NST October 2023 A New Start

lcc86

@Thrifty_Taylor hope you start to feel better soon,take care of yourself. 

NSD today, woke up early and decided to get up so that my early start tomorrow isn't quite so bad. Did loads of small jobs, cleaning, hoovering, general life admin in preparation for holiday. Gave the rabbits a thorough check over, no concerns! Did some final aquarium maintenance, another load of washing and then took myself off to the gym. Showered there and then walked home. Lasagne done for tea and now getting ready for an early night.

Will be bowing out here but I hope everyone has a good rest of the month and I'll check in at the start of November!

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for an early morning liddle shop, for finishing 10 more bunnies/cats/penguins, for good coffee, for my honeysuckle still flowering, for a good f+v box: 35 nanas, anyone? At least they're not all ripe yet...

grandmanerd

f0xh0les if they're earning money they pay rent  (yours had summer holiday jobs didn't they?). If they don't  get much,  it can be a token amount. If they are getting student grants and living at home they pay rent.  If they're at sixth form college and get an 'allowance' (can't  remember what it used to be called) they should pay their own bus fares and lunches (or part thereof). When they had paper rounds they kept their money but if they wanted to  spend some on clothes,  I would pay half.

I actually threw DS1 out when he was 17 but I knew he'd be fine and would survive. I was working multiple jobs and he was spending the summer walking to Games Workshop in Bolton every day (8 miles each way) and then throwing his weight about with the other two when he came back. I'd  asked him  to get a job,  just for the summer.  He spent the summer in Bolton sharing with a friend and his older brother (the parents had gone away somewhere and left them in the house) but just before term started, he was back on the doorstep.

So to the present situation. We  came back here on November the 5th, 9 years ago. I went into  hospital for my hip operation on the 13th followed by a recuperation period of 8 weeks. I think Beloved and the chinchillas have been with us for 6 years now and I gave them the large bedroom (otherwise their possessions would be everywhere). We all have mental health problems and I'm increasingly physically incapacitated - in a way I didn't mind them being messy as when I was struggling no-one was going to nag about the things that weren't getting done. I think the pandemic made them reclusive - DS3 will go to the nearer shops and go out to collect their  prescriptions but Beloved mostly lives in her room and DS3  accompanies her to all  her appointments.

At the moment , I will be buying a house and they will  either continue to  pay me rent or buy it from me over time.My first thought was to buy the house next door - it's been empty for over two years and there's a lot wrong with it., so it should be cheap. We  would all have our own space, but they would be there if I needed help (DS3  is very good at picking me up  off the floor). they don't  like being outside the house (DS3 does the bins once a week after dark) so i could have expanded my garden over both properties.

However Beloved wants to move back to her home town of Keighley (in Yorkshire). So we've been looking (with varying degrees  of enthusiasm) for the past 2 years for property at the lower end of the market. I can't go forward  with my new kitchen or any other adaptations to  make my life easier until they've gone. I've also repeatedly tried to  get them saving/ suggested changing one of the household bills  into each of their names Good for their credit rating and less for them to fritter away).

I missed out on a house last week (I just need them gone now) and was ready to make an offer on one the agent sent details of when I contacted them - then DS3  said he wanted to put everything on hold because he's worried about the delay in uploading his latest game (80% of his income comes via this company). He didn't seem keen to move anytime soon. 

So options (especially if they don't need to use my money.

I could wait for the valuation of grandma's house and buy my brother's half, then move them in, they can pay me  rent and take responsibility for those household bills (I hate paying bills on two houses especially as I'll be losing my half of mum;s lodger's rent).  I would also have enough money and space to start my kitchen. They can move to  Keighley at a later date.
 
I'm  half hoping to buy next door (although even the council don't know who  owns it) and turn the upstairs of each house into self contained flats and have most of the ground floor  and garden for myself . Okay lots of problems and I don't know if I'm well enough to oversee the alterations.  It also means they would have to  sort their own problems out?

I'm not keen on putting up all the money for their house purchase so I'm looking at BS accounts where my savings would guarantee their mortgage.  DS3's house buying ISA matures in March and I'm hoping  my ex's estate  is sorted by then. DS2  finally got someone to go  and look at the cameras - there were lots more cameras  than the man was expecting.I know when we went to the flat the day after the funeral there were at least 7 metal suitcases (holding 6 - 10 cameras each?) and lots still  to pack. Some may only be camera club £5 ones but I remember him talking about one that was worth £9,000 if sold to  someone in Russia. I'm hoping DS3's share will  give him enough for  1/3 of the house price which hopefully makes a mortgage an easier prospect.

So everything is up  in the air atm - DS1  was interested in seeing if he could get a buy to let mortgage to buy my brother's  half of grandma's  house. It's something I've thought about too - but things moved very fast once I'd mentioned the idea to  mum's lodger.

If they aren't moving over the Pennines any time soon, it also puts the houses with 'tenants in situ'  back on the table which gives us more options (I was considering these earlier in the year - I'd be getting rent and could move them across when the tenant's  lease expired - but as time has passed the need for my own space and a safe environment has become paramount.

Bet you're  wishing you hadn't  asked f0xh0les.

Today I've been very wobbly , so stayed in my room.  I have a small rubbish bag (the bin looks full so I'm using small bags to fill  in the gaps), a bag of cans and bottles, a bag with deliquescing vegetables and a very full paper bag (but that bin is very full so nowhere for it to go yet).

I washed my hair in the shower and made  a go  of cutting it (back to the pandemic cut of chopping off anything longer than a finger width). It probably needs more tidying but lots of more than an inch bits have been cut off and I feel  a lot lighter..  I worked my way across the width of the bed and then down towards the bottom. I opened a new trolley pack but just used the 3 deep trays for sorting - one has current embroidery projects,  one has paper projects and the third has things that will be done after the current projects are completed (or things that need to be done and filed away (cutting out especially when lots of bits are needed before assembling eg leaves for a wreath (also uses up  small  leftovers of felt or paper). 

