NST August 2026: The Good Life

DawnW

Went to a family party yesterday afternoon, to celebrate a 1st birthday ❤️ Lovely, but slightly marred by the appearance of a horrible itchy sore rash on my arms, shoulders, back and neck. I did pop to the pharmacy yesterday morning and was given some cream, but it hasn't done any good. In fairness, it wasn't nearly so bad then (I had assumed just a heat rash), but it spread and got worse as the day progressed and overnight. So back to the pharmacy tomorrow, or maybe the GP.

I was up at 4 am because it was impossible to sleep, but made good use of the day and attempted to take my mind off it, by watering the garden,doing a freezer inventory, and then doing a load of cooking for the forthcoming week, and for the freezer. I made:

A tray of spiced roasted vegetables

An aubergine and tomato curry (we ate this for dinner)

A big pot of chilli

A base for a shepherds pie

A batch of roasted tomato sauce

I also cooked up a pack of new potatoes (ours are all gone now sadly). These will get used in various ways over the next few days.

I have shoved it all in the fridge for now, but will have to make some decisions about what to freeze and how to get it in there tomorrow.

Off for a cool shower, then I will smother myself in cream, take some painkillers and try and get some sleep!

beanielou

Eek that sounds nasty @DawnW.

DawnW

Thanks @beanie it is a real nuisance! I went back to the pharmacy, and the pharmacist reckons it is an immune reaction to something. Nothing to be done except plastering it with unscented moisturising cream whenever it itches, and if it doesn't go in a week, or it spreads further to other areas of my body to go to the GP. Anyway, I shall carry on regardless, like we all do 🙄

A further annoyance is that I have had an extra delivery of milk for no reason. I have just phoned and they have no idea how it happened as the regular driver is on leave. They aren't charging me for it, but I still have to find something to do with an extra half gallon of milk. I would give it away, but don't know anyone who likes the red top skimmed milk that we have. I will have to try to cram it in the freezer, but that will be tricky given all the cooking I did yesterday, some of which also needs to go in there. Grrr!

Anyway, today I need to do a pile of ironing (extra annoyance), freezer tetris and water the garden. We did have a tiny bit of drizzle while I was walking to the pharmacy, but the hot sun soon burned it off. Not much cooking needed at least, as I did loads yesterday, just a salad or veg accompaniment.

I met some relatives of my daughter in law on Saturday, who came down from Newcastle. They were shocked at how hot and dry it is here, and how parched all the fields look 😐️

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful that it only reached 28° and we had quite a lot of cloud cover and a breeze, for chatting with one of my favourite people at the gym, for dh clearly enjoying the biscuits and cheeses that I bought for his birthday last Saturday, for my stripey duvet cover that always cheers me up.

grandmanerd

Yesterday I went to Coffee and Chat. It was great when I got there but I was half an hour late because I got the collywobbles and had to persuade myself to go (put on my long bright green cardigan, dubbed my 'brave coat' and went). Before that I spent some time returning money to DS3's account - he's lost part of a tooth and needed money to pay for treatment) He had paid next month's 'rent' in advance, so asked for some back. He's hopeless at saving money, anything left in his account would be spent on takeaways (some groceries) so he sees givig it to me as 'putting something by'.

Well the bank didn't half make a performance out of it. He used to be listed as a payee but all details have gone from my account (the bank recently upgraded it. I recently tried to pay money to DS2 (owing for 'new baby' gift and she's 16 and a half months old - it was to buy storage items) and they denied that his account even existed. I put DS3's details in, was then askd to confirm it with pinsentry, then got a list of questions. The bank then decided it had all the hallmarks of a scam. I adjusted my answers (they had asked if I had phoned the person to make sure it was genuine, I'd said no because he was in the same room as me) and it said it wasn't obviously a scam but it still could be. Eventually it allowed me to transfr money to my son, who pays money into my account every month and lives in the same house as me. Will try to phone tonight and get a human being to make sense of it.

Just before I went out (DS3 had bought 6 pasties for £10 and gave me one off them) a man came to read the meters. I said he could try. I gave him permission to move anything in his way and to clamber on the furniture (kneel on the armchair) and he did manage to read both meters. I haven't submitted readings for some time as the emails go to the defunct email account. I'm hoping to go to a Tech mate session aand see if they can recover any of my missing contacts/ links in my history

When I came back I mostly rested (I watched all the remaining episodes of Reaacher season 3 and season 4 is due out and I never saw the third series. I have also been rewatching The UNdeclared War as the new series is out soon. I also have about a dozen series 'started' at various times (months or even years ago) that I've stopped for one reason or another (some peter out after a while, some are too complicated to follow when my mind is in turmoil, some I just forget about).

