.......WOW! Is it really 2 months since I updated my blog? Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun (not!)?
So, what has been so important that it’s kept me away from blog land? Firstly I’ve been looking for a job and one application in particular has required a lot of my time and attention. I applied for a vacancy with the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) with the job centre. The only people recreating at the moment is the job centre – a sign of the times sadly. The DWP are recruiting countrywide and in my area alone there are 70 jobs up for grabs. The recruitment process is very drawn out. The application form has 2 full pages of scenarios with a choice of 4 answers that you have to put in the order of which you are most likely to do. If you answer these correctly you’re invited to sit literacy tests. When I went there were 290 people being tested (this was only in my region of the DWP). In the English test there was 15 mistakes and you had to find 9 to pass (I had a score of 13). With the Maths there was 20 questions and you needed 10 correct answers to pass (I had 14). I was told on the day that I’d passed and then given a date for interview. They helped you prepare for interview by telling you the type of questions you would be asked so that you had time to think of situations you’d previously been in and how you’d dealt with them. Two weeks after the interview I had a letter telling me I’d passed – but this wasn’t a job offer. They then go on to do pre employment checks such as CRB, health checks and references. Well it’s now more than 6 weeks since I had that letter, I’ve received a copy of my CRB but my referees haven’t been contacted yet. I’ve phoned the DWP and they’ve told me there’s a huge backlog because of the number of vacancies being filled. So meanwhile I leap on the postie every day (he’s getting used to it now!) to see if there’s a letter from the DWP.
In-between keeping the DWP staff in employment I’ve been decorating. Hubby and I stripped FIL’s bedroom back to the bare bones. FIL was away on holiday at the time and we had to get it finished before he came home – he suffers with severe anxiety and he wouldn’t have coped with the mess and disruption. It was a lot of hard work and I was exhausted by the time FIL came home. The holiday did him good (he stayed with his sister) and he came home looking and feeling really well. Unfortunately that didn’t last! He decided that as he was feeling so well he’d stop taking some of his medication. The ones he chose were steroids! He’s also not been caring for him self – no bathing, changing clothes, eating properly nor doing anything (probably because he’s been feeling really rotten due to the withdrawal symptoms from stopping his meds). So we’ve had a bit of a battle getting him to take them again and to understand that he can’t just stop taking them. Hubby’s been to his dad’s every morning, before work, to make sure he’s taking them and to sit with him while he has some breakfast. He’s then left instructions for his dad to have a bath and change all his clothes. I then go to the bungalow in the afternoon to check he’s done everything, collect his dirty clothes and help him prepare a meal. We then phone him in the evening to remind him to take the rest of his tablets. Thankfully he’s now a lot better and I just hope he keeps it up.
On top of all of this, under Doctor’s supervision, I’ve stopped taking the antidepressants. I think it’s a sign that I’ve overcome the depression because I’ve coped with everything that’s been thrown at me lately.
Well I think that’s everything that’s been going on in my life – thanks to those who have managed to read this far! LOL! As a Thank You for sticking with me, and my blog, during my absence, and also as I’m fast approaching 1000 visits, I’m going to look out some of my stash for a Blog Candy. Watch this space for further info. Bye for now, and hopefully it won’t be another 2 months until my next posting. I'm now off to check all of your blog entries from the last 2 months.
She's a cutie and she's called Snuggles. She's not actually my cat - she wandered in one day and has decided to stay. Her name really suits her as she loves a 'snuggle' or as we say in Wales a 'cwtch'.
This was the card I made for FIL for Father's Day. I recycled the tree image from another card.
I now have to pass it on to 5 others. I've chosen these blogs because I just love their cards: 
