A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

smileyt_2

GreyQueen wrote: »

ETA you can never have too many salvaged zips, but don't put a non-trouser zip into a trouser fly (they won't stay up, which could be a trifle embarrassing for the gent concerned).

Didn't know there were different types of zip!! Eeh, you learn summat new every day!

Kimsmum, I am very sorry to hear about your friend. A horrible shock, and no words will suffice. ((hugs))

Byatt and Stiltwalker, it is a shame you can't make a February mini–tough meet. We could always have another one in the summer (we could swap seedlings rather than seeds!). Kidcat, it would be great to see you at a Manchester meet.
Taurus gb, glad you are feeling better.
Mardywotsit, I hope you're feeling a bit better today, too.
Hope I've not missed anyone out .... hugs to anyone who needs them. They're OS hugs, so properly made and won't fall apart after one use .... :rotfl:

I am off to work in a minute, but going to have a quick hoover round first. Then I can leave a note for my young person telling him to do the washing up. He has been cooking some kind of goat curry thing (insert vomit smiley here) but left all the pots and the kitchen absolutely stinks to high heaven. This is the third day of dirty pots and I am absolutely at the end of my tether. They'd better be done when I get back from work - especially as he isn't working at the moment so he has all day to do them! It's my time of the month so my temper is on a short fuse at the moment ..... I've also asked him to clean the oven, which didn't go down well. But I'm not cleaning it - he has to learn that if he wants to cook meat in the oven, it gets lined with grease and needs cleaning.

I sometimes wonder why I do this supported lodgings thing!!! :rotfl:I must be completely round the twist.

Oh well. Time to hoover and then saddle up the bike and get pedalling. I have that awful achey tummy and top of the legs thing that you get at the start of your period so need to set off a bit earlier so I can take my time. Once I get going the exercise endorphins will ease the pain. I love endorphins!!! Can we get them on the NHS?:rotfl:

gardenia101

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Morning campers, hope everyone as is poorly is feeling better today. I think you are right on the bread Byatt and I also remember soap being hard to come by, but that wasn't a problem because the power cuts meant you had no hot water anyway! Changing subject entirely, when my girls were small we used to have 'Giants Picnics' which comprised only things you cound eat in one bite. I made tiny cakes in sweetie cases, coctail sausages, tiny sandwiches - normal slices quartered and then quartered again,little gem biscuitsand baby cheese biscuits, such fun - I'd forgotten about it until reading some of these posts. Childhood revisited, thanks folks!

What a lovely idea. Sure my 2 aren't too old for this so will do it on the weekend instead of pizza. Thanks.

ginnyknit

Gardenia, DGS sends a kiss, he uses them as bribes especially when he wants to watch Pingu ( all the time).

Smileyt Oh the perils of having young people living with you. Dd's Oh burned all round the front ring on my cooker with his cheffyness. He is a good cook but leaves the cleaning up. they moved out ages ago and its still not scrubbed clean yet :mad:

Mrs Lurcherwalker, I ran a dolls house club at the charity shop ( as we sold them) and I did a miniature tea party, the sandwiches were made with those tiny hovis loaves and tasted better than full size ones.

Off to try plan B in fixing Dd's washing machine, turn it over, undo the outlet pipe and see if its blocked. Last time I tried that with ours I found OH's wedding ring and £2.50 in change acting as a stopper, removed them and Bobs your aunty it worked fine.:T

kidcat

Well have made another decision today - that is I cannot control disasters, all I can control is the way I handle them, so am trying to stay calm and not get angry. This mornings disaster was the car!! A few days back OH said it needed water and added water, but as it was only recently I had filled the water thingy up I guessed there was something wrong, told OH to check all over and contact mechanic to give once over too. Roll on to today, walk onto drive pool of water under car and a steady trickle of water from engine!!

Normally i would have gone berserk (OH at work first day of four day shift) as he has once again left it to me to deal with, and of course by waiting till its a big problem it will take longer and cost more. But instead chose to laugh it off, filled water thingy up, filled up bottle of water tp carry in car and took kids to school, cancelled DS appointment (was 8 miles away and very busy queueing traffic at that hour), called dad to explain I would need help with pick ups. Dropped DD at college (only 6 minutes late) and drove to mechanic.

car is now sat with mechanic and no guarantees he can do today, DS13 is still here (as he had appointment wasnt ready for school) but my dad is taking him in after lunch. Was planning shopping but can roll with it.

Got home to discover a letter had arrived telling us that Ds13 will be getting his formal diagnosis too :j(they were talking that they may not bother due to them being overstretched) which is such a relief, only downside is that there is a wait of six months but it means he will start school in SEpt with a full diagnosis and hopefully all the extras he needs finally in place

All Christmas stuff is packed into loft and lots of the painting completed too.

