NST December 2023 The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year?

Thrifty_Taylor

Hear hear @KajiKita, couldn't have put it better myself. You shouldn't be pressured @f0xh0les, it's a gift to use as/when you chose. If there are conditions to it, then it's not a gift 

It sounded like you had a wonderful time @grandmanerd! So pleased for you.

Another NSD here, thanks to storm Gerrit. My meal & cocktail night has been moved to next week, as it wasn't safe for me to drive due to lots of water on the roads, a fallen tree & roofs being blown off outbuildings & sheds!! I've never known it so bad! We also had DS3's GF for an extra night as she couldn't get back across the Churchill Barriers.

Spent a lovely day inside, pottered about this morning, then started quilling an initial for a friend's birthday on Friday. I'm using colours from a crocheted blanket kit that she really wants, so if her DH hasn't got it for her, she can still look at the colours!

After tea I did a bit more of my jigsaw then another strip of my rug.

Grateful for making progress on my quilling, not having to drive in the horrendous storm, a warm fire, good TV/films

laura_lau

That storm Gerrit sounds like a nightmare! Hope everyone is keeping safe! 
Had a very long night sleep, finally, and feeling a bit better overall today, although mood in my mum's house is not great. One good thing is that the doctor yesterday might have figured out at least one of the causes of her poor health these past few weeks. It seems she has a deep tissue strep infection in the legs, which is probably the cause of the redness and pain. She started antibiotics immediately, so hopefully we will see some results by tonight or tomorrow. I'd really like to see her a bit more mobile before I leave on Sunday. 

Work is still quiet and I can do some planning of the projects for next year, which is good.

Guilt tripping gifts are just the worst @f0xh0les, I'm sorry this is happening to you, the added stress of dealing with it I'm sure it would have been something you could have happily done without! I agree with the advice already given above, if you can be clear that you will be happy to visit but on your terms. I do not cope easily with people who get offended for no reason, so I don't think I would be very diplomatic, so maybe I'm not the best person to offer advise!

Today I am grateful for a good and long night sleep, for hopefully starting the way to better health for my mum, and for expecting to receive a visit from one of my favourite aunts this afternoon.

Toni'sfriend

The Boy was supposed to make his Christmas visit today but Storm Gerrit is causing some real problems over their way. Asked if we'd mind postposing it till tomorrow. Obviously not, Don't want them driving in that for no good reason. Better safe than sorry.

So Himself and I having another quiet day and a big plate of homemade chicken broth for dinner. Just what you need on a night like this. xxx

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dc accompanying me to liddle this morning, for liddle being beautifully quiet, for more planning for our July Oz visit, for starting a new notebook for Jan '24, for continuing to feel better and have more energy.

grandmanerd

today I am grateful for having food in - a lot of what I wanted was OOS but I have food including some special bits ( a nice bit of cheese, some things to go on the crackers I found whilst  hunting for a  clean cup, and crunchy veg and a dip). Lots of sleep - had slept well but went back to sleep after my morning pills (before 6 am) and only woke at 10.30 am.. Finding a balance between resting and getting a few of the more urgent things done.

Esmeralda2662

So glad to hear you had a lovely time @grandmanerd. A chance to switch off from things at home and spend special time relaxing with the family.

Been ill all over Christmas. That's 2 years running although last year was worse with covid. Mum has got a horrible chest infection but got in at the doctors as soon as it reopened yesterday and started on antibiotics. She's now lost her voice but her breathing is a bit better.

Trying to eat up all the fresh food that we got in for Christmas so it doesn't get wasted. Only me eating much as mum doesn't fancy anything.

I got something stuck in the toaster yesterday and liked it out with a wooden spoon. Unfortunately it then put the power off and won't toast so guess that's cost me a new toaster. Also mum tried to switch her electric throw on tonight and it wouldn't work but I think she tripped over the cable earlier. Tried everything to make it work but no good. It's lasted a year which is longer than I thought before she broke it. 

The plus side is I've had 3 NSD's in 3 days!

Have spent some time doing a bit of decluttering. Small steps but a start. Also condensing my Christmas ornaments down so that I'm keeping the special ones and letting plainer ones go. 

Had to put the washing machine on as we were running out of pants. Pegged it out for a while but it didn't dry so it's now on the radiators. The rest of the washing can wait for a dry day.

Forgot if I said but the bathroom sink would not drain properly for some weeks so I took the ubend apart. Yuk. The funny thing was I found a metal object had started the blockage and it turned out to be: a crochet hook! I asked mum if she'd been poking down the sink with something and there was a long pause before she replied 'Not for a long time'! I also found tweezers down there but that might be my toddler nephew. All clear now and water runs away quickly.

Grateful for: antibiotics for mum, fixing the sink, 3 NSD's, not having to go to work this week.  X

Thrifty_Taylor

Good to hear that the poorlies are starting to improve, & also your m has a diagnosis @laura_lau.

NSD#13
Had a lie in. Read some of my book whilst eating breakfast. Went for a 4 mile walk in the rain & listened to a podcast. After dinner (more reading) DS3 & GF caught a bus to her house & I started quilling more shapes. 3/4 done now, so should finish it tomorrow. Wrote appointments, birthdays, etc in my new diary - determined to keep it updated this year!

Soaked in the bath & read more of my book, then watched 2 episodes of a series & hooked another width of my rug.

As a previous post of @grandmanerd's said, little & often. Still have 220 pages left of my book to read yet (small print & 963 pages in it altogether!) & another 10 x 5 rows of my rug, plus most of my 1000 jigsaw (with a white background), if I do a big each day, I'll soon get through them 😃

Grateful for a lovely walk, reading 60 pages today, pampering using things I had in my stash

f0xh0les

Today I am back up my 🪜 and painting the ceilings.  If I can, I will do the landing and a couple of walls. 
Sat and wrote a to-do-list last night for each day of the rest of the year. 
Put some brown lentils on to soak before bed, so soup and bread for lunch, got some ys pears yesterday, and they will be poached with the end half of mulled wine bottle #1. Still haven't made it to #2 yet. I do have more pears though ....

ladybird1106

Yesterday was a blob day so money stayed firmly in my purse. 
Love 🐞

laura_lau

Thank you @Thrifty_Taylor she also seems in higher spirits today.

I suddenly realized it's the last day of work of the year for me, and I need to do some necessary prepping for the start of year, so it will be a long-ish day for me. Short week next week, though, as I've taken the 2nd Jan off to rest and recover a bit from this busy week.

Tomorrow it will be packing day, when I will try and make all the goodies I'm taking from my mum's kitchen fit into my suitcase, plus some presents I received, and a few extras my brother bought especially for me. He's a kind soul. 

Today is NSD number 17, and tomorrow might be number 18, I'm very pleased with what I achieved in December, despite all the things I still needed to do this month. I might not have time to post anything before mid next week, so I hope to see you all in the January thread.

2023 was a tough year, but I'm grateful this was the year when I finally decided to take control of my finances and making a debt repayment plan and a monthly budget, and I am now 2 debts down, just 1 to go + 3 credit cards. Once the last debt is also gone, I will be in a much better place, and this is the best way to start the new year I could be hoping for.

Today I am also grateful for my brothers and extended family.