NST June - Turtle Power

weenancyinAmerica

Hi, had 18 NSD last month- my goal is to do it again this month. Did budget but doesn't look good as three of the four renters here haven't been able to pay their rent for a couple of months now. (One longer than that). Do pay my debts first but not much for extras at the moment. No money for any holidays or entertainment. Have made a list of items to sell so will try to get going to raise some money that way to pay off some of the debts.

Been doing paperwork for roommates and for the Friends of the Library. After Tuesday, can work on paperwork for me. I joined the Adult Summer Reading Program this week. Just need to find the time to read. Prizes are based on how much time is spent reading as well as on number of books read. You can get prizes both ways. Don't always claim the prizes as it is more clutter sometimes, but do like the free meals.

I have been registered to vote for 53 years and have not yet missed any election, including the little ones in-between regular elections. I intend to vote in the one coming up here. May have to do emergency prep for this one - it is definitely the strangest election I have ever seen. I am not happy with the violent rhetoric I am hearing. Not so much where I live as most of those in California are pretty relaxed about everything but we have a couple of towns nearby which need some "time out in the corner for misbehaving and not playing well with others".  Hope your election is more talk, than violence. Not sure about ours this time around.  

Hard to relax this month, but I am going to try. 

DrCarrie

apple_muncher said:

DrCarrie!!! How's the house?

I LOVE it!

My mind swirls with what I want to do and what actually NEEDS doing. 

DrCarrie

Morning gang. 

Wow, there has been a lot of change since last being on the NST thread. It felt like a lot of treading water, tooing, froing and upside down then again at work. 

But I am well and feel happy in my new home. 

I had a spend day yesterday - there is a wonderful tiny bakery that is open on Friday and Saturday 10-3 I bought a baguette and some focaccia and then for some toner for my hair - which I bleached myself and cautiously fighting the yellow! 

Grateful for 
1. spending a good amount of time with my daughter - planting beans, toms, squash, corn and other bits.
2. very satisfying day of work outside and no telly
3. Having a Gin and Tonic on my bench in the garden, feeling satisfied!

f0xh0les

Thrifty_Taylor said:
Been thinking about self care/habit tweaks, etc, as I'll be 50 next year 🤯 little steps to improve myself for the future.

I will be 50 in 2 weeks time, and I have stayed at the same weight for the last fortnight, which is weird as I can actually see quite a large difference, but those darned scales are just not moving. Now I have told you, I will lose 4lbs overnight and hit the 'next first number down' bracket, obviously, because that is how it works, isn't it? **nods head sagely**   To be honest, I will just be grateful to have got this far, after all  that has happened in the last 5 years.

Did the meter readings to get the cheaper rate that came in yesterday.  Something must be done about electricity usage.  Blasted dryer and ironing is taking its toll I fear. It hurts even more when the sun is shining outside.

Emailed DH to let him know this time in 2 weeks he will be waking up in my bed - should give him a boost, he is missing us, but he now has a new focus and is not afraid of leaving the country to work. 

Also let him know it is 206 days til Xmas (sorry grandmanerd, couldn't help myself ) and I haven't even started my shopping yet.  ho ho ho! 

Today is the last day of the Half Term Holidays, the next holidays are the long Summer holidays, exams will be over, DH will be home, and we can all have some fun.  Fun has been lacking round here lately.

My list for today is written, going to try and blitz as much as possible - I know what has to be done, I just need to get on and do it.

This week's goals

Three books will leave the house this week.

Tip run with broken electricals / little bits of old carpet

All the rubbish in the yard to be binned/tipped

Deep clean the house when the kids are back at school and out of my way.

Hugs to all who are feeling unwell / overwhelmed

Toni'sfriend

Nsd No 1

No walking but I have made a start on the huge tidy up. I've taken all the too tight items out of the wardrobe and packed them away in a suitcase. They'll fit me next year. But I was jiggered by the time I'd done it.

Washed and changed the bedding. Decluttered a bit.

Very healthy eating today. Sorry about the lemon tart, Thirty Taylor. Gave the remainder to my little student nurse neighbour who doesn't have much money for luxuries.

