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

EstherH

We have a lot of blackberries in the garden, too many really because they have taken over and need cutting back and some digging up. DH would like to get rid as they are so invasive but it's free vit C and they taste lovely. We have an apple and pear tree but don't seem to be successful with either. The apples all have a little hole in and it is brown right through where the hole is. Like this every year. The pears come off the tree too hard and seem to stay hard for ages and then suddenly they are mushy n bad.


Lilmisskitkat, I have been a lurker until this new thread but everyone seems so friendly and it really doesn't matter what our circumstances seem to be. Welcome.

babyboysmommy

gailey - DS school uniform is the most expensive in the area, my friends are much cheaper & they need less 'official' school items as well. I wouldn't mind but it's only the local school, I feel like I'm kitting him out for a private school! Thankfully we bought him a winter coat in the sales, it's a really good one but was very reduced. He can get away with wearing it but it's too big for him so should do 2 winters I also bought the next size up for the jumpers (I got 2) in the hope he wont ruin them & they last longer. I'll buy the shirts & trousers from AS#A or MrT.

floss2 - AS#A shirts still wear well according to my friends

We have spent the whole morning at the park. I took a camping chair & course book so I was comfortable reading whilst DS played with friends. He had a wonderful time, I got some work done & it was free

EstherH

Have just turned one portion of beef casserole from the freezer into a pie to do for me and dh for tea. DS away this week so only the two of us. It will compensate for the double portion that I had put away for us which ds got out and ate himself before he went. I'm sure he eats more than a horse. lol.

Primrose

Esther - no, don't allow your OH to dig up the blackberries. If you have too many you can always make blackberry syrup with them which is high in vitamin C if you don't have freezer room for them. We drink lots of this in hot water in winter with a slice of lemon. This stores well in dark green wine bottles which have a screw cap. The syrup needs to be sterilised but I don't bother heat sterilising the bottles. If you just wash the bottles well and add half a crushed Campden tablet to each bottle of syrup this will keep the syrup in good condition for up to two years. (Campden tablets are used in winemaking, You can usually get them from chemists or health food shops. It's also knownm in loose granule form as Sodium Metabisulfite. You can also make a combination of blackberry & elderberry syrup when the elderberries start ripening, although it's a bit early for them yet. If you want a tested fruit syrup recipe let me know.

EstherH

Hi Primrose, The recipe would be good thanks. The problem with the blackberries is that they are no longer contained to one side of the garden but are now overgrown and entwined round all the other shrubs etc. and are popping up all over the place. If we could just get it back to one side we would still have plenty. It's just lack of time to get the garden sorted and it has got out of hand. I usually manage to talk dh round but as it is worse than ever.... Don't think he will get round to doing anything before they are ripe this year. Too much work to do on the house and too little time. I would like to grow raspberries too. We have a blueberry bush that has quite a few berries on but they aren't turning blue yet. MIL's were blue weeks ago but then they all disappeared overnight, birds must have had them.

Would it store in clear bottles? We don't drink alcohol so no green wine bottles i'm afraid.

kezlou

Primrose sorry to trouble to you, would i also be able to have the blackberry syrup recipe. I pick loads and this sounds very delicious.

Well just repotted some tomato plants into larger trays and hanging baskets. Fingers crossed they will grow nicely. Just picked a ice cream tub full off raspberries form the the garden. Also repotted well its either a cucumber, courgette or butternut squash plant. Either way we'll be eating it lol

Decided to stay in today and also i'm not shattered with all the limping, i feel like i've actually achieved something. Just having a well earned cuppa before i crack on with some sewing.

mardatha

Well another day of torrential rain here, and the OH and I have cabin fever and are getting ready to kill each other...That's two and a half weeks of RAIN so far

csarina

mardatha wrote: »

Well another day of torrential rain here, and the OH and I have cabin fever and are getting ready to kill each other...That's two and a half weeks of RAIN so far

You should have emailed me and come over here!! mind you its raining here too...

carriebradshaw

mardatha wrote: »

Well another day of torrential rain here, and the OH and I have cabin fever and are getting ready to kill each other...That's two and a half weeks of RAIN so far

same here mardatha rian ,rain rain except we actually had almost a full day of sunshine yesterday and I made the most of it and caught up on my washing, got most of it dry too,there were just a few bits left that were nearly dry & I managed to save from the rain. I plonked them on the airer and they've dried overnight as it was still so warm :T so that really cheered me up no end

EstherH

We have had loads of rain too. Have managed to get one load of washing nearly dry inbetween rain. Lovely sunshine at one point for about half an hour. Will have to resort to the tumble drier soon if this keeps up. Stacks of washing waiting to be done.