Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

catznine

Wow Kittie! Thanks for that post! very inspiring! I am 54 - dh 55 and he is starting a new job, we still have mortgage to pay off and now dd's wedding next year and a grandchild from ds and his wife! Somehow we have to find the pennies to cover all this. I know we will though, I now have vegetable beds in the garden and have cut down on our organic box deliveries, only a small one every fortnight now.

Mum taught me to sew my own clothes many years ago, some from taking apart old dresses and skirts to make new items. My knitting leaves a lot to be desired but I am not too old to learn, for now a scarf but later hope to tackle some baby clothes. I make my own cards and bake all we need.

Coping in difficult times is all about being flexible and adapting, also lots of hard work. I have taken on a 3hour cleaning job for friends and save all I earn (not a lot but it helps) Hope to do some babysitting soon as well for friends. I have cfs/me and have to pace but am getting better all the time (never claimed benefits and wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell now, so keep working at improving my health)

I do love a challenge, it sort of energizes me iykwim we seem to eat better when challenged, for now we are on a storecupboard challenge to make up for spending money on a much needed holiday. Dh went through the last year of stress waiting for the axe to fall but now has a better (hopefully) job about to start on Monday. He will be working all hours so we took the chance of a holiday while he had some time off between jobs. It will be the last for a long time I think.

Christmas is our next big hurdle but I can remember the happiest Christmas from my childhood was one that was entirely home made, Dad's pay hadn't gone into his account so was a struggle for
Mum but it was the Christmas that stands out for me as being the best. I shall make cookies and sweets for friends, have sourced lovely gifts from charity shops, app foods (posh soaps and gift sets) and boot sales for family and shall make up hampers for the kids.

I am no longer afraid of what the next year brings! This thread and the others on this board are full of help and support, so thank you!

mardatha

Awh Kittie ty pet x I'm a Cap too, my birthday's the 23rd Dec. There is no point in having hysterics or dramatics or the vapours- life goes on and you just have to get on with it eh!
I desperately want/need to get out more in the garden because my ME is making me old ... I'm starting to get some health probs & it's because I don't move enough.
I love knitting, hate sewing with a passion though.
New challenge is to learn to like cooking :eek: - after 44 years of marriage - and use more veg, less meat.
Well done for starting a new exciting adventure, its what life should be all about .

Primrose

Mardatha - it's definitely NOT too late to start trying to grow vegetables, and my guess is that once you've started, you'll be hooked because there is always something new to try and always another crop to anticipate. The best way of avoiding disappointment, in my view, is to pick a nice sunny spot with good soil, and if your soil isn't in good condition, start improving it now over autumn digging in some well rotted manure - you can buy it in bags from garden centres. If you don't have healthy soil you'll never grow anything decent.
It's easy to grow from seed but if you're nervous about trying this at first, buy seedlings from garden centres or market stalls, but these are more expensive than growing from seed so it won't save you much money. Grow the things you like, or which are expensive to buy in the shops.
Perhaps start with two or three tomato plants, lettuce or salad leaves, and a few climbing beans.
You can grow low tomato plants (called tumbling varieties) which will grow in large containers. These don't need staking or the side shoots pinching out, so are easy for beginners. My next door neighbour who is 65 grew her first tumbling tomatoes this summer so if she can do it, I'm sure you can. Do give it a try. It's fun!

kidcat

Mardatha - re your raised beds prob, could you use wooden crates simply on top of some sort of makeshift legs? Our farm shop gives all their crates/boxes away and I managed to grab a few of the wooden box crate things, lined them with a black bin liner and planted stuff in them a couple of years ago, admittedly that was flowers but maybe workable for shallower veg? I suppose plastic bread crates could be lined and used too - or maybe just bung grow bags in them? I have decided as we have not bought anywhere yet and there is nothing in the pipeline, I will use stuff like that and get planting this year too, at least that way I can take anything I grow with me when we finally find a house.

Kittie you are truly inspiring - and I have to say that when I start to feel down at how things are going the thought of you and Mardartha and others always lifts me and reminds me that I am not alone in this struggle.

I think my neighbours may now hate me, last nights party got very loud and was so hot (no heating on at all) that I had to open all the windows - thank goodness it was over by 11.30 - but neighbour glared at me this morning when I opened door. Having not had any neighbours in ten years its easy to forget they are there and adjust. ooops!

