NST January 2024: This is Sparta!

laura_lau

@f0xh0les you made me laugh out loud with your story of chasing the scrapman around gardens! I played the scene in my head very cartoon-like, and it was hilarious! Totally agree with you, unless agreed with owners, taking stuff from inside the fence is just theft! Also loving your energy and productivity this January, I'm really rather moody and hibernating, but every time I read your posts I feel I want to get lots of things done!
@ditty1234 definitely positive news, and I'm keeping positive thoughts that further good news comes your way soon.
@DawnW I'm keeping you and your brother in my thoughts today, hope the appointment went well.
@Toni'sfriend keeping you in my thoughts too, sending positive vibes for your next appointments. Hope you are able to have a few relaxing days, after your trip to Edinburgh.
@Thrifty_Taylor glad to hear your DS1 is safely on his way home! How's your knitting going? You tickled my curiosity, I definitely don't need any new patterns, since I already have a rather long queue, but I can't resist the appeal of the discovery!

Weekend was good and uneventful. Saturday and yesterday, I tried to focus and catalogue my yarn stash (I have a lot) as one of my crafty objectives for the year is to use my existing yarn stash as much as possible, and only buying if strictly necessary or after a significant chunk of the stash has been used. To do this, I really needed to have a good idea of what I already have, and I filled 3 zip-bags with leftovers! I still have to catalogue 1 box and 1 basket, then I will go through different ideas to use up the leftovers I have, and then the new yarn I bought in the past without a clear project for it in mind.
This was also a good mindful activity, as I've been feeling lots of anxiety in the last couple of weeks. My anxiety goes up and down, but in certain times it goes really through the roof, without me being able to pin point an exact reason that triggered it. I think in this particular time it was a combination of lots of things, and also, weirdly, I figured a few years ago that the wind always unsettles me a lot, so for example this last storm this past weekend and today has added up. Trying to ground myself in the knowledge that, by the time I leave the house tomorrow morning, the storm will have passed.

Went to the pub on Saturday night with OH for game night (there's a lady who bring dozens of board games which you can rent to play there) and to meet some of the people from book/crochet club and line dancing. IT was really nice, and I'm so happy last year I took the courage to join these clubs, so after 2 and a half years living in this neighborhood I can now say I know a couple of people!

Today is NSD #13 (or 14, I don't remember! The exact number is in my signature!), next NSD will (hopefully) be on Thursday.

Toni'sfriend

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. Laura. And everyone else as well. You really don't have any idea how much it means to me.

So NSD No 14. Well, there was absolutely no way I was going out in that weather and if it's like this tomorrow it's a taxi to the restaurant and to hell with the expense. Everything being put into perspective.

Another letter from the hospital for yet another appointment with yet another doctor. I still have a smile on my face (might not be feeling quite so happy underneath but I'm still showing that happy face to the world).

Made fishcakes with haddock and smoked salmon. They are looking nice and should be ok when they firm up. In fridge at the moment. Watched the Vera we missed when we were away and Himself made me some scrambled egg for lunch. I so need to lose weight but it just won't budge. Medication I'm led to believe. So it's just a matter of accepting it until I can do something about it.

Still really windy and wet here. Hope everyone stays safe. xxxx

grandmanerd

Good news ditty. Yesterday was quiet and restful for me. i followed Beanie's  example and did lots of reading in bed. I  sent out for a Sunday dinner (birthday treat) as it was just what I wanted, with a piece of chocolate fudge cake (eaten today) and a peri peri chicken noodle box (last night's  supper and breakfast today). Spent far less than I would previously have done and the defrosted prawns and the twin pack gammon steak (3 for whatever deal  on the last food delivery) means I have enough for  meals for the rest of the week. One off the gammon steaks may become 'bacon' soup to use up a bag of frozen sprouts or I may have 2 meals with chips/ wedges/ veg/ depending on what I have most of in the freezer (cauli/ broc florets and Med veg are already defrosted, there are some ends of sauces in the fridge and plenty more jars if they aren't viable).

I will be doing a (mainly) food order as I have a code for 20% off if I spend over £70 and there were a lot of half price items in their household sale (more glamorous stuff like shower curtains and washing up  bowls) that are on the need list.

DS1 and darling d-i-l both sent birthday greetings featuring the grand puppy and her mother sent me virtual flowers. DS1 apologised for the lack of presents - he offered to pay for the  grand clean up after they have left but backed off a little when  I said the last one cost over £1500 (3 cleaners for a full day and over 100 bags of stuff left the house). i mentioned my puzzle book subscription and he hasn't cancelled it so that will run for another year and I have said that there will be various house things I need/ want once I've adjusted to my new layout - I will need an armchair (with a high back and other supportive features) and have seen some lovely bed spreads (but more of a want than an actual need).

I had to be downstairs before 10 am this morning as my pill delivery was due and DS3 was sleeping. My latest pill was included so I've started those. DS3 came down shortly before they arrived and then petitioned for me to go back upstairs. I'd asked him to collect the emptied bins and bring them up to the house. He interpreted this as bringing them next to the back wall (rather than the car park  wall) but rectified this morning and many bags of stuff have been deposited (couldn't take them while the snow patches were at the bottom of the yard and only having to go 2 steps outside means I can do many more trips.

Ate downstairs and set another wash load off before I came upstairs. Stuff on the line is nearly dry but some of it had wrapped round the line so needed to finish off.

Grateful for retirement, relaxing, good entertainment and easy food options.

beanielou

Another successful Waitrose delivery today. 

Such lovely drivers & so helpful.  

