NST: January 2021 – the Turtles do the Jitterbug

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 15

Quite productive today. Freezers duly tidied and an inventory made. Not nearly as bad as I thought. Although it's pretty full it's not full of leftovers that Himself has stuffed in when I wasn't looking (no single left over Brussel sprouts!!) so I've made a meal plan of sorts. Planning some new recipes this week. Quite looking forward to trying some new things.

Mr Peanuts, the squirrel, has decided we're such a good restaurant that he's bringing his friends. Looked out the window this morning and there he he was munching his hazel nut on the window sill and his little friend sitting in the middle of one of my plant pots. You can tell I'm a city girl I find them fascinating to watch. I put up some bird feeders hoping that I might attract some robins and other little birds but I haven't really seen any. Could the bigger magpies and crows be scaring them off? Or is it just that there not around at the moment?

Been having a chat with Himself and we realised that I (not so much he) haven't been listening to music the way we used to. Must look out some of my favourite classic/jazz type CDs and start listening again. Nothing like a bit of music to get you into a relaxed mood.

facethemusic

Monday- NSD 12/15. 
Managed to ride yesterday and hopefully will tomorrow, so exercise should be easier to tick off the list if the weather stays reasonable. Today has just been standard dog walks. 
Made some banana and choc chip muffins with some slightly soft bananas. DD can take them in her lunch bag as a treat. 
Grateful today for- being keener to bake since I moved- the kitchen is a much better shape/design so its "easy" to bake rather than a major hassle, "warmer" weather (it's not frozen anymore), technology working. 

ldee2111

NSD 10/15. 1500ml water. 26 minutes of brisk walking this morning before a day in front of the laptop screen. I did manage out for a 30 minutes toddler walk with DS and OH during lunch. 

Pasta and roasted peppers, mushrooms, onions, and whole garlic cloves for dinner tonight. You’ll smell me a mile away with but roasted garlic is so sweet and delicious, I don’t care. My mum always comments ‘I’m guessing you had garlic for dinner yesterday!’ 

After I get DS to bed, I need to sit and focus on a job evaluation form. I’ve been frustrated for about two years that my job description and salary grade hasn’t been reviewed since 2006! The job I do now is so wildly different to that role. Admittedly I should have raised the issue a long time ago but it felt like too much hassle at the time. Now that OH is out of work, I’ve now got the motivation - funny that!

Continuing to listen to Rolling Stone mags top albums of all time. I’m focusing on one album a month and really taking the time to listen from start to finish, taking in the lyrics and the music.  January is Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On (#1 on the RS list)

Grateful for a walk, mostly dry weather, my bedtime oil diffuser which I had puffing out lavender last night. Think I’ll go for the same tonight. 

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for a successful day of teaching (and I think the pupils did some learning in there too...), for a walk with dd, for the robin in the garden, for learning new tech skills, for a good book.

Buffythedebtslayer

Hello 
Small house bunny came through his op. But I am worried about him. I have kept up with my exercise and French. Decluttering has stalled since lock down and I can't get my work life balance straight there is so much to do. But it is sort of ok. I am very fortunate. Very fortunate. 
take care all XX 

mothernerd

Hugs Buffy. 

Didn't check in last night - mum has busted the telly. She mutes or puts it on standby when she has a phone call but sometimes she just jabs wildly and gets a different button. The first time she did it yesterday I managed to get it back on (unplugged it and hoped it would reset ) but the second time I couldn't. I've changed the batteries on the controller, made sure the aerial hadn't come loose and tried pressing all the adjacent buttons (it's over ten years since I had a tv so I can't even remember what most of them are for). The green light is coming on but not channels. I think she's switched to the video or games link (not attached to anything) and will have to hunt for the instructions to see if they are any help. Anyway I found her something to watch on the laptop and didn't get it back until her 10 pm bedtime.

