It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

Hardup_Hester

Hampers
I've posted this idea before, but just in case anyone missed it, one year I made a 'Have a nice night in' hamper for each of my 4 grown up children. Each hamper contained a DVD of a film they'd loved as a child or a quiz. I added popcorn, nachos & dip & maltesers. Not only did they love the gifts but each of them also took it in turns to have the other siblings over for an evening in together. I've also made themed hampers such as 'Learn to cook' etc. I'll post more info on my blog later today, to save boring people on here.
Hugs Hester

ceridwen

JackieO wrote: »

I live in Kent and the other day there was a discussion on local radio about how the local county council is going to spend 12 million quid on a large white horse to be erected at Ebbsfleet so when visitors get off the Chunnel Train they will see this as a sort of 'angel of the south ' statue.This is a council that is going to cut at least 12.000 jobs and put thousands of people on the scrapheap.

When are politicians going to wake up and see what is happening in our green and pleasant land.

With you on that Jackie - re your thoughts on the White Horse. Are they sure it's not a "white elephant" instead?

What planet DO some of these people live on? These days I know what they mean in that phrase about "having a reality check"...:cool:

ceridwen

northwest1965 wrote: »

Its surprising how many lovely flowers you get with veg:)

....not forgetting that some of the flowers are edible too:D..courgette flowers, nasturtium flowers, etc

It's always worth investigating - if the plant itself is edible - then there's a chance that the flower is too...so worth checking it out to see if it is.

.....<edible flowers on top of a salad looks dead expensive and gourmet>

mardatha

The one thing that I can add to amazingly sensible advice in here, is to stop being a sheep. Stop looking at the rest of the herd and running after them to buy what they're buying (this is general , to everybody not any one poster)... why do we have to be clones ?
And why do we have to buy a house anyway ? I wouldnt buy a house if I was tortured ! Not if it meant the kind of worry I see all around me. Renting gives you protection in times of illness or unemployment. In days when there was plenty work yes buying was safe -but not any more. Jobs are not safe now. So renting is a sensible way to have a nice home and not have to worry yourself sick about paying for it.
In times like this we need to be flexible. Sheep are not flexible ! lol now I'm going to eat my porridge

downshifter

mardatha wrote: »

The one thing that I can add to amazingly sensible advice in here, is to stop being a sheep. Stop looking at the rest of the herd and running after them to buy what they're buying (this is general , to everybody not any one poster)... why do we have to be clones ?
And why do we have to buy a house anyway ? I wouldnt buy a house if I was tortured ! Not if it meant the kind of worry I see all around me. Renting gives you protection in times of illness or unemployment. In days when there was plenty work yes buying was safe -but not any more. Jobs are not safe now. So renting is a sensible way to have a nice home and not have to worry yourself sick about paying for it.
In times like this we need to be flexible. Sheep are not flexible ! lol now I'm going to eat my porridge

While I completely agree - and as cerdwen says, maturity helps with this - I do think it's hard not to be infected by other peoples' lives. My daughter, about the same age as gailey, lives in an affluent area and her daughter goes to a school there, and the majority of the other mums stay at home and 'appear' to be well off. She finds that, although superficially friendly, they don't invite her to things, and one of them actually said something quite sneering about her working full time. Now she's been made redundant god only knows what they'd think. However much you know you should rise above it, it's pretty hard to do so when you're feeling down and feel that everyone else is doing better than you. I think that attitudes to house owning are changing though fortunately, lots of people now rent, I don't have a problem with it at all and can live in a house and area where I'd never be able to afford to buy. My daughter also has a friend who lives on benefits and is rolling in money, her son has a bursary to a private school because he is from a 'poor one parent family', her boyfriend and father give her large allowances etc etc....don't let me get started on that one!!!

So basically I suppose I mean to say that it isn't always easy to rise above these things, however much we know we should - and the world is always going to be unfair!

God I wish I was 30 again - that was the age when I first read the John Seymour books, changed my way of thinking for ever and I realised I had come home - but that's for the other thread, sorry, getting confused again!!!

