Decorations down, thinking about savings

 29th/30th/31st - So on Thursday we took the Christmas decs down and put them away.  I was surprised to find I had quite a few surplus decorations, mainly hanging ones for the tree or windows, and some lengths of tinsel.  None of them have any sentimental value as I'd bought them mainly from charity shops last year or the year before.  As I didn't use them this year and can't see me using them again, I've bagged them up for the charity shop - my first bit of decluttering for the new year.  The house looks so bare without the decorations, even though there weren't that many.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to start photographing and listing things for sale on the local social media selling pages.  For a start, I have a winter coat that I've had for I think 3 years - it's unworn and still with the tags attached.  It's a really thick padded one and, although I like it, it makes me look like the Michelin Man, so I've never worn it.  What a shame I didn't return it at the time and get my money back - or even that I didn't try it on in the shop and decide there and then not to buy it!  Oh well, someone else will hopefully get some use out of it and it'll be some money in the house removals fund.  With food prices rising every week, I'll be trying hard to reduce our shopping bill, I'll start by eating out of the fridge, larder and freezer for January and only shopping for fresh veg and dairy.  A couple of days ago we went to the supermarket and managed to get a whole side of salmon, an Aberdeen Angus beef joint and a gammon, all reduced to half price, they should do us for several weeks of meals with some creative recipes.  I won't eat the beef, but will of course eat the salmon and some of the gammon occasionally.

Husband went to the GP again on Thurs morning (I'm so glad we have no trouble at all getting to see our GPs) as he's been getting dizzy spells and losing his balance even more lately.  The GP checked him over again and took BP readings, both sitting and standing.  He said that although it's partly due to his faulty heart not pumping enough oxygen to his brain, which we knew already, the increased loss of balance lately is due to the extra heart meds he's been put on which are reducing his (already on the low side) blood pressure.  The GP said it's difficult to get a good balance - on the one hand husband needs all the heart meds....on the other, they do contribute to his loss of balance and dizziness.  He advised him to ensure he stands up slowly when he's been sitting down, and to sit on the side of the bed for a few seconds before he gets up.  If I didn't grab hold of him sometimes, he would fall over, his balance is affected that much at times.

I'm happy to say I'm feeling so much better now, thank goodness, that blimmin virus was a pain in the arse (well, throat, chest and head).  Both of us still have the cough, though.

The roses and lilies that husband got me a couple of days before Christmas lasted quite well - roses quite often fade and droop quickly don't they.  I'd thrown out a couple of dying stems Thurs afternoon, the rest I shall probably put in the compost bin tomorrow.

We went to our neighbours for their little get-together last night, we enjoyed some nibbles and chat.  I took along some choc chip shortbread I made yesterday morning.  We only stayed a couple of hours though.....although I'm feeling better, I do still feel a bit rough and very tired indeed in the evenings and have to go to bed early.  So I doubt I'll be seeing the new year in tonight.

One of our neighbours, an elderly widow, lives alone - she has 2 sons with families but they don't live nearby.  We keep an eye on her, do a few odd jobs for her, go to her house for coffee and cake regularly, pick up the odd bit of shopping if we're going and she needs something.  She shows her thanks every year (not that she needs to, we're happy to do it all, she's a lovely lady) by giving us an extremely generous garden centre voucher for Christmas.  So next week, once people are back at work, kids back to school and less crowds around, we'll go to the garden centre and have a look in their sales.  Last year we got some bits for the caravan with the voucher - I've got nothing in mind this year, we'll just see what they've got.

I would like to wish all of my wonderful readers a very Happy New Year, may it be a good one for you.