I have lost my OS ways, help!

Icey77

Today is most definitely not a NSD, I have to go food shopping, I have to get some cash for the builders, I need to buy the blasted balloons that I keep forgetting and now I have to take Frog to the Drs, I think she has an ear infection, she's not a happy bunny today

Caterina

Bella whatever the clinic is for, I hope all goes well.

Icey hope your little Frog gets well soon.

Just paid the last £3000 for the rendering of the back of the house and the state of affairs is dire indeed. At the moment I have money in the bank but the horrible kitchen builder, electrician and plumber still have to put in their final bills. Notwithstanding the fact that the kitchen is still not finished!

Then I have to pay my friendly builder to replace the guttering at the back of the house. It could have waited but we are taking advantage of having the scaffold there at the moment, the rendering company very kindly let us use it for an extra week free of charge, so we save in the long term. It has to be done sooner rather than later so we bite the bullet. Then window renovations front and back, plaster crack filling inside the house etc...

DH says he will do a lot of these things himself but he works long hours and he will NOT have the time or even the energy to do it all.

Ah, well, this is where the proof of the pudding comes into being, now we really need all the OS skills available to us. We need to save back the full expense before DH retires in 4 years (or less even). It runs in the tens of thousands. I can do it but DH is less careful and DS is just NOT careful.

Struggles, always....

XSpender

Good Gawd I have just looked at the clock and it's half past 11:eek:
I have achieved some stuff this morning honest, I haven't been sitting on my behind all morning, it's just a lot later than I thought:o


So far I have done the school run, been to aldee for nanas, salad and spotlight bulbs. I was hoping to hold off on the bulbs until my weekly shop but 2 out of 3 have gone now in the bathroom and it's like a black hole in there.


I have applied for 3 Christmas temp jobs this morning so I think that is where my time has gone. Not holding out much hope really as I am sure there are an awful lot of people applying for them with more relevant experience. The one I would like is actually an early shift full time but I would be finished in time to pick DS up from school:) It would be very hard work though but the added bonus is I could walk/cycle there.


It is my wedding anniversary today and DMIL has bought us some cinema tickets for a live theatre streaming at the end of the month. We don't normally get anything off anyone or for each other so this was a lovely and much appreciated gift:A


I also don't need to bake anything GF this week as she bought me some cakes as it was DFIL birthd ay on Friday.


OS & other plans for this week are:

1. Ring last place to put DS on swimming lessons waiting list
2. Apply for 5 jobs - 3 done this morning:)
3. Clean bathroom (still not done it:o)
4. Vacuum stairs and upstairs - done
5. Change and wash all bedding - done
6. Do last pile of ironing and iron anything else washed this week
7. Meet up with friend and look/price up new winter coat, eat cake and drink tea and have a good chat
8. Cut out one side of Mum’s Christmas gift
9. Decide/cost old towels dyed or new towels for other side of Mum’s Christmas present
10. Source thread to match fabric and buy Velcro
11. Sort out DS clothes – list on FB site/take along to kilo man. He has at least 5 coats to sell:eek:
12. Pay in loose change bagged up
13. Swim x 1
14. NSD x 4 - Tue
15. Arrange to meet up with friend and children on Saturday/Sunday for some free fun

Right, need to think of something nice for anniversary tea using what we have in.
Sorry for the long post:o

Caterina

Happy Anniversary XSpender and Mr XSpender, hope you find something delicious in the cupboards for your Anniversary Tea! xx

I have just finished lunch after a l!dl shopping and bits at the Turkish shop and market and am pleased to have managed to stay spot on in budget, £20. Interestingly DS, while I was compiling the shopping list, commented on how we have to buy only needs, not wants, and asked me how I am doing with this month's budget. But he still asked for Parmesan! I got Grana Padano, but still double the price of Cheddar. At least he has an awareness of the budget. Perhaps, as a half-Italian, he considers Parmesan an essential, as we have always had it, all his life, even at our skintest.

Ok, off to clean the bathroom then work.

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are, like it is here. Lovely!

Caterina

Good morning,

I realise how my account of returning to OS is becoming quite monotonous and repetitive, this is because I feel rather paralysed by the current home circumstances.

A lot of my OS life revolves around the kitchen and another good part around crafting and making things.

With no kitchen and every other surface occupied by kitchen clutter I cannot do either activity. The situation also gets me down and am low-level depressed, feeling very little motivation to do much around the house. Cleaning is just not worth it, with all the drilling and dust and big boots stomping all over the place and men using my toilet and not taking good aim (I gag even thinking of it).

However, today DH had a long talk with the main builder, his mate, and the promise is that he will have done his bit by today or tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if the absentee electrician shows up today as he supposedly was meant to do.

Once they are all out, there is still a lot to do touching up and making good (DH, DS and my friendly Italian builder), then I can start rebuilding my own space in earnest.

But for the time being there is not much to say, just the same old, same old, get up, make breakfast, lunch etc, then go to work with the boys, then back home and mope about the mess.

