NST December A - Z

apple_muncher

mothernerd said:

Saturday 11th December 2021 (2 weeks to Isaac Newton's birthday aka Sprouts Day) (Eek!)

Back later

Eek indeed!

Esmeralda2662

I had my booster (Pfizer) yesterday and apart from a bad arm and waking up a bit stiff this morning I'm so glad it's not worse. The 1st Astra Zenica jab I had back in Feb made me so ill and I was worried it might happen again. At least it's done well in time for Sprout Day.

Called at the thrift shop and got a lovely blue glazed outdoor plant pot that my mum can plant her pansies in. Also found 3 baskets in our garage that can be planted up to put on family graves as plants look good and often last longer this time of year.

Bought a joint to make bbq pulled pork in the slow cooker. Cheating using a sachet, brown sugar and ketchup for my first attempt.

Helped mum rearrange the tiny spare room in case anyone can stay over on the big night. Trouble is that all the clutter is now in my bedroom or our garage, including 32 year old baby bedding, 3 rickety table lamps, 2 huge bags of baby clothes being stored for my niece and a large Madonna wall statue. Decluttering to restart seriously straight after the big day.

No NSD today but total spend £3.10 plus petrol for the week.

Gratitudes: feeling better than expected after the booster; seeing my sis, niece and great nephew at mum's; my new kitten needle-felting book arriving safely.

Sleep tight Turtles x

Thrifty_Taylor

The day started dry, so hung the washing on the line, torrential rain later though. Pottered about in the morning, putting decorations boxes back in the shed & ironing, before going out for lunch with a friend to celebrate our birthdays. Felt bad that she'd bought me a present (doesn't normally), so I paid for her pudding. We looked round some charity shops afterwards, but I didn't see anything I wanted. Spent the evening decluttering programmes off the box & writing out Christmas cards.
Grateful for hanging out the washing, more space to move round in the living room again, ticking writing cards off my list, a nice lunch

mothernerd

Sunday 12th December 2021

I promised you stories - Where to start. We have a lot of new turtles so I'll begin with

The cats getting into the turkey EEK

For many years I've cooked the turkey early (this may have started after the year I stood with my hands in cold water, trying to wrestle a still semi frozen turkey into submission). There's enough to do on Christmas Day without staggering bleary eyed between small boys opening presents to layering a (hopefully fully defrosted) turkey with bacon and foil whilst fending off three/ four cats with a wooden spoon. All before the crack of dawn.

One year I must have been extra busy (multiple small paid jobs) but was still going to start cooking the turkey on Christmas Eve Eve (crack of dawn, but planned to get the turkey in and then have another couple of hours). I'd put extra hours into cleaning the church in the advent weeks because the two flower ladies arrangements took most of the final week (including final touches between the 4 pm children's service and midnight mass) and didn't want me getting underfoot. My evening jobs could start as soon as the staff left.

So got downstairs and the lid was off the container I'd left the turkey defrosting in (think I'd used 2 washing up bowls as the boys were getting older so no more deep pirate's chest toy boxes). Deep breath and moved closer to examine the damage. They'd bitten through the plastic but then only eaten from the place they'd broken in. So I cut around the hole, leaving a one inch margin, washed
it thoroughly and then carried on as normal. As soon as he cooked turkey was cool enough to chop, I took off all the brown meat and started the turkey stew.

I'd started off following my mum's routine of saving and freezing the leftover meat and then making turkey stew after we'd finished the New Year's Eve potato pie (she always did too much, even when all my brothers' friends came round and it loses its' appeal after a week). Then I started working out how much precious freezer space it was taking up (at one point I only had a small square box of a freezer on top of the fridge and often when the latest hand me down appliance has broken, I've managed through the colder months with a drinks crate kept outside (suitably cat proofed). 

If I could I would cook the turkey a few days before Christmas and make the turkey stew (could also use up all the old veg so no confusing it with the 'Christmas veg'). This has often been a lifesaver especially during my student years (I was 42 when I started) when I would collapse in a heap the moment term ended (all teachers will know this) and the stew was all I could eat for a week. I remember binge watching all our 'Spooks' dvds lying comatose on the sofa, pausing it to have a sleep and then getting another bowl of stew and more drinks.

