NST October The Turtles Go Outward Bound

DrCarrie

Hi Turtles, 
Made some scented bath salts for selfcare today (going to try them out later), and some sloe gin yesterday (sloes were in the freezer - still more to add to gin - 5 litres in total, that was some expensive foraging). Had a spend day for my yoga pass. Dyed my hair with a diffent dye - some money saving there - superdrug. 
Been a tough day tbh, but yoga this am and now abiut to do some meditation. Kept up with posting here, and my DFW diary- so routine is all good. 
Very grateful for wine. And chocolate. 
Hoping for 2 days of no spending now. Ws due to pick up a prescription today, but couldn't face it. Will have to be Saturday now. 
Just about swimming, hope soem of you are going full strength. 

mothernerd

Feeling a little better today, head clearer and a little bit of energy. Spent the afternoon wrestling the polytunnel cover back on but breezes blew it off again before I could tie or tape it down. Was determined to make something happen today so went out at 5.15 pm and painted the bin I brought from my house. Found the paint spattered leggings, made a decision over which of two older tops I was prepared to lose, wiped the very old moulting misshapen paintbrush on a rag, stirred the paint vigorously (think some water had got in but hoping it would separate out) and covered up the cream (last covering) scraps of dark blue (previous coating) and bits where it was scraped back to the original black. One bit didn't 'take' - must be something else spilled on it which repelled the paint. Did my best by dribbling and dabbing paint on and above it but still some showing through so that will have to be hidden at the back.

Still lots on my to do list but will just keep plodding through it. It's only long because I did a sort through lots of old paperwork and transferred any outstanding items onto one master list.

Fairly low spending month so far but want to attack the miscellaneous list at some point (clothes prop, doormat, white spirit/ turps substitute and much much more). Also need to make a decision on polytunnel replacement/ repair. I need some space for seeds, work like painting as there will be fewer dry days from now on, any plants that are in buckets (will drown if they can't drain). Mum had offered to buy a polycarbonate greenhouse but she wants something tiny which she will then want put in the most unsuitable place. A tiny one retails at about £300 but 1) she doesn't realise how much 'rubbish' (repurposed furniture etc) I was hiding in the polytunnel and 2) I won't be able to turn round in such a tiny space without knocking things flying. 

I'd like a bigger polytunnel or failing that one the same size so I can put the new cover on the old frame and use the new frame and the old cover near the door and gate as outdoor space for meeting visitors with some protection from cold and rain (thats in a range from just under £90 up to £175 mainly because a lot of them are currently heavily discounted). In an ideal world I'd like a 6' lean to aluminium/ polycarbon greenhouse going across the width of the back of the house (about £800 but probably over £1000 depending on which accessories are added - 5" metal base, shelving, integrated water gathering and distributing systems). I would probably need someone to help me install it (not paying £300 for them to do it, would use a 'little man' and do as much donkey work as I can myself). Not discussed any of these options with mum (I get annoyed when she tells everyone I am spending all her money and decide I'll keep on making do with what I have).
  
Grateful for very cold water (soothed my throat yesterday), getting something done (+ more progress with sewing - must make the most of the available light) and easy food (nearly didn't do a food order as mum was annoying me - let her run out of bread and bananas but then compromised by buying lots of fresh fruit and veg and soothing for sore throats food).

apple_muncher

DrCarrie - thanks for the job info. Sounds like it could be a good situation, but also one where you have nothing to lose if they can't give you what you want, and things stay as they are.

ditty1234

Grateful for ow booking swims in advance online, as more difficult to chicken out. 
Happy Thursday.

Calling14

Morning turtles.

My sainsbob delivery arrived yesterday ordered 1kg mixed fruit substituted for 500g bag - why didn't they send me 2 bags to be same quantity- no common sense anymore?. Anyhow thats me popping to the shop later, want to start my xmas cake, need milk as well.

Did a small walk afer work, I really had to push myself out of the house, not really in exercise mode  this week.  Going to order some iron supplement liquid today, feel tired all the time.

Grateful for

Sainsbobs sending me another £7.50 off £50 shop voucher. Too tempting may have to shop online again. Store not in our county and we are in lockdown, otherwise be treating myself to new pjs ;-(

Afternoon off, NT garden booked so I have to waddle somewhere.

Bosses being nice to me? Must be a reason!!

mothernerd

Will try to find something suitably inspiring in a bit. Feel like I've already done a whole day's work already.

'Watched' the Agatha Christie thing last night (I listened whilst playing games on the laptop) and decided not to watch the film afterwards even though it was a good one - told mum I would need to be up early in the am for our visitor. Five minutes later she said we weren't expecting anyone (she might have already taken her hearing aids out or just been in mum world - she will spend half an hour thinking about something and then start talking to me, not realising I haven't heard the first half hour of the conversation). So of course I couldn't sleep (very thankful that it now happens only once every few months, it was 2 or 3 times a week before I had the CPAP machine).

In the middle of the night I put on a load of washing (including taking the sheet off my bed and the cover off my armchair), brought everything of mine out of the front room into my room (now have the job of sorting it out in a squashed space but hey ho one less thing for mum to complain about) and rearranged the books on my bookcase to make a bit more room.

