Simplifying Life - Mark II

zarazara

I've had a garden and a kitchen clear out today. Getting rid of lots of plants,am encouraging only easy to grow things which the slugs dont eat. alos got rid of a lot of baking things and big casserioles ,now the children have grown and left home, sad, but no use hording, someone else can have the benefit of the things.

2cats1kid

Hey guys, I have been away from the boards for a few months (end of Feb I think I drifted off) and returned looking for this thread only to find it way down the pages. Have all the simplifiers gone awol If so I'll need to find another friendly thread to park myself on.

I had a patch of pretty rotten health, and have adjusted my diet to help with that, so no more HM bread and jam for me (well, maybe a little...) but I am still making wine and being as OS as possible.

My current OS-type project is teaching the kid to cook. She is 12 and just gone into year 8. I worked out that she has 6 years before she goes off to uni/music college, so I put the idea to her that if she learned just one recipe a month till then she would leave home with 72 recipes under her belt. I'm planning some simple stuff for everyday, some posher stuff in case she ever finds herself entertaining, some veggie stuff in case she makes veggie friends at college and some sweets/cakes for fun. We have found a recipe book with loads of recipes she likes the look of in it, and in fact she did 3 recipes in the first month as she is pretty keen on the idea. I notice a lot of people on this board trying to cut outgoings and bemoaning that they never learned to cook, so hopefully this will set her up.

So is anyone still here, or am I looking for a new "home"?

Souk08

Hey 2cats1kid, I'm new to this but what a fab idea for your daughter! I went to uni at 16 only knowing how to do pot noodles! and had to learn as I went along. 31 now and still only at a very basic level so well done.

ceridwen

Hi:hello:

I'm still around for one....

still working away on my own personal self-sufficientish projects. Just been looking up how to make my own sugar from beetroot:D - that sounds possible thought me..

....so I guess that sorta equals simplifying OUT the bits one doesnt want in life as far as possible - in order to put IN what bits one does want (like a chance to be a bit more creative).

Good idea to teach your daughter to cook in graduated stages like that - approve of that - and it will hopefully stop her resorting to readymeals.

2cats1kid

Yay! People are still here!

In the time I've been away I've also put loads of fruit into the front garden as it was wasted space before. I have blueberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries and a little apple tree. We are also clearing some of the shrubs from the back garden for veggies.

ceridwen

As in those of us in the Transition Town Movement?

We seem to be getting acknowledged in a lotta places these days:

http://transitionculture.org/2009/10/19/transition-town-llandeilo-by-appointment

Me - I'm definitely not a royalist - but 'tis good to see the ideas I'm helping to work towards on a community level "coming of age"...:D

Reet - now mustnt lose track of my recipe I've found for making my own sugar (from beetroot) and get looking out that recipe I found for making my own vinegar....:rotfl:. Anyone got a recipe for making my own perry (by the old-fashioned method - nevair mind those demijohns)?

Simplifying with purpose here chez ceridwen...

zarazara

painting the house, use no more than 2 colours of emulsion. dead easy.

mary-op

Hello all - good to see you're still around.
Well, double glazed windows all done plus new front door..............and the white and cream go quite well I think. So thats that job done. Now waiting for quote for a downstairs loo and re-vamp of our 'indoor shed' (only wait to describe it........lol)
Not too worried about that been sooner rather than later............OH isn't well so he's my main concern. Started off as chest infection that won't go away and xray showed something but don't know what. So, next Thursday its off to hospital for CT scan...........then wait for results of that. Whatever they are our GP seems to think he'll have to have a biopsy and the very thought is driving both of us a wee bit potty to say the least.
I've tried to busy myself finishing off christmas pressies -getting on well considering. Nothing else to buy or make, just a case of wrap up and hope postal strike doesn't get in the way of things.
OH used to do the hoovering and anything that required bending or lifting...........now we're both somewhat incapable of doing much I've found a young girl to pop in once a week and do what needs doing. The lad we care for does what he can and with this young girls help we'll soon get on top of things.
She came up this morning & between us we attacked the walk in pantry.......was badly in need of a de-clutter and re-arrangement of stuff on shelves etc.
So, that jobs done...............employed a chappie to come and cut back some trees in the garden and paint the loo and finish off the lounge. Next will be the kitchen.
Seems to go on and on................one room gets done and all of a sudden the rest of the house looks in dire need of a facelift ! (as do I...................lol)
Computer room/den seems to be filing up as fast as I clear it out - another job on my list.
So, thats whats been going on in my little corner of the world.
I'm glad I decided to keep a diary this year............its filling up fast and I'm hoping in years to come we can look back and have a bit of a chuckle at it all.............lol

pagangirl

Still around folks, just not had time to post. Simplifying here - well small bits really, still doing the odd charity shop run, found crab apple trees in local park - guess who came home with about 5lb ! Have since made Apple n Onion Chutney - gave some to neighbour who loved it, so am pleased with first effort (long live pressure cookers)!!

This weekend I am going chestnut scavenging, as we have a long avenue by us full of chestnut trees sooooo hopefully will be able to stock up on them too ! :j

Hope all are ok - how have you all been getting on with the gardening?

pagangirl

Hi Mary - just read your post - hope hubby is feeling better - let us know the results of CT scan - hopefully it will be something & nothing. Hugs to both :grouphug: