NST January 2020: A Turtle Quest

ditty1234

Morning all
Grateful for lovely and rare visit from friend who has moved away.

dolly84

Dizzy_Imp wrote: »

Ugly, unloved or unused = recycled about 60 empty gin bottles I'd been saving. Won't be able to look at the bin men for a while...

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

dolly84

Afternoon all.


I have stripped the beds today, re-made two after airing them off , still one to do, bedding has been washed and as much as I can get out on the line is out blowing in the sunshine. Have had a quick run around with the vacuum and dusted the surfaces downstairs. Have dropped DD at the bus station so she can go to the shopping centre and spend the afternoon with her friends.


Having lunch now then plan to bring dry washing in and peg out some more, tidy the kitchen and clean the surfaces and appliances and clean the dishwasher out.


DD walked the dog this morning but I will take him for a longer walk this afternoon with DH.

CJRyder

Afternoon all!

Today I am grateful for gummy smiles from Little Turtle, tea and fish and chips for dinner tonight! However, that will mean it will not be a NSD (date night, budgeted for in separate pot). I will not go into the Co-op next door just to see if they have any interesting reduced items though!

mothernerd

Sorry for lack of post last night, I was midpost when it changed pages and whilst I was dealing with that, the battery went.


Yesterday was all about cooking (chopping and peeling in front of Lemony Snickett, then checking on whatever was cooking and bringing the next lot of chopping back with me). Made celery soup, roasted a butternut squash, boiled some eggs for a mini egg and peanut roll, defrosted and cooked a tray of sausages (back in the freezer in packs of 3), plain mash, sweet potato mash, korma for mum and her Saturday visitor and tikka for me using up all the lamb (had already been in the freezer so needed using), 5 assorted cooking peppers and a pack of leeks and 2 quiches.


Lots of variety for mum over the next couple of days - still haven't made apple crumble (baking apples are in the shed and she doesn't know about them). In between I did a fridge and freezer audit and have looked at the shed today (peeked in the soupery but enough for most of January - soup and branston pickle but not much else).


Cleaner is here today and we have taken down most of the Christmas stuff and wrestled the new internet hub into submission (mum thought we were racing but it was just our shouts of triumph when we connected). Need another box as baubles did not fit and everything is temporarily lodged in the room I have been using (mine now, mum is going to carry on sleeping in the new safe bed). Mum wants all the decorations to go on the high shelves (top part of the floor to ceiling cupboards) and I'm not climbing today).


Going home today (part packed, rest will have to be shoved in bags for life) and will be back here either Sunday night to watch the second half of Doctor Who or on Monday when I get back from my Salford appointment, ready to go back the next day for mum's appointment (same hospital, different department). I wanted to do a pill audit but mum says I don't need to do it now (I hope she's right or most of next week will be spent fixing problems).


My superhero disguise is to be an old lady (so that the villains under-estimate me). In summer I will wear lace gloves and a straw hat whilst gardening but for now it will be a panda hat and a mountain climbing parka and trainers (purple doesn't suit me). In hero mode I shall wear layers of velvet or chiffon according to the season (do like the idea of the velvet cape but mine would be darkest emerald, my alternative being a knitted, 'crochet' type coat which spreads out from the waist like a cobweb, in rainbow shades). I have an affinity for all animals especially dogs and wolves and my superpower will be kindness (with maybe the odd edge of sarcasm).


Plans for the year (not fully thought out but getting there):-


1) My mother and others I care about will be my main focus, but I need more systems in place to make it less stressful ( rethink food deliveries). Think we need a five year plan (or possibly a ten year plan) to get DS3 and Beloved into their own home.



2) My own home needs some work doing this year but as money is tight, I will see if I can keep it to the essentials and fudge a few temporary solutions. Need to work on getting my garden into shape as I will soon be old to do the work needed (raising stuff higher so I can still do it).


3) Health. My eyes have definitely deteriorated and have frequently been sore and tired. This could be the switch to a new prescription, emissions from the laptop (back to using the old one), pressurised air escaping from my mask (will check if I need a new one on Monday), eating or drinking too much sugar or caffeine).


I am very overweight and although I have lost a little and have adjusted to non-me me, losing weight is the best thing I could do for my health, particularly the strain it is putting on my joints. I need to start walking more and then get back to doing proper walks. Mum's health needs monitoring, my two oldest sons have rare genetic problems (DS3's problems come from his father's genes) and although he's not my direct concern, my ex has a permanent life expectancy of two weeks.


4) Finance. Need to build up my emergency fund and save for future repairs. DS2 is due to start repaying the money he has borrowed, which should help. I have spent money to use a money off voucher, mainly on toilet rolls, tinned supplies and dried goods. I have £24 and some pence in my purse (+ another £2 coin to go in the toucan) and my immediate goal is to make that last as long as possible.



