NST September 2023: Turtle Tightwaddery with a sprinkle of Alchemy

f0xh0les

NSD 7 today!  Lots of people, happy people, lovely people, and some I am happy I will never see again - the Yucky people!  Money earned, spends  total  £4 and are on expenses anyway. So I am doing really well .

lcc86

Evening turtles 

Odd day today, was still hosting my parents before they headed home. I intended to get up early and go to the gym but slept in. Not going to beat myself up over it! Took mum to the garden centre and farm shop with the intention of buying a few bits for lunch but she ended up paying.

Then went to my sister's to see her and my nieces. Mum barely said a word to any of them the entire time and had a bit of a face on, really put a bit of a sour note to the last few days and I have no idea why. Felt bad for my sister and nieces as they'd try to interact but pretty much got ignored. Luckily my dad played with them but it's still not normal for a grown adult to ignore their own grandchildren...

Anyway, on that strange note, came home and got everything ready for work tomorrow. I'm still home alone for the rest of the week but duty calls tomorrow and I must return to work!

grandmanerd

Yesterday improved. Rubbish and recycling went out. Washing went into the machine. Set it going and the water gushed out the bottom as fast as it went in at the top. Turned it off. Threw one of the old towels at the puddle (soaked up a lot but later found that some water had got all the way across the kitchen). Someone has unscrewed the filter and not screwed it back up again. I need to find pliers before attempting it (can do it with pliers sometimes, can't do a thing otherwise). Spent a happy hour outside grabbing and cutting weeds (despite the glove I seem to have reacted to some of the weeds - very spotty and sore on the back of my wrist and half way to my elbow (cream helped). The inside of my arm is a patchwork of scratches (brambles), spots (sun or nettles) and a bite or two. Enjoyed the gentle rain falling on me.

This morning the 'chaos' seemed more out of control than ever. I've put aside one frog for the time being - I'm not getting anywhere, I'm not sure it's the right thing to be doing and I don't know how I got landed with it at all. That seems to have helped my MH and the day went smoothly. I folded up all my embroidery fabric and stacked it neatly in a bag. Reunited several smaller pieces with their patterns and put them in a folder. Made piles of library books (5 returned this afternoon, 1 I'm part way through tracing off sheep patterns and one is a 'to be read' that had been filed away in a box). Another pile of books to be donated (not a full bag yet) and some other donations. Watched a good film whilst doing all that.

This afternoon I went to the library (3 new books), donated a bag for life full of food bank donations (would have been more but some of the stock pile have recently gone out of date) and then went across town to donate to the collection of 'back to school' stationery items (I asked last week if it was okay to put my own things in). very slow going round town but better than last week (my feet were too swollen to want to put my shoes on for 2 days). I cut through the market and picked up food for my evening meal. Earlier I had some lucky finds from the fridge - the midnight pixies had left me a Chinese curry and I found a large yoghurt in addition to the expected cheese triangles. The trip to the microwave was a bit squelchy though).

Came home, lay on the couch to eat before coming upstairs. Had a little nap and felt much better but didn't make it downstairs to do more weeding. Some small frogs need to be dealt with tomorrow but I think doing more of what I want to be doing is a more helpful way forward. I'm making slow progress and was very resentful about things I want to do getting further and further away. 

Grateful for a new attitude and a new way forward, things I don't need finding a good home elsewhere and the lovely film.

Thrifty_Taylor

NSD#2 (well gave DH bus money for his hospital appointment, but not counting that)

Did yoga first thing. Couldn't decide if I was feeling s but queasy, but went to work regardless, it eased mid-morning. DH was sent through to A&E again, as he had a temperature. He had a chest scan, but all looked ok, so he was discharged at lunchtime, in just enough time to catch the bus home. Otherwise it would've either been a 5 mile walk with a different bus dropping him partway, or a 5 hour wait.

Had to have a late lunch as we were short staffed, but otherwise work went ok. A colleague gave me a bag of clothes, so I'm just about to have s rummage 😃

Had a nap after school, then altered 2 dresses after tea. Mum phoned to say her at eye appointment at the hospital, which was just to be a consultation, the lady offered to laser her eyes there & then, so the cells on her lenses have been cleared & she can see to read again 😍 Chatted to my brother when he phoned me too.

Grateful for DH being ok & managing to catch the bus all the way home, mum being able to see again, a bag of new to me clothes to look through

ldee2111

Grateful today for convincing myself to go to the gym, for managing 2 slow miles on the treadmill (better than nothing as I’m still not feeling 100% well), and for learning new things online. 

apple_muncher

DrCarrie, either that was for a lot of people, or you all ate a huuuuge amount!

ThriftyT, fab news re ds3's heart. I still giggle when you tell us about pinning people into clothes!

