December 2022: The Turtles do the Cha Cha Cha

Thrifty_Taylor

Keeping everything crossed for you @ldee2111.

NSD#1, & we're off! Must try to get more than 12 this month.
Got up early, did my exercises (that's 2 months of yoga now & 1 month of sit ups😃) put the bins out & washed my hair 3 times (had tried a homemade treatment, but left my hair very oily).
Work was a bit meh, so glad when it was over. Our afternoon activity group were weeding the raised beds in the rain! Phoned mum when I got home & had a good chat.
After tea, I finished a long sewing job & had a soak in the bath.

Grateful for a clutch of male pheasants crossing the road on my way to work, wearing the first of my Christmas jumpers, comedians (Mr Kay) & funny videos of people falling over

DrCarrie

Welcome back abundant!

apple_muncher

Get some sleep, DrCarrie!

Shrewbie

Morning turtles! Sorry, I meant to post yesterday.

Went for some festive drinks with some of the people from work who I do circuits classes with, so was not an NSD. However I only had two drinks and total with food came to 10 euros so I really can't complain! I am grateful for good conversation, although it was hard to hear people in the noisy bar, for it being December and for an easy work day. 

Here's my plan for Dec:

I want a December where I stick to my routine. I want to continue exercising, meditating and looking after myself because I have realised that this is the non-negotiable base line that I need to keep me sane, and I hate that it usually goes out of the window in the festive season. I want to enjoy a bit of food and drink with my family, read a lot and go on some long dog walks in nature. I have energy to spend with the right people and I won’t feel guilty for saying no if I need to.

cut yourself free form those things/situations/people pulling on those ropes that take you away form your heart.

Usually when I return to the UK for xmas it is quite a stress trying to fit in time to see everyone I’d like to. I will not allow myself to stress about it this year

Accept that you are who you are.

I read something yesterday along these lines, that when we try to fit in with others, we sometimes compromise our true selves in the process. If we can be true to who we really are we can find more meaningful connections. I have been so guilty of this is the past and have often relied on alcohol as a crutch, so I will remember this.

Chase your dreams:

Eventually I want a little country cottage somewhere near Madrid or even further afield in Spain. I want animals, I want to be surrounded by books. I want a little piece of land to grow veggies on. I am saving towards this and I will write some specific goals to get me closer to it. A payrise would get me there faster so I’ll look into what I need to do to increase my value at work.

Challenge yourself

I will stop the habit of hesitating and underestimating myself and I will push through the fear of the upcoming various christmas work dos. I will face the fear and do it anyway. I will remember that I do enjoy the company of others, and don’t have to drink huge amounts just to get through the latest social interaction. I will write my gratitudes. I will make a list of times I will eat out over December and budget for this.

Charity and charity shops. I will make a donation. Also looking forward to getting stuck into the charity shops at home!! I’d also like to do some random acts of kindness in Decmeber.

Chart every single spend and win. Will do. I have been journalling pretty much every day recently so will aim to keep this going in December.

It’s a tough month for MSeing and we will need each other more than ever, so thank you so much apple for the challenge!!

I’ll aim for 15 NSDs, pay to debt and savings first.

I want to keep in touch with people.  Instead of Christmas cards I’d like to write some long letters. I keep meaning to buy some nice writing paper for this.

DrCarrie

Go buy the writing paper Shrewbie!

Apple, sleep is defeo not good right now. It's about work, and I am in a quandary. 

thriftylass

Good morning,

weekly shop later tonight, so not a no spend day. T6day  will also have a closer look at the December challenge as I only skim read so far.

I wrote down my energy usage for the last two years and what we spend. Scary reading.

Example: Compared to last November our gas usage was  25% less this year and leccy 10% but the accurate bill for Nov this year was 65% more (£238 instead of £145).

Anywho, trying really hard to have an AF weekend, DH might be away which makes that a lot easier 

Have a good day

EDIT: Cha cha cha

Heart. - I need to take this more seriously; my lifestyle is draining and takes me away from the things I love doing and the people I love. Happiness is important, joy (but not the short-lived version I go for nowadays) and being present.

Accept that you are who you are. - Funnily enough that’s what I like about getting older the most. Being comfortable in being myself more than ever and not giving a F*** what people think, lol. Need to embrace that more. While finding the balance in not to be an embarrassing mum to my kids, it's hilarious.

 

Chase your dreams:. – Started doing that. Did sth like that last year and then it fell wayward. But got new notebooks ready and will do this over the holidays. I began taking notes here and there.

Challenge yourself to drop one bad habit in December.– I will get back to writing gratitude, one being that I’m still relatively healthy, but our lifestyle has started to taking it’s toll. I would love to have a sober Christmas and truly enjoy it.

Charity and charity shops. - I have donated to a few charity buckets already and will continue to do so this month.

Chart every single spend. – Will do.

