NST January 2024: This is Sparta!

beanielou

Glad that it’s all done Dawn 😊

ldee2111

NSD 6.

Grateful for Mum popping in at lunchtime to have lunch and a catch up, for DS going back to school without any fuss, for a quick working day, for best friend giving me a lift to body balance class, for catching up with her, and for a quick dish from the freezer pre-made by my live-in chef - OH! 

abundant1972

Good evening 🌘

Glad all went ok at the hospital with your brother DawnW

Had a really flat day today - and it's the day after I have been to see Dad and taken us both to the home to see Mum and whizzed to the shops etc. Back around 18:00 ish then had a zoom call for my course. Consequently I was wired and needed to chill and unwind - so wasn't in bed until 02:00. This has a knock on effect on the rest of my day. It's just too much. Fed up of every Monday losing a day because I feel tapped out. Sigh. I know this pattern. I will get an early night and will feel much better tomorrow. 

On a positive note it meant I didn't go out at all - so claimed another NSD. 

Did have a nice chat with one of the staff here which made my day. 

Today I am grateful for:

1) Time on my own
2) Chat about spirituality whilst collecting my mail 
3) Having a nice bath and soak

Today = NSD number 4

Have a nice evening folks x 

wishus

I'm on  NSD 4 too.

I have cancelled next weekend's plans to save a bit of mental health, and money too. I feel such a relief. Still busy mind, just not as busy.

Thrifty_Taylor

So glad it all went well @DawnW, I was thinking about you both this morning. @Toni'sfriend, I agree that you've done the right thing in booking your trip & rescheduling your appointment. You've waited so long, a few more days won't make much difference!

@ditty1234, I've been doing that yoga too. Boy are my stomach muscles sore after yesterday's session!

Sorry I've been AWOL. Friday (after yoga), I went into town & went for a walk with a friend then crafting. Mid afternoon I went to mum's, then got ready for a night out, only to discover my makeup bag was the wrong one, it was full of lip balms!! Luckily my friend offered to lend me hers, then applied it for me & curled my hair! The other friend we were meeting paid for our meal & cocktails, as that was her sproutmas present to us. Home by 10pm, (well back to mum's).

Saturday I had a lie in, then crafted more of my rug & watched 3 episodes of a series with mum. We then went shopping. On our return trip, I noticed a huge crack in my windscreen. There had been a loud noise on my way to town Friday, but I hadn't seen anything amiss then! Went for a quick walk with DH once I got home, whilst it was still light enough. The downfall of living in the countryside - no street lights for evening walks.

Sunday NSD#5
Went for a walk with DH after yoga & breakfast. Saw a different bird, stretching its wings out in the sun. Turns out it was a Cormorant, haven't seen one inland before! Took down all the decorations, & put them back in the shed. Did the ironing & prepped things ready for returning to work.

Monday, did yoga, then packed some lunch, etc. Had to de-ice the car too. A good day at work. Arrived home to.see mum & DS1 watching the videos from his trip to Amalfi last October. He's off to Hong Kong on Friday. Solo & wild camping!! 🤯 Watched TV with him after tea, then started quilling an initial to frame for my friend's birthday at the end of the month.

Grateful for finally finishing my very long book, finishing hooking my rug, walking a total of 25 miles last week, some calm sunny days, my living room feeling bigger, a nice meal out, birds & nature (forgot to mention the week before last that I saw an otter crossing the road to meet another otter! First time I've seen any)

Starlight_at_Sea

Thanks for well-wishes, am fine, just bruised...and have almost got enough mud off the shoes to be able to put them in the washing machine! Has been a good stress release, beating them against a wall a few times a day 🤣

Glad your brothers hospital trip went relatively smoothly @DawnW. It's a shame that the zones for hanging around waiting in hospitals are often so loud/commercial/limited seating. I used to wish there was a pod-hotel type thing so I could get a few hours kip while mum was having treatment! Or at least recharge my batteries (phone and human) with some healthy food and peace and quiet. Or somewhere I could 'work from home' as I tried to juggle working and caring.  Instead I sat in the car crying quite a bit and got a lot of loyalty points on my Costa app for food and drinks I didn't overly enjoy - which incidentally, I didn't realise the 'beans' free drink expires quite quickly, and as I don't frequent them outside of hospital visits, I 'saved' it for a bit too long and lost it! lesson learnt. 

