NST June 2026: Onwards and Upwards

DawnW

@Sallyp2 I rent a space in an antiques centre, and work there too, in lieu of rent. It is often entertaining and I like learning new things, but is hard going when it is very hot or very cold, as it is a very old building with zero insulation.

Peas and beans are now frozen and begged and the loganberries have taken their place on the open freezing trays.

We had a slice of pizza for lunch - the rest is in the fridge.

The quiche will probably be sliced and frozen if I can squeeze it in - freezers are stuffed. I MUST buy less food! Having said that, some of the contents are home grown or made.

Harvested new potatoes (I grow them in big pots) and a few little beetroot for dinner. The potato pot has been replanted with a butternut squash plant (I think!) which grew from home made compost. I have composted the innards and peels from butternuts so that is probably what it is 😄I think I recognise the leaves too. I have 2 more of these, to go in future empty potato pots, with a sprinkling of fish, blood and bone fertiliser. It will at least give them a chance!

I must water once it cools off a bit, and will need to walk the dog, but probably after 9pm so it isn't too hot for him. OH normally does this, but is wilting in the heat and non stop moaning 🤣

Might have to pick the loganberries again, and probably some sweet peas too. Ironing wants doing, but can definitely wait till tomorrow!

Grateful for getting things done despite the heat.

grandmanerd

I survived but the laptop didn't. For 2 days I've had the front door open (wedged between 2 six packs of water) to try and get a through draught going. Yesterday I cut of 2/3 o my hair which helped enormously but I need to take extra care to protect my newly exposed neck. The laptop has been funny for a few days but then went silent and then blank.

I've got it to come on again so have done a massive food order (including the oddments I'd jotted down like a huge bottle of nan's sauce and a wooden nail brush) to be delivered tomorrow evening - lots of salad type bits. When I've been outside it isn't always wise to go in the shower for the nail brush, the bath mat hed to be rewashed after 2 days because I trod soil all over it.

I received a link on my phone to book yet another appointment (talking therapy) but the phone needs charging so I'll try to do that later and think of anytthing else that needs doing online.

Despite a cool start it's hot again now so I may or may not get out for the errands. Hopefully I can put the washing on the line.

Grateful for books, series and my puzzle book

DawnW

Not so ridiculously hot today, so I spent most of the day starting to catch up in the garden. There is still loads to do, plus the never ending watering.

Went to a couple of local car boot sales first thing. 12 y o GD has started asking to come along 😊 She found some books this morning. I found very little so will need to go a bit further afield to look for stock next weekend. I did find some nice old frames though.

Still using up the food I made on Friday, though DD2 and grandkids had a good go at it yesterday when they came round. There is still enough for lunch tomorrow, but I have cooked some steak and onions in the SC for a pie for tomorrow's dinner. I have leftover pastry in the fridge so it will only be a matter of putting it together and baking it. DD shamed me by showing me how she has run down the contents of her freezer by simply getting something out each day and cooking / eating it instead of buying more. My freezers are absolutely rammed, and I need some space for home grown fruit and veg, so I will be doing the same. That means keeping away from the reduced section in my favourite supermarket. The braising steak I cooked today was a first step at least!

I ordered what I hope will be some cooler clothes that fit this afternoon. I have lost weight and most of my clothes are too big. I sold quite a few of the better ones online, and may need to sell / donate some more. That sounds as though I had loads of clothes, and I definitely had enough, even if I had had most of them for years and many came from charity shops or ebay. I now don't have enough, and need some new tops, a skirt and a dress for the hot weather, as it is too hot for the jeans I normally live in. I will see what these are like when they arrive. Some will definitely be going back as I ordered 2 sizes. There is such a huge size variation between brands, which is a nuisance if like me you hate going clothes shopping and trying things on.

apple_muncher

Apologies for wandering off and abandoning you all - again!

A week ago I left the south to go to Manchester for work and the journey was interesting. The first train wasn't running due to a previous accident further up the line, so it was a different train + tube to get where I needed to be. I caught my next train and it stopped 10 mins out of Manchester because emergency services were dealing with an incident a bit further up the line. After a while, lots of us got off and caught the bus into the city centre - it took over and hour and was so hot and stuffy even with the windows open. The kicker was that the train did continue into Manchester (grrr) despite telling us it was going to have to reverse and take a different route.

2 days later, I Ieft Manchester to go to Carlisle. I'd booked a specific train but my meeting finished early so I thought that I'd just enjoy sitting and reading in the hotel for a bit. Then I checked the schedule and my train was cancelled! So I wandered along to the station and was allowed on the train 1 hour earlier. We had to take a slight detour very slowly near the end, and only arrived about 15 mins late.

I then took the Northern train to Haltwhistle to stay with my sister for a few days. I decided not to return home the way I'd come, despite having tickets for it, as the weather warnings and do-not-travel warnings were in full force. So I bought a ticket going home via Newcastle.