Booked hotels for Amsterdam and Paris in January. They can be cancelled at the last minute without penalty but fingers crossed. I'm so excited. xxxxx

Starlight_at_Sea

Welcome to all turtles, it is lovely and inspiring to have you swimming alongside, it stops me from creating a whirlpool of my own and your words and ideas definitely help me keep moving in generally the right direction, that's the power of the turtle-peleton  

Will be a bitty update tonight as I settle back into being home at Dads after a week of my own space, there is a lot of urgency to his asks tonight. I managed a NSD today, yesterday was not, that's 1out of 2 so far! Packed lunches, teas taken from home, coming back to chill at the holiday apartment for a home made meal in the evening have all helped keep the costs of the week away down without feeling like imposituin, but yesterday I did make a couple of considered purchases from the festival shop. A much waited for hoody (inspired by my colours advice last month) and a small useful gift for DD. 

I've also now registered for my postal vote as life feels a little too chaotic to be confident I can get to my registered address on 4th July  I do love a trip to the polling booth though but this feels a bit more certain this time.

 The link for doing that is here and deadline is 19 June:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote

To apply you need to have registered to have voted first and deadline for that is 18 June 
https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

DD will be back at uni overseas so she is sorting out a proxy vote. It makes more sense for her to be registered to vote at her dad's house (she is 50/50 at each place) as it's a less secure seat, so we do our bit in that way! 

apple_muncher

Grandmanerd, you mentioned that your stroller went over the fence. I have an image of you scaling the fence to join it...🤣

Today I am grateful for a warmer day so I could wear shorts, for all the rasps ready to munch in the garden, for getting the wood varnished as the next step in the project, for Pip managing some maths revision with a friend, for a plan to go to the tip tomorrow.

beanielou

Grateful for my first Scottish strawberries of the year & and a gift of peonies.

Thrifty_Taylor

That's ok @Toni'sfriend, your neighbour sounds more deserving 😃 Happy new home @DrCarrie, glad you're settling in well. Hugs @weenancyinAmerica, things will improve for you soon, I'm sure.

A spend day here, I've booked boats, trains & accommodation for a family visit to middle England next month. We didn't get down for the funeral & all 4 of my late auntie's children are dealing with a lot just now.

Went for a walk without DH today, 4.9 miles 😊 got a waft of night scented stock at one point, which was lovely! Spotted 2 ducklings too (which reminded me of the ones that visited our school on Friday). Spent the afternoon sewing & pinning a young lady into an outfit for an Indian wedding. Unfortunately, due to mobility problems, she couldn't get the top off with the pins in it, & I had to cut her out of it!!! Her mum saw the funny side of it 😂

Pampered myself in the bath.

Grateful for flora & fauna, new customers continuously popping up, pampering time, a roast beef dinner with fresh mint sauce 😋

grandmanerd

apple_muncher said:

Grandmanerd, you mentioned that your stroller went over the fence. I have an image of you scaling the fence to join it...🤣

Today I am grateful for a warmer day so I could wear shorts, for all the rasps ready to munch in the garden, for getting the wood varnished as the next step in the project, for Pip managing some maths revision with a friend, for a plan to go to the tip tomorrow.

Nothing so exciting. They were only crash barriers.

Yesterday I made half a dozen trips to the bins, four trips from the kitchen sink to the grid with baled out washing up bowl  and under the sink 'catch the drips' container. Cooked samosas for lunch. I filled the WM and set it off. Didn't do any washing up as my knees were giving up by then.

Little extras included 'tidying' my hair - having a haircut is on my list but I cut back some of the most annoying bits, especially the  ones near my eyes. Wiped the sink, lots of sitting down exercise, topped up my morning medicine pouch and cleared up a couple of messes. Thought one of the bottles had leaked onto some papers but found a bag of baby tomatoes squashed between 2 heavy bottles. 

Gratitudes - Giggling my way through the sequel to 'The life giving magic of not giving a f***', antiseptic cream for the midge bites at the top of my back, getting stuff done (only scratching the surface of the 'to  do' mountain, but plodding hard and with determination)