The Tougher Thread continues.....

Softstuff

mardatha wrote: »

I cant get a$$ in gear at all re the C word. is anybody else ignoring it as well?

I was up until last week. Now I have homemade mincemeat in bulk in the cupboard (for pressies, for mince pies and for other yums), I'm partway through sewing a large felt Christmas card holder, the Christmas pud mix is soaking to be steamed tomorrow, I've made some decorations for the tree and have the stuff ready to do my Christmas cakes before the end of the week. I'm not mentioning this to boast, it's just that I was feeling a bit miserable about Christmas and the lack of money for it, until I got some friendly support here, went away and pulled my finger out of my bum, and began to work on it. I've spent less than $20 on food bits, but with that and making use of what I already have in the house, I'm well on my way to feeling a bit more optimistic.

So thanks you guys. :A

kidcat

Does anybody have a simple idiot proof mince meat recipe please? Have decided to start my prep this week and have decided to be adventurous and make increment too. Am rooting round to find last years slow cookery Christmas put recipe at moment
kittie I am so sorry to see you leave, your advice on so many things has been a real blessing to both me and so many others. I will miss you.

xx_Jo_xx

:hello:

Hi there, another newbie here popping up out of lurkdom, hoping to get on the 'tougher' bandwagon... if thats ok.

Life is about to get very tough for me, but all through my own doing.... To explain, Im 31, single mum to a 9 year old boy, currently live very far away from my family and have decided to change my career and go back to University.

To acheive this, I need to live closer to my family to help with the childcare, so as well as giving up work, I am also in the process of moving 500 miles, organising school transfers, as well as applying for my own college and work experience posts.... in other words.... its very full on at the minute!

The house I am moving to has lots of garden space, a vegetable plot etc so whilst i know my income will be greatly reduced, we plan to start growing at home, which is something we havent been able to do before, so some of my outgoings will also reduce, along with and my stress levels.

The heating in the new house runs on oil, which Ive never had before, so Im feeling a bit daunted as to the potential costs involved in heating the house, but then thats just fear of the unknown... I suppose.

best get on - have got a bedroom to empty today and must go take something out of the freezer for tea....

xx

Rosanna79

Wow this thread has moved so quickly I've just caught up after a week!!

Have to skip all mention of cakes and calorific recipes mind you!- now into the 3rd week of my dietician's 'tightened ' menu / exercise plan based on my own food /exercise diaries. It's required a different mindset but already on the home electronic scales ( which are fairly close to the hospital ones) I seem to have lost 2.2 kg already into my 4 th stone of weight loss- need 4 1/2 off altogether and was stuck on 3 stones down for months.

Anyway I'm out walking more than ever when I'm not up at ridiculous o'clock early morning swimming. Two years ago this month I had to use 2 walking sticks from my bedroom to the bathroom. Now although I do go out strapped up for the walking group I managed to walk 4.6 miles on Saturday without using one stick and a further 2.5 miles yesterday so feeling much better physically and mentally as a result.

Even the waterproof trousers fit a lot better when it's raining so there's a greater incentive to get out whatever the weather. So not so much time to post or read the thread as before as crafting for England otherwise. my friend says she'd rather be dead than have to keep the food / exercise diaries I do but compared with facing life in a wheelchair 2 years ago I'd say it's a no brainer?!

Talk of slow cookers reminds me that we have a 32 year old one in the cupboard, a wedding present which was useful in the bedsit in our early days but somehow meals never seem to taste so good as those initially browned on the hob before going into my gas oven on its slow cook setting. I use a Woll pan, very expensive to buy but simply remove the handle and it goes into the oven up to gas mark 9. It's a whole range of pans in one and really earns its keep....

OH has suddenly learned how to prepare and blanch veg for the freezer so that's saved me time so I can get on with other things.... like craft classes, walks, creative writing and playing music with my Quire....! I sound lazy but actually the old time management skills of my working life do help to get the most out of the day except this morning which I've spent reading this thread..

Did anyone see Sunday Morning Live and the third topic of ' Should retirement be abolished?' Based on Betty Driver's acting career lasting until her death this week at 91? Someone posted that acting's not a real job and could we imagine a 91 year old plumber trying to fit radiators?!! The NMC have invited all non practising h/visitors to return to practice - as if ! My SIL who teachers 16-18 years olds in a tough unit in Galway says they have jokes about teachers using zimmer frames up and down the corridors of her unit now the retirement age has been raised to 66.

It seems so unfair for our young people and I can't help feeling that although we older people often still have a lot to offer the youngsters really haven't got that much to look forward to as it stands. I don't have my own children but 3 great little second cousins for whom planning each Christmas & birthday suprise is a great joy. I just wonder what the boys will be growing up to in terms of life chances etc.

I for one am glad to be retired and living a frugal but pleasant life.

GreyQueen

:j:j:j:j:j

I have braved the shops and got a MR 3.5 litre slow cooker reduced to £20 in the sale. There was the 6.5 litre one reduced from £45 to £30 and I swithered but I am a singleton so that'd be just daft....wouldn't it? Better not let Mum see the biggie or it'll be going home with her.............:rotfl:

The weather has gone bad on me and it's all cloudy and chilly and looking likely to rain any minute so I shall alternate some chores inc really terrible things like Cleaning Under the Appliances with stroking the steel sides of the MR and playing on the interweb.

:hello: Hello Jo and Mint1955 good to see some more people and to read about your lives.

Keep warm and keep well; you may imagine me clutching my new toy in my hot little hands (I rarely have new anythings) and doing a Gollum impersonation. My Precioussssssssssss! :D

Frugalista

GreyQueen wrote: »

..... you may imagine me clutching my new toy in my hot little hands (I rarely have new anythings) and doing a Gollum impersonation. My Precioussssssssssss! :D

Yes I can imagine you!! LOL!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

mardatha

Sad that kittie has left, no point in knowing things and having knowledge if it isn't shared.
Have phoned the HA and grassed on the plumber and dont even feel guilty cos its gales and sleet here and I'M BL**DY COLD!
I don't like xmas either, once your kids are up its not the same - plus it's so commercialised now it makes me sick. But I think I'd like to go back to how it was - the Victorian Christmas seems to have been all about rest and food. I'm all for that ! So even folk on really low incomes can pull some stops out in the food dept eh ?:D:D:D

GreyQueen

Frugalista wrote: »

Yes I can imagine you!! LOL!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

LMAO, I am that sad, unfortunately! I am also about to clean the back sides and underneath of my gas stove which I do once a year.

If I don't reappear soon, I may be trapped- pls send help!!!!!

Softstuff

kidcat wrote: »

Does anybody have a simple idiot proof mince meat recipe please?

I've just pm'd you Kidcat.

Edit: ok, scratch that, your inbox is full!

Pink.

mardatha wrote: »

Sad that kittie has left, no point in knowing things and having knowledge if it isn't shared.

I too am saddened that kittie has decided to leave the thread, but she has disassociated herself from the 'tough' series of threads a few times before and has always returned. Let's hope it will be the same this time and she will join in when she feels like it and give us the benefit of her knowledge once again.

Pink

Edit Greyqueen, good luck with your new toy!
Taurus, hope things go well today.