NST December 2025 A Different December

dizzyblnd

Good morning gorgeous people. I have been keeping up the good turtle work over the last few days, mostly as everything has been closed so no opportunity to spend. Christmas Day, Boxing Day and yesterday were all nsds So I’m up to #13. I want to set myself some goals and have a think about the next year today. Going to read the January thread (thanks @apple_muncher) with a cuppa to start the thinking. Need to think about where I can cut back and where I can squeeze the time to declutter and sell some stuff. 

DawnW

Morning all 

OH seems quite a lot better this morning. He doesn't have a temperature, is not constantly coughing and actually got a few hours sleep. His breathing is still very noisy though.

So far I have taken the dog out, washed up and cleaned the sink area, cleaned the bathrooms, dusted the main bedroom and put some laundry away.

I am pretty bored and have cabin fever, so I might do some decluttering this afternoon, starting with my clothes. I have some nice things that I never wear that are just clogging up my wardrobe, and it is time someone else enjoyed them. In the past I would have sold them online, but the platforms keep changing, the packaging and posting is a pain and I can no longer be bothered. Instead I will donate them to the local hospice charity. They were so brilliant during my brother's final illness that I will always support them   

Doing this will also remind me that I don't need more clothes, apart from some socks. And that includes from charity shops.

I may then sort the larder out a bit. I have already tracked down and destroyed a couple of jars of ancient chilli jam    My excuse is I make my own preserves and they don't have a use by date        I have washed the jars, kept one for reuse and put the other in the recycling.

Doing these things will seem like a head start for the New Year 

I have started a shopping list, though there won't be much on it. However, I will need things like bin bags and washing up liquid. I will go on Tuesday, as usual. It has been a very strange Christmas and to be honest I will be glad to get back to normal.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for paracetamol sorting out my banging headache, for clearing away my Christmas gifts, for easy food, for Pip having a friend over, for fluffy socks.

dustydigger

Had a bit of a fraught xmas with Mr D. Despite me asking family to come in dribs and drabs and short visits loads of them came for hours. Mr D seemed to cope but as I had feared once they had gone he became restless agitated and stubborn. and it went on for days No sleep and much obsessive behaviour. Boxing Night he stepped out of the hose onto wet sharp stones and I got him back in hastily and locked the door but stupidly didnt remove the key. Was washing up supper dishes when I heard the door open and when I got there was already walking bare foot up the street. Remember he had done a similar thing one morning last week ?
Begged and pleaded as he kept marching up the road and got him back home and locked up and this time hid the keys.. For hours he kept returning to the door and frantically trying to open up,totally ignoring any attempts at reasoning or reassurance. Refused to go to bed we were up till 3am and he was back downstairs by 7am. Hyper awake and alert none of his normal dozing it was a bad 2 days. Today he seems much better slept through the night no lights on no sitting in the dark all night. Today didnt even notice the front door at all which was a relief. His usual phone call from his chemo nurse is on Wednesday morning I have  lot of updates and questions
There is significant decline both physically and mentally lately. He gets dizzy on a morning can stand 5 mins hanging onto the sink afraid to move.
It seems that going into care is coming nearer. I am now going to simplify our finances,closing ISAs  credit unions etc having one current account and one savings. If it comes to needing care,we live totally on Pension Credit,if he goes in a home they will take any savings away to pay for his care,I will be on single pension credit. Good job I looked ahead to deal with it,and almost 2 years ago gave his daughters in Africa substantial sums,their ''inheritance'' in advance, one bought a little piece of land to grow food for herself the other mended her deceased mother's ramshackle little house to provide a little income since in future I wont be able to help them much. They are 64 and 65 years old. My kids are all in stable jobs financially OK,so they are fine.
So I am taking 3 months off from the Turtles challenge while I simplify finances,rearrange bedrooms in case we will need more nursing care etc,and basically streamlien our lives to cope. I can no longer multitask,can barely concentrate on one thing at a time,so I intend to reduce my time online and must focus on Mr D as he needs more care. Hope to be back here in March,or certainly in April.New financial year,new budgets etc to sort:)
Hope you all have a happy peaceful holidays and that the new year is better than the crazy year we have all struggled through in 2025.

Happy New Year
best regards from
    Dusty

in_need_of_direction

Take care Dusty

grandmanerd

Hugs dusty, we'll be thiking of you and hoping things go as smoothly as possible.

I'm okay. Warm and comfortable but not getting a lot done. I could feel myself starting to drift off again so have had a shower. If I sleep now I will be dry when I wake up and can get more grooming/ self-care bits done. I'm doing well on using up all the scraps in the bottoms of pots and tubes (whilst building a list of my favourite products to buy when I've used things up). Lots of cans, bottles and jars being emptied and I'm making inroads on the fridge - the rice salad I made was excellent (had it with lamb samosas and with quiche on a different day), the 'waldorf' mixture was used yesterday with the last of the honey and mustard dressing. 

There's a lot to go at but I have a small list of things to buy (more ingredients then meals - have no lemon juice and cider vinegar is low). I'm thinking I may buy a rotisserie chicken from a local shop to have with hot veg. I really don't want to bother with a whole joint (maybe for my birthday in January) but would like more 'dinners' - buying a cooked chicken feels like a budget option (and lots of veg to use up + stew from the end scraps).

I'm really enjoying the last large print book now that I've got into it. The library doesn't reopen for another week but I'm hoping I can cope with online reading in a day or two. I stayed off the laptop for most of yesterday.

Grateful for rest, having options, pleasing myself and not having to worry about catering for other people. (add baked potatoes to list)

grandmanerd

Monday 29th December 2025

Some self-care New Year Resolutions (from SelfLoveRainbow)
Unfollow content by creators who bring you down
Create riutines in your life that focus on what you need
Take deep breaths, laugh and meditate more often
Focus on adding more of something or doing less of something
Commit at least one act of self-care a day
Declutter your life in physical and emotional ways
Do something that's good for your mental health every day
Surround yourself with a loving and accepting community
Focus on making rest a priority in your life

New Year Quotes from Positively present
Kindness, Kindness, Kindness
I'm making a New Year's Prayer, not a resolution
I'm praying for courage
(Susan Sontag)

A New Year is a gift, a small piece of infinity. to do with as we will
(Jean Hersey)

Year's End is neither a beginning nor an end but a going on,
With all the wisdom that experience can instill in us
(Hal Borland)

Hope smiles, from the threshold of the year
To come whispering "It will be Happier"
 (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

And now we welcome the New Year
Full of things that have never been
(Rainier Maria Rilke)

apple_muncher

Hugs to you both, dusty. Please feel free to drop in and read along or comment if you have the energy to do so. hope to see you again in a few months.

Rowan9

Thinking of you @dusty
x

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for easy TV to watch, for having a car, for friendly people at the gym, for enjoying simply existing, for my microwaveable bagpuss.