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

maryb

I'm rather more well endowed so plenty to squash. One tip - take a good deep breath just before they tighten up the plates. You can't really breathe anyway once they have you in the vice and the less you move the better

prepareathome

Byatt I just realised I never said how glad I am that your home and you were not affected by the fire, how scary. Hopefully your neighbour will have been giving a lecture on being so stupid by firemen.

Ginny I hope you knee is not to bad, 'a good deed never goes unpunished' does seem to ring so true very often I am so sorry it happened to you

Hugs to all who need them

BitterAndTwisted

smileyt wrote: »

It doesn't matter how early in the evening I phone, she is always drunk. I know I sound judgemental and I don't mean to be, but it is so frustrating watching a friend go down the pan. One night I am sure I will end up going round there and pouring all the bottles of wine down the sink. She won't thank me for it but it might drive the message home. So I am going to send the birthday card so she knows I'm still there, although I've stopped phoning her recently because each call lasts nearly an hour during which she rambles on drunkenly about whatever comes into her head and I find it really difficult to cope with.

I fear that trying to drive the message home will have no effect whatsoever. The driving must come from the drinker and their realisation that they are destroying their own life and the lives of those around them.

I have a friend who succeeded in alienating his lovely wife and his adult and teenage children with his drunkenness and consequent sudden violence. His career started going down the pan. We, his friends, started distancing ourselves from him until we cut off contact altogether because his behaviour was so unacceptable and embarrassing. His wife made him leave and then divorced him.

He had his own "lightbulb-moment" a long time later when he finally came to the realisation that his life was scuppered and so would his health be if he didn't accept and acknowledge what he was doing to himself and needed stop doing it.

He has been drink-free for two years now and we've all finally got back the lovely man we knew. He's been with a wonderful woman who stood aside and watched all this happening since his wife got shot of him. She's now got the man back that she hoped he would return to be, the man she knew was there all along but for the drink. It was a very long and hard road and he didn't do it alone. And didn't go through the programme only once but three times.

ginnyknit

I had my first mammogram a couple of years ago and it was uncomfortable but not painful and lets face it its worth the discomfort. And Smileyt they can lower the machinery hunny to fit your littleness, you may only be wee but theres an awful lot of kindness packed in

Kidcat, everyone needs to release their stress and if crying works its much better than other options.

Finally discovered why Oh was so poorly, his morphine patches had fallen off somehow over the last couple of days and as he was wrapped up in lots of layers due to being cold he didnt notice. Of course I could have told him if he had had a bloomin bath on Monday as usual (no not just monday, everyday) we would have noticed. he came down after his bath last night having a eureeka moment 'Look whats missing!' I was baffled, looking at a man stood in his undies, thinking he had gone mad. He meant the patches of course. Think things may settle down now :T

gardenia101

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

And I used to not eat breakfast because I found if I did I was hungry mid morning, if I went without I was fine until lunchtime!

I've always thought this, but was told by others that I was being silly, what with breakfast being the most important meal of the day... I might go back to just having tea before the school run & a cooked breakfast when I get back. Kids don't really like cooked breakfast, except for scrambled eggs for DS, so I don't feel I'm depriving them too much Have just bought some (hopefully) yummy sausages from Waitr*se to try.

Lizzyb - thanks - I've seen the odd post from Fuddle on the OS weight loss thread - but I don't hang out there too much as my attempts at weight loss are just making me put on even more & I'm sooo frustrated. Hope she is doing OK. Maybe this LC diet will help me, as so far not drinking alcohol, cutting down on snacks & regular'ish walking are just making my trousers even tighter :mad:

Byatt wrote: »

Actually, was just sitting here and thinking what it would have been like if it had been worse. If it happened at night or when no-one would have noticed (the person put hot ash into a plastic land fill bin resting against the party wall :eek::eek:)...just doesn't bear thinking about really but realised I did not have details of my insurance policy other than in the house, plus other important information that I don't have elsewhere. Realise I need to give copies of documentation to my DD or niece. It really makes you think.

How :wall: are some people? Hot ash in a bag....

I have scanned copies of all my important documents onto thumbsticks & kept one at a friends & the other locked into a safe at work. My originals are all kept in a metal box which may withstand a fire... I keep meaning to do this with 'photos too.

VJsmum - hope all is well with your Dad (& with you).

SDG - you are certainly allowed a proud mum moment

kidcat wrote: »

Having a weepy day here, no particular reason...

