As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

VJsmum

FTM that is sad news about the lady taking her own life - at least she didn't take anyone else with her. My BIL committed suicide last year and it leaves a massive tidal wave behind for everyone else to clear up (he left 2 small children behind, a wife and a mother (MIL who will never get over it)). I do, however, know that he was desperately mentally ill. He had to be, to be able to leave those children, whom he adored.

sometimes things like that put everything else into perspective.

oldtractor

VJsmum wrote: »

FTM that is sad news about the lady taking her own life - at least she didn't take anyone else with her. My BIL committed suicide last year and it leaves a massive tidal wave behind for everyone else to clear up (he left 2 small children behind, a wife and a mother (MIL who will never get over it)). I do, however, know that he was desperately mentally ill. He had to be, to be able to leave those children, whom he adored.

sometimes things like that put everything else into perspective.

How awful thats just so sad.

ChocClare

Annie56, rabbit is wonderful wrapped in bacon, sprigs of rosemary dotted round the place, covered in red wine and a slug of cream and cooked in a romertopf (or cast iron casserole if you haven't got one of those). Cook L-O-N-G and slow and then whack the heat up and take the lid off for the last 20 mins to crisp up the bacon and thicken the sauce. Yum.

ftm, sad news about your neighbour (though I'm glad she didn't take you all with her in a huge explosion), and vjsmum, even sadder about your BIL. It's always so terrible when someone takes their own life.

Our priest was telling us about this lady he is supporting at the moment: very close to her sister, who had been suffering from depression for some time. Sister came to see her, they talked about getting her some treatment. Sister said, I'll see you tomorrow, went off home, bought a tow rope on the way home, and hanged herself with it. Her sister found her the next morning when she popped in to see her. You just can't imagine, can you? The priest told her that if she wanted to give up something for Lent, then she must give up feeling guilty about her sister's death - she had done everything she could, and it was the mental illness that killed her sister, not anything that she had done or not done. Depression unfortunately can be just as terminal a disease as some forms of cancer - it's just that physical illness usually has more recognisable symptoms.

jackieglasgow

That was a lovely and beautifully put post Choc Clare, suicide is a terrible thing for those left behind to deal with, and the sad thing is that in the majority of cases the mental illness which has caused the sufferer to end their life has been misdiagnosed or poorly treated. Mental health care in this country is poor and sadly it is often dependant on the postcode lottery whether or not a person gets suitable treatment. My thoughts are with families of the people mentioned tonight.

scottishminnie

oldtractor wrote: »

I am pleased to say that today I had the first pickings from the allotment. Pak-choi,delicious steamed with bacon for lunch and stewed rhubarb for pudding.
excellent.

I think my rhubarb is a couple of weeks away from being ready My mouth is watering just thinking about what I'm going to make.

I "found" 2 small bottles of liqueur at the weekend which had been in a sort of foodie gift set at Christmas. I used up the strawberry one tonight - mixed it into a tub of mascarpone cheese with a dash of vanilla extract then stuffed it into/spread it over some plums which didn't seem to be ripening too well. Sprinkled brown sugar over the top and popped it in the oven for a little while. Finished it off under the grill and then hubby and I scoffed the lot. I think I'll hang on to the second bottle (apricot flavour) and use it the same way on peaches or nectarines in the summer.

I can't believe that at one time I would have tossed the bottles in the bin - what a waste!

sammy_kaye18

FTM - sorry to hear your sad news. (hugs)

I am currently having to look at plans for a trip to Ireland fro a double funeral - two of my great aunts passed away on Monday with hours of each other - one was 93 and suffering from alzheimers and the other was 99 so both had a long run.

I did my shopping yesterday and spent £98 but with some vouchers got it down to £92. not a great deal but enough for me. most perturbed to find out that Tesco dont sell the 12pk fo value toilet roll anymore though :mad:

also had some good news - some of you may remember the posted picture of minnie I posted a few days ago with her chocolate biscuit? well there was a competition to win a pair of tickets to see Olly Murs in Cardiff on friday - I put Hollys picture in with her biscuit and asked if she could enter for me - and had the message yesterday that she won. So now Im off out friday night with my best friend. will be enterign soem more comps I think soon

Well today is my day off out to see my mum too so best not stay chatting too long - as need to wash my hair etc.

Also need to have a word with benjamin - he'd snuck his portable dvd player into his bedroom without me knowing and was wide awake watching power rangers when I went in to check him at 11pm! :eek::eek::eek: no wonder hes not up yet!

right better go and start getting me and Minnie moose ready!

