Moving on

Cherryfudge

I didn't sleep too well last night: not quite warm enough and a bit hungry, I think. I got up for a while and went back to sleep sometime around 6, but don't feel restored and went for a snooze this evening. My phone went as I was dozing so I didn't actually sleep, but feel better for it, it's just my temperature seems unstable and I'm getting phases of anxiety. Anyway tomorrow was set to be over-busy so I've just texted to cancel meeting someone after church: I will have a quiet morning.

It's rainy so we ignored the car boot sales but DH had a bike ride and got drenched, and I went to the shops for some ingredients. Today was fish from the freezer, cous cous and peas. We were going to have chicken curry again tomorrow but I checked chicken prices and it's so much cheaper to buy a whole chicken that we're going to have roast, then leftovers can make a curry. I also got a free loaf for spending £50 at L1dl.

The trainers are dry and no longer smelly! I've sprayed them with protective stuff in the hope of keeping them nice for longer. No gardening done, though the tomatoes need to be pinched out.

So all in all a quiet day today.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £14.13

Cherryfudge

It's been an odd day, though I caught up a lot on sleep which is good. Still feeling off-colour and stayed in this morning, but we went to a nearby village in the afternoon as a friend was being ordained. I was glad we made it to that, as it was good to see her and take part in a C of E service (my background, years ago). We saw a couple of other people we knew, too, but didn't stay for what the bishop called the 'bunfight' afterwards as it was early for DH to eat and I'm trying to limit the coffee and sausage rolls (or whatever) because I know they will get revenge on me.

Dinner was roast chicken with potatoes and veg. Plenty of chicken left for other meals too.

I've spent spare time on the computer and got to the top of my league in Duolingo, which I'm rather proud of, though how long it will last depends on how keen next week's competition is. I have no illusions of keeping up with these people who get thousands of points ahead of others!

DH went to the course at church this evening but I've decided to pull out. It wasn't really working for me and I need some down-time. I had two Ibuprofen instead and once the headache had gone, felt a lot better.

Nothing spent, no gardening done... however, I chopped up the chillies from last week's L1dl box and froze them, then made a cabbage and rice concoction as suggested by @leftatthetrafficlights. I have no idea what made it so more-ish, but the recipe is a keeper, and probably ultra-cheap though I've not costed it. I did cut the costs a little from the maximum as I used half olive oil and half sunflower, only used half a L1dl veggie stock cube (too salty for me otherwise) and of course the cabbage was discounted to begin with.

Cherryfudge

I'm shattered tonight but I managed an NSD, which I didn't expect. This morning I had a meeting about the preschool group, which was held in W3therspoons - I'd never been there before but was treated to a bottomless hot chocolate and the meeting was productive, so that was time well spent. From there I went straight to do the church cleaning, during which I discovered the first aid boxes were out of date, paper towels needed to be ordered and then a mop broke... so much for volunteering, I'm costing them money! It all went okay, though.

Meals today have both been the rice mixture from yesterday: a bit of an indulgence as I didn't need to do any prep and there was a lot left over, besides it being my current favourite comfort food. I varied the diet with chocolate, so tomorrow I need to be a bit more balanced.

Work this evening was two hours and not too demanding: for some reason neither of the managers was in, which is unheard of but I suspect there's sickness.

Cherryfudge

This morning I went for the mammogram and it's good news - not only is there now no lump, but they tracked it down to a tiny cyst that had been filling with fluid, so now I know not only not to worry about it (unless there are any new symptoms of course, but that's always the way), but to expect it may recur. I was really impressed with the way the whole thing was dealt with, from my local surgery getting me a face to face appointment about 24 hours after I explained why it was needed, through to the referral coming through within two weeks, then every stage of the checking (examination by a consultant, mammogram and ultrasound) all taking place within an hour and a half. Even the atmosphere in the waiting room was nice, and all the staff were too. I told the consultant I was impressed!

So glad that's out of the way: even though I knew I was low-risk and that this outcome was the most likely, I feel free to plan ahead in a way I couldn't before.

DH thinks it's highly amusing that I have a purple circle drawn on me in marker pen and it won't wash off!  

I was a bit late for lunch and DH had been asked to help out at his other volunteering job so I finished up the vegetable rice with some cheese and read my book for a while, then did a bit of tidying up and potted up some cuttings that were starting to dominate the kitchen. The basil from Sains is now about six plants in a pot, the tiniest tomato plant ever also has its own soil and a mini gooseberry with strong roots, ditto. I'm afraid I threw out the coriander, chopped lettuce and L1dl basil as none of them was fit to eat. I also had a bonus off Duolingo with half an hour of extra points, so I spent some time on my Italian. I'm enjoying it a lot at the moment, though I still don't have a complete overview of the basics. For what it's worth, I've moved on from scary hotels to 'Why is the trash in the oven?'. I'm not sure what that's supposed to prepare me for.

Two loads of washing have been done, taking a gamble on the weather staying dry enough, which it did.

