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

scrabbles_2

GFN123 wrote: »

What occurred to me is that she is always shopping around for good deals at a variety of shops, and our local greengrocer delivers her a veg box each week, as well as sourcing her the 'over ripe' fruit at cheap prices for her jams etc. It could potentially be very economical for us to shop jointly. She has more time to hunt round, and does so anyway, and knows where to get the best deals. In return I could always shop for other or heavier goods in my car as she doesn't have one. We have mentioned getting together to make lists and see what can be shared, but having thought it through this afternoon I'm thinking the idea really does have legs - and I'm quite excited :j

We used to kind of do this with an old next-door neighbour. It started with us fetching bread and milk in bad weather, and she mentioned that the other supermarket, despite being 'dearer', was cheaper for basics. This was when we first set up house, I was seventeen, new to housekeeping, and daft as a brush. We always fetched her a shopping list of things back from the 'big' supermarket when we went, and she would offer to pick things up that were cheaper from the cash-and-carry 10 miles away when her daughter took her. If we happened to pick up a cheap glut we shared with her, and she with us. I'd bring her back bargains from my job at Woolies. She taught me all the obvious basic stuff that I was never taught by my mother. She became a bit of a mother figure to me herself.

When I was nineteen we left our little town and moved to the city so I could go to university. I missed her a lot. In a funny way I also missed there being a finite number of places to shop! I used to get so muddled because we had all the supermarkets, independent grocers, ethnic stores, corner shops... I had been used to two supermarkets, one 'big' and out of town, and that was pretty much it. Even today that town has an astonishing lack of independent businesses like butchers or greengrocers. It doesn't really even have many corner shops.

the_cake

Effective Put-Downs for Opportunistic Gropers ....
A friend of mine was travelling on the London Underground, some years ago. It was the rush hour, and people were crammed together like sardines. To her horror, she felt someone's hand creeping up her thigh. Without making eye contact or acknowledging it in any way, she swooped on the intruding hand, gripped it firmly round the wrist and raised it in the air, at the same time stating loudly and clearly to all around "Whose is this? I found it up my skirt!"
Cue exit by red-faced man at the next stop.....

D&DD

GFN your neighbour sounds lovely and well done to your OH for all that hard work baking!

We've had a luvverly snow day out with the kids and dog this a.m then cleared the drive and path,had a snowball fight with the neighbours lol saw a gritter whoop and came home to do some baking

There's another 'splodge' on the weather map heading for us so I can't make a decision on wether to send the kids in tomorrow or not yet..
Youngest is beside himself about getting trapped at school (last year the escorts were trapped for 8 hours in the snow getting the kids home poor things I hadn't sent him as I saw the forecast!)

DS2 has to watch his rods/scaffolding and he's only got study lessons which he can do remotely if need be so we'll see.

Had his appointment through to see the heart surgeon in March so we'll find out then when his op will be..plenty of time for me to start panic mode He's not remotely fazed thankfully!

Made some bread which has been gobbled up already (1 slice left and a knobby)jam tarts,mince pies and we had a roast beef dinner for a change.

I'm fancying a nice stew with copious amounts of herby dumplings tomorrow

GFN123

Thank you Mrs Chip, that sounds really yummy but don't have stuffing mix! We ended up bashing them out (they were steaks, rather than chops, my mistake) and filling with salt, pepper, oregano and feta, then rolling and wrapping in foil. Roasted them in the oven with potatoes for 30 mins, browned off in pan and made a sauce from the juices with madeira and wholegrain mustard. Yum!

OH's chocolate torte was simply amazing as well. Feel very well fed and plan to get an early night.

scrabbles wrote: »

We used to kind of do this with an old next-door neighbour. It started with us fetching bread and milk in bad weather, and she mentioned that the other supermarket, despite being 'dearer', was cheaper for basics. This was when we first set up house, I was seventeen, new to housekeeping, and daft as a brush. We always fetched her a shopping list of things back from the 'big' supermarket when we went, and she would offer to pick things up that were cheaper from the cash-and-carry 10 miles away when her daughter took her. If we happened to pick up a cheap glut we shared with her, and she with us. I'd bring her back bargains from my job at Woolies. She taught me all the obvious basic stuff that I was never taught by my mother. She became a bit of a mother figure to me herself.

When I was nineteen we left our little town and moved to the city so I could go to university. I missed her a lot. In a funny way I also missed there being a finite number of places to shop! I used to get so muddled because we had all the supermarkets, independent grocers, ethnic stores, corner shops... I had been used to two supermarkets, one 'big' and out of town, and that was pretty much it. Even today that town has an astonishing lack of independent businesses like butchers or greengrocers. It doesn't really even have many corner shops.

