Fortunate February

[amh4]

Do you know that many of us think less than positively about the month of February. Christmas, with its lights, festivities and good cheer seems to be a long time ago now, and Easter, with the next bank holidays, is still light years in the future.

But if you look at this little 28 day month in other ways, there are many things which can be seen as very fortunate.

For starters, do you know that from today onwards, we shall be given 2 minutes a day more daylight, which is just 4 minutes shy of an hour more light by the end of the month.

It is unusual for snowdrops not to be around to cheer our hearts in February, and gardeners will tell you that everywhere there are signs of nascent activity in the plant world, as the word goes out below the soil, that it is time to start looking out those beautiful leaves and flowers, to enchant another year.

Financially, we will have received the horrible bills telling of whether or not we have overspent over Christmas and the New Year, and by now we will probably have matters in hand to help. The Annual Returns were last month! All of that is now in the past, and February is a great month for starting (or re-starting) budgets with new optimism and vigour.

But perhaps the greatest thing about February, is the fact that, as in the gardens and countryside, everything is still nascent, it has yet to be fully born. All our hopes and dreams for 2017 are still only be at the beginning of the journey, and for those of us who have not yet solidified what those hopes and dreams are for the year, there is still good time.

So, let's say goodbye to the last year, and turn with a high heart to the possibilities of the new, and make this month a Fortunate February

[Brava21]

Hi all

Brilliant opening post, Anne Marie! Can we leave this job to you for the whole of 2017, do you think?

I have decided that I must drag myself out of the doldrums, even though we are still in the hated (by me, anyway) winter, and think about some goals for the month.
My goals for the first half of the year are virtually all outside jobs, so I thought it would be good to get various spring clean interior jobs done in good time this year so that I can crack on with the more interesting jobs outside as and when weather allows, in the Spring.
I won’t bore you with too much detail on the domestics, and in truth I haven’t fully sorted out the list of stuff I want to do in my head yet, but if could get the following done in February I would be pleased:

* Clean kitchen cupboards
* Clean insides of windows
* Clean venetian blinds

Then I think I would feel that I was going into March on the front foot.
We are going on holiday for a week in mid March, then when we come back the exterior jobs are:

* Paint fences
* Plant up wide border to rear of garden
* Decide on style of new front door, get quotes and get it fitted.

I think it would be nice to get the first two done in March/April, and the third in June (when it is warm enough to have no front door for a couple of hours while a new one is fitted!)

I do need to do some planning for the first two, though. I need opinions on the best sort of fence paint to use (in particular as I am painting the fences black) and thought to ask the lovely and knowledgeable peeps on the DIY Board – they have really come up trumps for me before now. I will also ask for tips and ideas re. the planting on the ‘Natural World’ Board. I was meant to spend the winter planning it all out in great detail but am doing my usual trick of inaction through crippling indecision. All I have done so far is write a list of plants I like! Rubbish.

And finally I resolve to post more. Stooz and Clariman went to tremendous time and effort to get this new forum up and running for us and I should make far more effort to use it. There! That’s me telling myself

Will report back soon (honest)

Brava x

[splosh]

Indeed a wonderful start there from Anne-Marie!

My list is looking a bit short this month, but then again as you say the month itself is short. Also a couple of the items are multi-day ones!

Work
1. One arrangement commission
2. One coaching trip
3. Prep for event early March (quite a lot of work to do here)
4. Groundwork for event later in the year

Play
1. Go for a mini-break
This will be several days' play all at once, but I really need to find some other things for later in the month.

Home, Health, Family
1. See brother twice
2. Possibly have MrSplosh's mum to stay (it's in the diary, but she's been feeling a bit under the weather so may want to postpone)
3. Reorganise storage round the house
4. Start spring garden work

Other
1. Make progress on website revamp for the organisation I volunteer for
2. Write to my MP

Right, I can't help feeling I've missed things, but everything on there needs doing, so I'll go ahead and post without further dithering.

splosh

[DeBriefed]

I should be finishing work for my mat leave in the next week or two, so I'm posting quite a big list but if baby arrives early I know a lot of it won't get done!!

