Moving on

Sun_Addict

Good luck with the application. Hopefully since you have a long list of relevant courses that will stand you in better stead than someone with level 2 maths but not as many courses. And, as you say, you got the job last time without it. 🤞🏼

Cherryfudge

Thanks @Sun_Addict, I looked at my application and thought 'They will want me for exactly the post I've now turned down twice'. All my skills match me with it and they need staff, but I need to put it behind me.

Activity today seemed to have been a lot of messages to try to sort out various things and I've made some progress. It's mostly to do with the children's work.

DH cooked us liver and bacon for lunch: I'm sure my iron levels must be edging higher by now, what with that and taking liquid iron, though I'm taking it in smaller doses than recommended.

In the afternoon we went out for a coffee (one free one on my app and one paid for by gift card) then called at The W0rks for a puzzle book as part of my niece's late, late Christmas present. I got both her and me some colourful biros, too.

I called in to see my friend who had the operation, gave her a card and stopped for a short chat. Good to hear she's actually been able to walk about a bit. I ended up being a bit late for work, which my boss was very nice about but I felt bad.

Part of the admin turned up an email that I'd not spotted last week. It was from the man who bought my parents' old house as some post had come for her which he'd opened in error. He scanned it and sent it on - it's a very small share holding that came from my Dad's work, so I need to get that transferred to my name. I knew about it years ago but never got round to doing anything and my sister told me she didn't want a share in the shares, so it's only going to me. I remember the first time my Dad got a latter about the dividend and burst out laughing: it had earned him 6p in a year.

It was nice to know that the family who now own the house are still there. He mentioned they are planning to rebuild the drive and garage so I emailed back with some stories about them.

So, nothing actually spent on the coffees, £3 spent on stationery for me and £6 on gifts for my niece.

Cherryfudge

As of this morning, we have smart meters. Welcome to the 21st century, Fudge household. Excellent engineer, no fuss though I felt I had to apologise for the heaps of boxes he had to navigate in the spare room to get a photo of the boiler!

Actually my main focus for today need to be sorting some of that spare room. I want to get the presents for my sister and her family ready to go in the car on Saturday. I suspect I'll also buy a couple more stocking fillers for my niece - when I can stop checking the app every two minutes to see what our electricity is doing!

rtandon27

oooooo - new toy time! - I suspect I'd be playing with the app too!

Cherryfudge

Lol, it's interesting, especially when I finally got down to some ironing and the graph spiked! I've not yet looked up how to use the (very bright pink) hub that came with it but that can wait.

Our hose 'broke' the other day and neither of us could find the problem. Today I solved it (getting rather wet in the process): there's a little clip that clicks under a screw thread so the water stays on, and this screw had become too loose. I've not worked out how that stopped the water, but if it happens again, we will know what to do. Nice to have given the plants a drink: even a rose was starting to wilt.

The children's work has had a message round, outlining changes projected over the next half term, so I spent a bit of time replying, basically in favour apart from a couple of things I'd like to put the other way around. We've a meeting on Sunday so I hope to find out what other people think. It's more important to back those who are taking it forward than to have my way, and I think having a prescribed structure will be helpful for the children - we are a bit ad hoc at the moment.

Eventually I made myself get out the 'Christmas' gifts for my sister and family and wrapped some more. Nearly all done now and there weren't quite as many as there seemed to be. It's just that they've been in the way for so long!

Nothing spent by me today. DH got us fishcakes for tea and I've used about half the remaining salad from the weekend. Work this evening was three hours and on the way home it looked as though it might rain, but didn't. Everything is parched: grass has yellow margins and sometimes yellow in the middle. The air dries your throat when you're out. I'm still mostly enjoying the warmth (it's not been a heatwave here for a while) but we really need the rain.

Cherryfudge

I'm working this evening but won't be doing the church cleaning as the area I do is under scaffolding! Instead, I've gone back to the remnants of my list and decided it's ridiculous to send a birthday card for 12 days ago, so I might see if I have her email and can send a chatty message.

I will make my way into town at some point and add some chocolate and maybe a nice mug to my niece's 'Christmas' stash.

