Feeling Overwhelmed

 Gosh, it's been more than two weeks since I last posted on here.  During that time, I have been feeling quite overwhelmed by life and fit for nothing.  The news depresses me with constant footage of the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and talk of strikes. Even nurses are now threatening to strike before Christmas.  On the news was a couple with a small child complaining that they are worried about affording things now that they will pay more tax after April 2023 due to the Autumn statement.  She is a nurse and her partner a 'health care worker'.  They have a joint income of over £80,000....WTF 😏  The people I feel sorry for are simply not in that income bracket.  I still worry about the people of Ukraine, about worldwide disasters, climate change, abused children, people not being able to eat healthily or warm their homes, the homeless.  The list goes on and I feel so helpless.

On the home front, my Sister is struggling to look after her husband on her own at home.  He has had several strokes, is now incontinent, on loads of medication and keeps falling down.  She lives in Suffolk so is too far away for me to help her.  She is desperate for respite and can't get it. They are both 83 years old.

On a personal level, I feel that our social lives have just withered away.  Each day is more or less the same.  The highlight of our week is either a trip to the supermarket for a forgotten item or a visit to the garden centre, taking sandwiches and eating them in the car as it's now so cold!  I can't get G to plan anything as he's in constant pain with his neck and shoulders and he can't drive for more that 30 minutes without making the pain unbearable.  Even as a passenger, he doesn't travel without more pain setting in. I can't see us having a holiday again, ever, and I feel our lives are over.

OK whinge finished...sorry.... 😌

One miserable, rainy day last week, I drove us to the garden centre and I treated myself to a lovely, planted arrangement for my table.  For just £14.99 it will give me pleasure to look at it every morning whilst eating my breakfast.

Frugal Things:

The central heating thermostat has been set to a default 15 degrees C so it will only click on if the temperature drops very cold during the night.  We are so lucky to have a well insulated bungalow so that it usually stays above that even during the coldest months.  Whoever gets up first in the morning can then turn it up if needed.  At the moment, the lowest the temperature has been on rising is 17 degrees.  We have been putting the heating on for a short time (maybe half an hour) during the evening whilst sitting watching TV but it warms up quickly and retains the heat until bedtime.

In order to do our bit for the country and to stave off potential power cuts, I'm avoiding the use of appliances during peak times of 4pm to 7pm, even though our supplier is not one of those paying consumers to do so.   I use the washing machine in a morning after 10am, dishwasher at the same time, only when absolutely full and the oven at lunchtime rather than evening, although I try to use the microwave instead whenever possible.

Reasons to be thankful:

We have already received two Government payments of £66 towards energy costs

My little 12 year old car passed it's MOT with flying colours so the cost was just £48. Yay!

The sun is shining this morning!

Thanks so much for popping in and listening to me moaning.  Stay safe wherever in the world you happen to be x