I have been out there reading all my favourite posts over the year and find ever more lovely people to read about.
We have finally finished installing the kitchen and here are some photos of it. There are still tiles needed above the cooker and maybe on the wall only, I don't want them all the way around the units. I simply cannot choose some, I so do not want to get it wrong and then not like them! So I live without them! There is an extractor to be fitted inside the cupboard above the cooker and some lights under the wall units to go in. We put a tiled laminate on the floor and are really pleased with it. We couldn't have cushionfloor because of the supporting pillar which would have meant a join. I havent added the skirting around or behind the bootom of the units. Cannot decide whether to or not.
Now for the best news - We are to become grandparents in August - how fantastic is that?!!!
My youngest son David moved out with his partner and into a little house in the next village - almost where we used to live. They settled in and loved their new life together - they are a little shocked at their own news! but had a 12 week scan today and are overwhelmed by their baby picture. They are moving back into a lovely house fairly near to us and her Mum. They can walk into town and work etc. They are renting and I can't see them ever affording to buy in our town it is very expensive. The 2 bedroom place they were in was £495 and this one is £500.
My eldest son Adam moved into a new house just before Christmas after a long summer of buying and losing etc, but this one was worth waiting for. They are so thrilled with it and it is already their own lovely home and it seems like they have been there for ages.
My daughter is still with us, not that I mind, I miss the others dreadfully and it will be awful when she eventually flies the nest. It is so expensive for a single person to rent and as she gets older (27 next week) her friends pair off and move in together. She was looking around but you really need someone to share with.
I am now in the last year of my contract at work, it ends in December 2013 but should be extended in the next couple of months to 31st March 2014. I have never worked so hard as I did last year and this year is no different. Some nights if it has been particularly fraught I have my tea and have a sleep for an hour or so - I usually cannot stay awake. If I am watching something one night I tend to watch and stitch or watch and do my tapestry cushions on my frame, so I can at least achieve something other than my job during the week.
The latest stroke of genius they have had at the top is to take all the pay bands up to 8 and remvoe the odd numbers, so if you have been a band 7 for several years you now have the honour of being a band 6 with a pay cut! We argued that job evaluation had decided the posts were linked to the salary but they are scrappong the job descriptions that matched the bands!
I would leave tomorrow if I could financially but I also do nto want to let my colleagues down nor the projects I work with - so here I am fast approaching 57 in July. I still have 21 days holiday to take before the end of March this year and not really anytime to take it!
Anyway enough of public sector life - in September last year we bought a lovely 2 berth caravan on a spur of the moment. It was for sale along our road and is immaculate. They were leaving everything in as well as an awning so we snapped it up. We have found a lovely little farm site just outside Whitby and my brother will take it there for us in March and it will be pitched there until the end of October. We are determined that I will get some holidays in, in 2013 and have decided the best way to do that is to have long weekends and little mid-week breaks, as the work is just too much to go back to if I have a full week off. We are really looking forward to using it as we love that area. I hope for many warm days sitting in the sun outside my 'second home'. I don't like going away from home really, I prefer to spend my time off in my garden or home but this is a compromise and I will consider it to be my home in Whitby.
I can see that life is going to change greatly this year with the baby coming. Leonnie is a hairdresser, though she prefers to be in the barbers linked to her work. She thinks she will go back two or three days a week after maternity leave, so it will hopefully mean that her Mum and I will look after the baby to help.
This means if I get the opportunity to get redundancy in March 2014, I will have some lovely times to look forward to. Alan was a bit shocked about the baby at first but he gettng used to the idea. I AM JUST SO EXCITED babies just come and bring happiness with them and I cannot think of a better way to spend part of my week looking after it.
It will be a struggle financially to not look for another job after this one and I dont get my state pension until I am 66! but we arent big spenders and you can't buy time can you......................
I will be back!! hopefully sooner than last time
