A Week of Trying to Get my $%&* Together

OK, so I'd had over a week to get over the mental and physical tiredness from my last job and turn myself around mentally. It always takes me a little while after a big change. This week, I was feeling a bit more positive mentally and looking forward to getting my life back on track.

On Sunday, I caught up with most of the ironing. A small job, but one that feels satisfying. I don't iron much, just towels, wardrobe items, tea towels, pillowcases. I decided to throw a few tea towels and kitchen towels out, as they were looking quite dirty and stained. I had too many anyway and they wouldn't easily fit in the drawer.

I also placed an order with Approved Foods, which I haven't done in a while. I find that there's not actually as much food on the site these days, more a proliferation of often expensive beauty products and other items, so I don't always find much that I want to put in my basket, but I was able to order enough so that I could get free delivery.

I've decided to start stocking up a little again. I've let things run right down in recent months, but I'd like to build it back up again. I haven't got much money to do so, but I want to spend at least an extra £5 each week just on pantry staples to store away. It's not much, but every bit helps and if I happen to have anything left over towards the end of the month, as I did have this month, I may do the odd extra shop either online or in person.

Monday, I was up relatively early for me and out with the dog. The main reason for this was that I had booked into the gym and wanted to get back for that. I didn't have a set time, but I was mindful that I also needed to do the weekly shop, so I wanted to go as early as possible.

I spent an hour at the gym. I didn't overdo it. I used a few machines for 15 minutes each and then used the leg press for a few reps. I felt better for it. I haven't really done any exercise for about 5 months, so it felt good to get moving again. I also cycled there, so I got my bike out for the first time in a good few months and it felt good to ride it again.

After lunch, I headed out to do the weekly shop. I was all set to go to Lidl, but on the way out of the door, some Tesco vouchers arrived and they were offering £10 off a £70 shop. I didn't actually probably need to spend £70, but decided to use it as an excuse to build up food stores again. I spent way over £70, of course, but we are now super stocked up in both cupboards and freezer, so I should only need to buy fresh food for the next few weeks or even maybe the month. It feels very satisfying.

I also dropped into Home Bargains, as I was out of some of the supplements I take regularly and was able to stock up on those for the next few months, plus a few other items. Inevitably, I ended spending around £30 here, which is the usual, despite only having a few things on my list. Just as well I don't go there every week.

By the time I got home I was shattered, but a good shattered, as I felt I'd had a very productive day.

Tuesday, I was up and out with the dog in the morning. It was another lovely sunny morning. I took some scissors with me and a carrier bag and cut some comfrey growing wild on the verges, in order to make some plant food. My first bit of foraging for the year. By the time it's been steeped in water for a few weeks, we'll be needing it to feed tomato and cucumber plants. 

OH is doing really well growing his seedlings for the allotment and our raised beds in the garden. Here's a picture:

A few have fallen victim to slugs, but otherwise they are coming on well. He's decided to buy tomato plants this year, which I think is a good decision, as you get much better plants. He picked some up from a local shop.

When I got back from the dog walk, it was time for lunch and we had some left over chilli to use up, so I made this lovely chilli nachos bowl which was delicious. I made it to Tuesday afternoon before I needed a nap. It had to be done. I don't resist it these days when the urge takes me, as I figure it's my body's way of telling me it needs to rest and recouperate.

On Wednesday, we got a message from LB asking us to bring her home, as she was unwell. Turns out she had tonsilitis, which can be nasty. I've had it lots of times and have felt really awful. We hot footed it over to South London, bundled her into the car and brought her home. The doctor prescribed some antibiotics and she was feeling a lot better within a couple of days.  I was just glad to have her back under our roof when she was unwell, although her friends were really good and bought medicine and treats for her when she wasn't well enough to get out herself. 

My Approved Food order came on Wednesday too, here are some pictures:

It was a mixture of things, some food and snacks, some treats, some items for the dog and some toiletries.

Thursday, I woke really early and headed off to my volunteering. It was quite a varied shift, as there were only a couple of volunteers on the shift. I didn't do a whole lot for the rest of the day, as I was tired after such an early start, but I did do a bit of quilting tonight, which I enjoyed. It rained so much in the late afternoon/evening that I couldn't even get out with the dog.