One year one of our neighbours was having a bad time. She had become ill whilst on holiday and something went wrong - either she was misdiagnosed or something went wrong during the emergency operation (I tried to be supportive but not pry). When she came home she ended up hospitalised. After a while she started to come home at weekends and also for Christmas. Unfortunately she was given the wrong dosage of medication and lay in bed like a zombie. After a few days of this her husband (her boys' step father) hit the whisky bottle hard and the 2 teenage boys came to me. One of them was too sick to manage Christmas dinner but loved the turkey stew.

well I thought you needed a joke 
but they had a section for dark humour which made me smile and laugh a lot but not sure how well they would go down (a lot involved Santa Claus and guns - for people who won't learn their lesson), carol singers and guns and hiding bones in your children's snowmen [no foxholes].

mothernerd

yesterday I was busy. Took a keyboard and 6 bags of clothes to 2 charity shops. got very wet. Was nearly 3 pm so thought I'd better get lunch. they are now using paper bags which also got soaked before I got home (had handed over all the carrier bags with my donations). Spent the rest of the afternoon wearing a throw tied in a knot over my right shoulder which scuppered my plan to take the curtains (front room only) to the dry cleaners.

made a much better job of getting the remaining slats off the broken bed. Only stopped because the 2 mattresses were falling onto the bed frame (it's been holding them against the wall). bagged loads of rubbish and recycling, squeezed more into 2 of the bins. Folded all the dry washing and put wet washing on the radiator, doors, the airer. Beloved had a load in the dryer but it only came out just before I left.

However, every time I came across a bag for life, I gave it a label and now have bags for (clean, dry) pillows (large box), throw pillows, throws, sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases. I sorted through the carrier bags and pulled out all the strong ones. They are now labelled Beloved's pjs, accessories, DS3's t-shirts, charity shop and books. 2 sacks of plastic bottles and several rubbish bags went out and late on I took two carrier bags of cans to the recycle point on the far car park, posted a card for mum and then went to do shopping, food and drinks for the next few days plus 'Sunday lunch' for mum - she's going to afternoon tea at church so it may be Monday dinner, scones and bananas. 

In the morning I'd worked my way through most of thee bags I'd brought through from mum's room. 4 Dozen packed away in boxes for me (mainly tins of beans and pulses and onion soup -stuff mum won't eat). Still less than I brought hereat the start of the pandemic. Not moving those yet but trying to get ready to move. Excess tins will be added to the food bank Reverse Advent Calendar. Mum has said I can take all the tinned mandarins because it's something else she's decided 'doesn't agree with her'. Again I think I brought 20 cans with me - offered Beloved the choice of pineapples or mandarins and she opted for pineapples. 

More things moved into my room (trying to get everything out of the cleaner's way) including 2 dining chairs (only because they re the right height for sorting stuff without bending and hurting my back or going dizzy).

I cleared the garden table at my house, removed the tarpaulin and wet and wiped the surface (earlier in the year I cut back all the greenery in the corner, sitting perched at one end of the table and throwing/ shoving all the cut stuff behind me. Put the tarpaulin that covered the bed when spraying with mould remover - I put it outside last week so all the rain should have cleared the mould spray. I have told DS3 I want the two single mattresses out there with another tarpaulin on top. I want him to book a skip or the waste wizards before the cleaners come on Thursday if possible. Bins will be emptied Wednesday so can be refilled and stuff for the following week can b bagged securely.

The sun has decided to come out so will go and see how much I can get dry. I'm going to be brave and try walking as I would like to take some larger garden tools with me - I rarely use a rake so the old rusty one will do, it might simplify the job of gathering dead leaves and avoid some brambles hiding in the ivy injuries.