1) Declutter airing cupboard and find space for new towels (left over from January).
2) File paperwork and update financial plan with latest information on spending etc.
3) Sort out toddler clothes kindly gifted for my DD by my SIL.
4) Pack hospital bag.
5) Organise DD's chest of drawers to give one drawer over to clothes for baby.
6) Finish sorting out handover for work (I have somebody to hand over every project to, but some of them would really benefit from handover notes - need to get this done next week).
7) Have many lunches with friends while I still can and maybe see a couple of exhibitions while I'm off work.
8) Try to finish doing Trans-Mongolian photo album (only 8 years after the actual trip...)
9) Sort out kitchen cupboard/drawer of doom (you know, the one containing stamps, birthday candles, tape, bits of chargers, stuff for the car, etc. etc.)
10) Fit baby seat in car and drop travel cot to my sister's house.
11) Declutter/tidy bedroom.
12) Declutter/tidy spare room.

Phew... feel a bit tired just typing that...

LT

[doone100]

What a Truly lovely opening post Anne-Marie.

Feb goals are
Carried over from January- finish 2 sewing projects, try a new recipe, AGM minutes.

Health- seriously get diet back on track, do the hand exercises recommended by the GP.

Home- Sort out box of stuff currently on spare room bed, Kitchen cupboard declutter, thoroughly clean Kitchen, tidy garden.

Family- Arrange to visit Mum- send New Baby card to Mr Doone's nephew. Get used to Mr Doone's new working schedule.

Work- progress long term project. Find someone to show me how to use One Note.

Finance- call Endowment provider, continue focus on discretionary spend.

Hobby- Prepare agenda for march committee meeting, get committee to focus on having the Van weighed, MOT'd and paperwork transferred to new designated drivers. Go through "kitchen box" so see what supplies are needed

Sewing. Buy pattern paper and start draft of pattern for new wool gown

[doone100]

Forgot to add that 50% of Feb weekends will be spent at Miss Doone's new house

Doone

[Tortoise1000]

Thank you so much Anne-Marie. That is a very comforting and encouraging introduction to yet another winter month. Particularly welcome today, as I am struggling with worsened eyesight. I was going to post my goals earlier this week, but I have had a bout of Posterior Vitreous Detachment which has made it harder to see. I went to the hospital yesterday to have it checked out, and it hasn’t caused serious damage, but the sight in one eye is blurred which is giving me a headache using the computer. It has made me feel slightly seasick moving around doing the decluttering too, and peering at the titles of books. What a nuisance. I hope it doesn’t get any worse. I felt quite demoralised this morning. But then I went out for a walk and it didn’t get in the way of that, so that cheered me up. You are quite right, from now on the year gets better

Health

Keep walking 6 days a week and logging it on Strava.

Keep attending SW meetings.

House project

Collect a list of jobs for the carpenter

Choose and order a woodburning stove. Possibly this one:

http://www.rais.com/en/rais-customized# ... leverair=1

or the same with a soapstone top:

http://www.rais.com/en/rais-customized# ... 2&height=1

It is so hard to imagine how things will look when they are in place! How do designers do it? One day we shall be able to try out holograms of things in situ. Meanwhile I am trying to make do with my limited imagination.

Decluttering

Arrange the wanted books on the bookshelves.
Get the unwanted ones out of the house.

Stack the non-book papery things, photos etc, somewhere temporarily.
Look at archive boxes in Staples (assuming Staples is still there, it looked like it was running stock down last time I went in)

Keep tidying and decluttering the store room and garage to the extent that I can get the dining room clutter in there

Iron the replacement sofa covers, fit them on and recycle the old ones

Empty the last few removal boxes. Phone the removal firm to come and take them all away.

Finances.

Rearrange my desk. I have put this under finances because it may be contributing to not giving enough attention to sorting financial things out . It requires me to approach the computer and then, instead of sitting down and browsing interesting things on it, switching it off. Then move a lot of stuff around, shift furniture , dust, disentangle all the cables and arrange some sort of cable tidy. Hence the procrastination. Get on with it, T!