I have to admit that LB coming home did throw a bit of a spanner in the works with regard to attempts at getting my $%&* together this week, but it's been a good distraction. There's no hurry to do anything at the moment, I have the luxury of taking my time.  I am still a little run down, which manifested itself in my developing a cold sore, which I rarely get. Slowing down and spending time at home all together was much more important.

On Friday, I had a nice walk with the dog and then when I got back OH offered to take us all out to lunch locally. We went to a nice restaurant we've frequented on numerous occasions and had a lovely lunch together. It's a rare treat. On leaving the restaurant, I walked up to the local library, where I bought some more audio books for 50p each. I bought these six:

Although I don't drive to work anymore, these will amuse me whenever I drive anywhere on my own, be it to do the shopping or take the dog out somewhere a bit further afield.

I also took out a couple of books, that I'm looking forward to reading.

I also collected a prescription from the pharmacy on my way back and then bumped into one of our neighbours, who updated me on their house move news. I'll be sad to see her leave the street, she's been a lovely neighbour. I'll probably still see her around though, as she isn't going far.

Saturday, was LB's last day at home. She was heading off to a friends house in the afternoon to celebrate her birthday, before going back to her halls. In the morning, I spent a little while potting on and watering some houseplants. Then I'd promised LB that I'd do some reinforcing of a bag she'd created by hand from a pair of jeans, so I went up to the sewing room and did that on my sewing machine before she left. 

Whilst up there, I decided to make another table runner. I'd put some fabric aside to do this a few weeks before. It turned out okay, here's a picture:

It's double sided, which makes it a little more versatile.

LB then needed some trousers taking up, as they were about 3 inches too long. She wanted to wear them to go out in, so I proceeded to do this with one eye on the clock and then dropped her off at her friend's house, so she didn't have to get an Uber. The traffic was awful, but I eventually made it home. OH meanwhile, had been working in the garden, potting on and out some of his seedlings and doing a bit of tidying up. There's still a lot more to do, and I really need to get stuck in myself, but I'm not quite feeling it just yet.

Later, I took the dog out for a walk and we devoured some more of OH's home made soup for supper.  Chicken and chorizo this time, before relaxing in front of the TV.

It's been a pretty busy week, with quite a bit going on. I'm slowly getting my mojo back and hoping to be a bit more energetic and productive next week.

Enjoying the Simple Things - Part One

Inspired by a recent article I read, in which the author listed 30 simple things that she enjoyed, I thought I'd create my own version. I'm going to do it over a few posts, so here goes with the first 10 simple things that I enjoy (in no particular order):

1. Walking my dog - It's my daily chance to get out into the fresh air, get a little exercise and devote some time to my dog, because I love her and who knows how much longer she'll be with us. I try to enjoy this every day. For her, it's one of her most enjoyable parts of the day, so the least I can do is to try to enjoy it with her and we enjoy it more when we can take our time and go as slowly as she wants to go.
2. Writing my journal and completing an entry in my grateful blessings journal every day. I started this before I left my last job, where I'd worked for 5 years. It helped me get through a difficult time and still helps me now. Taking the time to sit down and complete the day's entries  helps me feel calmer, more relaxed and most of all grateful for all the blessings I do have in my life.
3. Caring for my houseplants - I've got rather a lot of these now and they can take some watering. I'm not the most fastidious plant carer, and I've been known to lose a few, but I do enjoy tending my plants, potting them on when needed and nurturing their little babies.
4. Spending time as a family - Whether we go out to eat/shop or holiday together, or just hang around the house all doing our respective thing, it is just lovely to all be together. Since LB went off to University, the time we have to do this has been reduced, which makes it all the more special.
5. Pottering - I love to potter. I can happily potter all day, everyday. It's definitely my favourite hobby. Who says we have to go through life at full speed. Pottering is the business, whether it be picking up around the house, watering plants, putting away laundry - it's good for the soul.
6. Reading - After a bit of a hiatus from reading, I've found that I've been able to pick up the odd book and read again. It's like being reunited with an old friend. I've enjoyed reading my whole life. In recent months, when I didn't feel motivated to read at all, it was like losing something precious. I'm so glad to be reunited with the ability to dive nose first into a good book and escape the madness.
7. Voluntary Work - There's something about giving something of yourself and not wanting anything in return. It offers you a kind of freedom from expectation and disappointment, that you don't get in a lot of other situations or even relationships. I can go to my volunteering sessions, do what I'm asked to do with a giving heart and come away feeling like I've contributed something. 
8. Lighting a Candle - Just the small act of lighting a candle gives me joy, especially if it is a beautiful smelling one. It's like an act of self care. Adding light to the world feels like doing something positive. I try to do it every day, whether it's a tea light or a scented candle.
9. Exercising - I've exercised regularly almost my entire life, save for a period when I was pregnant with LB and she was a baby/toddler and I didn't have anyone to look after her whilst I went to the gym (she never liked creches). It may have just been one class a week at times, or there have been times when I've done 4 or 5 classes per week, but I've always done it and enjoyed it. In the last six months, I've hardly done anything. I just didn't have the motivation to go to the gym on my days off, I wanted to spend my time at home. I'm looking forward to getting back to the gym now that I'm not working. I feel like mentally I've missed it so much. It always clears away any cobwebs that might be lurking in my mind.
10. Making Jam/Preserves - There's something so satisfying about making jam or preserving vegetables or fruit, especially if you've grown them yourself or foraged them in the wild, and even if you've bought them specially. Indeed, I made so much jam last summer, that I still have 5 jars in the fridge waiting to be eaten and fruit in the freezer waiting to be made into jam. It's a simple thing, but it brings me joy.

