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

ceridwen

katieowl wrote: »

@ Grey Queen...I agree with you totally. Once you hit a 'certain age' there seems to be an across the board sub-text that you're in God's waiting room anyway, and it would be better all round if you quietly dropped of your twig. :mad:

Anyway...I have a question for you guys of appropriate response?
I was chatting to someone yesterday, I haven't known for very long, but he's a nice guy and disabled with MS which as you will know comes and goes in it's severity for a lot of people. He told me that he went into hospital earlier in the year, and his DLA was reviewed. (I'm sure he said ELA? But I can't find that anywhere) He said he had a conversation with the review people that went like this....Q Can you sit for two hours? R I'm in a wheelchair Q so you CAN sit for two hours? R Yes....I'm IN A WHEELCHAIR! Result -2 points of the scoring and they cancelled his benefit!!!

Now I know he's got by with an overdraft, and he said he was trying to get some kind of emergency payment through, while the whole thing goes to appeal, but he said something to me that really made me sad "The hardest thing of all when I feed the dog and he looks at me and it feels like he's saying to me 'Only biscuits again?'

OK, so I want to take him some dog food. Do I stick six tins in a bag, and hand it to him and say 'this is from my girls (ie my dogs) for your dog' Or 12 tins?

Do I buy 12 tins from the Farm shop and take one out and lie and say I bought this but my fuss pots won't eat it?

I don't know where he actually lives, but I could find out and do an anonymous drop?

Do you think he will be terribly offended? I can't bear the thought of his dog going hungry I was lying awake worrrying about it last night, as I probably won't bump into him until the weekend.


Kate

I'm not in the "old" category yet - but have already worked out what the NHS attitude is to old people and they will try it at their peril on me come the time:rotfl::rotfl:.

Re the dog - well...I guess you can work out what my response to that would be = ie I'd be working out where he lived and how to pass on some dog meat to him for his dogs. One does have to try and be a bit "tactful" (and...errr...it doesnt come easy to some of us <ahem>:o) - but I'd take the risk and get some dogmeat to him personally. So - I'd say "go ahead". I know JUST how many years a little episode where one COULD have been helpful but wasnt can live on in ones mind. I still feel very guilty about one time where I was on a hospital visit to my father and spotted an old guy in the next bed with a meal in front of him that he didnt seem to be eating and went to go across and help him and my father said "No- he'll be alright". I've been reading all sorts of articles since about how many old people get meals just plonked in front of them in NHS hospitals and not given any help they need to eat them - and feeling very very guilty that I took notice of my fathers wish not to get involved. My parents dont DO "involvement" - but, of myself, I'll usually plunge straight in regardless....and I do feel bad that I didnt then.

So - go for it gal...isnt it better to risk a "flea in the ear" than a guilty conscience?

Rainy-Days

Following on from my post last night, look at what happens today, the BoE has confirmed we are in for another double dip recession - now I am no Gypsy Rose Lee, but even I can see what is going on and I said that I had never seen things so bad :mad:

Taken from the Daily Mail's website just now:-

The Governor of the Bank of England today warned that Britain could be enduring the worst financial crisis in history.
Sir Mervyn King's warning came as the bank injected a further £75billion into the economy in a bid to jump-start the UK's flagging recovery.
Its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to boost its quantitative easing (QE) programme - effectively printing more cash - from £200billion to £275billion despite the risks it poses to the country's inflation rate.
Explaining the committee's reasoning, Sir Mervyn said: 'This is the most serious financial crisis we've seen at least since the 1930s, if not ever.
'We're having to deal with very unusual circumstances and to act calmly and do the right thing. The right thing at present is to create some more money to inject into the economy.'

v8monkeyboy

Katieowl,

I think it's lovely what you want to do/are doing. I've done similar myself in the past, and would again in the future if I found someone with a need

If you can, it may be worth seeing if you ccan find out if he has ever served in any of the armed forces. Even if it was only for a few days/weeks/months he will be eligible for help from The British Legion and SSAFA Forces Help. The BL in particular can get food vouchers out to him within 24 hours and can look at other unmet needs. Just a thought.

Well, today I went to interview, but didn't get the job. It's not bothering me much though, as the place I went to is known for being hard to get into, and I also have another two interviews lined up. The weather from last night has remained absolutely atrocious - horizontal rain with added hail and sleet; I took the dogs out for their evening walk and came back soaked, even though I tried to go between showers

I'm on my own tonight as the OH is in Bristol meeting with his business partner, so it's Simpsons on, candles lit, heating on, cuddles with the dogs and an early night with my new Kindle

oldtractor

Rainy-Days wrote: »

Following on from my post last night, look at what happens today, the BoE has confirmed we are in for another double dip recession - now I am no Gypsy Rose Lee, but even I can see what is going on and I said that I had never seen things so bad :mad:

Taken from the Daily Mail's website just now:-

The Governor of the Bank of England today warned that Britain could be enduring the worst financial crisis in history.
Sir Mervyn King's warning came as the bank injected a further £75billion into the economy in a bid to jump-start the UK's flagging recovery.
Its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to boost its quantitative easing (QE) programme - effectively printing more cash - from £200billion to £275billion despite the risks it poses to the country's inflation rate.
Explaining the committee's reasoning, Sir Mervyn said: 'This is the most serious financial crisis we've seen at least since the 1930s, if not ever.
'We're having to deal with very unusual circumstances and to act calmly and do the right thing. The right thing at present is to create some more money to inject into the economy.'

