NST A May Meditation

Starlight_at_Sea

loving the sound of the hammock @Thrifty_Taylor. I am delighting in my bench by the front door, it's proving a perfect spot for sitting with a cuppa first thing in the morning, on the mornings I am at the flat anyway. 

I have had a very lovely few days, indulging in the company of friends and family, making memories as they say. I've completed another trip around the sun this weekend and much merriment has occurred, involving not a drop of alcohol on my part.

 We had a BBQ on the beach one evening, was lovely to see DD reunited with her younger cohort of cousins, who of course adore her as the cool older but still young relative...I probably won't get a look in for their attention until she is back the other side of the pond. Also lovely to be with a few of my generation cousins, and to see my dad and his sister nattering away watching us from the beach hut. Wasn't a NSD as I bought too much food and from a farm shop too, but I think that will mean there are treats in the store cupboard and the freezer for much of the next month. 🇺🇦D made the most amazing birthday cake, she is really talented, and was helped via facetime by her mum who is still in 🇺🇦 - so kind. My lodger also came to visit, and we swam together, it was lovely. DD and I ended the night looking at stars in the hot tub which was a warm tub at the time, but I adjusted the temperature and it was lovely the next day. Well worth it for those few hours of chatting and relaxing together. 

I had brunch out with DD, and tried a new local cafe, ticking a few things off my list of things I have been meaning to try sometime. We ended up back at the beach where there was a protest swim going on, to raise awareness of water quality. We joined in a tad spontaneously, I'm not sure going in in a bra and pants when there were drones taking photos and lots of video footage for the news etc was a great idea. Anyway, civic duty done! 

 I met some school friends for a night at the theatre, they hadn't seen DD for several years, but were a big part of her childhood. We bought the tickets yonks ago, so that didn't feel like an expensive night out. We went to a very reasonably priced veggie restaurant that we used to hang out in when we were college students and is amazingly still going, and still serving just the same things! 

Another morning, another swim with friends I haven't seen for a good four months or so, we took breakfast sarnies to the beach, I contributed BBQ leftovers. A good natter and home before our households stirred. Final treat was 🇺🇦D and DD taking me to a national trust place, used our memberships and just had to pay for DD. Cream tea courtesy of the voucher we got when we signed up for renewal online this year. So all in all, a lovely weekend, which has felt indulgent but not broken the bank (if we ignore the hot tub, which has definitely dented it!). 

Have some long planned work going on at the flat this week, tiler and plumber relocating some bits and then tiling so the walls have more protection and are easier to keep clean. I didn't really plan that very well as I could definitely have done with today just to rest. I could rest, but they were in and out of the bedrooms to get to the bathrooms, so I couldn't really go back to bed properly! Hence the bench-sitting and dozing in the car that has occurred. Am very happy with the tiles, most of which were seconds or if not seconds, they came off of fbk marketplace. Tiler seems to think they are just what's needed....so.... 🤞

Thrifty_Taylor

KajiKita said:

@Thrifty_Taylor, forgive me butting in (I’m following along and cheering you all on from the sidelines), but your machine seems to be giving you quite a bit of jip these days, from what I am reading. Does it need a service or is it time for a full overhaul or even replacement or upgrade? It’s just you seem to mention you are struggling with it quite a bit these days …

KK

Thanks KK, it could probably do with a service indeed. I bought it @18 months ago, so still quite new. There is a man on the island who dies service machines, but the last one I put to him hadn't really improved on its return! I think there is a man who comes down from Shetland occasionally, so will maybe see when he's next visiting our island. I think last night's problem was that I was using cheap needles, & the coat was quite thick, so maybe not compatible! Plus I was quite tired, which wouldn't have helped!!

Norwegian practiced & dinner for today & tomorrow made before breakfast. Will have to get back into my yoga again, before I stop completely.

Work was quite tricky at times. Luckily I could pop into the 'beauty parlour' & let the children try out the new things that have been added over the weekend 😊

At dinnertime, some of the nursery staff were going outside to eat & invited me along too. It was nice to be out of the building for s change, & sit in the sun.

A small spend on the way home, to post a homemade card to my auntie in America. Visited my friend who is recovering from a big operation. 

After tea I did some sewing, & noted income/expenditure in my folders.

