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

thriftwizard

Mrs Chip, re your new oven - if it's the one with a wide oven & a narrow one, I've had one for four years & I love it - very economical. The little oven heats right up in minutes & I can do a meal for 7 in it with a bit of planning & the right dishes/casseroles. The narrow rectangular Pyrex dishes & the smaller oval Le Creusets fit in just right & as it has no fan, you still have heat zones to play with - which I love! I found the pots at the dump & local charity shops so they hardly cost anything.

Elche1, sounds like you are not too far from my in-laws, who've lived in Spain for over 20 years now & are really finding this crunch very hard now. What's the water situation like where you are? Where we go (Murcia, not where the in-laws are - too built-up there now) it's pretty dire - all desalinated, and often off for half the day. Sometimes I fantasize about upping sticks & moving out there too ease my minor arthritic aches & pains, but not having a reliable water supply would terrify me, no matter how much I've come to love Spain.

kidcat

Elche1 - welcome aboard.

Mrs_Chip

Morning!

Glad you are starting to feel better Mard, is your appetite coming back? What rotten news for your DD, that's a lot to find just like that - but I'm sure you can give her lots of OS ideas!

Thanks for the oven info TW, sounds like the little oven might be useful after all! Mind you, I currenty only have a tiny table-top oven, and I can do full roast dinner for four adults in that no problem! And that means I have got a lot of small tins/dishes that will fit the other one .

Thanks for all the walker's stuff suggestions, they have all gone onto a list of things to price up. I will Mr OG to direct me how to make a nice wooden shelf unit to put them in!

kidcat

Am so excited, my new coat has arrived already and its so warm and gorgeous.:j with a faux fur lining my eczema wont kick off and I will actually be warm when I collect kids. Am really impressed with the service too, ordered yesterday at about 1.30pm and its arrived this morning.

kezlou

Glad your feeling mar
Sorry to hear about your daughter, were waiting to hear from HB and CTto see if we qualify for anything. We applied back in November 2011 but we haven't heard anything back yet from them. Apparently its being looked into. Luckily we have tax credits to pay the rent.

welcome Elche1

The cafe sounds like a great idea mrs chip would definitely recommend mini first aid kits and blister packs. We always seem to forget these and vicks nasal spray.

Gailey, your hubby a nightmare. Mines starting to get better now, hardly had any pointless purchases in the past few months. right now i'm having a ponder whether to use some survey paypal money to buy a keyboard for the boys and me or just leave it well alone. Yes naughty i know .

Well the whole enforcing 2 cups of caffeine, so far been on average four. I'm blaming this on the cold weather, needed something hot to warm me up. Darn arthritis has kicked in big style, and the heating goes off when the kids go to school. but i now have a clean oven, in an effort to keep warm i tackled the darn thing.

mardatha

Does anybody else think its the rotten summer and lack of sun that's catching up on all of us and making everybody feel poorly? I can't remember the last warm sunny day I've had. Our summer was cool and grey and spring was freezing. Then all the forecasts of the coldest snowiest winter yet !!! so god knows what summer will bring LOL. Hopefully something round and yellow
I got Complan and like it, pity it costs so much.

kidcat

Mardatha I agree, its been so long since we had a really nice few days, I dont remember even having a summer last year really. When I think of warm sunny days I remember not the last house but the one before that!! So just shows how long since we had a spell of good weather.

kezlou

Yes its been rubbish, went camping for a week in the middle of summer, well it was supposed to be. Ended up wearing fleeces all day and night.

Never know we may get some sun in march / april like last year. if not, fleece anyone?;)

elona

Mrs Chip

When you buy supplies like plasters, brollies etc don't forget Poundland often have camping stuff in and it could be cheaper than buying elsewhere.

Wave hello to elche 1:wave:

Bitter and twisted

If you are a bat at 57 then I hate to think what I am at 60

The house is quiet till dd gets back at 11 ish so made toast and boiled eggs for me and DH, loaded the dishwasher and having a browse on here with a pot of tea before looking busy when she gets back.

Have ordered some cornish blue dishes, mugs and bowls as I was so pleased with the last set and hope they arrive today. DH has got into the habit of groaning "Oh No" whenever a package is delivered!!! Pointed out sweetly that I was not asking him to drive me anywhere to get the stuff and that I got a good price for what I ordered and free postage. I also was not taking a bus to nearest city and coming back exhausted and ill from lugging stuff home. So as time money fuel and effort was being spared then what was the problem?

He looked a bit sheepish but still excliamed the next couple of times stuff arrived until he realised it was for one our of three dds still at home. Poor guy dare not complain now.

Might make cream of mushroom soup tonight as very popular last time and do a stew for DH and me and turn it into small pies using pastry topping.

Hug to all

D&DD

Glad to read you're feeling better Mar I don't think the weather helps at all its been so changeable here don't know how to dress!

Kez my god 2 cups of caffeine :eek: I have that before 8a.m I'm sure theres more coffee in my blood than red bloodcells :rotfl:

Off to walk dog in a mo then coming home to empty *rather belatedly* my xmas potato pots I'm assuming I'm going to find a soggy mess so any potatoes will be a bonus!

Can't wait to get started in the garden here too,I've overwintered some carrots,winter salads,spring onions and mizuno very successfully in the greenhouse this year so chuffed to bits with those and have onions growing well so far..but its not the same as getting out there planting!
Has anyone sown their peppers etc yet *itchy fingers*