How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

ceridwen

ginnyknit wrote: »

All in all had a good day but its increasingly on my mind about petrol etc with all the conflict in the Middle East. And sad for the people of Japan - but we may soon find it affects us too in other ways.

Yep...we do now seem to be "in the eye of the storm" - New Zealand earthquake, Middle East, Japan, our steadily rising unemployed/partially employed....

Sorry for all those caught up in one or another of these crises(((())))

Reminds self that if I ever turn round and say "I'm b..o..red" once I retire that my next comment to self must be "Theres a LOT worse things to be than bored". Though I imagine I'd find plenty extra to fill my time usefully/enjoyably than the list of things I already plan on...right now I thought "I'd have rung up to ask if they wanted me..." when I heard about peeps packing up goods to go out to help the Japanese - so I'd be doing that today instead of going to work for instance..

SD-253

born_blonde wrote: »

Plum Liqueur


!!!!! ( stab )fruit all over with a fork.
Put all ingredients in a large glass jar with a lid. Sweet shop sweetie jar is ideal.
Keep jar in a dark place and shake every day for a fortnight.
Strain through a muslin and pour into a bottle. Keep in a dark place for a further 2 months. Strain again and drink.

Freezing the fruit breaks the skin more than stabbing and is much easier.

ceridwen

For those who have some time to spare at the moment for helping the Japanese:

http://www.shelterbox.org/

are sending out boxes of useful goods to help. So - if anyone has a branch of this near them - ask if they need any help with packing.

For those with money to spare - then I'm sure that would also be warmly welcomed for buying more goods to send.

floss2

ceridwen wrote: »

For those who have some time to spare at the moment for helping the Japanese:

http://www.shelterbox.org/

are sending out boxes of useful goods to help. So - if anyone has a branch of this near them - ask if they need any help with packing.

For those with money to spare - then I'm sure that would also be warmly welcomed for buying more goods to send.

Ceridwen, I understand that they are currently at full capacity.

GreyQueen

Morning all!

Redlady Love the idea of you being revealed in the sunshine as one of the dangerous redheaded clan.....light the blue touch paper and stand well back if you're going to cross a redheaded woman! Best of luck with the house. My mop went from bright copper to reddy-brown in my late teens, but the upper layers are very prone to sunbleaching and so I have hair which is mahogany brown underneath, with upper layers of golden-red and pure white. It's quite fascinating to watch the changes. I mean, I'd pay a blimming fortune to get the same effect from a salon. :rotfl:When it's all white I shall be a Stealth Redhead and may have to change my username to WhiteQueen.

Spent some time with SuperGran yesterday afternoon poring over a map of Japan looking for her friends' hometown. It was obviously too small to be on the national map but we did find the prefecture. It's well south of Tokyo but on the same seaboard. They seem to be well out of the dangerzone but she still can't get thru on the phone. We'll keep on with it and hope it's just a case of telecoms interuptions and nothing more sinister........

Another call centre story. I was a desk away from S, a debt advisor working on a national advice line, when she took this beauty;

S Good morning you're thru to (organisation) my name is (S) how can I help?
Caller (a young woman) Can you recommend a debt consolidation company?
S I'm sorry, we're not allowed to make commercial recommendations. Why don't you tell me about your debts?
(Caller tells debt advisor about ONE credit card debt. S asks about her other debts and caller says she only has this one.)
S (feeling her way, obviously thinking this might be a secret shopper wind-up) So, if you only have one debt, why do you want to have a consolidation loan?
Caller So I can have one simple monthly payment (direct parrot of an advert running heavily on daytime TV at the time).
S But if you only have one debt, you already have one simple monthly payment.
Caller. Oh! (Foolish silence for several seconds). She hangs up!


Honestly, there are some days when you think that these people shouldn't be allowed out without their mothers!

Idiot boy was out until 5am so I got most of a night's sleep and may not have to kill him today (I have taken the lump hammer to the lottie shed and only keep a rubber mallet in the flat, to save myself the temptation). Of course, being an OS-type, I have a sturdy wooden rolling pin and several big knives in the kitchen....:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

(((Hugs to anyone who needs one))) and y'all have a good day, whatever it is you're doing.

ceridwen

floss2 wrote: »

Ceridwen, I understand that they are currently at full capacity.

