It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

kidcat

Kittie its lovely to see you back, I was only saying today how thanks to this thread mainly we are happily working our way thru the snow using up our stores in cupboard and freezer. Its been great, when everyone I know is panicking they have no food we are happily eating well and enjoying the snow. Only wobble we have had is running out of bananas yesterday, my 5YO was very upset as bananas are his staple, but I despatched DH with sledge and 12YO to walk couple miles to Mr A and after couple of hours they returned victorious with enough bananas for about 5 days.

Its also having the added effect of saving a fortune as well,(definitely needed as we got less than half weeks pay this week due to yet another work glitch) no money on petrol or diesel, no trips shopping and no taxiing kids to and from friends. All in all its been relaxing and good to spend time with the kids outside.

mardatha

I first read that as you had sent the husband with a sledge to walk 12 miles to get you a banana. I was thinking god thats a wee bit harsh ...:D

kidcat

mardatha wrote: »

I first read that as you had sent the husband with a sledge to walk 12 miles to get you a banana. I was thinking god thats a wee bit harsh ...:D

Believe me if it had been 12 miles he still would have had to have gone, my 5YO can be very persistent, and was starting to get upset. I did consider requesting them to be airlifted in but thought would try sledge first. :rotfl:
Husband going to try getting to work tomorrow, but I have no real hope he going to make it, spent all day clearing tracks in the drive (which is a very deep slope) but just looked out and they all frozen solid again, he supposed to leave here at 4.30 am and the roads are just pure ice, its normally quite busy outside but atm we are seeing one car an hour sliding past, its become a bit of a game to watch the cars, kids are running bets how long till one ends up in our front garden.:D

Our family of snowmen is increasing daily and theres no sign of any melting yet. Although I expect when they do thaw the kids will be upset to lose them. The cats and rabbit have all gone into hibernation mode and are hiding under covers - its ironic cos they all live indoors with central heating on but they seem inclined to believe the snow means they should take shelter.

Been told that schools will be open again on Monday and I am really not looking forward to attempting the eight mile trip but suppose will have to venture out some time.

After a good root around the cupboards earlier I have discovered three more Christmas puddings :eek: it would seem I had a subliminal fear that there was going to be a pudding shortage and was stockpiling:rotfl: More worrying I discovered today that all the white wine has gone and there is now only red left. This will limit my recipes to those requiring the red stuff but will make a change.

ginnyknit

Ok things are getting desperate here, DD who is 6 months pregnant is suddenly getting cravings!! Can some one fly me in a 6 foot toblerone just to shut her up for a bit. I went shopping to Mr S today but obviously being psychically challenged I didnt realise that by 6 o clock my sanity would depend on finding a shop open near enough not to be buried alive. Ah well had a flash of inspiration and gave the kids next door a quid to go and get one.

The cats driving me mad too cos he waits and waits to go out for a wee, not that I blame him, his bums nearer the floor than all us short people on here ( are we all tiny people on MSE?) Have just put a big bowl of food out for the fox and actually warmed it tonight, poor thing, he is having old soup and scrapings from the joint. :jThis is me keeping warm lol

kidcat

Sorry the last toblerone was eaten boxing day. Tis awful to have cravings when shopping is difficult.

I have wrapped the bunny cage (indoors) in a couple of old work jackets of DH as even with loads of hay she looks cold (that could be her trying to guilt me into letting her stay in front of fire though!!) And the cats are all safely tucked up on top of the boiler, kids have tucked dog up into his big blanket and he is snoring loudly.

Put loads more bird food out again today (been ingenious and used flat top of biggest snowmans head as feed table) and hoping they will be able to eat safely away from neighbours cats.

Discovered excellent way of keeping warm is staying on sofa with laptop on knee, wonderfully cosy!!

Hope everyone staying warm and safe.

BigMummaF

kidcat wrote: »

Kittie its lovely to see you back, I was only saying today how thanks to this thread mainly we are happily working our way thru the snow using up our stores in cupboard and freezer. Its been great, when everyone I know is panicking they have no food we are happily eating well and enjoying the snow. Only wobble we have had is running out of bananas....

....added effect of saving a fortune....on petrol or diesel....

No1 has to do a lot of driving for work & thankfully enjoys the experience, whereas I look on it as a necessary evil so the two of us managed a very brief [for me] visit to MrT on Weds before the snow could freeze. Payback in a way cuz No1 always has a nana--& assorted other fruit--every working day.
Think it was someone on here who posted about wellie boots, & then me muvva said she was comparing notes with my grump-of-a-BIL about schools being closed & it got me thinking. I can't find any boots to fit--other than little ankle length--around my generously proportioned calves & I well recall the pitifully inadequate garments that passed for "winter clothing" from when the Offspring were at school, so who knows how bad they are now :mad: Then this morning there was a dairy farmer who had had to dump around 20,000 litres of milk yesterday because the tanker couldn't get in to take it for bottling!
We are just not geared up for this amount of bad weather anymore. Food shops have deliveries all day long as opposed to twice a week so hold no stock & it's probably the same for coal merchants & definitely the Gas if news reports are to be believed. No1 & I were discussing the possibility of firms having things like snow chains for their company vehicles but chances are they'd buy them to fit tyres at the size they are now, then when it comes to using them again in ten years time the sizes will be different or the damned things rusted thru!
Nothing is built to last; clothing is 'fashion' above functional & foodstuff is so artificially produced that it doesn't keep longer than two or three days...& this is Progress?????

rosieben

you're right BMF, but if this is the way our winters are heading now - with climate change - there will have to be some serious re-thinking; so chains and snow ploughs may be more the norm

Auntie and I shivered yesterday as we watched a group of older teenage girls walking past, all enjoying a snowball fight and all showing bare midriffs

kidcat

You are so right, I tried to buy more wellies last week (thinking dog walking etc) but was unable to find just good sturdy wellies, they are all fashion and heels:eek:

I wandered to Asda by car today (dad said needed to run it to prevent it freezing!) and it was awful, cars queueing to get in and out of the car park and so busy inside, much busier than Christmas, everyone running round grabbing trolley loads of bread, while I wandered and picked up some bits, cream and some more cereals etc, small trolley while everyone else was filling great big trolleys. People looked at me like I was mad and one woman pointed out there was more bad weather to come - I said I knew and was already well stocked and prepared. She just went off panic buying more. Only thing I have run out of totally is cat litter so will have to wander somewhere else looking tomorrow I think.

DH made it to work today too, no idea how as the little car really hates the snow and ice and usually hibernates till its over.

What was really scary was watching cars attempting to turn corners and seeing that the driver really had little control. :eek:

I have never known weather like this and whether we will see it this bad again remains to be seen, plenty of other countries who have weather like this manage and if this is the future then we will have to adapt too, for now though in some ways I think its better to accept that this is an exceptional time and stay put unless absolutely necessary.

mardatha

We get a fair bit of snow every winter so we are sort of geared up for it - but this is snow on steroids LOL ! I think snow chains might make a come back and also calor gas heaters, its like Back to Basics for a lot of people. The more fancy gadgets a house has, the more chance there is that some of them will go wrong !

notjustlaura

ginnyknit wrote: »

...

The cats driving me mad too cos he waits and waits to go out for a wee, not that I blame him, his bums nearer the floor than all us short people on here ( are we all tiny people on MSE?) .../QUOTE]

Sammy-cat is most unhappy. He keeps asking to go out, sniffing the air and going back to bed. He doesn't like litter trays and I'm hoping he doesn't give himself a urine infection by hanging on too long ...

Laura