I hope it will get more varied and interesting for others to read as I rebuild my kitchen's soul (rather than its walls and units) in the future, lots of work to do and a lot of it at the core of OS ways.

Meanwhile I just keep this diary for my use,to keep myself reminded of the pleasure of simple things, the way of OS which is essentially the way of my inner life. Hope it makes sense.

Today I skipped making DH breakfast and lunch as I had a bad night and only just managed to wake up after falling asleep at 6am. DH was dressed and gone before I could get up. So am luxuriating in bed for a few more minutes writing about my daily OS programme, boring that it might be. It goes like this:

Shower, breakfast, off to tai chi that I missed yesterday because of too many other things to do, washing up, shopping etc.

Back home, put a laundry load on, then pack a picnic and join DH near where he works for a bit of lunch together.

Then back, hang laundry, go to work with the boys, DS is still shadowing me so it will be nice to have his company.

Back home, cook dinner.

My glamorous exciting life!

Have a good OS day.

Icey77

I feel your pain Caterina, we are about halfway through building a big two story side extension on our house. The dust, dirt, clutter resulting from it is horrendous and I'm stuck in it day in day out as I don't go out to work

Trying to keep a very nosy toddler from injuring herself and a squirming baby from sucking on the filthy carpet is a non stop job. The scaffolding is coming down as I type so it will be nice to see the extension in all it's glory later today. But I am mindful that the inside work starts soon and it's going to be even more painful - the only room uneffected is Frog's box bedroom

Today is not going to be a NSD, I am going over to my Mum's to take her for lunch. My Dad died suddenly 8 years ago so we will have a nice lunch out somewhere and raise a glass to him. The part I find difficult is that 8 years on (8 years!!!) I still get blindsided at random times at how much I miss him. I am gutted he missed so many big events such as me qualifying as a chartered accountant, my wedding, the birth of the only grandchildren he would have had as my sister isn't having kids.

Anyhow, on to a brighter subject Frog is off at nursery, the Dr didn't think she had an ear infection just a low level viral infection that she will kick herself in a day or so. She was brighter this morning and had a better night as well

lynsayjane

Morning Caterina,

I hope you're not feeling bad about being 'monotonous'? That's just everyday life going round in circles doing the same things, it's what makes us appreciate the odd rectangular day when we have a drastic change of direction. We're all here to support each other when there are too many circular days. Very excited to see pics of the kitchen when it's done.

Been meaning to post and say how 'well jel' I am of your impending trip to Rome. I went to Italy almost three years ago for my 30th birthday and had an amazing time. Five nights in Venice then nine nights in Rome. I did throw my coin in the Trevi Fountain so hopefully one day I'll get to go back.

LJ
x

XSpender

Morning Caterina and everyone


I wouldn't worry about being monotonous at all. I enjoy your posts. I believe being OS is about repetition and routine otherwise we would end up in chaos with no clean clothes and nowt for tea! I do feel your pain having to deal without a kitchen for so long though as most of my old stylie stuff happens in that space too.


My DH has always wanted to try tai chi as he is a bit of a stress-head and believes it would help him. We did start going to yoga together nut haven't been since I have been ill.


We ended up with sausages and chips for tea last night as an anniversary tea. I did make the SW chips DH likes and let him have the last pudding from Sunday;) DS is at DMIL for tea so will make something a bit more exciting today.


Plans for today off my big list are:


1) change sheets
2) 1 load of washing, anymore and I wont get it dry as it is miserable here today
3) NSD
4) restore order to downstairs
5) vacuum/dust upstairs
6) clean whiffy kitchen bin
7) defrost chicken for tea


Have a good day everyone x

Caterina

Good morning,

Thank you all for your kind words. It means a lot to me to be able to share in this thread, it seems that IRL people do not understand quite as much, or do not stop long enough to empathise.

Anyway, here is my plan for today, another wild adventure of daily domesticity:

Just had breakfast and a shower and made it in time to also give DH breakfast and a nice packed lunch of YS felafel and hummus, salad, YS bread, fruit.

Any moment now a friend of mine, quite elderly, will knock at my door as I have promised to accompany her to hospital for a minor operation. Then she wants to invite me to lunch, probably fish and chips, but depending on anaesthetic used she might just want to go back home, see how it goes.

Then depending on what time I get back, tidy up and cook dinner, or just cook dinner. DD should be popping in but I won't see much of her as I have a babysitting at 7. But she will spend the evening here with her dad, which is really good as they don't see each other enough since she moved out.

One piece of good news:

Yesterday DH told the main builder, his supposed mate, not to bother with finishing the details of the kitchen, just get on with the main building work, which he did and now he 's OUT!

Oh, my friend is here. Got to go, have a good OS day.

XSpender

I had a NSD yesterday and planning another today:)


Other OS shenanigans include creating a pasta bake for tea to use up an aubergine and 70g of smoky bacon, cleaning the bathroom, mop floors and a bit of ironing. I am also planning to make some chocolate and some coffee muffins. I will make half a batch of each and then freeze half of them or I will scoff the lot


I also need to apply for a job I have seen and have a search for a few more to apply for.


Have a good day all.