OS Daily thread - Wednesday 8 April 2009

donny-gal

Morning All

Tru - I cannot see how not using the washing machine is really complementary to OS. I believe that it is more around growing your own if you can, and cooking from scratch so we know what is in our food. Not paying through the nose for OOT cleaning products, and not being wasteful. I am one of those at the older end of the thread, and my Mum had some form of washing machine, whether a fill with hot water, and turn a handle to paddle the washing, and hand turned mangle, or a old fashioned washing tub but run on electricity being able to heat water, though normally filled with hot water from coal fire range, and an electric agitator and mangle. Being a bit selfish, if you personally are getting the difference by using a hand brush and hand washing, then fine, but if it just reduces the household bills and you don't personally benefit I would never consider it. Personally I apply the cook from scratch to meals, and not wasting anything along with the Stardrops and vinegar for cleaning.

Wonder who will be off the Apprentice tonight?

Take care - DG

Rowan9

Morning folks
Day 2 of painting my bedroom today. I have to move the furniture against the wall that's been painted and then do the rest. I'll have to leave the wardrobe though for when DH gets back so there will be a bit still to do there. Give him something to do - I'd hate to have all the fun:rolleyes:. We have the small bedroom still to do and then it's a case of tidying up any other rooms eg the kitchen wall where young dog has jumped on the paintwork beside the door:(

Tru - I agree with others that I tend to list my jobs here instead of separating them into OS and non-OS. I make soup a lot and use up all left overs, freezing veggie liquid for future soup etc, OS, but also I list when I'm doing washing or tidying up. Even my painting today. It just helps keep me focused. I don't bake as DH and I don't eat cakes (ha! or rather, we would if they were here!!) and so I make just the Christmas cake each year. I grow tomatoes and salad leaves on my windowsill but that's just because I work fulltime and at times have studied as well, so that's more a case of enjoying walking my dogs in the countryside at weekends rather than do much gardening. I think it's a case of folks doing what they can and working out what works best for them in terms of enjoyment as well as sustainability, money saving, green awareness etc. I enjoy walking and have also started running in the evenings with the younger dog. This means I am getting fitter at no cost for me. It means that I might be out longer on a Sat afternoon though so am more likely to have a stirfry for tea than something that would take me longer to put together.

Goodness this is a long post!. Hope this helps anyway Tru. Sounds like you have a good supportive dr:)

Ok, it's raining here but not too hard so I think I'm going out with the dogs and then they can sleep while I get on with the painting.
Enjoy your day and (((hugs))) to those who are unhappy, unwell or going through difficult times.
w

Hardup_Hester

Morning all
Funeral today, not a good day for me, it's my mum's birthday, she died over 10 years now, but still not a good day to go to a funeral, it's the same crem as my fathers funeral, 8 years ago, very bad time as my ex tried hard to exclude me & I was sat in the back row, alone as I'd been told not to bring the minder, he slipped in at the end when he realised I wasn't allowed to sit with the rest of the family, so I've started the day with panic attacks & a twitch in my eye, what joy. Still I can only grit my teeth & get through it. Sorry to whinge, apart from that need to make packed lunch, have a shower & walk the dog.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Hugs Hester

Rowan9

Thinking of you Hester. Sorry it is full of painful reminders. Be kind and gentle to yourself
w

Essex-girl_2

Good Morning

Oh Hester big (((hugs))) for you - hope you get through the day, will be thinking of you.

Tru - OS to me means doing 'some' things the way my Nan did, I say some coz I really dont want to handwash everything and put through a mangle like she did, nor have to make fires all the time as they were the only heat. I mean things like good old fashioned hard work to get the housework done, cooking from scratch baking etc. I am not the most os on here by any stretch & would like to get better but I am still a lot more OS than people I know in the 'real' world.

Today the weather is horrible & the forcast for the weekend is the same. Need to do some washing but doubt if it will be dried outside today.

So have decided that the kids and I are off to a local Jam factory in Tiptree, they have a museum and a tea shop - just about to make scrambled eggs and bacon so dont get too tempted by the tea shop though!

They have a shop selling jam obviously but lots of other local crafts and produce - will have to be strong in there!

Must remember to get pork chops out of the freezer - having them with cheese n bacon mash tonight.

