NST NIFTY NOVEMBER

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for a lazy morning, for dc passing the next bouldering level, for dh making tea, for my book, for good coffee.

Dfw38

Hello everyone! Apologies I haven't posted on here for a while, been one thing after another the past couple of weeks. It felt like some sort of mental endurance test i could never pass to be honest.
My last post I was looking forward to a rare take away, later that night I was very poorly, looks like it was food poisoning    I have not been running in over a week because I have shin splints. 2x dc have awful heavy colds and I have managed to catch it too(no surprise there!) And my sciatica has flared up. Aaaaaargggghhhhhh!!!!!!
Managed to catch up with the pages I have missed and big hugs to everyone who needs them, hope you are recovering from your accident esmeralda and well done Dr Carrie! You should be really proud of yourself for becoming debt free!
Cannot believe we are nearly through November, you have done a fantastic job @grandmanerd at keeping everyone informed and inspired, thank you very much.
I have 1 present to buy for Christmas and I aim to get that tomorrow and then I am done, thank goodness. Not been as enjoyable this year doing the shopping, I don't know if it is the constant news in general putting a dampener on the mood or if it is because I have had my lbm but feel like every pound needs to do the job of ten is not a challenge I want to repeat. 

I am grateful for having a sense of humour (one of the few things keeping me going through the mishaps), my 3dc (the other thing keeping me going too), getting shin splints (and realising it) early enough that it shouldn't affect my training, a warm bath, a clear health check last week at the doctors, a compliment from a school mum who said I Iooked like I had lost weight (no idea if true, my trousers are elasticated!)
Hope you are all well and like Churchill said "if you are going through hell, keep going" 

Thrifty_Taylor

Big hugs @Dfw38. Hope you all feel better soon.

NSD#11
Exercises done before breakfast. Went a walk on a different route with DH this morning, haven't been that way for a while, so was nice. Put my headphones on when we got home & listened to the radio, whilst I pottered outside. Folded up a big plastic sheet (that was over a coal delivery a few months back) & put it away, coiled up all the hosepipes - one was very long, so very heavy & hard to untangle, put bits of tarpaulin away, then snipped & cut more branches for the compost heap & next year's fires. It all looks a lot tidier now 😃

Caught up on lots of emails, started a new book whilst eating my dinner. NDN came round, he'd been clearing out his cupboards & found a 3kg bag of icing sugar & thought we might use it. Did the ironing, then sewed 2 chickens together for a pop up shop in a couple of weeks. Chatted with my brother on the phone, then had a long soak in the bath with my book.

Grateful for DS1 sleeping better last night after offloading things he'd been dealing with, a nice walk, a tidier garden, a sense of achievement

grandmanerd

'I want a grown up version of the elf on the shelf, where the elf does all your cleaning and housework in the night.'

Quite a busy day. I have bags and piles of stuff - rubbish, paper recycling, cans and bottles recycling, books to donate, books for the baby, food for the food bank, other items for the food bank, presents to be wrapped, cs donations, took more hangers downstairs and have clean clothes dying everywhere (ran out of over door hangers and have hung things on the wall cupboard handles). All food from stores (found a bag yesterday of things that should have been put in the freezer - so food for today and one meal for tomorrow). Went to get cash from the machine (for my brother and/or my builder) then carried on to the pound emporium to hand over the 4 dead batteries I'd found. Did a tiny bit of wall dismantling whilst microwaving my meal.

At 4 pm I slumped, so put my mask on and read/ dozed. Woke briefly then slept again. Just had a message from DS2 asking about doing a Christmas lunch and gift exchange next Saturday which I've accepted. I can use the time between Saturday and the 24th (when I go to DS1's) to live and eat frugally, rest and relax. I asked if DS2 could bring home some of the stuff from mum's shed.

Have counted the money in my drawer and asked DS3 about his cash box. He said he doesn't think he'll do any more conventions (Beloved was too ill to go with him so he spent 2 days alternately sitting and standing with no opportunity to walk round and ease his back pain and didn't even cover the table costs). So I've salvaged the cash (£6 to go into my taxi fund, over £4 to go in the bottom of my bag to put in collection boxes and £6 undecided - 20 p coins so would help with odd amount taxi fares or go in charity boxes if I run out of smaller stuff). Might go round tomorrow and deliberately put money in boxes in cs - feel guilty about not finding any suitable clothes in them (limited choice due to my size).