A New Week and New Freedoms

This week felt a little strange. Not needing to go to work, left me with lots of free time, and wondering how I was going to fill it.

On Monday, I eased myself into it. I had a walk with the dog. It was lovely and sunny, so it felt relaxing. When I got back, I decided to do a bit of patchwork, because I could. I've been tentatively dipping a toe back into making my current quilt, but I've not done much work on it at all for over a month, since before we went on holiday, so it felt nice to work on it again.

I have now realised that I don't have enough of the chambray fabric I bought to complete it. I did check at Boyes last week, to see if I could get more, but I couldn't, so I'll just have to finish the edges of the quilt with a navy blue cotton or something similar. It should work out okay though. (I ordered a metre on eBay later in the week)

Later, in the afternoon, I went to bed for a nap. I seem to be very tired at the moment and still catching up on sleep from our time away. 

On Tuesday, I was up and out with the dog again. We had a lovely favourite walk over a disused golf course. I spent most of the afternoon doing some work on my finances.  I needed to provide some financial information for LB's application for a student loan and I caught up on my own finances too, which I'd neglected of late. It's even more essential to keep a close eye on them now I'm not working again.

LB came home for a short visit in the late afternoon, as she was going somewhere in East London the following day. It was nice to have her home for the evening and to catch up with her news. She's busy trying to finish work for Uni deadlines at the moment, so she spent most of the evening working, which was fine. It's nice to just have her in the house with us.

On Wednesday, I had a mostly quiet day at home. I've been a bit of a homebod this week. Making up for all the time I've spent outside of the house over the last few months. I'm quite content to potter and chill for a week or two and get my bearings again.

In the evening, (once the rush hour traffic had died down) I ventured back to my old workplace to return my uniforms which I'd laundered. It had to be done and I was in and out pretty quickly. I combined this errand with dropping into the nearby Lidl for a top up shop. I used a £2 voucher off my shopping whilst there. I also dropped into B&M for a few other bits.

Thursday, I was back to volunteering. I wasn't working late the night before, so I wasn't quite as tired as usual getting up early in the morning and I actually managed to get there on time for once. The shift went quickly, it always does, and before I knew it I was on my way home.

LB was waiting until I got home before she headed off back to Uni, so I got to say goodbye to her before she left. It was nice to have her home for a couple of nights. I napped again in the afternoon. I think I must have been more exhausted than I thought after leaving work, so I'm being gentle with myself and letting myself nap in the afternoons whilst I can. I'm hoping that in a couple of weeks time I'll feel more energetic.

I got up later and took the dog out for a walk. It started to rain on the walk, so we both got a bit wet, but we enjoyed it. I made a chilli for supper when we got back, after which OH and I settled down to watch some TV. We're currently watching our way through The Last of Us.

