It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

ChocClare

Thanks for all the good wishes about DS's A levels/university acceptance and ditto good wishes to Charis for that, and for your birthday! Happy Birthday to you!

Mar, I've pm'd you about that knitting pattern - never any problem translating stuff, just ask (I'd have put that in French but didn't because a) it would be poncy and b) I haven't yet worked out how to do accents on here)...

bonnie_bumpkins

Happy Birthday charis _party__party_

Thinking of you taurusgb :lovethoug

Well done to all A level students :j

Last week I got worked up over a washing machine salesman's claim that manufacturers assume that the average weekly number of loads for domestic use is four :rotfl:

I know some of you have [STRIKE]forgotten[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]lost interest[/STRIKE] been anxiously awaiting the results of my little piece of research. Out of the six manufacturers I asked, four replied, and all of them said (in different ways) that they do not have a recommended minimum/maximum number of uses per week for any of their machines. Therefore I conclude that the man who claimed that manufacturers would consider any more than four loads per week as commercial is very much mistaken!! That's the politest way I could think of putting it.

ginnyknit

I have a plan... if everything gets really bad we all need to meet in a field in the middle of Britain, one supplies the cooking equipement, another logs to burn, Gq brings the tinned tomatoes and I have enough pasta to feed us all! I actually scared myself, whilst looking for something I realsied that every cupboard has bags and bags of pasta in it :eek:

Mardatha your poor ME must be confused by the weather, it doesnt know if its Spring summer or autumn no wonder its bad! My GP said recently 'oh well you will be all right in the warm weather - arthritis goes away' No it bloody doesnt :mad: I have had lots and lots of excercise this week in attempt to improve matters and am at present in flipping agony.

Going to have a big baking day tomorrow as Smileyt kindly gave me lots of muffin mix - yumm! Then I am going to make a list of all my cake ingredients and find recipes to use them up, you know odd ounces of almonds and other random things.

Charis - Happy Birthday, and all those who is poorly or have family who are pooh at the mo - get well soon

mardatha

"I'd have put that in French but didn't because a) it would be poncy and b) I haven't yet worked out how to do accents on here)..."

AHHH its sunday ... go onnn! I do like a good ponce on a sunday!

bonnie_bumpkins

mardatha wrote: »

I do like a good ponce on a sunday!

:rotfl::rotfl:

kidcat

Popping on quickly to wish taurus well, hope the tests go ok.

happy birthday charis

Ginny - I will bring the flour to the meet up as I have so much I cant even count it, it was a bone of contention when we moved as dad wanted to throw it away!!!

Thanks for the good wishes for my dd, she is still very poorly and looking like she wont be well enough for exam results on Thursday or college enrollment so first job tomorrow is to contact college and see what we can do.

I had a shock yesterday when a long lost relative (he disappeared owing lots of money ten yrs ago) turned up - he was letting my dad know that his mum has passed - we havent spoke to her in yrs (she was awful to my dad growing up - calling him ugly and not telling people at her church that she had two sons!!) but I have found its shaken me and my dad. My mum is simply reminding everyone that she was an evil moo and whilst its true she was his mum.
Oh is playing up again and has decided he has back ache again wanting to stay off work but as I pointed out we have not been here long enough to have any financial reserves so its just not possible. He is now sulking like a three yr old - never once asking how I feel about losing a relative.

On a more positive note I have managed to kick myself into gear today and have got rid of the stuff to the tip that OH was meant to take days ago, cleaned up and cooked a roast dinner. Even managed an apple crumble with some of the windfalls from our day out. Have also caught up with the washing and have only one load to wash tomorrow - will tackle the ironing tomorrow hopefully, and am looking forward to stripping all the beds and getting the washing done straight away.
May well talk my mum into sitting with the kids for an hour tomorrow to allow me to take DD5 to buy her school shoes and pop into Mr T to swap the wrongly purchased blazer.

smileyt_2

Mardatha you are bonkers.

Forgot to say thank you earlier to Kittie and Ceridwen for the info about kefir. Will add it to my growing list of things to explore

Have spent the afternoon battling with my climbing rose. It had partially collapsed in the high winds we had earlier in the 'summer' so I had to do some severe pruning. I pruned as much as I could, bearing in mind that it's about 15ft high and even with telescopic loppers there's a limit to what a 4ft 8-and-a-bit woman can do! Managed to lop and pull down quite a few branches so have taken a lot of weight off it. Hopefully now it won't fall on top of the hen pen when we get the winter storms. It had knocked my waterbutt sideways too, so I have righted that and connected it back to the guttering. That's one thing I can cross off my winter prep list.

Those of you with small gardens might be interested in this: http://www.hannahbeatrice.co.uk/2011/08/open-yardens-photography/
Shows some of the amazing things that can be done in a really small back yard. (I'm not in the photos but some of my lovely friends are ).

ETA Greyqueen can't you keep the suitcase for storing more tinned tomatoes in? LOL!

Seakay

Next time your GP says anything so fatuous ginnyknit smile sweetly (even if through gritted teeth) and ask for the research work that this info comes from as you'd like to read up about it.
Last time I was in the (locum) Dr told me that My Vit D was bound to be low even though I'm taking supplements because I have osteoperosis. SO I asked if she meant that the condition leaches Vit D away from the rest of the body and she looked totally panicked and said it wasn't her area of expertise. SO I asked if she'd read it somewhere and if so could I have the reference and she said she couldn't remember and started edging towards the door, presumably in the hope that I'd take the hint and leave. I didn't. I asked to referred to someone whose area of expertise it was so that they could explain what she'd told me, and she said I'd have to wait until my GP returned and ask her.
Isn't it refreshing to know that it's not just men who trained in the 1960's who come out with a load of old b******s to keep the poor hysterical ladies quiet? Equality - good to see it!

ginnyknit

Smileyt those pics are beautifully done, what a great band of people they look too, lots of laughter and food!

Kidcat what an unsettling day for you. thats the thing though she may have been a bad mother but its still his Mum and you all need to get through the grief process.

Seakay, yes! fatuous thats the word. She also said that arthiritis wouldn't kill me so carry on regardless, I did but recently had 7 days with no sleep and total pain, still looking after OH as best I could. When I went into surgery she thought I was having a heart attack and rushed to my aid - apparently severe pain can kill you then??? It wasnt a heart attack thankfully but she gave me something to actually help for once.

Oh well back too it then instead of loitering with intent on here :rotfl:

JIL

smileyt wrote: »

Those of you with small gardens might be interested in this: http://www.hannahbeatrice.co.uk/2011/08/open-yardens-photography/
Shows some of the amazing things that can be done in a really small back yard. (I'm not in the photos but some of my lovely friends are ).

Thank you for posting the link, it is really heart warming, not just to do with small gardens but more to do with the nicer side of people and communities and what can be achieved when we all pull together. Such a lovely contrast to all the doom and gloom we read in newspapers.