Some online shopping has been done - I needed drinks and a few bits and no way could I get to the shops so I rounded everything up - rocket to  jazz up the egg mayo, some ready meals, the drinks, the big toilet roll order, multi pack glue sticks and a stapler (I have six boxes of staples but cannot find the stapler and all the stationery/ craft stuff has been gone  through) and put the orders in. part came this evening, everything else will  get here tomorrow.

Grateful  for a mostly clear bed (could move the rest but not sure if I'm moving the chest of drawers out so it can wait until  morning), a plan of action (clear and clean the mattress,  leave it for a couple of days to get rid of any stubborn bits, cover it with a tarpaulin and sleep sandwiched between two  layers of merino wool. use the bed to  continue sorting before uncovering  the mattress,  checking it completely dry, then putting on the new mattress protector and making up  the bed with winter layers (merino wool). other plans will be worked through as I find the bits I need (and I am armed with glue sticks and a stapler.)

Thrifty_Taylor

Thanks for the well wishes @beanielou, @grandmanerd & @lcc86😘

I've had a lovely day today 😃 The sky is blue, the sun is shining & a light breeze.

Did a JW workout, then walked 4 miles with DH, followed by 100 skips. Finished another book whilst eating my dinner.

Swept all the leaves off our long driveway, balanced precariously on a partially broken fence & lopped off a couple of branches from the tree, that had broken in the wind. Couldn't reach the other 2! Went & cleared/tidied lots of the greenhouse, then did 100 more skips to make up for the ones I missed on Friday.

Played on my phone until teatime, then afterwards I unpicked a long zip & put a new one in. Looked through my sewing jobs still to do & managed to fit a zip pull back on a zip, so just need to sew the end back in place & replace the zip in another bag, which means less work 😊 found paperwork out for DS3's new bank account & a gift voucher for a meal at a hotel, ready for a trip to town tomorrow.

Grateful for you lot, a sunny day, a nice walk, a tidy greenhouse & a sense of achievement, plus DS1 making lists of things he'd like to do when he comes home, so his work/life balance is the right way round

abundant1972

Good evening 🌓

Late check-in today and totally forgot yesterday! Weekend went by in a blur - and on the theme of rest & relaxation, I took a weekend off from the parents. Had a really slow day yesterday - but eventually got changed and went out for a little walk to the shops just to get me out and cheer myself up. Today, I did some food prep for the freezer for those days when I can't be bothered cooking. A friend I haven't seen in awhile popped over which was nice and had something to eat. Had a nice bath and indulged in some pampering with coconut body oil. 

Today I am grateful for:

1) My Joe Wicks recipe books!
2) Being able to have the luxury of a bath with hot water and nice toiletries
3) My coffee machine (now descaled!)

Yesterday was a spend day
Today = NSD number 9

Catch you tomorrow everyone x

ldee2111

Forgot to post yesterday…

I’m completely out of my routine as a result of no routine while on holibags. Today I started a new morning routine of getting up at 6.15, putting on a washing, emptying the dishwasher, preparing porridge, making a cup of tea and returning to bed for some phone faffing.

First day back at work is never fun but I did get lots done… lots of things requested while I was away. Colleagues in my team picked up some of the work too which I’m very grateful for. 

Popped over to catch up with Mum at lunchtime. Her heating hasn’t been working for 2 days. The house is 11c! BGas didn’t show up yesterday and will apparently be out today. Anyway, we both sat with our coats and throws on and had a quick catch up. On my way home I bought some orange juice (bye NSD).

Grateful today for having a productive morning, catching up with Mum, helpful colleagues, and getting my flu/covid jab. 

grandmanerd

A question was asked in a seminar
"Why don't discuss their problems and frustrations with management?"
The best answer came from a really frustrated employee
"You don't discuss your malaria problems with the mosquito"

Toni'sfriend

You've got lots of options there, Grandmanerd, but they are very much dependent on DS3 and Beloved getting their act together. I know they have problems but it's worrying that you can't make alterations to make your home safer/ more comfortable/easier for you to live in because of their mess. I worry about what would happen if you had a fall for instance. I really do hope you find a solution and quickly.

So, another hospital appointment today and I'm very pleased to say that it looks like they may be getting to the bottom of my respiratory problems. Long way to go but it's looking brighter.

Gas safety check tomorrow so I have to go empty some cupboards so the man can get access to the boiler and meter. xxxx

pollyanna_26

Clocks go back 29th October according to my youngest grandaughter . It makes a change  from everyone asking me.

It sounds as though you could do with an overbed table GMN to protect your mattress,  I know you inherited mums walker but didn't she have an overbed table whhen sheildinng at the bungalow?

It's never occurred to me to eat in bed

Probably better to have an overbed table than have mess to sort. It  sounds reallly odd to consider aquiring a tarpaulin. Isn't there a chair and piece of furniture you could use. I've never considered eating in bed.

It seems you'd be better booking a space in the room dowstairs to eat your food.

Good to hear your two eldest have been sorting the cameras. Has the vinyl been valued yet?

I must admit  I found it odd  they need to go that far when its changed so  much and beloved had said she never wanted to go back.

You'd probably miss them if they did move there but it would give you a chance to get Mr and Mrs Builder in to sort the house out;

Not sure if they are qualified but fairy lights under the stairs aren't a good idea if your grandaughter was to visit.

pollyx

beanielou

Good idea on over bed table @pollyanna_26 for @grandmanerd.