Departure day arrived, and all went well until I reached Newcastle. Trains heading south were delayed because lightning had struck the signals around Edinburgh and there was a signalling failure. You couldn't make it up! I squeezed onto the first train heading south, as did gazillions of others. It was stopping at every station and getting more and more packed, so I got off at York and caught the next train, which was only about 15 mins behind us, and which only stopped once before London.

Happily, the line that wasn't running on my way out was now running. And the cherry on the cake was that dh and Pip came and picked me up from the final station. With aircon in the car. Luxury!

And despite all that, I would still opt to take the train instead of driving every time. And with the prospect of Delay Repay, I know I can get some pennies back.

I'm very grateful that the temperatures are down to around the mid-20s in the day, with a cooling breeze at night.

I'm also grateful for meeting up with a primary school friend who I hadn't seen for over 35 years - she lives about 60 mins from my sis by train. And for my sister suggesting we walk to Hadrian's wall one evening when it was cooler. Mind you, we left at 8.10pm and got back around 10.30pm. We did the last mile fairly swiftly as it was getting dark and gloomy and spooky walking down the burn.😂

I'm now grateful for being home and being able to sleep in my own bed. For my team completing what they needed to complete this weekend without leaving it to the last minute. For liddle having 90% chocolate on the shelves.

grandmanerd

I went to my 'coffee' and chat group. Not wildly exciting but quite pleasant (I think I was a bit out of sorts because I got a cramp in my leg). Before going I put away the remaining food from yesterday evening's delivery and got most of the washing on the line. I went to the library toilets before leaving and then walked slowly across to the mall.

Missed out a couple of shops because I had definite priorities. Stall in the middle of the market where I asked the man for batteries for the pinsentry machine and asked him to put them in. He did but the screen stayed blank -looks like something had got inside it. He offered to take them out again and not charge me, very kind as I'd said it wasn't his fault (just my first step before I contact/ visit the bank. I got him to cut 2 keys and bought 3 new colour caps for them.

I went into the mall and in the first shop I bought 2 packs of playing cards (to play patience as a non-screen activity which helps my manual dexterity), some pencils with rubber wraps to help beginner writers (for me and grand-daughter), drawing pencils (B, 2B, 3B as the ones that come with my puzzle book are too pale and don't contrast with the paper), looked through the 10 for £10 picture books and they had a small selection of birthday cards so bought there rather than the card shop.

Final shop at the other end to buy an A4 magnifying sheet to make reading easier. Nipped into G's to get another drink (I took one to the library with me) and sat in AC bliss by the doors and drank it all. Finally went into the optician's and made an appointment. Slow and painful journey home then flopped on the bed with drinks and snacks. I hope I can move tomorrow but for now I don't need to

Grateul for mostly finding the things I wanted, for the man with the stall at the market, for being on the bed (just going to try to find a better position for sleeping).

apple_muncher

I did a big liddle shop today and used my 7 off 70 voucher. We also had an 0cad0 delivery for (mostly) gf stuff. So the cupboards, fridge and freezer are all rammed!!

I got to the gym this morning and bumped into a gym buddy I've not seen in weeks, so that was fun. I also did a couple of important appointments with Pip, so he is knackered from it, but very happy with how they went.

I'm very happy that the weather has turned down the thermostat to just Hot instead of Stupid Hot. Though I reckon it's going back to Stupid for the weekend. Sigh.

I'm cracking on with marking, and my team are all good to go. They seem a very nice bunch, so I have high hopes for them!

beanielou

@apple_muncher. My DS is marking for the first time this year!

grandmanerd

I can do July if you want, but if my laptop dies I may not be able to support during the month.

grandmanerd

July Challenge

NST JULY KISS — MoneySavingExpert Forum

grandmanerd

Most of my body hurts today - my arms and shoulders from gripping the handles of the walker when walking and from heaving myself up from the chair after sitting down and my legs and ankles just from walking.

I did go to the TECH Mate session. I thought if I din't go I might lose courage altogether. I took the laptop and 2 phones. I'd been struggling to make an appointment. I couldn't find where I'd written down my NHS log in and it wasn't sending the reset email to my email address. It took the expert half an hour to get it to do the right thing and then I booked an appointment and wrote down the details. I had a cramp in my leg and my ankle was throbbing so I decided to leave at that point. I had found the ankle support (and the screen wipes and hayfever tablets) before I left but I 'd already got my shoes on and I don't like taking them off again (some days I don't put my shoes on and I run out of energy much more rapidly).

I'd noticed yesterday that they had another pile of books for rehoming so I brought home 7 of those (3 in a series which claim to be like another author I've read). I've done a little bit of tidying and I brought all the washing in just as it was starting to rain but apart from that I'm back on the bed. I forgot to get an ice lolly from the freezer and I wouldn't go back.

Grateful for TECH Mate (they can help with other things I need but some things are upstairs), books and easy food