NST: November 2023 – Sparkle

weenancyinAmerica

Nice quiet Thanksgiving Day here - until roommate Di started yelling at the American football games, the basketball game, and the hockey game - she moves between them so I can't keep up. But it was NSD13.

Had a free box of fruits and vegetables (for low-income seniors) dropped off Wednesday afternoon including a lot of yams which were delicious with the turkey and stuffing. Also had the broccoli and cauliflower from the box and rolls from the church box brought that morning. So the only cost was the stuffing and turkey bought on sale at Aldis. Came to under $10 for the three of us with leftovers. This was our third meal from the turkey and still have more to go. When I was working way back when, our company bought everyone a turkey for Thanksgiving. But all the turkeys were twenty pounds or more and I was living alone (several of the employees had ten children or more). It was the first turkey I had really ever cooked on my own, so I called my mother 750 miles away for instructions. Parceled it up and then on Thanksgiving day went with a friend of mine on the special holiday buses the town had that day - took us up into the mountains and out into the rural areas. Took our picnic basket with us and at the turn- around point for the bus, we shared our picnic lunch with the bus driver and then rode back to where we started to get the next bus. Did all three of the available bus tours that day and had a picnic on each one. And I still was eating turkey from the freezer five months later.

Still trying to process what might be happening health-wise. Will need some talks with the doctor after I have the blood tests. 

Today will be an errand day so will be spendy if I find what I want (inexpensive flashdrives). I also will be paying the last bill due this month. 

We are cooling off a bit here. Hope you are all staying warm and as dry as possible. 

apple_muncher

Today I gleamed with sparkle after a particularly hard exercise class!!!

I am grateful for being able to push my body, for dc's exam going well, for microwaveable polar bears, for for getting our first Cmas card (🤣🤣🤣) from the kids in Oz, for good books.

f0xh0les

Oooh, last guaranteed postage dates to Internationalands at economy rate was something silly like 2nd October!!

 I think 1st class UK mainland is 20th December. They are urging everyone to post early.  

I hope they know what forms to fill out this year as all our gifts got stopped at Irish customs and returned or (ahem!) lost,  because there was supposed to be a numerical code on the label for the country of origin of the materials used - which was not needed when we were European -  and the post office staff messed it up.  No compensation either  as it was not lost or undelivered, it was rejected at customs.   Be warned.

Thrifty_Taylor

Sending hugs @weenancyinAmerica. Hope they get to the bottom of your illness, & prescribe you something to help, soon.

Well done on all the decluttering folks, & enjoy the view from your window/back door @grandmanerd , & as you walk through your clearer garden!

I've been spending yesterday & today. Not because it was black Friday, but just wanted to get started on DS1&3's present list.

On my way to work yesterday, the fuel light came on. Luckily across the roundabout next the school where I work, is a petrol station. Put £10 in, then after work, I psyched myself up & went to a different village & filled up to the top. Saved myself just under £5 by not going to the Arseda in our village!

DH went to the cinema with friends after tea (his first outing in over a year). I did some sewing, though the air was blue as my machine tension was playing up, but got it done on the end. Did the ironing, then had a soak in the bath.

Today it is still blowing a hoolie. Ordered a few presents, then had breakfast. Had made 2 portions of stir fry veg & rice yesterday, so didn't need to make anything today 😊 Work went fine, but glad it's fri-yay!

Made 10 birthday cards after tea, ready to post/hand out next month. Did more of my rug & watched a film.

The wind has calmed down, so maybe there'll be boats with food deliveries for the supermarkets, before I do my big shop tomorrow 🤞 no boats the last few days, & a friend on one of the smaller islands had snow when he let his cat out last night!

Grateful that it's the weekend, DH had a good time last night, I've caught up with all my sewing jobs, time to relax & do my own thing tonight, that I'm organised with cards (& using up things I've got in my stash)

grandmanerd

Struggling but I texted mum's lodger (he works shifts and wouldn't appreciate being woken if he'd just gone to sleep) and he phoned me back. He has got the bungalow he wanted and now has the keys. He will move as soon as he can working round his shifts - he needs carpet and to  get the gas and electric turned on and inspected. Not having to go to court means I've saved the £355 fee. 

I phoned the doctor's about paperwork for my tests, I will  probably go on Monday providing I can get myself better over the weekend. I've only been as far as the top of  the stairs today - to shout at DS3 to open the door as the delivery man had phoned to say he was outside and could someone open the door.

Grateful for my bed, the shower (helped  regulate my temperature)  and slow progress.

Is anyone up for doing December or shall I? 

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for finally having a frosty start to the day and feeling wintry, for finding the 'curtains' to hang up on the stairs to keep the heat downstairs instead of heating the landing ceiling, for the power of van1sh on 2 of dc's beloved toys that haven't been washed in many many years, for finding a couple of presents for dc on v1nted, for dolly mixtures.

Grandmanerd, yes please to you setting up Dec, but only if you feel up to it.

Toni'sfriend

Weenancy - Hope the doctors get you all sorted out.

It was so cold today. The compost on my containers is still frozen but I think the plants have survived the frost. Himself went to Aldi on his own, Now way was I venturing out in sub zero temperatures.

Glad I made that really warming chicken broth the other day. Doing well with the decluttering. I mean how many carrier bags does a person need? Still got loads of the jute type ones. Empty boxes? Oh I could go on and on. He'll never notice unless he asks why is there all this space. Not that he'll notice. Neighbour took the bathroom light shade off. Said to phone council and say there is something wrong with the fitting. He's not sure that there is but there is certainly something wrong with the shade. It's showing burn marks and it's cracked. Worth a go. I suppose.

Still plodding with all the other little things and everything is looking amazingly better. Only thing is, the more you  do the more you see what needs doing. But, a little at a time.

I must confess that I have spent more this month than I intended but I'm justifying by saying:

It's on the house or myself and it's making me feel a lot better.
It's Christmas presents for people who have been so supportive to me over the last year

Wee cousin just texted. Seeing her on Friday in church. I've asked if I can bring something for the Homeless Mission. I so worry about these people in this weather. I don't care what politicians think. This is not a life choice. I will now be quiet. xxxx

f0xh0les

The foodbank will be glad of any excess bags @Toni'sfriend just shove them in a collection bin. The stronger the better. No matter how many times we ask our clients to bring their own bags, they invariably forget. 

I left my house at half past ten this morning and had a thick hard frost on the windscreen.  Took boys to local college open day, then came home for lunch (noodle soup - cheap and hot!) and I turned round again and went to 8 charity shops, DH offered to drill some new holes to put my gorgeous big mirror back up at the the top of the stairs, so I stupidly let him.  Anyway,  now I will have to find another  "F-me-that's-a-big-mirror!",  I moved another large mirror there as an interim measure, but it just looks so small it is making me sad already.  I had one corner of the house that properly made me happy every time I got to the top of the stairs.  It was done.  Oh well!

I got a cold nose, wandering around this afternoon, turns out it was the local town's lights switch on celebration.  Felt a bit 'fa-la-la-la-la'  for the first time.  Thinking about mulled wine now......

Thrifty_Taylor

Great news about the lodger @grandmanerd, one thing less to worry about!

Had an extra hour in bed this morning. Wrote my big shopping list & headed to town. Picked mum up, dropped off & collected more sewing. Had a lovely walk round the upstairs of a shop that only opens for the festive season. It's complete with displays of new festive items, as well as an open fire with an armchair alongside, vintage biscuit tins, Tilly lamps, a mangle etc. Well worth an annual trip!

The supermarkets had no fresh fruit or veg, meat, milk, or bread. Hopefully they'll get restocked now the storm has passed & the boats are now sailing, though I won't be heading in to town again til next weekend. Good job I don't run my cupboards down completely each week, still have some things left to carry us through!

Put all the shopping away. After tea, I watched s film & started a jigsaw I bought from the CS this morning.

Grateful for having a back up store cupboard, special time with mum, starting a jigsaw

grandmanerd

The fever broke and I can breathe again. Mostly carried on with my room, then took 5 bags downstairs with me.  One is the first of 3 cs bags. Took bags to the bins, someone has dumped a quantity of clothes and a few toys in one - will try to take them to the donation portal on little Arseda's car park later. 

Spent time in the yard - sat on a chair in 5 different patches and scraped as much of the soil  as possible from the flags using my long handled hoe. Did the same with rubbish inside the house, sitting on the stairs to clear up, then taking the mostly full bag to collect bits near the couch and then the office chair to do another bit.Not much in each location but I keep forgetting to take my distance glasses  down.

Reheated 3 small baked potatoes and added some low fat mayo (limited choices as DS3 has moved the farmhouse table top in front of my fridge freezer). I have done a food order to be delivered between 7.30 and 8.30 am. Mostly drinks as I've gone through lots in the past few days, some fresh items plus paracetamol and Christmas stamps for the cards (started writing those). Would like to do another ''litter pick' before the food comes (and get DS3 to move the table top). 

The big river company locked me out of my account, sent me a OTP in an email which they then decided was wrong, input a new password. They thanked me for updating and then refused to accept the changed password. may leave it for now as my new laptop arrives on Tuesday and I might have to do it again.

Grateful for progress, breathing without sound effects and pain, books and other entertainment.