Abundant, there's no naughty chaise longue this month. It's ready as a 'rest and recover' place though.

grandmanerd

Well I'm starting to find things - the cut out woodland animals (for the baby's bedroom). There was a once a month craft drop in last Saturday that I was thinking about going to but couldn't find these and didn't go. There were also some heritage events on locally (think next week is the main event weekend) and the Diggers festival in Wigan. I didn't leave the house (need to make more effort to be sociable). Also found yet another jar with coins in (in a bag I must have used about 3 weeks ago) and my phone (buried at the bottom of my bag - I had looked in there) which ran out of charge at the weekend (heard it do it's 'dying' song). 

Lots to do everywhere I look so need to do some prioritising and find some easy wins. Also need my ankle and lower leg wrapped up really well as I soon run out of steam without being unbalanced (even just standing in one spot I can feel my weight shifting). I think fixing the WM has to be high on the list (then rinsing it with white vinegar and then washing the clothes). I also have a pile of towels that could do with soaking before washing (old ones mainly, that have all been used to mop up various flooding episodes caused by minor malfunctions). I've washed the bathroom towels regularly but these are surplus (emergency towels) and were set on one side.

Grateful for a bit of clarity on what needs doing, a few new strategies mixed in with the old and prioritising my health (get that leg strapped up)

abundant1972

Good afternoon ⛅

Apple  - Abundant now takes up residence on the 'rest and recovery' chaise long with his naughty take away pizza last night!!! I am now a squatter lol. 

Hmmm I know it is bad. I could've bought a supermarket one and saved a load - but I was just in a 'I can't even motivate myself to move' mood yesterday. It was all within my budget and I meal prepped 7 meals for next week... it just means I am not going out or buying something else from my spending money fund. Last take away i promise this month!!!

grandmanerd - what does white vinegar do in your washing machine?!? Love all your little tips and tricks!

I am feeling brighter today, and I wonder if some of it was post-seeing Mum blues on the Sunday. Who knows. I am having another restful day and will try and get out for a walk or to the gym in a bit. Budget is looking ok still and I am pleased I am checking in more this month, and keeping up with my habit building. 

Today I am grateful for:

1) This group and the people who run it every month - thank you 🙏🏻
2) Time out to rest, reflect and recover
3) Rain, cloud cover and a lovely cool breeze blowing into my flat 

I will deduct my NSD from yesterday due to 🍕 so yesterday was number 4 still. 
Today = NSD number 5 

Have a lovely afternoon everyone x

grandmanerd

abundant it cleans it up. I have rubbed the rubber seal to get 'mould' off (it was black) in the past. Washing has been left in there and it smells stale (I think it's on it's way out, a couple of the baffles from inside the drum have come off and lots of little odd things keep happening). Today I put it in the conditioner drawer and sprinkled some over the clothes in the drum - if they still smell when they come out (there's a fairly horrible bath mat in there too) I'll leave them on the line for a while, then decide what to rewash. I believe white vinegar used as conditioner makes your towels fluffy (it will strip off any chemical residue).

I put lots of clothes in drawers - had a bit of a switch round, the long sleeved t'shirts are in the middle of the top drawer. I have one pair each of black, navy and grey gloves (only cheapo ones), so have thrown the single turquoise one (it's been waiting for it's partner to show up since January) - might ask for a decent pair for a present. Brought 2 bags downstairs (rubbish and cans thrown down). Have taken about 6 bags to the bins (rubbish collected tomorrow and have told DS3 there's room for 2 large bin bags or more in there.

Looked like DS3 had tackled the WM (only noticed after I'd been all the way under the stairs to get my pliers) so the washing was set off again (no flooding, yey). I've planted 2 lemon and 2 orange trees (they're only small so have come back inside to live on the window sill until next spring) and the plastic packaging, stray leaves and the cardboard box they came in have all gone into the relevant bins.  Pulled up more weeds and used the crow bar to  prise up roots from the weed trees (exposed by my working away all the soil around them). Used the crow bar to dig out some of the soil in the drain (out in the backs not the household one).

Spent a lot of time filling the DW, soaking and scrubbing any dishes with soaked on grime.  probably have another DW load's worth of pots but my legs have decided to go on strike now. DS3 has taken Beloved to her autism therapy session - I'll probably go back upstairs when they get back. A package of fabric arrived so I have some things to get on with and if I'm not up to much I'll cut out hearts and stars etc for paper crafting projects.And from time to time I phone the chemist to order my repeat prescription (only one item). Have put all the books to be donated in one pile (downstairs) and I'll have another to add very soon. Have finished tracing the sheep patterns so that book can go back to the library tomorrow.

Grateful for easy repairs, making progress (not as much as I'd like but things are moving forward), good books and an escapist serial.

lcc86

Evening turtles 🐢 

Busy day at work today, which is good as it keeps me out of trouble! NSD number 7 I think. My oyster card only seems to have charged me one way today, will check the account tomorrow but possibly a bit of accidental moneysaving. I also got a free coffee using a voucher, so another little win there!