Review 2016-17 finances to date and take action to optimise tax position before the year end .

TJ.

Deal with the trauma of the exam results. Keep on helping with the cookery (he is able to cook but finds it difficult to organise). Keep on having our regular weekly finance meetings to help him manage his money.

T

[splosh]

Ooh, I saw some snowdrops and thought of Anne-Marie

DeBriefed, I notice that you don't have 'give birth' on your list of goals, so assume that's scheduled to be a March goal? If you suddenly go quiet on us, I shall assume it's because the new person has arrived and is monopolising your attention.

First visit with brother undertaken, and first bit of gardening work. Have also made a start on the prep for March and the new arrangement. Loads more to do, but in both cases getting started is the hardest bit, so progress feels good. Off on our mini-break tomorrow, immediately followed by a trip away for coaching, so not expecting progress on anything else for best part of a week.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Lovely sunny skies here, so although it's cold, it feels like spring might just be round the corner.

splosh

[futuresaver101]

Hi all,

Firstly, thank you to Anne-Marie for a lovely opening post.

I have to confess feeling a bit in the doldrums this weekend. Some items on the news last week reminded me of some painful family bereavements, and this project I am working on just feels like a career reputation breaker for me.

I'm not enjoying mentoring as much (actually, not at all) so it's good it's finishing up soon, with two mentees going forward to interview this month.

I just feel drained and tired and want to go to sleep.

Although I do feel a bit better for posting and talking to you guys

FS101

Home/Work Routine 2017 goals
Priority for February
3) Be in bed lights out by 10 pm three days/week
6) Daily (hamstring and more) stretches. Using my new physio "toys"

The others
1) Don't go into work "late" more than twice/month
2) Leave the office 5 pm at the latest three days/week (Tues, Thurs, Fri)
4) Don't play online scrabble except during the commute
5) Fit in a short daily meditation three days/week

Professional 2017 goals
Priority for February
2017 #3 - Write and publish a CPD blog series in house
2017 #6 - Get a good in my April 2017 appraisal, ongoing support and resources from my employer

The others
2017 #1 - Fellowship application accepted, with (online) profile in line with "senior" level language
2017 #2 - Add a professional Society CPD committee membership to my activities
2017 #4 - Get a (project) management mentor
2017 #5 - Define and start implementing my 5 year "post 50s career resilience" plan

Study and life admin 2017 goals
Priority for February
2) Put away *at the end of each day* clutter around my desk
4) Do my (work) diary at least three days/week

The others
1) Keep 1 m radius clear around my desk
3) Get powers of attorney set up for all my family members, revise wills
5) Organise my networks, connections into (mind)maps
6) Clear out the garage. And the workshop. And the conservatory.

[Tortoise1000]

Morning FS101! I hope you are feeling better today, rested and refreshed and raring to go on this lovely Monday morning.

T

[DeBriefed]

Hello Splosh! Due date is 3rd March (and will be induced that day if he doesn't arrive earlier). So giving birth is not on the list of goals but may well happen despite my best endeavours ... hence the list is a bit of a moveable feast! I have realised in the last couple of days with a bit more sunshine that I also need to add cleaning windows to the list...

Really sorry to hear about the PVD Tortoise: my MIL has that and I know she finds it very disconcerting with the floaters and flashes etc. even though she's been told the symptoms should generally be temporary. I hope your blurriness passes soon!

[amh4]

Good morning everyone,

T - hope your eyes are feeling a bit better, or at least not causing your spirits to drop. FS101, I echo T's comment about you feeling more upbeat this morning.

I am posting my February updates, but as we shall be in our apartment for most of the month it will feel very different. But here goes:-

Family - attempt to organise a gathering of us all on the weekend of Mothering Sunday. I know that is ages away, but we are talking 24 of us, (including the babies, who have less hectic diaries than the rest!) I had thought of Easter, but at least half of us will be away over the Easter holidays. Other than that, organise and send three sets of birthday presents/cards.

