Moving on

liselle

I use Pharmacy2u Cherry which is an amazing service.Reminders when to re-order, just a tick box as they do the actual re-ordering, then meds sent to you in the post free of charge.

Cherryfudge

I'll have a look into that thanks @liselle, it's clear our local pharmacies are struggling to keep up, and have been for a while, though I think they would have coped had the doctors sent my initial request straight away instead of several days after I ordered it, or even had they sent the emergency replacement prescription on the same day.

It's a case of shortages in both places having a cumulative effect, probably either would have coped had the other been working as it was meant to.

I am contemplating a letter to the practice manager... not on the urgent list though, I hope it will be sorted today.

I'm half way through drafting a covering letter for the CV, and DH is about to make his birthday cake for tomorrow. That feels as though he's doing my job but he wants a Victoria sponge and he's better at them than I am.

Laura_Elsewhere

Cherryfudge said:

I think I will copy your idea @Laura_Elsewhere. I order about a week before mine are due but that wasn't enough this time so I'll try to work it back a bit.

They very much dislike people ordering in advance but if you order just 2-3 days before you normally would, and keep doing that then after a few repeat prescribings, there you are with your spare week of meds. 
I think Mr E's idea of changing his "kept handy just in case" ones every time the clocks change is brilliant, ensuring they are never more than six months old, and no need to chuck them out as past their best and therefore wasted!

Cherryfudge

Another tiring day, but lots got done. I completed the application and sent it, then later bumped into the person who will receive it, out walking their new dog - so I made a big fuss of the dog and told them I'd applied, so it can't somehow be missed. (Dog is beautiful).

DH helped me with the church cleaning but there wasn't too much as some people had done it yesterday. I don't know these people but I gather from what was said that they are refugees and really wanted something meaningful to do.

We decided on fish and chips at lunch time as I was still tired from yesterday and it freed up time to do other things. Very nice they were too. After that we shopped for pizzas and our free bakery item for spending £50 last month in L1dl. It seems they are changing it now so you can have a sweet bakery item free after spending £10 and some fruit after spending £50. Perhaps too many people had cottoned on that their really nice bread counted as a bakery item, and it's worth around 4% of the amount you have to spend to earn it?

We also managed to collect my medication though there was some delay as it wasn't ready and there was an odd note on it which led to them asking me about what brand I usually get. I'm no wiser as it's very random what brand appears. I took my tablet as soon as I left the shop, so that's me back on track. I also had a further quick hunt for DH's birthday card but had to settle for something not particularly personal or inspiring. Then I had another hurry to get to work but just made it in time thanks to a lift from DH.

I probably mentioned yesterday that while looking out something for this job application, I found that the place where I'm working relief has a small steady contract and my previous place of work has several posts advertised. Then this evening at work I bumped into the teacher I help back in the spring. We had a very quick catch-up and she mentioned there may be work for me in a few weeks. I confessed I'd thought about taking her course myself but didn't feel sure I could keep up with the class, and she immediately presented me with the book for it! So now I have that to look at, but nothing's certain. It just feels as though it's snowing jobs, though I wouldn't go for anywhere I used to work.

DH is out at a quiz/ fundraiser this evening so I've wrapped his present and eaten another custard slice. I will probably be in the bath when he gets home. I need some sleep tonight as we're out with J and L tomorrow and seeing the rest of the family in the evening.

Cherryfudge

There's so much been going on this weekend! Lots of big family stuff happening... 

For DH's birthday on Saturday, L and J drove us to Weatherby Racecourse as there was an antiques fair. The weather was perfect so we sat outside between exploring the various stalls. Entry was paid by card so that will have to be found on the statement when I come to sort out the money. We had £30 cash which got spent between us all, but J has sent money through to cover their costs, then DH got more cash out - maybe another £30?

