NST: November 2023 – Sparkle

Thrifty_Taylor

What a day!! Woke up & did some exercises. Only did 3/4 of the routine, as I felt sick. 

DS3 caught his bus to school, DS1 had camped in his car somewhere last night, DH had gone to get a blood test at the hospital, so just me & a sleeping DS2. Carried a parcel & couple of cards for posting, with 2 boxes of biscuits balanced on top in one hand, my handbag, lunch bag & water bottle in the other & drove to the top of the drive, only to realise that I'd left the living room lights on! Ran back to turn them off.

Arrived at school to discover there was no hearing, so all the kids got sent home. I had a meeting with other staff, wearing my long coat & gloves 😂, then at 12 we were told we could go home. The dinnerladies shared out the bolognaise meant for dinner today, so took some home. Stopped at the post office on the way, a big queue before & after me. Had to reverse into a driveway to leave, as a cat was parked opposite the big post van, emptying the box & collecting mail, the car's door wouldn't shut, so was just hanging open, so no way I could drive past without damaging it further or my car!

Cooked some pasta & had it with Bolognese for my dinner, DS1 had some after his haircut & a portion went in the freezer.

Unpicked a coat zip & started to sew the new one in. Distracted as kept getting messages about the carp payrise we're getting after our strikes. Finished the zip after tea. Saw it needed the sleeves shortening too. Messaged the coat's owner to be told it didn't need a new zip as it was a new coat!! Could've saved myself a lot of work 😓

2 phonecalls from lovely people wanting sewing done, then a message from another one, who wanted something tricky doing before this Saturday! No way, couldn't fit it in & fabric that will stretch/fray if a long slit is cut into it, like ages wanting. Nightmare.

Grateful for saying no to a nightmare job, getting home early despite the afternoon being wasted doing something I didn't need to do, a payrise backdated to April being paid next month

Sorry for my moan!

wishus

Sorry been manic here! Had folks round for Doctor Who day, then yesterday went to the cinema to see The Marvels. It's free with my gym pass so managed to score 2 more NSDs! 5 to reach target and only 2 days where it is achievable. But the aim was noble, and I'm pleased with that.

No more to really add to the declutter list but I took my bag I left out for the Air Ambulance round to their shop after no one came round on Thursday. No biters on Ebay this week.

weenancyinAmerica

Another NSD today - 16 so far.

Started the day with the cat throwing up but on a shower curtain I had put down where he sleeps so it was easy to clean up - just wasn't prepared to get up at 5:00 am. Nothing like an early start to the day. Then went to a breakfast meeting of the Book Sale Committee. We budget for this as a thank you for working the Book Sale, so a no-spend for the five who made it. Took a box with 6 DVDs, 30 books, 4 magazines, and a puzzle to the library - so 41 items out of my house all at once. Sorted some other boxes that had come in while we weren't looking (a daily occurrence at the library) and cleared a cart. Then had my big meeting - I have been president of the Friends of the Library Board for the last couple of years. We don't actually have term limits - only when you can find someone else who wants the job or is willing to take it if you get desperate. The last person was president for twelve years. Meeting went well. We have added several board members this year and another couple of people want to join in January. Just have to encourage them to want to be president some day.

Gave my neighbors 25 bars of soap this week - so over 60 items right there and doesn't include all of the discarding that has been done earlier this month. They have 10 people in their household at least. And relatives of theirs who work on cars live across the street. So they said they were happy to get the soap. I still have at least that many bars left in many different fragrances. I like sniffing soap for some reason. 

beanielou

That’s a lot of soap @weenancyinAmerica! 

Well done. 

Toni'sfriend

Oh, I am, Beannie. I think the problem is that when you speak to someone on the phone (nice as they are) they are following a bit of a script and they sometimes do tend to make assumptions when talking to elderly ladies like myself that I don't really understand how things work. Sometimes it does take a tradesman to come and look at it. Councils are so strapped for cash these days though even their helplines are struggling.

So, we had a little walk to the shops this morning. It was cold. But I'm still plodding here. Quite pleased how things are going although still spending a bit more than planned. But we can afford it and it is all about making things easier. I guess that's OK.

Soap - I love bars of soap. Himself bought my lots in a Paris market many years ago and I still have them in cupboards providing a beautiful perfume for bedding, etc.. A few years ago we travelled to various Christmas markets in Holland, Germany and Austria and everywhere we went we spent ages buying presents for the girls next door. What did the little one drool over. A little bar of soap that we got free in one of the hotels. She was wandering around saying "I've got soap". Simple things

Her sister has just been in to see me. She's been going to cookery classes at school. She has made a huge fruit salad and she's going about the neighbours giving them some. Now that's what it's all about. 

laura_lau

@beanielou thank you! I am feeling slightly accomplished, although I need to be focused for the next few months still!

This thread is a big help for it.