Thought of you @grandmanerd as they bring into the house & help me unpack. 

Most of what I order is Essential Waitrose. 

apple_muncher

Birthday wishes from the apple household too, grandmanerd. Ordering Sunday lunch in, and reading in bed both sound like an excellent way to spend a birthday.

How are you all doing with the storm? We had a fence panel blow down and smash itself up, but it wasn't on the side where they have a big woofie canine, phew.

Today I am grateful for pip going to school, for going to the gym and bumping into some people I've not seen in a while, for doing some money admin so we know what's what, for Battlebots, for scoring a good f+v box at liddle.

f0xh0les

Happy birthday 🎂🎂 🎈🎈🎈 @grandmanerd. Sounds lovely. Take the best of care of you.  Hope you get your living room back soon, you should be able to be in whatever room you please in your own house, at whatever time you fancy (well, maybe not their bedroom). 
Went volunteering, went working, came straight back home and made pasties, so when DH came home, in a  flap about getting the food ready, he saw me slipping a baking tray into the oven and he got to complain about his day instead. 
Going to have a lovely bath and condition my hair and prep for leaving the house at 7.00 tomorrow morning. 
Gratitudes :  ready made pastry blocks, chocolate truffles, hot water on tap, my DH. 

ldee2111

NSD 12.

So incredibly tired today after much drama in our house last night. It started with me being woken by someone rattling the bedroom door. I wandered out of bed in the pitch dark to inspect and found the loft hatch open! Went downstairs to get OH... who was not in the living room where I left him, or in the kitchen, or in any of the bedrooms, or in the cupboard waiting to give me a scare... started to hyperventilate as my sleepy head realised someone had broken in via the loft and abducted OH! Tried phoning OH... no answer... started half-shouting for him (trying not to wake and panic DS)... no answer... TIME TO CALL THE POLICE! Just as I was about to call 999, I saw a dark shadow moving about the back garden, the neighbour's security light clicked on to reveal OH chasing footballs and plant pots around the garden. 

Grateful today for OH not being abducted, for only having a small section of our roof taken by Storm Isha (although she has ripped apart our garden storage container and the fence is about to topple), for an easy dinner that only needed reheating a batch-cooked pasta sauce, and for leftover cake from OH's cousin's birthday party yesterday.  

DawnW

Hello all,

Thanks for good wishes re my brother. Today's appointment went as expected. They can't cure his cancer, but may be able to slow down its progress, and alleviate any symptoms. We need to see the oncologist next to find out what is possible. The appointment is tomorrow, so 2 days running at the hospital. It is what it is. He is here at home with us still, as his appointment is at 9.20 am and I am always keen to avoid as many traffic snarl ups as possible. This way I can avoid the one getting into the next town which is where his flat is situated, so we only have the city rush hour one to deal with in the morning.

I escaped to my workplace for a short while this afternoon, tidied up my sales unit and had a coffee with colleagues. Then picked up a few bits from the supermarket before coming home. We had run out of a couple of things - I normally shop on a Tuesday but might not get time tomorrow. I have totally lost track of NSDs. Today certainly wasn't one, with hospital parking and a coffee while we waited, then some shopping. OH helped cook dinner and did most of the washing up. Feeling a bit more relaxed now, and ready for the next episode. My brother seems happy enough, watching TV with a cup of tea at the moment. Not sure how much he is taking in.

apple_muncher

ldee- that must have been a humongous adrenaline rush!

Thrifty_Taylor

NSD#12

Happy birthday @grandmanerd, sounds like a lovely time.
Pleased you got positive news @ditty1234.
Glad that your brother's op went as well as can be @DawnW.
@Esmeralda2662, I hope you get your finger sorted soon, it sounds painful! If you type in the cheesecake, you'll find the easy recipe on N3tmums. It used up the fudge I received from a pupil in a present.
@laura_lau the pattern was bought from 3tsy, if you look up K@tie Gr33n, it's the Fairy Ring pattern. Well done on logging your wool. Last year, I didn't a happy few hours decanting all my bags & cardboard boxes of wool into storage crates. It was fantastic & felt like I had my very own wool shop 🥰

The storm woke me up twice, as it was blowing straight on to our bedroom window. Gusts were recorded of 108mph up here 🤯 had been mentions if potential school closures & no school buses, but it all went ahead.

My pupil was off today, so got to.dpend time with other children, which was nice. DS3 had his first 2 prelims.

DS1 has managed to get from Hong Kong to Edinburgh (by lunchtime today), but his plane tonight was cancelled, so he is currently trying to keep warm in the airport until his flight tomorrow morning. I told him to get his sleeping bag out. Tried phoning the airport, but no customer service staff there after mid-afternoon.

Another bit if potentially sad news, DH has to have further blood tests on Wed, to check if his CMV has returned. If it has, he may have to fly to Aberdeen hospital again & stay a month + 😓

DS1's car didn't pass it's MOT, so won't get it back til the end of the week, once the part has arrived. I phoned a different garage, where my car is booked in tomorrow afternoon for s windscreen replacement. The plan was to postpone it, til we had another car home, as I wouldn't be able to get to work, only for the mechanuc tell me that he has a car I could use, whilst he fixes mine 😍 it made my day! He's a good chap, I used to work in his daughter's class a few years ago.

Replaced a zip in some jeans, & shortened another pair after tea. Haven't had chance to knit for a couple of days, but hope to again soon.

Grateful for DS being closer, the NHS keeping on top of DH's transplant/recovery, mechanics with cars to be borrowed, a nice day at work & that nothing was damaged here in the storm