NST April 2021: Diamonds and Daisies

f0xh0les

Thinking of you @Thrifty_Taylor. You must be exhausted. Try and remember to take care of you.

Today will be spendy as DS3 has announced he needs new school shoes and trainers.  It will be my first trip to the city centre this year, as the smaller branch of the shoe shop near the school has closed down over lockdown and is now a C0stas!

lcc86

Evening all,

Didn't post yesterday but not much to say other than another NSD notched up.

Not so today, I was on call this morning, my services were not required but a nice bit of overtime which can go towards the debt when received.

Popped to the library to return a book and collect another, then got petrol and paid for a car wash. Not very MSE but with my back sometimes it's just better than being in pain for the rest of the day! Also paid my debts as the cc statements both came in.

Lazed around a bit then decided to take my electric bike down to the gym (can't remember if I said I'd ordered that, but it arrived yesterday) to see how long it took. Good fun and exercise (kept the battery assistance solely for going back uphill). I had to buy a saddle pad though as the saddle on this thing is terribly uncomfortable! Found one for £4 on ebay. Will need to get some lights at some point too.

OH has gone to meet friends so dinner for one tonight, going to try something new, sweet potato, coconut and kale salad. Already had my bath and am now just chilling. 

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for a really really good night's sleep, for sunshine, for dd enjoying being back at dance in person, for those bearded Barnwood Builders building barns, for the slackline we bought being such fun!

mothernerd

NSD 13. Taking it easy but have filled 6 bags for the cs. I also have a meal plan based on using up some ood items (oldest cheese, most of a large carton of yoghurt - not afraid of using old yogurt as when DS1 was working at the cash'n'carry, all the takeaway owners looked for the nearest to ood yoghurts they had). It will be cooked anyway.

Grateful for easy food, beautiful mushrooms, empty boxes.

f0xh0les

 Ooooooooooh  @lcc86 - it is bike week at Herr Aldee - bike lights, gel saddle pads, water bottle attachment thingies etc.

I took DS3 to town for school shoes -O.M. flipping Gs -  it is all back to 'normal', there were crowds and crowds of people everywhere. Queued for 30 minutes to get into the shoe shop - people just milling around buying strappy heeled sandals, shopping as a recreational activity seems to be back in full force.

Bought the shoes, came home.  Every seat outside every pub, bar, cafe, restaurant, was full. Every bench had a bottom on it. 

Bizarrely, everyone was absolutely dressed up to the nines and was there to be seen and admired. It is party time!

facethemusic

Saturday-still on NSD 9, but we have food for a bit and I picked up a bargain raspberry cane- it's very small but has some healthy growth so hopefully will fruit this year. 
Have started getting the garden pots all sorted (garden is all grass and chickens, so until I work out the sun/shade areas I'm happy to stick with pots until I decide which bits to turn into "proper" beds), weeded round the established bushes, and planted some seeds. 
Grateful today for not needing new glasses (eyes tested and not enough change to need new ones) so that's saved some money, DD helping me with the garden tasks and tackling a frog or two with progress being made! 

Toni'sfriend

Yesterday was a spendy day. Weekly trip to the local butcher and corner shop for bread and milk. We did manage a four mile walk as well.

The weather has been lovely the last few days but it's looking a bit dull at the moment. It might brighten up.

Tesco order arriving shortly. I'm off to make red pepper soup whilst I'm waiting for it to arrive.

Thrifty_Taylor

Morning, I'm now on nsd#9. Ordered some glass for the stove door, as ours has a big crack in it & part looks very close to falling out!
Hubby phoned me today for the first time since going away. He's having extra dialysis & a blood transfusion yesterday & today to build him up for an op on Monday, to see if one or no kidneys are working. He is going on the transplant list, so depending what they find tomorrow, it could be sooner rather than later. Will be done within a year any way. He's in good spirits, so it makes it easier for us at home.
Took the boys to the woods in the morning, then at night we unfolded the bed settee & watched a film. Both things were on our youngest's to do list for the holidays. Weeded around my pretty spring bulbs to make them more noticeable in the border. 
Grateful for hubby staying positive, the NHS, fun in the sun

Shrewbie

Hi lovely turtles. 

Thrifty - glad your hubby is in good sprits and I hope the op goes as well as it can. 

Having a happy and productive weekend. I start my new job tomorrow so had lots of things to sort out. Still lots to do today, including un-registering as freelance which can be done online but is a bit of a faff. 

It has been spendy. I don’t think I’ve even reached 3 NSD. Had to buy an iron (never ironed a sausage in my life) some new shoes and other bits and pieces. 

Grateful for… good food and wine, for my tomato plants getting big and for lovely bf holding the heavy hallway mirror for me so I could see the back of my hair when I was dyeing it!

enjoy your sunday turtles!

ditty1234

Hi greetings everybody, had a quick skim read and so many things going on. I just feel so out of sorts/stressed this morning, absolutely frazzled. Just feel I'm tackling everything the wrong way from m garden to my life in general. Hopefully the feeling will pass. Have so many things to do and allowed my self a full day of distractions - long group run w coffee and then garden tidying and planting some of my specimens I have been moving about for the last 3 weeks. So a positive distraction, but now I just feel lost int eh woods of files and priorities. My budget seems to have sunk. I have had extra income but it all seems to have been fed into the dog, car (and my emergency fund) and food. A lot of food. 
So what do I need to do today:
Student feedback - first they will need to do the work
Complete a book review that has been on my list since Christmas - nope
Vacuum -  nope
Student finance for boys - done
10000 steps - walk tonight w boys after his revision managed 7000 without too much effort
Edit a text - well no, wrote a speculative job application instead.
Proof read ds dissertation! - Well I read it and asked pertinent questions. 
Wash car - maybe - nope
Try and find some jobs to apply to - this is my ongoing question - do I go or do I stay! I still need a full time job I can have for the next 12 years - until retirement! But as an art teacher - how do you switch into something else and still with a reasonable pay!
NSD day - yes

The last one is pretty much the big question - apart from keeping up my creative chops mainly as unpaid, as I don't seem to manage to make money on my creative endeavours).

Well no more garden shopping, buy some clothes for boys and apart from that coffers closed until June!

Thanks for listening - grateful for online forums on this bright sunday morning. 
And grateful for ds making me banana pancakes - what a lad.