NST January 2024: This is Sparta!

beanielou

My cheery wee candle

Esmeralda2662

Thanks for your best wishes @f0xh0les, @Flying_By and @Thrifty_Taylor! You know what it's like, you just want your kids to be settled and happy(ish) with enough money to manage on.

@beanielou you can't beat a pretty candle! The light from them is totally different.

Gave our neighbours a lift to hospital that is difficult to get to by bus and would involve a long journey with many changes. They insisted on coming home by bus but just needed to be there early this morning. They gave me some scratch cards, lottery tickets and a lovely bunch of flowers which was a really nice gesture but totally unnecessary. They also gave me some preloved magazines so I'll read them then send them on to my friend.

Sent a CD audio book with my mum to give to one of her friends at coffee morning. 11 discs and about 15 hours listening time should keep her entertained!

Bumped into another friend in town and got invited for a Sunday lunch one weekend, we just need to fix a date.

No NSD as had to buy toilet rolls, toothpaste and Antiperspirant plus a couple of food items. Always a dear shop when you buy toiletries or household stuff.

Took my thermal top (too scooped neckline, nothing like the picture) and thermal leggings (unable to get them on they were so skintight) back for a refund at Mt.Warehouse. Swapped the top for a better one so got half my money refunded. Now need to find some thermal leggings elsewhere.

Grateful for lovely gifts/flowers from neighbours, getting top swapped and partial refund, Thai veg curry for tea, watching The Traitors. X

Esmeralda2662

@Toni'sfriend hope you are feeling a bit less stressed after some quiet time at home. You've had a lot on your plate.

@ladybird1106 hope you are ok after coming off your bike.

weenancyinAmerica

I had a good day helping someone with their family history today. Only problem is the Walsall records are only available on microfiche - and we would have to go to Salt Lake City to see them. I recommended she check with the Walsall Family History Centre instead. While I was there, one of the other patrons gave me a bag of shopping bags. I get excited with these as we need them for our book sales at the library. And best of all the person I was helping gave me a bag of knitting needles. I want to start knitting some more blankets again. 

Then went to help roommate with doctor's visit. Working on my lists for 24 in 2024 while I am going with people to doctor's appointments. Going to another visit with roommate G tomorrow which will give me more time to work on the lists. 

Decluttering has been going well. Now I just need to find someone who needs a lot of boxes which will help a lot if I can get them out of the house, garage, storage rooms, etc. I feel I am being attacked by cardboard.

Have done 50 year of translating in the parish I am working on in Switzerland in the past week - from 1624 to 1674. I am working my way backwards and forwards. Backwards, as it is easier to read the names now after having done some of the easier-to-read years and the earlier entries are awful, and forwards, to get up to 1710 when the parish split up. I have already indexed the records from 1710 to 1875 (when the available records stop) for the parish I need. But the earlier years are combined in a larger parish. I figured I might as well index the entire parish as the spelling for the online index on FamilySearch is terrible. Also apparently the indexers didn't know French and they mistake male and female children, late wives listed as the mother, father listed as mother several times, previous husband listed as father, occupation and place from being listed as last name, and other problems. It also only goes back halfway as they gave up with the handwriting about 1655. The records go back to 1557 so that is my goal this week. I am putting it into Excel so I can then arrange the records in alphabetical order and put the families together.  

ditty1234

Apologies for gap, its a busy week. @Thrifty_Taylor I didn't manage the yoga during the week, but went to a dynamic yoga class, felt like 45 min of squatting, so not sure if I can get out of bed. 
I did my budget week for £27, there is still so much food in the house and the boy did a shop, so that is a first. 

I am grateful for Friday
For scheduled cover work
For a planned day in London tomorrow and next Saturday. 

Have a good Friday, apologies for not being caught up with reading. 

ldee2111

Yesterday was NSD 7.

Work was fine until the last hour when two technology dramas came along at the same time! Did what I could to help resolve the problems and left information with colleagues to continue the process in my absence if more issues pop up. Grateful to be off Fridays! 

Went to aqua aerobics with Mum and had a nice steam, sauna and shower afterwards. It was very busy with all the new keen beans in January.

Looking forward to doing my reading volunteering at DS’s school later this morning, and taking another bag to the CS after OH did some decluttering of clothes(!) Obviously he’s replaced them with new ones but getting rid of stuff instead of adding to his stuffed side of the wardrobe is a big step for my OH! 

Hope everyone has peaceful or productive day - whatever one you need x

grandmanerd

Yesterday was a good day. I had to be downstairs by 8 am for a delivery  (drinks and a  few food bits to go with what I  already have). Very tired even though I'd slept for hours straight through (well until about 3 am) so huddled on the couch with a duvet. Food was nowhere in sight (they eventually sent an email saying there had been a problem and it  was running late.

However when I did get off the couch I managed to put a load of washing on, used a hoe to hook one end of the broken washing line back over the apple tree support arches. Two rags brought in, one pillow protector added to the wash load - the other end will have to wait a while as it  is heavier (a throw and a mattress protector) and is on the floor  and entangled/ behind the larger tubs and bins. 

Made a bung it in the oven lunch finishing off the parsnips, started the second bags of wedges (conflicting offers) and 2 lamb samosas (party food and part of a meat order) when the delivery had arrived (only slightly outside the delivery window). Took 3 books back to the library wearing a face mask and a warm scarf wrapped round my lower  face (for f0xh0les benefit, I was wearing normal clothes as well). A  couple of sit downs in the library, glanced over the free books and set off back to the house. Brought the emptied bin back with me too.. So that's the furthest I've been since I arrived back from DS1's on Boxing Day.

I picked up  and rolled several  lengths off bubble wrap and foam fabric that had been packaging (and are now part of my moving those 2 on arsenal). Took a pile of pizza boxes out to the bins and weighed them down with bricks. Both bns are currently full but a lot of air trapped inside so I'm squashing it all and hope to get at least  one more full bin bag in each before next Tuesday.

All my outstanding appointments are now scheduled  over the next 2 weeks (went through my phone to find the one that's  next week and I will go through again noting any numbers I might lose if/ when me phone dies.

I also did lots and lots of washing up. At least 3 sink loads (probably more because there were other changes for fresh hot water. As much as I  could  fit on the rack  - I now have one tea towel, I saw it last week but concentrated on the washing and will put it away today. I was cold and exhausted so  had a takeaway tea and came upstairs once it arrived. I have various sauces and bits in the fridge to use up but couldn't stand up any longer.

had a shower to help me get warm and was ready ffor sleep by 9 pm.

Grateful for better skin (no redness, muddy complexion or peeling), getting better (tired but much much better) and getting things done (about as much in a day as I have managed in a week for the past few weeks). 

DS3 is downstairs so I'm staying up here for now. I've had my pills, eaten and am washed and dressed and will take it from there. Big hugs for everyone.

Flying_By

So sorry that you didn't have a good night's sleep @Toni'sfriend, it's horrible when one's brain refuses to be quiet. Hoping you get some quality zzzzzzs tonight. Big hugs xx

Flying_By

I love your candle @beanielou, it really lifts the soul x  @ditty1234 I hope you managed to get up from bed after what sounds like 'extreme' yoga, I doubt if I'd have been able to make it up off my yoga mat 
Enjoy your visits to London!

Flying_By

@grandmanerd So glad you are feeling better, remember not to overdo things though! xx