Friday, I had a bit more energy and wanted to use my time a bit more productively.  I decided to take myself off to the gym and try to sort out my membership. Since getting a new phone at Christmas, I'd lost my membership number and password and needed to see if they could help me get logged into my account again. A very nice lady helped me get hold of my account number and logged back in, so now I can go back to the gym and the odd class again.

From there, I decided to walk into the town centre to go to the building society, as I was interested in transferring some money from one account there into a new ISA, which was being offered with a good interest rate. It will at least earn me a little more money from my savings than I currently get. I had to make an appointment to do this in a couple of weeks time.

I also visited my favourite local charity shop to drop some donations in. I'd not been in for a few weeks and just fancied a mooch whilst I was there, but didn't see anything I wanted to buy. I'm always on the lookout for plant pots, as my houseplants are constantly outgrowing their pots. It's a good thing, but it means that I need to keep finding bigger pots so that I can pot them on.

Later in the day, I took the dog for a walk and OH made us a chunky chicken and vegetable soup for supper, which was very tasty.

On Saturday, it felt great not to have to go to work. I had a completely free weekend for the second time in a while, but the first time at home. In the morning, I did some laundry and then took some clothing to the clothing banks which removed more stuff from the pile on the upstairs landing and then I took the dog for a walk.

I also spent some time quilting today. The fabric I'd ordered on eBay arrived. Just in time, as I'd done all I could on the quilt up to that point. So, today, I made more pieces from the new fabric, ready to add to the quilt which made the afternoon pass in a very pleasant fashion.

Lidl were having a Spanish week this week, so I treated us to lots of Tapas for supper, which we enjoyed. We then watched a good movie on Netflix called Land. Definitely worth watching.

As a consequence of the last couple of days, I feel like I ended the week being a bit more productive, which felt like progress. So long as I manage a couple of productive things each day, I'm happy. I hope you had a productive week.

A Few Days Away

Thursday, marked the first day of my being unemployed again. I may not have a job any longer, but I still had to be up at 7am and off to my volunteering session as usual.  I took the bus again and there was just myself and one other volunteer there today, so we got to do some different things.

The session passed quite quickly and I headed home. I had some lunch when I got in and then started to get packed, as OH and I were heading off to Yorkshire to visit family for a couple of nights. I was looking forward to getting out of London again, as it is always good for blowing away the cobwebs and I usually come back feeling refreshed.

Before we left, I had to drop into the doctors surgery for a blood test. Thankfully, my toothache seems to have subsided altogether, but I still got the test done, as it was also to monitor my thyroid amongst other things.

Our journey up to Yorkshire was long, as there was a bit of traffic. We got there eventually though and visited OH's parents for a couple of hours before heading to our accommodation, which was a converted stable block in the grounds of a pub in a lovely local village. We went into the pub for a drink, where there was a quiz night on, before turning in for the night.

The room was nice, but I didn't sleep well for some reason. The next morning we returned to the pub for breakfast and then took the dog for a walk at a local beauty spot which was lovely. We then returned to OH's parents for most of the day, so that OH could help them with some jobs. 

Whilst he was doing that, I decided to do my usual visit to Boyes for a few bits that we needed and I ended up treating myself to quite a bit of makeup, as they have a really good selection of W7 makeup which I like. It will keep me stocked up for quite a while.

Later, OH and I headed out to take some items to the rubbish tip for his parents. Whilst there, we took a look around the Tip Shop, where items recovered from landfill are sold to the public. It was interesting to look around, but I didn't find anything to buy this visit. It will probably become a regular haunt though, now I've discovered it is there.

I also popped to a couple of charity shops, but only found one item to buy, i.e. this book of soup recipes, which should be really useful for both OH and I when using his new soup maker, as it has some great recipes in it. It only cost £1.

On Friday evening, we met up with my sister and her daughter at the pub we were staying at. There was live music from a band, which was good, although it was very loud and we could hardly hear ourselves speak.  We managed a good catch up though.

On Saturday morning, we had breakfast and then packed up and left. OH walked the dog and we paid a last visit to his parents before setting off for home.

On the way home, we stopped off at Newark Showground, as there was a Rock, Gem and Beads Show, that I was interested in visiting. I had a good look around and treated myself to a few small items, one of which was this beautiful ammonite. I love it.

