NST October 2021: Fit for Purpose

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

ditty1234 said:

Spent the day alternating looking at laptop with looking out the window, hoping to get my mojo back next week. 
Posted parcel to my sis for her birthday and returned a dress to the chubby cheeks shop.  Also paid C/tax while at the PO as I haven't done a DD for it.  Onto my 4th bill as keep getting it amended as DD2 at uni so can now get a discount. 
Made roasted pepper and tomato soup to take to DD2, might keep a portion for myself as it smells lovely!

Thanks.
And mojos can be hard to come by this time a year. 
In a sense I feel we have gone straight from September to November,with no crisp colourful days, of red cheeks and chestnuts, just grey crunchy sickly and damaged leaves. It's the light, the dying of the light (D Thomas), and in my language there is a poet who has written about the months and November is just November, November, November - whis is an often quoted truth. 

agree we seem to have lost October.  I said to DD1 that i've cancelled October as lots of plans did get cancelled then DD2 got ill and that was that.  I usually love this month and not just because it is my birthday!  Which i'd prefer to cancel too but need to make an effort because of my DDs ...

What does your poet say about January ditty ?! - that is my least favourite month  

Deni x

ditty1234

@Deni_debt-free_dreamer I will now have to look up what he says about January. November is my b'day month, will gently ignore this year (again).

f0xh0les

Well done on all you have achieved today @mothernerd . I hope getting rid of all that rubble and rubbish makes your mood much lighter. When everything starts to die back, and the rains come down, all that mess would have wound you up every time you looked out of the window. It is gone. Hurrah!!

@ditty1234 they celebrate you with fireworks! They might not know it, but they do.

My DS4's birthday is 'That Day we do not mention's Eve's Eve' and I told him everywhere was decorated and people put up lights to celebrate his birthday.  A little  white lie, I am sure nobody minded. Lasted until he was about 5.

It is like looking at a picture painted for someone else, it still gives pleasure, whomsoever it was intended for.

I have just discovered (via a fakeb00k 'friends of local waterway' page)  that there is a resident otter in a local canal. It is less than 2 miles from my house and is sometimes seen playing in the lock and sliding down the side bits, apparently.  So that is going to be my next 'Puffin Challenge'.  I am going to stalk a local otter until I see it.

ldee2111

apple_muncher said:

I love the Thursday Murder Club!

I’m really enjoying it, apple and deni. The characters are excellent. Did you read the book or listen to the audiobook? The narrator of the audiobook is fantastic at bringing the characters to life. 

I’m wide awake, sitting in darkness, drinking my tea, listening to birds tweeting, and thinking about the day ahead.  

It’s grocery delivery day and the plan is that three of us will be going to the football later with OH’s parents. I’ll take snacks for DS but OH and I will most likely buy food and hot drinks there. 

I’ve another two very ripe bananas from Mum sitting in the kitchen so I want to make more banana bread this morning. And OH’s job is to make dough for pizza for dinner. Saneberries are taking care of the toppings. 😆 I also really, really need to vacuum. Why is there so much dust?! It’s never ending.

Grateful for the morning silence, tea in bed, the good new audiobook from the library. 

lcc86

Afternoon turtles

I haven't checked in for a few days because there's been nothing to say! I've had three more NSD's so that brings me to 14 at the moment. Today I've got a shift at my p/t job but it's super quiet so I've taken the opportunity to do some life admin, sending money to various savings pots, making sure my bank balances are up to date, and bought a present for the December day that my sister is going to give me (must remember to act surprised).

Been a bit up and down the last few days. My new job is still really dull and I've come to the realisation that I've probably made a mistake in taking it (in my defence they sold it quite well). My old job has a vacancy coming up so I'll probably reapply there but no guarantee I'll get it despite management saying they want me back! Just keeping my eyes peeled at the moment. 

Downloaded an exercise app earlier, I already have a subscription to a yoga one by the same company and didn't realise it gives me automatic access to this one too, so I'll make good use of it when I get the chance.

