NST February Forgiveness

DawnW

Evening all

My plan to put a couple of boxes of stuff out on the wall for people to help themselves was scuppered because it rained. I will try again tomorrow.

Shopping this morning, so I am still on NSD#2. Batch cooking tomorrow morning.

Felt a bit migraine-y this morning, as I did last night, so went to bed for a short time when we got back from shopping. However, I didn't get to sleep so got up again.

Made some butterfly cakes with whipped cream and HM jam ready for when DD and the GCs came round this afternoon. They went down well - GD says I should enter bake off I explained to her that I only do simple things and not the fussy complicated baking that would be required, and besides, I really couldn't be doing with all the drama   I will be teaching her to make butterfly cakes sometime soon though.

The kids made a mess making dens upstairs so I will need to sort that out, ready for my brother to stay overnight tomorrow ready for hospital on Monday.

Feeling better now, so I will make pesto pasta for dinner. I have pesto out of the freezer so it will be quick and easy. Then I will watch Simon Reeve's wildlife programme on the TV and continue reading one of the books on my pile after that. Not intending to be late to bed!

Rowan9

I keep meaning to watch Simon Reeve’s programme, thanks for reminder. 

I enjoyed a pottering day, nice chat with the butcher. Got mince and some black pud slices. Cooked the mince with chunks carrot and swede and the white pudding I got from him last week. Mince and mealie if there is anyone here from Aberdeenshire. Or maybe other areas call it mealie pudding. 

Again I did some jobs in 5 min chunks or bits of time, exercises too. Nothing hugely strenuous though! 

Gratitudes today 
1. Longer walk right round park with dog and DH. Really enjoyed the sunshine 
2. Good books from library. I really appreciate ours and use it a lot
3. Lovely phone call with my sister 


 

ladybird1106

Had great plans for the allotment, but between the weather and DH feeling poorly again it didn't happen. Took myself off on a couple of dog walks, so 10,000 steps easily done. Finished my book whilst DH watched the rugby and snacked on crisps. No money spent. 
Grateful for 
1. Time to relax 
2. A good book
3. Pre-made tea that just needed reheating.
Love 🐞

f0xh0les

Today I pushed all the pots and planters back where they should be in the back yard after the scaffold was taken down.   95% is still alive.  Put the header tanks in their new places, waiting for compost and planting up. Tidied up all the builders mess, and I have enough spare wood left over to make a couple more planters for free. Was surprised to see how many plants have little sprouts on them already.  Spring is on it's way.  So 75% of the yard is ready for action,  all swept and tidy. The last 25% is for another day.

Sorted DS3s passport 'Identity Verification' by a friend. It was an online application, did it Sunday night, posted passport back to them on Monday, was received on Wednesday, asked for ID verification Friday, did it this morning, it was approved before lunchtime, being printed today, will be returned next week.  I think it is going to be a ten day turnaround, in case anyone was wondering.

Did gloss painting today.  I think I might have gone a little snow blind. White gloss skirts under white walls,  and same again tomorrow. It is not a job that has to be done often, so I am tolerating it without complaint.

Gratitudes - my plants not being dead, tasty cake in the fridge, another few jobs knocked off the list, having motivation, because I know at some point it is going to fall off, so I will keep on going while it lasts.

DrCarrie

Evening all

NSD#2 today.

I am back on a tight, tight budget due to silliness at work and the need to enact my plan for escaping. Need an emergency fund. 

Been hanging out in my new home today with a bit of housework and a walk in a nature reserve just up the road. 

Grateful for 
- I think I saw a greenfinch and Jay
- a gorgeous patch of bright magenta cyclamen on by the path 
- my sofa and TV area in my new home - I have named it the Cwtch 

Starlight_at_Sea

I'm glad you have a plan DrC, and good luck saving towards it!   Well done on 75% there garden haven in which to rest ones weary decorating arms F0xh0les. Thanks for sharing the signs of spring  

Some progress today: 
Cooked roast with cousin, loads of veggies for us and her kids, plated up extra meals for our collection  of older relatives, have bought 2 back for dad for next few days  

Made Dahl - 2 portions for freezer

£2 in old pound coins paid into my bank account at the post office - really straightforward to do.  

Not a NSD - got fuel, but not much just in case car gives up on me completely this month. or I on it. 

Explored cashback in order to order the shelves for lodgers room while the sale was on; in doing so found I had £29.75 in a tpcashbk account from 2019. Thanks 2019 me! Have withdrawn to bank account as no plans to spend immediately in any of the stores where they add to your amount of you withdraw in gift cards etc.. Popped off to have a look at £co which I think is the other main one - also had an account there, but it did not hace a pot of gold within it sadly.