Garden - Order the vegetable seeds and potatoes for the veggie beds. Order seedlings/seeds/plants for the hanging baskets and tubs and also for the flower beds. I am going to turn one long border into a low maintenance bed, as I am finding too hard to keep everything up to scratch over the summer months, so I will spend some happy hours online looking at all the possibilities.

Weight and health - taking on board the very helpful posts from T and fs101, I am now adding morning exercises and also two daily walks into my day. Keep this going through the month. When I am at the apartment, I always feel so much better and more energetic, so this is prime time to organise myself ready for the trials of actually buying something to wear at the end of next month (this will give me as many weeks as possible to drop a dress size) I am also finding it interesting to see which food groups do not really suit me. For instance , we only tend to have bread here once or twice a week, and I have noticed that I feel bloated the day after I do eat bread. Now, I like bread, so I think that my body will work with me if I limit it to once a week - it is worth trying anyway, just to see. This will be a great month to eat well.

Work - mostly keeping on top of the admin, I think I will start working on the end of year stuff, to keep me ahead of the panic of next August (It has to be ready by the end of September)

Leisure - keep up with the reading. Present the Treasurer's Report at the Garden Club AGM, and organise the Canal Art sessions for our group during February. I have booked a yoga one-on-one session with a very experienced guy for the 10th March. I will meet him 4 or 6 weekly after that, and will have my own personalised routine of two daily 10 minute practices, which will be checked and updated as I progress.

Finances - work out a contingency plan in case the monies I am expecting do not arrive for the end of the tax year, so I will need to organise my ISA from elsewhere. Other than that, work out a revised budget, as I seem to be spending more money on uncatered for items, and it can be a little daunting to see my contingency monies being eaten into so early in the year.

And that is more than enough from me

Take care of yourselves

Anne-Marie

[Wondergirly]

Lovely start to the month Anne-Marie....

So February, let's see;

Health
Continue with my 1000 mile challenge

Weight training three times per week

Hip is rather sore so I have postponed seeing the surgeon until April in the hope that time proves a healer. I am still able to go back to the physio until March so if it is no better in two weeks I will make an appointment.

Work
Deal with final company bank statements as they arrive and reconcile accounts

Still need to close an account, but waiting on Someone Else to do Something. This could run and run.....

Money
Review January outgoings and trim February where possible.

Consider changing broadband provider *shudder* if I cannot get a better deal from our current provider

Home
We hope to see some quotes arriving soon for our building work. Four firms have visited and taken plans away so we are now answering their queries and hosting visits from their various subbies and/or QS

Again, get 'stuff' down to a minimum. This month still need to do general fripperies(carried over) and make a start on clothes

Continue in the front garden; still some shrubs to remove and weeding to be done. OH is planting the new viburnums as we speak

Play
One outing in the diary and as it is two nights away that is more than enough for February.

Continue attending 'knit and natter'

Plenty of walking when the weather is amenable (been dreadful so far this month)

Continue with my 'temperature blanket' and learn to knit socks



W

[futuresaver101]

Hi all,

Thanks T for your kind thoughts. Feeling a bit perkier today (although work project isn't going well).

Turns out that there is a seat free at my employer's table for a black tie do. This Thursday - nice excuse to dress up.

FS101

P.S. My document delivery is Friday - wish me luck

[splosh]

Just checking in as we seem to have got through a good deal of month when I wasn't looking. Not expecting to have achieved much as I've been away most of the week - but useful to remind myself what needs doing.

Work
1. One arrangement commission Started, but not got very far yet
2. One coaching trip Done, it went well
3. Prep for event early March (quite a lot of work to do here) Started, plenty more to do yet
4. Groundwork for event later in the year Not started, need to get cracking

Play
1. Go for a mini-break Done. It was lovely.
This will be several days' play all at once, but I really need to find some other things for later in the month.

Home, Health, Family
1. See brother twice Yes, both visits have happened already.
2. Possibly have MrSplosh's mum to stay (it's in the diary, but she's been feeling a bit under the weather so may want to postpone) This is off for now, to be rescheduled for later in the year.
3. Reorganise storage round the house Have done a little, plenty more to do.
4. Start spring garden work Have done a little. Not minded to do much more until the sleet stops.

