Dh has died - the MN Aunties are helping me keep on

[JuanPotatoTwo]

New thread, not very imaginative title sorry! I can't remember how to link - having a blank moment.

Same here - head around the door, just to say hello.
I have been out for a committee meeting, now sat down with a drink, and a crotchet hook, thinking I will have to be up early again tomorrow,just in case tradesman comes ( bets are on Thursday in truth...)

Was outdoors until 8pm and still very light.
Hey magi I lol'd at the reference to The Good The Bad and the Ugly. That was a fine movie.

I took my DM to see Wicked this weekend. Being the soppy cow that I am I had a good old blub at the sadand happy bits. The music and costumes were fab

Hope all is well with our lovely friends Juan and Squirrels hope you both rest and try to get some good zzzzzz's tonight xx

Night all x

Morning Juan and all
hope everyone got a good nights rest.
well, dressed and ready., sun is out , but a quiet day due here today, just toddling around until we hear if he turns up.
Here if you need me
Thoughts and Prayers xxx

Sun out here as well but a cold wind.

And so bloody dry - I would love a day of steady rain, as would my garden!

Hope you all got some sleep.

Morning (just) checking in.

Juan hope you get your paperwork sorted and sorry the airport upset you

Chasing I saw a thread about the cuts being made to the widows benefits (sorry don't know the proper term) bloody ridiculous, as if people aren't going to be going through enough without adding extra financial burden. Hope you get sorted.

Hi all.

The changes to widows pensions etc don't affect me as John died before the change date.
It's more that widows pension only kicks on if 45+ at date of death and I'm 44. Then married parents allowance is for children of the deceased and I'm pretty sure doesn't apply to step-children.
Am now at local job centre. DWP tried to book me and appointment and said local job centre doesn't and to just call in. Job centre says you should have an appointment and we can't help you. Then made it out to be my fault that I'd been given incorrect information. Just what you don't need.

Chasing that sounds like such a pain. All that inefficient bureaucracy when you really don't need the hassle

Hope your accountant friend was able to shed some light on your paperwork Juan.

Afternoon
quick head around the door.
Chasing sadly as I said earlier, left hand and right hand don't work together..

• virtual coffee shop? I have just got in from some work at my allotment , so a pot of tea ( and in fond memory of my DM) a toasted teacake would do nicely...

I popped home for lunch today & DS1, on his day off, had made a delicious vegetable soup using all the miscellaneous bits of veg he found in the fridge, including a butternut squash that had been sitting there for ages because I hadn't a clue what to do with it. He'd also made wraps, and they were very nice too.

So I am very well fed and much too stuffed to join bookbook with her toasted teacakes, even though I'd love to

Kettle's on, though, if anyone fancies a

definitely a Drama

butternut squash is a lovely vegetable - very versatile . Roast it in chunks with garlic and rosemary. Then any left makes a lovely cold salad with baby leaf spinach and pine nuts, or use in risotto .

Sounds yummy, book. It made the texture of DS's soup gorgeous too, really silky. I will have a go at roasting it next time, your suggestion sounds really nice.

Hello everyone. Cup of tea for me please with the teabag left in.

magi you made me blush saying nice things, thank you. You're not so bad yourself really - if you took a hint better and left Pot all to me you'd be practically perfect

Squirrels did you get anywhere at the job centre? Hope so. I'm still waiting for the pension administrators of Mark's pension scheme to pay out. They in turn are waiting for details of Ds3's bank account before paying anything out. Trouble is, ds3 didn't have a bank account ... I took him to open one and the bank said it would be about 10 days before I got a sort code and account number. That was about two weeks ago and then I got a call at the end of last week to say there was a signature missing on the paperwork. Aargh. Friend was helpful this morning though - spoke to the IR for me and got some answers to things I'd not understood.

Cake I can understand it being sad seeing little ones with their grandparents :(. Where are your parents if you don't mind me asking? Obviously no need to answer. daisy it sounds like you and your DM get on well? I'm well impressed Drama by your ds's culinary ability. The wraps sound lovely.

Years ago when my 3 big ones were little we had a cleaning lady who had dc the same age as mine. She used to bring them with her (because she didn't have childcare and needed the money) and our dc got friendly. Then we drifted as you do and I hadn't seen her for years - until today. She'd heard about Mark and called over. Truly lovely to see her :). Hope we'll stay back in touch now.

Grew up in SA Juan and they're still there. See them when we can but realistically it's not often.

Sending you a big hug and Squirrel for all the backwardsing and forwardsing with sorting stuff shouldn't make life harder at such times should they?