A small bit of spending today: a bath mat off V1nted, still effectively free as the money from the dress I sold has covered the last few payments. V1nted has a new thing where they offered a reward for buying in the form of 'postage only' coffee. I'd seen similar on L3bara and decided to take advantage of it but the session timed on V1nted, out then didn't give me the same rate. I will probably pick up on the L3bara offer as it's quite a saving provided I cancel the subscription afterwards.

Other than those things, my list now looks like this:

• Vinted listing(s)
• Water plants
• wash hair
• pick gooseberries
• laundry
• Email re solar
• follow up re chimney sweep
• book carpet cleaner
• clean kitchen and bathroom
• sand and paint bench
• buy fence paint

Cherryfudge

I had a further day of procrastination, so all that got done was cleaning the bathroom, washing my hair and a load of laundry… and too many games on my phone.

Eventually I realised I was subconsciously aiming to do the shopping on the way to work, so I put on my work clothes, had lunch, had a coffee, had an ice cream and eventually got out. My V1nted parcel was ready to collect so I've been carrying that from pillar to post since about three thirty, but not had a look at it yet. I felt a nudge to look in a charity shop and they had some lovely socks (new) so I got my niece a pack, and also a tote bag with a bee so my BiL can have his gifts in a not-too-feminine bag. I have tote bags for the ladies' presents already. Then I looked in a couple of places for a mug for my niece and found the perfect one with a dragon on. It was then time for work, but on the way home I called into MrT for nice (local) coffee for my BiL and hot choc for my niece. Now I feel the 'stocking' are full enough, and the things in them are reasonably personal - I love buying for people but get mega-stressed and overthink it at the same time!

DH made a lovely chicken curry for dinner. I have stopped breathing fire now and am off to have my bath.

WelshmansDaughter

I hate buying for people and that sounds like hell to me 🤣

Dakota_Rose

Your gift buying sounds very thoughtful and personalised. I’m sure your relatives will appreciate the amount of care you’ve taken selecting their gifts. I really enjoy choosing and buying gifts for others, but couldn’t face Christmas in July 😂.

Cherryfudge

It's been a good weekend, though we were both worn out by this afternoon!

I woke up yesterday morning with what I think was mild food poisoning and didn't think I'd be fit to travel but went back to bed for an hour and felt more stable afterwards - and, amazingly, have been okay since, despite three bad hours early yesterday. Anyway, we set off an hour later than planned and it's a two and a half hour journey each way, so time with my sister and her family was truncated. DH pointed out that while we've often been to their house, it was the first time we've visited while they were actually there. He also commented (afterwards) than my sister looks healthier than previously, which I'd noticed too. In fact, it was a really positive time and I think it helped that they weren't pushed for time amid a busy schedule as in previous years.

They took us on a local walk round some beautiful paths and we saw a heron in the river. We were going to go for coffee but the chosen cafe had shut for the day so we can save that one for another time. My sister is friendly with quite a few shop keepers and had asked the antique shop to stay open so DH could have a look! We didn't buy anything but it was interesting, including a skeletal two-headed bat. We didn't buy it!

The present opening was a success and not too heavy - yes, weird in a way to have Christmas paper in July but other than that it was a normal present exchange. I was given a craft kit for needle felting, which I've never tried but am looking forward to. We treated them to chips for tea then set off home. It's a beautiful drive, especially the northern part of it.

Today I was helping with the children's activities in church, using our new venue which seems to have been well thought-out and quite a success. Afterwards was a meeting where the new children's leader briefed us as to plans. He's someone we know well and has put a lot into preparing for some changes that we can't avoid, but we now have a summer break so we won't see things in action till September. Meanwhile there will be a lot happening behind the scenes!

DH made dinner - the rest of Friday's curry - and we watched 'Fake or Fortune' then I fell asleep till tea time.

Pr1me has been cancelled a day early and I should get a 50p refund.

Pleased to say I elbowed my way to the top of my Duolingo league and have gone up again. It's always tough at the top, though, as the serious contenders have sharper elbows forceful competitive tendencies, so I may well fall off the giddy heights. Aptly, a new French word today was 'sommet', meaning the top of a mountain.

The plan for the coming week:

Monday - work pm.

Tuesday - child care. Unlikely but possible for the Tuesday group to meet.

Wednesday - summer BBQ with the Wednesday group from church.

Thursday - coffee with my church line manager. Work pm.

Friday - off to friends for the weekend.