NST February 2022: a month of fives

firsview

Not much going on here. Another NSD, using up toiletries that have been lurking in the cupboard for a long time. Tomorrow I am cracking open the  expensive rose shower gel, very nice but not sure how OH and DS2 will feel about it! Was funny being without DS1 on his birthday yesterday, first time ever. Sent him £50 to get a takeaway and a birthday cake as I would normally have made him one. He sent me photos of a very flashy looking cake with his name and candles on and a Japanese takeaway which included eel sushi (yeuch!) 
Today I am grateful for the brackets for my new blind finally turning up a month after the blind, photos from DS1 and not having been affected by the bad weather like all those poor people on the news.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dh looking after dc, for working with some lovely people, for my forward planning paying off, for dc lending me a book after I finished mine, for the Pottery Throw Down.

lcc86

Evening turtles,

Was on trauma training today at work, left me feeling annoyed, disheartened and depressed with the system all at once!   

Been a bit stressed as one of my new fish died so now I'm panicking I've done something wrong and am going to kill them all!

Went for a swim to de-stress this evening. Also worked out this morning and went for a lunchtime walk so am feeling good. Totally lost my mojo earlier this month so am glad it seems to be returning.

Got paid from my part-time job, am going to put the money aside for April and May as I don't think I'll be getting paid at all then. Finalised my March budget and it's looking extremely healthy in terms of how much I can save so I'm not stressing for a change! I have OCD and it manifests itself in things like obsessing over the budget so hopefully this will reassure the overactive part of my brain.

mothernerd

Wrote a long e-mail to a friend this morning, so her pack of photos can be added to the 3 others that were ready to go (days of transcribing little bits of paper into my diary finally paid off). Started writing up my CBT session notes neatly whilst waiting for helper elf.

Brother's ex phoned to tell me her plans had been changed, so she would arrive later than planned but we got the niece helping as well so loaded the car with pots (mostly 30 l and 40 l), she drove me to my house and we left the niece bringing more pots to the front. I stayed and transported the pots down the back to my yard, whilst brother's ex went back for the second lot. 

Only did the two lots (my back says "enough") but got much more in the car than I was expecting - roughly 12 large pots and several small in each trip. She brought me back to the bungalow (she's willing to come back and do another session) and I sat for a while and then went to stretch on the bed to sort my back out. Nearly dozed off (put my mask on just in case) but spent a peaceful afternoon on the bed.

Had defrosted part bags of broccoli and cauliflower and a full bag of carrots, found my onions yesterday whilst looking for secateurs so made thrown together 'curry' (very spicy but not quite a curry) from cupboard ingredients.

Grateful for helper elves, brother's ex liking hedgehogs and fairies (possible home for more garden ornaments), lovely food, great serials, books, the bed.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Evening

I like your description of falling off the bandwagon abundant - funny!!  But i hope you are feeling a bit better about the world this evening and you managed to get dressed & outdoors etc.
I was WfH today & feel like i've caught up on lots of tasks.  I'm pleased about that as i'm in the office tomorrow and we have a big meeting so it's all hands to the pump for the preparation.  i won't have to go to the meeting which is also good as I'm going straight from work onto the motorway to drive the 200 miles to my parents.  At least going from work cuts 45 minutes off the journey  
I was so excited to see blue sky at lunchtime that i had an hour's lunch break so i could go for a walk, it was great to be out in the fresh air (well i walked part way along the bypass but you know what i mean When i finished work I did an exercise class on Fb; i pay £10 a week so try to do at least 2 classes a week.  
I'm still eating from stores and had savoury cheese rolls with couscous and salad for tea, followed by half a do-nut with cream!  I do seem to be on a carb overload at the moment.  
I've wrapped up a book for my sis re-using some wrapping paper that i ironed flat, plus i've reused a little glass jar for some bath cubes for her.  I also wrote a birthday card for my niece and went to get some money to put in it; suddenly realised she is 16 so found £16 to put in the card.  I will see sis and niece later in the week.  I've saved the cost of a stamp i suppose!
I haven't had the heating on today and am going to bed with a hot water bottle soon.

Gratitudes - a bit of blue sky at last; DD2 having a better day; plenty of carbs in the freezer

love Deni 

Esmeralda2662

@mothernerd - well done moving so many pots in one go! It's easy to forget how many garden pots, tubs and ornaments we have when we're focusing on what's indoors. Glad you've got some help to relocate things.