Chasing citizens advice might be a good call if you have a local one? My mam used to be a manager and she was brilliant at sorting telling off JC staff.

Some JC's are crap sorry your having such a chew on. You would of thought under the circumstances they could of been more helpful.

That must be difficult for all of you Cake

CAB is good idea Unborn - I did actually ring them once about three weeks ago but they were engaged and I forgot about trying them again!

I just got very cross at the JC and they saw me - they literally only had to scan certificate and email to correct department so it only took about 5 minutes. The lady who dealt with it was lovely, the manager was a jobsworth.

I then went to his bank with a death certificate and got a few things sorted there. I didn't know they'd pay the funeral bill direct from the funds - so that was useful, wish I had known though as bill came this morning and I could have taken it in - now need another trip.

Got boxes of paperwork I need to sort through.
Lots of organisations I still need to notify.
Plus need to consult a solicitor about a few things - there is one who is a client / friend, I'll ask him what he'd charge and if it's too much (he's expensive) I'll use someone else as it's fairly straightforward - just not thinks I can do.

And then what I do about work....

Been a lovely day, hope everyone is well.

Evening
Juan - bureaucracy grinds slowly and small. Good to hear friend has helped with the IR , which hopefully has taken some of the weight and stress off your shoulders.
Chasing ( and Juan of course) -work and money should be the last thing to worry about on top of all the other things that need to be done . horrid that you have to
I didn't say - the dratted drive man didn't come today - why couldn't he be honest when he said Wednesday maybe Thursday , and just say we will ring when we are coming!

I'm on fat coke and easter bunny tonight to celebrate that I jogged for 26 minutes straight tonight!

Builders hey!

you jogged for 26 minutes ???? thats amazing - I couldn't jog for 5 !- and now my easter egg is taunting me :)

I'm doing couch to 5K Book and when I started I really struggled with the 60 second jogs! I'm still struggling every minute past about 8 but keeping going with it. Not anywhere near running 5K but guessing I will get faster.

I want to eat the rest of mine too but that defeats the purpose of the jog so might just put myself to bed now.

PS I am in my 30s so feel like I should be able to run but have never liked/managed it.

Hello folk! Sorry for the late entrance, went into town to do a few errands and everything is about 2 hours behind!

Commiserations Juan and Squirrels re all the frustrations of admin. It's a grind, but it will eventually resolve, it's such a bore in the meantime. CAB is a very good suggestion, they were helpful for quite a few things when my head was in a spin and I took a big file of paperwork and they helped point me in the right direction. Especially as DH was self-employed (lovely man left everything up to date, but things like his tax return needed to be posted etc ). I was utterly clueless, it struck home how unprepared I was for it all.

Juan yes I do get on well with my DM, we enjoy films, books, languages, Radio 4, moaning on most days about life in general! Actually I am worryingly turning into her more and more, just things I come out with, I think "bugger, that's what DM says. Eeeek.." .

I'm enjoying the builders saga on here, if only for the feeling of solidarity. We had an extension built a few years ago, and I can still remember the stress rising when we got back from a 2 week holiday and all they'd managed to do was 2 courses of bricks . It all worked out, only 10 weeks behind schedule hey ho.

Well Time for bed I guess, sleep tight! X

Cake well done on C25K . I did it a couple of years back and it was great, but sadly I let it go by the wayside after I finished it. I'm thinking about starting it again. Just thinking, mind. I should really get off my bum & just do it, but I'm lazy and prefer cake and MNing.

So after DS1's efforts in the kitchen at lunchtime, DS2 cooked a delicious chilli for dinner tonight. I'm beginning to wonder what they've done or what they want?

How lovely your former cleaning lady called in Juan. Hope you stay in touch now.

CAB might be a good idea if you can get an appointment. Funnily enough I used to work for them many moons ago.

Just popping back to say goodnight.
Hope you get some rest Juan
Drama - is that cynicism or experience ?

Morning - hope you are hanging on in there Juan , here all today if need be. Also hope everyone else is okay .
Update on tradesman - no idea - just left an answerphone message. I could start to get a teeny bit annoyed ...
On the upside, its a lovely day, bed stripped, washing on , and I have been to the hairdressers, so don't look like I have been dragged through a hedge backwards

Sounds like a busy day Book

I'm just popping by too. I've had a big clear out of things that you never get round to, like the out of date meds and hoovering behind bits and pieces. Shattered now and off to face the challenge of swimming lessons for the big one after a very bad night and a full on day at school for the little one, so anticipating bad moods have packed chocolate as bribing tool

Hope you are doing OK Juan and that if I don't catch up with you before tomorrow, good luck at the drs.