NST OCTOBER 2025 Optimism, Opportunities and Overcoming Obstacles

f0xh0les

Love and hugs and copious amounts of kleenex @Thrifty_Taylor. You are allowed to cry. You are allowed to be sad, you are allowed to grieve. Being a big brave grown up sucks!!!!
It's all such nonsense. 
  We all feel, we all crash sometimes, accept it is going to happen, and don't be hard on yourself. 
Liquid stress, or liquid love  😢 It is allowed. 

beanielou

@Thrifty_Taylor. Lovely to be picked as star of the week. You are a wee star. 

Just as your lovely son is a star in the sky looking down on you and sending you endless love. 

It’s ok to grieve. Grieving has different steps/stages. You are moving to the next stage and that’s ok. It’s ok to fall apart. Be kind to yourself as you are to everyone else. 

Sending love. 

DawnW

Love and hugs @Thrifty_Taylor

Chimney sweep came yesterday and cost less than I had budgeted, so all good. The rendering firm man came too. OH saw him, got lots of info and they will send a quote. I have no idea how much it will cost, but have money set aside - it is something that was flagged up on the survey report when we bought the house. We haven't worried too much about it up to now, as it hasn't caused any problems. The damage is getting worse though, with areas of the rendering crumbling and falling off, so time to do something about it. It has been hard finding a company (with good reviews) willing to even look at it, as it isn't a big job, just the front upper elevation of a terraced house. There are lots of big, expensive old houses round here that need work, and plenty of money to pay for it, so those kinds of jobs take precedence.

I have bread, soup and cakes to make this morning so I had better get on with it. Hoping I won't need to buy anything today so I can bag a NSD!

in_need_of_direction

Thrifty, just echoing what beanie so eloquently said. Take care

ldee2111

@Thrifty_Taylor - sending you my tenderest love and hugs. Xx

grandmanerd

Hugs thrifty and I echo what the others have said, it takes as long as it takes and whatever form it needs to. Sometimes are full of good memories and other times you need to howl. Grief is the price we pay for loving someone.

Yesterday evening I threw together a chicken stew (bought filleted thighs earlier in the week) and finished the celery off by chopping and boiling it (may need more cooking and certainly added onions or leek). I have used most of the vegetables that were in the veg rack (just onions left) and started on the fridge ones. I can see more of what is in the fridge now.

Loose plan for today is a tidy up in the front room, arrange things more compactly on the small couch and add the bags of clothing and things I don't need by me (I keep bringing things onto the couch with me and have already had to clear everything off twice this week. Things I've put back on the floor beside the couch are getting muddled and I can hear but not see my phone (it may have slipped through the hole in the couch lining). Washing needs to go out on the line. When Mrs Builder took it out of the machine it appears that DS3 has tumble dried dirty clothes. This was after he put them on top of my clean washing again to put 2 items of Beloved's clothing in. I've corrected what he'd done then he's done something else wrong. It's very wearing.

Grateful for dancing frogs, old Inspector Frost episodes, a good book by a new to me author.

grandmanerd

Saturday 11th October 2025

Weekend Energy
Leah/ @ onewordwellness

savour the moment
choose fun without guilt
say yes to what lights you up
allow yourself to be imperfect
try something new just because
stand tall and be confident in your skin
move like you're gonna own the weekend
find ways to treat yourself, no reason needed
stop overthinking and start living in the moment 
trust that good things are quietly unfolding for you

Half Full: the Hidden Upsides of Chronic Illness
(Just Live Forward - With Grace and Grit - Life with Chronic Illness)
When we're chronically ill we ride a shifting wave between hope and despair
For the first six months after my diagnosis I had a lot of downtime. Physically nearly everything took a colossal effort (couldn't dress myself, couldn't lift anything heavier than a teacup, too weak to cough). I spent lots of time trying to match the life I wanted with the hand I had been dealt.

Two years on, I'm physically much better due to medical treatment and emotionally well because of the choices I was forced to make

Three hidden upsides of Chronic Illness:
1)   It compels us to create balance in our lives
You can't do what you used to (trying to comes with a hefty price tag). You can't do it all. You can't be all things to all people. And the truth is you never could anyway. no one can.
I wanted to work but couldn't manage full-time. Working part-time from home is doable. I have less income but have come to recognise what is truly important and makes me happy.

2)   Chronic Illness gives us the chance to Let Go of Perfection
I don't have the energy. I can't do the heavy tasks. I had to let go of perfection and accept 'good enough'.  I enjoy the rare occasions when the whole house is clean and everything is tidy - but I'm not willing to sacrifice my time and energy on it.

3)   It helps us be more attuned to our mental and physical health
Frequent appointments, lots of pills and treatments to mitigate various symptoms make us hyper focused on our health. I'm compliant with all health screening, I note the results of my blood tests, especially ones I can do something about like salt and sugar intake.

I feel a little more in control. I can ask more intelligent questions. I can monitor how I am and think of any lifestyle factors which affect me (avoiding slumps and flare ups). Managing Stress and taking time for Self Care are important in managing chronic illness.

Chronic Illness gives us permission. It gives us license to make changes in our lives and be more in tune with our bodies, living authentically.

(Sorry, I've cut that down a lot and switched tenses and bungled it a bit)

apple_muncher

Lots of love and hugs, Thrifty 

Thrifty_Taylor

Thank you all for your support & wise words. I've had a better day today. Went into town after breakfast & took mum shopping. I chose a colour for our chimney breast wall, so bought that. Came home & washed the wall down ready to paint it tomorrow. Looked online & ordered a waterproof winter coat. I'm fed up of leaks in all the coats I've got. It was in the sale, think 65% off. After tea I've been knitting more of a cowl for a sproutmas present.

Grateful for bumping into a friend who I worked with 25 years ago & her giving me a big hug, supportive messages, decluttering & prepping for home improvements

DawnW

NSD # 5 for me today. Went to a flea market this morning but all purchases were for my business, and accounted for elsewhere.

Came home and made quince and apple jelly. I extracted the juice a couple of days ago and the bottles were in the fridge. It amazes me how hard, green fruits can yield cloudy orangey-pink juice which then transforms into crystal clear ruby coloured jelly!

My summer dresses are out on the line and I am hoping they mostly dry. It is a chilly, murky day but there is a bit of breeze blowing them about.

Lunch was the rest of the bean salad that I made for dinner last night. Dinner will be fish cakes, as OH made some this morning before I did the jelly.

I have washed up and cleaned the sticky kitchen. I now need to put the jam making stuff and the Kilner bottles away for next time.

Grateful that my jelly set without any drama 

Dresses mostly dried, now ironed and on hangers to air. I will pack them away tomorrow.

Picked several kinds of salad leaves and some little beetroot for tonight's salad