NST October 2021: Fit for Purpose

cuddlymarm

Morning guys
Yesterday was a NSD so that’s 3 now. I walked to work rather than getting the tram so I’m going to class that as excercise.
I was so tired last night I was in bed for 8 30, we’re so short staffed at work that it’s stressful for everyone and I find this tiring.
I really need to find something else.
Anyway enough of that, today I’m grateful for warm food, it still not being cold enough to need the heating on and the 12 hours sleep I had, I feel bleary but better than I was.

Calling14

Got all my ingredients for X cake. Will an elf die now I said that eek.

Afternoon off, will hopefully get a walk in and then get it made.

Great tidy up of my lounge last night, so easy without little ones, dining room next. CS bag being collected tomorrow so will get rid of clothes I never wear.

Might buy some iron tonic using my survey pennies so will be a NSD as so tired each night.

ditty1234

Today is a dedicated nsd day which is too bad as I would like to go and buy dishwasher soap. After my weeks of only topping up food, and emptying different bottles of soap and other things - I am getting annoyed with having to do the dishes. 
But I guess tomorrow will be just fine.
I am grateful for having a whole cover day scheduled for tomorrow. 
Grateful for ex taking dog to vet-dentist. She is now 14 teeth down. He is kindly paying, but then also making himself look like a saint. Mixed emotions. 
Grateful for ds1 walking and ds2 studying (hopefully).

f0xh0les

Ditty - I am sure dittyhound would love to bite Ex for de-fanging them. You will have all the love and affection. Dogs do not forget.

Calling - I think elves are safe around X-Cake.  You are very organised though!! I have heard of baking it on Hallowe'en, and on stir up Sunday (21st November)

Not a NSD as I panic spent £30 in Mr T's - our guests arrive tomorrow. 

lcc86

Sending you and your family healing vibes @greent! 

Another quiet day but another NSD so that's good. Went to the office, came down with a shocker of a headache. My screen faces the window which basically gets blasted with sun so I think that's what did it. 

Have had a nice hot bath, now just going to read for a bit until OH gets home from work. 

Grateful for a good sleep last night, a nice walk this morning before work, and my mini dishwasher (even though OH was the one who wanted it and I resisted, I have to admit it's pretty good and perfect for the two of us).

mothernerd

Read this today
'I like to carry a pebble around with me to throw at all the people who sing X!!! songs in October - I call it my Jingle bell Rock'

Belatedly 'setting out my stall' (aka clinging onto straws and sanity). Not sure I have a purpose. I don't want to be defined by being mum's carer. Health, Wealth and A Life Well lived - need action on all three.

Health - struggling with both mental and physical health and not even sure which is causing the most problems. I saw the practice nurse on 23rd August and I'd already been 'under the weather' for several weeks then. Due to mum's absent immune system and my compromised one, September - March is difficult but to be only at the start and already so under par is very concerning. Mental health - lots of red flags/ markers (I've started jotting them down, before I start tackling officialdom). Big things are the stress of being a carer, living in limbo land and the wider political situation. I try not to watch the news but previous life experiences mean I'm very good at extrapolating and knowing how things might pan out and I don't want to be the frog in the water coming to the boil

Wealth -totally fed up with having no money. I'm managing now but as prices rise I'm too near the edge to feel safe and not sure how I can change the situation. Have tentatively raised the idea of DS3 buying my house off me (well received) but would have a lot of legal stuff to sort out. My accountancy/ business studies mean I'm fairly good at contract law (plus employment and environmental law), would have no problems writing a will or drawing up Articles of Association but know nothing about mortgages. I'm also considering making an application for benefits

A Life Well Lived With 2 years, 3 months and 10 days to retirement, I've decided that scraping along until then is not enough. I need more but I've been running on empty for so long that I'm not sure what I can do and every little effort exhausts me. So it's going to be lots of tiny baby steps.

Fun sadly lacking. Lots of reading happening

Intellectual pursuit  Going to have to be my puzzle books for now (new one out today). The let me test my mental alertness (increasing hopefully). there were several that I was struggling with and then last week I revisited them and found some answers jumping out at me.

Thankfulness always

Food Another struggle (problems with how long I can stand up, ideas for what to cook, seesawing between not feeling hungry and being ravenous). Last week I did quite well with some sandwich fillings on wraps, supplemented with an equal/ greater helping of veg. Going to repeat that this week (food delivery came yesterday), have allowed myself 5 ready meals and I have apples, grapes and tinned fruit so will try to include 3 fruit portions a day. I also bought a tub of multivitamins which will help with the gaps.

Overhaul Will do what I can. lots of trips to recycling bins, shuffled shelves to make more room for books and will set another row of seedlings off (and pot up some of last month's salad leaves to grow on indoors. I have a larger space to put some things in boxes (have used 3 drawers as bookshelves). Small collections for cs, food bank, visitors with small children. Still need to do a full food audit - old supplies are nearly used (new stuff has been put in the shed) but mum's put piles of bedding on top of the ones in her room so they're difficult to see and there's very little pace to get down on the floor to be level with them (and don't even want to think about trying to get up again)

Read Should that be a couple a day apple? Will do my best. 7 new library books came in, 2 read, 3 more started + further instalments of 5 series.

