NST May 2020: May the force be with you. (Star Wars 1977)

facethemusic

Thursday, still on NSD 4, just a couple of bits in the local shop while I was at the post office counter. I will not spend anything tomorrow! 
Nothing new or interesting to report. Just feeling like every day is the same, and dreading the rain that is forecast- being outside is the only thing keeping us from a total meltdown on a daily basis. 

mothernerd

A quiet couple of days for me, giving my body a chance to recover. Yesterday I started to build my strawberry towers using gorilla tape to hold them to the fence and each other. Food was delivered in the afternoon but he put it all in my trolley and I took it to the shed. Driver had fine black gloves on so hoping the packers have also been issued with them as that cuts down the chances of any virus contamination.
Went to the shed this morning and cleaned all the fridge stuff. I wore gloves and had a bucket of hot water with washing up liquid and wiped all the packets of cheese etc and the yoghurt pots and put them on the trolley in one of my bags for life. Strictly speaking each item should be scrubbed for 20 seconds. Had another bag for fruit and veg, some from the new order (stuff in plastic bags I opened the bags and tipped the contents into my bag) and some from the weekly veg boxes. Gathered everything that needed using and have done lots of cooking but returned to resting on the bed as soon as my legs started aching or I felt wobbly.
Had cauliflower, broccoli and pasta with cheese sauce for lunch, made a gorgeous chilli, cooked 2 butternut squashes and 12 baked potatoes in the oven, cut celery, carrot and cucumber sticks, sliced cabbage for coleslaw and chopped peppers and tomatoes for a planned curry. Everything boxed or bagged and put away in the fridge or freezer.
Changed mum's dressings. It's looking good (just a tiny spot left) and her legs are really good thanks to the apply moisturising cream, wait 5 minutes then apply another layer. At first when the dressings came off, a shower of dead skin came off too.  Phone call from mummy of twins, asking if we needed anything. Mum did her usual claim that we had loads of food but I got in there before the end of the phone call and asked about getting mum's medication delivered (special one only available from the hospital pharmacy). We have the number for the consultant's secretary but when I phoned the message first of all said that she was on annual leave and when I tried again, that she was working from home but only to contact her in an emergency. It's not an emergency but does need to be sorted, but I didn't know if I should phone the pharmacy or seek help from the local authority helpline - I know they have volunteers to collect prescriptions/ medicines for vulnerable people but not sure if that includes 16 mile round trips.
Anyway mummy of twins will take on the job of phoning around until she finds someone who can help. and I will send e-mails cancelling the appointments.  I also mentioned supplies of ibruprofen, hayfever meds and antiseptic cream (if she sees them whilst shopping, not a special trip). Put milk bottles out, collected mum's bit of washing from the line and locked up.
Today I am grateful for some rain (after I had finished sitting out in the yard), yummy food, ice cream cones and lollies, rediscovering the joy of cooking (no pressure, just chopping and gathering and then throwing it an a pan, finding my plasters (cut myself on some cardboard yesterday and then a tin can lid attacked me - think mum's can opener is feeling it's age). Asked mum where her plasters were and bled on the carpet, my dress, the chest of drawers, a net curtain and sundry other items whilst I was going through the house and rummaging about in the lowest drawer of an old chest, with a safety catch on.

Toni'sfriend

Sorry for not posting yesterday. Started talking to a neighbour and then forgot.

Well, we're in lock down for another three weeks here. Not unexpected and I believe it is necessary. I just hope people comply.

I've been avoiding sugar, cakes and chocolate and the weight is going down very slowly. Just about a quarter of a pound or so every day but it's going down.

Got a delivery of fruit, etc yesterday plus a few things for the Boy. When I told him I had a big bag of whotsits for him he was down quick as a flash. I did have food for him as well so I guess it was a necessary journey,

Looking a bit dull and grey at the moment but hopefully I'll get the washing done after I finish this cup of coffee and get Himself out of bed.

apple_muncher

“When you find out you can live without it, go along not thinking about it.” – Baloo

