NST April 2020: Fools we are not!

Siebrie

We moved the rabbit hutch to a deweeded former flowerbed, and I filled it with white cabbage seedlings (grown from seed by myself - success!). I threw some salad seeds in between the rows, and hope they will grow. Between the hutch and the fence, I planted pea and mangetout seedlings, also grown from seeds by me.

Where the empty rabbit hutch used to be, I have removed all weeds and will plant some kale seedlings (also grown from seed, by me! So many successes! It's so much easier now that I'm working from home) and possibly salad and rainbow chard. It's rather shaded (neighbours' 6' beech hedge) though, so I'm not sure everything will be successful.

Husband and I were discussing grocery shopping, and have decided to wait another week; we should have enough groceries in the house to last until then, although dinners may be a bit weird.

I'm reading through the prudenthomemaker blog/website. She fed a family of 9 on no income for 3 years, writes clearly, and has extremely practical advice, while still enjoying life.

mothernerd

Had to pay for the mouth and foot paintings artists cards for mum today so decided it would be a shopping day. I'm exhausted. So much effort for so little achieved. Had a list of random items which I would 'normally' (oh how I hate that word) just pick up on my way round town. I use (on physiotherapist's advice) quite a lot of ibruprofen so I add a couple of packets every time I go in somewhere that has the generic rather than branded ones (so Arseda, Wilco, £ emporium) so that I always have some in stock). There have been times in the past 18 months when there has been no stock anywhere. Our first SM delivery is tomorrow and it's Tosscos so only 80 items in total, so don't want to waste it on non-food items.

I've sent a lean meat hamper to DS1 and his wife and to DS3, mum asked why DS2 didn't get one but although he showed me round his flat when he first got it and I've been there a few times to wait in for deliveries for him, I didn't know his address (his block of flats is the stable block of a former pub so it's not on a street or road but behind a gate). I have written it down once but can't find it (I have still got a pile of useful bits of information culled from old notebooks). So i've messaged him and he would rather have cash.

I made an attempt to pay the money that I think I have been overpaid for last year (approximately £570). Tried vis my bank but had to use the pinsentry thing and I think t's battery has gone. So phoned the debt helpline (their own not a general one) and heard a message saying they had stopped debt recovery for the time being (except for those having it deducted from other benefits), to move staff over to deal with the enormous number of new claims due to the virus. So that's one thing I can stop worrying about for now.

He says he's stopping at trees most of the time so his gf must be called Teresa. He did introduce her the first time she brought him to mum's but he turned to her (she stayed by the car) as he said it so wasn't sure what he had said (Tee, Pe, Me) and didn't want to make a fuss and frighten her away. I knew there was someone but hadn't met her - well we haven't really met just smiled and waved at each other. I know my sons are settled when they turn up with someone who has long dark hair, big boobs and little or no make-up. DS2 is the one I worry about the most although there have been times when each of them has had problems. I always thought the job of being a parent was one of continually letting go - the first time they want to walk along a wall without holding your hand, when you aren't allowed to hug them goodbye in the playground any more, walking away when they start university. It's all part of growing up, they must make their own path and if they fall you do what you can to pick up the pieces. I'm glad the being allowed to hug them becomes okay again when they get older.

Spent a long time on the Wilco website with my little list - yes they have 68 kinds of shed and fence paint, no not one of them is in stock, same for paracetemol, hayfever meds or antiseptic cream and if you type a particular item into the search box it shows you lots of options, only to tell you they have none when you click on a particular item. No food, freezer or sandwich bags (luckily I have already started washing the ones mum has in and turning them inside out to re-use). I don't use bags at home but I have a lot more recycled takeaway boxes to store food in. I am mainly using margarine tubs to cook things in the microwave.

I made a donation of £50 to the local food bank as i don't know when it will be safe for me to be in a SM to put things in theri trolly/ box. Then tried ethical superstore for toothpaste and brushes. Tried the Centre for Alternative Technology a few days ago but they aren't trading atm. ES had my favourite fennel totthpaste but only had the fluoride version and I've gone for a plastic brush (made from recycled plastic) with a pack of four spare heads, and a donation towards planting trees and a donation to Medecins san Frontieres (can't get the Peter Gabriel song out of my head).

