It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

kidcat

Hi winged one, sorry things are looking not so good right now. but its good that you are able to take stock as it were now and plan for the worst. I have to say this time last year I believed my DH would lose his job and planned accordingly. Thankfully that hasnt been the case and things seem ok now, but my planning has had benefits in so many other areas. We now have some savings and when the snow was here and we couldnt get out food was no problem at all. We are now in a position that if we can find a house at the right price we should be able to buy too, something that I never dreamed of.
Forward planning and preparation are truly the key to surviving whatever life throws at you. As your DH is now on a four day week is there any possiblility of a one day a week/evening college course to retrain in new profession? A friend of ours has started to prepare for the inevitable as he sees it, and begun a plumbing course.

pagangirl

Just a quickie here to say Congratulations to SammyK on great news:j
Winged One - sorry about news on OH, hope something comes up soon for you.

Hugs to all

Winged_one

Thanks. DH is only starting the 4 days from next week, but he thinks he has some other work he can do, maybe not every week, but some weeks. And if he's around to do the work on the plot, that will be well worth it to us (we don't always get enough time to do what we need to at the right times - I'd prefer to have fewer gluts but a longer season through actually sowing correctly and having the ground better prepared giving us better crops overall).

He's going to look at courses as well, but for him, it would probably mean a full retraining and uni course. But he's having a look at options.

And at least we do have a cushion if need be - both my job and our savings. So not despairing by any means, just I was a bit overly grumpy this morning about life.

kidcat

Winged_one wrote: »

Thanks. DH is only starting the 4 days from next week, but he thinks he has some other work he can do, maybe not every week, but some weeks. And if he's around to do the work on the plot, that will be well worth it to us (we don't always get enough time to do what we need to at the right times - I'd prefer to have fewer gluts but a longer season through actually sowing correctly and having the ground better prepared giving us better crops overall).

He's going to look at courses as well, but for him, it would probably mean a full retraining and uni course. But he's having a look at options.

And at least we do have a cushion if need be - both my job and our savings. So not despairing by any means, just I was a bit overly grumpy this morning about life.

Everyone has days when they feel a bit gloomy about it all, thats where this thread came in, last year it really kept me going when it all looked really bad.

ginnyknit

Was feeling quite positive, got through the ice age and have restocked freezers and cupboards. I even found a wonderful dentist and start treatment on Monday. Then yesterday full of the joys of having a small respite from chaos and worry I fell in the street on some mud and am now laid up!I hurt my knee which I had very successful surgery on last year, pulled a major muscle in my back and generally feel like carp!! Still I got hubby to look after and pregnant daughter to keep an eye on but luckily son came to rescue and cleaned up for me, daughter is on shopping duty (light stuff only) and she is cooking too. Decided to sit on my bed and declutter what I can reach - so alls not lost. Hugs to all from one very fed up Ginnyknit

mardatha

Ahhh GK, the fates have decided it's time for you to clean out yer drawers!

Butterfly_Brain

elizabunny wrote: »

I really cannot understand what is happening in this country. It seems to me that we are all so afraid to live a normal life incase someone comes along and sues/prosecutes us for doing it. We cannot send our children to school if it snows, in case they slip, fall etc. etc. I do remember 1963 and also some other rather snowy years and we were EXPECTED to turn up at school as normal, even if it was three miles away and we had to walk!

The kids used to deliberately make ice runs to slide about on and had great fun! We threw snowballs without fear of being sued and cleared our pavements and driveways for everyone's benefit. Now we're scared to take a shovel to our drives/paths incase our actions cause someone to slip over. This is just the tip of the iceberg and with some of the ADs on the tele, actively ecouraging the pursuit of claims, it appears that just about every mistake we may make is in danger of being turned into a offence.

It seems to me that we are encouraged to live in some kind of cocoon which stifles natural instinct and discourages personal decision making. I sometimes feel that my actions are not now a result of my own decisions but are a result of the decisions made by the powers that be. Quite frankly I am really fed up with this interference in our daily lives. With other people deciding what is good and what is not good for us, etc. etc. and on and on.

Ok so rant over now, but is all this interference really having a benefical effect on our country? Do we really need so many decisions being made for us. Perhaps if more of the decisions that effect our daily lives were left up to us, then there would be more time/money in the coffers for the powers that be to talk/spend on the kind of decisions that we expect to be made by them. Like sorting out crime, health service etc. etc. and putting in place some safeguards that would help protect this country from the kind of economic disaster that we have just seen and from which many of us are still suffering. These are the things we expect from our leaders.

When are you standing in the elections?
You definately have my vote:D

ginnyknit

Oh well put Mardatha, yes my loss is the charity shops bonus - 3 bags full.....and a space in my bedroom! Gave up after a bit,got motivated to move my bum, seems to have helped a bit, got to take hubby to a meeting tomorrow so will have to be fit to push his wheelchair part of the afternoon unless everywhere is easy access then he can do a lot himself. On the bonus side found lots of craft stuff I had forgotten about!

charlies-aunt

I have really missed this thread - I've had a very busy 6 weeks with OHstarting full time work in January and so trying to keep on top of the housework etc, doing battle with the elements and nursing a poorly horse.... but I have a weeks leave next week and poor old neddy is on the mend so have time to sit down with the computer

Like everyone else, we had a big influx of bills in January and a big vet bill really hit us hard but we are sticking to budget and getting things cleared bit by bit. God bless the 'super 6's' at Aldi and Lidl! - plenty of potatoes and veg have been great in str-e-t-c-h-in-g the meat in the slow cooker.

Planning to have a good sort out and ebay session while I'm off next week although I am such a packrat, I tend to hang onto useless things because they are too good to throw away / might come in / of sentimental value. I am going to have to steel myself to be hardhearted and get rid of the stuff thats been lurking in the back of drawers for the last 25 years - the stuff that I haven't seen since last time I blitzed the house

We discovered that our shed had splits in the felt roofing when the snow started melting and we noticed big damp patches inside... so that will\be another d-i-y job for next week - we can't afford to refelt it at the moment but have a large tarpaulin that we can use to cover it over with pending a more permanent repair...but as the shed butts up to a large holly hedge, its likely to be a prickly job :eek:.

kidcat

Hi charliesaunt, I have missed thread too, like you its been a busy few weeks. have finally started looking at houses to buy again, and no sooner do we find somewhere possible than the car breaks down.
Can see the next few weeks being very tough.

Hope everyone is ok.