Started in the kitchen yesterday - rubbish out (2 more bags of paper/ boxes and a bag of veg peelings but peelings were counted in previous day's total), many trips to the recycling bins (mum 'parked' her walker neatly in front of them when we came back from her vaccination appointment and then food came on Sunday so just getting to the bins is a bit of an expedition (little table and bucket I use for the milkman and deliveries and soft drinks by the door as well). Had done most of the washing up including second attempt at a roasting dish and a pan with a bit burnt on the bottom, when mum came in. I'm trying to do an hour and a half of housework before she gets up and a little more after she goes to bed. At other times I mostly wear my mask and gloves.

Still working on my room, cleared half the floor (least accessible area beyond the end of the bed and a chair in the way of picking things up - have to leave the other side clear to open the freezer door), took my washing outside to hang up (sorry I made it rain). Did more floor - lots of stuff to rubbish, paper bin, next washing load (mum has done half a load of her own stuff this morning, grrr) and a few postponed decisions (some temporary as I kept quite a lot of packing stuff when I was still hoping to be able to get some parcels posted but some 'Justin' items that have been hanging around for far too long).

In the afternoon mum went into the kitchen and finished the washing up I'd told her to leave (making maximum noise and effort - all totally unnecessary and will make her ill later). I had gone back twice to do them but she had requested other things be done (going out to the post box to see if there was a letter from a cousin who has been doing the family tree (mum's dad's side - no letter but 3 items, 2 of which added to my to do list, 1 insignificant but the other urgent).  She wouldn't leave it and wouldn't come to watch the film I'd found for her to watch, so i went back in my room and then outside to take it out on the stones. 

Moved 8 buckets of stones. Each bucket has to be lifted from the stack. They are very heavy, still cold but not as cold as last week when the trapped water had turned to ice. They were originally filled to a heavy weight but one I could manage. When I ran out of buckets, I added more stones to fill them to the brim. Rain filled the gaps (ice for awhile). So each bucket goes in the SM trolley (on loan), one spilled a bit as I had to drop it the last few inches. I then move the trolley across to the far end of the yard, heave them out again one at a time and tip them into the 'chimney shape' (tall thin conical) compost bin (it holds a lot and is near to where I need them once the area has been dug out). After 2 x 4 bucket trips I moved to a large bag for life full of stones (it's more laundry bag size) which is where I started sweeping / digging stones last year and is now in the way of where I want to work next. and baled stones out of that into 4 of my buckets, not much in each as I was running out of steam. Did that twice. Bag for life is on the verge of ripping in places but I may be able to use it as a growbag this year if I surround it with other containers for support.

That was my exercise for yesterday apple, no sweat but lots of bits aching and getting breathless frequently😅😅😅 🤪🤪🤪(don't know what I did to get the emojis but might as well use them - don't know what they are supposed to mean but that's me 'not' sweating and getting breathless. Then went for a lie down on the bed and some chocolate. Mum watched her film (very good but too much swearing).  She likes action films as the plots are usually easy to follow and not much dialogue so if she nods off now and then or can't see the subtitles, it doesn't matter. 

This morning order and sanity have returned. All is calm. I had a late start (woke at 4 am and decided I could have another little sleep - nearly 5 hours). We have had a phone appointment with her neurology consultant and I feel like I have done a full days work already (aching bits are just starting to wake up and complain). Mum and I have had a long and serious talk about COVID and B sweary word. I keep trying not to scare her but she's gone too much the other way - her life hasn't changed much and someone else sorts out all her problems. Neurologist confirmed I am doing all the right things (hygiene and other precautions) and she is to stop making out I am being ridiculous.

Food is rotting on the docks, basic veg are being 'rationed' by the SM. I must be allowed to continue to grow as much food as possible, can't say if what I order will come (no bacon this week). Getting all our medicine may also be a problem (she suggested telling the consultant she had enough - he won't be phoning for another 4 months and we only have 2 months supply of pills which are only available from the hospital pharmacy and she need them to stay alive). Consultant has told her to keep taking one of her tablets at the current rate rather than reducing the dose (I explained later it may help protect her from getting the virus and is being given to COVID patients to aid recovery).

So I am going to eat my yoghurt (breakfast finally), sit and think about what needs doing the do what I can (arms and shoulders say it must all be slow and careful or they are going on strike).