We then continued on our journey back to London. It was good to get home after a busy few days visiting. I did some food shopping at Lidl when we got back, as we had very little food in the house, and OH was using the car the next day to go to a cycling event. I managed to save £5 off my shop with a coupon they'd sent me. 

After allowing myself quite a spendy weekend in Yorkshire, I now need to seriously start being a bit more frugal.This weekend was a final splurge before I really knuckle down again.

On Sunday, I had a totally free day to do as I pleased. OH was out for most of the day, so I had the house to myself. All I needed to do was walk the dog, unpack, do some laundry and get back to normal after our few days away.

There were a few housework jobs to do, such as washing up, washing vegetables, etc.  I salvaged what  flowers I could from those I'd bought at Easter, so that they would last a little longer. The remaining ones look pretty on the kitchen table and should continue to do so for a little while yet.

The rest of Sunday was spent pottering and just settling back into life in London,  We watched Race Across the World tonight, following the teams competing to cross Canada.  They were in Saskatchewan tonight, which was interesting. I thought of you Jackie. OH has travelled quite a bit in Canada and enjoys the show too. I'd love to go some day.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

Easter Weekend and Beyond

After working Good Friday and Easter Saturday, it was wonderful to have three consequetive days off work ahead of me over the rest of the Easter Weekend and I was determined to enjoy them.

On Easter Sunday it was lovely and sunny, OH spent some time out in the garden, whilst I made some Easter chocolate crispy cakes and prepared a roast dinner for us all. I rarely make a roast dinner, just Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. We all sat down to a nice lunch of lamb with all the trimmings and then exchanged Easter eggs.

LB headed back to Halls in the afternoon, as she had something planned for the following day and she was back at Uni on Tuesday. I was able to just chill, watch TV and do some laundry. I sorted out some clothes that LB was throwing out and managed to find myself a few items to keep for myself. The rest will either go for recycling or to the charity shop. 

OH bathed the dog, as she was a bit smelly and then walked her, so I didn't even need to do that today, so I had a very lazy day. We watched some TV in the evening, so nothing out of the ordinary.

On Easter Monday, I had a super long lie in. It was raining and OH took the dog out. I haven't had such a long lie in for I don't know how long. OH even brought me breakfast in bed, which was a rare treat indeed. I did apply for a couple of jobs whilst lying in, but I'm not sure if I'll even get an interview for those, as the assessment was really tricky and I'm not sure I performed well. Gone are the days when employers were just looking for someone to be reliable, work hard and do a good job. Now they need to dissect your personality and see if you are a good fit for their corporate values.

Anyway, I eventually got up and we had bacon sandwiches for lunch. I did more laundry, but little else. It's nice not to feel compelled to do anything much. It feels like I've had so little down time this last six months. I'm making up for lost time.

I've been thinking about what life will be like without a job again. I learnt a lot last time I left a job. I learned to exist on very little money and do without things I couldn't afford, so I'm ready to do the same again. To be honest, this time around I'm a little more prepared and have a little money left over to live off for the next few months and Christmas is a long way off, so there is less pressure to earn money for the immediate future. 

I would like another job at some point, but I only want to work a couple of days a week if possible this time around and I'm not prepared to overcommit to anything anymore. I could manage on the money from 12 or so hours per week and still have plenty of time for doing other things that I want to do.

At my age, I need very little materially. I'm not high maintenance in any way, I don't enjoy shopping as a hobby, I've got plenty of hobbies to participate in and craft supplies to use that will cost me nothing and I've got ways to exercise that cost very little too, should I see fit. What more do I need. I don't need fancy clothes, because I don't go anywhere special enough to merit wearing them. I just need enough to get by and have a reason to get out of bed in the morning a couple of days a week, as I find that if I have a bit of structure to my life I function better all round.

Tuesday, was another quiet day at home. I took the dog out first thing and we had a good walk. Later, I retired to bed for a couple of hours to sleep and read, as I hadn't slept well the night before. I think it's all part of me winding down from a very overstimulating job. I've realised in recent months, that I'm a bit (maybe even a lot) of an introvert and too much stimulation exhausts me. It's something to bear in mind when looking for my next job.

