NST September 2020: the turtles do the Hokey Cokey

misstara

Sorry haven't posted for ages again and totally lost track of my NSDs but reckon I must be on at least 13/14 as haven't really bought much this month other than weekly shop, a couple of top shops and a present for a friend's wee girl.  Weekly shop today came to £11.92 as only needed milk, bread, fruit and veg.  Grateful for all your posts (have been reading daily), really enjoying being back at my old work and beautiful weather.

apple_muncher

F0xh0les - we're not doing normal open day stuff. Visitors aren't allowed in the building. Heck, even parents aren't. So to have total untested strangers walking around would be daft for the school. What we are doing is having slots where parents can come on to a z00m meet (methinks) or suchlike, and have questions answered. Or email questions in. But no, that doesn't give a real feel for the school...

Shrewbie

Hello turtles! 

Friday  wasn’t quite as productive as the rest of last week had been but got some admin done. In the evening we decided to hole up in a bar and wait for an expected thunderstorm to hit. Sat in this bar by the window watching people wading past in this torrential downpour. At one point the wind was quite scary, chairs blowing around everywhere and general chaos. I was cold for the first time since May. Then one hour later we were walking around in the sunshine. Bizarre. 

Saturday woke up early, 25min cycle, skipped for 5 min on and off and 10m floor exercises. 

I have re-arranged part of the bedroom to make space for a desk. There were 4 big chests of drawers in the flat when we arrived and the landlord didn’t seem to remember who they belonged to, so we thought it was ok to modify one….. I took the supporting slats out of one of them to make a makeshift desk. It’s the perfect height for me to work, I just have to bring the chair over the bottom supporting slat, so I can’t really move at all when I’m sitting, but it’s not a proper office chair anyway (which we will need eventually) 

Spent money on a bottle of wine in the evening, made fajitas for dinner and watched loads of rubbish TV. 

Yesterday I woke up and couldn’t move, I was so stiff! pulled muscle in shoulder. Went out for a coffee, was nice to try somewhere new. Made garlic soup for dinner which was an unexpected hit. 

Helped sister today with some stuff for her new job. 

Total spends for the week €21 on food shop and €30 on fun. Although not totally alcohol free, drinking has been kept to a minimum, I’ve been spending more time on my goals, cooking more at home rather than eating out, exercising and talking to my family, although I am very sad I can't see them, I'm grateful for this time making me appreciate how important family is. 

Grateful for a clean flat, family and for feeling inspired 

mothernerd

Sorry for lack of check ins but I am ill. Not sure if it's just a bad cold (mum's been struggling with one for about four weeks) or 'normal flu' (feels like flu but a normal cold can do that to me) or C19 (had a temperature yesterday) but productivity is greatly reduced. Saturday a.m. opened a double page of a notebook and jotted down 'to do's and 'shopping as I thought of them or noticed them. Then I tried to identify basic needs and most important tasks - killer headache is impeding my ability to think logically.

So Saturday I continued with the kitchen cupboards. Most now have 3 layers, spares or extra bits (many in the new storage jars with packet labels used as temporary markers) at the back, former back of cupboard items (some with spares underneath) and the second (middle) row and items at the front of the cupboard are still at the front but with extras included where there was space (tin I brought mixed stock cubes includes a box each of mum's beef and chicken oxo with an open box on top and is in the cupboard rather than out on the worktop - most of my herbs and spices are out on the worktop as there were no spaces for them (have refilled the 12 jars mum has in her spice rack were they have been used - about 3 will rarely or ever be used). Toilet roll cupboard rejigged (and all the flower vases put away) and many bottles of oil and vinegar (including new additions and recent purchases) put in there as well - only cupboard tall enough for some. Basically, I'm here for the duration and my cooking things now have established places rather than hovering on the fringes like unwanted guests. Do miss at least 3 of my knives though.

Once Doctor Who started I sat sewing and also chopped carrots, leeks, celery to go in with the brisket and once that was in the oven, I filled another ice cream tub with a second lot. Other priority jobs were putting my 'sheep quilt' (double layer of Italian merino wool, very heavy and blissful to sleep wrapped up in) outside over the line to air and also dabbed any spots and stains and putting away the food delivered the night before (was so tired I left the cans and bottles outside overnight and some of the stuff that came in only made it into the hallway or behind the couch - anywhere we couldn't fall over it). Went to bed early and fell asleep before 9 p.m.

Yesterday was similar, fed clothes into the machine as I found them, cleaned the shower screen and base (not all in one go), sat down for Pride and Prejudice and did more sewing. It was going to be brisket for lunch (with a change of veg) but mum wanted kippers (mentioned I'd bought her some) and fancied takeaway tea, so she had kippers, I had beef with mini potatoes, cabbage (both cooked before mum announced her plans) and the remainder of the veg that had been cooked alongside the brisket and I put all the remaining beef, the veg I'd chopped and the casserole veg which came in the order and a couple of handfuls of soup mix and more cabbage in mum's largest pan and left it bubbling for most of the afternoon.