I will have a pair of leggings to donate once they're dry. I put a brand new pair of leggings on on Saturday. Some of my elasticated waist stuff is getting snug and I think I bought the next size up (none in the shop and these were the only leggings online). Spent a lot of time pulling them back into place on Saturday - DS1 said I could have at least worn clothes that fit. Discarded my boots and the leggings in the kitchen before I came upstairs. Yesterday I checked whether they were 20 or 22 - they were 24-26, no wonder I struggled.

Grateful for invitations (is there no end to the woman's gadding about) to getting things done (just baby steps) and sleep.

grandmanerd

The Week Ahead
WALL needs to come down. Think the sticking point is the 3 top layers, which I repaired about 25 years ago.  May need to use the brick chisel to get them off and then hopefully the rest will be easy (I think some would come out now if plucked or shoved but it would be difficult to predict which way any loose bricks would fall. Some garden work associated with this (I dislodged the final post and the twining ivy yesterday) soil needs to be moved (mostly into tree tubs) and space cleared to 'hide' the bricks - they're going to be 'laid' in a herringbone pattern covering the area that used to have a raised bed and currently has one of the tiered layers of pots (quite a lot already emptied). The pattern doesn't need perfection as it won't be visible (pots on top) but not having a skip is saving me £250.
Tuesday BINS OUT here and at mum's. We're on the countdown to completion and any rubbish needs to go out. There are things in the shed which need to come back here. Two trees and decorations to go to the cs, garden tidying if I have the time and energy (green bin will be collected this week and on the 14th but missed out over the holiday period). Would like to go to Art Therapy if possible.
Need bus timetables for Friday. Appointment is at 10.30 am. It's roughly 2 hours travelling each way, if the buses link up so out by 8.30 am. Not sure how bad the morning rush hour(s) are (nearly 30 years since I was doing CIMA there.  less since I did voluntary work) but I may need to leave earlier. Already decided I am going to pick up additional food supplies on the way - if I go out about 7.30am (that's maybe 5.30 am getting up) I'll have breakfast at one of several little cafes I know. I need at least 4 litres of drinks for the day, so will take some cans, put any empties in the bus station bins and then replenish (got told off for the heavy ruck sack last time, when I'd packed supplies for the day). If they decide I need an op soon, they'll do all the pre-op stuff then and there (been told to allow 4 hours because of this).
Thursday library books are due back (probably take the finished ones back Tuesday and renew online) and a new puzzle book is out. Need to check the date my local shop closes (could possibly get it in Wigan on the way back from the hospital).
FRIDAY WRIGHTINGTON 
Saturday Christmas lunch and gift exchange with the golden couple and precious baby. Presents need to be rounded up and wrapped. Need to discuss mum photos (DS2 wanted to look through them again - I'm at the point where I want to split the 'historical' stuff between him and my younger niece - future family archivist - but I also want to write stuff up (and sort out the rubbish family history stuff done on both of my mum's parents families) and possibly squeeze in bringing some stuff back from mum's shed.
Sunday All Souls Service at the church near me

Add Ons Would be good to get hair cut and threading done or appointments made (near to bus station so can make preliminary checks). Need to continue plodding through the clean and tidy up, bring the ACCOUNTS up to date, finish the kitchen basic clean (aka find the worktops). Possible meeting with niece and brother, but would prefer next week or later. Christmas cards would normally be ready for posting out and still have two letters I've been trying to write since summer (plus all the ones for people I thought I'd dealt with but they're insisting on keeping in touch).

Future lists (some started eg things to be done before house completion including finding and labelling all keys). Need to carry a small notebook with me at all times (just had a pop up on finding my Patron God and Goddess in Wicca - think someone's trying to tell me I need all the help I can get) and jot down anything that occurs to me (sorting into urgent, soon, this year, next year, sometime -memories, family stories before I forget). Earlier I held the door frame differently and found new bits that need cleaning. 

In addition there are things that would be good to get done - just trying to make bits of my space more liveable (atm they'd send me into a 'home' for my op aftercare - my house is untenable in it's current state) but given that I've recently been doing only one 'outing -ie going further than the bins per week, we'll have to see how it goes. Just get through the week without collapsing. Starting with today - breathing, finish eating, have a shower when I'm ready then one step at a time.

