NST JULY

grandmanerd

Tuesday 8th July 2025

Don't forget to treat yourself kindly
Especially when your feelings are beating you up
She speaks she speaks

Rowan9

Grateful for another day of sunshine, more fun with grandsons today and the very helpful lady in library as boys have started their summer reading challenge, late to start but now sitting quietly reading. Bliss! 

Easy tea last night of cold chicken, rice and veg. Salmon salad tonight. Don’t need to shop for a day or two but have promised the boys an ice cream this afternoon 

DawnW

Got lots done in the garden before it got too hot. Sowed the cleared potato bed with carrots, beetroot and turnips, and sowed lots of plug plants for planting out later, kale, chard, purple sprouting, leeks etc. I know the seed packets and books always say to sow them in the spring, but that would take up too much space in my small garden, and to be honest, plugs sown in summer and planted out when there is a space do pretty well. If I have to move them into larger pots before there is room for them, not a problem.

I also sowed some spinach, spring onions and something called asparagus peas in empty big containers. I have no idea what asparagus peas are, or why I have the seeds. I will have to google, as the seed packet wasn't very helpful 

Just finished watering. No hose pipe ban here yet thank goodness, but it wouldn't surprise me if one was put in place. It is so dry, and another heatwave is forecast for later this week.

Dinner was quick and easy, we had the rest of the chicken pie I made yesterday cold with salad.

Grateful for getting stuff done and so far no hosepipe ban!.

f0xh0les

Asparagus peas are fab, use like mangetout. The pods taste like asparagus (obv) but without taking up a whole bed, or having to wait 5 years to be able to eat anything.     Quick asparagus!

Thrifty_Taylor

NSD#4
A very productive day here too. Exercise & language done before breakfast. Read my book whilst eating. Went outside & removed all the tatty windbreak netting from the long fence in our front garden, then creosoted (substitute, not the real stuff) the fence. 

Did the ironing, read whilst eating dinner, then did 200 skips (have 3 days worth to catch up on!), followed by a walk with my head teacher. Did the dishes & watched a couple of yootoob videos (have nearly 400 to watch & delete!).

After tea I sewed on the label & beard on the latest gonk. This one is mustard, white & grey.

Grateful for getting the heads up of which pupil I'll be with when I go back to work, my fence looking so much better & DH had planted & put up a hanging basket near the front door with purple petunias in

grandmanerd

Wednesday 9th July 2025

Hobbies to keep your hands busy and still your mind (part one)

Painting and Colouring
Calligraphy
Pottery
Knitting or Crochet
Board Games
Polymer Clay Modelling
Soap Making
Sewing and Making Clothes
(muminthemadhouse.com)

grandmanerd

Wednesday 9th July 2025

Hobbies to keep your hands busy and still your mind (part two)

Embroidery or cross-stitch
Jewellery making
Linocut or printmaking
Macrame
Scrapbooking and Journaling
Woodworking
Weaving
Quilt Making
Card Making
Jigsaw Puzzles
Lego
(muminthemadhouse.com)

Big sigh of relief (I'd nearly got to the end of the list this morning and it disappeared)

I've tried nearly all these at one time or another. Some were my constant companions over many years. They reqquire a certain amount of concentration so they distract you from fretting over your worries (especially the ones you can't do anything about). Keeping your hands occupied helps stop mindless snacking. They can be very helpful in keeping your calm and not losing your temper if it's one of those nights when your children take it in turns to come downstairs to complain or tell you they can't get to sleep
                                                                                                                       

DawnW

f0xh0les said:

Asparagus peas are fab, use like mangetout. The pods taste like asparagus (obv) but without taking up a whole bed, or having to wait 5 years to be able to eat anything.     Quick asparagus!

Thanks @f0xh0les - hope they grow! I always grow mangetout, but never tried these before!

Thrifty_Taylor

A day of changeable weather! Had planned to cut all the grass this morning, but then there was a heavy shower, so did some filing instead. It'd dried up again by the time the midmorning quiz on R2 had finished, so out I went. I had a coat on, but after 15 mins, I was nearly melting!! Got it all cut by dinnertime.

Went into town looking for a second had wooden single bed, none in the furniture shop, not troughs in the £emporium. Went to a friends for a walk, got soaked, but had a good chat regardless. Popped in to see mum afterwards.

Started knitting a gonk commissioned by my neighbour. This will be #14, have enough beards for 3 more after this one.

Grateful for the generosity of others as received the money collected for us on the JustGiving page which will help to pay for the funeral & possibly the trip to Aberdeen to lay flowers & collect his bag (whenever we get the go ahead), getting all the grass cut, laughter & time spent with friends & family

apple_muncher

Thrifty - it's me getting a cataract op done. Dh will need it doing at some point, but not just yet!

Grateful for seeing a great GP with Pip yesterday and for him listening and acting on what Pip said, for cool water in the paddling pool, for a lovely lunch with friends yesterday, for Pip identifying a wren nearby, for going for a run this morning in the woods - it was hot even at 7.30am!