NST December A - Z

DawnW

NSD 3 for me today, but tomorrow will be a spend day, as we will be going to a localish open air market, as we often do on Sunday mornings.

OH was out for the day, so I baked bread and scones and made leek and potato soup using some of the not very good leeks from the garden. Also did an inventory of the freezers, some cleaning, and load of washing which dried outside in the chilly wind. Just needs airing now. The heating was off for most of the day as I was busy bustling around. It was warm enough indoors out of the wind. I turned it on for a while when DD2 came round this afternoon with her two littlies though, coincidentally just as the bread was due to come out of the bread maker. Needless to say they polished off half the loaf with butter and jam

It was nearly dark by the time they went, so I took the dog out, got the washing in, turned off the heating and lit the stove. OH was eating with the friend he had gone to visit, so I had leftovers from yesterday for my dinner - macaroni cheese with mushrooms.

Rang my brother using some of the 'free' minutes I get on my sim free mobile contract. No plans to do anything else today apart from toast my toes by the stove!

ldee2111

‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’, also known as putting up the Christmas tree. It is looking lovely though and DS liked being involved and hanging the baubles.

Staying on NSD 2 as it was grocery delivery day and we had takeaway pizza for dinner.

Grateful always for my OH and DS ❤️

f0xh0les

I lost my NSD to a Family and Friends Railcard - I got £3 off with a voucher code from the YHA membership, and will get YHA membership with £10 off due to the Family and Friends voucher code....  spent £27, saved £13. Then went and got my booster jab with DH and DS2 in the local chemists!  Was fine until 8pm when my arm has gone heavy.

Also got given £125 of free train travel vouchers (hence the F&F railcard) - so all in all I am ending the day 'up' on what I started with, although I spent £27.

Still not been paid.

cuddlymarm

Hi guys
Today the weather has been dreadful. High winds and high tides , flood warnings and cold winds. It was supposed to calm down about 3pm but no one told Mother Nature.
Work today was ok, quiet this morning, a bit busier this afternoon. We’ve got two newbies, which is nice, both keen and it means less stress and struggling to borrow staff from elsewhere.
We normally go to friends to watch Strictly but as the weather was so grotty we watched it at home and FaceTimed them to discuss who did well ( bit sad I know but we enjoy it)
I’m planning on a lazy day tomorrow and then tackling the Xmas cards Monday.
I’m grateful for a day off tomorrow, from OH sorting tea out and for good friends.
Anyway time to go.
Keep well and warm guys and hugs to those who need them.

mothernerd

Wild, windy, wet and miserable here and despite my best efforts I have been wet most of the day and had to fight against the wind to get the trolley across the car park and town hall square. On the way back icy drops were blasted straight into my eyes and face.

Took a large bag of glass jars to the recycle point (car park on the other side of the main road) and discovered they had two bins for drinks cans and aerosols so went back home, worked my way through 8 sacks of plastic bottles and drinks cans to separate them and finally went through the bin (full to the brim). However I ended up with 3 sacks full of cans which went to the recycle point and space for 1 1/2 sacks more plastic bottles in the brown bin, which will be emptied this week (how rock'n'roll am I?). 

Worked hard but can see most of the floor (slightly annoyed that there are bits were I keep thinking it won't take long to finish but not got rid of it all). Took 2 bags of clothes across (packed in a cube and a couple of items hung up), 3 throws in a cube, 2 pillows and a quilt tucked in between the cube shelves and the corner of the room (virtually invisible). more bags of all categories and washing machine and dishwasher in service.

Had a long wait for a taxi but sat reading my book - went from the recycle point to little Arseda and was so wiped out I sat on the till for a few minutes (was expecting it to say 'unexpected item in bagging area but it must have been frightened to say anything'. Must plan my strategy for next week.

Grateful for easy food (was supposed to be a sandwich day but I was wet and cold so DS3 bought me chicken and chips), the security guard at the library letting me leave the trolley in the corner of the foyer (he wasn't sure, said he would have to ask someone but when I said it helped keep me upright he decided if it was a mobility aid it wasn't a problem) and making progress (slow and painful but progress).

Thrifty_Taylor

Gday y'all!
A great couple of days ☺️ yesterday was NSD#2. Had to entertain the youngest class for an hour with a colleague, so set up an assault course, they loved it, but I was knackered after showing them what they had to do!! Another class did feel good Friday, so twice music was blasted through the speakers & everyone had to drop what they were doing & dance around their classrooms. Thank goodness I wasn't doing Whamageddon! Also pulled out names & had to write a compliment on a post it note to give to that person. Mine said I like your jumper & you are nice 😃
Finished the jigsaw with a pupil, then headteacher spun me round the library to Shakin Stevens, before hometime. Only I wasn't going home! Me & a colleague went to another colleague's house for drinks & a Chinese takeaway. Had lots of laughs, one colleague paid for all the food. I stayed over. Helped her move furniture out of her living room, ready for papering, then headed into town to meet another 2 friends for lunch. Had a great catch up, big shop done next. Put it all away, had a quick tea, then picked up another 2 friends & went to bingo, which was raising funds for our school. Didn't win anything, but had a good time. Phew, haven't seen folk for ages, but made up for it the past couple of days!