Have a good day turtles and a good end to your month (no more accidents, health scares or working yourself to a standstill - will crack this slow living thing if it kills me).

Grateful for sleep, sleep and more sleep, my bed. music, candles (ready for those last 2 now), feeling 'less poorly', the turtle gang, all the supportive threads on here, being able to see some of the floor, getting things out of the door. Knowing I can do most of it, in time and I have money to do some things if necessary (will keep looking for the two bits of paper but not stress about it, will pay for the stupid insurance policy instead - with my dad's house it was in case anyone came asking about ground rent even though it hadn't been collected in >20 years and was less than £4 a year, and they're only allowed to ask for so  many years retrospectively), it's just a small fee in connection with selling the bungalow.

Whatever else collapses, it's not going to be me.

grandmanerd

Monday 28th November 2022
Thanks to everyone who's joined in this month's challenge (and to those who read along). Many of you have had a challenging month (or even all year) so feel free to join me on the chaise longue for music, alcohol free wine, candles and hot chocolate. Many many hugs for you all and thank you for your participation, especially those who've helped carry the thread especially apple (information and guidance), beanie (support, always) and f0xh0les (comic relief, knowing where to score jabs and exposing the dark underbelly of retail) but I'm truly grateful to each and everyone of you. We make the thread together given my somewhat haphazard style (think I'm at Oscar Wilde's 'in the gutter but looking at the stars' stage now). 

To those who are struggling, bewildered or just feeling hopeless, I say hang on in there, even if you're doggy paddling frantically, hanging on by your fingertips or drowning and going under. This too will pass. Share if it helps (we'll always be supportive and may have practical advice), feel free to keep quiet if you don't want to share (just remember we're still there and will sit quietly beside you) or just say how you feel (sometimes we don't know why we feel something or feel that something is wrong but can't pin it down - 3 brains, your brain, your heart, your gut).

Massive congratulations to Dr Carrie on becoming debt free      (party round at hers - she has brandy).  to those who achieved all their targets. Those who just missed their targets, well done and if everything went to pot, you're still here and can try again next month. Just do your best, no-one can ask more of you (although many employers do and don't mention what's expected of voluntary workers). 

apple has laid out an excellent plan for December, just make time for yourself amongst the hustle and bustle (and if losing your temper is needed, I've always found it better to 'explode' whilst you still have some measure of control and make your needs/ demands clear rather than sobbing incoherently through and getting patronised (although the time DS2 disappeared and then came back to say he'd run me 'a nice bath' is a fond memory - he was still calling me mummy so perhaps 8 yo). 

ditty1234

Hi just lingering around the edge here, thanks for an other month in good company. Excited I just managed to pay my house insurance for the year bringing it down from £18-11 on an average monthly bases. Trying to get away from hand in mouth mode. Called insurance company and got an extra £30 off! 
What else - am spending a lot of time fretting over work I am not getting done, so will do that now and give an update later - 7 pieces of student work I need to mark, and planning for tomorrow and Thursday. 
And a bit of cover from 1-4, a food shop - will do click and collect and walk dog - that is what I still need to do today. Not mentioning washing all bedding from my bed - have already vacuumed bed. So many little things on top of the big things. I have made a cleaning spread sheet, so will be able to track progress. Boom.
Have a bright and clear week all. 

thriftylass

Good morning,

Sorry I have been absent. Went to visit FIL and just general busy-ness. My 30 challenge slipped and the christmas deco hasn't been done yet either.

Some good news on the energy supplier front though. After days of trying to email them about how ridiculous it is to increase my DD when I'm over half a grand in credit, and trying to phone them, in both cases just getting automated replies I finally got through to a person. Bless him, he was very patient and helpful (he's only been with bulb a couple of months) and although he couldn't reduce my DD he issued a hefty refund after the app kept telling me I don't have enough funds, lol

Hopefully back on track from today and will catch up on posts over lunch.

DrCarrie

Thank you muchly one and all for the congratulations. 

apple_muncher

Today I am very grateful for dc going to school for the whole day, for my liddle shop, for having a plan to the end of the year, for channelling my inner f0xh0les and making oatcakes and choc chip shortbread while the baked potatoes finished off in the oven, for dc helping me with the biscuits (pretty sure that they plan to claim them all!), for the mist rising from the fields this morning.