Moving on

Cherryfudge

Yes, it was a super day thanks, @Sun_Addict! Both of us are tired today, but it's been childcare day, and rainy, which made the time drag a bit. DS1 had a spare car seat so now that we are just looking after one through the middle of the day, we drove to playgroup. Buying the car was very timely as the seat is compatible with it and it meant we didn't have to walk in the first serious daytime rain in goodness knows how long.

Playgroup went okay: DGD2 is a bit reticent to play near the other children, though I think that's because she doesn't know them. She seems fine with nursery. When the session is over, she went for a wander round the building - it's an old church with carvings and stained glass and she was asking me who the people in the pictures were. I was stumped for a good many of them, though I've had them explained to me, so I pointed out a few, like a knight in armour, that I thought might take her fancy. I really don't think she's going to remember which is St Wilfred and which is St Paulinus, so I'll leave her at medieval level where she looks at the pictures and absorbs some of the interest by finding things she likes.

She was set against going to the library and it was too wet to go to the swings, so we went home early and stayed in till we picked up DGD1 from school. Rather a lot of telly happened, but we did play some games, too.

I don't think I've spent anything today, though DH got a few groceries and we put £1.50 in the playgroup funds. DH was very happy to get two bags of oranges (decent ones) for 70p each.

Cherryfudge

DH has been at work today: the last for a few days as tomorrow is a day off and then he's away to Auntie's. It's also the first day since June that no part of the UK has reached 20C.

I spent the morning not getting down to paid work though by the end of the day I had put in a solid block of emails and some study. Payroll has at last agreed my payslip was wrong and, so long as my manager signs it off, that should be sorted soon.

I tried to pay off my cc but the payment screen froze so I'll have to check and try again tomorrow.

In the morning, once the overnight rain had stopped, I put out a load of washing which is now more or less dry. This evening has been cool, so the heating went on. The thermostat said 17.3C, so I thought it was okay to turn it up to 18C. Other than that, I spent a while sorting out admin for the children's group. I had better find a name for it that doesn't give away the location, so I'll call them 'Small Fry', a name unashamedly borrowed from a not-dissimilar group long ago. I'm putting the jigsaw pieces together that will hopefully mean we have enough adults to cover November while letting those who need a break, have a break.

At lunchtime I finished up some curry and a leftover naan from Saturday - a warning to me not to eat naan as it was so difficult to swallow, despite tasting okay. Flat breads seem to hate me! Inconvenient, but proven many times. I also finally made a start on the day's work, but treated myself an hour later to a walk into town to post a parcel and collect a picture mount that DH had ordered. When I got back I found I'd missed a meeting - oops. I apologised and explained I'd fallen victim to having two dates down for it. Thankfully my manager had the same two dates so I think I just need to clarify if it happens again. I also had to deal with a request that I help at a Halloween craft event, but I'm not going to - for faith reasons I don't celebrate Halloween, and I think it would give the wrong message if I were seen promoting it. However, these events are fun and there will be others, so I've made it clear I'd love to help when similar things come up that aren't Halloween.

Apart from that, I did some Maths. I surprised myself by getting some right, but ground to a halt on some percentages. I can understand percentages one way round, but haven't yet managed to rotate the sum in my head to look at it from another angle.

DH got home early as they'd made a mistake with the rota and started him early. He made a chicken and bacon pie for tea (very MS, as it used up frozen chicken, bacon bought for another meal and various vegetables). This evening was a church meeting, and I was going to get started afterwards on a SEND course I found, but that went out of the window. I played computer games and had a bath instead.

The only spending today was a couple of reduced items in 1celand, spotted on the Ol1o app. Bananas for 80p and four large oranges for £1.04. Postage for the parcel was paid by the buyer and DH had already paid for his picture frame.

Cherryfudge

Couple of loads of laundry went in this morning and, with DH having the day off, I was able to leave him to sort those. That's most of the clothing up to date and half the bedding too. The rest of the bedding goes in tomorrow so the spare bed is fresh.