On Wednesday night, I worked my last shift at my current job. It wasn't too busy, so it was a nice way to leave. It was quite relaxed and low key. Lots of people didn't even know I was leaving. I bought a few last bits for the house, using my staff discount and then handed back the card as I left. I just need to take my uniforms back next week once I've laundered them and I'm done. 

I feel relieved. Having three days off before my final shift, really allowed me to detach from everything, so working my last shift was just a formality. I don't have any regrets about leaving this job. I did what was right for me at this point in time. Who knows what the future holds, I'm just ready to move on and embrace the new.

A New Week and Easter Greetings

Sunday marked the start of a new week. I could put the stress of the last week behind me and just look forward to new things on the horizon.

LB messaged on Saturday night. She'd been feeling unwell for a few days and asked if we could come and pick her up and bring her home. We were very happy to do so, as we love to have her home and it is the Easter holidays. I think it's good for her to have a break from life in halls. Besides, I could look after her if she came home.  Who wants to be all alone in their room when feeling unwell when you can be at home with mum and dad looking after you.

We managed to pick her up late on Sunday night. We had tried earlier in the day, but the Blackwall Tunnel was closed southbound and this caused a lot of traffic queueing to get through another tunnel to South London, so we turned back. She was happy to return to her bedroom at home, to recover from a very bad cold/flu.

I've been suffering quite a bit this week with more pain in my face. I promised myself I'd see a doctor this week as it was almost becoming unbearable at times and the pain killers were getting less effective the more I used them. I was a bit of a mess really.

I returned to work on Monday afternoon. It was a pretty busy afternoon with a constant stream of customers. It went quite quickly though.  I did some of the weekly shop before work and some afterwards. I got some very inexpensive root vegetables, as Lidl was competing for Easter customers. It was 19p for potatoes, carrots and parsnips, so I got a bag of each for OH's soup making. I also stocked up on pain killers, as I was running low. I qualified for a free small Easter egg from their own range, as I spent over £25 on my shop. I can't say no to free chocolate and besides, it's very cute.

When I got home, some wool I had bought on eBay for LB had arrived. Here's a picture:

I'm hoping that she will be able to make something nice from it. I was intending to give it to her for Christmas, if she's still crocheting, but I might give it to her in the summer holidays instead.

Thankfully, for some reason on Monday night, I managed to go to bed without taking any pain relief and slept well and then didn't take anything until 11am on Tuesday morning. After brushing my teeth the pain started again. It felt like perhaps I'd turned a corner. I was just grateful for any relief I could get.

On Tuesday, it was a lovely sunny day. LB headed off to Norwich to stay with a friend for a few days. I was happy that she was getting out of London and Uni Halls and visiting some non-Uni friends, as the change would do her good. She was feeling much better after a couple of nights at home.

After she left, I took my morning cup of tea out into the garden to sit in the sunshine and then I proceeded to potter a little, empty out some dead plants from pots and then sweep bits of the decking. It felt good to do this. Baby steps in the right direction, but steps none the less. 

To be honest, I need to do some serious work in the garden. It is currently the neighbourhood cats' toilet and this is putting me off going out into it. It needs a very good clear up. 

We found out the other day, that one set of our immediate neighbours may be selling up in the near future.  They have young children and need more space.  They were going to extend their house, but building costs are so prohibitive at the moment, that it is probably less expensive and less stress to just move to a bigger house if they can find one. They have been good neighbours.

The rest of the day, I spent pottering at home, washing up, washing veg, etc. It was the first day I've been able to do absolutely anything I wanted to, since before our holiday and it felt very indulgent. I need to get used to the feeling, as when I leave my job, I will have lots more days like this.

On Wednesday, I woke up in the early hours in pain and had to take some pain killers, which didn't kick in for an hour. It felt like a long hour. When I woke up again in the morning, I rang the doctors and made an appointment for the afternoon. The doctor was very accommodating, but she did think the pain was probably dental and not caused by anything else.

I was due at work at 5pm, so I stopped off at the doctors en route rather than going backwards and forwards. This meant that I was very early, but I used the time to pick up a few bits I needed from ASDA and then to buy a few things from the store I work in, using my staff discount before I leave next week. I may still shop with them online after I leave, but to be honest, there isn't too much that we need in terms of homewares, as we have so much already. I just needed some new sheets and bedding, which tends to be a reasonable quality and price where I work.

