And, 6 months later ...

..... I am so in love with my job.  I know what I am doing, and now I have a place to do it.  The team is like many teams, "safe stuff, different place" but we are all screaming towards pension age, and as such, are an adult team.  No tears, tiara or tantrums, we just all want to get on an do a good job.

Mr T, still in his job, is thoroughly enjoying it too.

It's funny with us both in full time work again, we really value our spare time - weekends are made the most of.  This is not just funny, but it is strange, because this is what everyone else does in their lives.  What you might call, 'normal.'  And, we've never really been normal.  Yes, we've both been in full time work (and pleased we have jobs at all) but usually, this is just for the money and we've moaned a lot.

Now, we both have jobs we love and really enjoy.

It makes for a wonderful, happy life.

however ....

I only went and got the new job, hurrah!

I am shocked, as I really was convinced that I had ballsed up the interview - was even looking on MyjobScotland, and Goodmoves to see what other vacancies are about.  Even, by about 2.30 am, I settled to making patchwork quilts to sell.

I am really looking forward to all the things working within a team brings, and to meeting the carers I will be working with, too.

Just awaiting references and checks - and then I start.  Hopefully, by the end of February.

Whoo, hoo!

Grumpy New Year

The new year hasn't started off very brilliantly.  Mr T has been found to have arthritis in his back and both hips.  Though it at last explains the level of pain he has been experiencing, it has been a huge blow to him, a young(ish) strong and fit man.  He has been told to rest up, and never lift anything heavy, walk too much on hard ground, and never run.

I still haven't found a job.  I fit all the criteria, have more than enough experience, but fall apart at the interview.  I still currently have self-employed work, which I do enjoy and find very satisfying, and I do it well.  But, it really doesn't pay enough - I have just submitted my tax return and I am left with less than the minimum wage after all the other expenses.

But, on the plus side - we are basically healthy and well, our children are getting on fine and we have strapping grand-children who are simply beautiful.

We have both lost weight with Slimming World - Mr T has lost over three stone, and I have lost over one stone.  We're on the way.

Oh, and Mr T has been offered a full-time job that is tailor-made for him, and that he can cope with physically.  That helps.

And again, it's nearly here!

I am just sitting here with a cuppa, having returned from the last present shopping, phew!  This is after we have already been to town, taken by two of our granddaughters, to see Paddington, and what fun it was.  We decided to go here instead of the Panto, as I had left it very late to get the idea of going, and all that was really left was in Glasgow, and it would have cost £130 + for us to go.  This is on top of a 1 ½ hour journey, which Mr T was not keen on, so Paddington it was, and I am really rather pleased we did.

We are trying to cut down on spending now, as we are both looking for jobs and have not been successful so far.  I just had some good feedback this week, as to why I didn't get the last post I interviewed for.  As, it seems, I have all the relevant qualifications and bags of experience, but don't tell them about it!  I last interviewed for a job I got, back in the year 2000 so am deffo out of practice of selling myself.  So, I have now started to remember the questions I was asked and practice in the car, what I should say!  Surprisingly, I flounder even then, so will keep practicing until I convince myself.  I have another application going in shortly, so wish me luck.

This year has been quite good on the health and weight front.  I am as recovered as I will be from the back surgery I had in September 2013, and my strength is improving with some walking, and the aquafit sessions.  But, Mr T and I have also been doing the Slimming World diet.  Due to my current work commitments (a lot of running about for not much pay) Mr T has more or less been left to organise the cooking, and has been doing a sterling job.  He has lost just over 2 stone, and I have lost 1 stone, ta da!  However, Mr T's aunty showed us photos of when we saw them in May this year, and I reckon we have lost much more than we have measured.  We both love this diet, as you can more or less eat whatever you wish, without using fat, and measuring your 'syns.' This means you don't miss out on anything you like to eat - in my case it is cake, I'm afraid.  It is due to change next week, but the nod is that it is the same, just easier.  (Reading the magazine, I suspect it is reducing your syns from 15 - 20 per day, down to 10, but we'll see.)

Crafting this year has now included patchwork and quilting, and oh boy, is it addictive!  I have had three quilts on the go, and actually completed one of them;

This is the front of my 'Beginners' quilt, and the back looks like this;

The pictures are as brilliant as I would have liked, but the main fabric is calico, and the rest is fabrics I had in my stash, so it didn't cost me anything, except for the lessons.

The other two are one for my daughter that is blocks made up of hexagons, that were given to me, and the sashing (the strips between the blocks) are made up of vintage sheets I have.  The other one is made up of five fabrics of which I bought a metre each.  There are 5" blocks, which are folded and cathedral windows that are called 'secret garden.'  And, then there will be 'four patch' blocks, also measuring 5" in a random pattern. There are no photos of these yet, but watch this space.  And, I am not starting anything else, until these two quilts are finished. Or, I will end up with loads of WIPs to go with the other sewing and knitting projects I have laying around.

