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

sammy_kaye18

Afternoon all

The funny yellow ball is back in the sky and boy is it warm! Lovely though - just waiting for the bedding to finish washing before I can get it on the line.

Just been and picked Benjamin up from football as his coach takes him to away matches for me. He got a ball kicked in his face but the coach said the other team were right little PITA's and basically picked on our team for the entire match and then he played their own mini match out in the sun whilst the weather is nice and couldn't get them back in the car! Hence them being an hour late back but hes good with the kids and the boys have all bonded well with their coach so I cant complain. They drew 7 - 7 today though which considering the other team had 10 players and we had 4 I thought that was pretty good. :T

Also this morning Benjamin had another letter and he came runner up in a competition so he has won himself two odeon cinema tickets. Which comes in handy as yesterday he asked if for his birthday he could take two of his friends to the cinema to see Rio or Kung Fu Panda 2 so I guess they will come in handy in paying for me and Owen and then the kids tickets are cheaper. Either way he is having some luck now so hes landed.

Also hoping that the national today is fate - theres a horse called 'Because I cant see' which if any of you know me and Owens eye treatment saga will know how apt it is, and its ridden by a jockey called D. Russell which happens to be my best friends name. Strange so Ive had a mini £4 flutter but if this beauty can come first I'll get £84 back becaus its 20/1. Never bet in my life so we'll see if beginners luck is with me!

Apart from that not done much, bimbled about the house and few general tidying bits and pieces - we dont have Josh tonight - we haven't had him in over a month now though so god knows why!

Either way - things to do and best get tea planned. Was sat birthday planning last night so need to get a saving plan together so I save money away properly!

alec_eiffel

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I can't think of a single reason why a very polite and friendly enquiry might not extract some of those precious linen items hidden away in the stock-room. It has been known for some of those lovely ladies in charity-shops to be on the lookout for things if people ask nicely. It's worked for me in the past.

If the stuff id being processed then yes if there are enough vols to have a poke then they generally will do, but if stuff is stored away in the "out of season" area, which is often in the attic, cellar or other storage area then there can be dozens of bags that are processed when the time arrives. If out of season items come in they're sorted with the other stuff - stuff appropriate to the season goes on for hanging, tagging and steaming, unseasonal stuff gets bagged up and shoved away for a few months. Many shops have a really small area to store a lot of stuff so not everything can be stored hanging and ready to go or even easily accessible.

Depending on the charity or size of the shop there can be an army of vols working behind the scenes or there might be one person (as there was in the last shop I worked at) so how quickly things get processed can vary wildly.

GreyQueen

Ahh, back in the shoebox after allotmenteering from 9 am until 1.45 then a dive in some charries and a little food shopping, just the essentials (milk and chocolate ) on the way home. I'm plum tuckered out but beaming from ear to ear.

The weather is GLORIOUS here in Provincial City today. Got to be 20 degrees and feels like late May or even early June, the only clue is the trees are just coming into leaf and that I can still get into the top of the allotment without using a machete and full body armour against the nettles. Amazing how much better warm sunny weather makes a body feel, don't you find? There are so many trees, shrubs and springflowers out that you just get smacked with great wafts of perfume as you go about. Before I know it, the lilac will be out and that is so close to my lottie that I get quite high on the scent.

My potatoes are UP. Nineteen days since they went in and they're breaking the surface of the baulks. As we're far enough north to be troubled by vicious late frosts, I have taken my usual precaution of covering them with strips of horti fleece (P*undland 10 m x 1m). Broad beans are growing bravely, sort of 2 inches high but looking the business. The peas I sowed in loo roll tubes last Sunday and left in the greenhouse are poking thru the compost and I have handweeded the strawberry beds and can now find the plants. Oh, and joy of joys, a lovely neighbour who'd bought a petrol strimmer up had some juice left after shaving his plot and offered to give my paths a trim. Tried to insist that he have some cash towards the petrol but he refused, citing donated strawberry plants last year as plenty of payment. I love the lottie, you meet such lovely people (well, and the odd not-so-lovely person but they're the exception).