Other
1. Make progress on website revamp for the organisation I volunteer for This reminds me, I need to set up a meeting with another board member (tried to do it on Weds, but she asked me to send an email with some dates instead. Didn't point out that last time I did that she didn't reply...)
2. Write to my MP To happen this week. It's about a specific debate, but I am leaving it nearer the time before writing in case there are further developments.

Okay so far, but need to get back into gear after the mini-break and coaching trip.

splosh

[Tortoise1000]

No word from FS101 since Friday the Document Delivery Day. Did it get done, FS?

Checking in half way. I prioritised getting the house straight:

Things done:

Stack the non-book papery things, photos etc, somewhere temporarily. Yes, the hall is at last clear and the house feels much better as a result.

Look at archive boxes in Staples .. It seems what I need is called a ‘Bankers Box’ . To supplement the 11” x 14 ½” music-ruled computer listing paper boxes I got from work in the late 1970s. They were ideal, but I would not know where to get them any more, or if such paper still exists.

Keep tidying and decluttering the store room and garage to the extent that I can get the dining room clutter in there. Yes! Dining room now serves as a room for eating meals in.

Iron the replacement sofa covers, fit them on and recycle the old ones.

Things not done:

Collect a list of jobs for the carpenter.

Rearrange my desk.

Review 2016-17 finances to date and take action to optimise tax position before the year end

Things in progress:

Keep walking 6 days a week and logging it on Strava.

Keep attending SW meetings.

Choose and order a wood burning stove. I think I have chosen, I shall probably go to the shop and order it tomorrow. Delay has been productive in this case. Previously none of the stoves was quite right, I wanted one that combined various features of several. A manufacturer has now brought out a new one, which fits the bill.

Arrange the wanted books on the bookshelves. Get the unwanted ones out of the house. As recorded on the decluttering thread.

Empty the last few removal boxes. Phone the removal firm to come and take them all away. Just one box left to empty. It is under a lot of stuff in the freezing cold garage

Deal with the trauma of TJ’s exam results. Keep on helping with the cookery (he is able to cook but finds it difficult to organise). Keep on having our regular weekly finance meetings to help him manage his money.

Exams passed. That is 50 third-year credits in the bag. He needs to get 70 more in the summer exams, plus 10 second year credits carried forward. The cookery is a lost cause at present, he has been ill this week and unable to eat, this sickness virus that is going round. As for the finances, we continue to track each week on a simple spreadsheet that is basically a bank statement projected forward until the next tranche of student finance arrives. It is currently projecting a large unauthorised overdraft . Curious how different he and I are about money! I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I was overdrawn, and so would a lot of Fools here I am sure. It must be that some people have a whole different concept of money, some elastic model that is hard for us to understand.

T

[Brava21]

Hi all

Mid month report. For February, I said…

‘I won’t bore you with too much detail on the domestics, and in truth I haven’t fully sorted out the list of stuff I want to do in my head yet, but if could get the following done in February I would be pleased:

Clean kitchen cupboards
Clean insides of windows
Clean venetian blinds

Then I think I would feel that I was going into March on the front foot.’

Well, I have completed the first and third items on the list, but then I ran out of steam, and went into a funk about how my life is boring and full of nothing except domestic tasks, and came to a complete stop. Still, if I can get the windows sorted over the next two weekends then I might feel happier. Or not; but, at least my windows will be clean.

I know what you mean about the differences in some people's attitudes to finances BTW, T. I would also lie awake night after night worrying, if I had an overdraft (I know, because many years ago I had one, and I did!). But my friend H takes the view that 'you come into this world with nothing so if you go out in debt, you have made a profit'. We are all different

Brava

[DeBriefed]

Thought I would leap into the half month check in too, as I'm nearly done at work so should be able to get stuck into some of the more domestic jobs soon hopefully....

