NST December A - Z

Esmeralda2662

Set off to visit Christmas street market in local town but traffic started queuing 2.3 miles outside so we turned down a side lane and headed home, cursing for not having set off hours earlier.

OH already felt ropey with terrible sore throat and headache. He asked me to look at his tonsils yesterday (not an offer you get every day!) but i couldnt see anything as i've never known anyone with a tongue so big it blocks everything out! Poor chap.

Parked up at home and walked to local for self medication with Gu*nness and black. Much improved after 3, apparently.

Gave a pile of old newspapers to a friend to line cat litter tray as cat doesn't like the plastic liners.

Signed pension paperwork and put into prepaid envelope for posting.

Sorted out little model Christmas trees and other bits to help lad at work make Christmas scene for his girlfriend. He had had left it too late to get them. Lovely that he still wants to do things like this for her.

Great news that my stepdaughter has finally received her residency for NZ! She's been working out there for about 3 years and was desperate to stay as she loves it out there. So pleased for her!

Sorted out 4 books to return to a friend and found another one to add that they might like. Not really decluttering but a bit more out of the house.

Gratitudes: A drink in the pub with a friend I haven't seen for a while, the tiny black glass eyes for my (as yet unmade) felted animals arriving and a lovely blue sky making a nice day.

Hope you all have a nice week. Night night all x

mothernerd

Apologies for yesterday, got back to the bungalow before 5 pm and was asleep by 7 pm (wide awake later, of course)

Monday 13th December 2021
A warm welcome on this bright beautiful sunny day (I'm lying it's grey and miserable and might rain at any moment - but I'm sunny inside).
RAKs (Random Acts of Kindness)
As I said in the challenge, RAKs make me feel good and are an excellent antidote to commercial excess. One year I had been saving all my change, I had pots and tins in my clothing drawers (spread out because some were very heavy). There were times when I had to dip in to the pots (£1 coins for taxi fares etc).I always tried to change them for £20 notes and then banked the 'savings'). however by the time it got to the year end I was left with mainly 1p and 2p coins with a sprinkling of 5ps (little pests hide in corners). 

I put one of the pots in my bag and whenever I was out shopping, I'd put a handful of coins into collection boxes and tins. Ordinary shopkeepers were delighted to swop for my pennies when they were running low (my dad was a bus conductor and would often pause near the end of his shift to swap the pennies in the newsagents - before he had to do the final bagging up [both he and my mother, an insurance collector, had jobs were you had to make up any shortages]). i also managed to distract toddlers who were driving their mother's demented by asking if they would like to 'give the doggy' - guide dogs dog sized collector - some pennies. Another local shop had one of those 'optical illusion' collectors where the coins run round in ever decreasing circles before disappearing.

After my brother died (he was 47, I was 49) there were many things I bought that I'd never been able to buy - some second hand T & G Green domino ware plates and bowls (blue with white spots rather than the more familiar stripes) but also silly little things - the packs of card shapes for winding embroidery threads onto. After 30 years of cutting my own from any strong card that came into my possession, a pack of card shapes gave me great joy (I also bought bags of mixed threads from people who were having to give up embroidery due to problems I now have myself).

However what gave me most pleasure was being able to make significant donations to a couple of charities rather than juggling my meagre pennies and persuading other people that I really did want to send a pig or some chickens to Africa (I would have liked to have rescue hens but the boys always looked at me with horror and said NO very firmly).

It doesn't have to be money, common kindness like holding open a door, giving up your seat on the bus, helping another mother by putting her child's pushchair on the luggage rack. I was in a (woman's health) meeting once and one woman had a small but difficult baby who would not settle. I could see that the woman was tiring of bouncing the baby in an effort to placate her, so took the baby off her and carried on. After 5-10 minutes, I passed the baby to the woman on my left and the baby slowly progressed  round the room. Anyone can entertain and cope with a difficult baby for 5 minutes (this was before I had children of my own) but the mother got over an hour's break. 

So be kind, to yourself and others - little moments can help brighten everyone's day.

I'll let someone else do the jokes today.

lcc86

NSD 7 I think today. Could be doing better but am on budget so not the end of the world.

Went to finalise my shopping list for Xmas food and my main is now out of stock despite it being in my basket since the day the slots opened! Slightly annoyed as I'm the only vegetarian in my family so it's easier for everyone if I just order something. Have substituted it, just hoping my substitute doesn't go out of stock!

Sorted out loads of little frogs today, have some more to do tomorrow. Need to print receipts relating to my car insurance claim (would you believe it 6 months later it's still going on). Need to copy stuff for my PIP claim form as well.

Nice homemade curry for dinner and then chilling in front of the TV.

ldee2111

It’s a NSD but I’ve not been counting this month.

I signed up to a course today that’s for my job. I’m currently on a 7-day free trial but the course is 29 hours long. After the 7 days, it costs £40 per month. If I find it worthwhile (and manage to stick to it for the 7 days!), I’m going to ask my employer to cover the cost. They’re always encouraging staff to do courses so hopefully they’d fund it without any issue.

OH and I went to see DS and his nursery friends singing Christmas songs. It was very sweet. A highlight of the day.

Made mozzarella stuffed meatballs and spaghetti for dinner from the book I borrowed from a friend. They were tasty so I’d do them again. But I do feel that there’s only 10 recipes in the whole world and we all just make them in different ways. 

Grateful for seeing DS singing with his nursery group, for the meatballs turning out well, and for feeling relaxed after a glass of vino. 