Lauren, really sorry to hear that your town is high and dry. My region is a bit light on pools too, far too few for the population. My Cousin J (she of the homicaidal chicken a few posts ago), is mum to 3 living in a village and she found out that it was cheaper for the 5 of them to have a family membership of the local private health club than it was to swim in the municipal pool in the nearest town, even when they could use their low-income-family-discount-card-thingie. She was shocked.


Most importantly, 12/4 is SuperGran's birthday so we're planning a little bit of pubbing. SG is partial to a G & T. I will have to go to work before that and may well decide to hit the cinema if there's something on at the one I can use my discount card at. If not, I may just go and play in the dirt again.:rotfl:

Ooohh, I feel all sunshiney.........exercised and HAPPY :j

silvermaid

Howdy peeps,
Yellow ball's been here all day and I wanted to play, but I've been too poorly and couldn't leave the house. Tummy trouble:(
I've made Lamb Rogan, Blackeyed Beans & mushrooms and Saag Aloo, washing my hands very frequently!! But it was awkward as I couldn't test the seasoning levels. I had to rope in the DDs, who were great but it's not the same:(
DH has been doing loads of clearing, tidying and digging, but he's needed regular breaks as the yellow ball was bouncing on him.
GQ thinking of you for Tuesday. I hope there is good news soon for you.
Check in later Chaps and Chapesses, Silver

GreyQueen

Sorry to hear you're poorly, Silvermaid, and hope it passes soon. Good on ya for keeping on going with the domestic stuff.

espresso21

Thank you for all the ideas re where to buy clothes. I do pop in to the charity shops from time to time but they don't seem to have much in the way of smart clothes. Also I am not very good with a needle and thread at all, although I am currently teaching myself knitting.
This is such a great thread. I think I want to set myself a challenge to try to cut down my expenses by a certain amount and use the ideas on MSE to help me achieve that. I need to work out what my essential expenses are first. I have a fairly good idea but I think I can tighten up somewhat. I need something to focus on too. Personally, on a family level, there's some pretty big stuff happening and I need something to distract me from it all so maybe a challenge like this will help. And you all seem like nice people!

sammy_kaye18

espresso - everyone on this thread is lovely bar the few trolls who seem to pop in now and again. The regular posters on here are worth their weight in gold though let me tell you. Since I joined in 2004 (just after having my son and under a different name then) they have done nothing but support, look after, guide, encourage and teach me.....plus they are pretty good at hunting you down if you go awol so not even my facebook/twitter/blog/email is safe! :D:D:D:D:D but their all lovely.

Also wanted to say to everyone. I need

QUICK THINKING HELP NEEDED ASAP!

- just watched the grand national with Ben and there were 2 missed jumps with blankets 'in the way' (obviously I know what it is!) on the course so they missed the fences but Ben saw the sheets and wants to know what they are and why they are there!!!!!!! Any suggestions baring in mind he's 6!

Larumbelle

I would just say that the horses had bumps or owies, and that they have to put the blanket on so they can have a little rest until the horse doctor has a look to make sure they're alright. You're not actually lying, you're just sparing him the inevitable conclusion.

I have to admit, it's not nice for anyone to see

sammy_kaye18

I think he'd accept that as a suitable answer.

He wants to be a zoo keeper when he's older so that side of it he will inevitably see but I don't think at 6 years old he needs to learn that.

thank you Larumbelle :beer:

My evening is going to involve me catching up with super scroungers or whatever the programme is called and sitting down putting pen to paper for a letter to council telling them we now have our step son 3 nights a week.

Can I ask for some prayers and positive vibes please because there is a 3 bedroomed house about to come up in our bidding booklet for April so keep me in your thoughts please.

Pitlanepiglet

Hmm...I shouldn't complain but.....I've had three bits of Costco belly pork in the freezer for a couple of weeks. We had BBQ this lunchtime so I suggested tonight we could have salmon and rice, nice and light. OH says he'll cook as I BBQ'd .....instead of salmon, he decided (without mentioning it) that he'd cook the belly pork - in 45 minutes....so instead of nice, light salmon, he's defrosted and cooked belly pork too quickly and probably trashed it. I know I shouldn't be ungrateful but I fluffing well am :mad: