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

kidcat

Well done Mrs Chip - as for using removals I would definitely go that way if I could possibly manage it. And well thats just typical husbands isnt it!!

have been very organised and now have presents all wrapped, have bagged them and put into loft away from prying eyes. have a friend coming later this evening, she used to be very close but since having an accident and going to stay with some other friends she has changed and we very rarely see/hear from her. It makes me sad as I have only a couple of people in real world who I consider close and to lose one is hard, but nowadays she only makes an appearance when she needs something, and I really find that hard to deal with.
Just wondering what todays need is - she is having issues with the people she has been staying with - she stayed on after recovering as she sold her house and had nowhere to go, no amount of warnings about finding somewhere to go before selling could make her see the nonsense in it. The people she is involved with are very intense and rather controlling, kept trying to stop me contacting her - wouldnt tell me where in hospital she was etc. In some ways they are exactly like her ex husband - and obviously its a "type" she goes for. Either way I cant say I have any enthusiasm for her visit - but I will try.

Mardatha - how are you getting on with your shake thingys?

[Deleted User]

Hello KATIEOWL - I likes ver sounds of yur goggies - vey sounds nice an wud be fun to play wiv I fink. Is nice of yew to say I has a voice, Mumi uses mine sumtimes wen I let her cos she finks it makeses peple larff an is sumtimes gud to do vis spechly wen vey is sadd or poorly. We hopes it dusnt upsets enywun cos is ony ment in funnn! Hopin my frend BRUNO is feelin veri fine an havin fun wiv his Mumi - yur frend Docky xx

meme30

Cheapskate wrote: »

Afternoon all - can I join in with you?

Not had very much time or energy for anything online for a few months - GC/most things OS gone completely pear-shaped, too! - all sorts of stuff carp around here, grown-up DS/DD with all sorts of problems, low morale at work, feel so tired/depressed all the time.

Our budget's going to have to tighten again - gas/electric going up in March, council tax/water always up, too, TC will be going down a bit as I told them our estimated income will be more - it's never-ending!

Not read through whole thread, but I feel for all of you going through worse than us - thinking of you all!

Hope you don't mind me popping in - will try to come more often as I need to get back on the MSE/OS bandwagon again!

A xo

Welcome, add your voice/thoughts/grumbles and general chit chat. we are all struggling/decrepit/and a thoroughly nice bunch!
Love the sentiment in your signature!
mardy:- hope your feeling better soon.
Grandma:- Sounds like it's been an awful shock, hope you and your daughter are ok.
Catbells:- you are so much braver than me!
Pah:- well done on getting the fruit trees in, you must have found where your 'get up and go' was hiding!:rotfl:
Pic:- your DH's boss's photo needs darts throwing at it. ( my way of coping!) It's illegal to behave in this way to employees and she is leaving the company wide open to being sued under a harassment suit! People like her make me so angry! :mad:

elizabunny

Hi everyone! (((Hugs))) to all those who needs them for whatever reason.

What is it with these 'bugs' going around? I cannot seem to feel right in myself. Just one thing after another. I am currently sipping some homemade cough/cold remedy made with Elderberries and Cloves.

It's so mild here this week and I can't wait to get going outside, but just feel I haven't got the energy at the moment.

We need more sunshine and of course rain for the gardens (but only at night) Think we will have some sort of water ban here this year so I am going to get a few more water barrels. We have three already, but I fear this will just not be enough.

I am still trying to get my head around the Second Purse Challange. I think I have it but often get pretty muddled with all the figures and stockpile. Still it seems to be working.

Hope everyone can feel much better soon!

GreyQueen

Good evening campers, and how I am beaming from ear to ear at the luxury of playing around on the interweb at broadband speed after a decade on dial-up and at any old time of the day and night I so choose..............wheeeeeeeeeeee!

Yesterday I decided not to go online at all as it was such a glorious sunny warm day that I thought it would be criminal not to spend it on my allotment. So I did. And I indulged my intermittant love of pyromania and had a cracking good fire and burned up some rubbishy rotten pallets and some couch grass. Thought I'd pick the nails out of the ashes late this afternoon, banged a rake thru the fire (extiguished for 24 hours) and found it still too hot to pick up the nails.

