It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

mummysaver

Afternoon all!

Westy - that is fab news! I remember you posting and saying how upset he was cos he loved his job, it's great that he's found a similar one, I hope he loves this one just as much :-)

Kidcat - mealplanning is something that I do because it just makes things easier, I hate the end of the day arriving and having to think of something to cook. I've had various times when there've been complaints from the kids, way round it has been to make them do the meal plans, originally they'd each pick a meal, now they can sit and plan a whole week! They know that the roast has to be used in at least one other meal that week, rest can be frozen, they know that they have to look in the fridge and freezer and see what can be used before they come up with any weird and wonderful suggestions! They also know that if they complain then they will get plenty of moaning on the weeks that they have planned, from their siblings! As for cooking, all of mine help and often prepare meals, washing up is generally kept to a minimum, as those who cook don't wash, but they don't want to be caught out next time when it's their turn to wash the pots! I don't know how old your children are, mine are 7, 11, 13 and 15, and they really do all cook, though obviously dd3's 7 year old abilities are a lot less than ds's 15 year old capabilities. I've found that getting them involved just makes life easier for us all, the help is welcome, but mostly it stops the moaning! Tonight I'm not working so we will all cook together - just fahitas, and from a pack, but we'll all do bits, usually Friday's are reserved for cooking something lovely with lots of dishes, but tonight the extras will be salads and dips and prob rice and refried beans.

mardatha

It's the only way for some people (mememe LOL) to function, Kittie. Since I got ME I find constant noise in tv or radio really exhausting. It sounds silly and wimpy but it's how life is for me.
Peace and calm is priceless, you can't buy it.

kidcat

Mummysaver, I like the idea of involving them all ion the process but am wary as my DS10 is very resistant to anything that is not "junk" food. My four are 2, 4, 10 and 14. The 14 year old currently arrives home from school and disappears to do homework, eats with us and then more homework till bedtime. Its that pressured for her. Would love to involve her more with the cooking and whenever she has time she does gravitate to the kitchen but recently there is just not enough time.
My 10YO is due to have SATs this year and has tutoring revisiona nd homework, but hates school and all related things so its a battle to get him working, usually counting him out. The 4 YO enjoys "helping" as does the 2YO but obviously their help is more hinderance ATM.
I will try to encourage them all to contribute to the two week plan slowly to begin with, by asking them to choose one nights meal, that saves me thinking of fourteen meals on my own.

Kittie - we have noise and sleep issues too, as we live close to a very noisy bar, we have had the council monitor the noise and filled a formal statement along with noise diaries and we are hoping that it should be sorted soon, especially as DH gets up at 4am for work and some days has not had any sleep as their licence is 4am. It will be very difficult to adjust when the noise eventually does go I think.

ceridwen

kittie wrote: »

I am regressing

to my new age past. I am sitting here listening to a cd called medicine woman by Medwyn Goodall and am being transported to a different level, somewhere above and away from, all the uk/world troubles. My mind is floating blissfully and it is lovely

and no Mardatha, I am not on anything. This music is wonderfully relaxing and uplifting

Never mind New Age "past" - 'tis New Age "present" here chez ceridwen. Music is one of the things that helps me "get through".....far from a luxury in my book....I've got a lot of stuff similar to this. You might like "Sacred Spirit" - if I'm remembering the name aright....and if you're googling You Tube anyways....my all time favourite to relax me/help me remember what its all about is there if you put "Ave Maria - Cecilia - The Healing Voice" in the search box. 'Tis beautiful voice that she has...I tend to play it when I'm feeling particularly "homesick"...

mardatha

The Ave is lovely isnt it -- my all-time fav is Pachelbel canon in D (think its D ) I fall apart to that one

[Deleted User]

some days turn out to be so productive. I cycled to the farmers market today and filled my panniers, the only meat I bought was chichen thighs as I want to make the soup again from the healing drugs programme. I stopped for a chat with the chicken farmer and told him how absolutely wonderful his chicken was and how far I made it stretch. He smiled and gave me a large carcass full of meat for free. Karma again, so don`t ever give up on being kind to people as it always comes back

When I got back the hops and lavender had arrived so I made 2 sleep bags from thin shirting. Nothing fancy or beautiful but fingers crossed that they do the job. Each was just a 6 x 12 " strip of material. It took all of 5 minutes

Made 2 cakes and beautiful stock from the carcass and that is now cooling. Prepared everything for cawl for this evening. Made a loaf. Listened to my new cd called one hundred thousand angels by Bliss. It is completely gorgeous

I believe there is something in tunes like pachibel canon that re-organises the vibrations in our bodies. Music can oh so definitely change a mood
and I have just listened to the ave and it sent shivers down my back. wow

Hollyberry

Hi all - it's been a few pages since I last popped in, and I have just been catching up.

