Normality resumed

 I enjoyed a trip up to Southampton on Wednesday night and avoided going too mad on the drink side of things, so much so that I was able to drive back before 6 on Thursday morning. However, I was definitely tired which meant a late walk for Juno this morning.

The sun has been lovely all day, although it's been cold too. We went for a walk in the woods and saw the early daffodils coming through the trees amidst all of the mud which absolutely caked boots and trainers and dog legs. After a quick lunch I was on the bike for a 10 mile ride to Verwood and back with some extra bits thrown in as well. I stopped at Joy's house to fix the front gate which had been damaged by the storm last week. Thankfully it was easy to do and I was able to go on to Lidl next for a few ingredients for curry night.

The food is cooking away nicely just now, vegetable curry with kidney beans and chickpeas, lentil dal, naan bread and poppadums. The jollof rice I did yesterday was really good and Glen finished it off at lunchtime today after his drive to London and back for work.

I renewed Joy's house insurance today and saved her nearly £200 for the year which was good and then I heard back from child benefit after being prompted to apply last week. I'd been reading The Guardian which had an article on how to begin to fight back against the cost of living crisis. There was a link to follow to check if you are entitled to any benefits and normally I would not have bothered. However, it was easy to do and suggested we may be entitled to child benefit. We had been over the threshold when working but retirement means we are no longer above but I still thought Maria being far from our first or second child, we would not qualify due to tightening of the criteria.

Very pleasingly, I took a phone call from the relevant department this afternoon which suggested we would be able to claim and there was also almost two years of arrears to be paid to us! Not a bad outcome for something I thought was a bit of a flier.

The photos are from our trip to the woods but there is an additonal picture from Evie and Amelia's trip to Stonehenge yesterday. Great photo and they dodged the hail and rain showers too.