DS

lucielle

Actually I have to disagree Mardatha. We live in a rented cottage in the middle of nowhere. We love where we live but not the fact that the landlord will spend zero on maintaing his property. Every room is damp (not just a little either), the sash windows are hanging on by a prayer and the list goes on. I have spent all of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 sending letters and phoning. I have lost my rag and got environmental health involved. I'm waiting for them to get in touch. I dread people coming round and seeing it like this.
L

downshifter

lucielle wrote: »

Actually I have to disagree Mardatha. We live in a rented cottage in the middle of nowhere. We love where we live but not the fact that the landlord will spend zero on maintaing his property. Every room is damp (not just a little either), the sash windows are hanging on by a prayer and the list goes on. I have spent all of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 sending letters and phoning. I have lost my rag and got environmental health involved. I'm waiting for them to get in touch. I dread people coming round and seeing it like this.
L

I have a landlord like this,I wonder if we have the same landlord!!! Environmental health came round and said they'd write to the landlord but I don't actually think they ever did so good luck with yours. Like you, the water pouring in through the windows was the worst - always soaking carpets.

I've ended up spending a lot of money on the house, but decided it was worth it as it's me that has to live in it after all and like you, love it here. I've built kitchen, installed shower, done masses of decorating, flooring, carpets, roof insulation - but it's a long term rent and without my work the house would fall down - and though the landlord isn't worth it the house is worth maintaining, it's been here for over 300 yrs and it's my responsibility to do my bit to ensure it's still here in 300 yrs time.

Is yours a long term let? If so it might be worth you doing the work in the end. If you're only going to be there for a short while it probably isn't.

DS

[Deleted User]

katholicos wrote: »

I've not made WUL before but do you think i could substitute the soap flakes for my own handmade soaps that i have made?

I would think so.When you're doing home made I stuff it's good to experiment until you find what suits you.

I just grated up a bit of bar soap. Just make sure you put your WUL into hot water and swish it around when you use it. Also be careful not to add more soap than the two teaspoonsful as you'll might find it leaves a little film. If you do, you can always add more water and perhaps a dash more vinegar. Or rinse off at the end

ceridwen

Re the rented v. mortgaged property debate....I don't know quite where I would stand if I were younger. I had to struggle - A LOT!!!:eek: - to manage to buy my own house. It really shouldnae have been so hard....but anyways....fast forward to the present day. In the present day - the mortgage is now paid off (at last...:D) and I am so thankful that the house is safely mine and I know that any maintenance that needs doing to it WILL be done (might take a while - if thats what my finances dictate:cool::() - but it will at some point.

The single biggest thing is that I don't need as much money to live on - at last. If I absolutely had to I could now manage with only a part-time job (which is just as blinkin' well - in view of how many full-time workers have to these days.....). If I were still having to pay rent as well - then goodness only knows when I would be able to retire...........:eek: - but (bar any further "pushing and shoving" at my income thats outwith my control) then I know exactly when I will be retiring:D.

The rent/buy dilemma depends a lot on peoples individual circumstances and the price of housing in the area of the country they live in, etc - so I dont think theres a "one size fits all" approach that can be taken on this. It very much depends....

[Deleted User]

mardatha wrote: »

The one thing that I can add to amazingly sensible advice in here, is to stop being a sheep. Stop looking at the rest of the herd and running after them to buy what they're buying (this is general , to everybody not any one poster)... why do we have to be clones ?
And why do we have to buy a house anyway ? I wouldnt buy a house if I was tortured ! Not if it meant the kind of worry I see all around me. Renting gives you protection in times of illness or unemployment. In days when there was plenty work yes buying was safe -but not any more. Jobs are not safe now. So renting is a sensible way to have a nice home and not have to worry yourself sick about paying for it.
In times like this we need to be flexible. Sheep are not flexible ! lol now I'm going to eat my porridge

Totally agree:T