@weenancyinAmerica I love sniffing soap for some reason too! When the pandemic hit, all shops ran out of soap, so my couple of dozens bars of soap spread in all drawers came in really hand! I haven't bought hand soap yet, though, still have I think 3 bars of Aleppo soap to go through and at least 4 soap made in Provence! Glad I'm not the only one

Today in office day but, surprisingly, it's been quite good! We got announced that a co-worker who wasn't very nice is retiring, and my colleague, who wanted to grow in her role, got to take over part of his responsibilities, so I';m very happy for her! I also got to apply for an additional role to add to my responsibilities, which is all new and requires quite a bit of tech training, which I can't wait to start! No salary increase will come with it, at least for now, but I'm fine as I will get lots of free training and gather experience for a role that I can re-sell later on, and that should be good.

We also got a Cadbury advent calendar and a Christmas box, so I'm feeling very smug I hadn't bought any chocolates this year! Going home a very happy bunny in about an hour.

I still have to think what to eat tonight, I will pop into the shop at the station before I get on my train, they usually have end of day reduced items at that point so I might treat us to something nice and ready made tonight!

I need to ramp up my knitting tonight also, as I need to finish the second pair of baby booties for the fair next week, and I also have gathered some cute crochet elf and reindeer booties patterns which I think might sell well, so when I get home I'll dive into my yarn stash in the hope I have the bits I need to make at least 1 or 2 pairs of those!

Thrifty_Taylor

Woo hoo! Great news on the colleague leaving @laura_lau & also to new opportunities for you & your friend.

@Toni'sfriend your neighbours sound lovely & fresh fruit salad is an added bonus!

Thankfully I've had a better day today 😃 did yoga before breakfast, then as I'd still got yesterday's dinner to eat, I didn't have to make any this morning, so deleted 150 emails instead.

Work went well. Met a lady afterwards, who was one of the new customer calls from last night. Did her sewing after tea & when I phoned to let her know it was done, was totally gobsmacked!

DH found my c-mas cards which is bought in the boxing day sales from the Red X, so wrote on the 2 I need to still send abroad.

Waiting for my turn in the bath, then will have a soak with my book.

Grateful for a better day, seeing a pupil return after serious illness, watching TV with DS1

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for the impact hanging a curtain at the bottom of the stairs makes, for enjoying my gym session and realising how many people I say hello to there, for corned beef hash for tea, for getting a few things done from my list, for the bin man moving the lorry so we could get out this morning.

Esmeralda2662

@weenancyinAmerica that really is a lot of soap! Glad your neighbours were pleased with your gifts and you found good homes for them. Sorry to hear you had more cat vomit to contend with!

@Toni'sfriend fancy the little girls next door loving the small soaps most of all! What is it about miniature things that are so attractive? I can't resist them whether they're a tiny thimble sized brandy glass, a weeny doll or a tiny little spatula for a dolls house.

Called at Hobbycraft after work and bought some coloured felt and wooden dolly pegs to make some decorations. The magazine says to enlarge the pattern 200% on the copier so will try and do this in town on Thursday. Still on NSD7.

Met my friend for zumba class. Only 5 of us plus our instructor. Don't know what has happened to what was a huge class a few months ago.

My finger is healing well but unfortunately it still feels like there is something in it despite the x-ray being clear. The body is clever so I hope it will expel the shard of glass fibre.

My German penfriend has decided to accompany her teenage son when he comes to stay for half-term week in February. He wants to speak English ready for his final exams. Will be a bit of a squeeze with only 1 bathroom between 4 of us but it will be lovely to see them and they love charity shops so we should have some fun. Will start saving any vouchers for meals and trips out.

Grateful for: A sunny day after yesterday's non stop rain, some lovely coloured felt, the GBBO final and my son fixing the kitchen unit drawer that he'll bring back and install this weekend (and he'll get the Christmas tree and decorations out of the loft for us). Good lad! X

abundant1972

Good Evening! 🌖

Congrats laura_lau on the debt busting. Love it when a debt drops away - it's like you can feel a chunk of icky energy leave you freeing up space for something new. I will knuckle down for December and moving forwards into 2024.

Lol Apple re: decluttering idea. Well I am definitely decluttering things that drain me so why not? Of course I am hoping they will have time to reflect and come back and we will move through it all.. However... I shall include it lol. I have loads of stuff I could do with putting up on e-Bay but have never sold anything so will have to research how I do it. I've decided to sell a lot of my tarot collection that I never use, and just keep hold of a few decks I really enjoy. 

Got myself to the gym today, and tried to keep myself on a good vibration. Had a bit of a wobble but meditated myself out of it 🧘🏻‍♂️✨ No wine 🍷 was involved at all. Result! 

Today I am grateful for:

1) My gym and the familiar faces
2) Content creators on YT I follow 
3) Connections with old friends

NSD total = ??? + 1 today! 

Sleep well folks ⭐