Thrifty_Taylor

NSD#5
Was woken a few times in the night by the wind howling round our bedroom window, so feeling tired today. Work went well. We're all waiting to see what tomorrow's announcement brings, as to whether school stops on Friday or continues until Tuesday. Stopped at the post office on my way home & using my free stamps, posted the last of my heavier cards/small packages. Did the ironing before tea. Closed my eyes for half an hour after, then set to making a memory bear using a new pattern.
Grateful for a warm fire when I got home, a colleague offering to do my nails one evening this week (I've never had gel nails done before) & managing to follow the instructions for the new sewing pattern

mothernerd

Food to food bank using the walker, put two cards through someone's letter box on the way. Tried to work out the best way to drop off books at a charity shop (any charity shop), pick up some (preferably hot) food (Greg's is closed - nearest option), get cash for taxi fares and buy my puzzle book. Went to cash point, took books to newish cs in the mall  and went in the locally owned, non-chain coffee shop/ cafe for one of their all day breakfasts. Read my book whilst waiting.

Fortified for the day (or at least the next couple of hours/ whatever faced me when I opened the front door) I picked up my puzzle book and the new edition of the large print puzzle book and set off for home. Not sure what I did but it included using the hoe and rake to scrape weeds from the yard and walls. Picking up a second abandoned trolley (there were 4 yesterday but didn't have the energy to go back and collect them) and stacked all the wood and metal/ plastic for waste wizard into them.

One mirror out, one takes 2 to move, another piece of furniture to go, DS3 took all the 'planks' to the back door (used to shore up the broken bed). Finally seem to have worked my way through the washing mountain but lots of wet washing around. Beloved asked to work on her room alone. Ds3 bagged all the 'outfits' as requested but put them back in the bottom of one of the wardrobes (sigh).

Much done, much still to do. Felt sick and dizzy so went for a little lie down. Was hoping to carry on for a little bit longer but called the taxi and came back. Sorted more tins and now have a pile to go back in mum's room (dragged 4 bags in here, went through sorting out ones she won't use, things she will use can now go back in the tidied cupboard in neat rows.

Some much needed down time catching up with strictly and reading a few pages of my book.

Grateful for a warm welcome at the food bank, an all day breakfast (I resisted their gorgeous cakes), getting my puzzle book and the large print one.

mothernerd

Tuesday 14th December 2021
Share your stories of Christmas disasters (or other special occasions)

f0xh0les

I got paid!! well, they have paid me for one  day, £150, and the balance is to appear on 24th - at least I know it is coming. So progress!

I don't really have any Xmas disasters, during a very icy end of December whilst 4 days overdue with DS4, I had to go into Hope hospital every day for half an hour for 'monitoring' on a silly machine, the horrid woman dr who (very loudly) complained on the other side of a soundproof nylon curtain about ignorant women who will not schedule a section if their baby is to be born near Xmas.  Who wants a baby at Xmas?? I said I did not celebrate Xmas, so then I had to put up with stage whispers about probably being Jewish. 

  Anyway, the Austrian Gynae noticed DS4 was still hypermobile and immediately booked me in for a C Section  I did not want at 7 the next morning, so I got wheeled to an empty room and left there  in tears. (DH  had dropped me in the car park and was waiting  at home for a phone call to rescue me),  so I gave DS4 a bl--dy good talking to, turned him myself, got him head down,  and when a Dr (man - of course) came in to examine my huuuuuuge bump and tell me it was for my  own good, in that Dr way they have,  he found a perfectly well positioned baby, a totally innocent looking me, and I got taken down for induction (lesser of 3 evils).

As I knew what I was doing, they gave me a very newly qualified midwife, and we chatted for a bit, I ruined her shoes, and had DS4.  surprise shoulder dystosis!    Ho ho ho.

So next morning DH and the kids came in to look at 'It' and DS1 and DS2 kept asking if 'It 'was coming home with us, and could we keep 'It'. and why was It in a box????  DH was over the moon, but they made me stay in overnight, and  the kids rang me on 24th to tell me what  DH had let them open that morning - luckily only one present - and that was the day I found out DH had no idea what day Xmas fell on.   He has other talents, knowing stuff that every normal person knows just isn't one of them. Bless! He did cook a roast, parcel it all up, and we ate it  all together in the canteen on our own plates, then came and got me Xmas morning at 10 when they finally released me, and the kids had refused to open any presents until we were back home.

Boxing Day I was building a 5 foot snowman in the front garden and having a snowball fight - cos that is what Mums do.

mothernerd

That one's got everything f0xh0les - worry and uncertainty, tears, resourcefulness, worst possible option, then a happy ending with love and laughter.

apple_muncher

Hmm, I don't have a Christmas disaster to share, mothernerd! (apart from both dh and I once getting the norovirus on Christmas day...) We have always had such a simple Christmas that if something did go wrong, then we probably didn't even notice! In the past, we would do something with dh's kids once they were back from their visit to their grandparents (never tried to quibble over this), so sometimes even had Christmas in January with them. Which made it all very relaxed.

I grew up with only being allowed the tree up in my room on Cmas day... 2 sets of lovely neighbours used to invite me round anytime I wanted to go - they both always had an open door. I used to be goggle eyed at all the food they prepared!!!

So when we got married, we had no traditions/expectations to maintain. Bliss!! Can't really say we've been creative and forged new traditions of our own, but I would like to throw in that we spent our 2nd Christmas of married life scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef...