NST May 2026 Hitting Rock Bottom

grandmanerd

Tuessday 26th May 2026

THE OPTIMISTIC OCTOPUS (rom Positively Present)

8 Principles For Staying Positively Present

Practice gratitude daily

Find positive outlets for dificult feelings

Try not to dwel on the past

Avoid negative influences

Know what you value

Strive to worry less about the future

Spend time doing what you enjoy

Be kind to yourself

grandmanerd

Plan B worked. The fridge-freezer is in the kitchen proper. The freezer is much more accessible but tucked under the second pantry shelf and 'hidden away' (it's about 18+ years old and the trim has yellowed a lot). It's very easy to get under the stairs and there is loads of room under there (plus more shelf uprights if I want to relocate spare shelving).

I took it very slowly, resting for at least 2 hours between stages. By removing all the bottles of frozen water I could manage mostly by myself. I did ask DS3 to help for 5 minutes when I got stuck on a corner. He's still aching and limping from yesterday. I'm very creaky but have had a warm shower to ease some of the kinks out of my neck and shoulders.

I've done a very small food order, a more substantial freezer order (lots of offers available until the end of the month) which filled the tall freezer (I'll move some things back into my bit when it's got properly cold again - I took the drawers out as they were a bit out of shape).

Grateful for a satisfactory layout, lots of downtime, lovely warm shower and air- dried myself afterwards.

weenancyinAmerica

Thank goodness we haven't had the temperatures some of you are getting. Our cooler than normal temperatures have helped with the lowering of the temperature in the chemical tank and now they don't think the explosion would be too bad if it happens. So a lot of those who were evacuated have been returned home. My roommate was going around saying what we should do if the area of evacuation expanded (we were three miles away from the boundary line). After several hours, she never got past worrying about how we would get the three cats into containers and then into the car. So we didn't actually get very prepared. We need to work on this as we are only two miles from Disneyland too (the other way). Still don't understand why a company with toxic chemicals was allowed to have a tank only a couple of blocks from homes. But it is being investigated, so others are concerned also. I have been dreaming the last two nights about how to pack a rolling backpack though. If my roommate had it her way, it would be filled with a pack of kitty litter, water for the cats and a bowl for it, and lots of cat food and cat treats! They need their own rolling suitcase.

Rowan9

DawnW you always write such interesting things about your garden and what you’re planting. I like reading about gardens, find it very soothing reading. I like to have a nature type book on the go as well as fiction and it’s usually my go to for last read of the evening before sleep. Nice images to take into sleep.

glad things are easing for you in terms of no evacuation @weenanci

That’s a lot of hard work @mothernerd, take it easy for a bit

Pay day today and I didn’t realise until afternoon so put money into savings x2 for pay myself first. I know you are listening Universe

Grateful for

A lovely park walk with my dog before work I really enjoyed watching her sniffing then running to me. She’s 12 now and very dear to us

Delicious lunch from home of toasted sandwich with beef cheese and salad

A selection of sweeties which someone bought at work which made us laugh sour chewy ones, things like that so not good for teeth but good for spirits and a laugh

Have as good an evening as possible folks x

DawnW

Today will be spent clearing up after a terrific thunderstorm in the early hours, with huge hailstones which have caused damage to people's cars and properties. We got off lightly having lost the woodshed roof and some plants. The corrugated perspex roof has holes in it as though it has been shot at. One neighbour's conservatory roof is smashed, another has lost part of his guttering, and all the cars parked outside have dents in, caravans kept in gardens damaged etc. And that is just along our immediate stretch of road. Our woodshed roof is small and OH will just replace it for not very much money, and our car was safe in the garage, but there will be a lot of insurance claims I imagine. The noise was really scary, it sounded like someone trying to smash the door in, and it went on for hours. OH had left the kitchen skylight open, and we were mopping the flooded kitchen floor at 2am. Still, it wasn't deep and it hasn't damaged anything. I won't need to wash the tiles today anyway!

Another cup of coffee then outside to sweep up bits of roof and attend to broken plants. No watering today at least.

apple_muncher

Wow! DawnW, that sounds both awesome and scary!

weenancy, glad you haven't had to be evacuated. I do wonder how those with medical or mobility needs cope with having to leave their homes for an indefinite length of time.

grandmanerd the furniture rearranger! Well done on all your hard work.

rowan, your doggy sounds delightful!

beanie, hope your pain subsides.

huge apologies for not being around. Plenty of good things going on, the main one for the last week being having a paddling pool that I can dunk myself in to cool down 🤣. I'm glad it's half term so none of us are having to work in the heat. Pip has several medical appointments lined up for the next few months, has an interview for a college place in September , and got his disability travel card. I'm so pleased I bought a fan from liddle last week as he can't regulate his body temperature and he's had it on all the time. And won't share it 🤣🤣🤣.

Shall I set up June?

Rowan9

what an amazing storm DawnW and huge amount of damage. We have had nothing up north

Paddling pool bliss Apple. It’s such a good way to cool down.
it’s been nice here, not too hot. I hear lots of people out in the park still, always love hearing that.
we had a magpie come and squawk at us on the windowsill. They have a nest in a tree not far from the window and I used to feed them on the windowsill a few years ago. Anyway what a racket it made so I put out some very moistened bread and it came and ate some. I’m not sure what to put as might be feeding babies. I’ll investigate. Our dog was very curious about food being put out the window - what a waste haha. Typical Labrador

Gratitudes today

Sharing of cakes at work

Helping a student earlier and then she was kind to me when I tripped and fell on the bus on the way home

PJs on and knowing I’m having a blissful early night

Have a good evening all x

Rowan9

ok to add, chopped apples and unsalted peanuts for magpies. I’m more likely to have them than mealworms

beanielou

Met an old friend for lunch today. Lovely & easy as we have known each other for years.

grandmanerd

Yes please apple, set up June. Sympathies with Pip - a caller on James O'Brian's show (yesterday's on catch up) during a discussion on weather/ climate change said his small daughter cannot regulate her own body temperature and in previous years has suffered in summer but it's happened this week.

The weather has defeated me. I felt tearful. I took a bag of cans to the bin and let a bag of rubbish (non-food) by the back gate as I couldn't see my black bin. I emptied 2 of the bottles I set up the week before last into the incinerator bins my trees are in. I went to get my green bin back but the black bin wasn't there. I saw it part way back to the house but the green bin was enough. I brought empty bags back to the house then collapsed on the bed.

I felt ill then made a mess on the floor. I threw toilet paper at it, wiped what I could, had a shower and have since used up a bag of old rags. I'm staying on the bed for now. I think it's heat related. I have moved 2 paint cans under the stairs (moved them with my foot). I've gathered 6 more but started to get stomach pains again so will move them later. I have a large bottle of water and just risked a pack of crisps.

Grateful for what I could do. love the bed and listening to podcasts (there's a book on the laptop which I'm half way through)