Cheery's path to fulfilment - finishing the DIY, looking after myself, appreciating the garden 🌻

Baileys_Babe

🤗 it sounds like your Christmas day was relaxing and pressure free.

We too watched and enjoyed Wallace and Grommit.

I wish you both a speedy recovery.

KajiKita

Wallace and Gromit was its usual wonderful self - happy sigh … 😊

KK

Cheery_Daff

KajiKita said:

Wallace and Gromit was its usual wonderful self - happy sigh … 😊

KK

Wasn't it? Utterly perfect 😊😊

Thank you for all your good wishes 😊 I feel rough again today 🙄 Slept plenty, but still feel rough. Forced myself outside in the sunshine, just into the garden to take a picture, and it was SO lovely 😍

I'd spotted a couple of wreath rings the other day so grabbed one and cut a bit of ivy and greenery, and cobbled a small wreath together, no wire so it won't last five minutes outside. I've never made one before 😂 it's a bit of a mess but I figured I had about 10 minutes standing up before I had to sit down again, so...

Of course there's nowhere to actually hang it and I'm in no fit state to start banging nails into walls, so it's a table decoration for now.

rtandon27

A lovely bit of crafting to justify the effort of going outside!  Rest up well & take a rain-cheque on the festive goings on!  we've not made it outside since Monday though we did 'intend' to!

Cheery_Daff

Feels like a treat to stay at home quite frankly, I don't get chance very often. Mr C is at home on his own a lot, so when I'm around he's often fond of an excursion, which is fine but does mean I end up going somewhere pretty much every day! 

He's feeling a little more sprightly now and has mostly stopped coughing, so he's nipped into town for a change of scene. 

I've done a little more online Christmas shopping... probably won't be with us before I see people (although at this rate, who knows!) But hey ho. Feels like I've ticked something off the list, and the prospect of traipsing the shops right now isn't filling me with joy (or even seeming possible!) so....

Right, more tea, and maybe some food that isn't either porridge or a mince pie 🙈 Christmas Dinner clearly isn't happening today either!!

Cheery_Daff

Gosh. Just caught up with banking and YNAB, which apparently I haven't touched since early November Goodness me, things really are easier when you keep on top of them! 

Going to start a new budget for the new year, but I just want to have everything in order to see how much we've spent  this year. 

Mr C has returned, and is making a wholesome soup. I don't feel much like eating, but I think a bit of veg will do me good. Hoping to feel marginally more lively tomorrow but not going to hold my breath! 

Cheery_Daff

Just been looking back at my diary this time last year, and the plans I made... 🙄😂

I'm not sure what the flavour of 2024 is yet (and not only because I currently can't taste much!) 

Looking back at the list, here are some things we did (and others we planned, but didn't do). This might be an incomplete list, I don't have all my books etc with me so mostly going from memory...

HOME
🏡 Finally put bookshelves up in the study
🏡 Finally put tiles under the window in the kitchen
🏡 Had the boiler serviced properly which has made the house a lot warmer! 
🏡 Had the double glazing replaced in 5 windows
🏡 Did a LOT of decluttering this year
🏡 Employed a friend to clear the greenery from the roof
🏡 Employed someone else to clear different greenery out of the gutters
🏡 Rearranged the living room to make it more sociable and usable
❌ Didnt get round to the windowsills or skirting boards - on the list since the builders left in 2021 🙈 However, our friend is keen to come back to do the windowsills, and is willing to do the skirting, so it might actually get done this year, even if not by me...

Cheery_Daff

GARDEN & LAND

🌱 Made a conscious decision to NOT grow any veg this year - it was a good decision!
🌱 stayed on top of mowing the grass
🌱 scythed a different bit of the field
🌱 sowed some yellow rattle in the meadow
🌱 fixed a couple of bits of dry stone wall
🌱 worked hard on spending more fun time in the garden, appreciating it rather than resenting the work
❌ didn't get as much scything done as I'd want to, but overall happy with my attitude to the garden this year

EXCURSIONS & HOLIDAYS

First full year without the chickens, so we've tried to make use and go away a bit more
🌞 visited friends in Ireland for the first time since they moved, so lovely to see them! 
🌞 a lovely week in Llandudno
🌞 couple of weekends in Wales, and little trips elsewhere
🌞 solo weekend away for the first time in 20 years!! So pleased I did this 😃
🌞 Joined English Heritage and have had lots of days out
❌ Didn't make it back to Orkney, or to Berlin again, and didn't have a full fortnight away. Been easing ourselves back up towards that, it's been a while.

Cheery_Daff

WORK

💻 Had an interview for a new job! Didn't get it, but even just getting the interview was an achievement
💻 finished my big project successfully
💻 most of the way through another project that's been a bit of a nuisance for various reasons - will be glad to have it off my plate at the end of Feb, it'll give me a lot of time back
💻 took on a new role within existing job (and dropped another one to replace it)
💻 International conference for the first time in years! 
💻 just applied for another new job - fingers crossed for an interview at least! 
💻 Discovered a cheerful co-working space locally and spent a few days there (on my own 😂)
❌ this year has been quite a tough one generally at work. We've lost a lot of colleagues, and there has been a LOT of upheaval and change, people are quite demoralised. I've been busy, and not had chance to make progress on some medium-term things that would have helped considerably with my job application, which is a bit annoying, but that at least gives me a focus for next year

Cheery_Daff

OTHER THINGS

✅ Got into a good routine with batch cooking, don't think I've bought lunch at work all year
✅ done a small bit of yoga before bed every night for the last couple of months
✅ carried on duolingo german all year (1069 days now I think!) and went along to a local conversation group
✅ got new dentures 🙄 not a big fan, and if I do get this new job I'll consider implants, but that's a big 'if'. In the meantime, they're marginally annoying but do make things more palatable and socially acceptable (in that respect I think of them like a sports bra - useful, but glad when I can take it back off 😂)
✅ nobody in the family has been in hospital this year! Definitely counting that as a win! 
✅ made good progress on paperwork - all mostly neatly organised now so bills can easily be paid/accounts found should anything happen to me

Not sure what else... Not convinced I kept on top of the housework any better than usual, and I still don't allow enough time to get anywhere 🙄

But overall, not a bad year 😊 some minor annoyances, but no major disasters (aside from a work-related bereavement, which was very sad). Not as much house progress as I'd like, but I was a lot more relaxed and cheerful about the garden, which I'd wanted to make an effort to be. 

I realise I've not done a financial run down 😂 I'll do that when I've got hold of my own laptop for a bit (Mr C is STILL using it, despite his new one turning up almost 2 months ago...). Makes more sense to wait for the actual end of the year for a round up there - I doubt much progress is going to be made on anything else in the next week though.

Back later with some goals. Possibly when I'm feeling a bit better as it's hard to be positive and ambitious when you feel rotten!