What has this bad weather taught you?

bluebag

Tulip09 wrote: »

I need an alternative heat source as oil is broke and house was/is bitter cold. Stock up coal & logs in the summer. Block all the gaps under the doors before winter. Keep WD40 in the house not the garage as the garage door jams with the cold. Buy a snow shovel, buy a winter coat for myself and not just the children. Dont bank on on family members,neighbours or taxis, helping you in my area, rely on myself only. Remember to buy plenty of bread flour and yeast & eggs & UHT Milk.

Sounds like you've had a bit of a rough time hun, not to worry a milder spell is due and you can get some stuff prepared for the next cold spell.

Get yourself to a few charity shops for a coat, there are often plenty available quite cheaply.

My mum buys in extras in each weekly shop starting in August in preparation for the winter, just checks the expiry date.

Take care.

rachbc

Thought of another - its taught me that I want to be warm and whilst I'm all for saving money by draught proofing, drawing curtains and wearing a jumper - when it comes to crunch I whack up the thermostat and light the fire!

Tulip09

bluebag wrote: »

Sounds like you've had a bit of a rough time hun, not to worry a milder spell is due and you can get some stuff prepared for the next cold spell.

Get yourself to a few charity shops for a coat, there are often plenty available quite cheaply.

My mum buys in extras in each weekly shop starting in August in preparation for the winter, just checks the expiry date.

Take care.

We havent moved to this house long and was shocked how much colder it is and totally unprepared for cold weather the house is drafty anyway (no insulation at all) and never thought to check the coal/wood etc as never used it yet and we have oil central heating. BUT Oil broke and wont get fixed until the 13th. I have plenty of basic food in and my freezer was full, just nothing the kids wanted to eat (typical) and we ran out of milk/eggs/bread. Tried to defrost food to cook was a nightmare (mince took almost 2 days)

The roads were not cleared and taxis dont come here in really bad weather. I am in a tiny village - no buses or shops. (Definately have to think about moving now) Family is only 6/7 miles away, i asked them to bring me coal/logs as far as they could get and i would walk the rest to meet them dragging a sledge for the weight of stuff, and they said it was to cold and didnt want to go out :mad: Yep i know that it is minus degrees in the my house and the kids were crying with cold despite being wrapped up.

LOL sorry rant over; yep it has taught me to be prepared in future, and that despite being sick, that i can actually do things for myself, and i really dont 'need' other people except my kids in my life.

downshifter

Everyone tells me oil doesn't freeze but every year my central heating dies when the temperature goes below freezing point. I've lagged the pipes that aren't below ground with pillows wrapped in bin bags but still no good. I've kept the pump running though just to keep the water moving through the pipes as I'm scared in case they freeze and burst The thing about living in the country is to make sure you've always got alternatives, so electric heaters for when the oil dies then coal/wood in case there are power cuts. And without my electric blanket I don't think I could have survived! When you haven't got central heating then you have to close off all rooms not in use and live in one.

I've also learned that I'm stronger and have more stamina then I thought, over the past 2 days I've cut a channel, like a trench, through snow drifts on my lane, so I can now walk to my car which is down on the road without wading through 3-4 ft deep drifts. It was hard work, I burnt off loads of calories as I got so hot, (yay!) but was fantastic for my walk back last night at 10.30. Brilliant bright stars in clear skies and me in my little trench! Doubledigging the garden will be a doddle after that.

I agree though that sadly, becoming as self reliant as possible is the way to go. My nearest neighbour, a farmer and his wife, haven't offered to bring their tractor down my lane to flatten it a bit, and I don't like to ask. Last year when they were away, they never knew what I did to care for their pets in the cold, or to sort out their house when their pipes burst. I don't think they're mean, I think it just doesn't occur to them to offer help, everyone is finding it difficult.

I've also learned that you can get used to colder temps than you realise - when it warmed up at the weekend I felt positively roasted!

Tulip you don't need to defrost mince before cooking it, just whack it in a saucepan on the stove with your tins of tomatoes, onions, stock cubes and the rest, prod it to break it down as it thaws and cook it as usual . Applies to most things. Or use microwave or maybe you haven't got one.

