It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

canidothis

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

Hi chaps

Overheard in the supermarket "Well our school is open but I think it's disgraceful. The teachers wouldn't be off if they weren't getting paid for today would they?"

I nearly stepped in and said a) the teachers don't make the decision to close a school and b) have some fun! Spend some time with your children! It passes too quickly.

Being sensible, I just got another 4 pints of milk and retreated. Mine have enjoyed being off school and I've enjoyed having them around.[/quote]


I understand how you feel, although we havent had snow here my DD1 was too ill to stay at college last week so she came home and camped out on the settee, it was lovely having her here even though she was really poorly!!:(

elizabunny

BB1984 wrote: »

Brrrrr! It's a bit parky down South today (and I'm no "soft Southerner", thank you very much!)

Have to agree with you on this although I'm not technically a "Southerner".

It is certainly true to say, that some areas of the country are far more used to seeing extremes of weather than other parts of the country. Obviously, if you are used to these extremes, then you become exceptionally good at coping with them and I suppose they become a normal part of day to day life (although unwelcome and very unpleasant at times).

My point is, that some areas of the country, don't get to practice quite so often with snow, but assumptions should not be made about the people living in these areas.

maryb

Evening all. Feeling a bit happier this evening. The school was closed but I had to go in so I had to get my retired sister over to look after DD (who didn't even pretend to care about all the problems it caused) so I didn't get to the station until 8.15 and waited for a train until 9.25. However when it came I GOT A SEAT!!!

AND I got a seat on the way home. It seems a lot of people decided to work from home today (probably had to because of the schools being closed). They'll be back tomorrow but I don't think the trains will be so bad so I feel I can face it.

It also helps when the snow is so bad you can dress in wellies without worrying about looking a nerd. It had to be wellies because the snow came over the top of my walking boots but wellies are perishing cold when you are standing on a platform for any length of time. Think I'll wear the boots tomorrow. But it did look very pretty walking down the road (literally - the pavements were sheet ice!!).

Electric blanket's on and I am heading for my nice warm bed very soon.

Good luck to those who got the bad weather today, hope things get better tomorrow.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

I'm enjoying reading about the snow.We have'nt got any.Infact today was a lovely sunny day.I've had all the doors and windows open to air the house and have'nt even needed the heating on till an hour ago and it's so warm it's going off.I got all my washing finished,cleaned all the outside windows spent three hours cleaning all the pots and paths outside and did'nt even need my coat on.Either I'm in a parallel universe to the rest of you or a mad menopausal woman.
I'm having a lazy night since OH is still working,he had to take some clients out and won't be in till late.I've realy enjoyed not having to have the TV on,I'm just sitting in my kitchen with the radio and it's lovely.
I think I'll have to send my hubby out more often.

mardatha

oh god mrs LM, first, come up here and do my house, and second, get your husband to take mine out with him !!

JoolzS

Almo wrote: »

I just had to reply to this - I'm in Australia, in Melbourne and last week we did indeed have temps of 43 - in fact, it went up to 45. The temps set a new record. On Friday, half a million homes lost power (air conditioners using crazy amounts of electricity), partly through government mandated power cuts. All trains were cancelled and we had transport chaos. Thankfully, we were only out for 5 hours but other places were out for days. The heat has claimed more than 30 lives in Australia too.

Thanks for posting this. I knew the UK wasn't alone in it's ability to cope with FREAK weather conditions. They may not be "freak" elsewhere in the world - but they are "freak" to us.

DH and I were discussing last night how ridiculous it is how upset people are getting about the UK, especially here in the south, not being able to cope with a small amount of snow. We both realise that "a small amount of snow" in southern england is actually a fairly freak weather condition - and neither of us could understand why the news programmes were making such a big deal of the inability of local authorities to cope with it. Of course the local authorities can't cope - they don't have the infrastructure or money to deal with something that happens once every decade or so! I've no doubt the same people would be whinging if, say, £100,000 each year (very conservative estimate) was used from their local council tax to keep a fleet of snow plows ready and waiting for once in a decade snow!

I also keep hearing/reading people saying that their school was never shut - well mine was. If the temperature ever got below freezing for more than a day or two then my school got shut because the ancient heating system simply couldn't cope. I went to school (senior) in the late 70s/early 80s.

I did sit watching the snow from my living room window this morning completely entranced by the size of the snow flakes. For about 15 minutes or so the snowflakes were about an inch in size. I'm sure that's normal in other parts of the world but in my 42 years I've never seen them that big before - it was lovely to watch. It was also incredibly cute to watch my cats totally not understanding what was going on.

It's freak weather - pretty, but disruptive.

Julie

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Don't know what it is Mardatha but for the past few years I just can't sit still.I'm constantly looking for things to do.I have so much energy people keep telling me to sit still as I make them feel tired.I'm sleeping better too.I think it must be all the vitamins I take.(LOL)

JoolzS

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

I know what you mean.They always make mountains out of molehills.
I have never read a newspaper for years because of it.I made a conscious decision not to do so as they always made me feel fed up.I won't even listen to the news unless I can't avoid it.
The result is I'm a much happier person.
I just don't need to know all the stuff they keep reporting.

I could have written this post, but as I didn't I decided to quote it instead .

I have suffered from clinical depression for many years, but have been gradually getting better (without drugs - nothing against them, just didn't like them) and I have partially attributed my recovery to stopping reading newspapers/watching the news. On the rare occasion I watch the news I can almost feel the cloud of depression dropping back onto me.

Julie

chrisbethany

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

Austin_Allegro wrote: »

Haha yes the media love a panic don't they. Someone once told me the time to really worry is when the press only report good news...[/quote

I know what you mean.They always make mountains out of molehills.
I have never read a newspaper for years because of it.I made a conscious decision not to do so as they always made me feel fed up.I won't even listen to the news unless I can't avoid it.
The result is I'm a much happier person.
I just don't need to know all the stuff they keep reporting.

Hi Mrs T

Glad someone feels like I do :beer: . My Mum thinks I'm very irresponsible not keeping up with things. She's 84 and follows every bulletin from 8am to bedtime, tutting at everything and quoting the most shocking stuff, pointing out all the gossip. It was getting me down so much I had to ask her just to let me know if she read anything good. She reckons she needs to "know what is going on in the world" - for the life of me I can't see what good it does her I really don't want to know who's sleeping with whom (Mum's paper seems to delight in that sort of thing) and as for the politics and wheeling and dealing of business, I can't do a thing about it so why worry?

Love to all,

Chris

PS Just read to the end and realised how many sensible MSE'ers there are out there! Long live us ostriches - I'm sure we'll live longer, or at least sleep better for it!!

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Well JoolzS and Chrisbethany,I'm pleased we think alike.I'm in the mind that things are going to happen anyway and if they're that important I'll find them out eventually.I just don't need to know every detail of everything that's going on in the world.I value peace in my life and I'm so much more happier for it.It must have been wonderful to be around in the days before the hourly news reports and news programmes.