NST November 2025: NOWvember

thriftylass

My great grandfather died at the Somme in 1918. I still have the letter telling my great gran what happened. Very compassionate rather long letter from the Lieutenant or General in charge (can't remember). Left her also a widow with 3 under 6. They were a similar age to your grandparents @dustydigger . He's buried at the Somme now and I have his location, one day I'll visit.

Luckily my grandad was only drafted into the German army at the end of 1945 when they got desperate and drafted older men too (he was 34). He got injured and captured, avoided Russian Gulag (which he wouldn't have survived, through a trick as before the internet no-one could really check your address, so he pretended to be from the West as they got sent to the allied camps) and got sent to prison camp in France and luckily my gran got him back. Horrific times.

Anyway, sorry, love history and family stories like that.

Today is another NSD but no gym day. Super busy at work. Might work out at home little bit.

Finally, started cooking more properly again, just didn't feel like it for ages, and had a lovely cottage pie yesterday with plenty of leftovers.

Otherwise not much to report.

dizzyblnd

Good evening everyone. 

I have been very busy but this is good as it keeps my bank balance in a good condition ha ha. I’m at nsd #8 today as yesterday and today were both nsds. I have been outside most of the day and it stayed dry which I am very grateful for. 

My brain is very tired today. I’ve put a lot of hours into work and it’s struggling this week. 

apple_muncher

To eat more veggies: buy frozen veg, in combinations you like (I go for carrot, pea, cauli and broccoli - a 1kg bag does me 4 meals), or as separate entities . And microwave. You can sit down whilst waiting for the microwave to beep. No peeling or chopping needed. I use them where dh has rice or pasta. Or just mix with a tin of tuna.

Today I am grateful for a dry day, for an easy morning at work, for liking the results of trying to needle felt on polystyrene shapes, for a friend of Pip's coming over, for fresh air - can't believe the temperature is still in double figures.

If you feel like you aren't keeping up with the challenge, please don't fret. It is not meant to make your life harder! Take a break and lounge on the chaise longue for a bit, relaxing 😎

f0xh0les

NSD 6 achieved. 
Used up 2 bags of frozen Chinese vegetables, 2 mugs of rice, miso, soy sauce, and a glug of Chinese wine + water. Excellent savory rice one pot meal for 6 people. Threw in a sad bunch of asparagus so it wouldnt be wasted. It wasn't sad once cooked.  Airfried some crispy tofu for another texture. Sadly none was left over once the hungry ghosts had been fed.
Wrapped up F-i-l's homemade advent calendar hanging bunting thing tonight. Will do m-i-l's tomorrow and send them over.  That is my job before the weekend. Hold me accountable please.
Then at the weekend I will prep my work wardrobe for 5 days next week, when I will cosplay being a responsible adult worky-type person.  I am surprisingly convincing you know, if you didn't know me you would be fooled. 😆 😂 

grandmanerd

No sleep, so very relieved when Mrs Builder asked if she could switch to tomorrow. Dozed on the couch. Mid-afternoon I wanted to get the rubbish and recycling out whilst it was light. Went to get up and ended up on the floor again (will have  to start marking it down). Tried different ways to turn round or over. I had landed in a difficult spot and not much room - the corner of a large tray stopping me going tothe right. Eventually called upto ask if DS3 was awake and after several more attempts (I had to keep stopping because I was very tired) we got me up again.

Took 2 bags of rubbish then lay down again. Fell asleep. When I woke up I thought it was Thursday morning but luckily only 6 pm today. Took my pills, ate again and have been resting and 'winding down' to sleep again.

Grateful for DS3 getting me off the floor, getting bits picked up, sleep

weenancyinAmerica

Not a NSD today even though I didn't leave home. Bought some used books and yarn online.Three of the books were ones I had checked out of the library - but decided I needed my own copies. The yarn is to make a couple of crocheted blankets. Didn't get out for more than fifteen minutes - but I am trying. We still have Thanksgiving to deal with here - which we will be having with just half of the roommates. A very quiet one. 

Thank you for the suggestion of frozen veggies. They had totally slipped my mind. I do have a lot of tuna to have with them! 

The church delivered food here and I had my roommate take most of the box to the neighbors. They cook more than we do (10 people in household). 

Managed to read another book to take to the library. Working on my list of things to do but roommates need help with paperwork and that makes additions. Did my exercises like a good girl.

Rain is supposed to arrive tomorrow evening which is good as we are still trying to get roommate G's bank account straightened out. He has to go in person to the bank. He doesn't drive so I will be taking him there and to the dentist - more reading time. 

Hope you can stay warm and dry.
 

dustydigger

Morning all.And what a very wet morning it is!
Finally calculated my no spend days. 5/12 NSDs.Had loads of amaz*n delivery days,and have my Xmas drinks and confectionery to be delivered Friday,and Sunday will be a grocery delivery so likely no NSDs rest of this week,should get back to normal next week.
Poor Mr Dusty has a heavy cold and has never even been out of the house.I probably brought it home last time I went to surgery by bus I am desperately waiting for my B12 jab,due 4th Dec. Time seems to be crawling so slowly till then. Last jab was delayed I went 4 months and I think my blood was so depleted by then the B12 had to refill the resreves and so I started off having less red blood cells than even usual and have been suffering from lethargy and weakness for many weeks. My levels of red blood cells are really low as of 2 weeks ago,and must be even worse now. I have only 35 units,normal level should be around 40,42 with lowest reference level being 38.I was below lowest reference level on no less than 4 different blood issues. Only improved thing was folate they have been stuffing me with that but now have discontinued giving me that, my levels are fine,it was just experimental I think. My red cell size has come down to the very top edge of normal range,but they are still too fat to get easily into cells to deliver oxygen. And the number of cells are too few so the weakness goes on.

dustydigger

I got a tablet back in May and promptly watched it do a dive off the chair arm straight face down on the stone fireplace.So many cracks but still usable. However the charger I have been using recently has been dodgy barely working,and yesterday after using it ,when I pulled it out of the tablet the wire ripped off leaving the metal end jammed tight in the side of the tablet,and no amount of jiggling and pulling will remove it and probably the jiggling has damaged the delicate connectors anyway. So I have ordered a new one. money coming from my ''white goods'' saving fund. I put money away monthly so next time the oven or the fridge or the hoover or the washer breaks down the money is there. to replace it. I initiated the fund back in 2018 and never have had any worries when things need replacing.The peace of mind with being debt free and having savings is wonderful.I remember years ago my washer breaking down and not being able to afford a new one and having to wash by hand for a large family. Hard work.

apple_muncher

Dusty - I think that tech devices definitely count as 'white goods' nowadays.

grandmanerd, please start noting down when you are unable to get back up. I think it's been going on for quite a long time....

Thrifty _T - so pleased that the sign is now ready for you to go and collect. Safe travelling x

f0xh0les - enjoy the cosplay!!!!

I was reading doingitanyway's diary a while ago and I think it was inod who mentioned there about 'tolerations'. Those things in your life that niggle and annoy and irritate, but not quite enough to immediately do something about them. Yet, when something is done, the sense of relief is quite immense. So, for the second half of the month, lets try to remove one or two. Hang that picture up. Sweep that corner out. Give those ugly ornaments away. Buy some new socks to make walking a more pleasurable experience. Unsubscribe from those emails.

f0xh0les

Batten down the hatches!  We are in Noah and Nellie territory, so All Aboard The Skylark!

The weather was so rotten here this morning, I drove DS4 to school instead of letting him go on his bike. The winds are really getting up now, and the roads were flooding at 8am already.  Fear not, I will pick him up as well.

Do not drive through standing water! Do not wade through standing water! We have a railway bridge half way down our road, and under the bridge sometimes floods a little bit, only an inch or two, but there is a manhole cover just after the bridge, and the lid lifts up as the water rushes down the hill toward the river.  No way to know there is an enormous flippin hole, or half a hole (the cover is in two triangular pieces < > ) in the middle of the road. 

Be warned, be aware, be safe, don't be down an hole. 

Went out early doors, spent £71 in T0scos, but had £26 of vouchers and money off coupons so sub £50 actual money spend.  Lots of rice, pasta, sugar, various frozen potato products, beans, and plant-based-milk-substitute-liquid-type-product that is used every week. 

Then went to the No-Waste-Food-Project and got lots of potatoes and peppers and apples and bread for free. 

Bank switch completed this morning, so should get £150 in the near future.

I opened a Seasonal regular saver (5.5%) in January last year (after an email from the bank), and I can remove all the money from November 1st with no penalty, cos it was branded as 'seasonal'. So that is nice to know. I have a budget, no idea what anyone wants, but I can pay for 'it'... whatever 'it' is.  Plus will get interest in January. Bonus!