NST A May Meditation

Thrifty_Taylor

Enjoy your spa day @lcc86

NSD#15

Yoga & Norwegian done. Took a detour to the secondary school to collect a letter re: DS3'S course choices on my way to work. Had a good day, then emptied out the tadpole/froglet tank & brought them back home to go into our pond. We have also had a butterfly hatch out from its chrysalis in the classroom too!

Hung some washing out, then weeded more of the garden & listened to the radio. They played some good music 😃

More Norwegian, then watched a film & finished the body of my cardigan.

Grateful for wildlife/nature, discovering a plant I'd forgotten about hidden under the weeds, & a good film

grandmanerd

The jungle has been tamed, they even power washed all the flags. I have a pond (can be removed in a day for the price of a skip hire but it's okay for now).  They gave me a lift back home (phone ran out of credit when I was phoning the doctor's surgery and not sure if I need a new phone so don't want to put more credit on it yet - will probably nip to Tessimo in the morning). The grid seems to be blocked - we're hoping it's just soil and leaves that has fallen down. Tick one job off and another gets added.

Mr and Mrs Builder are back from their holibobs and I'm meeting them at grandma's house at 10.30 am tomorrow. I've spent on taxi fare, the gardening (both from the estate),, bacon barms because I was about to have something proper to eat when I got the call to go and check  that I was happy with the work done and my hands were shaking (low blood sugar), ordered a set of new tools for Henry, splashed out on a proper toilet brush (wood/ bristle/metal holder) and a pack of edible flower seeds (they were in my wish list and it popped up).

I have a lot of BH discounts in my emails - it's been so hard to get online for any length of time that I had 50 new promotional emails this morning and I unsubscribed from as many as i could last week. Some items are on my 'to buy' list so may take advantage of the discounts  -  not all of them obviously but May is the last good month for planting fruit bushes (starts again in November), I have 2 new duvet sets but no duvet and I need a new mattress (I'm going to rescue the current one but it would be easier if I had one to sleep on whilst I do that and there is a bed frame at grandma's)

Grateful for lovely gardeners, one big task ticked off (and done by someone else), eating more veg.

DawnW

Sorry, been awol for most of the month. My brother, who has cancer, had an episode 2 weeks ago today, and I had to call an ambulance. He was in hospital for a few days, then discharged himself still poorly, with very limited mobility and no kind of medical or care plan or way forward in place. So a very anxious time for me, with lots of hours spent on the phone and trying to find out information on what might be available to him, as well as looking after him as best I could, living 10 miles away. Anyway, all has settled down a bit now. He is being supported by a lovely community occupational therapist and the district nurses, who have liaised with the GP, and arranged an emergency carer visit each morning until the local council's Adult Services people properly assess his needs (I still go every afternoon or evening). His mobility has improved a little. Some days he is ok-ish and others not at all, but we are where we are, he is happier at home, and it is a huge relief to no longer bear the entire responsibility.

I went to work yesterday and Thursday as usual because I needed to do something normal. Went to my brother after work on Thursday, and OH did yesterday. My cousin is going today.

Managed last night to get to see some old friends who live in France currently, but are dog sitting for their son who lives locally and is away on holiday.

Tomorrow we were supposed to be going away with DD2 and family for a few days. I have cut this down to 1 night, which is only possible at all because of the carer visit. I would have cancelled completely, but had to compromise because we have only 1 car (I can't get to my brother without one, buses are hopeless in these little towns, and I can't afford taxis every day) OH was looking forward to it, and OH and DD2 were cross that I have been put in this position. We had to completely cancel our holiday last year because he has nobody else to help him, other than a cousin who lives a long way away but visits when he can. My bro has caused us, and himself, a lot of problems over the years (which is why OH and DD are cross) and I am caught in the middle. But he can't help being so ill - though he of course could help discharging himself from hospital

Anyway, I have completely lost track of NSDs, and there will have been very few of them as I have had to buy stuff for my brother - pyjamas for hospital, easy food for him, extra fuel for the car etc. But all the bills are paid and we have muddled through.

