NST August 2026: The Good Life

f0xh0les

Well in low-tech tin foil hat land, we projected it through a colander onto the path 😄 🤣 muxh giggling from me & DH, the young men didnt care, then within 10 minutes we had started a craze of people and their phones. They just needed someone to go out and be daft first.

DawnW

Very high temperatures forecast again today here. Got up early, walked the dog, watered what needed it and put a batch of tomatoes on to roast with garlic cloves and seasoning for tomato sauce. Done, sieved and cooling now, and I will freeze it in small batches later. Such a nice thing to have in the winter. Also found a large courgette and picked a small bowlful of raspberries.

Sorry to hear that Pip is in pain @apple_muncher .

I sort of missed the eclipse as I was walking the dog at the time. Lots of people were out watching. The dog made a fuss of the entire family next door, who were out on the track behind the terrace, including the teenage son whom we hardly ever see 😄

I have just finished doing a larder inventory, and need to do a freezer one, but I don't want to get everything out while it is so hot 🙄

I need to do some ironing and maybe a load of washing as well. At least it dries quickly and completely outside.

grandmanerd

On Tuesday and Wednesday, my walking was restricted. If I use my stick, I can take small steps, without it, I do a small shuffle. My leg is quite painful and I added ibuprofen pills to the gel (very little gel as I'm using up the end of a tube and it's very reluctant to come out).

Mrs Builder came and I asked her to carry my bags of food through to the kitchen and I sat and put things (including anything chocolate) away in the fridge whlst she hung out the washing I'd done the day before. Later I sat on the bed and packed away the bubble wrap in the empty suitcase and added paper and card to a paper sack and soft plastic to an empty chinchilla food bag (filled bags had been taken out by Mrs Builder). She has cleared all the floor space. There's still lots of sorting to do as I told her to put all the 'keeping' things in a bag for life. I also cut up some grand-daughter photographs from a gifted calendar, put the scrap in the paper sack and asked Mrs Builder to pass me the box holding the photos.

When the pills kicked in and the pain in my legs became manageable, the pain in my back started complaining and later shoulder pain. Late in the evening the pain ramped up again. DS3 was waiting for a food delivery and jumped at my involuntary squeals of pain. I had a nest of comfortable pillows for my back, neck and shoulders (including the new sleep apnea one) and asked him to slide a wedge cushion under my legs to support them.

I'm taking my time in the mornings. I'm pushing myself into the shower before I'm ready because it's easier than making a separate journey. I flop back onto the bed and let myself air dry, then on a subsequent trip to the bathroom I ad antiseptic cream and suncream and give that time to sink in befor putting my dress on. Yesterday and today I had a book to finish off (not many pages but too tired to stay awake long enough to finish). I also do ankle twirling and stretching before I put my ankle strap on. So quite a leisurely process but I've found myself relaxing into it and enjoying just being.

My ankle (knees, hip, back and various other bits) are still stiff and painful this morning (there's washing to come in from the line and another load waiting to go out but my body's having none of it) so I think I'll work on paperwork - there's mum's accounts and 3 lots of mine (pending and impending appointments / routine stuff that should be kept but won't be needed frequently/ stuff needing action) and then some leisure stuff (puzzle books, jigsaws, colouring books) and office/ stationery stuff (Mrs B wouldn't take a pad of scrap paper for her grandsons because they throw things at the walls which then need retouching).

So lots I can do whilst continuing to rest the aching parts

Grateful for Mrs Builder, easy food (I was down to my last yoghurt so bought bananas and a small wholemeal loaf for toast as alternative breakfasts and I had wraps including an open pack so I bought sandwich fillings and will use up fridge bits as toppings) and good books - I've bought a few for my elder grand-daughter as she progresses from picture books to a beginner reader but got one from several unkown series (previously bought a world book day pack for the same reason) to check them out. Well yesterday I read 'The Baby Brother From Outer Space' (from the winners of the Blue Peter Best Story Award) and I loved it. I've sent for a set of 15 (there may be more in the series but this was the biggest box set available, which greatly reduces the cost per book).

I'm investigating books I remember enjoying as a child and looking at more modern ones (newer than those available when my sons were young). Since the bedroom theme is to be Squirrels I've bought several of Alison Uttley's 'Little Grey Rabbit' books including the squirrel story, along with a Wombles book, some !!!!!! King- Smith ones and some young Puffins. Newer ones - I really liked the Mula pack I took last time (Mula is a tiger who does yoga, instructed by a fly - I read 3 stories to GD when I was there). Not so sure about Bunny v Monkey (comic book format, which is good for reluctant readers with a sort of !!!!!! Dasterdly and Mutley 'Stop the Pigeon' vibe). I found Unicorn Academy tedious.