I was having a serious wibble about the world ending in Nov 2013, not because of any Mayan calendar or any such, but because I couldn't see any Fray Bentos tinned pies with a use-by date later than Nov 2013. Honestly, everywhere I saw them, I checked, and it was always the same date. I started wondering what the FB people knew that the rest of the world didn't............should I take my savings out from under the mattress and spend them on cheap wine and slow horses whilst the going was still good.............? Can't tell you how relieved I was to eventually see pies in Lidl with Feb 2014 dates.

FB-pieconomics, a mettafur (Discworld in-joke) for the modern age. You read it here first..........;)

Grandma247 ((hugs)) in what you are going thru with your daughter's friend.

Reading this thread really makes me appreciate how varied are the ways we are managing to live our lives and cope with the sublime, the ridiculous, the pain and the occasional moments of utter wonderfulness.

Catbells, you go, gal. A few years ago, I went back-packing and kept bumping into this wonderful old lady in the youth hostels on the far side of the planet. She was 80 and was blithely bowling around the world on public transport with a little wheelie suitcase and a big smile..........She impressed the hell out of me, let me tell you. I also met a retired gent on the same trip, ex-schoolteacher, who'd rented out his house in England and was on his 6th round-world trip. He planned to make it 10 before he settled down to being officially old. He'd just come from Bali to New Zealand to spend Crimble with some rellies then was off on his travels again. One travel writer observed that it is actually easier to do solo travel as an older woman as you aren't seen as a threat or a target by anyone and can bobble around doing whatever you like.

I sometimes travel with friends and sometimes travel solo and the good thing about solo-ing is that you're obliged to mix and you meet such fascinating people. And I've often seen grumpy couples and thought that as She follows He thru the sights, Her view is mostly of the scenery visible around the back of His head. How nice to be able to amble along at your own pace doing your own thing..........you have a brilliant time and I envy you Japan, as it's on my List of things to Do Before I Die.........

This year I'm not going away but might take a day trip to the seaside. Get some of the gang together and do a whole cheesy retro-ironical seaside experience. Y'know, the windbreaks, sandcastles, fish-n-chip-n-candyfloss crazy golf thing. I adore crazy-golf and totally fail to understand why anyone would want to play the proper kind when you can go crazeeee. I mean, you should be able to hit golf balls thru miniature windmills and spin them in and out of tunnels.

Last time I was crazy-golfing I was soundly beaten by a friend-of-a-friend who was a DEMON. Honestly, we weren't sure that they'd let him back onto this particular crazy-golferama as the previous visit involved him hitting a ball all the way off the site, across 2 lanes of traffic on the prom and into an amusement arcade. Fortunately, we were a big group and they didn't seem to recognise them and we kept the balls in play.......and ocasionally in-pond, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Right, my lovelies, going off the wander elsewhere in the interweb.........at warp speed. I might even watch something with moving pictures.......:rotfl:

Exits, stage left, beaming happily at her router like a proud parent with a gifted child..........

VJsmum

GreyQueen wrote: »

Good evening campers, and how I am beaming from ear to ear at the luxury of playing around on the interweb at broadband speed after a decade on dial-up and at any old time of the day and night I so choose..............wheeeeeeeeeeee!

......

Right, my lovelies, going off the wander elsewhere in the interweb.........at warp speed. I might even watch something with moving pictures.......:rotfl:

Exits, stage left, beaming happily at her router like a proud parent with a gifted child..........

Hmm, tis all very well, but I seem to remember - only a few pages back - you saying that your high speed "fit an elephant into the pipe" whizzy, bangs and whistles internet wasn't going to mean that you spent all time of the day and night surfing! See - irresistable ain't it! :rotfl: You will soon be reminiscing about the "wheeeooooo" dial up connection noise.

DD's sixth form interview went well, thank goodness. It was her no. 1 choice of school and she hadn't even visited it - but she is more determined than ever so let's hope they offer her a place.

I was going to do so much this evening (some marking and making a cloak for DD's dress up day), but seem to be unbelievably tired. I did make lemon drizzle cake though which OH says is delish I did watch a bit of superscrimpers but didn't think it could tell me anything I hadn't learned from here.

Ah well, tomorrow is another day

Bobbykins

aaah, GQ, you've brought back a few memories! we did the retro seaside thing 3 years ago - took the grandkids on a bucket and spade holiday. What fun:eek::eek:

Rediscovered the joys of sand in every orifice imaginable and the wondrous crunchy texture of cheese and sand sandwiches.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:.

