What has this bad weather taught you?

[Deleted User]

to get non slip footwear sorted out in plenty of time

jools27_2

And here! Been watching cars stuck on the snow and ice outside my window, can't see the road, and I think I'm going snow blind!!!

fedupfreda

What have I learnt?

That thermal underwear is worth its weight in gold - as is a well stocked store cupboard.:D

That many light layers are better than 2 thick layers.

That chickens can still lay eggs, even when its -6 outside (I really thought they would have gone off lay by now, but no, my 3 are still laying):j

That my wellies really need replacing (trudging through melting snow with a hole in your boot is not my idea of fun):(

ubamother

That prolonged freezing temperatures and heavy snow make idea conditions for defrosting the freezer ready for Christmas baking without having to use up all the contents - just put it in a box in the back garden!
That children think using icicles as orange juice stirrers is brilliant
That thunder-snow storms are rather exciting, and very rare.
That the last few years of mild winters has made prolonged snow and ice driving a rare event for newer drivers, and that a driving lesson all about slippy roads would be a good addition to the driving syllabus.
People who are generally happy, determined, positive and helpful maintain, and even strengthen their attitudes during difficult times.
That my husband is the 'digging out stuck cars' and 'rescuing damsels in distress' hero of our neighbourhood.

nu1isit?

That the sledge is a fantastic invention, and should be put on a pedestal for all to marvel at it's wonders...(it's also great for pulling two kids to: nursery,play group, nanas etc.).:D
It's best not to wince and turn the steering wheel on slippy ice, when kids throw snowballs at your car in the dark. :eek:
The dog quite likes the snow, and is a little bit unhinged!!!:rotfl:
I have secret thoughts that the thermal underwear, I mocked my grandad for having, might not be such a bad idea!!! I don't think I'd be able to do a sexy dance for the wife in those though (not that I do that sort of thing normally, ahem).:D

Winged_one

Storecupboards are GREAT!! We were never in serious danger of getting cut off, but we had the options for the week without having to go out unnecessarily, or lug home loads when using the bus.
And while we didn't need to break into it, we have the fixings of bread in the cupboard (although sweet baking was a problem as I was out of one usual staple - eggs!) and a tin of powdered milk (from making a mocha mix as a present previously).

Having coal in was great, although we needed briquettes and logs to eke it out a bit over the weekend and I had to drive to a couple of (regular) places before I could get any fuel for the fire. But the fire was really comforting for the week.

Dishwashre salt is invaluable! For icy paths.

My thermals, that I have gathered over the years in M&S spring sales, are worth their weight in GOLD!

Having spare sets of gloves, hats and scarves was great to let one lot dry out while we were out playing or doing jobs.

Close the curtains after dark - we forgot in one room one evening and the difference was astounding! We had also been keeping doors closed as we had the roof off only a couple of weeks ago (attic conversion) and that made a big difference too in keeping heat in areas where we were active.

Enjoy it! The cul de sac had a "snowed in BBQ" the first weekend. Just dragged out 2 gas BBQs and everyone brought whatever they had in the house to enjoy together - worked great! (That was a sunshine day, even if cold).

Online shopping rocks! Not that we were desperate ourselves, but it meant that my gran (94, lives alone, and across the city from ourselves, and my aunt) was still able to give her order to my aunt and get what was needed even when it would have been daft to travel over (we or my aunt would have, but Gran was fine, neighbours were all calling and the shopping meant no worries there either).

Having a decent pair of hiking or snow boots is invaluable! DH has outdoor cycling gear for winter, which [rotected him well, and I had gotten ski gear in the summer sales (we had planned on going this winter - before DH got a broken wrist), and we had bought good wet weather gear with a zip in fleece for DD. All well worth is so that we could get out and about.

Oh, and I learned that I CAN drive in snow, and ice, without crashing into everything else on the road. DH might be better than me, but I don't need to fear once I go slow and drive into any little skids. yay me!!

KxMx

For myself it has taught me to get some snow boots (which I have ordered) so the risk of a fall for me is a little less and I don't have to stay inside (out to feed birds twice) for a whole week!

Mum is also now ordering gas canisters and a mini hot plate thingy as our area had alot of powercuts, which we escaped.

With regards to food I had been out before it was forecast to start to stock up anyway, because only a few foods currently don't make me ill. But generally speaking we always have lots of tins in the cupboard which Mum could live on at a push.

lovetopaint

...that nobody cares what a sight you look in what you choose to wear each day to keep warm ...it's all good!

Bronnie

.....how to slow the car down with the gears instead of braking when approaching an icy junction.

strawberrypud

Great Thread! :T

I have learned to hang my laundry on pegs on the airers to maximise the area open to the air to dry. Instead of having things doubled over (hope that makes sense) My laundry is drying overnight this way rather than taking 3 days!