THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

Yes they live west of us by about 2 and a half hours drive but a 40 minute train ride from each other and both look likely to stay put as long as they don't change job. In an ideal world I'd live equidistant from them both but transport isn't good from the midway point so we'd opt for the small city that the elder girl lives in as it's relatively flat and easily walkable to the shops, main line railway station, hospital, bus station and dentist from most central parts of it. There are some nice areas of 1930s/1950s housing mixed in with some Edwardian/Victorian 'villas' all of which have decent gardens (an important factor for us both) and at a price we can afford to pay without having to reduce our capital/savings. It's a big decision to get our heads round but if we ever reach the point of not being able to drive or not being able to afford to run the car as we age it would make great sense to be within easier reach of them both.

Have been bimbling (great word) round the 'net' looking for ideas on savoury rhubarb dishes and found some yummy sounding things so tomorrow will be experimenting with Rhubarb Hummus (apparently tastes like it is made with Sumac) and a Bacon, Rhubarb and Onion Spread which sounds very easy to make and I'll let you know how they turn out. Savoury Rhubarb.....now there's an idea!

I also use my bus pass, am eternally grateful that I have a bus pass TO use and try only to use it when it's a necessary journey and not as a 'jolly' ticket. I do see people seemingly using bus passes every time (not regularly on the same day each time) I get on the local bus in either direction. It's a group of ladies of 'a certain age' who seem to be perpetual passengers and the conversation is always about where they can go tomorrow which in my eyes at least is not the purpose bus passes are given for. Should the suggestion that they are withdrawn ever come to fruition I would feel the lack (as no doubt would the pleasure seekers) and it would be very limiting if we didn't have the wherewithal to run the car because Bus Fares are extremely high and would eat up a significant proportion of my weekly housekeeping allowance which would mean a) I'd have less to keep us well fed and cleaned and clothed on and b) I'd have less opportunity to find the YS bargains which give us a more enjoyable standard of living and I'd have to regularly walk the almost two miles in each to the local centre and back carrying what we needed which is OK at the moment but might not be so easily achieved as we get older. I don't think we can rely on having state free transport forever and a day so I'd like to be somewhere that would allow me to walk in for whatever I needed fairly easily, makes sense doesn't it?