NST December 2023 The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year?

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for continuing to feel better, for dc being sensible about how much school they could cope with, for dc's new tap shoes from v1nted being perfect, for an evening walk.

f0xh0les

Oh dear 🐞.  Hopefully it will turn up somewhere with the aid of gravity.  It is not lost, it is unavoidably detained - have you seen the flexible grabber things on Amazin? Less than a tenner and some have a light on the end. Either that, or have you ever considered a short course in plasterboarding?? Asking for a friend. 
Today has been NSD2.  Still haven't been C-Word shopping. DH has done the kids' gifts. I am concentrating on the builders. 
It was busy down the food bank again today. The Community Fridge also had a very busy session. Be kind my Turtle friends. There are some people really suffering out there, and you would never ever guess. 

Thrifty_Taylor

Hope all your & your room mates appointments go well tomorrow @weenancyinAmerica. Hope you DH finds his ring again 🐞

Had a good sleep. Did yoga before breakfast. Not the best day at work, started by having to role out 3 icepacks in the first held an hour - 1 to a member of staff! Christmas dinner was good though 😋 Walked to the C00p afterwards, then phoned mum. My auntie had another funny turn this morning, so wasn't discharged.

Cut out & appliqued a name into the fleece blanket. Will cut out the picture & stitch that on over the weekend.

Grateful for delicious dinner, my work besties being on the same page, an understanding/sympathic head teacher, customer being pleased with the trousers I altered last night & time to read my book

grandmanerd

Friday 15th December 2023

D   Donate £10 to a food bank or homeless charity. Other donations to causes you normally support (a good place for cards or presents too, many have ethical standards)

O   One good deed is all that I require. Do  more if it makes you feel good

Following on from f0xh0les timely reminder, be open-hearted my turtle friends and do what you can. I had a friend who worked in a school and despaired of her fellow teachers who declared that certain children 'didn't look poor'. She said they had no idea how hard a mother would struggle to make sure her children were not stigmatised. My aunt gave my mum a parcel of fabric pieces too small to be made into dresses, so mum used my dad's old shirts for bodices and made the skirt and trimmings (one had a peter pan collar, one had a placket,  one had puff sleeves) with the addition of my grandma's contributions I might have looked one of the best dressed children but I never had a shop bought item until I was 15 and at 17 i took over making my own clothes. I've been to job interview in a dress and shoes that I've had to sew back together that morning.

Fight against all the mean, pettifogging legislation this government has introduced, designed to rob all shreds of self-respect and independence from the poor, the elderly, the sick, the homeless and the disabled. I've always found that those who have least are most generous to others - often all  too aware that they're only one step away from disaster themselves. 

Oh dear I sound gloomy. Give what you can my friends. It will make you feel better than a whole heap of presents under the tree and embodies the true spirit of the season.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your  perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
(Leonard Cohen)

At the end of the day it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished.....it's about who you've lifted up,who you've made better. What you've given back
(Denzel Washington)

We are not all in the same boat, we are in the same storm. Some have yachts, some have canoes and some are drowning. Just be kind and help whoever you can

ladybird1106

Thank you grandmanerd, my thoughts exactly. 
Love🐞

ladybird1106

Been to help my best friends daughter (the daughter is my daughter's best friend too) move out her flat and back home. Seemed to take ages to get it all into the van but took hardly anytime at all to empty, although I roped DH to help at my friend's house. Claiming 6thnsd and the bath all to myself tonight. Might treat myself to a fake gin too. 
Love 🐞

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for getting the food shopping done while it was still quiet, for dc surviving the last day at school, for a surprise video call with step ds and his family in Oz, for going to the gym for a gentle session, for having some fairy lights on the tree, for just having so many blessings in my life.

f0xh0les

Oh apple I am so jealous! I still have another week of school for mine. Finishing on 22nd is cruel and unusual torture.
Today was NSD 3 because I got an email invoice, and did not pay it immediately. Sending bills after 3 pm on a Friday is rude. 

@grandmanerd -   How many current Government ministers does it take to change a lightbulb 💡? 
None, they prefer gaslighting.

Hope everyone is starting to feel better soon.  If you are not getting better, go to the quack 🦆🦆  please. You are important. 
19p veg starts on Monday at the big 6 supermarkets. Including 2kg bags of spuds. you might want to hold off veg shopping til then. It lasts through until 30th December.  HTH somebody. 

ldee2111

Only 4 working days left until my ho, ho, ho, holiday begins. It’ll be a busy week because 2 of the 4 of us in the team are already on annual leave. I’ve scheduled a day to clear up / clear out all the work clutter on the laptop… we’ll see if it actually gets done… there’s usually a thing that pops up that needs attention!

There has not been a single no-spend day in the last few days. Let’s start with the device that OH and DS play games on, the device for which games have been bought by family as gifts for Sprouts Day, the device that decided to break just in time for said day of windy veg… 

Thankfully our gift savings were quite healthy this year so we had just enough to replace the device. I got a discount using Mum’s BlueLightCard and some cash back. Gift savings now need recovery time.

Grocery delivery arrived today with some items that have decimated our weekly food budget… looking at you extra virgin olive oil! Olive is not the only culprit, but wow, she’s high maintenance these days! I did also buy a box of sweet treats for a friend we are visiting on Sunday, and a few things for Sprouts day (not sprouts cause they would blow a budget, they just blow other things). 

Anyway, I’m grateful this morning for a lie-in, for a chance to catch up on turtle updates, and for having most of the day to myself (OH and DS will be going out soon to football training and then a football match). I think I’ll do some cleaning/tidying and some wrapping (it’ll take me all of 5 minutes). Might even indulge in a hot chocolate and some Christmas songs. 

 

f0xh0les

Today is a blessed day without builders ( they don't work weekends, or if it rains, or if the moon is in Libra, etc) so I didn't have to get up, be dressed and presentable, and have the washing up done before 7am. Was awake at 8, listened to hear if anyone else was awake to talk to...... nada , gave up at ten to nine, stuck a laundry load on, and one in the dryer, and am enjoying a lovely coffee in peace.  
I think I am totally calm. It feels weird. 
 I must have been fretting about money lately, but I think I have enough to pay everybody who needs paying before Christmas.
I need to do car service and MOT next week,  and then car insurances, if necessary they can go on the cc and it will get cleared with December pay cheque. 
Got confirmation of work dates in January.