NST April 2026: Thrift and Thrive

grandmanerd

I'm grateful for all the beautiful blossom on my apple trees. My yard is only 15' (width of the house) by 18'+ long (the yard is slanted, when I had fence panels I had 3 on each side + 4" square posts between panels and at each end so it's nearer 19') but I have an orchard of apple trees planted in 90 litre incinerator bins plus a selection of native hedging trees (rowan, puss_ee willow, and hazel). What is left of the cobblestone raised beds put in over 30 years ago are planted with holly blackcurrants and raspberries along the back wall and in 40 l tubs along the side wall. I have strawberries that never got planted but I'm thinking about putting them in wide troughs on top of the back wall. I want more but I went with all the plant it and leave it to get on with it stuff to help when I can't do much.

On Wednesday I put a second black bin out (DS3 had done ours during the night) I was taking a small step backwards with my left foot, moving the right foot to join it and then pulling the bin towards me. I got to the end of the back and turned the corner and then a lovely bin man said 'Leave that love, I'll get it', so I just said thank you, put my stick down (I was holding it with both hands across the two bin handles) and hobbled back to the house. Mrs Builder came so she did the kitchen and shower room (I'd been doing some chopping) then we both worked on the front room, clearing a largish area of floor (she put a pile of small notes and bits of paper on my small table and half of them fell off - I said that;s what keeps happening to me). She went on holiday on Friday so I have to manage for 11 days (only a week tomorrow now). My ankle was a bit stronger the past two days - I can walk to the bathroom and back without my stick. I've done some washing and washing up. Felt 'unwell' so had very simple meals and I'm gradually working my way through the remaining contents of the salad drawer.

Yesterday Beloved went off to see her friends leaving me with DS3 who had been throwing up since waking. He did a phone consultation and they eventually decided he didn't need to go to A & E (if his blood sugar had stayed elevated for another 5 minutes they'd have panicked). He came downstairs around teatime briefly and today he went to the friends house for the day to say farewell - they're being sent back to the USA and don't know what will happen when they get there.

I've been relaxing by watching films and some podcasts (comedies and crime) and working on the bins. Doing what I can and trying my best not to fret about 'that which remains undone'.

grandmanerd

Something happened to the hero today

The social battery hit 1% and the words ran out

So the hero stayed in his box….. choosing rest over quest for now (Sketchy whiskers)

beanielou

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81972742#Comment_81972742

Love this.

weenancyinAmerica

April has been a strange month. Now we find that roommate Di has gallbladder problems and will probably have surgery before I do. Roommate G is reorganizing his room - usually every night around 3 -4 am which has been waking me up. He came home from the hospital last Thursday and has been doing this every night since. Did have one good thing happen. Di and I went to a Mystery Author's Luncheon where 4 authors spoke about how they write historical mysteries. Enjoyed the afternoon and got to talk to each of the authors after the luncheon. That is what I used to do - help authors do background research for their books. Spent three years working for Alex Haley on Roots 2, Queen, and a mini-series he was working on with Norman Lear called Palmerstown USA. Got to travel all around the US for him. That was when I also started taking people to the British Isles to find their roots. The luncheon has stirred up a lot of memories.

DawnW

Sounds as though you have had a very interesting working life @weenancyinAmerica 😊

A busy few days here, getting garden and house jobs done, making use of the dry weather. Work today and tomorrow though, so I won't get much done at home. I have lots of plants to take to a work friend today, which will free up space in my tiny conservatory.

apple_muncher

I am sooo grateful for our NHS. Pip has just seen a rheumatologist and will see both a gastroenterologist and a neurologist later this year. He will have an echocardiogram, an MRI and a whole list of tests - just from the first rheumatologist appointment.

weeNancy, your working life sounds fascinating. Hope your housemate finds a suitable layout for their room very soon!

Invigilation season has arrived. All my centres use external invigilators for their y10-13 internal exams as well as for the public exams, so there's no shortage of work to keep me out of mischief.

beanielou

A beautiful day sitting in my conservatory. Nippy out but beautiful in here. Priceless.

Blackcats

just popping in to suggest to @apple_muncher that Postman's Park in central London is a lovely place to visit. A little memorial garden honouring "heroic self sacrifice" of ordinary folk. Peaceful and uplifting. I think there's now an app that tells more of the stories of the extraordinary ordinary people.

Thrifty_Taylor

NSD#15

First week of the new term completed. The sun has been out for a few days, it was a cool wind yesterday, but hot today!

Had a weepy day yesterday. Some folk saying nice things about late DS1 that I've been thinking over. Plus it's coming up to a year next month, so won't be an easy lead up to it. Had my last counselling session too, though missed half of it as my phone was playing up. Went for a walk & listened to a healthy mind related podcast, which helped me a little.

Been overdoing the sewing, so had last night & tonight off. A plus point though, is DH has started helping me by unpicking zips 😀

Grateful for lovely weather, DH's help, supportive friends, that it's the weekend

grandmanerd

The indian state of Kerala, home to 34 million people, has eliminated extreme poverty. In the last few years they identified every household (about 187,000 people) that was in extreme poverty and provided work opportunities, food and hospital care , as deemed necessary. To make sure nobody slips back into poverty there is a permanent monitoring system in place with village council members keeping watch (info from progressntwrk)

#goodnews #goodnewsnetwork #positivenews #globalpositivenews #humanprogress