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Morning all, just catching up on news.  Agree with others who say everyday is the same.  I have a 'one line a day' diary that i've had for 18 months.  Most entries these days say - ' work, walk, ate tea with girls, watched (insert name of current TV series)'.  I know we are much luckier than some.  I'm still getting paid for my FT and PT roles.  My self employment is affected so that has meant my income has dropped and my debt repayments are reduced for now.  I've set up an online savings account so i'm going to try to save a little every month.  I usually save £2 coins and other odd bits of cash but my pots are not very rattly!
I've put up some very subtle and tasteful bunting on the front window They are wooden hearts that we normally have on the landing bookshelves.  i'm trying to print out some union jack flags and am going to attempt to make scones!  Never made them before but they had none in the shops and i still have some flour !  
Hope everyone keeps well 
Deni
x

abbi_aurelia

Hi all, sorry for disappearing, yesterday I wasn’t in a good place and then a rude email from a customer made me cry for 30 minutes. Feeling a bit better today but very tired. Took LO for a waddle on the downs, she didn’t do much walking, she’s also in a very upset mood. Not sure what’s going on but she’s down for a nap 🙌🏻. Just feeling quite overwhelmed, I don’t seem to be able to keep up with things, we seem to be having to shop at least three time’s a week because I forget something or run out, which is not ideal even at the best of times. Ideally need to write a shopping list before tomorrow, hoping LO wakes up from her nap in a better mood. However I’m grateful for OH going on a walk with us before he went to work, LO sleeping last night, work video pub quiz last night, birds hopping round the garden and for tonight’s dinner already being made. No plans to celebrate VE Day here purely due to lack of brainpower beforehand 

f0xh0les

Another one for Team Scone-Bakers over here (wish we had a waving turtle emoji) and a banana and pecan loaf appeared as the oven was on anyway.  Very frugal.   My shopping list is growing as well, but the queues were rotten when I was driving past two supermarkets yesterday afternoon, so I postponed it and we can just have odd combinations and freezer remnants  for a few days!  Tonight we are having home made bread rolls to have with frozen burgers and a coleslaw because we only have 6 carrots and half a cabbage left, and pickles.pickles with everything! .  Tomorrow may well be salt and pepper aubergine, as we have 2 of those and hardly anything else!  I think the next day might be pizza or just a simple 'red spaghetti',  followed by a biryani, and I still have 2 packs of vegetable fingers in the freezer,  and some hot dog sausages - so a nice sausage and sauerkraut stew I think.    However, I do now have £100 leftover in the food budget that is only supposed to do 7 days.  I might go ys shopping.  I will need the savings for new school shoes x4!    Just shaved the sides of DS4s head, so that saved me £10  and it is getting them used to letting me shear them instead of the baa-rbers.    

So all in all, I have a healthy budget, and have still only spent once this month. NSD7 (I know we are not supposed to be keeping count but I am)some  bits and things got done, and I know which direction is up.  Plus I have achieved stress-baking and 2 loads of laundry line dried, and soup mix is soaking in the kitchen for soup making tomorrow morning - bendy veg tidying soup.

Toni'sfriend

A kind of productive day today. Bedding changed, washing done and dried outside and a fair bit of decluttering done in the spare room.  Recycling bin is now full but a neighbour told me to use theirs if I need more space.  Said neighbour is now cutting the grass. Inventory of freezers completed. Meals today were not particularly low calorie but it did use up some bits and pieces and I'm still avoiding chocolate, etc..

Today I'm grateful for watching the children play. Little girl took her first steps last week and she is now toddling way happily.

lcc86

Evening all, didn't post yesterday as not much to say tbh. Today much of the same! Had to go shopping and also went for a walk. The weather has been glorious, was going to work out inside but decided it was too hot and that it can wait till tomorrow instead, so just chilling with some wine now.

Budget is looking okay, I did spend today on a welly bag for my wellies/riding boots as I trashed my old car by putting muddy boots in there all the time and don't want to do the same to a new one; also bought some more arnica massage oil as mine's run out and I'm finding  it SO beneficial for my back; and the third Game of Thrones book (secondhand online, only £3.50). Really enjoying reading more during lockdown. Must do more of it as and when things go back to 'normal'. 

Car hunt seems to be going okay, have a couple of things in the pipeline, just waiting for news from PM on Sunday to see if I can actually go and buy one. Will end up in a bit of debt again but am in a much, much better place financially and mentally than when I first found this forum so it doesn't phase me as it would've done 5 or so years ago (although I will be MSE about it of course, can't let the side down!).

greent

We have bunting printed out and draped across the front of the garage and had a full afternoon tea in the (back) garden for a slightly late lunch. Made normal scones and lemon scones (yum) and iced buns and mini choc chip muffins and choc brownies (also shop bought angel cake, butcher didn't get eaten) with mini sauasage rolls (for smalls for variety as they only like cheese as a sandwich filling ), ham and juniper mustard, egg mayo, coronation chicken, cheese and tomato and cream cheese and cucumber finger sandwiches/ mini finger rolls. Quite a lot of work, but everyone enjoyed it and the student offspring helped clear up

Thankful for friendly robin in the garden, a lovely afternoon tea, sunny weather, helpful children.