NST NIFTY NOVEMBER

apple_muncher

Beanie, hope you get a positive response.

DrCarrie, I spin washing twice too when it has to dry inside.

Another one near East Croydon station here! Just a shortish bus journey away 👋 I'll wave whenever I go past it now.

Today I am grateful for making progress on some things at work, for unexpected free time to get some admin done, for fun with the reception and nursery kiddies, for a whizzy journey home, for chilling out this evening, for selling a couple of things on gumt, for getting a refund for the travel part of dc's art trip last month as we took them down in the car with us.

Thrifty_Taylor

Hope you & DS feel better soon @thriftylass.

@beanielou & @grandmanerd, today in l1dl they had the bars on offer for 75p. 2 milk & 1 white accidentally fell into my trolley.... Good luck to both of you with your application process.

Very wet & windy here today. Awoke from a very weird dream that a character from Emmerdale ((Cain) don't watch it!) was the donor of DH's kidney & his hospital room was down a corridor at school (looked different to where I work) but I had to direct pupils down another corridor so we didn't pass, to be respectful to his family! Bizarre!! No cheese nibbled before bed either 🤣

Took DH for his blood test, collected mum, had a look round the CS with Xmas stuff in it - bought new candles & boxed toiletries to go with presents I've made. Mad dash round L1DL & Rosco, the yellow snowball making drink was on offer, & now I have to share it, I bought 2 bottles! 🤭 With the tubed crisps on offer too, I bet the cashier thought there's be a right good party at Thrifty Towers! 🤣 Rushed out the road, a friend pulled into the drive just behind us, to take me out for lunch at the hotel round the corner. She treated me, which I wasn't expecting! Had a good catch up. Managed not to nod off when I got home. Washed up after everyone else had tea (I wasn't hungry), then settled down with DH to watch the nurse film on N3tflix. It was good! Did more of my knitting too 

Grateful for bargain presents, yellow snowball drink, seeing a friend & being treated to lunch, time to knit more if my winter challenge & it looking pretty

f0xh0les

I know I have sent secret spy post to @Thrifty_Taylor. maybe we need a secret Turtle ring to identify each other as turtle spies fighting against the evils of consumerism and waste.

I lived in Penge for 9 years, so know Croydon very well, my cousins lived on Sydenham Rd. 

Turtles are EVERYWHERE!

grandmanerd

Saturday 12th November 2022
So who is Santa Claus? This may get a bit confusing as there's a huge variety of charts and infographics with many contradictions and some corrections.

I have always known Father Christmas and consider 'Santa' as American imperialism alongside other abominations (Ko Ka Ko La, Mucky D's and Dismay). The first chart I have suggests that even in the US Father Christmas delivers the presents and the adoption of 'Santa' (corruption of Sinterclaus or St Nicholas) is very recent even there.

SANTA Around the World (by tappedouttravellers.com)
Saint Nicholas was known as the Wonderworker, because of the miracles attributed to him.
Father Christmas The American figure for Santa Claus. A plump man with a long white beard who delivers presents on Christmas Eve
Jultomten Sweden's Father Christmas. Known for his red suit, long beard and appearance similar to a garden gnome.
Ded Moroz translates to "Old Man Frost". In Slavic tradition he brings gifts to children on New Year's Eve
Sinterklaas Traditional red cape, white beard and jolly attitude. Sinterclaas delivers gifts to children on December 5th
Pere Noel (sorry can't do the accents) A well known version of Saint Nicholas from France. Uses his donkey known as Gui to travel and deliver presents.

I know from my embroidery that Father Christmas frequently wears a blue or green outfit and occasionally a brown suit (especially in German depictions but even in Victorian times here). I was intrigued by a map I looked at yesterday (can't find it now) that Father Christmas was the traditional figure in Ireland and parts of the British Isles and Europe. I wondered briefly if my usage came from my Irish ancestry but I'm pretty sure that until recent times Father Christmas was accepted usage here (Great Britain) and 'Santa' is down to Christmas movies (some gems - I love both versions of Miracle on 34th Street - but mostly, tawdry, overly sentimental all the way down to execrable including the one in the Arseda ad). Sorry if you love it but I blame DS2's saturation exposure to Will Farrell - there are one or two I like but mostly don't find them anything like as funny as DS2 does. I was forced to watch with him in the name of bonding. 

I've been enjoying some social media precises of Hall Mark movies recently. I'm having a breakdown. I must leave the city and go to Nowheresville USA, where I promptly take to wearing plaid and meet the man of my dreams (whether I'm male or female), rediscover the meaning of Christmas (subtext pack as many people as possible into the shops to buy as much unnecessary carp as possible). I sat down with mum to watch one that was already a few minutes in. Seeing regimented rows of decorated trees, I assumed it was set in a flower shop with seasonal displays - No this extravaganza of gaudy tinsel and baubles was deemed suitable for a corridor in an office building. You don't have to have an 'elf an safety' obsession to wonder at the total destruction of the corridors purpose (you couldn't see the doors to individual offices, let alone work out how 2 people were to use the corridor when going in opposite directions).

