Fledglings chatter and try to FLY through July

[BlueEyeshadow]

Following June's chatty thread, welcome aboard another month of vaguely trying to follow FLY Lady's housekeeping system. There are still babysteps and missions for each day and the little and often system for decluttering and keeping chaos at bay.

It is still a long running thread and newbies will always be welcome. Usual disclaimer still applies "Don’t let it put you off if we appear a bit cliquey, we really aren’t! Some of us have been on here for years – but all lurkers, intermittent returnees, oldies and newcomers very, very welcome"

But for another month we'll try to fly without daily links. The Big link you will need is the launch pad which will take you to all the daily reminders/missions/zones etc...

The first link for the babysteps is the particularly waffly introduction to the system, and through it you can get to all of the other links.

So it only remains for me to thank DEM for setting up the last thread , and stock up the naughty corner bar for when it all gets a bit much. Plenty of and to see us through.

Ah I see what you mean DEM.

The whole career-education-choices thing is something I don't even want to think about TBH!

One of my friends has just posted this on FB, thought it would appeal to you all.

Yep some diseases steal so much and if you also made bad decisions it is a nightmare. I am so sick of having to take into account what I can no longer do. I can't actually see anything I can do. I mean choices are limited when sometimes you can't lift anything and lose spoken english and ability to read. Sucks big time :(

Today is a bad day, going to take some strong pain killers and pass out I think.

Sorry, posting that pic wasn't very sensitive of me DEM. Hope you feel better later.

I can see the funny side of it Whoknows, tbh I was more worried how fuzzpig would take it as she is far more limited than I. I have good days where I can nearly function at a level that could be almost considered normal. Tbh I'd love some get well cards cos that would me people hadn't forgotten me and wandered off busy with their own lives. This thread has been a complete and utter god send and the perfect antidote to feeling isolated.

I think it is hard because modern society says we have to be perfect at everything and to not be so is unacceptable and some how shameful. I don't this that is a realistic point of view and it is a unrealistic goal. I will settle for clean, but clean sometimes doesn't happen when you are still wading through the landing of 5 households of stuff in one house. So much has gone and yet it still looks a disaster. Can be disheartening, until i remember to think about the progress. And then there is that pyschological question of "why do we talk to ourselves in a manner that we would not tollerate or deem acceptable if it was someone else saying that stuff."

Sorry to Fuzzpig too. I agree about the thread being a really valuable place to turn when life gets tough, I sometimes wonder about Fledglings that have been here in the past during hard times and hope it helped them.

Anyway, first day of school holidays, I'm supposed to be working from home so I'd better get on with it.

Indeed whoknows there is one poster in particular who I hope managed to get their circumstances sorted.

Flying through so to speak in amongst baking/taxi servicing and visiting.

Just to echo what you guys have said...over the last 6? 7? Years this thread has kept me going when everything else in life has seemed stacked against me. It is my safe haven which i always return to.

Oh bless you all please don't think I'd be offended, I'm not at all! :)

Blimey has the thread been running that long? To think I avoided joining for ages, I should've ventured in years ago

It's this thread which brought me back to MN though, I really missed the mutual support and knowing that when I achieved absolutely sod all I still had some buddies who would understand :)

I have good days and bad days, like DEM I do sometimes pass for vaguely normal :o but TBH even on a great day I am still shit at housework :o

Aug 2009 was the inaugural thread IIRC. I've been here since Nov of that year and still haven't made my control journal.

Do you mean the one who had flooding DEM?

I've worked incredibly industriously in the garden today cleaning and sweeping and digging out weeds from the patio - at least three hours.
Gardeners are driving me insane with their indecisive timetable but at least they are not here so I can get on with something and achieve something. This is what they were supposed to be doing but if they refuse to turn up I shall save the money and do it myself.. DEM I felt too physically weak to garden or sort things lug things last two weeks after the op and it drove me insane too. I feel so different this morning actually fit and stable - no wonder you feel fed up. It's fine when there is nothing much to be fussing about but as most of the time there is something that needs doing (physical stuff I mean) it makes one so angry.

I've made a VAT of chilli too, except no chilli powder (my spice cupboard is a disgrace - another thing to sort out) so had to invent a strange blend of chilli flakes cumin and paprika.

Ds2 did some work this morning and so did Ds1 but it is uphill work to get them to do anything and we are living in shambles, but relaxed atm. Yes I actually feel relaxed. It is the holidays after all. No-one expects much from me..

Am still here, but wilting in the heat and have no flying to report. We go on holiday on Friday and so I've been busy packing; we'll be away for a month altogether (holiday followed by visit to my parents) so there seems to be a ridiculous amount to pack.

We're now in the third week of the summer holidays, which are just flying by despite the fact that I've mainly been pottering at home. DD2 returned from scout camp last week, having survived 16km hike without scout leaders (just four others her own age), and DS is now away at his camp - he was quite nervous before he went but as we haven't heard anything, I'm assuming all's well.

swan I am also struggling to get the DC to do anything much other than watch TV/play on their phones; I need to institute some kind of restrictions, but don't have the energy atm.

DEM Hope you're feeling better soon.

WhoKnows Glad DS (and you) enjoyed his last day at school.

ellie Have a wonderful time in Germany!

fuzzpig This is about the only thread I post on apart from an overseas thread; I'm not thick-skinned enough for chat, let alone AIBU!

