NST March 2020 Merriment

mothernerd

Day 21

Calm is a superpower

Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming what you thought you couldn't do.

I came, I saw, forgot what I was doing, retraced my steps, got lost on the way back, now I have no idea what's going on

The best things in life either make you fat, drunk or pregnant

Mummy samoyd to her puppies "They've run out of toilet paper. Now you are white, soft and fluffy. All I'm saying is, be careful out there."

This virus was created by women - All the men have to stay at home and do all the jobs they've neglected and footbal is cancelled.

Gardeners spend all day in their beds

"Somewhere around the place I've got an unfinished short story about Schrodinger's dog. It was mainly the dog complaining about how much attention the cat got"    Terry Pratchett

mothernerd

Just found a recipe for wheat biscuit lemon slice. Life is good. Serendipity rules

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Morning everyone
DD2 returns home today - i'm picking her up so she doesn't use public transport, assuming it's even running.  I will wash everything she brings with her.  She has been with her boyfriend as it was her 21st birthday, i'm not sure how much she gets of this crisis as I think she's been in a loved-up bubble.  I will need to give her a sensitive reality check.  We will be doing a belated 21st celebration so i'm going to attempt to make vegan biscoff cupcakes now DD1 has found some biscoff spread (our local c00p had run out ).  DD1 is still working as she is a TA and they have key workers' children, she should be on easter hols from next Friday but says they will still have to work to look after aforementioned children.  
I have a paid job that i'm still doing at home but also some self employment and I think I just heard that govt are allowing a delay to the July deadline to pay the next instalment of tax which is a relief as my self employment job is disrupted so my additional income will be reduced.  So debt repayments will be the minimum but oh well....
My friend rang last night to check we are all ok.  She works at a home for adults with severe disabilities so she will be working throughout.
Gratitudes:
phone calls and messenger chats with family and friends
local greengrocers that have enough supplies at the moment 
red wine (last night!)
Deni x

f0xh0les

Today will be NSD 13. Poor DH coughed all night long so I am tired and grumpy so just going to park today here, and return tomorrow, and  hope nobody steals my wheels.

PurpleFairy26

So today is 4th NSD in a row so I think I’m on about 10. To be honest it’s a bit odd tracking them now I’m not going out. But even so I’ll hit target this month. 

Today has been productive:
HM cake and sausage rolls 
I cleaned downstairs, DH did upstairs and all 3 beds. Much cleaner and tidier for us al been at home and easier to keep on top of
3 loads of washing outside to dry

Grateful for:
lovely walk in the sunshine
saying hello to a friend over their gate 
washing drying outside

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for a goodnight's sleep, for getting out and about a bit in this morning's sunshine, for time with dd, for dh eating my not-really-very-tasty soup without complaint,  for a relaxing hot bath, for sausage and sweet potato chips to look forward to for tea, for having enough different colours of cotton yarn to knit a cardi for my big sis.

dolly84

DH called at Asda about 20 minutes after the pub announcement and said it was manic but I think that seems to have calmed down now.  When we went to collect DD from work we parked in Sainsburys and had a quick look to see what they had, shelves still very bare.  I wonder when the stockpilers will stop stockpiling and lock themselves in so the rest of us can buy normal groceries.

Laid two thirds of a new floor in DD's room today and need to finish it tomorrow.  Nipped out a bit early to get DD and called at a couple of the local independent shops for chocolate and coffee beans.  Two loads of washing dried on the line in the freezing wind.

Did notice quite a few people going into the back door of a couple of pubs in town - knew that would happen.  Our neighbour goes out Thursday, Friday, Saturday and twice on Sunday to the pub and I reckon the locals will still be in there, will see if he sets off tonight because he is like clockwork.

Very thankful today that DD is a bit more upbeat, she just couldn't stop crying yesterday.

BadBookkeeper

Evening Turtles 🐢 
Cleaned and scrubbed house today love it when it’s all cleaned in one go, beds changed, recycling done ✅ 
Not an NSD today as ordered some workbooks for DS from eBay. 
Walked up to my parents and sat outside at a distance so we could have a drink and wish my Dad a happy birthday I worry so much about them.  It was ok and he said it was definitely a unique birthday!!
A lot of local eateries are doing takeaway/delivery services I think it’s important to support  them if we want them there in the future, however in the end we had pizza from the freezer but may order in tomorrow as it’s Mother’s Day.  What’s everyone else’s thinking on this? Save money or support local business?
DS has had way too much screen time today! Hoping to spend most of tomorrow on a quiet beach taking cricket stuff and a ball.
Bookface is very much used at the moment.  

