Blowing in the Winds of Change

Suddenly it's February; month of spectacular sunrises, unusual cloud formations, whistling winds, very chilly nights - and the blessed relief of having dealt with obligations to HMRC!
..The latter is most reminiscent of waking up to discover a battering three-day migraine has vanished overnight.

Tax return was more stressful than anticipated; simply could not get into the site.. All log-in details checked - correct - no access. Maybe too many people trying to do the same last-minute thing? The figures were not complicated this year so no reason I shouldn't input them m'self.. Avoid Accountant's fee - use the cash saved to pay vet and this month's rent for camper-van's safe parking.
Good plan eh? ..Not to be.
By the time it occurred to me that Accountant must have changed my HMRC log-in password, he had already left his desk. Figures finally filed by him eight hours after the deadline - resulting in £100 extra for the fine plus another bill from him. <sigh>
Luckily there was still some credit in my account with HMRC so the eventual demand was less than I'd been dreading, and has been paid.

Most of my income vanished when T1 was evicted** so frugality is the theme for February. Bills [bar the two mentioned above] are covered though, the store-cupboard looks ok so long as I don't start throwing dinner parties, and of course supplies for CD are no longer required. Sadly must put m' charity tithe on hold for now which is a shame and rather upsetting; hopefully will be able to make it up later.

Luckily someone has repaid a large loan from before Xmas - Tribal Family Support System - which should be sufficient to keep me going this month plus help out DS3, who is doing quite a lot of work at the Nest.

Now I'm on the other side of our TFSS because all savings have been soaked up in the backwards process of buying new house before proceeds from sale of flat are available. Skin of the teeth job given that am not mortgage-able, but - amazingly and with everything crossed - it seems to be coming together.

** Wish I could tell you all about T1's shenanigans because it makes hilarious reading - although very annoying to be part of! The plot will make a great play or comedy tv programme once everything has been sorted out. But Divo Four will do a much better job of writing it than I could, so you'll have to wait to hear about that until it's published.
Haven't heard from DS4 since last week because he's away on a junket to Eire; collecting yet another award for his work. :T

Today am grateful for wonderful friends, beloved family, and this beautiful place with caring neighbours who look out for each other.

*Robin* wrote: »

I tried to post some 'photos to share with you all; wasted hours on this task actually, with no success whatsoever.

..TUG members may have recognised CD last week.

Sorry. Yesterday I was too tired to cut out the prideful bits of m' last post so zilched it all. Still got PEM after recent exertions.. What drives me bonkers is the way brain-fog nibbles away at coherent thought..

Good morning MSEers, :hello:

Sun.A - Thanks for making me feel less stupid.

Lucky - DS4 has a rare talent (far surpassing anything I could achieve).

Dansmam - Sorry, that post has gone forever (I hope!).

Divo Four has just arrived at his brother's house. The clan is gathering to bid a loving farewell to OF.
GGF and I will join them tomorrow.

DS3 brought back my van so must use it; think an offering in honour of OF is in order, so am going to nip out and deliver it now.

Hold your loved ones tight, dear friends. Today and every day. :heart2:

Hello Stormy Sunday. Up half the night while a huge thunderstorm circled overhead - lightening flashes lit up my room even though the shutters were closed, which made it easy to count the seconds before each thunder clap. This morning the ground is spongy with all the rain it's absorbed, and the river below the Nest is churning brown froth - hurtling down towards the coast.
As usual after rain, my bathroom floor is puddled because the window doesn't quite fit - somehow this job never reaches the top of the To Do list as it's a wet room anyway - easier and cheaper to brush puddles down the shower drain than buy a new window.

OF achieved his desire to leave this plane peacefully, so next week is going to be busy with mates flying in from all over the globe for his funeral. Think all the bedrooms in our family houses are already earmarked, plus the local AB&Bs, and it's likely that both my and DS1's camper-vans will also have to be pressed into service after local mates' spare rooms are filled.
Someone had the bright idea of taking over a bar that serves food for the gathering afterwards, which means we don't have to worry about catering.

DS3 and DS4 have both given me earache in the last few days because I'm missing CD so much, have been talking about giving a home to one of the thousands of pups in rescue here.. They think I should make the most of having no dependants for a while; take a long distance holiday to visit Gourmet once the house / flat situation has been sorted out.. Tbh am not really well enough to do that - where's the fun in lying in a darkened room for weeks just to get over the flight? Plus the money such a trip would absorb could certainly be better allocated on replacement windows for the new house (desperately needed).
Whereas another dog would not only be company, but also ensure I get into the fresh air every day. Choosing the right dog is the problem though; much as I love snow-dogs, am not fit enough to take on another (except perhaps a senior like CD - but don't seem to be any in Spanish rescue centres atm; yes, I've already checked). There is a special-needs Podenco [Spanish Greyhound] girl who has caught my eye, but she's only a year old and I've no idea whether she's house-trained. She has little chance of being adopted unless by someone like me who isn't afraid of her disability, so she's really pulling on the ol' heart-strings. Can I commit to another fifteen years for her? The way my health has declined in the past decade suggests the odds are rather against me surviving that long.
Head says it would be better to take on a middle-aged dog whose owner has died, one used to living in a home who'll suffer in kennels. But so far all the appeals I've seen for such pets have been for little, terrier-types. Apologies to all terrier lovers, but I need a dog of at least knee-height so I won't trip over it, and if necessary it could be a deterrent to anyone trying to break into camper-van when we're living in it during the summer.

Being practical nothing will happen in that direction for the next couple of weeks, so I've got plenty of time to think about it.

Had two days with spends since posting last; £60 on the donation in OF's honour, some organic veggies and fuel in the Spanish van, then a tenner yesterday on eating out with family. Two more TFSS loans were repaid last week [without prompting] so haven't had to touch the bank account.

Am grateful for a roof that doesn't leak, Divo Three's efforts in the garden which are minimising food spends, and those friends who remember I have MCS* - so omit wearing perfume, aftershave or clothes drenched in fabric softener when they visit!
* Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.