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

Winchelsea

Bertiebots said:

"I have been outside topping up my little pond for the tadpoles (some people have been know to refer to it as a puddle!)! They are huge now and I dont think its going to be long till they have little legs! Dont know what the neighbours will think of this little 37yr old woman crouched staring (with slightly stupid grin on face) at her pond at 9am but hey ho..who cares:D..."

This made me laugh bertiebots - and it reminded me of something. A couple of years ago, I was on my hands and knees by my big compost bin, riddling some of the contents through a sieve into a sack, quite happy in my work. Became aware of a sound getting louder and louder - looked up, and there was the Police helicopter hovering directly above me. I just carried on regardless, and after what seemed like several minutes they went on their way.

Goodness knows what they though I was doing!! Tending my cannabis harvest or what?!! Or were they just intrigued by a batty old woman doing strange things!

suzid

Hello everyone,
Haven't posted for a while but have been lurking, while tackling a mountain of paper work necessary to get DS to Uni. As income dropped over 15% since 2009/10 there is an extra wad of paper to fill in. I'm also finding it's getting harder to apply for anything if you don't have a passport or photo driving license. So while we're at it DS is applying for a provisional license just to use as ID. Going paperless also causes problems as many places require originals. I'm beginning to think I'd better get a new driving license too, though I really begrudge the cost. Has anyone else had the same problem?
GQ please keep posting as I love to hear all your news and the April 1st council collection of animal fur really made me laugh. We could provide them with loads, shame it was a joke as I was going to ask for some of your leopard print bags! :rotfl:
Bertiebots I'm so impressed by your tadpole growth, ours are no where near getting legs yet. The smaller older pond is seething with them and the new Olympic sized swimming pond has it's first seasons tadpoles. I did warn some new neighbours that I'm not spying on them but that I can be spotted with my binoculars watching the frogs and newts. So far no police helecopters While cutting the grass last week I did have to move a couple of tiny wee frogs to safety but I think they were from last years babes.
Beautiful day here - too nice to be stuck repairing umpteen burst pipes but poor old DH is currently doing it. All running through the garage and were insulated, will need to invest in some much thicker insulation over the summer. He got water to the old washing machine yesterday so I got cracking washing all the dog bedding that had built up over winter. However three loads in and it stopped spinning so I've now got to see if the filter's clogged with dog hair. Not easy as it means taking off a back panel and removing pipes and at present I'll have to leave it as DH has everything pulled out. Freezer, bikes work bench, you can hardly move in there. So I've been washing the dog bed surrounds by hand in the bath. I should have muscles like a wrestler after all this. Just when you think somethings fixed something else goes wrong. Thank heavens it had all been shut off in the house when the cold weather hit.
On a really happy note, we have a blackbird nesting under the lean-to next to the garage and so far all is going well :T. Mrs B keeps a beady eye on us when we walk past but has been incubating in her nest for almost a couple of weeks now. Looking forward to them hatching.
Take care all, think of you and wishing you all well.

bertiebots

Jediteacher..no offence intended! I had never thought of using a tumble drier for that reason and that of course is perfectly understandable! Maybe they have the same problem although I will never know as they are the heads down type neighbours who never even say hello. I was purely on an energy wastage train of thought....
Have had a lovely time with dd today and treated us to lunch at sainsbugs and then we went to the local mill village shopping centre. We got twilight scene it for £4.99 so came home and played it. Had real belly laughs playing on the bonus features too. Today may not have been very mse but its really cheered me up.

blackandwhitebunny

ceridwen wrote: »

..."trays of veg seedlings" for 50p..._pale_ (as thats the nearest smiley I can get to "envious":rotfl:.