I so agree about people's attitudes to money just seeming inborn. I know a guy who does project work which is very well paid, but has gaps inbetween. He is a prodigious spender (remember that £60 hamburger that was in the news a few years ago and everybody normal thought "who on earth would pay £60 for a hamburger???" - yup, he did) and doesn't seem to worry about money until every credit card and overdraft facility is maxed out. He just has total confidence that "something will turn up" and because he is confident and clever, somehow it always does. Although this was all in his single and carefree days. I do wonder if he is the same now he has kids though... I suspect his wife may have talked him out of some of his more extravagant ways since he settled down!

Anyway, here is the list ... about half done I think? So not too bad... though I know I'm going to have to screw up all my mental energy and enthusiasm to get stuck into the various decluttering jobs!

1) Declutter airing cupboard and find space for new towels (left over from January). - NOT YET
2) File paperwork and update financial plan with latest information on spending etc. - YES!
3) Sort out toddler clothes kindly gifted for my DD by my SIL. - YES!
4) Pack hospital bag. - YES!
5) Organise DD's chest of drawers to give one drawer over to clothes for baby. - YES!
6) Finish sorting out handover for work (I have somebody to hand over every project to, but some of them would really benefit from handover notes - need to get this done next week). - YES!
7) Have many lunches with friends while I still can and maybe see a couple of exhibitions while I'm off work. - YES/NO: LOTS OF LUNCHES... NO EXHIBITIONS YET
8) Try to finish doing Trans-Mongolian photo album (only 8 years after the actual trip...) - NOT YET
9) Sort out kitchen cupboard/drawer of doom (you know, the one containing stamps, birthday candles, tape, bits of chargers, stuff for the car, etc. etc.) - NOT YET
10) Fit baby seat in car and drop travel cot to my sister's house. - NOT YET - MUST DO AT LEAST COT ...
11) Declutter/tidy bedroom. NOT YET
12) Declutter/tidy spare room. NOT YET

[futuresaver101]

Hi,

Apologies all for the radio silence (thanks for checking in on me, T). I did manage the Document Delivery on the Friday, and then spent a good chunk of the weekend resting. Have managed to come down with my first cold of winter (I know, I'm lucky) and just want to walk around with loo roll stuck up my nose.

New week has started mostly ok (I managed my meditation on the train this morning) but do feel a bit unsettled with this company re-organisation.

Will remind myself of just exactly what it is I committed to do this month and post at the weekend

Oh, I did manage one thing. My professional registration application has now gone back for informal review. Feels like quite a milestone !

Hope all is well with fellow YTST-ers

FS101

[splosh]

Hi all,
Checking in as it feels like I have been getting on with stuff and I'm hoping that means I can tick a few things off...

Work
1. One arrangement commission Delivered today. Have also completed a very small arranging project that popped up mid-moth.
2. One coaching trip Done, it went well
3. Prep for event early March (quite a lot of work to do here) Going well so far
4. Groundwork for event later in the year Made a start, more to do

Play
1. Go for a mini-break Done. It was lovely.
This will be several days' play all at once, but I really need to find some other things for later in the month. Have attempted to meet up with a friend, but she had to cancel. Have more successfully gone to a concert, which was lovely. Still time to do more fun things this month though!

Home, Health, Family
1. See brother twice Yes, both visits have happened already.
2. Possibly have MrSplosh's mum to stay (it's in the diary, but she's been feeling a bit under the weather so may want to postpone) This is off for now, to be rescheduled for later in the year.
3. Reorganise storage round the house This has spawned a sub-project of organising a collection of dead computer equipment for recycling for all our local friends and neighbours. But we've also done a bit of storage reorganising. I can see this evolving over a few months, though.
4. Start spring garden work Have done a little more than when I last checked in. Now the days are getting longer and the air is a little kinder, I am feeling enthusiastic about this again.

Other
1. Make progress on website revamp for the organisation I volunteer for The person I am trying to set up a meeting with is proving hard to get a response from. Must chase.
2. Write to my MP The particular debate appears to have been cancelled. So I shall hold my fire and not write to him after all. There are lots of things I'd like to harangue him about, actually, but I am aiming to be sparing in my communications in the hope he sees me as 'concerned and politically engaged constituent' rather than 'nutcase stalker'.

So, that's okay. Just as well really, though, as there's not so very much month left.

splosh