You beat me too it Rainy-Days I was about to post this. I remember my late father saying in the 1930's they often had to sit in the dark as no money for the gas meter and they were short of food as it was expensive and it was a big family.. He said his dad always got work when there was any but work was in short supply. He said his parents would then buy all the kids shoes and clothes. He told me he hoped I'd never see such tmes

ceridwen

I saw the news today - re the further round of "quantitative easing" - and thought "Here we go - I'd rather have been proven wrong on this one.....:mad:".

The only darn blessing around at the moment is that everyone seems to have dropped the "Its only another recession" talk and is admitting the truth at last. I've been leaping up and down with blood pressure rising for some time thinking "Just when are they all going to admit whats happening - or are we due for yet more 'gotta have confidence' talk?". I think the only way one ever deals with any problem - be it personal, local, national, whatever is to take the first step of honestly admitting that there darn well IS a problem. Only then can one make progress towards solving it. So - step 1 has been taken at long long last....for that let's be thankful.

Kindle - reminds self - I've received my Kindle now:D. Still in its box at the moment - whilst I summon up my nerve to start "playing" with it:o. On my list of "I darn well will get on with working this out this weekend". It's certainly a bit of a prompt to do so by the visit to the local library I had earlier this week and I went into "flashback mode" and remembered how it used to be and was shocked by the difference. How it used to be was:
- open in the evenings
- plenty of assistants around and no question of any of the "desks" being shut
- full shelves of not-that-old books in the reference section (instead of many shelves having been removed and the ones that are left being half-empty and with "dated" books in them)
- more shelves of books in the main library and they were all full (instead of many shelves having been removed and the remaining ones not being quite so 'crammed').

It was a huge shock to "look at it through 1970s eyes" for a moment - and I was thankful I'd taken my own personal solution (ie of buying a Kindle) to ensure that I will still have lots of books to read....but what do people do if they havent got that personal "get out clause" because they cant afford a Kindle?

OLDTRACTOR
I hear where you are coming from. Even when one doesnt have any "younger generation" (eg children) of ones own it makes me feel a bit sick to hear peeps in the next generation feeling "lucky" to have things that my generation took for granted that we would have if we worked/fought/waited long enough. I want them to have what I have too - and what I'm still striving for..

she_who_can_not_cook

kittie wrote: »

must be terrible up north. It is a serious storm caused by 2 solar eruptions 1302 plus new one 1305 tangled together.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/marine/gales_printable.html

As PC says, a double whammy

what got me was going up to the loo today looking out the window and its sunny and throwing down heavy hailstones

cbrown372

kittie wrote: »

must be terrible up north. It is a serious storm caused by 2 solar eruptions 1302 plus new one 1305 tangled together.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/marine/gales_printable.html

As PC says, a double whammy

bit scaremongering unless people live in the sea?

there is a yellow, be aware, warning for NI, Wales and NW England

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_warnings.html?day=1

you can set the above website for your own area

HariboJunkie

ceridwen wrote: »

but what do people do if they havent got that personal "get out clause" because they cant afford a Kindle?

..

I buy my books VERY cheaply on Amazon and 3 for £1 in the charity shop so I imagine I'll keep doing that and save the money on the kindle as they hold no appeal to me. I certainly wouldn't see not owning a kindle as being underprivilaged in some way. Maybe that's just me but I love my groaning bookshelves. ;):D

Increasingly foul weather here. I've seen it worse though and 9 degrees is positively balmy.

Rowan9

well, not all areas are poorly served by their libraries. The ones here are fantastic - well staffed with enthusiastic staff, loads of books, free ordering of books from the catalogue, plenty of comfy seats for reading, good selection of newspapers and mags. I have 13 books out at the moment because when I went to pick up my last request, I found that my card was full - staff were helpful and 'allowed' me to have an extra book. I'm one of those who likes to settle down with a 'real' book and, despite having a good look at my sister's kindle, don't think for a moment that I'll be splashing money out on one.
Tea tonight was the welcome sausage stew in one pot. Extra pot though with green beans and loads of kale. Good vit C and other things. Antioxidants I think. Lucky us, plenty kale left for tomorrow and the next day!
No wonder I was cold when out - I looked up a forecast and it was 12oC here. bbbrrr indeed.
Have had some lovely red wine yum yum and feet up for an evening of reading. I'm about to start a PG Wodehouse.
Keep warm folks.
W
ed to add was the e + ing rule - I used to teach it and was horrified to see my mistake!!!

mardatha

Bloody hell kittie. No fish in the shops for a bit then eh !