L and I wanted coffee so that was the start of the spending. It was nice sitting out in the sun with it, then going back later for lunch - not sure how much we all got through but I'd brought water so only bought the one drink and a sandwich. DH had a bacon butty and Spr!te. Apart from food, I didn't buy anything, which is just about a first, and DH spent £1 on an old coin. I don't think L bought anything but J did... mostly it was just a nice relaxing time together (with the dog: it's amazing how many dogs seem to have an interest in car boot sales and apparently even more so in antique fairs). On the way back we stopped up on the moors for a walk, but I stayed in the car to chill as I was so tired and knew I had a lot of 'peopling' to come.

Back at home I was a bit more awake so it was tea and biscuits time and a quick hoover round so the dog and the children couldn't find any dropped hearing aid batteries, then around five the rest of the family turned up apart from D's partner who had a prior engagement.

Then it was the time for the exciting things to begin: DH officially opened the garage doors on his classic, which got a lot of approving comments and nearly everyone had a sit in it. D had mentioned that oddly enough he'd just changed his car - and amazingly, they were bought on the same day, are the same make (nearly 50 years apart) and both happened to have appropriate numberplates for the name of the owner! All with no consultation and complete happenstance on the numberplates.

We had a ride round the block in D's new car, which is electric and nothing like any car we've ever had, though that may be emphasised by his driving style. There aren't the gear change cues and it accelerates almost soundlessly, so it may take some getting used to, but it's a nice looking car and comfortable, if you can ignore the feeling of being on a fairground ride every time he corners. As I said, his driving style has something to do with this.

We all settled down to lots of pizza (which we demolished) followed by DH's birthday cake (also demolished). We can only just fit us all round the table but we managed it. I kept trying to cue J (DD) in for an opportunity to speak as I knew what was coming, but she chose her own time make her announcement: they are having a baby in April.   She's slim and was wearing her husband's big sweatshirt, so it was a surprise to everyone but us. We've known for a couple of months.

The only other person who 'knew' was the youngest child, who isn't a year old yet so couldn't either understand or accidentally say anything.

So we are going to have to be creative with dining space in the future.  

After that, the rest of the evening was spent sitting around chatting and helping little N make a flower picture, and DH opening his presents, as well as discussing the odd coincidences of the day, the other being that J bought their first nursery item, a Pater Rabbit money box, then was checking what change she had and found the same Peter Rabbit on a 50p. So this baby has savings already.  

So a really happy day.  

Cherryfudge

After everyone had gone last night I had to pull together the children's session for this morning though thankfully I had the curriculum to follow. It was a rather complex story for tiny children so I rewrote it (leading to printer tussles this morning), and made some cut out figures of the characters to enact it. One of the lovely things about working with tiny children is that you don't have to do high tech or great art - they are quite happy for a baby doll to act out a part if necessary!

This morning it all went to plan (to my relief) including the not-a-fire-drill, which just meant walking the children out through the fire exit to where the back garden is being created. This is the assembly point, but as there was an autumnal breeze blowing and no flowers yet planted, my happy chat about 'when it's warm we can have our drinks and biscuits out here' may have sounded a bit hollow! Back indoors, two of the children were falling asleep so it was a quiet session. Towards the end of it a new parent and child were ushered in so I had to leave the helpers in charge while I took details for the child and made them as at home as I could. That eventually led to various people being drawn is as the session ended: the new people are refugees but between various people we were able to offer them some contacts and toddler groups to which they can take the child. The family spoke quite a lot of English and I was able to use my approximately four words of their language, more as a gesture of welcome than to help communication. Something I never expected when I got up this morning.

DH made tuna pasta when we got home as we were too fully stretched yesterday to think about dinner for today, then I slept much of the afternoon while he went to a classic car gathering nearby, then for a walk.

It's so nice this evening to be rested and have nothing urgent to plan for.

Cherryfudge

We have sunshine again and the forecast says up to 15 degrees! I'll take that.

A machine load of washing has already been done, on cheap rates, but there's a ton of handwashing to catch up on, so I think that may be this morning's physical activity. I have a friend from my old job coming for a chin wag this afternoon, and I really ought to sit down and do the study prep for the Tuesday group, in the hope we get everyone available this week. One friend's work often gets in the way and the other regular person, who is quite often on holiday somewhere, then uses the opportunity to do her freelance work, while I am glad of the down-time!