Souk08

Hey all, great to see a new thread. I love to pick up tips from you all. Someone asked ages back about good wine in Aldi, they do a £2.99 white that's grand called 'Palacio de la Tierra', just dug a bottle out of the recycling bag to check the name! I live next to an Aldi and can't rave highly enough about it. You can't get everything there but it is great for most things and their speciality round the world offers are amazing.

mardatha

I do grow tomatoes but only inside, I have big south facing windows and the tomatoes last year were great. This year I never got round to them somehow. I want to try the Siberian/Arctic varieties which need a shorter season and should do well up here.
Re the garden, I dont know yet Kidcat. I'm too tidy a person to have a whole collection of odd bins & containers - that would drive me mad. I have one plot where we grew tatties, that's about 9ft x 6ft, so am thinking of rows of salad stuff in there as had tatties in it 2 years running. The whole back garden is on a slope facing due south, but soil is poor due to washing away downhill, so I have 2 big new compost bins on the go.
I have plenty more room to make another big plot for tatties but the work is scaring me off
The problem is the RV really. (isnt it always?) There is NO WAY he would ever let me haul home bags of manure in his car !!

catznine

Just clearing the garden after an absence of just 1 week and something got my cabbages!!!!:mad: Having to peel away most of what is left of the outside leaves and now have just the middle to use. Do I pick them all (4) and blanch and freeze what is salvagable? Luckily the Perp spinach looks ok for fresh veg. I hate having to depend on the freezer so much just in case we have any power failures! Is there anything other than perpetual spinach, that is fool and pest proof that will grow through the winter for fresh greens?

On the plus side have found about a dozen baby courgettes, some little carrots and some smallish apples so harvested them! That's veg for tonights dinner and maybe tomorrows and an apple crumble! :j

DD has asked if I could make some bunting for her wedding and I've found a bag of suitable material/dresses to take apart in all the right colours! Tonight I find my scissors and start cutting!

I've grown potatoes in old bins, bags of compost and tomatoes in old milk containers. We have to move the top vegetable garden down to the bottom of the garden next year as we need some pretty flowers (bulbs and whatever I can scrounge) ) growing for the wedding photos next year.

BB1984

Right, I finally got fed up with my "day of the triffids"-style tomato plants taking over the conservatory, and have taken them outside! Stripped off all the green toms left, and had enough to make a green tomato chutney, which is currently simmering in the slow cooker. I hope it's nice - never made it before! Hoping to give a few jars away as xmas pressies if it's ok. I'm a bit dubious about the fact that the recipe didn't call for any sugar...any thoughts?

It's this one: http://www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/906/green-tomato-chutney-recipe/

Ha ha I've just re-read it and it does require 250g brown sugar....DOH! Silly me. :rotfl: Best be off to sort that one out then I guess.....

taplady

Kittie and Catznine - very inspirational posts from both of you thankyou:T there are others here including Ceridwen who give everyone else hope and positivity that we can get through these hard times.

flowertotmum

Wow..what everyday brings is inspiring on here..truly lovely...i myself find it most satisfying to say "i did" or "i made that"..not "i bought it"...mardatha..you can grow lots of lovely things to eat..some onions and garlic..you can plant them now..as your garden is south facing why not plant some fruit trees or bushes..
Kittie..lovely post..we too had to change our total lifestyle..and you know what we are loving it..yeah sure money is tight but its the quality of our life now thats important..our 2 allotments are heaving with winter veg..my little apple trees in the garden have produced an amazing amount,my pear tree only had 5 pears but thats better than nothing...i love nothing more than baking and sewing things for folks and giving it to them..
Well my old style tea went over great yesterday..the girls loved it as i decorated the table with some flowers and napkins..it was so relaxing to sit and have proper tea,the trifle went in one go so i'm doing a sponge cake today...
Went to allotments first thing and got filthed up..nevermind..i'll wash..
The jobcentre have changed hubby day to sign on..so instead of a friday its now a tuesday which means we will get paid every other friday...got to sit down and sort money out this afternoon so we have new budget to do ...looking forward to it..i love getting it all sorted and then i can relax...
Got to go..little one having a nap and i'm stuffed from a roast chicken dinner...left overs for later or tomorrow...
take care all...