@Toni'sfriend Dad and I are also enjoying Vera at the moment! Stunning scenery. 

NSD - number 4 I think. Survived work today, didn't get too much of my work list completed, but progress was made, and I'm proud of the way I managed my own stress about things - some boundaries about how much I let some things get to me have been drawn. In pencil, but drawn none the less! 

Washing done while at dads; a bit of decluttring /repurposing done at his and at mine; Xmas is boxed up and when the tablecloths have dried properly can be put away! Pleased with the new storage approach for Xmas stuff. CC's juggled, a step closer to everything being interest free.

Some difficult phone calls made; greatful they are done and that they weren't as hard as anticipated and fitted into work breaks during a mega long meeting. Had to pop out very briefly twice - ten min or so walking outdoors helped with the stress, and I got a couple of urgent jobs done. Grateful for a job with that kind of flexibility, even if I do rarely make use of it! 

Dinner out with dad and aunt, to sort something out for mums memorial that's coming soon. Grateful for time with them; pretty but not settling flurries of snow; and not having to cook! 

weenancyinAmerica

Grateful today for getting four frogs over with. A couple will need follow ups, but the main part is done.
Also grateful for our Winter Reading program starting at the Library. The Friends help sponsor it. Gives me an excuse for reading - have already finished 4 books this year while waiting for others at appointments.
Grateful for this Forum where I can go instead of listening to the news with my roommate. There is no time limit on electioneering here. It doesn't require the truth ever either.

grandmanerd

Rubbish/ recycling went out. Clean clothes and bedding came upstairs. A lot of floor cleared but a lot more to do. Grateful  for being able to bend down for longer, good books and a puzzle.

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 7

Had the most wonderful day. The lovely cousin took me to our favourite local restaurant for lunch. We had a good old natter and fabulous food. My taste for king prawns has returned. (It disappeared early in the year for some reason. I couldn't bear the thought of them and they were my very most favourite food). Strange how things like that happen.

Nothing else done apart from being thoroughly spoiled. xxx

laura_lau

Glad to hear you had a good day @Toni'sfriend and that happens to me too, so weird how the very favourite things sometimes are not that appealing anymore! In my case I know it might be because I am not very good at moderation, so I end up making a habit of eating my favourite things, which in turns makes them less special. But thankfully the taste for them always comes back!
Also glad to hear you are finally starting to feel better, @grandmanerd

Today I had an unexpected NSD #7. I woke up early, got all ready, dressed, make-up and all shenanigans to go to the office, got wrapped up super warm, braved the icy wind, went to the station to find out my train was cancelled. The man reassured me the next one would be running, so I waited 20 minutes in the icy wind. Just before the train arrived, I received a notification from the railway company that the line was interrupted 2 stops after mine (thankfully I subscribed to their disruption updates years ago!) so I double checked and I discovered all trains from that station were cancelled. No notification of that in my station... According to the email update, a serious incident had happened at the station after, and the police requested the line to be closed so they could do their investigation, and all trains until the early afternoon had already been cancelled. Since the alternative would be at least about 2 hours on a bus, I went back home and started working here. I am going to have my ticket refunded since I didn't use it.

So I did all my meetings, some work on the project, had a small lunch then I brought the boxes with Christmas decorations down to the garage (they had been packed and waiting on the landing since Sunday evening, but yesterday I forgot).

On another note, I have decided I am fed up with the long hair, it's so much work and keeps catching everywhere (in coat zips, under armpits, out of car windows, I even had a woman accidentally grab and pull my hair in a shop while grabbing a coat hanger, don't ask me how she managed it...) so I booked an appointment for the end of the month after payday. My initial thought was to chop it all off in a short(ish) - kind of chin length - bob, but I keep changing my mind. One moment I like the feel of long hair and the other I am super fed up. I suppose it will all depend on which feeling will be more prevalent at the end of the month, so we will see.

Tomorrow I resume line dancing and I am very much looking forward to it! 

Hope you are all keeping warm and cozy.