NST JOYFUL JUNE

firsview

Evening Turtles. Sorry have been awol for a couple of days, been getting ready to go on holiday on Saturday which has mainly consisted of making lists and no real action other than washing everything in sight.
Well done on the weight loss beanie! 

Thrifty, I am impressed you could go out sans cardigan, a friend of mine lived in Wick and said it was never warm enough to go sleeveless. Whenever it is more than 14 or 15 in Lerwick, OH and I always exclaim ‘ooh bikini weather in Shetland!’
Filled the car up earlier and felt cheated that I only managed to squeeze £80 in there when apparently a normal size family car costs £100 to fill up. No one has gone over £2 a litre for petrol here yet, but diesel has. Washed it at the weekend and a flock of seagulls has kindly redecorated it for me already, so another job to add to my list although I am not sure why having a clean car is necessary to go on holiday. Less drag I suppose.
Today I am grateful for finding an independent garage selling petrol for 3p a litre less than Mr T (all helps), good drying weather and 4 more sleeps until my holiday.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dc going to school, for a good gym sesh, for good coffee, for Wimbledon on the red button, for lunch with friends, for a chilled day.

beanielou

My DS has received his official confirmation of his return to university in August to do his PGCE year.
So pleased for him.

Thrifty_Taylor

Thrifty, I am impressed you could go out sans cardigan, a friend of mine lived in Wick and said it was never warm enough to go sleeveless. Whenever it is more than 14 or 15 in Lerwick, OH and I always exclaim ‘ooh bikini weather in Shetland!’ @firsview this made me laugh! A tad cooler here today, did put tights on when I got dressed bit decided that as I couldn't get all the white cat hair off then, I'd rather go bare legged again! Over 12°C is a warm day in Orkney 😂 our school is right next to the sea, so often get a good sea breeze which cools it down even further!
Thanks for doing July @apple_muncher.
Hope the funeral went as well as it could @grandmanerd

NSD#14
A good day at work, + my first aid duties were called on twice. Made a good call yesterday, had diagnosed a broken finger, another colleague thought it might be dislocated. On checking with the pupil today, I had been right. Received 2 presents, a big box of fudge from a pupil, & a new water bottle with pompoms in its cavity wall, that move about, from a colleague. 

@beanielou ! Message me if I can help.

Grateful for a good day, surprise presents, simple straightforward sewing jobs 

grandmanerd

Yesterday was a very good day, but so long that by evening, the morning felt far enough away to be a whole different day - my younger niece did ask me "Today is Tuesday isn't it" at one point so not just me.

Got all my stuff together and asked DS3 to help take it downstairs. I hung my dress and jacket by the front door (wasn't risking getting food all down my good dress). Was assembling my drinks, sultanas etc then realised I needed the laptop for my mindfulness session, so hauled myself back upstairs to fetch it. All 8 weekly session links had been sent to junk so transferred them one by one to my inbox. Did 3 and then DS3 took the laptop off me and tried to do something fancy with them and they all disappeared - eek. He shuffled a bit and found them but then I had to open them in turn to find the one for yesterday's session. Logged in and then told him to go (I'd already 'booked' the front room and explained that it was about the confidentiality of the other people taking part).

Went through the ground rules - we were all at home so if someone knocked on the door, go and answer it. Good first exercise with raisins. My phone pinged and I realised it was in my handbag by the door (not the 2 bags I had near me). Phoned pinged again so I went to find it to turn it off but couldn't see it. Shortly after someone knocked on the door - DS2 (he's supposed to come today). Explained I was in a therapy session etc etc (they asked us to have our cameras on but microphones off to prevent a lot of feedback so I wasn't interrupting anyone) then DS3 came down and they went to talk in the kitchen briefly. 

We had a short mid therapy break (won't usually so it's permissible to leave for short breaks as needed). Did a much longer exercise and then did feedback - they ask about what everyone noticed during the exercise and they do the exercise with us. Had time to take a letter to the post box, get more cash out for my brother (a third plumber is coming next week, they're hoping he's better than the first 2), get my bus pass forms and prescription copied at the library and take thee form to the bus station office.

I also called in at the washer man's shop to tell him next door's back wall had fallen down. Good news on that front, someone from the Council had visited (may have been the man I spoke to last week). They are going to visit my neighbour in the care home and see what he wants to do. If he wants to return home they will do the work to make it possible for him to do so - apparently the electrics are dodgy and the plumbing needs sorting. If he's happy in the care home (it is very small and friendly) they will still do the necessary work and new tenants will be found. Very glad as I've tried to do what I can with the greenery but I can't move bricks and although access is a bit better, it still wasn't great.

I had time to eat my sandwich, have a quick wash and put my good clothes (leggings, arch and ankle supports and laced up trainers were all in place) and hobble to the church. Brother, niece and her bf were behind the library having a fag break (brother was driving niece's car and I'd cadged the spare seat for getting to the cemetery and the 'do'). Brother and I went in after everyone else so we could sit away from everyone else (he's still terrified of COVID - 44 cases hospitalised this week up from 20 last week - justifiably because he has COPD, nearly died in May last year and they won't resuscitate him if he fails) and didn't have a long walk to get out again.