I have a great affection for Saint Nicholas (patron to a wide diversity of people and something of an overachiever). Our church had a St Nicholas chapel which was specially decorated each Christmas (no tinsel in sight). St Nicholas, also known as Nicholas of Bara or Nicholas of Myra, where he was probably a 4th C bishop, known for his commitment to truth and concern for the poor. He was probably persecuted under roman emperor Dioclesion. His alleged remains were stolen by sailors in C6th and moved from Myra to Bari in Italy (therefore he's patron Saint to sailors and repentant thieves). 

The legends of his miracles included providing marriage dowries for 3 young women who would otherwise have been forced into prostitution by poverty (3 bags of gold thrown through their windows) and thereby became patron saint of prostitutes and pawnbrokers - the 3 golden balls symbolise the 3 bags of gold).  Another popular tale is that he brought three children back to life after a butcher chopped them up and packed them in a barrel of brine (children, fishermen, coopers - they make and repair barrels). He is the patron saint of Greece and Russia (this information taken from an Encyclopedia Britannica entry.

Krampus  is the lesser known counterpart to Santa who punishes naughty children. So if you want to say bah humbug to it all and get in touch with your dark side, Krampus is your guy (cue all things Star wars and Jack Skellington).

The advent calendar was invented by a SAHM who was weary of answering the question 'how long is it until Christmas'.

beanielou

Thrifty~~. Do you ever stop 🤔😎🎄

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for cheery people at the gym, for finding bargains at liddle, for pottering on with dc as dh is out all day, for the magic of tv recording devices, for fairy lights, for the people who bought some syl fam bits also buying another item from us, for net door's cat coming over for cuddles with dc, for going out later tonight with dc to their school fashion show (always a hoot!)

BadBookkeeper

Didn’t report back yesterday sorry there wasn’t much to report.  It was an NSD and I had one today so that’s me limping along to 5/15.

Trying to think of things to look for as gifts.  Got a rough idea now so will go to shopping centre on Monday evening. 

Having takeaway tonight and alcohol paid for from DH.  It’s been a busy day emptying our bedroom ready for new carpet.  I then cleaned the house. 

Have a list of food wanted for Christmas week. My parents are coming around at tea time on the day usually do a buffet that no one bothers much so might just do Turkey rolls and chips  

Wow - when I read that back, pickles jumped to mind for I’ve added them to my list too!

Grateful for an empty bedroom and finding ‘treasures’ amongst the junk, mostly photos.  Our team winning the footy this afternoon and a chilled out evening tonight. 

lcc86

@f0xh0les I grew up in Thornton Heath so Penge and those areas are all familiar to me. Moved a bit further out but keep getting drawn back to work in the area for some unknown reason! 

I attended my online training last night and it just was not for me at all. It was for a voluntary thing helping train police, I was meant to go up to London today for the second part but I bowed out and saved myself the train fare.

Took advantage of the sunshine and gave my car a thorough wash and wax. Split it into stages as in the past it's aggravated my back, bit sore now but a bubble bath should help. I prefer doing it myself as a. Saves money and b. I do a better job lol.

I also got a few loads of washing done today, cooked some lunches for next week for me and OH, and bought a few more Christmas gifts (just foodie bits for my parents and had an idea for more books so have ordered those too while the discount is on at amazon). 

No plans for this evening, am on my own while OH is away for a few days with friends so plans are to just chill, possibly watch The Crown, and just enjoy the peace and quiet!

Dfw38

Hello all! Sorry not been here for a few days. Dd2 was poorly again (upset tummy, think caused by anxiety of being @ school). Went for a run today, slightly shorter but had a hill so that was a new challenge! Loads of people out running, I went out later than normal as ds had a rough night. Running pace was the best so far, but I feel a bit daunted about how the heck I am going to do the full run in April.
Had a nsd on Thursday and one today so think I am at 4 or 5. Had a look through the outgoings to come up with new budget and there is less money than I thought, food shopping has been a major hit to the available money. Will tighten belt for the next couple of weeks. Tempted to do a no spend challenge to try and pay down the debt. 
Grateful for a new niece, she arrived all healthy and looks very squishy! A potter in the garden - been researching ideas as the whole garden needs an overhaul and think I have found the style that will suit us. A good run, dh gave me a pep talk last night (not like him at all!) And it gave me a spring in my step today.

DrCarrie

Evening Turtle gang. 

Had a very lazy and NSD (#6). 

Grafeul for blue skies and sunshine, bingeing the Crown, and hot water bottle.