NST January 2024: This is Sparta!

apple_muncher

grandmanerd - I hadn't twigged that this birthday was the important birthday! Extra congratulations for getting there in one piece with your sanity intact!

beanielou

So glad that you have reached retirement @grandmanerd.
Belated happy birthday to you.
You inspire me to keep going xx

laura_lau

Belated Happy Birthday @grandmanerd and congratulations on it being the retirement one!

@Toni'sfriend I'm glad to hear about the positive confidence of the surgeon. Takeaway was definitely needed!

@Thrifty_Taylor thanks for sending the name of the pattern, I looked it up and it's so pretty! Glad you are finding the time to make a bit of progress with it.

I just wanted to do a little summary post for January, as I've been a little bit absent in the last few days.

The positives:

1. I have managed to do the 16 NSD's (think I did 17 actually), which at a certain point of the month looked very difficult, so I am very pleased with the result.
2. I am slightly ahead with the "save 1p a day" challenge, I am already setting aside the February amount, so pleased about that too
3. Having survived January, which is always a long and stressful month for me, and had even additional (mainly financial) stressors this year, and as usual I am very grateful about the support from this group.

The negatives:

1. had lots of ideas and plans, and barely managed to keep up with any of them. I am thinking of making February a lower expectations month, instead of aiming to build up to do the big things, I want to keep my aim lower and try to be on top of the small things and consider every single one of them an achievement, and hopefully in a few weeks or few months I will have tackled the big things, by putting together every single micro-achievement
2. I have also failed in creating healthier habits, so I will try and apply the same approach. I spent these last few days of January thinking and preparing for it, so I feel more positive and confident about February.

Thank you @apple_muncher for the magnificent thread this month, and hope to see you all in February!

f0xh0les

🎂🎂 🍾🥂🍾  or 🍇 🥒🥒🍅 🥪🥪 you celebrate your way @grandmanerd.  Congratulations in making it to the auspicious age of governmental designated worth. Watch out, you are now their target audience. 
 Hope everyone and the chinchilla (in lieu of a dog) is spoiling you rotten in Hallmark card fashion. 
In celebration of your magnificent news, I have just put up a new washing line in your honour, ( think Elizabeth Line but more useful) via a wobbly ladder in the yard, and leaning out of the first floor window to feed the pulley contraption and then realising that there were only ever 2  screws holding the winder-bob-thing in the wall, because there are only two holes in the bricks but 4 holes in the metal housing .  Why is everything in this house a  j.a.w  job (just about works) ?  It is really starting to annoy me.  Each job makes the house better. 
Did a lot of painting this morning, and dancing while painting, and then watching and waiting for the delivery 🚚. Used my new extension pole to do the corner-of-death at the top of the stairs in a totally painless fashion, so feeling very smug - unlike when I had to strip wallpaper off it. Many bad words were said that day. 
And if no one else is spoiling you, then spoil yourself - you are now a national treasure and a protected species of 🐢. 

Starlight_at_Sea

congratulations grandmanerd! I wish you an empty sofa on which to repose and take stock of national treasure status.  I am not as organised or as industrious as Foxholes, but do have an activity today I can carry out in your honour... a much needed bra-fitting appointment, as an investment in my long term health! Not quite as impressive as having a washing line named for you! 

f0xh0les

@grandmanerd is now an important part of the national infrastructure!  Keeping the girls in order.

Toni'sfriend

Happy birthday, Grandmanerd.  An true inspiration to one and all.

The appointment today was the results of the scan on Friday. No more areas of concern. Cheers, please, everyone. It was my last worry. And to just go over that I was happy with how things were progressing. My appointment with the surgeon and this one were a bit the wrong way round but actually worked out better.

So, hopefully, a few weeks respite from hospital visits. Himself and I have been planning days out. Fingers crossed the atrocious weather doesn't scupper our plans. xxx

f0xh0les

Atrocious weather is a great excuse for a coffee and cake looking out a cafe window @Toni'sfriend  it does not matter what the weather is doing when you are loved and with the one's who love you (that includes all us reprobates on here as well), oh - toot toot! and yay! in equal measure.

DawnW

Great news @Toni'sfriend - enjoy your days out. Hope the weather is kind to you.

Happy birthday @grandmanerd   

Lots done at home today, which is just as well as I am working tomorrow and Friday, and have hospital appointments to take my brother to next week.

Walked the dog, washed my hair, stripped and remade the bed, washed the bedding (almost dry on the line, now on airer), helped OH take down some internal bifold doors that we decided could go. I have put these on both freecycle and FB marketplace free to collect, and I was amazed by a) how many people don't know what bifold doors are, or how to google, and b) how many people don't read the measurements or can't measure! So many messers! I could just take them to the tip, which would be easier, but a shame, as they are nice, solid pine with pretty etched glass, and could easily be used again! Also made a frittata for dinner (and beyond), some apple puff things and an apple crumble, cleaned the bathroom, ironed some cushion covers, etc etc, phew!

I now need to sort out some items to take to my sales unit tomorrow morning.

Grateful for getting loads done - not grateful for FB messers!

apple_muncher

Whoop whoop Toni'sfriend! A fab way to end the month.

I feel like January has just zoomed by without me noticing!

I've not exactly worked on the Rule of one, but we had a massssssive tidy up about 10 days ago, and it has mostly remained clear. I love having the dining table back as a table rather than a dumping place. This has also tied in with improving my surroundings and making space in my home.

My mental and physical health are always works in progress, but they have both received a due amount of attention this month. I have also done some crafting.

Me and dh have talked about money, where it is and what to do with it. I have sorted out accessing my payslips for my invigilating. I have had 19 NSDs.

Thank you all for coming along for the ride with me. See you on the other side!