NST December 2025 A Different December

thriftylass

Hi all,

all/most Christmas shopping done and St Nicolaus. My parents in Germany will get nothing physical as such, as this time more than ever it hit home that time matters more. Time baking, time playing chess, time for DS learning some joinery tips from granpa....

We sent them a letter today, no wonder no-one writes them anymore. £3.40 for standard letter to Germany! Luckily have loads of UK 2nd class stamps left from last year to write some Christmas cards (also made last year).

Was kept up for an 3/4 of an hour last night by a helicopter. Not sure if it was a search in hour area or on stand by at the nearby hospital. 

Anyway, not much else new here, grim, cold and wet. But cheery inside

Rowan9

Hello everyone 
so looking forward to some of our family from England coming up tomorrow for the weekend including two little grandchildren. These are all my blessings and gratitudes for today 

DawnW

Cold at work today 

And very quiet, which is worrying for a shop at this time of the year!

Hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Anyway, NSD # 2 for me today

Came home and made dinner from stores 

Grateful for now being warm and full up after coming home cold and hungry!

grandmanerd

Sorrry, no internet again all day.
 
When I couldn't sleep at 3am yesterday I did a food order to be delivered today (4.30 pm - 5.30 pm). Not a lot - drinks, yoghurts, a few bits plus a book of stamps for the cards and dog treats for grand-puppy's present and it was still much lower than 2 weeks ago.

Rounding up all the scraps from the fridge to use up and so I can see what I actually have.

Grateful for furniture to hold onto, Christmas songs, a good book.

dustydigger

Very weird couple of days. I use an awful lot of websites that require 2 step verification just to get in. At first it was only my bank but increasingly supermarkets and other shops want it too. Its a pain having to wait for a message with a code to sign into so many sites. Well for the last few of days  no google messages have arrived for me. And when I was thinking payments were going through they werent. Couldnt even get into my bank,nor tesc* to pay my monthly delivery charge,no vodaf*ne to top up. Fruitlessly searched online but no one else seemed affected. Spent the day uninstalling/reinstalling apps checking everywhere to see what was happening. Glumly made a list of all the companies I would have to phone tomorrow to try to make payments etc then suddenly at 6pm tonight a torrent of messages suddenly turned up on my google message tab. Nearly 40 messages,none of them any use because codes only last a matter of minutes before expiring.
Had to go through all the messages looking any pockets of information like a hospital appointment,. 
Was a great relief to be able to get into my bank account at last but between rooting around online, getting several deliveries both for me and my daughter,and looking after Mr D who has been a bit stubborn about taking his meds,I never even got online to check out my groups etc.or even read online,which I do a lot normally..Fell asleep exhausted straight after Mr D went for his afternoon nap when I had wanted to watch a bit telly. Mr D sits there most of the day and I rarely get to watch my stuff,and it seems as soon as I sit down I doze off. We actually call it ''the sleep chair''' as we doze off so much in it lol.
So not much achieved only struggled to get back to status quo.But that was a big relief so I'll call that a gratitude
Final items arrived  for xmas presents though I still need a logic problems book for DD1,local shop had none. A theme this month here  on NST is simplicity so I am seriously pondering what I can trim down for Xmas season,especially food and drink.I did order some chicken and shin of beef for delivery today,intending to batch cook a curry to serve as several mealsand meat to use for pies or stew to make less work for me overall,but they couldnt fill my order. Instead of 2 half fresh chickens,they sent piri piri,and the beef was skirt of beef a cheap cut that can be chewy or rather tough,not what i want at all.2 mile bus ride into town to find a butcher,hoped to avoid all that. Maybe tesc* may have something..Might order tomorrow and see how it goes.
All these deliveries gifts  etc are playing havoc with NSDs,not even one yet,in fact I have decided not to do it this month after all.
I will be pondering all grandmanerd's comments about habits,those that need adjusting,and those that need removing. Must simplify my life as Mr Dusty is requiring more care and attention I need to cut out unnecessary activities and try for calm simple slow and easy. Not easy,when I am a major worrywart and have a big family  and lots of online groups and activities. pluus running a house whilst permanently weak and tired .lol. Something is going to have to give! lol.

f0xh0les

My husband had a 'sleepy chair' in his student house. Everybody who sat there fell asleep. Turned out that the gas fire flue was blocked and carbon monoxide was being pumped out around the armchair.  Gas check man condemned it.  He ended up living in a house with no heating over winter in -7 degrees.  No surprise he got pneumonia.  