My tears tend to come out quite a while after "the event" - & you have had quite an ordeal recently so let them flow as you'll probably feel a little better for it (even if you do end up with a face that looks like salami, as I do :rotfl:)

if there is now going to a zero tolerance for sending kids out at home time, on time. Currently DD is consistently at least ten minutes after the end time before teacher lets them out and all the parents are upset over it)

Are you at my school? Always late out, without fail, unless I'm running late - then they are annoyingly punctual

Will be ready for next week off by Friday!!

Me too & I don't even go to school!

Less obstinate dog taken for a walk today - she was so cold & eager to get home she managed a fair pace. Her lovely owner worries that I don't eat enough if I haven't got my kids to cook for that day - not sure why she's worried as I so obviously don't need feeding up!

So cold here I have heating on in the day :eek: which is unheard if I'm on my own. Hope everyone is keeping warm & well.

Meme30 - I can't imagine wanting to be in a caravan, fleeces or not, until May at least. Too many freezing nights as a child...

Byatt

gardenia101 wrote: »

How :wall: are some people? Hot ash in a bag....

I have scanned copies of all my important documents onto thumbsticks & kept one at a friends & the other locked into a safe at work. My originals are all kept in a metal box which may withstand a fire... I keep meaning to do this with 'photos too.

That's an excellent idea, I have loads of thumbsticks but didn't think of it. Thank you!

Love the smiley. I can't even talk to the neighbour right now I'm so upset. I was of course upset for her at first but then when I found out the reason...well...

Is half term early this year?

Just had BT on the phone; have they moved their call centre to America? I was being called Ma'am, and told to have a nice evening!

Rosanna79

Great! More of that awful white stuff this weekend but at least it hasn't blighted Christmas, being later in the season this time, December 2010 I found myself unaccountably depressed, so set up loads of things to do /events to keep me busy. - about 16 things in all and all but one had to be cancelled. Anyway Yaktrax couldn't be bought off or online at the time as all sold out. Still can't believe that out everyday as I was I didn't fall. So last summer found a set of Yaktrax half price in town much to OH's amusement.

Bearing in mind I'd been advised one couldn't use them on surfaces other than packed ice or snow, I didn't use them today when I went out to bus stop. Since December 2010 NOTHING will induce me to drive or be a passenger in a car when there's packed ice - literally lost my nerve to drive in these conditions- Anyway at my embroidery class another woman was wearing them and advised me to put 'em on. I'd been walking in the road this morning as the patchy pavements were treacherous. I took my classmates advice and found they're brilliant. So what if they get a worn on the patches of dry pavement between the ice I'll get another set this summer... (I'm congenitally incapable of staying upright where there's ice)!

Being the glad owner of a Garmin sports watch I simply set it to measure the distance I walk locally, between locations etc. Amazing how much mileage I can clock up. My mates will have to make do with local walking tuntil this snow / ice clears. As beautiful as it looks at our local stately home the loos are probably frozen up again and the cold does not make for an iron clad bladder!!

Have found reading everyone's take on breakfast/ eating / diets etc etc very interesting. One really has to do what works best for oneself.

My friend's husband lost 6 stone plus on that medically supervised very low calorie diet. He ended up looking gaunt but has kept off the weight. Our other friend's husband, an insulin dependant diabetic got hold of this diet and WITHOUT medical support embarked on it. He's the kind of chap who can't be told. Interestingly his blood sugar levels vastly improved.... amazing!

Can I ask those who have school age children and school lunchbox healthy eating policies, how does it work?

OH and I noticed this story line on Corrie and it set us thinking. Do the teaching staff check your children's lunchboxes? If so and if the box contains anything not on the approved healthy eating list, is it confiscated? If so isn't this illegal, being theft? What happens if a child will NOT eat 'healthy' foods? Are they forced to starve all day? What happens about their ability to concentrate on lessons if spending the entire schoolday without food or drink?

What about kids , like my friend's grandson who wouldn't eat anthing from a plate unless all components of the meal were completely separated? Dinnerladies insisted on putting beans etc on top of his potato so he simply refused the whole meal and got home absolutely starving.

I spent 15 years working as a school nurse in north / east London but have no recollection of this kind of regimentation. Encouragement was used but apart from one headteacher who insisted the children had to have fruit instead of chocolate at their Christmas party one year , nowt else happened - that H/teacher was regarded at the time as something of an oddity....

It does seem like schools think they have far more power over families these days and from where I'm observing it seems to be something of a one way street in their favour?

scrabbles_2

Rosanna79 wrote: »

Can I ask those who have school age children and school lunchbox healthy eating policies, how does it work?