Actually went for a nap twice during P & P (good job I know the plot) and then mum got in a huff because I couldn't find the takeaway leaflet. I'm deliberately not hunting for things because although there is still a mess, most things are sorted/ semi-sorted and I don't want to disturb the remainder - I need to work through it methodically. This policy paid off because I found the leaflet beside me when I went for one of my naps (after we'd both had some of the excellent stew, just what I needed) and did an order on their new order line (in case I felt worse again today - we had enough stew and takeaway to get us through a couple of days at least). I've also since found the tool I was looking for to part dismantle the polytunnel and a hardier version of the same thing (in the tiny pot by my bed with manicure tools, staples and a kilt pin).

Another early night (a bit later than Saturday as I wanted to finish my book) and kept going back to sleep as long as I could. Woke just before 10 a.m. to hear mum on the phone, complaining that the door was still off (because I can barely stand up myself let alone balance a door to screw it back on - and I couldn't squeeze the wood filler into the holes when I tried). However 5 minutes later she came into my room to check that I was still breathing (apparently it was the second time she'd been in and was going to phone her friend back if I'd died).

Mum is ill - I asked yesterday if she wanted to stay in bed or if she was better sat upright (need to phone the doctor for more anti-biotics today) but I am also ill and it's tiresome to keep having to tell her I'm ill too. Will just plod on but intend staying quietly in my room as long as possible. I had hoped to make a quick trip into town or to bring more garden stuff from home but a quick assessment each morning has meant a NO to that. Will continue plodding, doing what I can and resting as much as possible. We have food and clean clothes, anything else is a bonus.

Today I am grateful for getting things done however slowly, for finding places to put things and making empty spaces, for mum being concerned about me (let her grumble - it's better than her telling me 6 times about something that's already on the list).

nannygladys

Hi everyone
I cant believe its a week since I last came on - where has the time gone?
OK, my roundup first
Health - Neighbour today has told me they are in isolation after testing positive for CV19, apparently they found out 8 days ago and I have seen them since then but I find out today! its a good job I don't see them on a daily basis, anyway they are all OK and haven't been that poorly (just husband). Otherwise I'm well and kicking for me.
Food :- Had at least 3 nsds since last Monday but there may be another one earlier in the week, the budget for food has taken a bit of battering as I have been having a bit of a stock up, Im not going to go short of t/rolls again!! but I have been eating out of stocks from the cupboards so I have rebought just in case.
Wealth - Well I get paid on Wednesday and I have very little left but at least everything is paid for and some money has already been put away. Im still buying a few bits for the dgc for 'C' so I have something to give them as I give my dds money to spend on them as they see fit.
Life - Still no dental appt but its on the calendar to phone mid October if I still haven't heard off them, otherwise all is well. and my dgds school have stopped the deep clean on a Friday so I don't have to pick her up at 1pm anymore, couldn't really see the point of it (only doing it for a couple of weeks) but at least it was done I suppose.

Gratitudes - Fine weather so washing dried outside
                    Lottie produce for eating
                     Being solvent. 
Hope everybody is keeping fine and just take it slow Mothernerd and get better soon. Right going to look back and see what Ive missed.
Nannyg                    

apple_muncher

A deep clean on a fri does seem rather pointless, nannyg, as we were told to leave 72 hours between one group + the next touching things as that delay 'killed' the virus. Our local primary did it for a while on a weds, which made more sense...

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for a fair day, for good colleagues, for being allowed home early for dd (who was home alone, poorly, but not coping with it all by lunchtime), for needlefelting fun, for home made chips.

f0xh0les

Evening!  Massive stocktake at work today, my back will feel it tomorrow, came home and made dh lunch, went off and did some food shopping and picked up the kids from school, cleaned the kitchen, made their supper and put it in the oven, turned round and went to work again, went ys hunting at the c00p and Mr Ts came home and they had left me a tiny amount of supper, said good night to the kids and watched 0nly c0nnect with my supper and now I am in my living room in the dark with my candles while dh plays some game online in the back room with his friends.  

I have a head cold as of 4.15pm. It is very annoying.  

Gratitudes: the phone call from school turned out to be a stupid man, ringing about something that might have been said, but that nobody listening heard, and he did not think DS2 had said it, but in case it was said, or possibly inferred, then he thought I should know about it, in case he needed to be disciplined.  I was firm and reasonable, but asked him why he was ringing me about something he did not think had happened and that nobody heard.     I honestly cannot cope with this level of stupid right now.  Grateful the school seems to be thinking about what will happen if we lockdown again - I have had multiple surveys on what tech we have at home and if the kids can access z00m or T3ams,  and about my preferred method of having them returned to me if the school had a confirmed case in their year group.   They will be better prepared this time.  For smoked cheese.

facethemusic

Monday- NSD 11/15, I did buy YS bread  but that doesn't count. No exercise apart from dog walking, minimal decluttering. Was supposed to be on a zoom meeting at 7pm- forgot all about it until DD was in bed at 8.30 so missed it entirely! 
Gratitudes- DD agreeing that some books could go in the CS box, bin was emptied this morning so I can start throwing things out again, dinner of leftovers so no cooking required tonight.

Fmess

Morning all,
SFD number 11 yesterday. Trying to eek out the petrol until Friday’s payday.
Grateful for; getting used to new technology at school, food in the cupboards and plenty
of sunshine.