Have been thinking things through and decided we are both unwell and it's making us tetchy. Neither of us can do as much as we think we should and mum is saying angry things when she's just frustrated at her body letting her down (I've had more practice and am much better at letting my body rest and recover, she feels a bit better and does something that puts her back to square one). So I'm going to do my best to ignore all the snappy little remarks and will not respond in kind. I've been in a bit of a slump thinking about being here another six months (especially as things are likely to tighten up further) so will try to concentrate on today or just the week ahead and what is happening now. As we are now in local lockdown it's technically illegal to go back inside my own house (would still be less than 6 if both households were combined and we are only going out when strictly necessary - Beloved had to go for an x-ray because her mother has been hospitalised twice recently and it's yet another rare genetic thing to add to the list).

Between 5 am and 6 am I decided I could attempt a few hours of sleep and was woken by mum shouting that the visitor had arrived. Mum had unlocked and decided she could come in (please don't anyone shop my mum) so after trundling my 4 boxes of (mainly diy and painting stuff) to the shed (sort it out later) she came in (all of us spaced across the length of the living room) and was very useful. She checked the smoke alarm (told me the firemen will come out to replace it but she gave it a thump and that might fix it) and took down the curtains mum wanted washing a couple of weeks ago. Had a lengthy chat - mainly me which shows how deprived of company and conversation I have been (mum's not stupid but our conversation is mainly her rambling and me deciphering who or what she's on about, sometimes when she doesn't know herself - yesterday she told her friend her washing was hung on the hairdryer not airer).

She will call again next week so I'm to let her know if there's anything we want - will crack on with the miscellaneous list and pass on items I can't track down (no particular hurry just things we don't have or ones getting to the end of their useful life). She will contact the firemen if necessary and agreed with me about hanging the curtains back up when damp to let the creases drop out (mum insisted on ironing them last time, half killing herself in the process).

When she went I hung out the washing I'd done overnight, put the clothing/bedding items DS3 had sent into the machine, rucksack and rain poncho hung on the line to air, curtains will be done next (or possibly next week as visitor has offered to rehang them rather than me doing it - she's a bit taller than me and didn't need the steps).

Retreated to my room with breakfast, drinks and pills and not getting up until I feel strong enough to go in the shower.

I am grateful for helpful visitors (just hope we don't get the dreaded lurgy - it will just have to fight it out with all the other bugs), for finding a box of cans in the shed (I'm caffeine powered atm) and having my panda hat even if DS3 hasn't found any other hats, gloves and scarves (I have gardening/ builder's gloves).

mothernerd

Don't take criticism from people you wouldn't go to for advice.

As some COVID survivors have experienced long term problems including respiratory damage, post-viral fatigue (ME like symptoms) and mental health issues, I thought this might be helpful (even if it only helps you accept and deal with the usual winter bugs)
SPOON THEORY EXPLAINED
Congratulations you have  a chronic illness
Your now finite energy will be represented by spoons
You have 12 spoons to get through the day
1)   Wake up - cost one spoon
2)   Are you stiff (creaky in my case)? In pain? This is a slow process - cost two spoons (I find another hour of sleep/ rest improves things and makes me less reliant on painkillers during the day)
3)   Shower (sore joints make this more difficult but shower can help with some aches)
4)   Get dressed Hands sore? Buttons are out. Remember weather can cause swelling and pain. Layers are nice Two spoons
5)   Breakfast No more skipping meals. Taking medication on an empty stomach is a bad idea
6)   Work/ school You will have good days and bad days. This is a good day Cost three spoons
Spoons remaining - three You will use these to get home, eat and change into your pjs
Keep in mind that you can always borrow spoons from the next day to do extra. But do you?

This advice is aimed specifically at people with Lupus but many older turtles will have conditions which limit activities on certain days and all of us will have the occasional injury or virus/bug that lays us low. Learn to listen to your body, treat it well, don't take it for granted and don't do stupid things like rushing off to the gym when you are just getting over flu. Learn to use your time wisely.

greent

Think I'm on 4 NSDs now. Have scored some random YS items this morning from Tesc0 (such as 3 cans from a 4 pack of expensive tomatoes reduced from 3.50 to 88p for the 3 - I'd never pay the £3.50 - and the cans weren't dented and are in date until 2023 - our Tesc0 usually does a minimal reduction on things like that - but I'm not complaining!) and dropped a large bag of random items at CS (a few doors down from Tesc0) Still have a couple of small bags to donate but will aim to do that next week

Last week's builder chap came, walked around looking at all the jobs, making a list...... and that's it - he's disappeared into the wilderness again..... sigh... tradesmen are so hard to find!! Although we do have someone coming out tomorrow to survey for a new gas fire (existing one condemned) so am hopeful we should get that before Xmas.... fingers crossed! Oh - and our fencing chap came and did the last panel yesterday - so that's all finished and paid for - whoop! 

Gratitudes - choc orange Bah15en biscuits (YS) - yum!, getting 2 short rowing sessions in this morning - 1 before DS2's school run, 1 before DS3's , finding the missing item from yesterday's shopping in the little Tesc0 close to the fire shop (not been in my local big Tesco for weeks now), sunny walk yesterday at lunchtime, listing a bundle of clothes for sale on fb00k this morning and they've already been sold and collected .

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 4 yesterday 

Still just relaxing and reading. Not much going on. Probably be even less next week. Suspect that pubs and restaurants will be closed here as well. Not that I’m that bothered about that but I really feel for all those people who are loosing their jobs.

DrCarrie

mothernerd said:

Don't take criticism from people you wouldn't go to for advice.

LOVE this. ❤️