I also finally realised that it is impossible to remain looking glamourous and relaxed with a windbreak slapping you around the head every few seconds in a force 8 onshore "breeze" and gave in to my inner "frazzled grandma" look!

Today has been a GOOD day. Have been a bit low the last couple of weeks - not really bad, just couldn't get any get up and go. Reading of the trials and tribulations of the folks on here and the way everyone is just keeping on going through it all, gave me a much needed boot up the derriere and a quick count of my blessings session.

This resulted in a productive day which involved a real good clean up in our bedroom, even dusted the tops of the wardrobes :eek::eek::eek:. Then had a bit of "me" time and took myself off for a swim, came home and read some of my book, did a bit of DIY-ing with the polyfiller (they call me the demon [STRIKE]killer[/STRIKE] filler-queen you know:D) and spent a relaxed evening doing a bit of sewing.

So thanks for the motivation boost everyone. Keep your chins up ladies (and gents?) you are all stars.

Catbells

prepareathome Great that you have stopped smoking. I am envious. I have 20 a week still - shameful, and I dont do it in public which adds to the shame. Its hidden and secret which makes it worse in a way as no one I know smokes. Its a replacement for company in the evenings I think but I dont know how to get rid of the 2/3 a day completely.

GreyQueen You sound like a kid with a new router... I mean toy:) Enjoy it. Very heartening and truly encouraging hearing your recollections of older folks on the trail around the world. I am more than a bit scared of it all but heck, the ticket is booked, the accomodation is booked and I'm bu$$ered if I am going to lose that money on account of being nervous. Seeing my son will be lovely though. As long as I've got clean underwear, a passport and a few quid I'll be ok. Repeat that last line 10 times a hour.
I liked your idea of going to the seaside in the Summer too. Wonder what the weather forecast for this summer. I love the seaside.
Another friend branded me as 'brave' tonight. She has been married for 30 years and bosses her OH around something rotten. He;s about 6.2" tall and she is 5.0" tall and she wears the pants. I wouldn't have the energy to boss someone around so its quite nice doing just what I want when I want.
Bobbykins You have inspired me to clean the tops of my wardrobes too when I get back from my trip. Thanks. I usually feel like pulling the house down and rebuilding it when I return from a holiday as you seem to re-energise from the break.
Its an inspiring place to come, this is. Thanks for all your thoughts and hearing about your lives. They are a tonic any time of day. We all have our trials and tribulations but knowing that others do too somehow helps to deal with life.

Welcome to Cheapskate and Keep sharing. x

meanmarie

Catbells....enjoy yourself on your trip....would love to go back to Japan which we visited in 1997 when DS1 worked there, unlikely to happen now though....its been a battle to convince OH to go to Australia this July and he will grump for Ireland while there....am hoping that DD3 who lives in Perth will keep him a little under her thumb!

Hugs to all who could do with one for whatever reason

Marie

prepareathome

Catbells have a wonderful trip, you will be fine, you will find yourself capable of doing things on your trip you would never feel you could do at home, looking forward to lots of photos. As to the smoking, pick up an e-cig at the Mr T ( only place I know that sells them over the counter), its a disposable and might just help you over come those last few. They say they are equal to 25 real ones but in reality 15 - 20 and costs £6.95, in the pharmacy ( mine has them right at the front of the counter. Can't use them on the plane but people say most airports are ok with them for any last minute nerves. Not sure if you can buy them in Japan, some countries have banned them ( you can take them in but cannot buy them there, or you can order online from abroad) and some places sell them in a lot of shops. I just use mine now when craving hits bad and stops me wanting real ones, and slowly am cutting down on using that, the aim being to stop it as well but its a way of reducing the nicotine without the withdrawal and for me feeds the whole smoking thing - hands, mouth etc that none of the NRT things did. My GP was very surprised and pleased when I told her today, and asked me all about them and is 100% behind me, said she was rather I was on them than the real things. She had read a bit but not much. Oh yes someone mentioned on another forum that they had seen some in Esso garages as well again disposable and equal to the same as other one.

You go and have a great adventure. Only time I toddled around on my own was 7 1/2 years ago when I went on holiday with daughter and granddaughter then 4 as daughter just wanted to spend every day at hotel pool and I wanted to explore so every other day I went off on coach trips on my own and soon got chatting to others and had a great time and saw places I wouldn't have if I had not thought I could do it on my own.

Have a great time xxx