NST September 2022 Picture yourself on a boat on a canal

hazeldreams

Morning - brief update on yesterday

Gratitude - Grateful for starting sessions with a psychologist and for cover for this through work. Grateful for DD1 having found her way to her new college for an induction day. Grateful my niece has been discharged from hospital.

NSDs/ Pausing before purchasing still on 3/10 NSDs. Really shouldn't be anything to stop today being an NSD.

Yoga/Meditation yoga and meditation done this morning. The timers on my phone to meditate at different points in the day helped a bit again, but I still didn't get any meaningful meditation done. I'm in the office today, so it won't happen at work either.

Eating and drinking just focussing on drinking 2L of water a day - I managed 1.5L again yesterday.

Have a good day all.

Toni'sfriend

Thanks for all those stories about Dave Ramsey. I wish there had been Dave Ramsey, Martin Lewis and Turtles when my marriage broke up 25 years ago leaving me with huge debts and a child to look after without any financial help from his father. It was a hard slog but I worked hard and managed to clear everything. Here I am now . Happy in my little council flat with Himself, retired, enough to pay our bills and have a little over to save for holidays and I am so, so grateful to be in this situation. I used to always use actual cash before the pandemic when it seemed like every shop wanted payment by card. I guess using cash was a legacy of having to physically see just how much money was available. I think I'll start doing that again as far as possible.

So today's plan is to walk out to Lidl to get some last minute things for the holiday box, do the Boy's ironing (not that there's much to do) and get some general chores completed.

I've just been informed that there's another very important football match on tonight. Third night in a row. Oh Joy!!!!

grandmanerd

Thursday 8th September 2022

Planning and Preparation
CELEBRATIONS
(I'm really annoyed by fireworks going off for the last fortnight, the appearance of 'those' chocolates in the shops and the imminent disappearance of my favourite gardening sections to make way for manufactured tat but I'll launch into my annual spiel - bit by bit as I just deleted a long post).

Despite what the advertisers say you do not need a new table, couch, bed, kitchen, special tree or whole house make-over to celebrate Isaac newton's birthday. If you are kind enough to invite people to your house and feed them (for one or more days) that should be enough - it's the people around the table who matter.

Choose a drop leaf or extendable table (when you are buying). Otherwise a large board (on trestles or on top of the ordinary table) an extra small table or garden table (T- shape works well or having a separate children's table - when we went to our grandma's we sat on the floor and used a tray with legs, at home we sat on a bench alongside a coffee table). Chairs don't have to match and can live all over the house the rest of the year (wherever a side table is useful or where there's room - in my case one is by the DW for  un/loading, one at the table for chopping/ food prep and one under the stairs to put a heavy bag on for unloading onto the pantry shelves). Use garden or other chairs and taller stools can boost small children to the correct height.

If you do need a bed or couch a board can suppress unruly springs or support a sagging base, an extra cushion can improve a low couch for older family members (old lady catalogues sell them but I have saved extras from old broken chairs and couches - they also make excellent draft excluders when cut into chunks) - your object of desire may well be half price by Boxing Day. Check out your local charity shops first. Several of ours sell furniture, white goods and small appliances - BHF have furniture/ white goods stores in larger towns and cities and the quality is generally excellent. Our local Age Concern gets Argus returns - if a customer sends an item back because one screw is missing it goes direct to the charity. Small children - student age (anyone who can get down on the floor and back up really) can sleep on couches, pushed together armchairs, air mattresses (or regular ones, our downstairs single bed had two mattresses, the spare went on a cleared floor space when we had visitors), sleeping bags or will happily share a bed (providing it's a novelty not the necessity some of our parents experienced).

I do need a new kitchen but will cope with this one if I need to. When the last kitchen needed replacing we were down to a cooker which reflected light onto the floor where the bottom was broken (I'd always resisted buying a microwave but decided it was safer for the boys than using the cooker when I was working), the stainless steel top was all that remained of the inset sink - it was propped up by drawers on one side (all the kitchen units were gone, I'd done a swap round that used what were left for about 3 years) and a metal trolley frame on the other. We had a break in at the beginning of December (a month after my father's death) and had a table behind the front door as my keys had been stolen. The local diy shop took my order for new locks and doors but then said they couldn't fit them until January - the man actually turned up on C'mas Eve. 

