The Tougher Thread continues.....

ceridwen

EstherH wrote: »

Ooh, thanks for the links to the old threads. I just asked about them on the last one. I have been lurking as I couldn't keep up, used to post bit a few months ago. Good news Kate for you and your son.

Just had a look at the first few posts from the original 2006 tough thread and I really can't remember what it was like then. This was Pre credit crunch! Was it really tough then? It shows how versatile we are, we think we can't cut back any more and then a few years on in much tougher conditions we are still going.

I think Kittie did us a big service in being aware of how things were going to be just before "the s**t started hitting the fan" and starting up the Its Tough thread (in all its various incarnations).

I can well understand how peeps might vary to and fro in how to "deal with" things at an emotional level. One of the things that strikes me most is how much we have all had to shift our mindset over recent years - and its only a few years back we were busily being told from a lot of directions "Just think it/believe it and you will have it" to "How do we manage now then?".

One of the advantages of being older is one can see that a societal mindset (ANY societal mindset) is often pretty temporary - rather than "the way things are...end of story". I can see quite clearly that ways of thinking about things that are now regarded (it would seem) as the norm arent at all - they are just "currently fashionable thinking" on the one hand. On the other hand - I have had this one out with my father recently about "Just WHY were a lot of people not told how much they were capable of/could achieve/should have??" - ie a VERY VERY different way of thinking indeed to how my own generation brought up their children (which seems to consist of "You can be anything you want - even if you personally ARENT actually capable of it"). His response was "What was the point of my generation telling capable people that they ARE capable if their background dictated they wouldnt have a chance to get what they were due for of themselves anyway? They would only get frustrated/upset/angry...so better to try and tell them to be 'content with their lot in life' and then they wouldnt feel that way..." I understand and appreciate his point - but, in every generation, I am a firm believer in "tell it exactly like it is - and dont either discourage on the one hand (even if its for the best of motives) OR tell them they are more capable than they are on the other hand and lead them to think they can achieve things they dont in reality have a hope of" on the other hand.

With age cometh "What is the viewpoint that serves regardless of what generation I personally am in/what period of history I have been born into thinking" I tend to feel....

ceridwen

scottishminnie wrote: »

I haven't been posting much as I seem to have upset a few people so I'll make my apologies in advance. I don't necessarily agree with everything posted here but we are all entitled to our own opinions so I won't be changing anytime soon.

Anyway on to OS.......

Welcome to all the new people - good to "see" you all!


I've arrived home to find a friend of my mother's had left a carrier bag for me. Inside, wrapped in wet newspaper, is a couple of roots of horseradish. I don't have anywhere to plant it tonight so I've soaked the paper a bit more and hopefully it will be all right until tomorrow night when I can find it a permanent home outside.
To be honest it's not something I've ever used at all so I'm not sure what I'll do with it when it grows. Hubby hates it - he had an unfortunate incident at a buffet a while back where he mistook it for mashed potato and took a massive mouthful. I thought he was about to explode as he downed both my drink and his own before coming up for air.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Well...actually...re the horseradish. Personally - I dislike horseradish - BUT it was pointed out to me that one can eat horseradish leaves recently. So - went off to experiment with that one then - and found that ...yep...I could actually. I did my default cooking method for vegetables - of steam them for a few minutes in my electric steamer (sieve over saucepan of boiling water would presumably achieve the same effect.....) and then drizzled some olive oil over them and a few squeezes of fresh lemon and bingo...I could eat it and think it was okay.

I never would have thought of that - but there ya' go - younger horseradish leaves are now "on the menu" chez ceridwen - even if I'd still "move swiftly on" at the thought of horseradish itself (ie the root).

EstherH

I remember when my children were little in the late '80s that we were told their would be lots of jobs for women in a few years time. Great I thought, when the Littlies go to school i'll have the pick of the bunch. Then came the '90s recession and no jobs to spare. I also got ill and wouldn't have worked any way but just another example of how you can't predict what is round the corner. Btw, where I lived in the late '80s lots of mums still stayed at home, so different from now when it is the exception rather than the norm.

HariboJunkie

GreyhoundAngel wrote: »

Shucks, I'm doubly hurt ... we're sensitive souls you know and does that include us ones with paws ? and is that before or after the door hits us on the way out :rotfl:

G'Angel xxx

My OH is attempting to train our dog to wipe her feet. :rotfl: It's most amusing to watch. :cool:

I'm worried about redlady. Her sense of direction is terrible and I'm sure she'll never find us in here. :cool:

lizzyb1812

I think Haribo is missing a trick, as welcoming each and every delurker would leave no time for painting - not a bad result in this house (madly saving to get a man in)

G'Angel - Charlie won't hide anywhere, let alone under your legs. He's the friendliest pup I've ever known and quite bold most of the time. House training is actually going quite well, considering he's only 9 weeks old.Not a littlie though - already over a stone :eek: - so perhaps I'd better keep him here :rotfl:

Smileyt - many years ago one of the Manchester footy teams had won something important and as I travelled from Stretford (BF's house) to the city centre I saw a particularly exuberant though small bunch of celebrating fans. On the way back to BF's house one of said bunch stopped the double decker I was on by dancing naked in the middle of the road - with his dog :eek: Any dog walking attire is an improvement on that :rotfl:

smileyt_2

Scottishminnie - horseradish - I think I read somewhere that you shouldn't plant it in open ground or it would spread everywhere. You need to plant it in a pot. Sorry if you already know this but thought I would mention it just in case.

(I know I shouldn't do this, but I can't resist .... apparently the proper name for horseradish roots is horseradish thongs ....)

jamanda

Madarthur will be lost too.

Welcome to all the shiny new people. Hope you don't talk as fast as the other lot, I'll never keep up.

rachbc

I have to google that to see if its true - after I've wiped away the thai yellow curry I snorted over the screen laughing!!

Mrs_Chip

Smiley, stop it, we don't want to tarnish the shiny new thread just yet!

katieowl_2

Blimey you lot are already on page three...Welcome to all the de-lurkers by the way!

Dinner tonight was rice cooked with bacon, onion, herbs and stock. Topped with fried eggs, and some of my red tomato and red onion chutney. A great relief from sausages and jacket potatoes which seem to have been the staple diet for days!

I had a good rummage in my 'craft' cupboard today...to see if I'd got the makings of any pressies - for Xmas. I have...but I probably need to buy a couple of things to do it justice. Not sure I can be bothered. I was given a big box of fabric a couple of weeks back and I think I will definately attempt some tote bags for all, now that we have no free bags in Wales, I think we'll all be a lot more inclined to take our bags shopping! I'm rather embarrased to admit there were things in that cupboard I do not remember at all

I did a horrid maintenance job today, which is normally DH's job, the top drain to the septic tank was blocked again, and I lifted the cover and cleared it - yuk! I told him, hoping for lots of praise...and he was really 'yeah well I do it all the time....' Men! I thought he'd at least be pleased I'd done it without asking him!

Kate