Everything went fine, several people came to speak to my brother (members of his ex-wife's family) and even the drunks by the library were polite to us (they were having an altercation amongst themselves). My brother recognised one of them as a former best friend (my brother stopped drinking nearly 30 years ago) and was glad to see that he was still alive. My brother didn't go inside at the 'reception', despite my niece's efforts to persuade him. I did have a little wobble and wondered if I should just let him drop me off at home but I had been invited and it was good socialising practice. 

I did have a drink (it was going to be a double but they only had one and a bit measures in the bottle so I decided to sip very slowly) paid for by niece's bf (I tried to pay for the round). I did have a small bottle of caffeine free coke in my bag which I added later on (thought it might spoil both drinks but they went together quite well). I found a quiet corner to sit down (nieces and bf stayed standing by the bar - I needed a comfy chair). My ex s-i-l came to sit and chat but was called away several times. We're going to recommence work at mum's next week and then in a week or two I'm going to her house for a meal.

Later on when the group thinned out a lot I was gathered up by my nieces and the bf (I love that boy - in a totally age appropriate way) and sat at one end of the family circle. Ex s-i-l brought me home along with my box of food (lots of salad and some tiny slivers of quiche and delicate sandwiches - I turned down the offer of a whole box of sandwiches), flowers (s-i-l had bought them to decorate the table with all the condolence cards and book of memories, she couldn't take them home because lilies are poisonous to cats) and a platypus and a box of chocolates (the latter two were in s-i-l's car).

No-one was awake so I struggled putting the bins out (sorry need to go and take out the bricks from the top of one bin). Two more jobs done - 4 half bricks (for squashing down the bin contents especially when It's pizza boxes and packaging) brought back to the house (2 trips) and the green bin I couldn't put out last night topped up with more green stuff. The point of doing all that chopping back last week was to fill all the green bins before this week's collection.

I did log on here, intending to post but was falling asleep. Just as I was about to turn the laptop off I saw 2 urgent UC (must log in today) notifications. So found the relevant page in my accounts book (was trying to find something else earlier), logged in, signed my commitments and on the 3rd attempt, opened the pdf letter they'd sent. I am not capable of work and will not be expected to look for work and they no longer need me to submit 'fit notes' and I may be getting more money (backdated to 3 months after I first informed them of my health conditions). Yippee (for now) - just need to make the leap to PIP now (non-means tested so anything from the estate would no longer be relevant - still living in terror of not having told them something significant).

If I want to work they will still help me to find work but I think I'll settle for 'semi-retired' status.

Will be back later, going to munch through the remaining salad supplemented by some cheese triangles.

[Deleted User]

Thrifty_Taylor said:

Over 12°C is a warm day in Orkney 😂 our school is right next to the sea, so often get a good sea breeze which cools it down even further! 

This makes me feel like I live in the tropics down here on the mainland. Going to be 16C here apparently! Lots of rain but it’ll be hot rain. 😂

abundant1972

Good Morning 🌻

Feeling proud of myself today as took myself out to my first dance class last night in an effort to broaden my social circle. Was quite nervous but took a deep breath and went in. Was a gay friendly environment so felt very relaxed and everyone was really friendly. The class itself nearly killed me [not sure Pole Dancing is for me but was the only men's class haha] and am covered in bruises today. I have a different class Friday. Am going to try out a few and see which one fits. On the way home on the train - got chatting to a random stranger who also turned out to be gay and in the same profession. What are the odds haha. Anyhow we swapped numbers and hopefully will be someone I can socialise with also. 

Well done on weight loss Beanie. What are you doing - calorie counting? Exercise? WW or Slimming World? Intermittent Fasting... I've been doing 16:8 but realised today I'm not supposed to be having milk in my coffee haha. I prob drink near 100ml per cup as like it milky. Darn... Will have to swap to black coffee or green tea. 

Today I am grateful for:
1) New contacts 
2) For the courage to try something new (even if it nearly killed me haha)
3) My employment for enabling me to do these things

Today should be NSD number 10 

I send love out to all those people struggling with addictions, eating disorders and mental health issues. Having experienced all of these to a lesser or greater degree at some point as a way to cope with just existing - I realise how lucky I am to be able to afford therapy and have access to support that has helped me/is helping me through them. Not everyone is as fortunate ⭐

Happy Wednesday everyone x

firsview

@abundant1972. I do 16:8 and I always have milk in my tea/coffee and it seems to be working. I got stuck in a plateau for a whole year but I have lost half a stone in the last 2 months, so don’t feel you have to restrict yourself too much.

f0xh0les

Cashed out some cashback that cleared much faster than I thought it would, £8ish, and another £7 from p/a, with another £5+ pending.  Laundry vanquished, masses of veg and fruit for lunch, some bits tidied.   I am on a mission now.

apple_muncher

Beanie - congrats to DS on his place at uni.

Today I am grateful for a fun day with kids, for dry weather for my outside duty, for the kids letting me try and play basketball with them(!!), for dc coping so far this week, for birdsong.