The future looks brighter at last.

Well what a busy, busy weekend we have had. Yesterday morning we ran around doing a really careful shop for food. I am determined to be more careful with my spending, so the bills were paid first and also my charity donations. I sort of spoke to Neil about it in the car yesterday and said I was going to stop some direct debits, but he was horrified, especially as I wouldn't really say which ones. It still breaks my heart to do it, but I really will have to think about saving money once I know what we will get as an income. Neil didn't say much when I told him,but he did ask me to hang fire, so until D-Day 9th February when I know what Universal Credit will give us, I'll do as he asks. Anyway we bought larger packs of meat to divide up and put in the freezer, after all there is only two of us, and we can expand the meat meals with beans and vegetables. This will be healthier and probably more filling, but I am going to have to look for recipes. It will also help with portion control. The media has been full of articles about what a 'portion' is like and it's been a bit of an eye opener. There is a Eat Well guide by Public Health England 
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide, 
and there are all sorts of items you can download and read. I've decided to try and make time to bake a cake each weekend, and maybe make some flapjacks or something similar instead of biscuits. That way I can reduce the sugar content too. This could all involve a raid on my cupboards as I know I have lots of bits of baking things around, like cake cases, nuts, coconut, etc. I am going to get creative…….maybe. ?

Saturday afternoon I caught up on the usual mundane housework and then we relaxed with a film in the evening. 

Today has been mad! 

Our youngest son and his wife moved from the tiniest upstairs flat you can imagine nearby into a three bedroom semi detached house an hour away from us. They did a DIY move, which involved two of their friends getting a van, and then us all moving furniture down the steep narrow stairs and into it. Sounds easy until you try and man handle a sofa down those stairs. It was bitterly cold today, with a gusty chilly wind blowing, but we didn't feel the cold with all the puffing and panting of the move. It's taken us all day and I can feel the stiffness setting in already. I dread to think how my son and wife are feeling as they have still to unpack, whereas we can flop on the sofa and try not to go to sleep before bedtime! I think I will ache tomorrow though?

Neil was amazing today. He seemed to really come in to his own, though he was tired in the end. He guided us all, and manoeuvred furniture round bends, and generally took charge. It's showed me he will get totally better, and will get the job he wants, and we will get back to our normal lives. The future looks brighter at last...…..