I've got £60 to last me until the end of the month, would like to save £25 of that so we'll see how we get on!

Happy weekend turtles!

ditty1234

Grateful for a peaceful visit this afternoon, lots of crumble and home made food was eaten :-)

mothernerd

Yesterday I emptied out the brown bin (cans, plastics, glass jars), quashed all the cans, grouped/ nested as much as I could, removed the bag of green waste mum had thrown in there and when I put it all back I had another 1/3rdof a bin space. Tottered round the garden holding onto my trolley and picked up 9 large flattened plastic bottles and then gathered 26 more cans for squashing (no room so I held them back). That will be emptied on Wednesday so may start collecting the next lot.. Gave the bin a good shake this morning and have a tiny space. 

Later I scrabbled through the soil finding potatoes (probably quite a few still in there but I was chilled through). Washed my hands at the cold outside tap before coming in and I was so cold that it felt warm. I brought water in from the shed - excellently chilled so I'll be keeping fresh veg and part baked bread in there soon. 

Took the kitchen bin out and walked round the garden adding things until it was full. Finished watching Ridley Road and one and a half episodes of only connect (two sessions because the laptop was struggling so I let it rest for a while). Felt quite ill (may have done too much), thought about what would help and asked mum if she wanted Chinese or Indian and I would pay. Went for Indian, wonderful mushroom curry and I cooked a leek and a red pepper to add extra veg. New to me curry, it did say it was quite hot and it was. Ate it with the extra veg, rice and a naan to spread the heat  and still didn't manage it all (saved leftovers in a tub and have a tub of kale to go with it - I love the contrast between chilli or curry and the earthiness of spring greens or cabbage). however weird it may seem, this made me feel a lot better (listen to your body). I was forced to eat very slowly and savour every mouthful due to the heat of the curry.

Sat with mum to watch strictly, chopped and peeled a whole celery, one large and several small carrots and a couple of onions. Told mum to leave my things (tray, chopping board, knife, peeler, boxes) alone as I had more to do this morning but was too tired to do more then (barely made it through strictly).

Making Sunday dinner is my priority for today plus preparing more veg. Put the brisket to rest, gave it half an hour on it's own (nearly an hour actually), added the veg and onions and stock. I have three hours of rest and recuperation now. I've cooked a whole bag of defrosted broccoli (left it on the carpet when I was stock taking and thought I'd leave it in the fridge to use) and have a cabbage, a cauli and some sweet potatoes to sort if I have the energy. Maybe an hour's rest and then do a little bit. I've rinsed all the emptied boxes. Other than that my fridge is now looking on the empty side (quite a bit in there but it's things like a single lime - could freeze that for festive season, juice could go in garlic mushrooms and sachets of sauces/ ingredients - leftover from the 2 food boxes I had before giving up).

Mum peeled (she has a little whizzy thing - you put the piece of veg on a spike, the blade is on an arm and it turns round with the blade following the contours of the vegetable) and chopped lots of potatoes a couple of days ago and we have a an ice cream box of mash. If I'm up to it this afternoon, I will peel the rest of the sack (I do them with the peel on normally) and then cook and freeze (could do a few as par boiled roasties). I also have a butternut squash which I'd like to roast (in the unlikely event of there being any left, that could be added to the pile of veg for making into meals). That's the extent of my meal planning - make (or open some sort of sauce, curry, pasta, chilli, etc and throw in as many different veg as possible and the odd tin of beans/ pulses and or lentils and barley (may use the leftover brisket for a stew, once we've had two meals off it).

Grateful for easy food, books, interesting series, taking things slowly, turtles (always, many hugs)

f0xh0les

I have woken up with no sense of taste or smell.  Bodes well. Still no test result back.

Not even contemplating wasting good coffee if I can't enjoy it.

mothernerd

Hugs f0xh0les

f0xh0les

Covid positive f0xh0les now.  Just put in an order for Mr M's Shopping emporium as we are dangerously low on soya milk.

DS3 is negative - teacher Turtles - am I going to get into a row if I do not send him in next week?