DS

mardatha

I was going to say the same re the mince. And yes, always have back-up for heat and cooking and light. An electric blanket is a real life saver - and the cheapest form of heating
Tulip, the year we moved out to the sticks was similar. I can mind one day hauling kids up the hill behind the house to gather fallen wood in a freezing baltic wind and snow on the ground. That's when you discover that all the right sized sticks are frozen solid to the ground & you break all your nails trying to pull them off
A Calor gas heater is about £80 and a great help for cold mornings before you get a fire going. And if you can knit, get some wool online and knit the kids warm socks. And just think, by April it'll be FINE ! lol

Primrose

You get a nice warm start to the day if you put all next morning's clothes on the radiator, so that when you get dressed they're warm as toast.

mrs-stressed

I have learnt to carry on relying on myself and my survival instincts! I have no money so cant stock up with a seige mentality! Would love to open the cupboards and find all sorts of good old reliable stuff. Mine consists of some tuna (good), pasta (good), stock cubes (not good - as no veg) and thats it. I have run out of milk today but its not the end of the world. The other thing I have learnt is to get up half an hour earlier to make sure that I can get to work despite the conditions. Not only is my boss impressed but I am too!! Sometimes I cant believe I have actually got there with a bit of a struggle (car parked half a mile away) and a bit of determination. If you get snowed in you have to provide work with photographic evidence which is a bit of bummer but thats retail for you. I have to walk back home through dark dark woods which is a bit scary after parking the car up. I dont get home till 7 at night. So by the time I have got everything up and running its time for bed!!!

I have the heating on but havent lit the woodburner as I am saving that for this afternoon. Then the heating will go off until tonight.

The other thing I have learnt is that wool really is the best medium for warmth. Wool coat (duffle), sheepskin gloves, wool scarf and wool socks and wool hat. I look like paddington bear but hey who cares!!!!!

mrs s

mennie

mardatha wrote: »

That just when you think snow is over, it's off.... it comes back on again ! Blizzard here now .

Ditto!!! Yesterday came out of the blue for me, just when i thought it was safe to go back out.......:eek:

downshifter

mrs-stressed wrote: »

Sometimes I cant believe I have actually got there with a bit of a struggle (car parked half a mile away) and a bit of determination.. I have to walk back home through dark dark woods which is a bit scary after parking the car up. I dont get home till 7 at night. So by the time I have got everything up and running its time for bed!!!

mrs s

It is scary doing that, I sat through a meeting last night in a warm village hall feeling really nervous about my journey back. It occurred to me as I was walking home at 10.30 last night through the trench I had dug, that no-one would know if I had made it or not, if for some reason I 'd come a cropper no-one would find me for ages. I think Mrs-s that you and I had both better let people know where and when we're going when it's after dark, so we can check in once safely home. In the event it was such a beautiful night that I almost enjoyed it.

And ps to tulip, re the mince. Always add chilli to everything when the weather is cold, it works wonders in heating you up.

DS

Boodle

Do keep safe, people, and I hope everyone can stay as warm as possible x

I learned it is much easier without kids. Before we had the little ones, snow was no problem - it doesn't stop you getting anywhere, it's just a bit colder lol. Dh has been walking the 3.5 miles to work and back as the traffic at standstill, and had to do the 2.5 miles down to a supermarket then back with the shopping (after about a week-and-a-half of managing with what we had in, he went for rice milk, bananas, flour, potatoes, loo roll.) Luckily I clean everything with vinegar and I recently bought soap flakes, so don't need anything like that. And it always amazes me that people would walk miles in awful conditions for a loaf of bread, for example, but have plenty of other food in - ok so they might prefer toast for breakfast to porridge... but really?! It's not like the snow will last forever

But with the girls, I just couldn't nip along anywhere. I have no-one to watch the little one so I can walk the eldest to preschool. Ventured out for the first time in a week yesterday, and ended up actually lifting the buggy with little one it, and had to carry it like that there and back - it just would not push in the snow whichever way I pulled and shoved. I don't think eldest's teacher was all too happy she had missed last week either.

I learned that my grandad (in his 90s) is the only one dedicated enough to get to my eldest DD's birthday party (had been organised in advance) and walked the mile in the snow happily, despite me telling him he needn't. Also, he was the only one who, when I phoned to check he was ok, had plenty in and said in an upbeat manner, rather than all doom and gloom, "if I run out, I can walk down to the shop." (it's a mile away) Followed by "I know its hard for you to get out with the girls, you needn't come all the way up, we're fine" and he meant it

I learned some do-gooder who decided to clear our street with a JCB was a bit of twonk as 1) he dumped the cleared snow in heaps along the pavement so I couldn't get the buggy along, and 2) the wheel grooves the car had managed to carve out that were providing a nice grip were flattened and the snow compacted down to ice. Oh and 3) as hedrove along, snow and sludge was pushed along the side of th JCB wedging all the cars on the street back in again so everyone had to dig themselves out for the hundredth time.