Weekly Flylady Thread 20 October 2025

Narc0lepsy

ionafan said:

Narc0, it's great news that you have been decluttered by the ophthalmologist!  That's a most beautiful arrangement in tribute to your SiL's Mum: I hope the funeral was not washed out and that everyone came away with feelings of thankfulness and peace, rather than frustration at the weather xx

Thank you. Fortunately although it rained a lot in the morning, it was just windy for the 1pm service and slightly less windy for the burial.   It went fairly well, the celebrant was lovely and really sounded as if she knew J, although she didn't.      I tried hard to focus on SIL and J which was quite hard as my own Mum is declining and I'd had a call at 9.15 to update me.  Not a summons to the bedside, but an acknowledgement that things are more difficult.
Also didn't help my mood that, just after breakfast, Mr N and I were watching birds from the conservatory when a chaffinch flew into the window. We were just watching from inside and established that it was alive and just dazed when next door's cat sprinted in, pounced and bore it off. We were aghast. So not the best.

After the funeral I had my drum lesson which was a bright point in the day, did my favourite slow metal ballad and, with encouragement from my tutor, put in a lot of attitude!  I've got an electric kit at home and am mindful of the neighbours even though they can't hear it (I use headphones) but the sound is very muted compared to crashing on real cymbals!!

Posted 2 birthday cards.

Just finished the last of the flowers in an arrangement for our lounge. I've still got a bit of eucalyptus left from the lot we had for the wedding a few weeks ago, but that can be composted tomorrow.

Have just washed up dinner things and wiped down kitchen surfaces.
Will go through a few more Mr T magazines and keep any promising recipes; if I go through 8 magazines it will mean one shelf is cleared. 

Honey_Bear

*creeps back in* 

Recipe collection is still spread about all over the place and I haven't had a moment to do anything about it, so with six days to go it looks as though my commitment wasn't full.  I'm going to extend my deadline to the end of next month because I'm drowning here and spent all day Tuesday and then Wednesday morning fully frazzled.  I need to slow down and give myself time to think through what's important and what's urgent and not muddle the two up.

Huge congratulation Eltee on the upcoming CP.  I'm so glad we did it, and in the way that we did it, which was exactly what we both wanted.  The great thing about CPs is that no-one expects anything of it beforehand, unlike a wedding, and I loved how low key it was.  The thought of tiptoeing down an aisle in a meringue was always anathama to me so it was 100% the right thing for us.  (Don't forget to redo your wills afterwards.)  I hope you have a lovely time.

Those flowers are so perfect Narco.  So glad you've been discharged from the opthamlogist's care, and sorry about the chaffinch.  (((Hugs))) about your mum.  

Welcome Tea Party Mum, and well done on the blitz.  

Sorry about your cat Weency.  It never gets easier no matter how many animals we've had to take to the vet for that one way trip.  (((Hugs)))

I heartily agree with you about Riot Women Valli.  Belovéd watched the first 20 minutes and then realised I'd absolutely love it, so we're watching it together.  It's beyond wondeful!  I'd be gutted if there weren't a second series.

I didn't think we'd get fireworks here until next month but I was wrong.  Wren was extremely sound sensitive when we adopted her but she's pretty laid back about fireworks now after some intense work over two years of the National Fireworks Championships.  Twiggle (small tortoiseshell cat) is less sanguine about them and Professor Higgs would like the food that he associates with fireworks delivered RIGHT NOW, so he's not panicking.  I'd like them to stop, nonetheless.

Today I have walked Wren, washed out and refilled one of the litter trays, taken delivery of a big teak garden bench which the chaps managed to take up a flight of stairs, through the kitchen and out on to the sundeck where I have covered it with plastic sheeting because of the showers so I can oil it before the winter sets in, washed the kitchen floor and raked up all the leaves in the garden.  

I'm now having a bit of a rest. 

