The Tougher Thread continues.....

liloandstitch

Morning everyone, suppose I'd better talk now I have de-lurked!

I am sitting on the sofa catching up being very lazy, but in my defence, I have a carpenter and plumber creating merry hell upstairs - Finally the bathroom is coming together, and the hope is that I will have a door and skirting boards by the end of the day. Lovely guys, but their phones never stop ringing - I am amazed they get anything done!

So, things are tight down here in Kent, whilst we pay the never ending bills for bringing our bathroom into the 21st century from the dark ages. We have working taps and everything! At least not going out of the door means that I am having lots of NSDs!

Right, reheating jacket potatoes, do I just nuke them for a couple of minutes in micro? Thats tea sorted then. will have it with chook and whatever else falls out of the fridge at the right time. I think I may have some very sad looking bits of salad in there. Guess it will be a carrot salad again - I have loads of those!

Have a good day everyone, I loooooove this thread. Being a sad no life muppet, I have read them all! That took care of 5 years of my life! But then, I have fibromyalgia, so life involves a fair amount of resting anyway

Laters ....lilo

HariboJunkie

Softstuff wrote: »

The university our brains are going to has a memorial. And as I say, each year they hold a service of thanks. I ended up finding out about it when we met a neuroscientist researching alzheimers. They're not short of brains with alzheimers, since sufferers and their families recognise the need for research, but they were really short of "normal" brains for comparison. There is always the option too of the university returning your ashes to your family later.

Can't help but giggle at the thought of the university where I got my degree and OH his PhD getting our brains back in a box. :rotfl:

Lilo I hope they make progress with your bathroom today.

Right. I'm all coffeed up now so off to start cleaning out childrens' rooms. _pale_ :eek:


I may be some time...........

VJsmum

GreyQueen wrote: »

sssshhhh, they'll be coming for me any day now.:p

That may be so GQ - but are you sure it's for the recipe :rotfl:

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

You might have guess that I a slightly obsessed with cookery books,

I'm slightly obsessed with recipe books too- i have 3 shelves of them, plus what's on the lappy that i copy and paste from here. I daren't look at any of them till i empty some of the freezers (note to self, get mince thingies out of freezer to turn into taco filling - other note to self, buy taco shells (I know, I KNOW but i can't be bothered to make them))

Softstuff wrote: »

*pokes the lurkers with my pointy stick* come out come out wherever you are. Actually I shouldn't say that, it reminds me of a very naughty joke.

Go on - I dare you :A

By the way - with donating your body - don't they give it back at some point? The other point is that there will be no funeral for family and friends to attend, which is an important part of the grieving process. Although i guess there could be a memorial, but is it the same?

I have [STRIKE]wasted time[/STRIKE] worked industrially this morning to finish the back of DD's jumper. SOmeone on one thread or another said that knitting is really addictive - they are not wrong.

squeaky

HariboJunkie wrote: »

Like this you mean?

Brilliant!

That cat is so-o-o like my cat Sally, although perhaps a bit better behaved!

When she was a kitten she would very delicately use a single claw and lift my eyelid to see if I was awake! Waking up with one eye open and a kitten peering at you intently from about two inches away is something of a novel experience.

Waking up with an ear that has been "sandpapered" isn't novel - it's painful.

As is having a cat landing on the lower part of your abdomen so early in the morning - an event that forces a quick and urgent visit to the loo... usually hobbling, bent over in pain!

<sigh>...

On topic bit:- Breakfast news this morning is saying that many utilities profit margins have increased from £15 per person per year to £125 pp py over the last four months. Jeeze!!

starsandmoon

Well it is pay day today and my wage cut has kicked in (Local Authority worker) and Im down £75 a month as well as £12 a month cut for the Xmas shutdown were we dont get paid but the loss is spread through the year and £12 a month for parking which I dont mind as it works out a £1 a day for me which is pretty cheap (part time job). I knew it was coming so prepared. Got any winter clothes me and DD would need, jobs done on the house and saved money for the gas/elec so not all bad. Have rejigged my budget and I can cope plus my second job has extra hours going at the mo so I can make up the shortfall most months but dont think that will last long once the new restructure takes place.