OH and I noticed this story line on Corrie and it set us thinking. Do the teaching staff check your children's lunchboxes? If so and if the box contains anything not on the approved healthy eating list, is it confiscated? If so isn't this illegal, being theft? What happens if a child will NOT eat 'healthy' foods? Are they forced to starve all day? What happens about their ability to concentrate on lessons if spending the entire schoolday without food or drink?

What about kids , like my friend's grandson who wouldn't eat anthing from a plate unless all components of the meal were completely separated? Dinnerladies insisted on putting beans etc on top of his potato so he simply refused the whole meal and got home absolutely starving.

I spent 15 years working as a school nurse in north / east London but have no recollection of this kind of regimentation. Encouragement was used but apart from one headteacher who insisted the children had to have fruit instead of chocolate at their Christmas party one year , nowt else happened - that H/teacher was regarded at the time as something of an oddity....

It does seem like schools think they have far more power over families these days and from where I'm observing it seems to be something of a one way street in their favour?

I don't know about nowadays, but my primary school were VERY strict regards healthy eating. No crisps, cakes, sweets, biscuits or pop were allowed, apart from on your birthday you were allowed to bring in birthday cake or sweets to share with your class just before hometime If you had school lunch there was a good variety of tasty, healthy-ish foods (chips served regularly but not every day; dessert usually fruit or yoghurt and flapjack). I don't recall there ever being any problems or friction surrounding their policies. I don't even know if it was just our school or unusual at the time. It was just the way it was. It makes me sad that things seem to have changed so much. We took it for granted.

Hobsons_Choice

Grandma247: When will these people enter the real world do you think?
Kidcat: Aaah, we all have weepy days babe. Sometimes things just get too much. Stick a DVD on and stick a finger up at the world!!!
Byatt: Can't believe anyone would be so stupid....erm....oh yes, can think of a couple that I know!
In our (relatively small) market town, we have most of the superstores: Messrs T, S and M. Plus Aldi, M&S and a small Asda (but a large one planned for next year). So how come, whichever one we visit, on whichever day, it's blimmin' packed! Have to park the car about three minutes walk away on the carpark and dodge trollies laden with enough food to withstand a siege!
I think I'll have to start shopping late at night, I keep getting supermarket rage:mad:.

SDG31000

Thank you all for the lovely comments regarding DS1. It was very kind of you We were lucky that DPIL inherited some money for their "rainy day fund" and decided, after seeing Dyslexia Action's reports on DS1, that is was bloody pouring and nothing was more important than DS1's education. Thank goodness as no way would we have been able to find the £7-8000 we spent.

(((((((((Kidcat)))))))))))) Have a good sob if you need to, it will do you good.

Byatt I'm glad you are ok and hope that your silly neighbour has learnt their lesson

Mrs Chip I had what might be a silly thought earlier, but thought I would pass it on. Have you thought about catering weddings? I know that my DM's neighbours paid a fortune for a hog roast at their daughter's wedding and that the call for more unusual options for feeding wedding guests is increasing. You could give your details to any wedding planners in the area and any venues that don't offer their own catering. Or maybe look into any local wedding fairs. I personally would have loved a chip van to do the catering at our wedding. Ours was mostly catered by the local WI. Sometimes it's very useful to have a DMIL who knows everyone in the village and has helped most of them at some point.

I managed to get DH out of bed and got some Yaktraks in the city centre. I had to pay £15 for them as it was the only pair of small ones I could find. I went and had a trial walk in them earlier and they really do work DH also brought me my Valentine's Day present......a new microplane grater. I did also get a bacon sandwich which made me very happy
Rosanna79 the pavement conditions are the same here. We have stretches that are ice free and then you get a patch that is like an ice rink. I think I might be hopping on one foot a lot while I try to fit the Yaktraks. I spoke to my DM earlier and she is 55 miles west of me. Her weather forecast this morning said to expect double the amount they got last weekend, so up to 8 inches of snow.

Dinner is bubbling away on the hob minus the pearl barley. I could have sworn I had some in the cupboard but it has vanished like a lot of things seem to in this house. Here's hoping that DS1 will at least try it. If we get snowed in then he is going to have to like it or lump it when it comes to eating up what is in the house. I see lots of pancakes getting eaten as comfort food. I must remember to buy eggs tomorrow and more toilet paper as we are down to 2 rolls left.
I had better go and get knitting as I will need to post the scarf tomorrow.
Stay warm and safe everyone xxx