Husband's latest obsession

 Another week gone by, it'll soon be time for the clocks to go back.  At least that means another hour in bed, although I hate the darker even earlier evenings.  However, it then doesn't seem long until the Winter Solstice on 21 December, when the days start getting a bit longer, albeit only by a couple of minutes a day.  As for Christmas, I'm not even thinking about it.  Whether or not I'll make (or even send) Christmas cards this year I really don't know, at the moment I don't feel much like doing it.  I've hardly made any cards this year actually - I have made the odd few, just one at a time when I need one for a family or friend occasion, but haven't had any sessions where I've sat and made several.  I did fill a bag with excess craft supplies back in the summer and gave it to the 12 y.o. girl next door, she made me a thank you card in return, using what I'd given her.

Tip run today, getting rid of some old clothes and shoes that wouldn't be any good for passing on to a charity shop.  A couple of old dog mattresses too, and some other rubbish (of husband's) that has accumulated in the utility room, he always seems to dump stuff in there....until I get fed up with tripping over it or moving his junk away from my food boxes or laundry supplies.  We'll be going to the cancer charity shop too, to offload another bagful of clothes and a load of books, and I'll choose another pile of books.  Yes Heather (I didn't realise you lived this way) their books are a bargain, 2 books for £1 is absolutely dirt cheap and since I give the books back to them to re-sell once I've finished them, I support them twice.  My neighbour who I generally exchange books with (she also buys them 2nd hand) isn't doing much reading lately, she's doing a lot of painting instead (she's an extremely talented artist who paints pet pictures and has a lot of commissions, she's done a couple for us).

Husband's latest 'obsession' is with his bank account - he never really used to bother much about it before, he left all financial stuff to me.....now it's like he's turned into an accountant, and a miserly one at that.  We each have our own bank account, plus a joint one - husband's private pensions and Attendance Allowance go into his and all the car bills (road tax, insurance etc) come out of it.  My Carers Allowance goes into my account.  Husband's state pension and my private pension go into our joint account, which all our household bills and direct debits come out of.  I also have 3 savings accounts, each for a different purpose, which I transfer money into regularly.  Just lately husband has taken to questioning me about what I spend, and is fixated on who pays for what - e.g. every time we have to take Betty to the vets for her regular ear treatment, or flea and worming tablets, he wants to know whether he's paying or I am, and is quick to point out when it's 'my turn' to pay as he paid last time.  He quibbles about every payment in shops etc - especially if it's something I'm buying - do I really need it, could I have got it cheaper elsewhere?  He's also taken to going on and on about who will pay for what when we (finally) move house, and obsesses about whether we've got enough money to pay the expected one month's rent in advance, and the removal costs.  Each time he does this, I get up all our accounts online and show him what's in each account, including the savings account I have that's purely for removal costs.  It satisfies him temporarily, but then a few days later he's off on his obsessive money counting thing again.  Drives me nuts - well, it's the constant repetition because he just doesn't remember that's the annoying thing.  I just have to keep telling myself that he can't help it......

Despite his money counting, he's now decided he wants some new clothes - fine by me, he's got the money and it will make a change for him to actually buy clothes - up till recently he's never been interested in buying himself clothes, it was always me who told him he needed new stuff (and usually had to buy them for him).  The next thing will be persuading him to actually wear them, rather than sticking to his usual scruffy old things.  For years now I've been telling him, when we're going out, to please change into something more suitable as I don't want to go out with him looking like a scarecrow!