really old style living?

NualaBuala

Crikey yes!!!!! Lucky for me we don't get many powercuts as I am so dependent on it!

mardatha

automatic washing machine !
Ginny - deep snow, cut off, buses off . SOS. No sweeties. send red cross parcels via pigeon !

Winged_one

Will organise an emergency rations Mardatha, just for you!

I was somewhat glad of my hoarding and stockpiling tendancies earlier. We held what is becoming the traditional "it's snowing on the weekend" BBQ on our green for lunch, and I had spotted a recipe for mulled wine in yesterday's paper - I had all the ingredients!! Various s;pices (cinnamon, star anise, cardomons, cloves and peppercorns), so I was able to make a batch to trial and warm the blood - which went down very well!! Unfortunately, I now need to stock up on star anise before I can do some for presents.

But we are having a "using up stores" week anyway (nice week to have it planned) and the plan is that I will head "up north" next week for a large grocery shop in advance of Christmas and the impending DOOM of the budget here. All cupboards will be WELL filled this time!

Heading off now to work some more on Christmas stockings (sewing 9 of them! Me and my big mouth!).

NualaBuala

Now't like that on our green Winged One ... love that idea!

mardatha

The way things are going here and in Ireland, we will need to relearn all the things our grannies did because we will be just as poor as they were !

NualaBuala

Ha, tell me about it!

annie123

mardatha wrote: »

The way things are going here and in Ireland, we will need to relearn all the things our grannies did because we will be just as poor as they were !

was saying just that to my brother earlier, then he reminded me that one of my grandmothers had a gardener, daily maid and a weekend cook, 4 kids through private school.

the other one (my dads mum) was poor like me.

My mum could knit, sew, but in a 'ladies doing needle point' way, where as my dad would have a go at fixing anything...he always failed mind but he tried, but both his parents gardened as did he, and I grew up gardening.

If it wasn't for a great aunt I wouldn't be able to cook, knit or sew. My mother failed to prepare me at all for adult life.

My son is a better cook than me, could sew on a button by time he was 8, can take up trousers and will have a go at most things.

My husband is brilliant at DIY and fixing cars where possible. Can cook but hates doing it.

I really feel it is a parents duty to try to pass on skills to little ones, even if they don't want to know....bit like my DD!

I think things will be tough for many many years to come.
Won't be a bad thing if we get rid of the 'I want it now' attitude in society, and go back to basics, good food, good friends and a sense of community spirit again.

Opps: back on topic
Really pleased I've got a stock pile, saves going out in the cold

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

Electricity

...as in the last mod con to give up....

***************

Too true - one can't even do anything else if lying in a miserable huddle in bed trying to keep warm...

Speaking of which - round 2 of breakfast still to get ...ie the toast and coffee...but it means venturing into my kitchen (aka the coldest room in the house:() to get it. <shivers> even though I've got a fire going in there these mornings, as well as the pathetic radiator there (my gasguy tells me there is always a "runt of the litter" in a house full of radiators and that thats it - ie end of the run or summat....I dont think I believe him....but have tried and tried and tried again over the years to get it to work properly, rather than just being tepid....)

mardatha

But in really old days, they were warm and cosy without any elect
We've put ourselves in the position where we are forced to depend on it. Houses are built without a fireplace - in weather like this, how mad is that ! And in over populated areas those who can, run out and buy wood burners. But where is the wood and how long will it last ? We've got away from common sense and are not sensible any more.
I'm lucky in that I can manage fine without elect until I need to do a big heavy washing or yak on this laptop. I couldnt hold out long without either of those

Ballymackeonan

Tepid radiator? You lucky thing! The oil ran out yesterday (my fault, I'd run it close and the Friday delivery was rescheduled for today...!) so the only heating was the woodburner last night, which isn't linked to the central heating. So I've been really OS for the last 24 hours! This house was built in the 1950s, and the central heating wasn't installed until the 1980s, but is probably still a lot warmer than then without the heatiing on, thanks to lots of insulation and double-glazing.

I used to design knitwear, and luckily had held onto some of the heavy knits, so they've come out, updated with fur gilets over the top.. and with too-tight cashmere jumpers (from CS) as thermal vests. Last night meant a hot water bottle, and fleecy pyjamas, and I've just filled up on nice hot porridge.

Don't know if I could keep this up long-term, but as a short-term challenge it's survivable....