Narc0lepsy

A bit more flying today.
- one load washing done, hung out, brought in and it was a nice sunny day.
- all downstairs vacuumed.
- all debris from flower arrangements cleared away and surfaces etc wiped.
- various bits of clearing in greenhouse; tomato, cucumber and aubergine plants disposed of. Spent grow bags put outside to be used as mulch on main garden.  We are gradually bringing in tender plants for the winter.
- meters read, readings input to provider. We're still in credit so have winter pretty well sorted without increase unless we get really prolonged freezing weather.
- did drumming practise.
- went to zumba.

I had a report about my school/pony club friend whose funeral it was today - sounded really personal; she was carried on a horse drawn hearse, buried on her farm with her saddle and a bottle of red wine. I wish I'd been there but it was too long a journey straight after yesterday's funeral especially as the weather was so bad yesterday.    The next one we're going to is in a couple of weeks, an ex work colleague of Mr N so we are hoping the weather will be such that we can go on the motor bike. 

Have a nice weekend everyone.  I suspect it may be the first outing for the wet suit tomorrow at the lake, I've been fine in a swimsuit up till now but the forecast is for cold wind. 

Valli

Been out to the posh neighbours and looked at their xmas marquee and was horrified by the prices for example Anthon Berg liqueur chocs (and I live liqueur chocs £14.99 in Gr@pe tree £21.99 in the marquee! Still they’ve a big house to upkeep I suppose

Did some ironing and have slipped into clean sheets tonight..bliss.

WM locked and loaded.

Jazee

Morning all.  Wordle in three.

Just having first cuppa then I'm going to put on my scruffs and walk Poppet before tackling the day.  I have a cake to decorate ready for DS birthday tomorrow.  Oh and something to get out of the loft which is going to a new home.  Shame the decluttering won't be visible.

Have a great day everyone.

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

I was awake at 5.40 am but didn't get up as I didn't want to disturb Joey that early. I lay in bed scrolling and puzzling until my arm went to sleep. Unfortunately the rest of me stayed awake. I completed Strands with no hints,  completed Wordle in five,  but only managed two lines on Connections. 

I'm now up, made my bed, taken my meds, turned over the calendars, changed Joey's seed and water,  and I'm supping my first brew. 

I've had a worrying few days with Joey. Again. I don't know if he had a stroke or if it was some sort of infection but he lost all his balance. Kept falling off his perch. He's slowly improving but still not his usual little self. Sleeping a lot. Happy enough in himself though - still preening and playing with his mirror (when he's awake). The thing is I don't know how old he is as I took him in when his owner died and the family didn't want him. As long as he's not distressed I'll not put him through the stress of being handled by a vet....that's if I can find a vet who sees small birds. I'm relying on advice from long term budgie breeders combined with common sense. Warm. Quiet. Access to food and water. Reassurance and lots of love. He may only be a little bird but he's a tough little thing. 😍

So. Flying. Today will be Saturdailies. The list is written. Pops phoned to let me know that he's home this weekend so I'm going round for coffee this afti. Strictly tonight. 

But brew 2 first methinks. 

Love to all.
Rxx

eltee2

Morning all

Bit of a long ramble and OT today, apologies.

I telephoned D (BiL), sadly his cancer has spread to his liver and oesophagus and he is starting chemo in a couple of weeks.  His daughter told me he keeps saying he just wants to be with L (my late sister) it's heartbreaking.     Mum wants to visit so will probably be in a few weeks time.

Have been busy myself last few days running around what with blood tests, docs etc.  I've been having memory problems, and concentration  (mum has mild alzheimers), so they're considering referring me to memory clinic once test results back, doc said could also be related to my anxiety/depression.     But it feels different to usual BD, at least someone has listened.

Flying Will be concentrating on tidying up, FUPA, PUPA, S&S over the next couple of days, getting ready for NW&NH.      We'll let family & friends know after Monday and we need to make a list of who to inform once we've done CP - banks, solicitor for will (thanks for reminder HB).     

