All change

 Will started his new job yesterday so it's a big new start for all of us really. The first time Will has worked in an office since the girls were in full time school, and the first time I'll be alone during the day since 2014 when we were first married. Not that it's all about me, but it is a significant change and I will have to respond to it, or else go mad. 

With this new change, our income has also gone down. That's okay, or I think it is, time will tell. Of course we've had quite a few weeks to prepare for this adjustment, so we're as ready and certain as can be. I have been practicing using cash only anyway since Christmas, and envelope stuffing has been the natural next step on from that. We are only half way in to our first month so too early to really report back, and there have been a few times when I've been careless or frivolous and gone off-budget, but I'm enjoying the process and will get better with practice. 

I have also returned to writing a meal plan for each week and planning the food shop around that. I also cleaned out the pantry and wrote a list of everything that was in there, useful especially for more unusual ingredients, which I can't remember buying or why. I'll have to go through some cookbooks and get creative and try and use up some things. 

I need to fill my time in the week now that I'm not mooching in and out of Will's office. As if there isn't plenty to do in the house that I've neglected. General tidying and cleaning as well as DIY jobs left unfinished. I go swimming in the sea a couple of days a week with friends. The food shop is one afternoon. Last week I went to the Wednesday mass at our church and plan to keep that up, that is another morning. And of course I should be doing something creative, something productive. There's so many things I've talked about getting started with, but my motivation is on the floor. It's probably a good job I'm not expected to work a job because frankly I'm unfit to commit to anything. That's something to think on - and then start on. 

This week is half term so I have the girls with me anyway, which is always a treat, so I don't have to worry at the moment. Today we are planning to trudge to the library in the rain. Also this week we need to choose and buy Will a birthday present, we have friends coming for supper on Friday, and I have a swim on Friday morning, so we are doing fine. I think we'll be visiting my Mum this weekend all being well, and then back to it on Monday in earnest.