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

kidcat

FTM - take care and hugs,

3v3

flowertotmum wrote: »

Hi all..i'm going to be missing for a while..my dad is very poorly and my mum needs a bit of help..
take care of yourselves see you all soon
love ftm
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry to hear your father is very poorly. ((hugs))

smileyt_2

Flowertotmum wishing you all the best for your Dad and hoping everything turns out ok.

We have the most fabulous charity shop nearby. I am in desperate need of a storage cupboard for my chicken and dog feed and today I went in and got a tambour cupboard for £18! I also bought the most fantastic wardrobe - it looks like a medieval cupboard or something that you would see in a Harry Potter film I've never fallen in love with a piece of furniture before! I have overpaid on my council tax so they have refunded the money, how fortunate am I? The shop is like an Aladdin's Cave - I don't think they ever turn any donations away - and you never know what you will find. It is an absolute godsend for the poorer people round here. Some of the furniture that has been donated is hideous - 70's MFI, lol! - but a lot of it is really good quality stuff that is probably just deemed too old-fashioned by the people donating it. Really solid wood, beautifully carved, with proper metal fastenings.

Ceridwen I have been into gardening for a loooong time and helped get a hanging basket scheme started round here, which then spread to other streets. I have just located some possible funding and will be trying to get folks together to have raised beds in the alleyway, but I guess I will have to clear it with the council first to see what kind of access they might possibly need. Ooh! Maybe I could get raised beds on wheels ..... This is on top of my plans for the derelict ground becoming an allotment site with a community orchard .... Well, a girl can dream .... But no, it's not my alleyway in the post you were reading.


My hen is poorly again It looks like she has been in the hen house all day, and she won't eat anything. She's not even interested in mealworms. I think it might be curtains If she is still no better tomorrow I think I'll have to take her back to the vet. See, once again she has waited until I have spent money (this time on furniture) before needing to go to the vet's. It should be cheaper this time as they reduce the consultation price for a further consultation for an ongoing problem.

Right, off to get my last cup of tea of the day. Any later than this and I'll spend the night staring at the ceiling with caffeine buzzing round my brain .....

Reverbe

mardatha wrote: »

KALEfor Mardatha
****************
I DONT WANT THE BLOODY STUFF ! TAKE IT AWAY!

I'll happily eat a huge plate of it on its own for dinner. pass it here! thanks;)

3v3

smileyt wrote: »

.... My hen is poorly again It looks like she has been in the hen house all day, and she won't eat anything. She's not even interested in mealworms. .....

:eek: Oh dear, she must be poorly if she can't be lured with a meal worm There's something quite heartbreaking about a poorly chook, especially when all you have to go on is the look in their eye. Hope the vet can resolve any issues.

ceridwen

Minihauk wrote: »

Ceridwen - to be honest, I can't see much difference between your approval for Guerilla Gardening and your disdain for people planting on common ground. Growing food on common land would mean that anyone would/could harvest it if they so choose. Would you really feel the need to report them to the powers that be??

I had a feeling that some people wouldnt see what I am getting at.

Well - what I am getting at is that, as I understand history, common land was enclosed a couple of centuries back by one household for themselves personally (ie the rich) and they still have it all these years later.

I see no difference between poor or rich households trying to find excuses to use common land as something for THEMSELVES ONLY at a PERSONAL level. Also - I believe the law is still in place that someone can claim that land is actually owned by them if they have been treating it as theirs for 12 years.

I dont see how I can make it any plainer that one is a personal thing (ie for themselves only - ie just one household) and the other is a communal thing (ie for EVERYONES benefit). Common land is owned by and for the benefit of EVERYONE - not just one household. Thats why we have planning laws to protect our countryside from this individual household and then that individual household that copied them just taking over and using countryside that is a resource for ALL of us just for themselves personally in the way they PERSONALLY want - and bang...we've all lost a degree of access to our communal amenity in the process. According to the "everyone can take what they want for themselves personally" argument - then I guess we can expect to lose the ducks and swans off all our rivers (and not just a few) as a few people look at them and see "OUR personal food" - rather than "Everyones wildlife - that belongs to all of us and obviously gets left alone".

So if anyone still misunderstands - then there is nothing further I can say to make it any clearer as far as I can see - in attempting to explain the difference between the two.

So - I'll just have to hope that this IS guerilla gardeners - or I shall have to get onto the Council then about it...darn it...It would save a lot of hassle if whoever-it-is would just put a notice there saying "Incredible Edible (our location) - help yourselves" and then it would be obvious that all was well. Whilst its unmarked - then its not possible to tell...

So I shall just leave it at that - and if this continues - then I will put the "Incredible Edible (etc)" notices there myself and resolve the matter that way.

ceridwen

oldtractor wrote: »

KALEfor Mardatha and anyone else who is intrested. If you lay he leaves on a baking sheet and after tossing in a very little olive oil,then place in a low/moderate oven for a few mins [5 to 10 maybe longer depending on temperature, keep checking]they go crispy. they will shatter when handled into breadcrumb like bits. they are seriously delicious. a little powdered garlic can be added. they remain dark green. if they go brown they are over done,reduce oven temp and/or time. parsley is also good done this way. can be kept in a glass screw top jar or on the fridge for a few days. Excellent.

Dunno about Mardatha:rotfl: - but I will be trying that. Just written details down and its on The List (ie that great long list of experiments I'm waiting to try out:)).

FLOWERTOTMUM - Hope things go well for your parents (( ))

SMILEYT - OOOOOOOH....raised beds on wheels - sounds like a very good idea to me. Vaguely remember reading about them somewhere and thinking "Good idea in some circumstances" and narrow back alleys sounds like one possible place where they might WELL come in handy - ie moving them temporarily if access/maintenance requirements deem it necessary. Good luck with that and I've never heard of raised beds of any description being used in back alleys - but I do think its a seriously good idea if you have the room for it. (PM on its way to you giving access to loads of links about community foodgrowing ideas you might be interested in).

Uniscots97

mardatha wrote: »

KALEfor Mardatha
****************
I DONT WANT THE BLOODY STUFF ! TAKE IT AWAY!

Can I swap you? Chocolate cake for kale?

No joke, went off chocolate after an op last month :mad: The sight of the stuff makes me feel ill

smileyt_2

3v3 wrote: »

:eek: Oh dear, she must be poorly if she can't be lured with a meal worm There's something quite heartbreaking about a poorly chook, especially when all you have to go on is the look in their eye. Hope the vet can resolve any issues.

I know :(:(

Here is a link http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=45793074&postcount=2442 to a post I have just put on the 'let's keep chickens' thread about possibly needing to rehome my remaining hen. If anyone has any bright ideas, I would be very grateful!

ceridwen

SMILEYT

PM now sent.

LOADS of info. there - see you some time next century if you decide to read it all....:rotfl: