Find the SecondStar and soar, and then straight on till the morning…

Afdaff

Cheering you on in your spinning and getting dopamine and satisfaction from alternative sources than scrolling! I spin too and it can be almost therapeutic.

SecondStar

We had a lovely day yesterday, enjoying a quiet potter about the town. Partner bought me some yarn for a new hat for him, and some yarn for a new cardigan for me; a pretty dark blue shrug for the colder days in the office; a length of nice light blue linen fabric; and a men’s merino wool quarter zip for wearing about the house. Oh, and lunch, dessert, and a gluten free cannoli which we stumbled across!

I also found a pair of new Rocket Dog shoes in my size for £10, so grabbed those too. I’ve also mended small rubs on the toes of another pair of shoes, before they started to become holes, so that’s taken me up to 3 ‘new’ pairs of shoes now! My collection is usually 1 pair of boots, 1 pair of trainers, 1 pair of sandals, and 1pair of gardening shoes, so this feels a bit extravagant!

Of course after being out all day, we came home and my new credit card had arrived. Quick scoot back into town, and I’ve ordered and paid for my new mattress - it arrives on Wednesday afternoon, and I’m very excited. I’m going to try it with my standard bedding for a while, before rushing into buying anything else.

The futon is becoming uncomfortable as well, so I’ve heaved it off the sofa bed and will try it on top of my old mattress for the next few nights, to see if that helps a little. I feel like the princess and the pea! My partner and I had fun trying out all the different mattresses in the shop yesterday - all the way up to the £16,000 ones! How or why anyone would pay that much is beyond me. He found my top pick to be the best for him as well, which was good.

My dentist appointment went well, I’m booked in the with hygienist for a clean and polish in October, but there’s no other work that I need done and so the dentist is happy to see me again in a years time. He did point out that I have a very unusually bite though - practically none of my teeth actually meet together when I close my mouth. Not something anyone else has ever pointed out, and something I’ve had my whole life, but he floated the idea of an orthodontist referral if I wanted to discuss the options of braces to remedy it. Not something I’ve ever thought of, and probably not something I’ll explore - very expensive!

peb

So pleased new mattress is enough route.  A good night's sleep is priceless 

SecondStar

New mattress is set to arrive between 12 and 3 this afternoon. I’ve got the old one ready to go, the bed linen is drying outside, the duvet is in the wash, the futon is re-installed in the sofa bed. I’ve been doing some cleaning in between work - hoovering, dishes, cleaned the windows & kitchen - still need to dust and clean the bathroom. I want to get all the fusty energies out of the house, and rid myself of the last of the bad-sleep juju which has been dogging my heels.

I started knitting the back piece for my cardigan. I’ve never made a large garment in a stitch craft before - I began a nalbound jumper last winter, but it’s not finished yet. I’ve always been so intimidated by knitting, because I can only knit and purl, and I can’t read patterns. But a blogger I follow mentioned that she loves to knit, even if she’s not very good, and that all her knitting is just pieces knit flat and then seamed together - why hadn’t I thought of that? You don’t need to be an expert at something in order to do it, or to try it out, or to enjoy doing it. So I’m having a go, and seeing how I get on.

I have this Saturday to myself, as my partner is working. Not sure what I’ll do yet, but it’ll be free or cheap I think.

We have an event next weekend, and then the Tuesday 26th is our 2 year anniversary! The last weekend in August is another break, and then we’ve 3 weekends of back-to-back events.

peb

I'm hoping that the mattress has arrived and is in place 

BalanceBy50

peb said:

I'm hoping that the mattress has arrived and is in place 

So am I and that you have had some great sleep on it x

SecondStar

Mattress is in, and is lovely! I’ve still moved about a lot with the heat the last couple of nights, but the new mattress is blissfully even and lump and bump free all over, so it’s been very comfortable.

I also signed up for a free craft & coffee morning tomorrow, and will take some spinning and nalbinding with me - bit too intimidated to bring my beginner knitting! 

doingitanyway

Glad you prioritised a mattress for yourself and are already reaping the benefits. 

SecondStar

Thank you!

I’ve been thinking that this is the first thing I’ve bought on credit, but on reflection that’s actually not true. It’s the first thing I’ve bought on a *credit card*, but I’ve had several mobile phones which were paid for *on credit*, with interest free payments over several years.

I’m not sure why this feels different, because those phones would’ve cost more money! My current handset is an iPhone 12 mini, which wasn’t the latest model when I got it in 2020, and I paid around £36 / month for 3 years. I had no need or interest in a new phone when it was paid off in 2023, and couldn’t afford it either.

I began taking my money seriously at the start of 2024, and I suppose the idea of debt being Awful and Bad, and if you have any then you are a sheep-person and will lose everything your own, has crept up on me. Despite having had lines of credit on other items, for larger amounts, previously without ever having thought about it - I suppose I always had safety nets for money, previously, and I don’t any more.

It’s the difference between a decision made as an adult, and one made as half a child. 

SecondStar

Had a lovely morning at the craft & coffee meet up. All free, and so nice to chat to other likeminded textile people, everyone was really open and welcoming. It can be nerve wracking doing new things by myself, so I’m glad that I went. It’s on most Saturdays, although my next few weekends are already spoken for, but I’ll definitely be back when I’m free.

I sat and sorted through my half finished nalbinding projects, and sorted them - 10 projects half finished! I’ve told myself I need to finish at least half of them, before picking up anything new.