I was at work most of the day and picked up a parcel on the way home - new-to-me brown jeans which are tidier than the brown cords I had intended to wear for work. These are very comfy, but unfortunately a size larger than usual. Slightly loose, too, but not problematically so. I hope I can get back to running, and at least tone up a bit, but I'm nursing the tender foot and don't want to make it worse. Another couple of weeks and I should get a date for the scan, which I think will show increases in both the neuroma and the arthritic damage. I'm hoping for something along the lines of a steroid injection to set it right, or at least stabilise it.

Tea was the remains of yesterday's chicken pie with a couple of homegrown tomatoes, so very economical.

This evening I've been delving into the small print from the solar installation people. Lots of photocopied pages later and I'm onto my second page of notes and questions. We've also put my summer clothes up in the loft, but I've not gone looking for all the winter ones as I've quite enough for now. The thermostat went to 16 point-something so the heating has been back on.

Tonight it's raining, which is needed not only for the well-being of the land but also because I've reapplied weedkiller to the grass. May's application made a big difference but some weeds have returned and the grass is patchy in some places due to things being put on it while the builders were here and never properly cleared away.

weenancyinAmerica

It may take multiple shots. My sister needed 7. I am up to four and definitely need more. Miserable isn't it.

Cherryfudge

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163075#Comment_82163075

Eek, that's a lot! Still if it means eventually I get there, I'll give it a try (that's if they think it's appropriate). It's helped a lot to have Ibuprofen gel on it each morning.

Cherryfudge

This morning two loads of washing got done - one on cheap rate. It's quite mild out and very blustery so it all went on the line and I've just had to fetch it in, around as wet as when it came out of the machine, in a sudden heavy downpour. All the pillowcases and tea towels are now on the airer with the dehumidifier going. I could probably benefit from it too, but we have blue sky and sunshine again, so the duvet cover and sheets can go back out.

Other than that, I've spent a while WhatsApping the new leader of the church cleaning team giving him my opinions about things that need to be in place (unasked for, but I've said I'll try to stay quiet after this). Then I braved contacting the solar people with some questions. They have been very good and supplied the information within minutes, but I've not finished reading their paperwork yet, so there may be more. I noticed that the solar panels are the lowest rating for fire safety though I imagine our roof is quite low risk so perhaps no more is needed. It seemed a bit anomalous, though, as the other items are a higher spec.

DH has just returned from a walk - he got wet too. We will have an early lunch then he's off to Auntie's while I try to get some work done. I've gone and volunteered to help with something this evening so I'm going to have to plan my time. Hoping to get a bit of CPD in while I'm awake enough to absorb it!

Cherryfudge

DH arrived safe and sound at Auntie's and I got my CPD time in. It mentioned 'movement breaks' and on the strength of that I got up and moved the laundry round then did the ironing! I've also put a sheet in the wash for the the third time in two days: one was normal laundry, then a bird targetted it on the line so that meant a second wash, then it blew off the line and got muddy splodges, so that was the third wash. The house is now festooned with things that are airing after being ironed and things that are drying. If I wake early enough tomorrow, some can go in the tumble dryer and I can pack away the things that were just airing.

I realised suddenly that there wasn't time for dinner before helping out at the children's club, but I got by nicely on a packet of crisps and a banana, then went to Sa1nsbury as I was at the right end of town £13 spent.

Now this morning, I woke up with a sore toe on the other foot from the neuroma, but feeling just like it. There was even a lump under the foot. Over the day this has got worse, it's quite inflamed and slightly warm, but I can't see bruising or a wound. Mind you, the outside of a little toe isn't easy to examine. The oddest thing is, I've no memory of doing any damage yesterday. Paracetamol might help bring it back to normal - I don't think 10,000 steps was the best treatment.

There's quite a lot to get done tomorrow as I've to get the train to DD's at tea time for a few hours of babysitting and an overnight stay. Before that - laundry away, kitchen tidied, bathroom cleaned, possibly a L1dl shop as I've a £5 off £30 spend voucher, make up guest bed and tidy that room.