That's a lovely story Scrabbles I moved out at 17 and was totally clueless, I used to make stir fries for two that would feed ten and were just a soggy mess!

J upstairs is a bit like the traditional gran I never had. My mum is Japanese so I didn't learn any English cooking or methods at all till my twenties. Baking remains a mystery! I'm so happy to have such a lovely neighbour, especially as I was worried about moving into a flat as you can do nothing about those who live around you and if they're a nightmare your life can be hell. I'm incredibly lucky.

I'm the opposite though about choice as I've always lived in a city and I love all the choice and variety. It's one of the reasons that despite wanting more land and space I think I'd struggle to move. I'm lucky with my current job that despite being full time I have a lot of flexibility, work from home etc, so I have free time to hunt around different shops and I really enjoy it. "If" I got the new job, I'd be much better off, but would be out of the house for at least 10 hours a day if you include commute which wouldn't give me that freedom. It's a difficult debate as money, as we've all said, really isn't the be and end all (or anything at all, really) but there's no doubt it would have a huge and beneficial impact on our lives, and would only be a short term thing anyway.

On that note, I really should get prepared, find something to wear, get my papers and bits together and try to sleep.

Night All

D&DD

Good luck for tomorrow GFN

Lizzy :eek: you killed tupperware :eek: (I have a secret lock'n'lock fetish)


hope the smells gone now it stinks doesn't it *I won't tell you how I know*

lizzyb1812

Calm down dear - it wasn't lock n lock but just an old plastic box with snap sides and a handle, not airtight or anything but just big enough for a few carby bits. It was on the hob because of my need to keep the worktop mostly clear - makes the kitchen look tidier - well on that side anyway :rotfl:I've found a space in a cupboard by rejigging stuff that I don't use much but now need the perfectly sized box to fit it - funny what counts as a need isn't it?

Pup is concerned about lack of evening biccy but no other effects now smell has gone. Hob just scraped clean of melted plastic - thank goodness for ceramic hobs :T

kidcat

Hope everything goes well tomorrow GFN and that your journey is ok in the weather.

scrabbles_2

I'm keeping everything crossed for you GFN

Okay so... what is the etiquette on this please guys? A friend has just been round, she has just moved house and she's getting rid of a lot of stuff. She does tend to offer things to me before she throws them, and I've ebayed stuff for her and freecycled them on her behalf in the past as well. Today she made me a gift of two cushions 'for the cat'.
The thing is, these are really nice cushions! They're fluffy proper feather cushions, one is one of those fluffy-type ones and one is a sort of suede-type finish. They're far nicer than my 99p hollowfibre 'n' old-sheet combos and I'm tempted to use them on the sofa! The cat is welcome to sleep anywhere he pleases in our house, but he has a proper cat bed that is his favourite spot. Do you think it would be okay to just put them on the sofa and 'share' them with the cat? Would you feel funny or offended if you gave someone something you only thought was fit for animals and they used it themselves?

TBH I am quite astonished she thinks there's anything wrong with them at all!

prepareathome

Well hubby ended up having spag bol - its his favourite and he had been in bed all day - full of cold, and he usually doesn't give in to it, but he should have been out in Northampton for a County Match but got a call at 5am just as he was getting up to say it had been called off as most of the players couldn't get there due to snow, he of course said what snow, as we have not had one flake, boo hoo, I have serious snow envy. At least he got the call before he set off on a 3-4 hr journey, once they forgot to call and he drove 5 hours to find the sport centre all shut up and snowed in - he is serious about his bowls and will not let anything get in the way. So he went back to bed and stayed there till 4pm and when I said how about Cod Moray got a not to happy look and was asked if I had made it, said nope and so asked for him favourite, so I just made myself some lamb steaks with veg and gravy. Its boiling here 6C and been raining on and all all night so no chance of snow boo hoo hoo. Hubby has just been up to check the boiler is working for the upteenth time as radiators are stone cold, but only because house is a comfortable 20c and so they do not need to be on, insulation and draught proofing is paying off, but to him if its cold outside then heat should be on, cannot make him understand CH doesn't work like the gas fire does where you put it on and just turn it down if it seems hot, as he would never consider switching it off if it got to hot in LR........I keep assuring him if temp goes below 18c then radiators will heat up.

Stay warm and safe

JIL

Scrabbles, you know the answer to your dilemma, get them cushions on your sofa.