Kittie - sorry to hear about your neighbour's music, and I hope it stays stopped. Intrusive noise can be soul-destroying, and I see that you are doing lots of good things to help your husband. Our neighbour has a chiming clock, and it seems to lack a night silencing function. On the plus side, when I wake up at night, at least I know whether it is late enough to contemplate getting up, as the amount of light outside isn't totally reliable yet. I'd way sooner have the clock than your neighbour's music.

I've been musing on how good music can be for the soul. I see mention here of getting back to soothing music for calm; today, I've been working on the energising variety, as I need to do some clearing out. It's been cheering me up no end sorting out books for sale/the charity shop/recycling, while singing along to memories of my misspent youth. This is definitely what I need to motivate me for my clutter-clearing days, so I'll have to lug a CD player into what will be our new sitting room to inspire me further...

It's been a bit of a strange week, as I have had the letter to say that I am at risk for redundancy. _pale_ After two days of solid and unmittigated panic, plus about two hours sleep, I have come to the conclusion that this could be the best thing. I have been sick for nearly a year now, and I think I would be better served healthwise by not going back. During the time I have been off, I have managed to reduce my monthly expenditure by more than half; it really shocks me to think what I used to spend, even though I was putting away regular savings at the time. :embarasse Assuming that I can keep on spending at this current level, I can keep going from my savings for another three years, plus a further year if I get statutory redundancy pay only (of course, it would be nice to think there could be more, but I need to be realistic). That has to be a generous safety net, and I am grateful for it. I do appreciate we are in a much more fortunate position than many people.

I know what I would like to do next, and I need to move house in order to achieve this, so it isn't going to be an overnight solution. In the meantime, I am preparing the house for sale, veggie gardening big style, eBaying and Amazoning, and generally being a good MSE. If you had told me this time last year that I could survive for six months on no pay without touching my savings, I would have laughed. And I would have been completely wrong.

Part of me wants to be very critical that it has taken me so long to stop spending such a lot of money. Our big vice is travel, and I have to say that I don't really begrudge it; we have been to so many amazing places, and we can still manage the occasional trip. I've eBayed my way to our summer holiday this year. And I suppose it is a lesson better learned late than not at all; I am delighted that we are still just as happy on a lot less money.

Phew, that's a bit deep for a Saturday afternoon. I shall have to turn the CD up and find some more books to sell! :cool:

ceridwen

Kittie - Think you and I probably have similar music tastes - so I'll be heading towards You Tube to have a listen to that Bliss C.D. you mention.
Was it the Ave Maria clip by Cecilia I mentioned that you liked? 'Tis defo one of my favourites - and that video with it is good too ...

Re your hops and lavender you mentioned sending for - I watched that programme (thanks to whoever provided the link) and was thinking perhaps I could make a little pillow "thingie" of it for my mother (as she has a lot of problems sleeping).
- where did you get the hops and lavender from purlease?
- I'm totally cackhanded at anything sewing-wise - so any suggestions as to a reasonable-looking alternative to running up a mini pillowslip would be welcome. (Yes...I know...I know...its the work of moments to many MSE'ers - but please take pity on a sewing novice:D ).

[Deleted User]

Its only a simple sachet Ceridwen. The hops and lavender I got from ebay, just do a search dried hops

I had a brainwave, use old tights but put 2 layers around the herbs

I am treating myself to the healing voice cd. It is absolutely my type of music

carriebradshaw

mardatha wrote: »

But its lumped in with your ct isnt it? not like in England with meters etc ?
We have snow forecast but is still 4C & rain, so not yet.. Nothing to beat a good blizzard and a full coalbox eh ? Until it happens 10 months of the year LOL!

it seems you are right mardatha and I was wrong we do get 2 diff bills but the council collects the water rates instead of the water board,that's where I was getting mixed up sorry I found out today cos we had the letter and so I asked my OH as he deals with all the bills our CT hasn't been frozen though it's gone up, but only by £1 a month extra - this time.... :rolleyes: