NST April 2024: April appreciation

f0xh0les

Just had a ransom demand from DS4s school, a trip to Spain in February next year, leaving on Thursday, returning on Sunday £780 !!  He will not be going.

beanielou

f0xh0les said:

Just had a ransom demand from DS4s school, a trip to Spain in February next year, leaving on Thursday, returning on Sunday £780 !!  He will not be going.

That’s really ridiculous. 

Toni'sfriend

That's awful. Beannie. Why do schools do this. Lots of parents just cannot afford that amount of money but will struggle to do so just because they don't want to disappoint their children and make them feel they've been left out. My cousin's granddaughter went on a school trip to New York. £2000 and that was a while ago. I thought these trips were all about education and bonding so what's wrong with going camping or something here. Lots of lovely countryside and history all around the uk.

I'm still on NSD No 7.

Saw the surgeon today and am feeling so much more positive. 

Hope your brother is doing OK, Dawn, It's hard going and you are doing amazingly well supporting him.

Love to all. xxx

DawnW

Glad to hear of positive news from your surgeon @Toni'sfriend

My brother is ok-ish. He had his last chemo yesterday, for now anyway. He needs to go for a scan tomorrow and consultant appointment on the 23rd. We should know more after that. He has quite a nasty cough again, and is complaining of discomfort between his shoulder blades. He has had remarkably little pain though, and takes only paracetamol. He hasn't needed any prescription pain relief so far, which I was surprised about as his lungs are in such a state and his cancer has spread to other areas. Surgery isn't an option for him sadly.

In other news, shopping today, and I got a nice £1.50 box from L*DL

Had a local company come round to quote to replace the small ensuite bathroom in our loft conversion. We have had awful leaks which have also affected the main bathroom below it, so that will need doing at some point too. Houses! Still, we are lucky to have one, and to have the money available to maintain it. I guess I could probably claim on the insurance for the damage caused by the leak, but then the premium would go up etc etc, so I would rather just get it sorted independently, especially as I want an upgrade anyway. There is no rush at the moment, as the damage is fairly superficial, if a bit unsightly. It is perfectly usable. The ensuite is more important because it currently can't be used at all due to the leaks.

Awful windy, cold weather is putting me off going out into the garden to do some small jobs. perhaps it will be better tomorrow morning. I do need to go out an pick some herbs to go in tonight's dinner though!

f0xh0les

I think I am on NSD 2. Lots of silly little spends.  So I totted up my penny jar and will put my £15+ of purest bronze into the bank this week. It has sat around for ages but I don't often use cash anymore...
Closed another two bank accounts with pants interest rates (online). I will close another two in branch when I drop off my shrapnel.  It is time to tidy up the finances.... 
Cleaned my window bottoms today, disgusting! I need to re-silicon seal them, I rubbed, bits came off. Sproing! At least it is white again though. 
I have made the base of tomorrow's supper tonight, to try and get ahead of myself and to make sure nothing in the fridge gets wasted.  Sad leeks, celery, and suspicious carrots have been rescued, and added to pearl barley and stock. It will be a one pot wonder. 🤔  Made a coleslaw with a very sad white cabbage half, and more carrots of a dubious nature 90% disappeared with supper.  Carrot sticks have been chopped for snacks with hummus (insert as many o's as you like, it depends on the poshness of your supermarket). I still have a pack of short crust and 10+ peppers to rescue, but that is something to ponder tomorrow. 
Hope you have all had a relaxing and calm day, mine was, as soon as I had cut up a carpet, rolled and tied it, and dragged it down 3 flights of stairs 😁

Thrifty_Taylor

Thanks @f0xh0les, I'm in awe of all you do! Hope you can sit down & chill soon 😃

Pleased you had good news today @Toni'sfriend, & things are looking more positive.

NSD#7

Well I slept better than I thought I would with the BP cuff inflating every hour. Didn't think I'd manage yoga very easily, with the bag holding the machine swinging round everywhere 😂 so just practiced Norwegian instead. Read whilst I ate breakfast, then did the ironing.

Raining heavily, & the front door handle gave up the ghost, so DH stayed home to try & cobble something together (so glad we live in a place where unlocked doors are common & burglaries are rare!), & I went to the doctor's.  The nurse was lovely, she gave me an excellent report for my BP, & fed back that all my bloods are ok, no sign of diabetes either. Confirmed that the GP had done a referral to the eye clinic, so hopefully should hear something soon. Great to have some good news!

Phoned mum, then put washing on the airer. Had a nap, then finished sewing the memory bears. The lady is coming to colly them tomorrow. They look cute!

Grateful for good news at the doctor's, finishing the bears so I can now relax, DS3 coming home tomorrow & bringing his GF too

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for scoring a good f+v box, for Pip realising that he has been using CBT or similar without really realising it, for easy travel to and from Lunnon, for finding the country's most expensive charity shop (a jacket for £86 anyone? Or a cap for £8?), for a lovely lovely security man in c0sta who found us seats and then told us when much nicer ones became available and he loitered by them until we got there so no-one else could nab them.

grandmanerd

Sorry for the lack of input, nothing much is happening here. Some better days but others when I can hardly move.

Grateful for all the things I can do, easy food, lots of rest, the turtle gang 

f0xh0les

@Thrifty_Taylor All I am doing right now is listening to drilling and hammering on both sides from 7.40-5pm non stop. It has been two weeks on one side, and nearly 14 months on the other. I am literally fit to murder someone. I think one side is drilling out all the mortar 🧱 before repointing the very long party wall. The other side (pretend builders) completely took the roof off and have been putting the woodwork back up for over three weeks.

I am so stressed out. They have not even had the decency to knock on the door and give me a timeline. It is torture. 

 As soon as Mr Carpets-Measurer comes and goes I am leaving the house for the day. 

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 8

Lovely cousin has been to visit bearing gifts. A tiger loaf, a packet of lemon whirls, a homemade fruit load and two huge bunches of flowers. Himself had just been to Aldi and bought another two bunches. The living rooms looks like a florist. it was lovely to see her. She so cheers me up.

The Boy has just phoned. He's been offered a really good amount for his flat and wanted to know what I thought. Grab it I said. More or less what his father said as well. Two pieces of good news in a couple of days. 

Trying to see if I could eat some sea bass and vegetables for dinner tonight. Fingers crossed. Couldn't eat my porridge this morning. It tasted disgusting. I do hope this goes away soon. xxxx