Off now for a quick surf - have a great day.
x

tru

Hester, thinking of you today

I hope you don't all think I spend all day either on my knees with a dustpan and brush or at the sink doing loads of handwashing :eek: :rotfl: Towels, jeans and bedding still get thrown in the machine, and the kids are older so they don't leave a trail of destruction and crumbs behind them. Well, not much anyway, lol. I don't have dogs or cats, so no fur to hoover up.

donny-gal wrote: »

fill with hot water, and turn a handle to paddle the washing

Ooooh I want one

I do personally benefit - the elec bill has gone down and I'm putting the savings in my pocket :rotfl:

I'm editing again cos I've posted too many times today already

Job-wise, I'm not trained in anything so will never earn a fortune. I did some maths a while ago, if I get a part time job (full time is out of the question cos of animals and a couple of other things which I don't want to talk about ) then quite a few OS things would have to stop so the bills would go up. I wouldn't have time to make and sell my cards so I'd lose that income. Add that to work expenses (bus fares, etc) and I wouldn't really be any better off :undecided

Which is one of the reasons I'm on an OS mission

redruby

tru wrote: »

I saw a couple posts (only a couple, so your right in that not many people class it as OS ) that said 'OS-wise - I've put a load of washing on'. I'm thinking 'what's OS about that?'
:rolleyes:

I may have even said that myself in the past, and in a way to me it is os, I dont have a tumble dryer, so my washing is nearly always on the line outside, or on the airer, so there is some os in every load of washing i do, i also never do ironing, so that must be os, right (Its not cos I dont like ironing )
Also from when my dd was 18 mths, i became a single parent, out of the house between 7 in the morning and out to any time up to 6 in the evening 5 -6 days a week, after bathing her, reading a story, getting ready for the next day, any housework / cooking washing was a bonus, and considered os to me.

Now things have calmed down a bit, and i have the time to do things that i like and consider more os, such as cooking from stratch (although I always tried to do this), gardening, growing my own veg, baking cakes, recycling, jam making etc.

Most of us have no choice but to work outside of the home, I wish I could stay at home and be truly os, but I cant, the bills need paying, so i think what i am trying to say is that, for a working mum with small children putting the wm on may be considered os, as is cooking a dinner, it totally depends on your circumstanses.

Phew sorry did not mean to go on for so long :rolleyes:.

Rubbish and recycling are out, bedding in im the wm, and will be hung out later, we had heavy rain this morning, but its lovely now.
Need to have a quick s + s round, and hoover kitchen floor, then we are off out for the day to Portsmouth to a discount shopping village, and we will have lunch there. :T

Haribo enjoy your time with Pink, and listen to me girls no staying up into the early hours drinking

Have good days all xx

Meant to say, have not seen peynton (sp) round for a while, hope you are ok xx

nic1lou2

Morning all

Weather quite wild here this morning but sun shining in between showers!

Hester hope today isn't too painful for you.

Tru my idea of OS is def to devote more time and care to how we eat, live and the effect on the environment. Since I started being OS, I now bake all our sweet things (rather than just buying in), make our own healthier bread, cook all our meals from scratch (well apart from the odd pizza treat!) and usually double up and freeze portions which I never did before! I am alot less wasteful than I have ever been, using up leftovers etc. I use stardrops, soda cystals etc rather than flash type sprays I used to use. We are trying to grow our own salad and veg - will be able to tell how sucessful that is later in the year. I have even changed the way I bring shopping home - hardly ever have to resort to plastic carrier bags now. The result is a much more orderly, and feels better kept home, I am certainly more domesticated than I have ever been but do use modern technology to help or would not be able to do this and keep a job going. Hope this makes sense.

Bargainbird what is the book?

(((((Hugs))))) to all

xxx

redruby

Hester, your ex sounds like a charmer :rolleyes:, hope today goes ok for you, big hugs to you xx

taplady

Morning all!

Hester (((hugs))) to you today x

Tru - I'm another who lists all chores under OS. OS to me is trying to live simply, not buying what we dont need, recycling/reusing(DH gets great satisfaction by recycling old bits of wood he salvages )cooking from scratch when I've got time, hanging the washing outside, taking a flask and snack when we go out to avoid expensive food out, making the most of special offers in the supermarket, enjoying the simple pleasures of life such as a walking the dogs together or enjoying a lovely home-cooked meal.
I just do what I can when I can and I appreciate all the lovely friends I've made here and am really grateful for the invaluable advice I've recieved over the last few years.

Day off today:j am off to Mums to clean and later will help DH up the pigeon loft as he cant do much ATM with his sciatica.

Had some sad news yesterday, my uncle has died from pneumonia.He was 76. We weren't close and he wasn't a blood relative(married to Dad's sister) but I still feel for my aunty and his 2 children and grandaughter. It will bring some sad memories of my Dad back to Mum too.

(((hugs))) to all in need

PP - hope you're ok x

take care all x