Work itself was okay, as it was quite quiet. I've always liked Wednesday nights, as I enjoy working with the Managers that are on duty on this particular night. I had a good chat to one of them tonight, who was really sweet about my leaving. This lady was the Manager who interviewed me and I did feel bad for letting her down by leaving, but she was very nice about it. I got the chance to thank her for the opportunity she gave me to work there, as it served to toughen me up and gave me back some confidence, at a time when I was quite fragile and I'll always be grateful for that.

On Thursday, I was up early and off to my volunteering session on the bus again. I was the only person there for the first half hour, then a couple more guys turned up, so we got a bit more done than if it had just been me on my own.

I dropped into a local Poundland on the way home and found a lazy susan that I needed for spices in the kitchen cupboard. I want them to be easily accessible for when OH wants to make soups in his new soupmaker. It's not anything special, but it serves it's purpose and only cost £4. I'd been looking at some on eBay and they were much more expensive. This will do fine for the moment and it holds all the herbs and spices we have. Here's a picture:

Later, when I got home, I went to bed for a nap for a couple of hours. I've got one more week of working lates before my voluntary work the next day. Hopefully, after that, I won't feel so tired on the afternoons after I've done it and I might even go off exploring some old haunts out and about, which would be nice.

On Friday, I was at work for 9am, so I was up early and off. As it was Good Friday, it started off slowly but then got busier. It wasn't a great shift for a couple of reasons. When I left I headed to Tesco to do an Easter shop and used another voucher for £6 off a £60 spend. I bought all the food we needed for the Easter weekend, some Easter Eggs, spring flowers, plus various other things.

On Easter Saturday, I was working 3 til 8pm. I wasn't really looking forward to going, but then I checked my work schedule on the work app and realised that I wasn't going to be working on Easter Monday. I'd asked for annual leave, but had assumed I wouldn't get it, as I requested it quite late, but to my joy, I had been given the day off, so I only had one more shift left to work after Saturday.  That in itself helped get me through the day and it wasn't quite as busy as I expected which also helped.

LB was coming back from Norfolk on Saturday afternoon too, so it was nice to see her when I got home and catch up with her news. I was so happy to have the next three days off, before returning to work my final shift and in addition, my toothache seemed to have almost disappeared and I wasn't needing pain relief, which was a game changer.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter weekend.

Getting Back to Normal and More Life Changes

It was lovely to get home after our recent holiday. I always enjoy coming back to my own home and getting back into a routine again. It's been an eventful week in some respects.

We returned from the sunshine to rainy weather, which was a bit of a shock to the system. The result from my recent smear test was lying on the doorstep when I got in. It was negative, which was good and I don't need another check for 5 years thankfully.  We also came back to a time change, as the clocks had gone forward whilst we were away.

Unfortunately, I'd been troubled with toothache since we were on holiday, so I needed to book a dental appointment. It seemed to be radiating from one side of my mouth and I couldn't quite tell which tooth it was coming from, as it seemed to be coming from both the top and bottom.  I was a little concerned that it might be an infection or referred pain or something. It was very uncomfortable, but paracetamol and ibuprofen helped to control the pain. 

As soon as I got home more or less, I packed up the online sale ready to post off first thing on Monday. The next day, I was able to get back into my online selling account, which was good news. I'm going to focus more on selling things in the coming months, partly to make some money and partly to declutter things I no longer want to keep from my stash and various collections I have. I've neglected this lately, as I've been busy at work.

On Monday, it was back to work and LB was returning to her halls of residence. I was sad that she wasn't staying home longer, but she had uni work to do and several of her friends hadn't gone home for the Easter holidays, so she wanted to hang out with them. It's good that she's enjoying life there. She may come back for a night or two over the Easter Weekend.

Work was a bit of a rude awakening. I felt a bit rusty and it took a little while to get back into the swing. It was going okay until it wasn't and I think I've finally made the decision to leave this job. I can't see things getting any better.

In all honesty, I've been feeling a bit unsure for a while. Amongst other things, the hours are a bit more onerous than I really want, as I don't ever get two days off together, unless I book annual leave. I'm actually in a worse position in this regard than in my last job. At least I got two days off together every week in that job, so I had a kind of weekend. 