 As for the rules,

I will aim for 15 NSDs, 25 AF days if not more. Debt is paid. Keeping in touch with people will be hard as the older I get the less I want to do it. This thread is fine as it feels more like keeping a diary, but after a day in work with people plus a morning and night with DH and kids I’m peopled-out. Don’t want to burn bridges so will try. I used to looooove reading, that is definitely sth I would like to get back to.

 “Don’t give up. Not ever. Not for one single day.” -  my mantra for this month, thank you

grandmanerd

Made the trek to Wrightington this morning. Did okay with buses and very little traffic, decided not to stop at a cafe until I'd checked the buses. Our bus came in at stand C and the buses I needed were at stand U so I went in the newsagents half way down. They had my puzzle book so I saved wandering across the town centre to the other newsagent. Found something new to me Hob nob flapjacks (decided they sounded very breakfasty so bought some). Had time to eat before the bus arrived but didn't risk drinking until I'd reached the hospital.

Walked to outpatients, short queue for reception, sent to waiting room, recalled and sent to x-ray, then queue again to tell receptionist I was back, then sent to sit outside the consultant's room (there were about 15 doctors and half a dozen HCAs and 4 nurses shuttling up and down pointing people in the right direction.

Anyway I don't need a new hip. The knee pain - there's some damage to the back of my kneecap but my bones are okay. The hip pain, the x-ray was fine, he thinks it's soft tissue damage so I will  be sent an ultrasound appointment and they may be able to do a cortisone injection at the same time. Once they've established which bits are damaged they can work out what to do next. I'm pleased about this, it sounds like I may be able to do physio or something to help - was praised again for doing what I can and retaining a good range of movement. Spent £8 in the 'friends' shop but gave them £10 and put my bag of small coins into the white ribbon collection box - highlighting awareness of elderly people's issues (eldercare abuse, self-neglect, building safe communities). Another panel on lbgtq/ diversity  issues - on my way into the hospital I was delighted to see they had a rainbow coloured zebra crossing, so pretty, made me smile.

Caught the same bus on the way back so had the full tour. There are two buses which follow the same circular route but in opposing directions. A few hairy moments on an estate that really wasn't meant for buses (a delivery van trying to race around and two car drivers thinking they could squeeze past unnoticed) but some spectacular views of Rivington and loads of autumn colour (and a steaming dung pile in the middle of a field to give that authentic country touch). Also saw swans swimming on a lake (I've been in the country you know).

Route has changed slightly since last time I went. I wondered how I'd missed Haigh Hall and R.A.E. Infirmary but we came in on the parallel road (other side of a massive park). The market was surrounded by boards and notices everywhere saying they are still open and will be so until they move into new premises. The boards continued round the corner and all down that street so I decided there wasn't much point going outside the bus station. had another drink and a snack and then boarded my bus (2 pushchairs were already on board so was a bit undecided). However the bus had a luggage rack so I folded the walker and put it in. We even managed to accommodate a third pushchair later. the babies were all very entertaining.

Stayed on until the bus station. The man at the mobility shop told me one of the market traders sold radar keys (the same place I got my drain cover) so I walked through the mall to the market entrance. Unfortunately the stall I wanted is closed today and tomorrow. However I did get my face threaded - one woman just beat me to the chairs but I've tried a few times so decided to wait. Good job because the chairs were filling as they came vacant. I bought a pack of Christmas cards because I don't think I'm going to get away with 10. Charity ones with a highland cow on the front (I do love them).

I came home very weary. Sat down to eat then took my good clothes off, back into my scruffs and outside. I've moved more bricks, scraped more mortar/ plaster/  muck to one side, moved all the bins but very slowly. DS3 did another chunk or two of wall, complaining that it was too cold to hold the iron brick chisel. I came upstairs (with food - I couldn't eat my grains or bean salad because I couldn't find the bamboo fork I knew I'd packed). I had no intention of going back downstairs but realised one of the presents is down there - may leave it until tomorrow. DS2 had suggested a venue for tomorrow's meal but I asked was there not a match on (thinking of d-o-l trying to feed baby surrounded by 20 hairy football fans). First match mentioned is next Wednesday but the children's rugby matches will all be on, DS2 thinks we'll try elsewhere.

Grateful for Swans, not needing an op (it's the 3 three months recuperation and the subsequent 3 years until everything is more or less working properly), trees and Rivington. 

apple_muncher

December has the clarity, the simplicity, and the silence you need for the best FRESH START of your life.

-Vivian Swift

beanielou

Good news on not needing a new hip @grandmanerd, & your good range of movement 

Shrewbie

Good news grandmanerd!
No nsd for me today as we did a top up shop. Gym at lunchtime. Ate fairly well, meditation and morning pages done.  It was an unexpectedly busy day of work today  after a quiet first part of the week…. probably due to people trying to get things finished before the 2 bank holidays next week. in Spain they are always on the exact dates. Next week they fall on Tues and Thurs so people take the middle days off to form a “bridge”. I’ll probably be busy on Monday then!

Grateful for it being Friday, a nice chat with colleague, looking forward to a woodland stroll tomorrow and lots of nice food.