Downstairs was still cold, damp and depressing so we had C'mas upstairs. I cooked the turkey and then put plates of meat and gravy cling filmed on top of the three large terracotta plant pots on the windowsill (potatoes/ veg and salad - it was cold enough not to need a fridge which was also broken) - one plate was enough for one meal for all of us).

Upstairs in the large bedroom (half the size of the house with an extra 6 square metres of landing added when I took down the partition wall) I put a double bed and a single bed along the window wall, tacked lengths of red velvet over the curtains (warmer and very festive). Additional pieces of red velvet and some green fabric were wrapped round assorted cushions and spare duvets (the boys all asked for singles when I wanted them to have doubles - when they accepted that I'd been right, we had spares) tied with wide gold and red ribbons to make huge 'parcel' cushions. The table and microwave came upstairs, The tv went on the middle of the table at the back (nearest the stairs). The two beds and parcel cushions meant we could all sprawl in comfort to watch tv (the PS2s went in the small bedroom). The C'mas tree was a large piece of green baize draped over the top from my new table (the whole lot was finally replaced 9 months later). The C'mas tree shape was outlined in fairy lights, criss crossed with tinsel and baubles added (I think I tied them onto the lights and tinsel). The boys were 17, 15 and 12 at the time. We were all warm, cosy, well fed (turkey dinners and rolling buffet). Lots of candles and fairy lights - I spent boxing day threading fairy lights in and out of the bannister (or baluster) spindles (just looked up the proper name).

More tomorrow - please let me know if you want me to tackle costumes, decorations, food, guests (welcome/ difficult), presents (some suggestions already), cards and wrap, cutting back, times of crisis, helping others first.

Today
We're travelling alongside Crankwood Road to arrive at the westernmost end of town. Lots of farmland (our farms are quite small weenancy - not rolling plains) and birdlife, possibly foxes and deer. From the 9th to the 18th it's  Heritage Week and Open Days. The 2 most local are St Peter's Church (easily accessible form the canal and about half way down this stretch into the town centre) open from 10am until 4pm on Friday and Saturday (9th and 10th) and Tour of Leigh town Hall and Archives, three tours a day on the 10th and the 17th. I'll look what's on in the wider locality and you should check out what's happening local to you (some of the places are not normally open to visitors, there might be a local gem you've passed frequently that might be interesting). remember to take your own lunch although many are run by volunteers so it's acceptable to stock up on reasonably priced lunches and delicious cakes to take home.

Quotes
I've decided we'll leave "How to Live Without Electricity (for the rest of your life) for another time (enough bad news this week)

Expect the best, plan for the worst and prepare to be surprised
Yeah, that covers everything I think - Life..........42

apple_muncher

I had to really think about my purchases today in liddle. I'd blocked my PIN using the card reader and had forgotten when I went shopping. I did have a £20 note, fortunately, so the lovely man on the till put things through and we made as near the 20 as poss. My priority was the foodbank stuff, as I figured they need it more than I need my stuff. And I can always go back another day, as I do have money.

ldee2111

Toni'sfriend said:

Thanks for all those stories about Dave Ramsey. I wish there had been Dave Ramsey, Martin Lewis and Turtles when my marriage broke up 25 years ago leaving me with huge debts and a child to look after without any financial help from his father. It was a hard slog but I worked hard and managed to clear everything. Here I am now . Happy in my little council flat with Himself, retired, enough to pay our bills and have a little over to save for holidays and I am so, so grateful to be in this situation. I used to always use actual cash before the pandemic when it seemed like every shop wanted payment by card. I guess using cash was a legacy of having to physically see just how much money was available. I think I'll start doing that again as far as possible.

So today's plan is to walk out to Lidl to get some last minute things for the holiday box, do the Boy's ironing (not that there's much to do) and get some general chores completed.

I've just been informed that there's another very important football match on tonight. Third night in a row. Oh Joy!!!!

You’re  just like my Mum, @Toni'sfriend. Age 4 me and my Mum in a wee flat. Dad also didn’t pay for years. 

Dad and I on good terms now.

But my mum is my hero. You’re a hero Mum too. x

Toni'sfriend

Aw Thank you, Idee. I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. xx

beanielou

Idee~~
I salute you 

greent

Very late to the party, but I started back at work 31st August and I am shattered as a result - keeping up with reading on my phone, but I don't like doing more than a 2 line post on my phone


SIMPLIFY - I have sold some items this month on fb00k/ flebay and donated items to CS. A few things have been binned and some items given away. Some good progress has been made on this recently and I want to continue with this

ESSENTIALS Savings payments made by sto/ DD at start of the month. I feel that we may need to reduce one due to increased costs - but realise that we are fortunate to be in this position. I have items ready to donate to foodbank and local animal shelter.  .