Grateful for feeling brighter (hurting a lot but brighter), reclaiming my house bit by bit, sandwiches (salmon and cucumber on oatmeal bread ys'd to 79p.

ditty1234

Grateful for a tidy car, ready for uni CHristmas run on Tuesday night. \grateful for cookies baked. Grateful for nice walks w ds1 yesterday and today. A nice Christmas do last night, and just one more week before big changes, in job and household.  

lcc86

Evening turtles. NSD today. Felt really unwell by the time I got home from visiting my parents, felt sick and had a shooting migraine pain down one side of my face so just had a bath and took myself straight to bed last night.

Didn't go horse riding this morning as didn't feel 100% but did visit the pony and bought him some carrots which he seemed to enjoy. Spent the rest of the day watching TV and fell asleep on the sofa for a bit.

Cooked a veggie curry and a chicken one in the slow cooker as well, going to have an early dinner and then get ready for work and chill.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Evening

Spent this morning doing prep for PT job #2, got a meeting on Thursday so need to get stuff sorted.  

Put some festive bedding on the line which is now finishing off on the rads.  Found a duvet cover for the charity bag. 

Went to town at 2pm & had a productive shop; bought some sprouts day cards in the charity shop & gave additional £1 donation; bought presents for niece & a couple of small things for DDs.  Saw lovely gift for sis but shop is shut so need to go in the week.  I have 3 x sisters and we have 8 kids between us so we buy for one sis & 2 x niece/nephew with a budget of £15 per person.  We rotate round each year.  Works well for us as not too expensive and we try to be creative with the budget.  I got art stuff for my niece and 2 hair bobbles on sale in H n Em - total £1.50; plus choc on offer in arseda.  Donated to foodbank, saw list of requests on way in so bought off the list, included some pasta in a mug - thanks to f0xh0les who pointed out that some people will only have a kettle to 'cook' with Came home & finished writing all my cards, going to post in a bit if can get them in the postbox!  If not will post tomorrow.  
Making tea with supplies from fridge & freezer.  No decs up yet but i got all the tubs out of the garage so they are now in the house at least.....

Really tired as was awake till 3am so hoping can sleep tonight!  Got eve meetings tomorrow, Tu and Thurs.  Cannot wait for Friday

Gratitudes - quick catch up with DD1; using up fridge stuff for tea; lovely walk through town looking at all the festive lights & some very useful window shopping

love Deni 

ldee2111

Friday - took DS to nursery, drove home via train station to get a couple of copies of the newspaper with the £10 off £40 spend at Lid-el. Told friends and family via Face-beak that I had some and can post the voucher to them. Minutes after posting message, I got a private message from a friend asking for a voucher. I straightaway put one in an envelope and went to the post office. Then, I picked DS up early from nursery and drove to aunt’s hair salon for a cut. She’s 30 miles away from us but I wouldn’t go anywhere else. Plus we all love to see her - one of the loveliest people I know. She lifts everyone up. 

Saturday was grocery delivery day and DS and I also went shopping for socks for OH, and vests and joggers for DS (have i mentioned how quick he’s stretching?!) While in NxT, DS got very excited by a top that featured a little Italian man who wears a red boiler suit and jumps down pipes. I bought it. DS wanted it on there and then. And he wanted it on today again, and asked if he can wear it to nursery tomorrow. He’s not getting long out of his clothes these days but he should get his wear out of this! 

Took DS to the cinema today to see The Big Red Dog - he really enjoyed it as did I. Made popcorn at home - it’s so much cheaper and better, and took our own drinks. And the cinema, obviously keen to get people through their doors, is charging only £4.99 for a ticket. 

Sunday sweeps (aka underspends for saving)

Food £26

Transport £57 (OH wfh all week!)

Leisure £30

Grateful for time with DS, for a funny film, and for OH making his delicious fakeaway curry, naan bread, and spiced onions.

Thrifty_Taylor

A lovely start to the day, so joined hubby for a walk. He wanted to go further than I had time for, so we parted ways for him to do his longer route, I posted all the sprout day cards & hand delivered others in the village. Planted 3 packs of bulbs when I got home, then started sewing. Finished one commission, then traced a pattern for another one. Feel less stressed now I'm crossing things off my list! Watched the lampoon sprout film with DS1 & knitted a small stocking to go in a card.
Grateful for a nice walk, getting things done, feeling less stressed