NST December 2023 The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year?

Thrifty_Taylor

My pleasure @beanielou!

Hope your procedure went well @Toni'sfriend & that you are back home again. Happy birthday @f0xh0les jnr 🎉

@laura_lau I hope your mum feels better soon & your plane lands ok 

@grandmanerd just do what you can. Don't beat yourself up about all the things you haven't managed to do, we all pile too much on ourselves, especially at this time of year. It is only one day after all! Take care of yourself & enjoy the time spent with your family.

NSD#8

Sorry I've been AWOL. Been a busy few days! Wednesday I was woken early by DS2 moving about. At night, I pushed myself to get both of the last 2 sewing jobs done. Finally crawled into bed at 10.55, then was woken at 11.50, as the bus had dumped DS3 in town & he was stranded, without a coat or shelter in a 95mph windy storm!! This happened once last month too - the driver decided that as there were no boats to collect passengers from, they weren't going any further!

Thursday was I was tired, plus had the school concert. Due to staff illness, my timetable was altered in the morning, but I was able watch the concert in the afternoon & the Nativity was a highlight. I'd dropped my car off at the garage before work & got a lift with my work bestie, then she dropped me off on the way to town after to collect it. Bought 6 big🐀 traps, they've managed to get into the shed in a few different places, & the humane traps only caught 1. Time for business! Dropped sewing off, then headed to work bestie's. I've never had gel nails done before, so it was a real pampering treat 😍 I got us a takeaway for doing it, but she bought lots of extras, as didn't want me to pay for her meal! Laughed til we cried whilst eating it. A fantastic evening! Came home & wrapped a couple of presents.

Friday, last day of school! Yippee!! Woke up @5.20 & couldn't sleep afterwards. Took leftover Chinese for my dinner 😋 Work went well, didn't hang around at the end of the day - the holidays have begun!! 🎉 Poured myself a large beverage, pottered about before tea. Had a nap, then wrapped presents, whilst eating chocolate & howling at Last Christmas film. (It always makes me cry because of DH also having a transplant). The ironing is done, so another thing out the way 😃

Grateful for a perfect evening last night, being able to help other work bestie out, watching the Nativity, my pretty Xmas nails, having a nice lady listen to my complaint about the bus service, that I'm officially on holiday

weenancyinAmerica

Been mostly staying home out of mischief. Now I am up to NSD14 - mainly because I don't have any money to spend. Roommates are way behind on paying rent. It is a good thing I have been buying presents all year. I am gathering them up and getting ready for Christmas for the past couple of days. I do have to do some grocery shopping tomorrow. Stuff for Christmas Day, treats to give to library staff for helping all year (will be reimbursed for this), and milk. We received our fruit and vegetable box this week so don't have to buy any of those. 

Medically, went to doctor and had 5 biopsies. Waiting to see how it went. 

Have been working on family history for a parish in Switzerland. There are 10798 people in my file as it includes people who have married into families in the parish also. Having to make a lot of corrections in FamilySearch as cousin didn't look at marriage banns giving parents' names and just guessed. Lots of people with the same name, and she guessed wrong more often then right as she has people marrying when they are five and in one case being born 26 years before their father was. But I am getting there.

Highlight of the week was being one of the nominees for the Kindness Award for the County I live in. I received a nice pin and a certificate for the Board of Supervisors. 

Gratitudes are hard to come by, but: Bella, the husky, has new home and is happy there; I think I have presents for everyone; I can borrow enough to cover the remaining bill this year if necessary; I get paid early this next month, and I have a small check coming in from Amazon for one of the books I write being sold.

Hugs for everyone.

Toni'sfriend

Unfortunately the procedure didn't go quite as well as hoped. It was very scary and I had to spend the night in hospital. I had to wait most of today to see if they would let me home today. The Boy collected me a little while ago and I'm home now. I'll be glad when this year is over and I can start afresh. My optimism is waning. xxxx

KajiKita

Toni'sfriend said:

Unfortunately the procedure didn't go quite as well as hoped. It was very scary and I had to spend the night in hospital. I had to wait most of today to see if they would let me home today. The Boy collected me a little while ago and I'm home now. I'll be glad when this year is over and I can start afresh. My optimism is waning. xxxx

Huge squashy hugs. Try and wash it out of your head and enjoy your family as much as you can.

KK x

weenancyinAmerica

@Toni'sfriend - I so agree with you about ending this year and starting afresh next year. I hope you are feeling better soon.

abundant1972

Good evening ⭐

Pre-Christmas check-in. I have been a bit pre-occupied this month, not that I had a golden track record previously haha 😜 Had a read through of posts...

Very very belated birthday greetings to Toni'sFriend and a speedy recovery post op. Glad you're back home in time for Christmas. Hugs to anyone else needing them right now.  

Had another Christmas dinner with relatives. The pub was so noisy and loud, and my relative talked non-stop for 2 hours. It literally took me 2 full days to recover from the onslaught. I'm really not cut out for socialising like that. I could hear about 3 different conversations going on, plus loud Christmas tunes and packed at the table like sardines. I realised as somebody who is quite empathic - this is my idea of HELL. Never again. I did it out of a sense of duty - but the following 2 days of feeling burned out and depressed were not worth it. Next time I'll suggest something quieter... and a gag for my relative lol. Bah humbug lol. 

I had a nice Solstice (on my own haha)... Still managed to get out and do some exercise, and have been getting back into mindfulness again which I'm pleased about. Seeing Mum and Dad tomorrow. 

Today I am grateful for:

1) Learning new things
2) Peace, quiet and solitude
3) Time to recharge, reboot and redirect my energies

Today = NSD number 9

Catch you all tomorrow 🤗 x

f0xh0les

More hugs @Toni'sfriend , at least it is done now.  Sounds like a rotten way to spend a day though.  Onward to better things from now.

Mr Small had a lovely day and he is a happy little camper.  After lunch out, I have sat here and written lists and I know what I am doing.  Mostly going to The Big Orange Warehouse where builder types go, and buying paint.

I love having a plan.

Happy Christmas Eve Eve.

beanielou

My mothership has arrived. 

I have decided lots of wine & Prosecco is the answer to all my problems. Hic. 

Thrifty_Taylor

Congratulations on your award @weenancyinAmerica. Sending hugs to you & @Toni'sfriend, hope you recover from your op soon x

Wrote my big monthly shopping list whilst eating breakfast, then headed 2 villages away to collect a gas bottle before going to town to drop it at my friend's. She can now cook Christmas dinner for her family & be less stressed/worried that the gas might run out. Picked mum up & did the shopping (10% off in L1DL, so saved £20 😃).

Headed home & put it all away. My brother phoned, feeling low due to only being able to work one day this week (he's a market stall holder). 

DS1 came home from work. He's hoouse/pet sitting around the corner from us too. He was feeling quite low & had a cry. He's upset that he & DS3 (they fell out in the summer) have to have separate slots to spend time with the family, so he can't be with everyone all the time. No chance of a reconciliation & he won't be in the same room as his brother, so it's how it has to be. Difficult for everyone. Watched s Christmas film together & had a Snowball each 😋

He left to pet sit, so I wrapped the last bits & made Christmas crackers.

Grateful for the snow not being too heavy, the first sip of a Snowball (drink), funny films

apple_muncher

Just to say I'll set up Jan. Though any ideas would be gratefully received...!!!