PLANNING and PREPARATION We all have warm duvets and spare duvets and everyone has blankets in their rooms as well - and there are several blankets in the living room and family room for sofa snuggling. Lots of candles around and we have 2 camping stoves, a gas bbq and camping lights which need charging up and then they run on their batteries (will charge them up this weekend) I will be clearing leaves from the patio- but the ones under the trees (on the lawns) will stay. 

THINK ABOUT EVERY PURCHASE Known purchases this month - car MOT & service (passed MOT - whoop!), a suit for DS2 for school and some more shirts (he favours Pr1mark shirts - so not expensive ) and more school trousers for DS3 - he has outgrown 2 more pairs - grr (and wears different colour trousers to DS1 and DS2 wore - every child has gone to a different secondary school!) Possibly more socks for DS3, too, as he is right on the limit of the size of his current ones,

EAT to nourish your MIND and BODY and support your IMMUNE SYSTEM. - I am eating reasonably well - sweet things generally taste funny and are too sweet - smaller portions than normal, as I'm too tired. Drinking lots of iced water. 

BE KIND I am really trying to be kind to myself first and foremost right now. I am 3 weeks post my final hemo and start radiotherapy in 2 weeks, so am definitely still in recovery!

EXERCISE Nope. Honestly not happening. See above plus rather low iron levels - I need to rest before getting to teh top of a flight of stairs and still have a chesty cough. Being kind to myself includes lots of R & R.  


Today I am thankful for seeing some colleagues, for catch up tv, for a flebay sale, for DS1 prepping dinner.

Thrifty_Taylor

NSD#5

Didn't exercise again today, but this was because I knew I had 2 walks tonight to go on! An up & down day at work, but another day closer to fri-yay. Nice walks this evening, though sad news about the Queen, may she rest in peace.

Grateful for inspiring posts, favourite songs to sing along to on my way to work, walks with friends, the Queen's lengthy reign 👑

hazeldreams

greent said:

Very late to the party, but I started back at work 31st August and I am shattered as a result - keeping up with reading on my phone, but I don't like doing more than a 2 line post on my phone


SIMPLIFY - I have sold some items this month on fb00k/ flebay and donated items to CS. A few things have been binned and some items given away. Some good progress has been made on this recently and I want to continue with this

ESSENTIALS Savings payments made by sto/ DD at start of the month. I feel that we may need to reduce one due to increased costs - but realise that we are fortunate to be in this position. I have items ready to donate to foodbank and local animal shelter.  .

PLANNING and PREPARATION We all have warm duvets and spare duvets and everyone has blankets in their rooms as well - and there are several blankets in the living room and family room for sofa snuggling. Lots of candles around and we have 2 camping stoves, a gas bbq and camping lights which need charging up and then they run on their batteries (will charge them up this weekend) I will be clearing leaves from the patio- but the ones under the trees (on the lawns) will stay. 

THINK ABOUT EVERY PURCHASE Known purchases this month - car MOT & service (passed MOT - whoop!), a suit for DS2 for school and some more shirts (he favours Pr1mark shirts - so not expensive ) and more school trousers for DS3 - he has outgrown 2 more pairs - grr (and wears different colour trousers to DS1 and DS2 wore - every child has gone to a different secondary school!) Possibly more socks for DS3, too, as he is right on the limit of the size of his current ones,

EAT to nourish your MIND and BODY and support your IMMUNE SYSTEM. - I am eating reasonably well - sweet things generally taste funny and are too sweet - smaller portions than normal, as I'm too tired. Drinking lots of iced water. 

BE KIND I am really trying to be kind to myself first and foremost right now. I am 3 weeks post my final hemo and start radiotherapy in 2 weeks, so am definitely still in recovery!

EXERCISE Nope. Honestly not happening. See above plus rather low iron levels - I need to rest before getting to teh top of a flight of stairs and still have a chesty cough. Being kind to myself includes lots of R & R.  


Today I am thankful for seeing some colleagues, for catch up tv, for a flebay sale, for DS1 prepping dinner.

Thank you for this post greent - you're achieving so much whilst managing so much. Inspiring, thank you.