NST DECEMBER Don't Be a Martyr for Christmas

greent

We had snow yesterday - whoop! Mostly gone today, though. And the Xmas dinner leftovers are almost gone (I have been topping them up with other things (like cooking pigs in blankets EVERY day as my lot snaffle them right up!) ) and should disappear entirely today. House is still Christmas-ified except for the dining room table - I have removed the tablecloth/ runner/ table decorations. Decorations have gone onto sideboard, cloth (cream!) and runner in wash. Elsewhere there are still lots of twinkly lights, candles, glittery things (Of old) etc -although I have also cut up 'normal' Xmas cards received for tags (more 'special' cards are still up on the windowsill)

Very thankful for a warm and dry house and for a relatively unchanged Christmas for us

mothernerd

Tuesday 29 December 2020
Kindness is like snow, it beautifies everything it covers.  Kahil Gibran

If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of snow.        Mindfulness.

Hey all you geniuses who sang 'Let it Snow'. Are you happy now?
Lucy from Peanuts (Snoopy cartoon)

I love snow...............especially through a window.................while I'm under a blanket............with hot chocolate.

Hey listen to your emotions
Bitterness shows you where you need to heal, you are still judging yourself and others
Resentment shows where you are living in the past and not allowing the present to be as it is
Discomfort shows you need to pay attention right now to what is happening, because you are being given the opportunity to change, do something differently
Anger shows what you're passionate about, where your boundaries are and what you believe needs to change in the world
Disappointment shows that you tried for something, that you did not give in to apathy, that you still care
Guilt shows that you're still living your life by other people's explanations of what you should do
Shame shows that you are internalising other people's beliefs about who you should be (or who you are) and that you need to reconnect with yourself
Anxiety shows that you need to wake up, right now, that you are stuck in the past and living in fear of the future
Sadness  shows the depth of your feeling, the depth of your care for others and this world.

WE are not all in the same boat. We are in the same storm. Some have yachts, some have canoes and some are drowning. Just be kind and help whoever you can.

mothernerd

Still struggling to put a positive spin on the snow. DS3 went out to play in it (car park is wonderful before all the cars get to it - I have taken the boys out with coats and wellies over their jamas when they were small). I am telling myself I am being considerate for the overworked NHS workers. COVID and normal winter ailments are enough to cope with, without a thousand people who have injured themselves going out when they didn't need to. Even when I did fall, I waited three days before going to our local infirmary as I thought there would be lots of elderly people in greater need of their attentions. That's 3 days still working numerous jobs and having to sleep sitting up and leaning forward over a pillow as it was the only position I could breathe in.

Issued strict instructions that mum was not to venture outside. Her friend had been told off by his neighbours for trying to clear his ramp as he had a delivery due. May have to check on mum in a minute. One young binman always brings her bin back up the path to the gate and she wants to give him a tip (She said something vague about putting a note taped to the gate last night). Bin men aren't here yet (doing normal Tuesday round first and probably some of the lorries won't have started in this weather) but she is stubborn enough to try to go out (because 'someone has to do it' - meaning I didn't do it when it was a vague idea).

Thank you to everyone who has been with us in December, regular and intermittent posters and lurkers. I went awol a few times and there were some other things I had lined up that I never got round too - there's always next time. I really don't want to leave my bed. I have been putting the heating on half an hour before mum gets up but the floor is still quite chilly today. I have looked in the fridge and think I only need to decide what to do with the rest of the turkey. I would like some with broccoli in oyster sauce but may just put it all in a pan with stewing vegetables (living in the spirit of the season). Final food delivery for this year tomorrow and not sure what will come. Had to make several compromises - no legs of lamb to be had so we are having lamb shoulder and will just have to wait and see. Could live on delicious desserts for the rest of the festive meals (if I have to, you understand).

Things to be grateful for - lots of food, lots of choice (for now), making easy options for meals (balancing splurges with lots of raw veg), for time to just 'be', for letting go (of musts and shoulds and oughts and 'have to's), warm covers (dragged the mattress cover over my lower half - better than it just sitting on the corner of the bed), for making progress with 'tidying', especially paperwork (old notebooks).

ldee2111

Still on NSD 13/15 as did my top-up shop today. 1500ml water, and a tasty hot chocolate with marshmallows. 

Today has been very picturesque - snowy white streets made even brighter by a winter sun. DS got his first experience of playing in the snow, making a snow ‘owl’ rather than angel, and building a little snowman. We may regret showing him how to make and throw snowballs though. 

Grateful for today’s weather, seeing DS and other kids in the area having a blast in the snow, neighbours walking about with smiles on their faces, the general good vibes going around today. 

f0xh0les

Today was NSD 5 on the bounce, I wasted far too much time this morning watching the snow fall and grinning like an idiot... or maybe I just took the time to be ' One' with the  rest of the Flakes.  Anyway, I got up, no snow, made a cup of coffee, sat on the sofa, did the banking, and then was rewarded with  3 hours of snow.  Great big golf ball sized floaty snowflakes.  Lovely.