Asked mum if she fancied Chinese takeaway then found out they were closed so I'm making fish and chips (plain old white fish and the alst of the wedges). Have taken out a small pack of cooked meat (for wraps), some lamb kofta and bacon to defrost. Have eggs and milk beaten together for quiches so will use a bit of bacon in one and make the most of half a red onion, some dried up a bit mushrooms and a slightly wrinkly red pepper. Have had a lengthy conversation with DS3 (well a lengthy messenger session). I had left him some money and asked him to get some soups for mum to start stocking up for winter. I normally buy 10 or 12 of each of the own brand SM varieties in the autumn but haven't even had a sniff of a delivery from that SM so will have to do it another way. If I'm still based here permanently we will not need as many (It's mum's go to meal if I'm not there - if she can't open a can of soup she phones me and I move in until she's better). Also easy to eat if she's not got much appetite.

Still planning a trip home to bring more of my garden here (still lots of bags, buckets and soil there - will mix it half and half with the new super stuff and see how far it takes me). Saw some bags similar to the ones i have but they were round (different diameters). Considering whether to buy some of those (could just be plonked on top of mum's stone covered borders) and if it's going to be cheaper than buying some more link-a-bord stuff (would like a few more bits as some of the joints are broken on mine. Perhaps I should count how many of the boards are hidden under the garden table at home and how many bits are in the shed here (the current strawberry bed is made of my link-a-bord bits). Mum is okay with the new strawberry bottle garden now that I've shown her how it works (lots of 2l bottles with the round end cut off - more plant pots or mini cloches), a piece of weed suppressant material in the neck, so soil doesn't fall but water will trickle down, a planting hole cut in the side and then they stack one on top of another held against a frame or a wall. If I don't do the walk I'll sit outside cutting the bottles I transported last night.

Today I am grateful for good food, for making some progress on my list of random items (DS2 and DS3 have instructions to pick some up if they see them), something about the virus working in my favour, gardening and vegetables.

f0xh0les

NSD 19 today, took 3 kids to the park, distanced socially, played football, scored a few goals, used the last of the hayfever meds,  tomorrow is supposed to be wet and yuck and 10 degrees colder than today, so it is prime soup weather.

I have everything in that I need for soup, mostly ys , and I think I might do baked potatoes for tea as well.

Right, I am off to make my 'things that I could conceivably achieve tomorrow if I can motivate myself' list.

to all Turtles

My house is embarrassingly tidy.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for my new-and-improved method of working going really really well, for the thrush in the garden, for headspace, for good coffee, for dd chatting with the neighbouring kids over the fence,  for the fruity plants growing, for the post people and delivery people doing their jobs so well.

greent

Thankful for an unexpected catch up with a mum from school (they went on  a walk and deliberately came past our house as their youngest is one of my youngest's best friends and had written him a letter (aww) - social distance catch up, of course , getting some things planted in the garden, a dry day, reduced Easter choc (we still have lots of it in our house.... - where's the choc bunny eating emoji when you want it!), getting a step further with my Nan's estate, a catch up by phone with 2 aunts

BadBookkeeper

NSD think is 18/15
Computer played up all day today so took ages to do work today.  Hopefully should only do 2 hrs tomorrow.

DS did some educational work but not enough.  His tasks this week has a garden theme.  So of course it’s going to rain all week! 

Loving having roast dinner on a week day! 

The computer thing really got me down today however it was Monday and I would have felt the same if it happened in work so nothing to do with lockdown and that theory made me feel better! 

facethemusic

Monday- still on NSD 16. I dont seem to have as many NSDs as I thought I would, but lots of the spend days have been low spend so its good. 
Gratitudes- exercise while it was dry, helping out a friend (at a distance), some school work getting done, more vegetable seedlings appearing, one of DDs sports clubs running successful online training. 

abbi_aurelia

Morning all, sorry for going MIA, LO's cold landed her in hospital, but not until she shared the germs with me. She's home and all good, hospital suggested she may have asthma which is why colds seem to keep affecting her breathing so going to keep an eye on that. Grateful for the NHS, LO COVID test coming back as negative so no need to self isolate for 2 weeks, and for OH finally making a plan for the garden so I know where I can plant

apple_muncher

That is definitely a justifiable reason for absence abbi! Glad to hear lo is covid-free.

Toni'sfriend

I'm glad to hear the wee one is ok. Must have been really scary for you.

The beautiful weather seems to have broken and it's looking like it may rain. Hopefully not as the little ones are enjoying bouncing on their trampoline and I'm having fun watching them.

To be honest, I don't have much to report. Plodding on and finding ways to keep myself amused.

Been a weird sort of month, hasn't it?