NST NOVEMBER

Shrewbie

Good morning turtles!! I am still here, reading along. I am deep in the flat hunt right now. Made an offer on one a few weeks ago but it was a cheeky low offer and I didn't get it. I am learning so much though and actually enjoying the process. Aiming to have a run from now until Dec of focus and intense saving to save all the money I can as I am very nearly at my goal…. sending you all motivation and good vibes from Madrid. Keep swimming!! xx

DawnW

Happy retirement @Rowan9 😊

That sounds like a lot of hard work @apple_muncher - you must be very proud when you look out at what you have done!

Nice to hear from @Shrewbie. Good luck with your flat hunt!

Work for me today, so not expecting to get much done apart from that. OH is cooking a chicken for dinner(s) so I will prep a pan of veg for roasting before work.

It is cold here this morning and the heating has been on. Is anyone else dreading the forecast huge rises in energy bills in the New Year? Hopefully they won't happen!

Our builder didn't finish yesterday as hoped, as he had to put on another layer of plaster stuff underneath the eaves of our house, which have turned out to be old lath and plaster which needed to be covered up as the original finish was flaking off. I didn't even know that this could be used on outside walls and wouldn't have believed it until I saw it. The joys of old houses, they never fail to surprise you. Anyway, he will be back to do the painting on Thursday so not too long to wait. The bill will be a bit bigger due to extra materials and labour but it is what it is. Really looking forward to getting the scaffolding gone and being able to put the front garden back together.

grandmanerd

I'm making progress, slowly. I have quite a lot of small wins but there's still so much to do. Last Thursday or Friday I wore my little wellies but when I took them off at night my feet felt a bit 'swampy' so I half filled them with bicarb (I buy it in kg bags). Yesterday I emptied one out onto the step and path at the back so the bicarb can work it's magic on the moss before it gets properly started. It was too wet to go outside barefoot so the other boot is waiting until I can get further down the yard. I did order the new pair of ankle wellies (navy with yellow bumblebees) on Saturday as the new offer came through as expected.

I wrote a long list of jobs over the weekend (mainly catch ups) and have been working my way through it in a fairly haphazard way. I washed my hair, cleaned the mask and hose, dealt with a particularly annoying toenail, washing up I'd done went away, all stray pots have been gathered for the next batch, a full load of washing has been done and dried. Rubbish and recycling is a constant in my life. DS3 said he would take it to the bins if I collected it all first. I persuaded him to take out a bag of rubbish and a bag of cans and bottles on Monday. I took a very full bag of paper outside yesterday and had another packed bag of paper for him to take when he was putting that bin out for collection.

I have 2 nearly full bin bags on the go. I'm not filling them to the brim because there are lots of little bits some of them horrible and I cannot face a bag splitting and having to start over again. Lots of food waste was dealt with yesterday - DS3 brought the bins back from last week's collection but left them in the backs. I noticed he had brought the green bin up to the back door so I could tip all the accumulated bits in without having to go outside. I will have soft plastics, more paper and a few cans to go by this evening.

The bathroom trap needs emptying but one of the chair legs is covering it and they are suction cupped to the floor. I have used the shower spray on it which dislodged lots of bits of paper and I've had another 2 goes with my fingers and the old toothbrush (replaced at the beginning of each month. The shower is draining better but I need DS3 to get the trap out for me and I keep forgetting when he appears briefly. I did a quick spray and wipe of the shower base using an old towel. I had mopped all across the kitchen floor but it needs doing again.

I really want to get the fridge cleaned out properly, crack on with rubbish/ recycling and the clean washing is piled up in the kitchen. The washing outside probably needs to come back in for a refresh and spin. For the time being I'm going to stay where I am, clean and cosy in bed. Yesterday morning a simple activity set of a fit of coughing and the realisation of yet another sore throat. Today I feel very washed out and my shoulders are painful. This may just mean that I had a successful busy day yesterday but for now I'll relax, do a bit of pampering (eyes, ears, lips and definitely my feet) and think my way through my day. I packed in a bit of 'crafting' yesterday afternoon. I have bought a Christmas decoration each for my grand-daughters. The packaging is identical so I decorated the outside with stickers to distinguish them.

I'm still getting irritated by trivial things - I'm already so over the perfume ads (the Tom Ford one just makes me laugh but not in a good way). I suppose I'm not their chosen demographic, my current bottle of Yardley's will keep me going for several years and my sons all have partners so it's their privilege to buy cologne for them.

Grateful for my bed, being clean, warm and comfortable, watching 2 great drama series (I've now also started on Pie in the Sky apple - 3rd or 4th total run through I think), good books in print and on the screen, eating mainly from the freezer, the peaceful feeling I get from starting the morning slowly.

grandmanerd

Wednesday 4th November 2026

IT WILL PASS

The Uncertainty

The Overwhelming days

The Fear of what comes next

The Heaviness you are carrying

The Season that is testing you

The Pain you thought would never end

(The gentle self space)

grandmanerd

Mrs Builder has been - she only got back from her holiday at 2 am, so it's absolutely marvellous of her. The kitchen and shower room are pristine, she's done the trap, she cleaned the fridge, asked where the tin foil was so she could reline the salad drawer and put away assorted veg and salad items. The washer is going and I've cleared up a lot of the rubbish, cans, soft plastics. I'm still tired and aching but I'm starting again from a much better place.

Rowan9

@grandmanerd so good that you’re starting from a better place. And I liked that last list. Some good mantras in it.
I lit my 3 candles and did a somatic reset meditation. It’s one I used to do on a Friday afternoon at work with a colleague and am now doing it every morning. I walk my dog and have a cup of tea first though.
WM on here once finished am taking DD food shopping. I have a free drink on Co$ta app so she can have that as a nice coffee. I always have a pot of tea.
im planning to cut my hair a bit today. Will bring scissors and DD can cut the back as DH refuses. Now that I dont have to go in to work to a load of colleagues saying what have you done to your hair, well I have a free rein. It’s shoulder length and curly so is quite forgiving. She says. Will report back on this frugal activity.
have a good day turtles. You have been heroes of mine for many years x