This last photo is of an embroidery I made for a friend.  It also sums up how my housekeeping skills have been this year - absent!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS and BEST WISHES for 2015

xxx

And, I'm feeling good!

Hurrah!  I have been twice now to the gym, on the GP referral thingy, and it seems to have lifted my mood, quite significantly.  I suddenly feel better than I have done, in the last couple of years.

In other news, I have finally completed a 16 page report I needed, and wanted, to get done.  And, I'm pleased with it.  I am a workaholic sometimes, and this rarely changes, so I am learning to accept it for what it is, and go with the flow.  And, this helps with the stress levels, too.

On the craft front I am keeping quite busy, too.  I went to a lampshade making course, and really enjoyed it.

This is my lampshade, with the blue and grey circles.  It was some fabric I bought several years ago, to line a bag I was making my daughter, for Christmas.

Lacemaking!  Something that has been on my mind for ages.

And, the weaving.  I have wanted to do weaving for such a long time, and dare not start it.  Now, if I want to continue with it, I will need to find lots of space and lots of money.   Damn, shouldn't start something, you can't carry on, really.  Hmm.

And, another thing

Hi there, yes it's me.  Where did January go, I ask you?

All of a sudden it is February, and we still don't have snow where we are, but they do have lots of it 'up the Glen' as I understand it.  I do miss getting snowed in, but do love being able to get out and about, now we're living in the town.

The weight is starting to shift slowly, with 4 lbs off.  Not a lot, but a good start, and on the right road.  The secret, I have found after all this time, is planning.  I have been planning my menus and recipes and shopping lists, and it seems to help.  Yes, I did write recipes - write down the book/magazine page numbers, so I don't lose the darned thing once I have shopped for it.  And, yes recipes as I cannot abide processed food.  The slimming world class I go to all rave on about a packet of stuff that is a pasta with cheese sauce, and you just add milk.  Then, you whisk up some eggs, add that and it cooks in the oven, like a quiche.  I can think of nothing more awful (and I am being polite here) than a packet of cheese sauce.  So, I made the thing from scratch and it took probably about the same amount of time and tasted delicious, and there was some leftover for lunch the next day.  And, here is one of our favourites, a Kedgeree, but with so much less butter than the usual recipes ask -



The crafting is getting well behind, as I still have some reports for work to finish off, that are quite lengthy.  Once they are done, I have promised myself a good long break - which will probably be the month of April, when I shall do nothing but craft, hurrah!

I was due to start an eight-week weaving course last Tuesday, but had the most dreadful and prolonged heavy cold, and had to cancel, bah!  But, I am ready and able to go this week, and am really looking forward to it.






In the meantime, nanny's lolly-dolly wanted some knitted socks, so I promptly made her some pink ones.  However, it was purple ones she really wanted, so these are on the pins as we speak.


These are actually less pink than in this picture.









But, what I really want to be getting on with is this ->

Well, if I get on with one or two of my reports today, I will be ready for the week to start in full swing again, tomorrow.

See you soon.
x

Big job

2014 is going to be my year.  It is going to be a big job.

I am currently seven, actually eight stones overweight.  I need to lose at least seven of that, to be in a healthy weight range.

I have already joined Slimming World, in order to lose the weight.  Yes, it was a silly time of year to do it - just two weeks before Christmas, but it needed to be done and I started to feel more positive as soon as I signed up.

I have long been looking at healthy eating, just eating good food.  But, now I need to concentrate on eating a lot less.  A lot less.  We especially munch in the evenings, but this will stop.

Also, for the past few years I have moved a lot less, due to my back problems.  I had an operation last September, and have gradually been improving week by week.  Thank bloody goodness!  The appointment for the gym will be through soon, and in the meantime, I am doing my recovery exercises, and am walking the dog.  It still hurts, but I'm sure this too will improve.

I have now reduced my medication to a fraction of what I was once consuming, as I simply don't need them so much.  It has taken a while to work out which meds I can reduce or stop, such as I don't need that one, I just need this one, but no, I do need that one, so let's try and stop this one.  The other one has gone completely.

So, the big job for this next year - and here I am laying down my gauntlet, is three-fold.

1.  Lose that weight - by eating smaller portions, eating more fresh fruit and veg, and vegetarian meals
2.  Become stronger and fitter, more core strength and endurance, I want to walk further and longer
3.  Reduce my medication.

I have a Blue Badge and a movability car.  This has been invaluable to me, as I could not have lived my life or gone to work, without it.  But, if I can improve my overall health and fitness, I may not need either.

Now, that would be a happy new me.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.