@abundant1972 - you're doing the right thing increasing your treats money. You need little things to look forward to to keep motivated. If you deprive yourself too much life will be miserable. Your finishing date only increases by a small amount.

@firsview - if ever you wanted a diet that works I think eel sushi might be it!

@lcc86 - sadly fish can keel over at the slightest thing. Hopefully your others will thrive and give you hours of pleasure tootling round their tank.

6#NSD so far and food spending reduced quite a bit. We were shocked how much beef has gone up and my lactofree milk has gone up twice in about 6 weeks (now 35p a carton dearer). I fear I will hear myself muttering about prices like my grandad did: "7 shillings (35p) for one parsnip!"

My sister had her throat operation yesterday and it all went well. She's been allowed home tonight so that's a relief. No driving, lifting, etc for the next couple of weeks.

OH bought fancy new shower head that is all singing all dancing. Unfortunately it is also all breaking as it blew the shower up. Back to baths now until it is mended. Grrrr.

Sorted a Star Wars illustrated dictionary out for the chap at work to give to his son (10). He's crazy about SW and if it encourages him to read then all good. Also one more piece out of the house!

Gratitudes: That my sister had her op and is home tonight, that the weather here has calmed down a bit, the new book that I'm reading.

Night all, Turtles!  X

Thrifty_Taylor

So pleased to hear your sister's op went well @Esmeralda2662. Hope she's able to get plenty of rest now.
What a lot can happen in a short space in time! After posting on Sunday, we had to call an ambulance for DS2! He had a funny turn, it was quite frightening, but thankfully all the tests carried out twice were ok & A&E thought he'd be ok at home, if kept an eye on, so wasn't taken to hospital. Brought back all the panic when hubby was rushed to Aberdeen last spring with renal failure.
Work went well yesterday, then met a friend & we went to the cinema. When I booked it, there were lots of empty seats around us, but when the film started, all seats were full. Felt a bit worried that there was no ventilation & lots of folk didn't have masks on. I know things are more relaxed in Englandshire, but we have lots of cases on our Scottish island just now. 4 teaching staff off today after testing +ve, hoping it doesn't get any more, as we're really short staffed already. Have been asked to accompany a pupil swimming on Thursday. Haven't been for years & self taught, so not too confident, but will give it a go! 
Collected some free firewood advertised on a selling page (it turned out to be a broken double bed frame, so hoping I can use some of the slats to replace broken ones on our bed!), then newspapers I'd asked the local shop to save me. Watched C4tchphr4se with DS1, he scored 1 more than me, so he was delighted! Did some sewing after tea, then a soak in the bath.

Grateful for DS2 being ok, spending time with a friend, handsome actors 😜, firewood & newspapers restocked, yoga in class PE

DrCarrie

Hi Turtles,

I have been away in York for work. Been great, but very busy, with little output!

A bot of bad news with the energy company came in yesterday, an increase of £60 a month on the direct debits. That's £150 more a month (with the rent increase) from next month. No benefit from the payrise I had in January. But I guess, it could be a lot worse, and I am sure it will be for lots of people. 

Lots of gratitudes for the time I have been absent:
1. Seeing Darling daughter on Saturday and Sunday 
2. Made it to York in the eye of the Strom
3. Lovely hotel, with swimming pool and jacuzzi etc, and made full use of it.
4. going into a meeting i wasn't expecting to
5. returning home without any transport problems 
6. DD had left me tulips to return home to. 

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Morning

Glad your sis' operation went well and hope she has a speedy recovery Esmeralda

That sounds scary Thrifty but glad DS2 is ok

DrCarrie - we love York, its where DD2 did her first degree and i miss visiting !

I'm grateful for being able to leave the house in a tidy state, for finding cat litter in the garage so i can leave a litter tray just in case (DD1 is checking on the cats, they are not home alone) and blue skies for my journey into work

Happy hump day turtles

firsview

@Thrifty_Taylor I am so glad DS2 is ok. I feel your panic though, I have had to call an ambulance a few times for DS1 and when I was driving home yesterday I noticed an ambulance parked outside our house. Horrible feeling of dread before I remembered he is in Canada.