Toodle Pip!

PepPop - it is a good thread - there are lots of useful hints and tips on there. x

redlady_1

I have no TV and yes, the silence is strange at first but I used to put the radio on. Now I dont even bother with that - unless its Down the Line on Radio 4 (very funny and very un PC). I work two jobs and study and I still manage to get my housework done. TV takes over your life I find. That said, when I visit the OH it is very exciting and I have it on all the time, if only to reinforce the toss that is generally on it. If I want to watch something when ironing then I use iplayer.

It is other people that have a problem with me not having a TV, not least my mother who thinks I am odd! Hey mum, guess where I get it from!!

Enjoy getting your life back FTM

floss2

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

...also had some good news - some of you may remember the posted picture of minnie I posted a few days ago with her chocolate biscuit? well there was a competition to win a pair of tickets to see Olly Murs in Cardiff on friday - I put Hollys picture in with her biscuit and asked if she could enter for me - and had the message yesterday that she won. So now Im off out friday night with my best friend. will be enterign soem more comps I think soon...

Sammy, where do you find all your comps?!

GreyQueen

And another scorching day in Provincial City with highs predicted at 21 degrees and still no sign of rain......didn't make it up to the lottie last night as was semi-conscious on the couch by 5.30 pm. I have ME and don't work full time for that reason (I work a few hours on every weekday) but for 3 days this week I'm on a training course which is nearly fulltime. Result is that by 2 pm I was semi-functional and slurring my speech as I hadn't had any sleep to speak of (you can guess why but let's not go there).

Hope that my strawbs are managing without their daily infusion of waste water.......I broke up a congested strawb bed of 3 years' standing early last autumn and divided up most of the big plants into "babies" and so am clipping off the runners which said babies are throwing out, so that they use their strength for themselves, and become big and strong. It's astonishing how fast these runners grow, I'm sure it's an inch or two overnight. These have got to be the most spoiled strawb plants ever. Don't you find that you appreciate a fruit/ vegetable or herb so much more when you've grown it yourself than if you merely bought it?

Bitsy Beans My late Grandma (1893-1970) would've been tickled pink that you've borrowed her line for your sig. She was a traditional countrywoman who raised hens in the backyard to sell to the Sainsbury's egg lorry and kept bantams for the house eggs. One year, she hatched 6 goslings; 5 geese for market and 1 for Xmas dinner. Well, the 5 went off all right but number 6........? He ended up as a pet, thus proving even countrywomen can be a bit soft.

I'd love to be able to sit down with Gran as a grown woman and pick her brains about all matters OS as I was still a young child when she died (she lived with us) but that's not to be. She was also a stormy character and a bit of a drama queen and lead Grandad and her kids a merry dance so don't go getting misty-eyed as you imagine her in her cross-over floral pinny and hair in a bun (both true, incidentally).

Another Gran-ism: "There's a trick to everything except basketry, and that you can see through!"

To those whose family names are notorious, one of the family names on my father's side (not my own alas) appears as one of the signatories on the death warrant of Charles the First. When I say I'm not into royalty, you better believe it! Actually, it's probably co-incidence unless "our" particular branch of that noble line was descended from an impoverished younger son as we were all peasant farmers or labourers until the mid/ late-20th century (whereupon we graduated to factory work :rotfl:). But the villages are the same........;) My Dad is one of those genealogy nerds btw.

Hey, the 400 y.o cottage which my parents rented as newly-weds has just been given Grade 2 listed status, get me! I wonder if the new owners have found the bit of lime plaster behind the kitchen sink which Dad mended in 1965 with some help from chicken wire to patch the hole? And to think we didn't even have a bathroom.....

ftm I'm sorry to hear that your neighbour's mental illness has resulted in the worst possible outcome. My heart goes out to the families of this poor lady and the families of those in this situation. I know people who have lost a sibling to suicide and the pain doesn't go away.

Ahhh well, time for more tea, perhaps with a teabag in this time!

silvermaid

So sad about the suicides. My dear SisterIL did the same even though she had projects planned for the future. It does leave a tidal wave of emotions and sorting out in its wake:(

I do not put the TV on in the daytime. I sometimes put on Radio 4 but not often. However, we do not have much silence - lots and lots of birdsong which is beautiful and soothing.

Ceridwen how exciting to find a possible new relative:)