Unfortunately they've put their prices up, doubled them in fact:( But still £1 is a lot cheaper than the £2.95 the garden center we went into on Friday was charging. I got some Bok Choi, not my favourite but OH loves it. I've just planted them out and there was at least 3 plants in each cell so have 41 plants for a quid
They were also selling fruit trees for £10, including Damsons which I would love to have. I've got no chance of shoehorning another fruit tree into my garden but think I'll get one for the little orchard I've got growing at the back of my classroom at school (so far have 9 assorted trees there).
I got a nice looking Iris for £3 and some interesting groundcover bulb things for £1.
So all in all a successful day for gardening and moneysaving.:j

silvermaid

Hey all,
I've been playing with the yellow ball today,on and off, and it has been great. DS2 won his footy match this morning so that was great too (although not with the yellow ball - I think it was white, but I wasn't there!):)

In the process of getting food for 8 on the table. DD2 has asked if she can show me how she makes chicken soup from the chicken carcass stock:) I can't wait:);)

GreyQueen hope the lottie's OK and you have lots of little green shoots under the yellow ball x

hornetgirl

Delighted to report that our Sunday lunch included leeks, psb and rhubarb all from the garden. It really does help the grocery bill when we are able to eat things we've grown ourselves. Still determined to do better in this area this year. The dwarf beans are coming along nicely, but the courgettes and butternut squash are showing no signs of life. I think maybe the seed was a bit elderly.
We have a large clump of horseradish which DH planted a couple of years ago, but aren't sure exactly how to use it. Can anyone enlighten us please?

Interesting that Ceridwen thought JackieO might be one of the SuperScrimpers. I wonder what mental pictures we have of each other? We have a young couple over the road who have two little girls and a baby boy born just before Christmas. In my head they are just like Gailey's family

jediteacher

bertiebots wrote: »

Jediteacher..no offence intended! I had never thought of using a tumble drier for that reason and that of course is perfectly understandable! Maybe they have the same problem although I will never know as they are the heads down type neighbours who never even say hello. I was purely on an energy wastage train of thought....
Have had a lovely time with dd today and treated us to lunch at sainsbugs and then we went to the local mill village shopping centre. We got twilight scene it for £4.99 so came home and played it. Had real belly laughs playing on the bonus features too. Today may not have been very mse but its really cheered me up.

Bertie no offence taken at all! :beer: Would love to have my washing on the line but I have to also confess that I use the tumble drier to save my any ironing. This is an iron free house.

Half way through paiting at the moment but have to take a quick break to pick up the little girl and then back to work!

Still sunny here.

kezlou

ChocClare wrote: »

Ooh. What is JenniO's method please?

You basically fill a pot / tub with compost, place a seed in it i.e cucumber etc. Finely sprinkle water over it and place a food bag over it till the seed has sprouted. Then take the bag off when the seedling is about an inch high. Its like a mini propagator. The idea is that placing the bag over it should keep the humidity high without the need to water it.

Hope i explained that right .


Well coddy's back from camping, he loved it, little tired and grumpy but he's alright. He's out with his mate at the mo. Its the same one he went cmaping with, but whose mother has gone straight out to her friends and won't be back till.

The suns still shining, but i'm on house duty in case the boys turn up while snips and his dad are out playing.

Suns still shining brightly! ahhhh heaven.

JenniO

Yes that's it Kezlou! Also, that you don't NEED sun necessarily to get a seed to germinate. My mum germinated tomato seeds in a spare downstairs bathroom last year that's mostly in the dark (light only on when using the loo IYSWIM).

And yet I'm having a heck of a time getting my seeds to germinate this year! go figure! :rotfl:

p.s. must get together again soon!!

ginnyknit

I must admit a lot of my seeds have been slow to germinate this year after a promising start. Im now at the stage of 'if the pots empty plant something in it!" and if Im not careful will run out of space when I come to plant out.

I have found my roast spuds taste twice as nice when they have been frozen. or is it that im just ravenous after running around with Dgs all weekend. My ds actually paid me for having him - 4 boxes of dark chocolate jaffa cakes - she got a box of 12 packs at work for a quid!!!