark so the new one is better..

Cherryfudge

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81963709#Comment_81963709

I think it's anything from 2012 or earlier. I'd advise googling your specific model as a general query listed a version similar to mine, but not my specific one. I had to ask precisely about Kindle Fire HD 8 to find it's on the 'no longer supported' list.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81963471#Comment_81963471

I love looking through the 'classics' and older books - so many are only 49p or similar prices and there is some wonderful stuff out there.

I notice that the 'Libby' app will no longer function on the 'no longer supported' models, but I assume other library apps may be okay.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81963636#Comment_81963636

I have the app on my phone and laptop but I need to explore it properly. I assumed the phone screen would be too small to read comfortably, but have just realised this is illogical as I read other things on there without a problem. Of course if it's all accessible through my laptop, I don't 'need' to buy another Kindle as I always have my phone and generally the laptop as well. Not that I'm technology-dependent or anything. 😁

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81963641#Comment_81963641

I'm absolutely with you on the sentimental value of the Kindle! My original one was a 50th birthday gift from DH and DS1 and survived all sorts including being dropped in the bath. Eventually the touch screen lost sensitivity, but I count that as fair wear and tear (though I've yet to find a way to recycle the old Kindle and it will be in a drawer somewhere).

It's amusing to hear how your MiL was 'coolest granny'! Tech has come into church culture so much over the last few years: more often than not the person doing the Bible reading will be reading off a phone. I use mine to take a photo of any Powerpoint slides if I'm not keeping up with my notes. We also have an app that I use all the time for everything from bookings to rotas to Sunday School registers. Doesn't replace people, though - just helps them. 😊

badmemory

I must admit I love my newer kindle as I can read it in bed without the bedside light on to waken me up later. I have it on a fairly large font so it doesn't fall on my nose when I fall asleep.

I suspect my older one wont update but I doubt that will be a problem.