Work was busy: they were staff down so I was asked to cover a particular area but the usual member of staff then came back on shift and I was taken up on my offer of helping out with some deep cleaning that the new 'higher up' managers have identified. I'm not sure how the usual staff are supposed to fit this in with all the routine jobs, but with two of us working there, I got a lot of the extras out of the way. The poor member of staff who covers that area was expecting to work late trying to get it done or lose points. I wasn't even aware there were points but I suppose managerial inspections have to have some way of being objective. It's quite tricky, though, cleaning areas where the only way to get access is to work bent over, which we aren't supposed to do because of the health risks. I'm afraid I sort of risk assessed it for myself and felt that so long as I was careful, that was the only way to reach certain places. My manager wouldn't be pleased, but honestly, the design of the building doesn't allow for anything else.

Anyway, that was three hours' work so I'm pleased with that.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £2.99

in_need_of_direction

Brilliant news from the mammogram. Until you get it, no amount of logic telling you it’s probably nothing gets rid of the worry.

Cherryfudge

Absolutely so, @in_need_of_direction. 

Today is a mostly quiet day but I'm hoping to meet a former colleague for coffee and this evening I'm making curry then I have a church group. No paid work... it's raining but that should be gone by lunch and meantime I have a heap of ironing to do and at some point I need to finish prep for the study tonight and check I have all that's needed for dinner. In an ideal world I would hoover and shampoo the carpets, but this isn't an ideal world. I will get the bedding in to wash, though, so it can dry once the weather clears.

weenancyinAmerica

White spirits may take the ring off. We use it for getting indelible ink off of everything.

Cherryfudge

Yesterday I washed the sheets, etc, but they never quite get fully dry despite hours on the line, so I ended up using the dryer. There are still some oddments of things on the airer, and most of the ironing to get through.

I spent all afternoon chatting with my former colleague. I bought the drinks, so £3.12, which is so much cheaper than elsewhere that I might talk myself into going again. Then the curry for dinner... used up most but not all the chicken, so I need to sort the rest out today. It also used some of the yogurt, but instead of skimping on that as I did last time, I used the full quantity and DH could feel the difference (as in he was nearly sick) so if I ever make it again, it will have to be dairy free. It's a shame as we both loved the flavour of the spices and it's nice to have a change from tomato-based sauces, but it's obviously unwise to push even low-lactose things too far.

This comes a week after H told me that baby F is coming off dairy. She doesn't seem to have a strong a reaction as her sister did but she doesn't seem ready to tolerate it. Her sister has had the 'milk ladder' and is now completely tolerant of it so it's to be hoped the baby will develop a tolerance too, eventually.

The evening meeting went well: it sounds as if a number of teams at church are having some changes over the next few months and the cleaning team is no exception. The team leader was talking to me about it and asked it I had any ideas on how to rejig the rota, so I had a try when I got home. At first I thought I'd hit a perfect solution but then I realised I have people working two weeks consecutively, which I don't think would be as easy to fit in with everything else people do.

Today's jobs include the ironing and watering the poor houseplants which are very much in need of it.

ETA: and Toddler club and voting.

Cherryfudge

All the above - ironing, watering plants, going to meet H and the girls at Toddler Club and voting - have happened, though I arrived as Toddler Club was finishing so I walked up the road with the family and ended up staying for lunch, playing with the girls, having chats with the parents and babysitting in the car while they voted and nipped into the shops, which was very quick. It gives me time with the girls and saves H a lot of hassle (A had to go back to work).

I've asked them over for a meal on Sunday.

We've had some sun and dark clouds and high winds. Trees were down elsewhere in the county. Odd for July, surely?

I've had half the remaining curry for dinner and DH finished up a fishcake, so we were eating from stores but nonetheless bought chocolate, milk, oranges and potatoes on a pleasant evening stroll on the way back from voting. £6-something.

This evening I'm tired but am pleased the voting is out of the way. We had 13 candidates, probably none of whom was perfect. I'd like to get more things done but I think a bath and sleep would be better.

Cherryfudge

I seem to have wasted a chunk of this morning being anxious and thus not getting things underway. I did manage to throw out some papers yesterday and started work on altering a PJ top today, though now I want to get the sewing machine out and wrestle with getting the hang of it (I could work the old one, but this is another story despite having it from new).

DH kindly offered to help with the church cleaning so eventually I got my act together and we tackled that. The other person is new to the team but really good - thorough, observant, cheerful. DH did the upstairs - hoovered including up to the third floor, cleaned toilets - and I did bins and ground floor toilets. I was really pleased with how much we got done. Then while I was finishing, DH watered the plants which is supposed to be my job but his time needed filling! We were saying how people see jobs differently: when I say I'll do the toilets, what happens is I check all the towels dispensers, refill loo rolls, empty bins then clean the toilets (and floors). So DH was a little mislead and thought I was nearly finished when I still had half of it to do! It's a funny thing, as in theory I know the bins aren't the same job, but I follow the pattern I use at work, and it's harder to explain it to someone else or deviate from it than it is to do the lot.

I called in at the shops on the way home for a new shower cap and a birthday card.

So anyway, we are home, have had lunch and are planning to go out for a saunter later.