No news really apart from that. I have managed to get out in the garden for short periods which have been a godsend, and the one positive is that I have lost a bit of weight through the stress of it all   Probably not a recommended dieting strategy though!

Apologies this has been a bit of a brain dump!

f0xh0les

Fantastic news and great progress made @grandmanerd,
 sending hugs and (IM)moral support @DawnW

apple_muncher

No need for apologies DawnW, so please don't feel bad at not being on here much. Life happens and we just have to get on with is as best we can when it is all flying around. Take care and enjoy your night away.

Grandmanerd, so glad the garden people have done a good job. I'd been wondering where Mr and Mrs Builder were, so it's good to hear that they are around again.

grandmanerd

Went to Tessimo, bought the  new phone (bought 2 actually, my normal old lady big button phone and one of the cheapest smart phones as I'm now much better at swiping and it can do the apps). A couple of ys things (3 basil plants from the food counter @ £1.25 each - buying 'garden ready' plants from the growers was £7 for one and £14 for 3) and the other things on my list (drain cleaner, kitchen roll as there's still a cupboard full of glasses including martini glasses and sherry glasses which need taking to  the cs).

Couldn't get the auto payment line to accept the new phone, the free taxi phone has been removed so had to wheel my trolley as far as possible, then switch everything onto my walker for the last bit (past the bingo hall and across the taxi car park). The trolley brake didn't kick in and a staff member took over pushing it for me. 15 minute wait for the taxi (Mr and Mrs  Builder phoned when I was stuck at the back of Tessimo) so very late getting there.

Spent a couple of hours going round assessing what needs doing.  My downstairs loo and shower is fairly simple although Mr Builder needs someone else to dig the drain across from the old pantry window and in front of the step but several things I was concerned about will need doing (damp bits, rewiring,  new kitchen and bathroom, gas fire and lead pipe removed, some dodgy ceilings). They're going to give me a full-refurb quote which will hopefully bring my brother to his senses (ie me bringing it up to standard for renting out is not going to make it worth an extra £10 K and we're losing money with every month that passes). I don't want to cheat my brother but I resent being  asked to sort out all the work of adding value so that he can demand more for transferring his half to me).

I'm back home with my legs stretched out,  my knee has had quite enough (must look like it too as all the taxi drivers were extra accommodating - going out in the road to hold up the traffic f0xh0les)

grandmanerd

Witches Home
Rules of the House
1 Do not bring in any spirits unless they are in bottles
7 The only goddess that lives here is me and she is COMPLETELY UNDOMESTICATED
8 Any dust that collects is considered to be MAGIC SPRINKLES so there's no need to remove it

f0xh0les

Good @grandmanerd , it is about time people started being more considerate where you are concerned. 

Shrewbie

grandmanerd said:

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

Hahahha. I love this.

I haven't checked in for a while, apologies.

I survived the very busy week at work including giving two workshops with my team observing and we got some good feedback so I'm happy with that. Also survived the team building activity, which didn't involve participation thankfully!!! I have broken my dry alcohol run bc somehow I can't imagine getting through a work event without it, which I know is silly. Have spent around EUR 27 this week, within budget. Grateful for laughs with colleagues, for a beautiful day, for jasmine and passion flowers.

lcc86

@DawnW hope you are okay, and I hope things also start to improve for your brother. @Shrewbie don't beat yourself up re the work event, these things happen!

Had a physio appointment first thing so a spend there. Had a discussion with them about some upcoming medical treatment I'll be having and they helped me outline a plan with them, really helpful. Then it was off to the spa, used the gym for an hour or so, had lunch and then a couple of massage treatments before sunbathing in the glorious sunshine outside! We walked home afterwards, about 40 minutes.

All in all a lovely day, I couldn't ask for more today.