Thank you.

I expect they would still be glad of money to help purchase goods for those shelterboxes..if anyone has any spare...

ceridwen

GreyQueen wrote: »

Idiot boy was out until 5am so I got most of a night's sleep and may not have to kill him today (I have taken the lump hammer to the lottie shed and only keep a rubber mallet in the flat, to save myself the temptation). Of course, being an OS-type, I have a sturdy wooden rolling pin and several big knives in the kitchen....:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

(((Hugs to anyone who needs one))) and y'all have a good day, whatever it is you're doing.

You mean ter say you've held back on imparting a bit of your gardening and foraging knowledge to Idiot Boy? - summat along the lines of "You might like a little help with the food bills - so why dont you try a bit of foraging?" (helpful smile)....(quickly followed by telling him that hemlock is the edible look-alike plant....;)).

I admit to reading some herb/foraging books I have with a few "raised eyebrows" at possible "hidden agendas" in them - as in "Dont take so and so in the following circumstances in case of...." - in other words the author is also telling you "But if thats what you actually want - then go right ahead....;)".

lostinrates

Its a grey day here, so I'm inside thinking when I should be outside sweeping.

Something that has occurred to me several times reading meal/food related threads on OS is how some of us talk about seasonal eating, but there is no reference here for people to refer to. I think it would be a good thread and make a good reference here for people who don't get the concept: with a rough calender of what is in season when, meat, seafood and veg in shops and for foragers...I'm always a little wary of starting threads on OS because there turns out to be one that's eons old and often only partially meets the brief. I really think it could be valuable to new oldstylers. When you read meal plans etc I notice lots of people really do eat the same meals year round....many are delicious ofcourse, but as spring develops I find our tastes change and I'm wanting less wintery food. Spring is, I find, culinarily, the hardest season. You still want warming food but less heavy, and the bounty of summer and autumn isn't in.Often about running down what I stockpiled last ''harvest time'' but also about the fresh new time of year. Still too early for the delights of asparagus, but the nettles are through for healthy nettle soup. DH and I ate out at the weekend and it was funny that one of us chose summery fish dishes, the other hearty winter ones


Does anyone else think this would be a useful thread idea?

catznine

Greyqueen - it is mainly the coastline northeast of Tokyo that has been so badly affected. Dd's friend is in north east Iwate prefecture, so some way away from the nuclear plant but that situation is getting worrying by the day! He can't get out to Tokyo, no fuel for car and trains not running as extensive damage to the railway lines. Every day I am waking up praying for Japan now and hoping for some better news, those poor people have lost so much.

Today i am off for root canal part 2 - going to cost about £50 plus £198 for the new crown, just hope it can be fitted before dd's wedding as it is near the front. Never going to nab anymore of hubbys Christmas toblerone again!:o In fact I've given up sweets for lent. Also trying to do at least one good deed a day!

Still making lots of fabric hearts for the wedding but also clearing the decks ready for some decorating! My goodness wallpaper is expensive now, can't paint walls as they really need replastering.

Found some interesting books at the back of the bookcases, including the Bazaar cookbook from the 80's with lots of recession beating recipes from the likes of Shirley Goode, Bernadine Lawrence and others.

GreyQueen

catznine wrote: »

Greyqueen - it is mainly the coastline northeast of Tokyo that has been so badly affected. Dd's friend is in north east Iwate prefecture, so some way away from the nuclear plant but that situation is getting worrying by the day! He can't get out to Tokyo, no fuel for car and trains not running as extensive damage to the railway lines. Every day I am waking up praying for Japan now and hoping for some better news, those poor people have lost so much.QUOTE] Thanks, catznine, SuperGran's friends are down near Nagoya. Been trying to use the web to get a detailed map of the prefecture but can only get the main towns....will keep on at it. Really hope that your DD's friend and all those affected have some good news soon, it's the worst thing I have ever seen.:(