Grateful for dinner outside, seeing my friend & 'pamper time'

grandmanerd

Went to the GPO to pay a bill, checked in at the EA (bungalow I wanted sold over the weekend, picked up a pasta box, withdrew some cash, went into the market to have 3 keys cut and bought orange tops to go on them (grandma's house), went in the worx for pb books (saw some things I wanted online but would have added to the order to get free postage (do not need more crafts or even the 10 for £10 picture books), went in stationer's to get strong cardboard files (concertina file ripped open last week which undid some of my sorting) resisting the lure of crafting, art supplies and stationery, went in the BS and made an appointment to open a savings account and went home exhausted. Messaged/ phoned DS2 later to tell him about my fall and chatted with grand-daughter.

Grateful for lots 

grandmanerd

Be Decisive. The road of life is paved with flat squirrels who couldn't make up their minds

apple_muncher

Starlight, those sound like wonderfully memorable times!

Today I am grateful for my neighbour who mows all our front lawns - and he did it before the rain arrived (I'm keeping part of the back grass for no mow May), for pottering on with my sewing whilst watching utube, for finding (and eating 🤣) a reduced gf steak and gravy pie (I've not had a pie in yonks!), for Pip coping with today's exam, for the rasps looking like they'll be loaded with fruit.

ditty1234

Well did my interview today and now it's just fingers and toes crossed!
Cleaned house, shopped, made pizzas, tomorrow is all about printing in the studio and framing. I think I need some leaf gold! 
Grateful for 5 min on couch, for dishwasher and for only eating 2 small slices of pizza as have grazed all day.

Thrifty_Taylor

🤞🤞🤞 @ditty1234

NSD#13
Did yoga, as had more time this morning. A different day at work, as pupil was off, but nice to work in other classes as well as my regular one for a change (& I still got to take part in art class😃)

Dashed away as soon as the bell rang, as had a massage booked. Watched an episode of a series with DH, only 1 ep left!

Did some tidying, then read 2 long chapters of my book in the bath.

Grateful for red poppies growing in the verges on both sides of the road, work going fine, a massage, a night off from sewing - proud that I didn't cave in & work through more of the pile!!

f0xh0les

Rain pounding on the bedroom window kept me awake since before 3am. Torrential! So I didn't make the kids ride their bikes to school.  Nobody wants to do a Physics exam in soggy trousers, in a cold hall.  That was my good deed for the day - well, that and picking them up. 
Banging continues - they are taking out the window frames now. It has so far taken them 4 days on one window, and most of the frame is still there. They are driving me insane. 🔨🔨🔨 torture. 
I replaced my first inner tube yesterday, with no anesthesia, then found out DS4 has been riding around with no flipping brakes. So a totally unscheduled bike service is on the cards. I have no spare funds for this, it will have to go on the credit card (unless I consult Dr Google).  I might be driving them to school and back for the last two days of term.  Petrol is in the car anyway so no spends on that, just my own time. 
Moved furniture around yesterday! Living room is finally totally tidy. The back room looks like a jumble sale though!  Still, it all has to be sorted anyway, before it can be released into the recycling/ reuse/ resale . Progress has been made.  DS3 made us all cookies from a packet mix he found in the pantry, and I made a tofu and spinach quiche ( which was a lot nicer than it sounds 😁 ) with sticky chilli chickpeas and salad. 
Chin up Turtle-friends🐢🐢🐢 it's nearly payday.  

grandmanerd

This busy materialistic nonsense is not for me. 
I belong in a witchy cottage in a forest somewhere with my books,
some berries and a pet fox or some !!!!!!
(Brooke Hampton)

lcc86

Evening turtles,

Didn't post yesterday as had a very long day at work, didn't get home until 9pm. Had to take some kids into Central London for an event, it was like herding cats and that was before they got into a fight... honestly... 

In other news, I was just pipped to the post by another candidate for the job I went for, but they have offered me the same role I'm doing now... I'm 99% sure I'm taking it, just waiting for them to confirm the salary is the same. I may even be cheeky and try to negotiate it up a little, worst they can do is say no. 

My S75 claim was successful which is a weight off my mind (and my debt). One thing that doesn't seem to be right is our energy bill, we keep getting more and more in debit even though we're going into summer. Need to get the smart meter out and also go through previous bills to see if something in particular is causing it. Look forward to that tedious task!