So, am just over £30 up, or £37 if you count the delay repay that's on its way. 

Have synchronised calendars for the whole year with my cousin, and we are swapping 'cover' for each other with our respective elder parents so we can each get away for a short break with a bit less guilt and more reassurance!  Also did this with dad and we are planning a couple of days visiting an old friend the other side of the country in march, fingers crossed. 

A couple of 5 min cleans focussed on the area in dad's house I want to sort out first. After doing the calendars was able to recycle / burn two old ones that had been lingering in this area. Popped into my flat for an hour on the way home to dad's and did a bit of a blitz-clean as I had left it really messy yesterday after work. 

Hope all other turtles are doing ok this weekend  

Thrifty_Taylor

Well done in all the hard work you've been doing. Thank you for the inspiring posts @grandmanerd. Happy anniversary @ladybird1106. Happy new house @DrCarrie & enjoy your trip away @Toni'sfriend.

A busy day yesterday, took car to the garage & got a lift to & from work with my work bestie. Work went ok, but a long day.

Went to mum's for tea, then had Wool Club with my friend. She thought it hilarious that I'd blocked her on Duolingo, as she'd used an abbreviated name, which I thought was another lady who's no longer with us! Unblocked now 😂 stayed the night at mum's.

Me & mum dropped sewing off, did the food shop, then looked in 2 CS. DH has mentioned he'd like to go fishing from the end of a pier, so in one CS I snapped up a landing net for £2, which will save for his birthday next month.

Put the shopping away. Was going for a blustery walk, but it started pouring with rain, so had a nap for half an hour, then tidied a part of my bedroom.

After tea I sat knitting & watched both Top Gun films with DS1 (who'd never seen them before) & DH.

Grateful for time with friends & mum, a skirt fitting that I didn't think would any longer, film night, more decluttering, that my car passed its MOT without needing additional work, peach loop sweets from L1DL

grandmanerd

Sunday February 4th 2024

February Flowers
In addition to the violet we  have the primrose which symbolises faithfulness, humility and spiritual wisdom and the iris whose three upright petals represent faith, valour and wisdom.  The French fleur-de-ys is based on the iris.

If your birth flower (February birthdays) is the violet you maintain your cool in difficult situations and work hard to get out of them. Your intuitive ability is worth mentioning. You have very strong willpower. You are original and mature. You don't copy others. 

I don't think people with February birthdays are going to argue with any of that. I think we should all take on the belief that things will get better, the ability to get on with things quietly and calmly, and dogged persistence when faced with setbacks. 

grandmanerd

Yesterday wasn't very productive but things got done, which is enough (knees and other bits were aching when I woke and didn't get a lot better). I went downstairs for lunch (DS3 beat me going downstairs and I thought I might need the whole couch to stretch out on), did a little sorting and gathering in my room (one of my goals for today is to tackle the top of a chest of drawers but it's lots of random stuff that mostly needs to be kept).

Lots went out to the recycling - 3 sacks of cans at least and I think there's a small bag's worth in the kitchen. I really hate the kitchen. So much stuff that needs moving (can't do more washing up until the clean pots are put away and getting them across the room and into the higher cupboards (things I'm keeping, so putting them in the less accessible spaces). That's before i can move the bags off the floor (+ more random carp) - and the bags are stopping me moving about the kitchen freely. 

Anyway, clean clothes came in (not upstairs yet), WM was emptied and the soft toys went in.  Came back upstairs, outlined a running order for some of the things that need doing and investigated whether the merino wool covers could be dry cleaned - short answer is no. Clothes can go in the WM on a wool wash with gentle detergent so  that might be okay for the pillowcases (I washed one by hand and it's a lot better). The best way to tackle the large merino wool items is the way I did it at mum's - put them over the line to air and spot wipe any marks. 

Think that will have to wait until summer and I will probably need help. So for the time being I may have to bundle them up with parcel tape and perhaps use them as bolster pillows (will take up too much space on the floor).

Grateful for getting things done, my bed, the serial I'm watching (on the last episode now and was torn as I want to watch but wanted something still to watch today), easy food. Ate grapes and cold rice last night as I needed to eat something but wasn't very hungry  and definitely didn't want to go back downstairs.

Small wins - drank 3 l of water and 1  this morning (also plenty of opportunities to practice my five minute exercises, reaching for chocolate (DS3 gave it to  me) , knowing I wasn't hungry (maybe bored) and leaving it - I then ate it but very slowly, mindfully and relished every bite. noting my going to sleep and waking times and they're getting nearer to  where I want them.  

f0xh0les

Public Service Announcement

International Pancake Awareness Day is on 13th February (Tuesday)