NST OCTOBERFEST

Shrewbie

apple_muncher said:

Today I am grateful for a good night's sleep, for Pip going for a sleepover, for good friends, for getting an array of types of pumpkin/squash/gourd at the pumpkin festival yesterday.

Shrewbie - are you okay to set up November?

Yes, absolutely! It will keep me on the straight and narrow!! 

Wow @beanielou, that is very impressive. 

ldee2111

Today I was pleased to get a refund on an expensive experience gift that OH got me for my birthday but I can’t use because of medical issues… to be fair to OH, it was a very excellent gift and neither he or I thought there’d be a problem until I got the medical waiver. 😔 It was a little bit of a challenge getting the refund from the company at first, but a print out of my medical history and a polite passive aggressive email, seemed to do the job. Had that failed, I was considering ‘this would make a decent tabloid story’! 👀

Grateful today for getting OH a refund, for eating relatively healthily, and for after dinner games with DS and OH. 

grandmanerd

I'm going to talk about my round up of the month. It's been strange and quite hard at times. I have made progress but there's so much more to do. I fell asleep at 8 pm last night, woke up around midnight and read for a couple of hours (finished the last few pages of one book and started one I'm really enjoying - fiction but the main character is a farrier's apprentice in Yorkshire and it's very reminiscent of the James Herriot books I read in my teens). Slept more in big chunks and finally came round after 10 am. Bit of a panic because I thought my phone had reset itself to the wrong time zone but yes it was that time. 

I'm not well again but dragged myself to the nearest shop and bought the drinks and stuff I was craving last night (last few days in fact) and a toast loaf because I should be able to make toast. I was going to get myself 2 bacon barms from the diner (mega hungry from sleeping so long) but could see their shutters were down and had a note attached. I didn't go to read it because I just wanted to get back to the house. I've dragged myself upstairs to the bathroom and had a shower. Really out of breath when I got to the landing. However I've had a shower (+ other things) and I've managed to shower every day which I'm taking as a win. Some days I sat shivering on the bath board (occasionally had to hold onto the safety handles as I was swaying. Most days I've pulled the towel off the rail and dried myself still sitting on the board which seemed like a backward step but if it gets the job done.

Most days I've managed to feed myself from stores but there was a lot of toast (and tinned beans, soup and fruit). The chicken stew was a highlight of the month.

I have sorted through a lot of stuff - I have empty boxes and bags for life. Some has gone to the cs, a lot was binned/ recycled and some is in blue sacks waiting for the skip. I've identified more things to go to charity or in the skip (a low point was nearly reaching the end of a cs collection form and then they asked for photos of my items - I can't do it). I'm still struggling to let go of things - if I can't physically get things to the cs or get them collected then I need to skip or bin them _ discovered about 40 'takeaway' lids of various kinds lurking in cupboards, drawers and corners or in piles of 'stuff'. Washing up is still time consuming and physically exhausting and some of it is just not worth the effort - 2 very thin metal 'cookie trays' are already in the skip bags.

Progress - I have many piles of multiple small plant pots and larger containers and decided to let some boards for raised beds go (they've done about 15 years of service). Nearly everything is 15 - 25 years old so I have had my use out of them, just need to drop the guilt and let them go.

Several appointments have been ticked off and lots of extra ticks for 2 and 3 year check ups on things (poo test, boob squash) and I have 'beautifully healthy feet'. The extra grooming tasks fell behind when I was most ill and I've been trying to tag on at least one a day in the last week. Money - I have money, paying for the improvements won't be a problem. I need to get serious about saving for a bungalow and I'm still a bit frightened of looking at the bank account in case there is another pile of fraudulent withdrawals (bank has just settled my fourth claim, it's just getting old and it does stress me out).

It's not been wildly exciting socially but I have enjoyed sunshiney days and some longer walks.

So much to be grateful for. I've spent odd moments (and some days when I was too weak to leave the couch for long) watching Americans reacting to classic rock music tracks they've never heard. It's lovely watching their shocked faces (40 yo rappers) when they figure out the lyrics and all the 60 and 70 year olds are commenting 'yeah, we didn't get our knickers in a twist over people's colour and sexual preferences - if the music was good, we enjoyed it, sang along as teenagers and younger'.

I've also seen similar with reactions to classic British comedy and in the last week discovered podcast of tribal elders in Pakistan reacting to music. Many of them can't read but they love the music and are very open to it. They appreciate the musician's skill and often suss out what the song is about from the way it feels. The younger man who translates the lyrics sometimes tells them about the musicians and the background to the song before listening and sometimes afterwards. Telling Sinead O'Connor's story and then the elder said "First we must say prayers for her soul". On a previous reaction one of the elder's had asked had something happened - the drummer had committed suicide shortly after the recording and he could hear in the music that something was wrong.

My cousin is getting very het up about 2 Budda's her mother owned. She's not having them in her house (I think she thinks they are 'graven images'). My own view is that we should be open to wisdom, whatever it's source and these old men and women have restored my faith in humanity. Even when they don't hold the same views as the song writer (John Lennon 'imagine there's no heaven' ) they are open to the overall message of peace and people living in harmony. One mentioned a political speaker who was a Communist and Atheist whereas he himself believed in God and in Heaven but there was still much in the man's words that he did agree with (dismantling the feudal system of extreme poverty and a few wealthy people).

So I hope you've all enjoyed the month, enjoy your individual successes (congratulations to beanie on her magnificent SFD total), hope things improve for those of you who are struggling and thank you to everyone who has participated or read along (even if you aren't shaking your pompoms)

Shrewbie

Hi turtles. I haven't posted as much as I wanted to in October but enjoyed reading all of your news and the motivating little pearls of wisdom from you @grandmanerd, thank you for running the challenge for us. 

November is now live!!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6563916/nst-no-vember-2024/p1?new=1

weenancyinAmerica

Even with everything going on with doctor's appointments for my roommates and myself, I still managed to get in 19 NSD. I also had time to read 12 books - mostly light mysteries, so not all that time consuming. Still taking my Word class and my Knitting and Crocheting class. Almost finished the crocheted tote bag. Just need to add the handles which are already made. Am not really looking forward to November - is going to be a hard month mentally for me as I have a lot to get done. Will sign up for next month - it really helps me get through the month.

ldee2111

Grateful today for making myself do a short yoga routine, for getting washing dried on the whirligig, for ticking off tasks at home and work, for an online paid survey, for v!ntD purchase arriving, for OH making dinner, and for having a bit of good energy today. x

beanielou

Finishing on 27 NSD's. Pleased with that.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for stepdd1 really liking a suggestion I made, for another mild day, for getting lots of walking done, for doing some important paperwork, for someone picking up our old car seat.

Betharooni

Grateful for getting Mums bed put out for bulky waste collection tomorrow, for getting two boxes of books and DVDs collected to go to selling websites and for getting some sewing up done (only one item left to sew up).

I have blood tests tomorrow, also need to go and pick some bits up that I’ve ordered, need to sort out some paperwork, sew up that last item and need to get some tidying done. Have completely lost track of NSDs this month but have had some more over the last couple of days. Will keep better track of it next month, already signed up for November.

KajiKita

beanielou said:

Finishing on 27 NSD's. Pleased with that.

Wowsers …. Bowing down before the NSD ninja 🥷 … 😊❤️👏

KK