Plan  A bit fluid atm. Have a list of tasks and trying to do one each day (hopefully the most urgent). Getting flustered by things that should be fairly simple to sort out (but sorting out other people's mistakes), have told myself I'm not going to cry at least 3 times today

Understand  what brings you joy - Will write a list. have a project book and am developing lists definitely need this one (and to get games and music up on the new laptop)

Rejoice and Reduce A work in progress

Plan for December and the winter months In hand. Must talk to DS3 and his Beloved (if all else fails pass the burden of heating onto them)

stop and simply be  Not a lot of choice but sitting back and pondering 9letting things settle, has helped enormously. Simplify  Over and over

extend a hand  cs, food bank , learn to accept help myself and explore what help is available

The month so far. Everything is difficult but trying to do at least one thing each day including completing and sending off mum's tax return, putting the bins out (and continually rounding up stuff to go in the bins), basic hygiene (mostly washing myself with a flannel and hot water but did get myself into the shower - hair washing had to wait until this week as I was going dizzy and wasn't going to risk bending forwards), extra grooming (toenails, cut my fringe back), pegging out washing (chair either end of the line and a 5 minute sit down), moving edging stones (spent 40 minutes of which 10 minutes were actually moving 2 stones on the dolly truck and bringing in lumps of concrete on the return journey). Again had a chair in the yard and one by the gate - put stone onto dolly, 5 minute sit down, move dolly to gate, 5 minute sit down, stone into position, sit down, collect 1 or more concrete blocks etc etc.

Today I've moved 2 more stones into position, mixed one load of sand and cement, fixed 4 edge stones (2 along the front and 2 beside the path) and 3 rocks in the corner space. Today has been a NSD, yesterday wasn't (mum had an old lady catalogue and some cards to pay for).

Gratitudes getting some things done, books, easy food

ldee2111

Today DS and I went to the beautiful Portpatrick on the west coast of Scotland, had a wander about, walked to the lighthouse, walked along the jetty, played at the park, had loads of wonderful fresh air, ate our packed lunch, and got hot drinks in a cafe and played dinosaur top trumps cards. 

Tonight we went to local pub restaurant, had excellent fish and chips with mushy peas for dinner, and a glass of white wine. No room for dessert. Absolutely delicious. 

Holiday budget 

£260.00

-£40 (grocery shop)

-£4 (cafe drinks)

-£51 (pub dinner)

Remaining

£165

Grateful for a day by the bay with DS, for fresh sea air and stunning scenery, for good food and wine. 

Turtles, I’m berry-merry but I mean it when I say I am so very grateful for you all.

Thrifty_Taylor

It looks a beautiful place Idee glad you're having a good time.
Sending hugs Mothernerd, you're doing so well & we're all here to support you!
NSD here, might be no 7. Hoovered the living room carpet, behind the settee, etc too, using the hose. Took a while cos hasn't been done for a long time! Tried out my new walking boots & went to post RM survey letters, stayed dry but poured with rain as soon as I got home. Lady collected the books she was buying. Sat sewing this afternoon, then @5pm I suddenly thought that I hadn't started on making DS3's birthday cake yet!! Sponge made, will decorate tomorrow. Was wrapping presents when one of my cousin's phoned, haven't spoken on the phone for years, but get the odd message, we had quite a laugh. He's meeting us off the train on Saturday. Think I'm all sorted for tomorrow, will have to pack my bag at some point. Can't believe our trip is finally here! Have heard the boat trip will be rough, so very glad we've got a cabin now.
Grateful for laughing with my cousin, my new walking boots (thanks to my brother), a windy walk (so cosy in my coat & sallopettes)

ldee2111

I was struggling to fall asleep last night… but my mind just wouldn’t stop saying ‘you’ve forgotten something’. Eventually it came to me - I hadn’t deducted petrol from the holiday budget! Now that I have, having anything leftover for a Sunday sweep is seeming much less likely.

Today DS scootered to the on-site play park and scootered back to the caravan where we played a couple of board games and then I took him to the swimming pool. OH is still doing some work while here but should be able to fully join us tomorrow for a wee day trip. 

Tonight we’re making fajitas for dinner, and I’ll need to finish my bottle of berries in the interest of not wasting anything. 😁

Holiday budget 

£260.00

-£40 (grocery shop)

-£4 (cafe drinks)

-£51 (pub dinner)

-£60 (the petrol I forgot)

-£5 (swimming)

Remaining

£100

Grateful for realising my budget error before finding myself short at the end of the month, a crisp sunny day, and for DS having fun. 

CEW

Yesterday and today were both NSDs so my total so far this month is 11. 

Work was really productive today and I even managed to go out at lunchtime to have my fringe trimmed. I have a lovely hairdresser who doesn’t charge for this and he won’t even let me put anything in his tip jar. I do make it up to him though when I tip him for my six monthly treatments so we both win. As I only paid for travel I kept my NSD.

I managed to log off at just after 4.30 today so feel good for that. I promised myself I would finish on time every Friday and so far I’ve managed about 4 or 5 weeks in a row.

Last weekend I kept forgetting to buy some extra items for the food bank in each shop I went into but on Sunday went to BandQ and they had a cake sale to raise money for shelter . Not sure people were donating much as when I put a note in the box to cover Mum and I the assistant wanted me to take more cakes. I refused as that would have defeated the object, and would have been bad for the diet but after eating the cupcake I had chosen I half wished I had accepted another one. It was delicious.

Today’s gratitudes include having my fringe cut, a productive day at work and the upcoming weekend.