We did tell mum what we were going to be doing and she thought it was the right thing for us (she said "well, why not?" 😄) so I'll be phoning her first, although by now she may have forgotten, so it'll be a nice suprise ❤️

Right, enough of that - Mount Clean-Washing pile won't FUPA itself, so I'd better get cracking

Sending GWS vibes to Joey x

El

Fayolle

Afternoon all,
I have spent a couple of hours at the allotment which chases away my sinus headache nicely. Unfortunately it returns as soon as I am back indoors. Lots of weeding and general tidying done, bean canes finally down. I am trying to stick to a manageable task list there so that overwhelm doesn’t take over.  Yesterday I did achieve planting the daffodil bulbs in tubs in the garden, so that is a job off the list.

I’m not sure what the afternoon holds.  It should be some flying downstairs. I quite fancy a spell in the craft room though. Like HB, I have totally underestimated the time required to sort this stupidly big recipe collection out. I had another thinning session the other day, but that hardly dents it.  I will join her by extending my time to a point in November.
Valli, I have to do a double take every time you mention your posh neighbours…..then I remember 🤣

ionafan

Afternoon everyone.

I spent yesterday eating cheesecake at a Macmillan coffee morning, decluttering delivering decorating bits and other useful tools/materials to my friend who has just moved into a lovely 1-bed flat but has almost nothing to fill it with, taking her shopping, and then bringing her back to spend the weekend at her grandad's so that she could see her daughter.  The 2-hour journey home was awful: driving through heavy rain and doing below 30mph for long sections on the motorway because of the HS2 works and the usual manic Friday night exodus from work.  I was relieved to arrive home in one piece, and, although very tired, my mind was still racing so much that I ended up designing a draft poster for the Festive Fayre and didn't get to sleep until well after midnight.

This morning we were up early: by 9.00am I had eaten breakfast, cleared the table and worktops, started the DW and WM, and hoovered everywhere that looked as if it needed it.  Since then, DH and I have decluttered a social day out with the railway chaplaincy people (we were invited because DH helped to write the railway safety sections of their training programme and will be delivering some of it).  We went by steam train along the river valley, then had a guided walk round the town at the end of the line.  Unfortunately the sun was playing hide-and-seek with the rain clouds and at one point we got drenched and the temperature must have dropped by about 5 degrees.  I suddenly felt frozen, and DH was not much better, so we skipped the last 20 minutes of the walk, made our way back to the railway station café, and had hot soup and sausage baps.  We then caught the diesel-train-before-the-steam-train-we-had-planned-to-get and sat in the front seat with the driver's view of the line - DH said it was the first time he had been able to do this, so he was a very happy bunny!

DH decluttered the bag of engineer's overalls that I had found at the top of my wardrobe, by donating them to the railway for the volunteer coordinator's uniform store

Meanwhile Rosie has been looking after the house, and K and the girls came mid-morning to take her for a short walk.  Rosie was very pleased to see us - I think she thought we had deserted her.  She is becoming very clingy in her old age.

I'm going to bake a cake for K now, and while it's cooking I'm going to get a few things out of the landing cupboard and back into my wardrobe so that I can find the stuffing for the knitted snowmen and perhaps sew them up while Strictly is on. After that, I must make some minor changes to the poster, as requested by the Fayre organiser, and print 15 copies for distribution tomorrow.

Special (((hugs))) to round and Joey xx, eltee x, Narc0 x and anyone else who needs/wants some.

Will see you all on the new thread tomorrow, if not before xxx

Honey_Bear

Garlic planted, more radish seeds scattered about, broad beans tied in again and the yard washed down, then four bags of leaves shoved under the decking so they can mold away for a year or two.  Chocolate pots made, oatcakes mixed at last and baked, frozen pizza baked and scoffed while i was finishing the washing up.

The house looks worse than when I started because Wren managed to make her way into the yard and splodged her muddy paws all over the carpet, which I was trying to avoid.  I'm leaving her pawprints until they've dried so I can just vacuum them up.  

*healing vibes* for Joey.