There are some books I haven't yet tracked down, especially the Gazelle imprint. I loved borrowing these from the library, I only realised it was reading sceme years later (there were other deer series with graded difficulties). I thought it was Heinemann or Hamish Hamilton but haven't tracked it down yet. Are there any older turtles who remember more?

f0xh0les

Happiness reigns at F0xh0les T0wers, 🎇

Exam results day, and finally 1 of them has done as well as he could have done. He got a Merit for his T Levels, which is equivalent to 3 Bs, so he is upstairs talking to clearing - his teachers told him he couldn't get a Merit and should be content with C's. It did mean a retake of his end of 1st year exams (that they did not want him to), while doing 2nd year, but he knew what he wanted, and he wanted a Merit. Well done #3!!!!

No matter what, he has those grades, and we are proud of him. He never has to do A Level grade exams again unless he wants to for pleasure. Hooray!!

Bizarrely #3 now seems to want to stay at home and go to the local Uni (???) which has never ever been mentioned before. He also said he likes me (which is also new, but kinda welcome). It is his choice, I am never going to throw any of them out, they know this. I had hoped at least one would have moved out by now though 🤣

Only one week left to go until we do it all over again with #4 and the dreaded GCSEs.

apple_muncher

Well done number 3! 🎉🎉🎉

Dh says there's a meteor shower tonight, between midnight and dawn. But he's not going to go out and find somewhere with no light pollution. What a wuss 🤣🤣🤣

Today I am grateful for Pip being okay to go to work and having a good day there, for a quiet day, for getting the last parking space at liddle.

DawnW

Well done to DS #3 @f0xh0les 😊 It will be cheaper for him to live at home and go to uni locally, so maybe he is being sensible, assuming they do the course that he wants. It sounds as though he has a plan, which is excellent!

Work again today and it will be 30 degrees, but at least not 35 like yesterday 🙄

It is tiring, and there have been so many scary fires around locally. I do wish it would rain!

grandmanerd

It was cooler today so I did a bit of work in the yard - filling bottles from the water butt, chopping back the brambles and picking weeds. Came inside to rest and then tried to go out again this evening - knees are very much against the idea.

I washed my hair this morning, I've brought in the last couple of items on the line, put one sheet out, took recycling to the bins and collected more bottles on the way back. I've finally finished off last year's diary - used empty pages for puzzles and today I moved any important information (and some musings) across to the new diary. Ordered a repeat prescription item.

Tired but happy. Will sleep soon - last night a combination of pain and heat made it difficult.

Grateful for easy food, good books and getting outside.

beanielou

Well done @grandmanerd. You are amazing.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dh driving Pip to work, for seeing my tutee for the first time in over a month, for Aircon in the car, for the washing drying so quickly, for visiting neighbourhood cats.

grandmanerd

Reporting now, in case I fall asleep. Not much got done yesterday, my leg hurt enough to prevent me going outside. I filled another paper sack and took the soft plastic bag (a chinchilla food bag) into the kitchen. I basically shove things in and press them down but it kept falling over and some of the contents fell out so I've decided it is 'full'. Today I needed new bags to set up.

Worried about my leg and what else I can do - tonight I might roll up the duvet (currently still out on the line) and use it to support as much of the leg as possible (knee and ankle and whatever else fits). I had a number of jobs requiring action and went with taking 2 large heavy bags of donations (books/ tealights and candles) to one of the further cs because it's one of the few that open on Sunday. It was a tough walk but I made it there safely (hoping walking also does the leg some good). They don't need bubble wrap either.

Coming back I sat on one of the first benches I got to, thinking about whether I should go in HB. Then moved to the bench outside HB and thought some more. Decide to go in and my ankle staarted complaining straight away - it 'went' a couple of times when I was walking round and I only went down a few aisles. I picked up 5 of my favourite antiseptic cream (at least £1 each cheaper then online ones) and 2 bargainaceous ibu gel (currently scraping out the remains of old tubes using a cotton bud). I added crisp and cut price choc multi packs (cheaper then the half price Wednesday ones I've had) and some chiller items. I was starting to shake with hunger so bought a ploughman's sandwich and a single can of pop (less than £2 for the 2).

I went to the till and unloade then packed all my stuff (needed to purchase a bag as I'd only taken one of the smaller jute bags), apologising to the people who joined my queue (they all said it was fine, not to worry).

I got outside, sat on the bench and snaffled the sandwich and drink (I tried taking it slowly but some of it was rushed). Having settled my blood sugar and pre-empted stomach growls, I set off for home. Very slow and occasionally painful. I forwent getting cash out, as I'd dropped my purse into my bag after paying and put multiple items on top. Got in and I've only moved from the bed for bathroom breaks. I knew I'd been out for an hour but it was more like 2 hours.

I'm going to concentrate on things I can complete from the bed (may have to ask DS3 to bring the quilt in when he comes down for food). Grateful for space on the top of the bureau, the novelty of actually being in a shop and my library books (just started the third of the 3 I picked last week.