This made me later in getting to sleep but I've slept well. I still have lots to do but apart from cleaning my mask and getting things out before bin day, I'm going to focus on writing out lists and important information, make To Do list for the week (plus anything to do 'sometime' on a separate list). I've already filled 3 pages with basics, morning routines (13 items and I'd missed 'getting dressed' plus further 'extra grooming' tasks) and future shopping (next grocery delivery and random items from clothes pegs to a polytunnel).

Grateful for Reacher (escapist nonsense but fun), good books (took one back to the library' picked 5 from the new withdrawn pile) and feeling peaceful, content and organised (would be super if I could follow through and zip through all the list but I'm just grateful that my legs are 'sort of' working and will ccept 'doing what I can'). I did book a bulk waste collection from the Council but it's September 23rd and I reserve the right to call Waste Wizards if I can't stand the mess any longer.

DawnW

Less itchy today but I still have an ugly red rash 😐️and I have to go to work tomorrow.

Anyway, today's achievements, such as they are:

Shopping done for another week. I don't do top up shops - if we don't have it we use something else. Scored a decent veg box from L*dl.

Gave the basil a haircut and made pesto.

Made a batch of tomato sauce

Made a couple of small apple crumbles from windfall apples from the garden. GS helped, and took one home 😊

Lots of washing up….

Dinner was spiced chicken drumsticks with couscous and roasted veg salad and garlic bread 😊

First day of our hosepipe ban - luckily it is a bit overcast today and not much watering needed!

Better go and do more washing up 😐️

f0xh0les

I have cleared 2 shelves in the pantry. Stuff from Step-grans house clearance. Bone China Tea sets and jam/preserving pans. I have not used them. It has been 4 years. I am not going to use them, I am not mucking about for a possible £27 on 3bay in 5 months time. It is not gone gone. It is in the hall, photographed, and on a free gifting site. 🎁 3 requests for it so far. Somethings will be leaving soon.

The crystal wine glasses are saved for when I get a proper grown up kitchen, which will be after two walls and a chimney are knocked down and a concrete slab laid. I am on the case with this.

Supper is Keema from Le Freezer ( cook once, eat twice) so just need to cook some rice and warm it up with the free Naan breadsfrom the freezer as well.

Tomorrow I will go to the Community Fridge and see what I can get, and shave DS4s head. He is a muppet.

grandmanerd

Mrs Builder has been and order has been restored to parts of the house. I've done very little (some supervising) as my whole left leg is aching despite using both ibuprofen plls and later the gel. Mrs Builder pegged out the wash I did yesterday (no way could I carrry it) and a second load has been done. We had planned to redo the bed this week, so I sat on the couch and tidied most of the desk and surroundings. When the sheets and pillows were back on I asked Mrs Builder to put the new curtains (still in the packs) onto the bed. I covered them with a cotton bedspread and put up my leg and it has now eased.

I have been writing lists - a mini fridge/ freezer audit and a list of pairings to turn it into meals. 3 bin bags that DS3 threw down 4 weeks ago went into the bins for collection this morning (used spare space in someone else's bin). We have a new bin timetable - from October we need to have them out before 6 am (currently 7 am) but ours are always out overnight. I have received dates for my talking therapies long-term conditions group (was a very good group last time) - mid September to mid October.

Grateful for Mrs Builder, ibuprofen and all the distractions I employ to fight the pain.

beanielou

Well done @grandmanerd 🤗

DawnW

I am slowly becoming less spotty and itchy thank goodness! Went to work yesterday and managed fine, though I was pretty tired afterwards.

Visited friends this morning, and took them a large bag of Victoria plums. DD2 left 3 of these here 😶 There are only 2 of us, we have enough jam, and my freezers are stuffed. I gave another bag to our next door neighbours, so now only have one to contend with 😄

Spent a bit of time in the garden (we had rain overnight, yay!). I cut the grotty leaves off the tomatoes, topped up the potato pots with compost and dug up a huge thistle that has been attacking me every time I walked past. Also picked some French beans, some tomatoes and a few raspberries. Wondering about the pears. It is always tricky to know when to pick them. There are quite a lot, but many are small ones.

Nothing spent today. Dinner will be a use-up frittata, which will hopefully empty the fridge out a bit.