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for sleeping well, for going to a fab Wizard of Oz production, for my scrummy baked potato, for enjoying an evening walk when Pip was at a group, for having the 18th and fInal book in a series ready to start.

grandmanerd

Dustydigger I'm exempting you from counting NSDs. You obviously aren't spending rashly, your purchases are well  thought out. Buying online and searching just for the things you need means you avoid the temptation of 'casual' shopping.

Your challenge this December is to look after Mr Digger and to do that you need to look after yourself. Carers often neglect their own health and needs because they are focussed on the person they are caring for. Problems with your treatment and medication haven't helped (and don't rush into trying to catch up all at once, when you have had your B12 injection). You are doing your best and that is good enough. Watching your programmes when Mr Digger takes his nap, is a good idea but you need to have more short breaks in your day and more things that make you happy and joyful. 

Work out ways that could make your life easier - I find chopping all the veg before I start to cook is much easier, especially when I sit in a comfortable chair with a tray on my knees to do it. Then when I'm cooking I can throw things in a pot and then check it, stir and add more in passing (putting pots away in the cupoards, folding laundry etc). Doing as many jobs as possible sitting down is helpful, the changes in posture help with aches and pains. Can you play some music that you like whilst doing chores (doesn't need to be Christmas music) or do you need to be listening for Mr Digger when you can't see him.

Is it possible to have some help now? Maybe someone to do heavy stuff like laundry and cleaning the floors. How does Mr Digger react to having other people in the house? Does he have any old friends who could sit and chat with him or do you have any sort of 'befriending' service where you live (volunteers who keep in touch with isolated people - your world shrinks as a carer).  

dustydigger

Lots of wise words there grandmanerd!  We just go along at a slow pace and slow and steady wins the race. Mr D loves seeing the great grandkids they make him laugh but he doesnt like big noisy groups. He laughs and smiles but I have found him to be very anxious and unsettled later After they have  gone he gets obsessive about performing some small task over and over again so I suggested people only come perhaps in pairs. Poor thing is unable to speak at all but loves sitting beside them,holding the girls hands,or repeatedly shaking hands with the boys.Heartbreaking.
Physically he is still very strong can walk up and down stairs with great balance. He eats a  hearty breakfast and a big dinner but as the day goes  on he doesnt want food. some nights I get him to have a sandwich,or perhaps some chinese takeaway,but for the most part nothing..I want him at home as long as possible. The several times he has been hospitalized he has been frightened and angry  and desperate to leave and requires continuous watching. Banging on the ward door trying to get out,walking around ward for countless hours without sleep. It breaks my heart to think of deliberately exposing him to that. For now he can live quietly at home,watching telly and listening to music and for the most part seemingly happy.
As for me I am aware I need to take more care of myself. and am trying to do better there.out. I dont feel the need for careworkers etc yet. It may be that in a few months I will need them to help with his bathing and dressing as I havent the strength most of the time to drag his clothes on,he just stays inert like a baby. but most of the time he does it alone.In fact one of his obsessions is continuously changing his clothes many many times a day. I just let him do it. as it seems to comfort him.
He is getting a bit more stubborn about taking his evening meds,gets angry and aggressive.So eventually we will need nurses in evenings for meds and going to bed. Inevitable but I can cope for now,things are managable.
Thank you and other turtles for your concern. We keep on plodding!

DawnW

((Hugs)) @dustydigger- Mr D is lucky to have you 

Work was better today, not so cold plus a non annoying colleague 

More customers too 

Not a NSD as I went to the little local florist's shop and bought a pretty wreath for the front door, then spotted a mini terrarium that my gardening mad 8 y o grandson will love for his birthday 

Also bought some fairy lights and Christmas cards in another high street shop    Happy with my purchases, and very reasonable prices.

Just doing ciabatta sandwiches for dinner tonight. OH wants bacon, brie and cranberry. I find this a bit fatty so will have bacon with avocado and salad.

Grateful today for a good day at work and local shops