Cherryfudge

Good morning - and a lovely sunny morning here, though there's no more laundry needing to be pegged out.

I got up at 20 to 8 which gave me just time to start off the electricals on cheap rate, and the tumble drier obligingly decided the sheets were so nearly dry already that it switched itself off just before 8! Must remember that as an energy saver in the future though we will have about three weeks at this rate when we will be using mostly higher rate electricity, between the clocks changing and solar panels being installed.

Yesterday's poorly foot doesn't seem to be infected, which was a concern. Still tender underneath and a bit lumpy, so I've injured it somehow and time should heal it.

Now I have a big list of jobs to do so I will be back to let you know what I get done. The first three are

eat breakfast

wash hair

get dressed.

Cherryfudge

The above jobs are done, and I trimmed my hair too. Should last till nearly Christmas .

The dishwasher is emptied, the bathroom is cleaned and the spare bed is made and it still feels as though I have huge amounts of things to do. It's sort of easier because Auntie's eyesight is limited now, so I don't feel the social obligation to dust in places that probably only get noticed by relatives, but I'd rather she had the benefit of good sight.

I've been putting laundry away and eating lunch piecemeal (lunch is two doughnuts and a cappuccino so far - will probably pop a banana in my bag to go, and DD is making tea for me.

So where is a total mess and needs spot-sorting before I get the train?

Laundry items

floor items in guest room

stuff dumped on office chair in spare room

dining table.

Eek!

I've yet to get the shopping but if I run out of time I suppose I could go tomorrow.

Cherryfudge

A couple of things got abandoned - DH did the shopping instead of me and he did it today so we didn't spent the £30 required for a £5 discount. However, we didn't actually need £30 worth of food while the cupboards are well stocked and the freezer is full, so actually it means we have at least £25 still in the bank that would otherwise have been spent.

I also didn't get the free coffee from 'Squid' - I had the voucher but by this afternoon, which was my best opportunity to get one, I was tired and not bothered about it.

The spare room is clean and fairly tidy, but I admit I folded blankets over two lots of boxes because there simply wasn't anywhere else to put them. Also, our bed is heaped with clothes - the repair pile, the ironing pile, and the summer-things-that-haven't-yet-gone-in-the-loft pile. I will have to dump them off there before bed this evening and dream about rehoming some of them as who needs so much?

I also did a few non-essential jobs such as polishing glass. There's something in me that is either avoiding doing the harder jobs or being an OTT perfectionist. Possibly both.

By the time I caught the train, the dining table and kitchen were still a mess but lounge, guestroom and bathroom, hall and landing were okay, and the dining room was at least hoovered.

The train was delayed but it's a quick journey so I had tea with J, L and A before babysitting A while Mum and Dad reverted to their glamorous selves and went to the party. I have never known a child go to sleep as quickly as A, however does she do it? So I watched The Great Escape and listened to a lot of 1970s music as it was interesting and I couldn't work out how to get rid of it without turning the TV off!

Good night's sleep despite the start of a cold, then a nice family breakfast with them - DD had remembered fruit salad is my favourite thing for breakfast so I had some of that after my toast and posh coffee. They then offered a walk in Piercebridge, where I'd never been before. It's a lovely village and we walked along the river side for some way. They then gave me a lift home, which meant they could have a chat with Auntie, who had just arrived, before returning home.

We had an hour of free electricity which was claimed rather than risk losing it. There wasn't much to do, but we made cheese on toast and put as many things as possible on to charge. There's still an hour 'banked' which I hope I can use next week.

DH and Auntie walked over to visit DS1 and family, which gave me an opportunity to finish getting the kitchen and dining table presentable! I'm glad I have a largely quiet day tomorrow as I could do with changing bank account, catching up on more CPD and generally not doing anything physically stressful. I'm cleaning in the evening so I need to save my energy for that.

Salmon for tea tonight, which DH bought so it won't be the cheapest, but it was nice.