Managed 1/2 a mile walk today not much but still something.
Our village is doing a ‘make a rainbow picture and put in your window’ for children to count as they are walked around for some fresh air! Lovely idea so we are making 2 tomorrow.  One for us, one for my parents to put in their window.
This time last week seems ages  ago as much has changed within 7 days.  

I hope mothers enjoy there day tomorrow however they do it 💕
Gratitudes - Our home, parents living up the road, sense of humour! 

mothernerd

My mum's had her card and eaten her chocolate brazils - she reverted to the "if it had come in the post, I would have it today" argument. I did pick up 3 pots of mini daffs and two flats of pansies which are currently soaking up water and then will be potted up to go in the two holders I brought back from Keswick ( a sheep and a hedgehog in natural materials) to replace the mini X*** trees that went out a few weeks ago. The rest will go in a large tin bucket so she will see them when she comes in the front room tomorrow morning (then will put them in the chimney pots outside).

Post included a letter from my ex s-i-l, the virus means her next two visits to the USA have been cancelled and she wouldn't be allowed to visit her new husband as prison visits over there have been cancelled to avoid spreading the virus. What a shame.

Circular telling us about the local bookface group. The admin will be in quarantine as she has asthma and a young baby and a toddler but has a home delivery due next week if anyone wants her to add to it. She also included details for her milkman, a market stall fish and meat man who delivers and a veg box scheme.  Very useful as I had tried a milk delivery service last week but think many people had the same idea and there web site couldn't cope. I had located a local veg box scheme (actually been past the farm when being driven to the M6) but hat scheme ended in January 2020 - they still have a farm shop and pick your own facilities (it may have been there that I saw the Alpacas when we were coming back from Bourenmouth). The next door neighbour knocked on the window to check if we are okay.

I have written back to the admin (also been accepted into the group)  giving our phone numbers, teelling her about my polytunnel and that people will be welcome to any extra plants I manage to grow. Suggested that growing things might be a suitable activity for homeschooling and gave some examples of quick growing veg (anything from growing cress in eggshells with faces to degree level activities - I did my water pollution practical using samples from the abandoned  copper mines on Angelsey, lowest sample was battery acid level). I also told her (not to be shared) that if she comes across anyone in need, I can spare some tins of pulses and soup.

Haven't been for my remaining things as I am so tired. Told DS3 I will go this evening or early tomorrow. At least I shouldn't have to walk throught he normal Saturday night mayhem unless those determined to drink gather on our car park or the bus station - tomorrow is probably best.

Used the gloves provided in the dressing change pack to post the letter through the admin's door and put them on to accept a delivery (garden stuff) this afternoon. They switched the delivery time (from 3pm- 5pm  to 2pm -4pm ) and she arrived as I finished reading it. She had come throught he gate but as soon as she saw my gloves she asked if I wanted her to put it on the floor and she went off. I pushed it with my foot and cut it open with a knife (still gloved up). Keeping the gate locked unless deliveries are expected and have removed the key from the key safe so no-one comes inside the gate unless they knock, ring or phone us. Bins are convenient for them leaving parcels on and as it's mostly garden stuff it can be left outside until the virus is no longer present (no of hours/days it can stay on various materials are available).

The member of the extended family who bring's mum's tv guide approached with his coat wrapped round his arm in front of his face (looked like the hooded claw), I put my delivery bucket on the path and moved back, he dropped the paper in the bucket then backed off. We all waved.

Today I am grateful for community spirit (may exempt the people from the side street who were loading 'milky drinks' into the back of a van - looked as though it was milk shake type drinks or the stuff they give to sick/ old people who cannot eat - but there was alot of it), for having a chance to let my body recover (I have done so much packing, carrying, pushing heavy loads over the past week) and for having a variety of foodstuffs.

Read a lovely anecdote about Margaret Mead, the anthropologist. A student had asked her what she considered the first sign of civilisation (expecting a reference to toolmaking or similar). She said it was a mended broken femur. An animal in the wild will die - it can't move with the herd or get to water and is food for predators. The person with the broken femur had been looked after, carried, fed and watered by other people until they were well again.

crazy_cat_lady

Hey
I am reassured and somewhat comforted to read that I'm not alone in my feelings about the madness at the moment. My mental health is always close to the edge and the uncertainty of the past week has almost tipped me over. That and trying to get groceries of any description... 
I am still at work next week. I need to work from about 8.30 until 3pm. Believe me, there is nothing left in the shops after 3pm. I don't fall into the elderly category or nhs workers so I can't get my shopping early either. I'm not even remotely bothered about me, but it upsets me a lot that I can't cater fully to my kids at the moment. I have some staples in and the kids are just going to have to suck it up and either eat what they are given or do without. Simple.