Settling in for the long haul

Dakota_Rose

It has been a very tough week at work, made harder by the juggling of mum’s care and being away from home. It’s not so often the highly stressful issues occur, but when they do, it makes me feel quite sick with anxiety. The past few weeks have seen a couple of such issues. Hopefully by end of day tomorrow, we will be through the worst of it and can break up ready to enjoy the Easter break.

In other news, I’ve completed my next read of the year. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling’s Strike novel 1) I quite enjoyed it. It was well-written with a good twist but not as fast-paced or highly tensioned as a different detective series I really enjoyed in the past. I suspect it lays a lot of the ground for future novels and I will read another. 

26 books for 2026

1.You Are Here (easy read) 9/10

2. The Seven Murders of Evelyn Hardcastle (time-travelling murder mystery) 9.5/10

3. Love Untold (ending made a middling read worthwhile) 8/1

4. Way Back (engaging easy read with a farm theme and a few typos) 8.5/10

5. The Cuckoo’s Calling (first of the Strike detective novels) 8.5/10

_Dolly_Rocker_

Oh nice. I've finished book #3 of the year but struggling to find time between 2 jobs, 2 border collies and trying to keep up with friends, family, housework and just general life.

I've got a couple of days off over Easter so will dig one out and start a new one soon.

Dakota_Rose

@_Dolly_Rocker_An Easter read sounds like a lovely MSE way to spend the days off. I will be joining you on that front! Can’t see myself reaching 26 books this year at the pace I am getting through them. (Unless of course children’s books count, then I’m already at around 90 as we have one per night 😂 plus more during the day)

Stressful issue at work has been resolved for now. In fact both have but I suspect they will rear their heads again in the future as they’re quite complex issues. I can acknowledge though that my skillset got me through and the outcomes had potential to be much worse. I have been able to eat again, and after my ‘posh bath’ and peppermint tea, hope that I’ll have a really good sleep too. My IBS symptoms have really flared up this week so the holidays are timely for me to reset my system. Knowing me, it’ll be one extreme to the other though!

My petrol is almost empty and I’ve overspent on it this month with all the extra journeys. All the nights I’ve stayed at mum’s, my car hasn’t been charged so I’ve been mostly running on petrol and it’s a guzzler. I now need to weigh up whether to fill up this weekend ahead of Tuesday’s pay, or to only use my hybrid battery for short journeys until then. Either way, the fuel will be needed and the battery will be used, but I do hate dipping into future money.

Mum bought us an Omaze subscription for a family treat to say thank you yesterday. Never would usually but it was £10 for 100 tickets which is far more than the usual 20 tickets for £15. The money helps charity and we now have a few lovely weeks of imagining a new luxury life mortgage-free 😂. Mum and I spent the whole afternoon yesterday looking at the rooms and planning business possibilities for the cottage - money well spent to break up the recovery boredom 🤣 If I disappear from the forum, you’ll know where I’ve gone! I just need to remember to cancel the subscription before another payment comes out.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend.

Dakota_Rose

What a difference a night of sleep makes! I have woken up feeling like a different person. Grateful to be leaving that week behind me and to be waking up to a fortnight off with the family. No major plans other than to enjoy life and get jobs done (more accurately watch Mr D get jobs done 😂). Will still be caring for mum but we’ve stopped the overnight stays now. Just need to check that went okay for her.

Happy Saturday!

_Dolly_Rocker_

Glad you're feeling better today.

Sounds lovely to have 2 weeks off.

Dakota_Rose

Thank you 😊

It’s been a nice, relaxed start to the weekend. Mr D has been tackling the enormous apple tree with our neighbour and I’ve had time indoors with the children.

Mum is doing well with more time independently but we’re here now and will stay to make dinner for her before leaving.

Have had an end of the month sale on Vinted. This is a very welcome £30 but will be included in April’s savings now by the time it pays out. I’ve also had enquiries about a rocking chair I have for sale. It’s beautiful but just awkward so I’m hoping it gets a good home soon. Unfortunately, it’s on marketplace so of course the enquirer would also like it delivered and probably half price too. Unless they’re willing to collect it and pay the more than fair amount being asked for it, I shall be holding on to it.

Dakota_Rose

It has been a very Sundayish Sunday, which is right up my street. Lazy morning that saw us snuggled up with cuppas in bed till I clambered out to make bacon rolls for everyone. It was definitely more brunch than breakfast, which can’t entirely be blamed on the clocks changing.

Lazed around reading and chatting about plans for the house and holiday till the afternoon and then eldest and I ventured out in the blustery weather to pick up some dog food supplies and bits for Mum. Stayed a couple of hours with Mum for company and headed home after she’d had her dinner and dishes taken care of.

Picky bits for dinner as we decided to use up the freezer supplies before pay day. That went down well as there was more in there than I’d remembered. Followed by baths and bedtime book for littlest and me.

I felt a bit perturbed by the sheer amount of people out today. Our local Home B’s (which is massive) was ridiculously packed as was the Lidl and petrol station that we passed to drop off a Vinted parcel. Very reminiscent of Christmas weekend and oddly unsettling as I felt I had missed something major in the news and ought to be stockpiling away with everyone else 😂 It was a minimal spend from us. I came away from Home B’s with the 4 items on my list and nothing more feeling mightily virtuous.

Kids are now on snack rations to try and make the cupboard contents stretch to payday. It really is like living with locusts when it comes to crisps and treats. We should have enough milk, bread and fruit to last another day and plan to have jacket potatoes with tuna, cheese and beans for dinner tomorrow - all from stores. My petrol is also squeakily low, thank goodness my battery covers the majority of the driving to Mum’s and back each day - in fact it covers all of it, if I don’t accelerate too quickly to activate the petrol engine. I have sinking funds but I am determined not to dip into them before Tuesday. Cue Wilson Phillips soundtrack.

Rhyddid2026

Excellent list sticking to! Quite the achievement!

I'll have that song in my head until I fall asleep now 😄

ArtyJ931

Ah this makes me so nostalgic for those sorts of days with my children ❤️ (now all adults alas)

Dakota_Rose

@Rhyddid2026 sorry for that! I’m definitely one of those people that has songs popping into their heads triggered by the smallest word or happenings 😂 but I am indeed planning on holding on for one more day!

I try to be grateful for the small things in life @ArtyJ931. Before you know it, theyve passed and become the big things you can’t get back. We have a fair age gap of 10 years between our eldest and littlest so it feels like it’s been going on for some time now though and the snack situation is real 🤣 🙈