Got nothing done on the list really, but have had a lovely day doing nothing much, but it snowed!!!   

Lunch was soup, tea is toad in the hole and one of each of the veg in the fridge drawer.  Ice cream may appear in the forecast later.

Toni'sfriend

Dusting of snow here as well. It looks really pretty but it's freezing. Even Mr peanuts, the squirrel, hasn't ventured out to collect the nuts from his bowl.

Got an order from Iceland to start filling up my baking cupboard and a few other things that we needed plus some half price post Christmas chocolate treats for Himself. His little face was a picture when he found them in the bag.

Need to have a good tidy and clean tomorrow.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dd's ortho and eye appts going well, for being able still to get out and about, for getting myself up early and going for a run, for stuff recorded off the telly, for dh making us tea.

facethemusic

Tuesday- back to work, no money spent so NSD 17/15. No snow for us today- just lots of ice on the roads and pavements with a nice drizzle of rain on top to make everything super slippy! 
Not had time to do much else, will have a quick tidy of the kitchen, then plan to slump on the sofa with my colouring book. 

mothernerd

Wednesday 30th December 2020
The NOT Shopping List
-make
-borrow
-share
-grow
-ask for help
-repurpose
-repair
-scavenge (skip diving)
-exercise restraint
-build community
-swap and barter

Planning and preparation
Which foods did you buy too much of? What is everyone fed up of? Start cutting down next year's to buy for/ send a card to list. Separate wrapping paper which can be used up during the year. Throw away broken baubles (adventurous kittens break a lot of baubles). If you are taking decorations down, wrap strings of lights safely round a piece of strong cardboard or an offcut of floor board (Beloved kindly spent an afternoon last year cutting V shaped notches in a piece of board). What worked well, what not so well. Some people buy next year's gifts/ cards/ wrapping paper in the sales or have a gift cupboard to hold bargains (useful for last minute birthday invites) or items to regift. If the virus has forced you to change the way you 'do' Christmas this year, did you hate it or find a smaller, simpler holiday was more relaxing or meaningful.

I never minded having lots of food as I always planned to surf through January spending as little as possible. I also have a January birthday so I would pick some items to stash away to make myself a birthday feast (because for many years I had to cook on my birthday).  When I had a little more money I bought takeaway on New Year's Eve and on my birthday (and only on those two occasions).  I mostly tried to buy the food before the boys broke up for the holidays and always planned that it would be a holiday for me (so no shopping and a running buffet to feed the boys and whatever friends turned up). 

I don't do washing on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Easter Sunday - not so important now but when I had one or more in nappies and regularly had 2 or 3 loads a day, 3 days when I didn't do washing was a big deal. The first time I broke the rule was when two friends had asked to come to ours and someone spilled red wine on my best (only) tablecloth. They insisted on whipping it off the table, rinsing and then washing it so the stain didn't set.

I also remember one year when I left the shopping . I think the boys had been ill (two youngest had spots and doctor insisted they had chicken pox). I couldn't take them with me and couldn't leave them on their own (and they couldn't go to the end of term disco which was my favourite time to do the big shop if all else failed). Ex was coming to us for Christmas and had promised to be there to mind the boys whilst I shopped. Lunchtime on Christmas Eve and he still hadn't appeared. Mid-afternoon I asked a neighbour's older boy to keep an eye on them (couldn't ask ones with young children in case they were infectious) and dashed to the SM. I remember standing on a cold wet forecourt with a piled up trolley, feeling exhausted and miserable. Much later ex turned up - he 'had to' help his sister do her shop as she had a bad back. Sister had a partner and a teenage daughter, I'd been on my own with 3 boys, two of whom had been at home for most of December (doctor misdiagnosed chicken pox a second time and said I must keep them off).

Toni'sfriend

Mothernerd - I'll say it yet again you are a marvel and an inspiration.

Really cold here. Yesterday's snow hasn't melted and we're expecting more. The little ones are loving it. They've knocked the door at least three times and pelted Himself with snowballs. At least he's still pretending to be surprised.

Definitely lost track of NSDs now. Tomorrow I have to go to the butcher to collect the traditional steak pie although we won't have it until Sunday when the Boy comes over. I was remembering times gone by when as a child we all assembled at Granny's to have our midnight steak pie. No excuses for non attendance accepted. Because I had the darkest hair I was sent outside with the lump of coal and the shortbread only to be allowed indoors when I could hear the sirens sounding on the ships on the Clyde to bring in the New Year. Apparently it was lucky to have a dark haired person as your "first foot". It should really have been a stranger but Granny always hedged her bets. As I'm looking forward I think I should write down all my childhood memories before they are forgotten. This is one of my projects for next year even though I'm not great at writing. It's our secret so don't tell anyone.

So I have a sweet and sour type chicken in the slow cooker for dinner. Do you know it's been a really nice day today.