5) Plan to do the 365 penny challenge (not joining in officially) and a similar thing with decluttering (but decluttered 209 emails on January 1st and I'm counting it). Will just write a list of numbers 1 -365 and tick off random numbers as I do them.


6) Work. I currently spend more than 35 hours looking after my mother and receive carer's allowance (averages out at £1-75 per hour) and have my own small business (very low earnings). As I am now over 60 I reduced my business working hours to 16 and I receive WTC (less than the Carer's Allowance). I do embroidery and other sewing but arthritis and eye problems are making it harder all the time but I will continue as long as I can. I have halted plans to expand my business as I am now slower and can only work for shorter periods (2 years ago, when I was having sleep problems I could work from my bed for 12 or 13 hours with an old drama series on the laptop) with longer breaks in between. I'm getting the therapeutic benefits of working but have ditched most of the stress. (I think the WTC people include my caring hours in their calculations - they certainly deduct part of the WTC as I am in recipt of Carer's Allowance).


going to stop now as my eyes are aching again.


Today I am grateful for lots of meals from leftovers, the warmth of the bungalow (heating is going to be switched off as soon as I get home) and life in the slow lane (taking a pile of small pieces of paper back home with me

Siebrie

Mothernerd, there is a real superhero tv-series called 'Supergran'! I remember watching and enjoying it as a child.

lcc86

Afternoon all, just checking in from work while I have some downtime.

NSD no 1/18 today. Have some spends planned tomorrow (anniversary dinner) but it's somewhere local and budgeted for. Giving blood today so have allowed myself a bit more in terms of calories... Well probably too much but too late now! Went to a gym class last night as well which was good, feeling it this morning. Parked my car a 10 minute walk away this morning to make sure I got a little walk in, not much but all helps.

Today I am grateful for it being Friday already :rotfl: I'm also grateful for having one last walk with the family dog a couple of days ago as he passed away today.

I've thought of a few bits that can go to the charity shop so will sort those out tomorrow.

abundant1972

Good afternoon!

Having a lovely lazy day at home. Sorting out budgets and moving money here and there...

Any advice on cars?? I got a new one a few years back - on PCP and pay £200 p/m. In May it's up for renewal... I could hand it back and owe nothing... but I need a car. Buy it outright - not an option as don't have a spare 5k sat around... or renew a lease on a new car and carry on paying £xxx for another x years... I have loved the peace of mind of no service or mot bills, but a new car isn't very MSE!!! What have others done? I maybe have 2k I could use either on a 2nd hand car or to secure and renew a new car...

Today will be another NSD as not going anywhere... I see my folks and always take them shopping and out for a coffee, so I am going to use that day as my Spend day to get top up shops.

Today = NSD :starmod:3

Today I am grateful for:

1) Friends in other countries who brighten up my day
2) All of the food I have and the facilities to cook
3) My independence; mobility, sight, mental faculties, income etc

Have a good folks

[Deleted User]

It's nearly the weekend :j

Question everything.
Your habits/routines - less junk food, get up earlier to get things done, try and do a little tidying/housekeeping each day (i.e. stop letting ironing become a mountain of ironing) - did a sweep of the kitchen last night when I got in from a friend's so there will be minimal stuff that OH had to tidy away today

Reactions - learn to stop reacting to certain events (mainly OH's ex being a c*w) so aggressively

Plans - make more of them and stop being such a hermit - I am fiddling with the idea of starting to go to exercise classes if I get a good result from hospital on Monday

Ugly, unloved or unused I plan to tackle the kitchen, living room and our bedroom over the coming weeks. If it's any of the above, it's gone!!! Living room is on the agenda for tomorrow

Exercise your mind and body. We don’t have to do it; we get to do it.
Working on doing mini bits each day

Savings. Where can you save? Money. Time. Stress and anxiety. Waste. Plastic.
Paid into my VSP today for the first time, I actually woke up excited to do it!

Thankfulness.
Today I am thankful for Friday traffic (i.e. not a lot of it)

The non-negotiables:
16 NSDS minimum. Aiming for 20, 2/20 so far
Budget. Everything. Food. Travel. Socialising. Hobbies. Bills. Savings. School/work stuff. Birthdays. IN ADVANCE. done
Post at least three gratitudes daily please. Easy traffic, hot showers, and the fact it is Friday
Give. Money, time, food. Will donate £20 to charity mid-month (resolution to do this every month) and will pop some bits in the food bank trolley with food shop tomorrow

mothernerd

Siebrie wrote: »

Mothernerd, there is a real superhero tv-series called 'Supergran'! I remember watching and enjoying it as a child.

Nope. I'm not at all Lulu -ish.