Preparing for winter III

bevhousehastings

I'm always (fairly) lucky on freecycle but it does tend to be the little bits I reply to (childrens toys etc., did get a TV a while ago though). I do offer fairly often too - and I think people remember you from that.
I always reply politely by saying; I'd love your xxx, can pick it up later today/when suits you. Thanks very much.
Hope that helps?
But really I think most of it is luck about checking on line at the right time items are posted...as lots of people are very quick!

Broomstick

mardatha wrote: »

And there is life without a twice daily shower - use a face cloth and have a quick cats lick on the bits that show

This is how I managed years ago when living outdoors in the UK with an open fire to heat water and a stand pipe a mile away to collect water from. Take one bowl that you can stand in, fill with warm-hot water (Outdoor version: find a bit of woodland where you can be certain you won't be seen or disturbed and a tree where you can hang clothing! Indoor version: put bowl in bath, shower stall or on floor that can cope with splashes). Have a jug or similar, shampoo, soap, flannel, towel(s) and any clean clothing you might need beside you.

You have to do this quickly if the temperature is cold! Undress top half as much as necessary. Bend over bowl and use jug to wash hair with smallest amount of shampoo, rinse out the bubbles as best you can. Wrap hair in towel.

Undress completely. Put underwear/tshirt to be washed in bowl. Stand on it and stamp around on it while you use flannel, jug and a little soap to wash down the rest of you. Get dried and back into clothes as quickly as possible.

Finish washing clothing using the smallest amount of soap you can get away with. Obviously, if you have access to cold running water you could then rinse it in clean water. Wring the clothes out and put them to dry.

It's not ideal but it does work as a short term measure. A friend of mine who crossed the Australian outback in a horse drawn wagon said that this was how she coped too!

rosieben

My grandad used to have strip washes too, he told his little dd that he would take off his shirt and wash down as far as possible, then take off his trousers and wash up as far as possible, apparently his dd asked him if he ever washed 'possible'

prepareathome

tugrin wrote: »

Has anyone got any good ways of requesting things form freeglers? I have missed severl DVD/TVs recently ad I wonder if its my technique in asking? I dont want to fabricate but is there a better combination of words than ' I would love your xxxx please'.
Keep safe everyone.

If I am lucky and notice something I do want offered on freecycle within say an hour of it being offered so I know I might be in with a chance I just write could I be considered for item and if you have many askers could my name be put in hat, can pick up such and such evening/day if I am the lucky one to receive it.

I am usually pretty lucky and receive them but I admit within that time frame, usually later its already been collected but had the odd success. I do try to post something no matter how small every week so people know me as a giver. Its amazing what is useful to people, and I am not talking about rubbish that should only be thrown, but sometimes even the smallest thing that has broken the parts are useful to someone, never as yet had to take anything I offered to the tip, but as I said I never offer something that is for the bin, but I think it helps keep my name in peoples minds so when there is something I could do with they recognise my name and if its not gone I receive it, and usually if it has been offered they sent me an email saying how it not collected its mine and they are sorry, which is so nice. Ok don't ask often for something, I usually fine months go by and nothing offered I want then within a week 2 or 3 items I would love are offered, weird.

I wish you were nearer as we have a portable tv that has been sitting on top of hubby wardrobe for a year and we are thinking off offering it

I don't know what has happened to the storm as we were in yellow alert from today till Friday at least but we have sunshine and only small gusts now and again and not even that cold, it seems as usual we are in our own little island of calm, its weird but true apart from past two years its always been like this since I came here from Scotland in the mid '70s, might get bitter cold, snow and storms see to pass us by, you look up and see the clouds whizzing overhead yet its calm on the ground.

I could so easily be complacent and not prepare but I know the one time don't bother is when we get the worst weather anywhere, its like when we used to go up to Scotland with the children for Christmas and New Year I would stuff the car with all emergency things and they were never needed never got stuck in snow once, yet cars half an hour behind us at the start would end up stuck for hours, usually in the borders, hubby used to say I was a witch, my preparing was like weaving a spell around us to keep us safe. So he moans about the money I spend when I buy more stocks but puts up with it as even he agrees weather is changing and we got through past two winters fine, no power cuts yet both our daughter and son were hit with them and they only live 3 miles and 5 miles away - they of course came over and collected lamps, heaters etc to keep warm after having some hot food. Daughter will still not say she is preparing, but she has far more tins in than ever, a camping stove - we gave the children one each with lots of gas, and lots of solar lights in the garden which of course she could bring in. She also suddenly announced how throws look nice around the house and so has plenty of them - you see she will never admit she agrees with 'mad mum' so comes up with reasons why she has things that could be used in emergency in the house :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: She even now makes sure she has a spare gas canister for both the barbecue and the heater in the garden, she used to run them down in autumn and not get new ones till the next summer. Son doesn't have the money to do that so I make sure I have enough for them as well as their income is so tight with him on low wage and they have two young children.

ach am rambling again


Stay warm and safe my friends

mardatha

How are you in the west doing? the wind here is seriously awful, worse than last week. Vicious terrific gusts slamming right on the windows. The noise is hellish.

Broomstick

rosieben wrote: »

My grandad used to have strip washes too, he told his little dd that he would take off his shirt and wash down as far as possible, then take off his trousers and wash up as far as possible, apparently his dd asked him if he ever washed 'possible'

:rotfl:

mardatha Sounds scary. Stay safe (and indoors).

Cat501

very wet and windy in Glasgow, doesn't seem much different to last Thursday to me!

eta mardatha, actually I agree with you, I think it's worse than bawbag here too!

mardatha

There is NO FEAR of me putting my wee snout outside today !!

Cat501

I'm supposed to have my first night out in over 3 months tonight!:mad: Bloomin' typical!!

rosieben

We had sleet and strong winds earlier. Then the sun came out so I made a run to the post office, by the time I ran back (well puffed!!) it was snowing! the ground is so wet its all disappeared thank goodness