Byatt

Another one feeling somewhat blah. I am bathing myself in white light from the SAD lamp and hope it will be enogh to pick me up. I was very productive yesterday too.

I so want to find reduced double cream, but like many of you, none to be found now I have a use for it! I want to see this miracle of it turning into butter.

Mardartha how are you today?

MrsLurchewalker, my mother was another one who contributed to the sugar shortage! I think it goes back to the war, she always had masses of sugar despite not using it for her tea. :rotfl:

Gardenia, thanks for that :rotfl::rotfl:I was worried it was something more ominous.

Kidcat, I know you are right about saying it's changing how you respond rather than reacting. I need that written down and put on my forehead. So glad about the news for your son and his diagnosis. I know many people asked me why I wanted to "label" my DD and I had said without a label you don't get the support.

Possession

Kidcat - I think you dealt with the car problems really well even though you must have been seething! and glad to hear about your son getting a diagnosis, it will make things so much easier with school.
SmileyT - your post made me remember being at university. One of my housemate's brothers was/is a chef (has been on TV but won't mention names!) and occasionally he used to come down and stay. He cooked lovely meals but he wanted the kitchen vacated for hours and he used every single pan/baking tray/crockery/cutlery available (and some he brought with him) and left it for us to wash up. He was only about 19 at the time but had already worked at The Savoy for a couple of years and the chefs obviously don't do the clearing up!
Mrs Lurcherwalker - the giants' teaparties sound lovely, must do that with my two I'm sure they'd get a kick out of it. Also DD is having a teddy bear birthday party at home in 6 weeks or so and this would be a perfect teddy bear teaparty too so the teddies can have some food. The girls will have to have homemade pizza I'm afraid as I have about 3 huge catering sacks of pizza base mix in my garage.

shandyclover

Since I check in here everyday I decided to come out of 'lurkdom' and introduce myself.

43 yo mother of 4 DD's, age 21-15. Have lived a long time abroad. Returned to UK in Oct. Hubby and I worked for many years in community deveopment and youth work. Organisation we worked for has now been disbanded. We both have alot of experience but not many UK recognised quaifications, so presently trying to find our way into the jobs market at what appears to be the worst possible time. Oldest DD is in Colombia doing 6 mos volunteer work, all the others we are trying to work out their entry into college and school (thanks Saratoga for the reassurance what we were asking for is not impossible or unheard of!), while hubby is exploring setting up his own business, I'm considering retraining to broaden my job prospects - just alot of questions right now with not many answers. Still on the up side I opportunities that many others don't, must dwell on that.

About the butter making if you get tired shaking it, in India I saw kids fill a jam jar with cream, fasten on a good sturdy lid and roll it back and forth to each other across the floor, hey presto - butter! I was also told that all the cacium and protein goes into the buttermilk, not sure if that is true but because of it I always froze it to use in curry, pancakes or muffins.

EstherH

KIMSMUM: So sorry about your friend. That happened to me too recently. Its very sad.

Hugs to all who need them today.

The suns shining here for a change. Think i will go out for a bit. I have some shopping to do.

Do any of you ladies using evoo, still exfoliate and do you use natural products for that?

Started using it a couple of weeks ago and at first my skin was lovely and soft but it now feels really rough. I seem to remember something about using porridge oats for exfoliation, or sea salt but don't have any of that, only table salt. I don't use the castor oil only the evoo. Esther x

P.S. Hi Shandyclover. We had cross posted.

EstherH

I think it could be true Shandyclover. I don't remember much from my time at school 30 odd years ago. But I do remember doing an experiment to test foods for protein and being very surprised that butter didn't contain any. So, as it must have had some in the cream in the first place, that would make sense. I don't remember whether an explanation was given at school or much else about the lesson. Who would have thought it would come in useful all these years later.

Esther x

Emptynester

Thank you for all the comments on the zip replacement. I must learn to do multi quotes but at the moment I am soo tired I don't want to try (I suspect it is Januaryitis).
I am not sure if the zip I bought is a trouser zip I just measured the old one and looked for a new zip of that length and colour. Oh dear we'll have to wait and see.
If I salavage (over the years) black, brown, grey, blue, neutral I hope that will suffice. How many different lengths do trousers zips come in?
I did use a sewing machine as my mum gave me her old one about 20 years ago and although I don't use it that often it has been one of the most useful gifts I have ever had.
Off to walk DD's dog. We both need the exercise and I hope the fresh air and daylight might perk me up. I did work this morning but only for 3 hours, I shouldn't feel like this.