Forms and Spring flowers

We went to the Council offices - giant building (it's shared with Police), only saw reception and waiting area, which was virtually empty.  Turns out you have to make an appointment if you want someone to help with form filling, and it wouldn't be anytime soon.  So I was just given a sheaf of forms to fill in.  The application form is, I kid you not, 28 pages long....although to be fair, there are a few pages I don't need to fill in as they don't apply.  The form also states that our application will not be considered without all the relevant proof required - for ID (2 forms of ID each), address (again 2 types each), tenancy offer, proof of rent paid, proof of Attendance and Carers Allowance, bank statements, savings account statements, and a few other things 😲.  And they have to be original documents, not copies!  (how can that be done when we don't get paper statements etc anymore?  Can't go to the bank and request them as there isn't a branch anywhere near, and I think the bank make a charge if we phone up and request paper statements to be sent out).  As I said, they don't make things easy and obviously hope people just won't bother.  And, as one of you said, it's not easy to get an appointment with CAB anymore - that's if there's one nearby.  

I'll do the forms myself, it'll probably take me a few days (we have a month to fill them in and return them), we'll take them back to the Council in person and if I can't produce all of the documents they're asking for, I shall just tell them politely but firmly that it's simply not possible.  If the person we see says we MUST produce them, I shall ask to see their superior.  They must come across exactly this problem frequently, I'd have thought, we can't be the only ones.  Honestly, how people older than me or with cognitive problems cope with things like this, I don't know.  Anyway, I won't be defeated, I will get there - nothing stops me from achieving something when I put my mind to it....after all, we got here in just over a month from start to finish, and I did it all mostly by myself.  💪

So it's another storm out there - Jocelyn apparently - although it's a mere puff and spit in comparison to the last one.  Still gloomy and cold though.  However, on the bright side, this morning I noticed quite a few small bulbs poking out round the bottom of the apple tree in the front lawn - I think they may be snowdrops, how fabulous!  Oh I'm so looking forward to seeing all the many Spring flower bulbs that are here starting to bloom, it's going to look lovely.  It's really exciting waiting to see what's here in the garden, there are lots of things coming through and buds appearing on bare shrubs.  Can't wait!

Betty's been doing a lot of sleeping lately, more than usual.  I don't think she's unwell, she certainly doesn't seem it, doesn't appear to be in pain, no lumps visible or felt, is eating normally.  Perhaps it's just the winter, or maybe it's because she's starting to show her age - she's 7 years 3 months.  The average life span of her two breeds - Shar Pei 8-12 years, English Bulldog 8-10 years - isn't that long, unfortunately, although I don't really want to think about that.  So I'd prefer to think she's just hunkering down until Spring.  Which is what a lot of us feel like!