I'm due at work at five, goodness knows what's for tea and I could do with looking ahead and perhaps plan around a few freezer items. Oh, and have a sort out of the fridge. Too much untouched stuff to be sorted out, alas. The rest of the salad tomatoes from Saturday will freeze for roast veg time, but there's cream that's now out of date.  

Cherryfudge

The fridge sort out didn't happen, but lots of washing is now on the airer. Just a few items left for separate washing. Last night's rain was still on the line when I hung them out and they've not dried completely but the weather has felt really nice.

Lunch was yet another cheese and vegetable omelette, even using up a bit of salad from Saturday. I was going to get soup out of the freezer for a hurried tea before work but I couldn't fancy it so porridge it was. Meanwhile my friend texted after lunch to ask what time to come round and I'm afraid I ignored the text till I'd tidied up, and then she didn't come at once so in the interim some small victories have been won: two dead houseplants thrown out and a third that I thought was beyond it has started to grow a new leaf. The lounge windowsill needed and had a clean and a spot of hoovering has been done. By the time my friend came I was cutting back old foliage in the garden.

We had a good chat, then it was time for work and after work I called in at the supermarket for some more protein for light meals - cheese, houmous, cream cheese, peanut butter, oatcakes, onions.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £7.17

Cherryfudge

Another showery day. DH took little N to the toddler group but it was very busy so she was reticent about playing unless he stuck close by. I joined them afterwards and we walked back to her house: as we got to her road she started to sing!

DH has today off and is fixing a gutter bracket. I was all set to host tonight but my friend texted (the holidays friend ) and she's unwell, so once again we are postponing till next week. It's nice to have the down time though, and I'm wondering what to do with it, but finding it hard to settle to anything studious as DH is around.

I've spent 50p on a book of children's gardening activities which looks to have a lot of potential for the grandchildren, the preschool group and possibly elsewhere. It's suddenly occurred to me to use one of the activity sessions for them to make a present for parents: of course real teachers probably plan this in about July but I'm learning.

We also got groceries including mackerel for tea tonight as I'm not doing pizzas for my friends. DH has bought new brackets for the gutter, but I don't yet know how much that was. Besides that I've contacted one of the Wednesday clients... that's about it so far.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £17.19
Household ?
Repaid to us for Saturday's cash expenditure from J and L £25
Also buying baked beans bumped up today's grocery shop so I got a 5x N3ctar points, which was nice.  

Cherryfudge

A bit more grocery shopping this evening £10.52 + £2.50), the major items being a couple of the jars of chick peas, fruit and cereal. I was going to get a discount pastry but there was hardly anything left so I invested in a pack of chocolate snacks (6 for 99p) which gives me three times as much as the equivalent spend on pastry. Of course, it would have been better for me not to have either.

Very annoyingly, having lots of experience of the almost non-existent wi-fi in our L1dl, I loaded up my card on my phone before going in, only to have it flicker out through either a change of wi-fi reception or some app problem as I was waiting at the till. I had to go out to reload it. Good job that worked okay as I would have kicked up a bit as well as making people wait longer if it hadn't. So exasperating.

Moan over.

I had to throw out most of the strawberries from the fridge, alas! The cream is just okay, I think I will have to turn it into butter and hope the salt preserves it.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £13.02

P.S. I should have added that DH spent some time up and down the ladder and is very happy with adjustments to the gutter - so our spectacular but unconventional waterfall over the back door may no longer be a feature. Form an orderly queue for your ticket refunds please. I spent some of that time on the garden as the soil is so soft that weeding was easy, and another box of twiggy bits was fitted into the green bin before it went for collection this evening. I can't say the result is orderly or anything like that, but it does look a bit neater, without having totally destroyed any habitat for overwintering critters.

P.P.S. Having refilled the bird feeders a couple of weeks ago, I think I scared the birds away as they've not been using them much. Today I had to weed one as the seeds had sprouted and were on their way to forming a very small lawn in there!