Today I am grateful for stones (not as satisfying as bashing nasty concrete to break it up but allowed me to get out of the house), for still feeling ahead of the game (some of my systems are working, we have food in the house and I more or less know what we have, where it is - not a lot of room in the kitchen cupboards because of pots mum insisted on bringing from the hovel and stock checking/ control working well), for support from medical professionals (consultant has decided to keep mum on phone appointments as it is a long way to travel to the hospital, but if she is having problems we must phone him).

Calling14

Hi sorry been missing. NSD up to 9/15 tad disappointing. Would have been 10 today, but office member had a baby so got a card and think I am going to buy a new cooker hood and ducting. It was always noisy now unbearable, even lad fixes it won't be great. Found new shiny, quiet one which actually reduce steam in your kitchen! Going to be an expensive day.

On the positive side, I collected my bosses old wooden reindeers yesterday for free, Antlers fell off, looked as if they had been rutting when I was getting them out of my car. A friend was walking past well she was hysterical at site of me 5ft high reindeer and 2 little ones, red nose fell off to add to their distress. Anyway tucked up in my garage, will need  some repairs before xmas. Made us howl laughing so worth fetching them home.

Grateful for

Electrician just turning up last night and fitting new porch light.

Good nights sleep for a change, early night worked well.

Sausages and mash was yummy tea.

lcc86

@Buffythedebtslayer I hope your bun is feeling a bit better today, never nice when they need an op, sending hugs from me and my buns!

I'm up to 14 NSD's which is fab. Yesterday I bought a new tyre inflator as mine died a few weeks back, finally found one at a reasonable price. If it lasts anywhere near as long as the last one I'll be happy. I also bought a diffuser, wasn't necessary but mine had run out and I like this company, so it's a treat.

Today I've made a boo boo. I had a little bit of mould around the window edges where I've been drying washing inside, we get it a tiny bit every winter, and I just spray it with mould remover and everything is fine. Except I didn't realise the spray has bleach in it and got it both on my sleeve and on one of OH's tops that was drying on the radiator! Am annoyed as I've ruined my hoodie... he has about 4 more tops in that shade so he shouldn't notice one disappear  considering buying some dye to try and dye the hoodie black but it has a big decal down one sleeve so not sure if it'll work. Anyone have any ideas?

mothernerd

lcc86 said:

@Buffythedebtslayer I hope your bun is feeling a bit better today, never nice when they need an op, sending hugs from me and my buns!

I'm up to 14 NSD's which is fab. Yesterday I bought a new tyre inflator as mine died a few weeks back, finally found one at a reasonable price. If it lasts anywhere near as long as the last one I'll be happy. I also bought a diffuser, wasn't necessary but mine had run out and I like this company, so it's a treat.

Today I've made a boo boo. I had a little bit of mould around the window edges where I've been drying washing inside, we get it a tiny bit every winter, and I just spray it with mould remover and everything is fine. Except I didn't realise the spray has bleach in it and got it both on my sleeve and on one of OH's tops that was drying on the radiator! Am annoyed as I've ruined my hoodie... he has about 4 more tops in that shade so he shouldn't notice one disappear  considering buying some dye to try and dye the hoodie black but it has a big decal down one sleeve so not sure if it'll work. Anyone have any ideas?

Cut it up for rags or keep it for painting/ mucky jobs. I hate and detest bleach (bad for the environment) and mould spray is the worst (except it is better than mould). I wouldn't touch it wearing anything I might want to wear in public again - I will get some on me at some point. Luckily I live the sort of life that demands many painting/ mucky jobs clothes. Unless you can persuade everyone that black with brown spots is a fashion statement or tie dye is coming back.

Lauralozzle

Thank you @apple_muncher

So, yesterday was very spendy! Food shop completed, went over budget but this month was more about trying to figure out how much we're spending at the moment. We have enough now for the week, my meals all planned, so there should be no reason at all to require a top up shop. 

I've been trying out a new recipe every week. Yesterday was new recipe day, chicken tikka pieces with peppers, on toasted naan with yogurt, chilli, onion and coriander. Had it with wedges and salad, it was really good! DH told me it was a winner and should feature on a regular basis! 

Today has been a NSD so I'm at 11/15 now.