Grateful for feel good Friday, spending time with friends, lots of laughs, fun and bingo

f0xh0les

Thrifty that sounds lovely (but knackering!).  Glad you had a good time. - I had to try and explain the phenomenon that is Shakin' Stevens to DS3 and 4, Not as easy as you would think.  They are also completely confused by the Bob Dylan song 'Must be Santa'.  Kids eh?

Mothernerd - the new discovery might make your life easier, if you can get them to bundle the cans/aerosols together and the glass jars/bottles, and recycle them as they go along - just a short hop over the car park -  then they should not mount up into a huge pile anymore.  Not sure I could be as tolerant as you, I would strap on my shiny boots, don my Important Hat, get a pointy stick and present my Rota to the assembled crowd.  Mind you, it is Sunday morning and despite asking on Friday and Saturday I still do not have the school uniforms downstairs to be washed. 

My plan for today is not to whine too much about my arm (it flippin' hurts!!) and to work my way through my list.

I wrote it, I should try and get as much off it as possible today.

ditty1234

My plans for today are modest and hopefully quietly roductive. Hang with ds1 after his friend leaves this morning, we have got some practical things to cover, and he just needs to do some relaxing as well. 
I am hoping for a NSD day. 
I have got some marking to do and some freelance work. And probably go for a long walk later, and yoga - I keep saying that but will I actually do it this time? I think new year aims have to be started before the new year - so the yoga is one of those. 
@mothernerd I have recycling to get rid of as well. It quickly gets heavy. Getting back to your own house sounds like a very lovely if demanding plan. 
I have gone all out with 3 Christmas parties this year, but one needs to make up for last year, and also catch up with old job, incoming job as well as my running group. Basically the things that have gotten me through this year. I am ready for a nice and fresh year soon. I feel Christmas is a bit of a blimp, and will mainly be 2 weeks of productive relaxation and brilliant food. 
No perfection in sight, budget is rolling as the game seems to be ever changing, but I am done with reorganising bathroom and hopefully bedroom, so I should be back to an ordinary Xmas budget now - and gifts to sort out.
Have a relaxing SUnday. 

mothernerd

f0xh0les said:

Thrifty that sounds lovely (but knackering!).  Glad you had a good time. - I had to try and explain the phenomenon that is Shakin' Stevens to DS3 and 4, Not as easy as you would think.  They are also completely confused by the Bob Dylan song 'Must be Santa'.  Kids eh?

Mothernerd - the new discovery might make your life easier, if you can get them to bundle the cans/aerosols together and the glass jars/bottles, and recycle them as they go along - just a short hop over the car park -  then they should not mount up into a huge pile anymore.  Not sure I could be as tolerant as you, I would strap on my shiny boots, don my Important Hat, get a pointy stick and present my Rota to the assembled crowd.  Mind you, it is Sunday morning and despite asking on Friday and Saturday I still do not have the school uniforms downstairs to be washed. 

My plan for today is not to whine too much about my arm (it flippin' hurts!!) and to work my way through my list.

I wrote it, I should try and get as much off it as possible today.

Beloved already offered to sort plastic bottles and cans separately as she goes along. She also bought the semi see through bags to keep the recycling in until it goes to the bins - clearly not black bin rubbish. I had remembered about the glass jars but had forgotten the cans (and the page I wrote it all down on, back in May, has gone from my notebook - they get tatty from overuse). 

mothernerd

I was awake in the middle of the night. Walked in the house wiped out and mum started asking whether her podiatry appointment was on Tuesday or Wednesday. Got up in the wee small hours and looked in her handbag - nothing. She had the bag with 'appointment stuff' already out. I've just heard her complaining to her friend on the phone that I have been messing about with her 'papers' which were already sorted out. Well until she can distinguish between her steroid card - has to be kept with her at all times so ambulance men etc can see it (not in the middle of a pile which is mostly junk -thrown 2/3 away), pill info (important but mostly on the computer anyway) and 'medical' but routine (last optical prescription, penultimate optical prescription, ear appointment schedule - suspended during COVID, info on practice merge, copy of practice merge letter addressed to me, random letters/ appointments from 2 years ago) then I will have to wade through it on a regular basis.

The appointment she was actually meithering about - not this week but the following week, took a deep breath and looked through my diary for December - slightly grumpy as it must have been on my mind when I fell asleep and be what woke me up in the wee small hours. 

Will be back later turtle gang - it's a lovely day and I want to get on. If DS3 will put up the clothes line stuff can go out there (put the airer up yesterday) and more clothes can be processed instead of hanging around in the kitchen.