Am now wondering when I first started posting on the thread. 2011ish, maybe? I did have a control journal, but decluttered it. If I use anything now, it's the Home Routines app but I haven't looked at it for months.

Off to try and get DD1 to do something productive (or to put her phone away, at least).

Yes fuzzpig the thread has been going that long. I have been here since part way through the 1st thread. It has been lovely how we are still here and gently plodding on. But I do miss some of the posters who are no longer on the thread.

Yes whoknows that one in particular. Her circumstances and cheery disposition despite everything was both inspirational and heartbreaking.

I sat down with the intend to do some paperwork. I now have some slightly crumpled paperwork and feel rather groggy from a 2hr nap Needed that though.

Evening all. Another productive day here. Although productive as in doing lovely stuff with dc's and my friends.
Have now got to pack and also pack for dc's who are staying with my dsis.

Knew it was round about 6 years...think august is the thread birthday and I was on the first one!!

dem I too wonder about that poster. She was inspirational in many many ways. And also wonder how others are getting on.

Better go and get cracking with the packing. Am most excited...haven't been on a plane in 10 years let alone fly by myself.

I'm a relative newbie to the fledglings - think I joined in 2012, the summer after DS1 was born.

Had a lovely family day today. DH is off with a bad back atm because he can't sit for more than 30 mins which is not handy of you work in an office. Only comfy positions are walking or lying, which he's alternating with exercises and physio.

So we went for a nice walk in the woods followed by pancakes. Have just been for a run. Counting today as family fun day as not much household stuff done at all!

Have a lovely trip Ellie

Thank you dem. I am absolutely sure I will. Am super excited like a teenager????

And family fun day sounds delightful engels

Wow it's really a testament to the good that MN can do, that this has been going so long and helped so many :)

I didn't get anything done today, I have basically given up on anything non essential. I really feel like it's my body telling me I overdid it in the last couple of weeks (lots of social stuff and rushing about) - I'm paying for it now. Although TBF it could be a lot worse, pain-wise, so I think (hope!) I've done the right thing and called a halt to everything early enough.

Actually I did manage enough for a ta da list:
-Emailed St Johns about local Badgers group, looked up locations etc
-Sorted last remaining days of summer holiday childcare! That's a big one!
-Cleaned bookcase, DH moved it upstairs (DCs have turned it into a shop complete with till and various stock :o but I will be putting the cleaned books on tomorrow... may clean the rest if I can manage it.
-Morning routine/Super Skills Time (and narrowly avoided meltdown from DD)
-Designed my advert for piano lessons
-Had a lovely spirit-renewing () evening as my friends visited which I totally forgot was happening until they texted to tell me they were on their way - board games always help! And they are such close friends that I don't count it as 'socialising' IYSWIM - because it doesn't put strain on me like meeting new people/making small talk etc does. Life has got a little easier since I realised the difference!

Tomorrow I'm giving a piano lesson in the morning and after that we should have our last home ed activity but I've cancelled as we all just need a quiet day. DD is getting a nasty cough too. Need to decide on my plans for Friday, and the weekend is looking scarily busy so I may have to fix that too - a real shame but I have to consider the longer term ramifications of not doing so :(

Oh, and I should really do some of my typing...

Dh and I did loads more gardening today as the new plants are arriving tomorrow.

Fuzzpig and Engels despite the difficulties you both sound as if you have wisely spread a lot of happiness around. I too made pancakes and did something with a bookcase. Sweeping is also therapeutic in this house, no noise for start.

Made very delicious home made Mexican pancakes with chilli con carne in them (a very tomatoey version) and grated cheese on top. Just plain homemade pancakes (usual type) with the filling and rolled up and then baked until cheese went brown.

Also decluttered two old chairs, and left them next to skip where they were promptly rehomed (I hope by some lovely creative person that likes both mending furniture AND reupholstering) Dh thinks they are going to turn up in an auction worth x thousands and I will be sorry.. He is very anti decluttering. I put some old matchbox loop the loop track next to the skip and that has returned to the playroom..

Arranged my birthday outing with two friends and my Sis and BIL. Nephew babysitting for us as it is in the day. So phobic about giving and going to parties that I have to leave these things to the very last minute so that it feels like a random meetup. Luckily both friends were free. They don't know each other very well so this feels like a golden opportunity to introduce them - we are going for a long walk followed by lunch.

Aw thanks Swan :)

I would love to know your chilli recipe if you don't mind sharing please..? I have never made a decent chilli :o

I just did an hour's typing, I'm up to six hours now and am nearly halfway through what the lady gave me. So not too bad really. I do need to find out how much more is still to come though, and she hasn't actually given me a deadline yet!

I forgot to take my amitriptyline until late so I'm not really tired (it has a sedative effect) - figured I may as well make the most of it!

It's far too tempting just to give in to the sleeplessness especially as I know I don't have to do much tomorrow. Ugh, my sleep hygiene is really going to pot lately. But I have to sleep downstairs anyway as DD is in with DH due to aforementioned cough...

I sympathise with the phobia around the parties BTW, my memory is rubbish so I can't remember if there's a particular reason, or if it's like social phobia and that sort of thing (of which I am a veteran... sigh)