It's disappointing that I won't get to benefit from a recent pay rise, but finding a work/life balance and being happy or at least feeling comfortable at work is more important to me than the money. I know it sounds priviledged to say that, but because I've been careful with money in the past, I'm in a position to make that choice. I do worry that I won't be able to find anything else, but I can't let that keep me in a job where I'm not really happy.

On Tuesday, I managed to get an appointment with the dentist regarding the toothache.  He took an Xray, but didn't find anything that merited treatment and advised me to see if it wore off on it's own and to return if it got worse. I was relieved to be honest, as hopefully it won't require further treatment, but I'll just have to wait and see. 

I may try to book an appointment with the doctor about my ear on the same side, as I've been having trouble with it in recent months and I think it might be blocked or need syringeing. It may be connected or it may not, but I still need some advice, as I did have hearing issues in that ear earlier in the year.

I did a bit of work on my finances on Tuesday. I haven't been spending much money lately, so I will hopefully have enough to last me a few months, in case I can't find another job easily. It will mean a return to living more frugally, but at least I should have time to go to the gym again and do more sewing and gardening as the weather hopefully warms up. I've done virtually no exercise since working in this job and my fitness levels have reduced significantly in that time. 

I'm going to take a little more care when job hunting this time around. I'm not relishing starting from scratch somewhere else, it was tough starting this job and learning the ropes, so I need to be careful before accepting any offers, should I be fortunate enough to receive any. It's hard trying to fit into a new role and a new workplace. 

Wednesday, I was due at work at 5pm. LB dropped by in the afternoon before I headed off, to pick up some stuff she couldn't take with her earlier in the week, which was nice. Work was okay. It was pretty quiet. When I got home, we watched a couple of episodes of The Last of Us on NOW TV. I'm not sure if I like this series or not, but the episodes we watched weren't too bad.

On Thursday morning, I was up early to go volunteering. I took the bus again. I just can't seem to get back into cycling there at the moment. It was  a busy session.  There were only three of us, which is less than usual, but we got a lot of work done, which was satisfying. 

My toothache seems to be getting worse.  The painkillers are working for shorter periods, which isn't good. I'm trying to use hot water bottles to ease the pain between doses. I went to bed in the afternoon for an hour , as I was really tired after working late and then getting up so early.

I ordered OH's birthday present earlier in the week (his birthday isn't until May), while I still have some spare cash. He wanted a soup maker and the one he wanted was on offer at a good price. It arrived on Thursday and he proceeded to make us a Morrocan soup for supper. He used lots of veggies from the freezer that he defrosted. It will be good to help use these up and free up some space for the new crops we grow this year. Here's a picture of the one I bought him:

It's quite compact and takes about half an hour to make a chunky or creamy soup.

On Friday I handed in my notice at work. I was a bit upset. I was disappointed that it had come to this, but resolute in my decision, as there's only so much stress and rudeness that one can take. I just don't feel a good fit with the job. A couple of my colleagues who I told, were very supportive, which was very sweet of them. They and a few others are the only people I will miss. I agreed to work two weeks notice until after Easter. I'm wishing I hadn't, as I am only required to give one week according to my contract. But I felt guilty for leaving, which I know is stupid.

I was glad to get home and that it was done. I know I've probably disappointed people, but they'll get over it. I've got to do what is right for me. 

On Saturday, I was working 3 til 8pm. I did some shopping at a huge Tesco near work before heading in. I had a voucher to save £9 on a £60 spend, and I didn't want to miss out on using it. I bought lots of things that I can't necessarily buy at Lidl where I usually shop, so I am now stocked up on a lot of things, which will keep me going for a while.

Work was very busy, with very few staff on the tills, just me and one other, with occasional help. Lots of the customers were complaining, but you can only do what you can do at the end of the day. I'm counting down the shifts now until I leave. 

I found out that another colleague is drastically reducing his hours, as he's going back into education. He is a very nice young man, who is always happy and enthusiastic and is one person who has always, without fail, been very kind and helpful to me, when I didn't know what I was doing at the beginning and all the time I've worked there. I thanked him and told him that I really appreciated his help and support and that it had been a pleasure to work with him. I feel happy that I got the opportunity to say this to him before I leave.

So, it's been a busy and eventful week. Life is changing again, but in a good way. I hope your week has been a good one.