Now regarding savings, I have total emergency fund of 3 months salary tucked away in an ISA and another savings pot for house maintainence etc. I dont know wether to use the non emergency savings and pay a lump sum off the mortgage as I have a repayment mortgage or leave it and find something that pays interest, but Im twitchy over the banks. Its not a huge amount, dont get too excited folks:rotfl:

Feel better now Ive had a moan here. Going to hang washing out as that is a good destresser!

katieowl_2

liloandstitch wrote: »

Right, reheating jacket potatoes, do I just nuke them for a couple of minutes in micro?

You can do that...but another nice way to use them up is to cut them longways into wedges and fry until golden.

Kate

PaddyPaws

All this talk about funeral costs reminds me that it's something I need to add to the list to discuss with DH. I've still not pinned him down about getting our wills written, and trying to get him to discuss pension arrangements is also nigh on impossible. I think he's scared to admit he's going to grow old one day (we're already in our 40s), so the thought that he might die is going to be very difficult to convince him of.

I like the idea of donating any useful parts (I am on the organ donor register), but need to find out about donating any other useful parts for medical research <adds research item to 'to do' list>

Another useful tip for those planning how to pay for their funeral - it is useful to also plan your funeral service and make sure those you leave behind know what you want. This makes it a lot easier to deal with during what can be a very emotional time. And, what do you want to wear in your coffin? I only ask this as when Dad died, apart from the fact that Mum had contacted the 'wrong' funeral parlour (and we only realised as they were about to take his body out of the house), the original suggestion was his best silk dressing gown which duly went to the funeral parlour. About an hour or so later Mum suddenly said ' he'd turn in his grave at the thought of going to church in his dressing gown'. So we had to dig out his best silver gray suit, white shirt, decent dress shoes, socks etc and then choose a suitable tie.

We then had the discussions about the service at the church and crematiorium. The list of music that can played at the crem actually had us in stitches (my dad was a very traditional sort of person) and the thought of pop music being played as he was taken in was hilarious. He'd definitely have come back to haunt us.

Roll forwards 5 years and we got the news that Mum had probably less than 12 months to live. By the time she died we knew all the details for her funeral, she'd even written out the details of which funeral parlour to use, hymns for in church and which music for at the crem. This really helped us through that difficult time and we know she had the send off that she wanted.
(and the funeral company were prepared to wait to get paid until we sold the house)

Crikey, sorry that's all a bit morbid, but it might help someone
PP

redlady_1

When the OH lost his wife she had a natural burial. Basically, it is a piece of woodland which has been turned over to a burial site. You are not allowed to put any permanent structures there. So she was cremated and then he buried her ashes at the base of an oak tree, which is now thriving. I like that idea as it kind of signifies new life.

In relation to savings, as I have been renovating the cottage the most I have had has been £1k. It is something I am very aware of but then I worked out over the last two years I have ploughed somewhere around £15k into the cottage. At last it is coming to an end and so improving the savings is going to be a top priority for me. In theory, I shouldnt have any maintenance for a while, fingers crossed.

That said, now I am giving up the pub job I am going to have to be more frugal again. On the plus side I will actually be at home long enough for me to be able to eat the food I buy!

katieowl_2

It's quite a challenge organising a funeral. I was surprised how hard I actually found it, and although it was a dear friend, it wasn't a family member KWIM?

Our friend wasn't a church goer, but the 'others' did want a vicar to do the 'ashes to ashes' bit. Vicar was a bit miffed that we didn't want hymns, but managed to keep his vicarley cool when her best friend chose Stevie Wonder (I just called to say I love you') H was 90, so I guess he wasn't expecting that! I picked Beth Nielson Chapman 'Sand and water' and as a sop to the vicar we picked Morning has Broken as a 'hymn' but it was the Cat Stevens version... Everyone who went said it was a lovely service, but it was much much more emotional that I imagined.

Kate

HariboJunkie

Popped back to offer a couple more links for the cat lovers.

My personal favourite and one you will all understand.

I love Simon's cat.