Moving on

Cherryfudge

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82133810#Comment_82133810

That's a good point @WelshmansDaughter , it's been a full-on week. The area is undoubtedly more swollen though.

Yes, I'm still doing the cleaning: I had two jobs, both on a relief basis and the cleaning continues like that so it's up to me how often I do it. It's a good counterbalance to the necessary sedentary nature of helping in a classroom, and I like it in its own right. Straightforward with occasional quirks (the other day there was a parking meter cover in someone's rubbish bin).

The other relief post has now become part-time established, that's the one that's in early stages at present.

Cherryfudge

Bookmark Issue — MoneySavingExpert Forum

It's not just me - the 'bookmarks' feature has gone haywire!

rtandon27

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82133925#Comment_82133925

The new and improved bookmarks are a nightmare! - I managed to sort by bookmarks and recent posting to see all my faves...tell me what bright spark thinks we need to constantly see the first post of diaries?

ETA - wondering if the pain flare-up could be the weather? - my joints have been aching since the full on rain started up again!

Cherryfudge

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82133973#Comment_82133973

Crumbs - you mean it's deliberate? At least I can now see recent comments thanks to you pointing that out - but it takes me back to the beginning of each thread! Why would I want to see the first post (read long ago) again in preference to what's currently been said?

Watty1

oh weather and joints - of course. I had been making allowances for WattyDog because of weather but then forgot that when I woke up in the night thinking my arm was being stabbed but the onset of autumn makes sense. Thanks for pointing that out :)

Cherryfudge

I associate damper weather with bone pain, but this is soft tissue. Perhaps that's affected too.

Today has been fairly exhausting. I didn't slow down to sleep very well last night - back in the spare bed as I'm still snoring! Then I found a cold hot water bottle that I'd shoved away from me the other night and by instinct draped it over me. I wasn't too hot but the weight was wonderfully calming. Must remember that as I was able to sleep soon after.

I had a bit of a lie in but DH had to go out in the pouring rain to help with the cake stall. They seem to have sold everything though they nearly lost the gazebo to a gust of wind.

Dinner was fish, cous cous, carrots, and local courgettes and tomatoes. Delicious. The day warmed up, too.

I had spent the morning on the computer yet again, trying to sort out changes to the Sunday rota. I think we have enough people as the Intern has been volunteered to help us tomorrow. I've also contacted one of the regular helpers who does film work as an extra, and he's agreed to help act out the story of the boy Samuel being woken in the night and going to the older priest, Eli, to see if he was calling him. One of the children can play the part of Samuel - they will all have fun waking the helper, and he will love bringing the character to life. I've also got AI to write me some prompts for discussion and a couple of simple crafts. In the afternoon I went down to the church to set up as the whole kit and caboodle now has to be packed away between times. I spent a while talking to the people who are taking on the next oldest group, and who I didn't really know. Then it took ages to put the room to rights, partly because I had to work out how it had looked last week, but also vacuum, set out crafts, get the cups ready for drinks etc. I'm leaving as little as possible for tomorrow as I want to try using my laptop for backing music, and I need a dry run before people arrive.

I called in to the supermarket as I had some good Nectar offers - £12 spent.

DH has charged the car ready for tomorrow and gave me a lift home in time for us to watch the last night of the Proms, a perennial favourite.

I think the stint at church must have taken about four hours. It can't possibly take so long again! Probably wont, as I'll not be talking to people and I'll know where to find things.

Still to do before bed: print out the lyrics of the new song for tomorrow, print out a notice for parents, do a running order for the children and make a scavenger hunt list for the team meeting - I'm determined they should have an inkling of where to find things in the new room!

in_need_of_direction

love the idea of the scavenger hunt.

WelshmansDaughter

Ah makes sense.

Cherryfudge

Back after three very full days.

Sunday went well (quite well, not perfect as we are still discovering things to iron out and this week's was that we continue to battle the acoustics: I'd brought my laptop to provide the music for a new song but the sound was lost in the echo-y room). However, placing a couple of pieces of furniture to create a tiny entrance 'hall' up to the register table worked well: parents were queuing with their children instead of chaos reigning.

The scavenger hunt was quite fun - people asked each other where to look for things but that's okay as the very act of fetching a glue stick, ear defenders, sensory toy etc. will have helped them remember some key locations. The winners were our 16 y.o. helper and her younger sister who isn't officially a team member yet, but I'm not going to let that stand in the way of their arriving back with everything first.

Sunday lunch was more of the chickpea tikka as it was quick and easy, then we packed and eventually left at about five for Lincoln.

Cherryfudge

We had two nights in a hotel in Lincoln: on Monday we looked around some shops then had lunch at the Cathedral. We couldn't do a full exploration as it was Graduation Day so the Nave was closed to the public but, in an MSE sort of vibe, we got about a third off entry costs to compensate (total about £17) and still really enjoyed the experience - donating £1 to a machine to light up the Lincoln Imp as we couldn't find it without help 😁, helping another couple find and translate Queens Eleanor's tomb, failing for a long time to track down Katherine Swynford's, marvelling at the architecture (it used to be tha tallest building in the world) and stained glass and, most of all, listening to the organ music that was part of the graduation ceremony. That was effectively a free concert, complete with ringing eardrums! Outstanding.

Other spends that day were coffee and cake, parking (£7-something all day), some sundries from Primarni (about £22, it all adds up), birthday cards, a painting (£8), five buttons at a penny each and oddments to make a light meal later.

We loved Lincoln and are wondering about a return trip as it's not impossible to do a day trip there and we have a year's Cathedral entry on on our tickets, and plenty else to explore.