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

westcoastscot

We're not planting anything until the end of May. Some years i've planted earlier and then again in May and the May plants always catch up with the earlier ones, so no point really. We have frost until then most years.

Kidcat take really good care - it takes ages to get over pneumonia, and even when you think you're well it takes a lot longer to really get back on your feet.

Times seem to be getting harder and harder here with prices rising stupidly fast. Going to look at our household budget again and see where I can cut back - so wish we had access to cheaper shops more than once a month

WCS

greenbee

westcoastscot wrote: »

Kidcat take really good care - it takes ages to get over pneumonia, and even when you think you're well it takes a lot longer to really get back on your feet.

I'll second that - frustrating as it is, I didn't do myself any favours by carrying on working (I work from home, mostly online, so I kept up with stuff via email etc and didn't take time off, but I'm still way behind) the whole way through, and I probably shouldn't have travelled, as then I wouldn't have picked up more germs (VJsmum wasn't the only person to bring a cold home from Stockholm).

I've been told to rest, keep warm, eat properly (no chance!) and take the antibiotics I've been put back on. I'm not as bad as last time, and realy can't afford to take time off work, so I'm still doing that but nothing else (other than surfing the net).

Just keep resting, and try not to let yourself get too stressed. Hopefully it will be easier when the school holidays are over.

kidcat

Kate - its good that the biopsy revealed anything serious.

Charliesaunt - as far as I was aware the govt plans for housing benefit were that they planned on handing over control to local authorities. Presently the system is universal over the country but they want local authorities to set their own rules and guidelines. From memory they were going to give each authority a reduced budget and expected them to make cuts wherever they saw fit. So your email may be your authorities plan to administer their cuts - either way its pretty grim isnt it. The idea that my kids cannot leave home before age 25 is depressing - whilst I appreciate that if they are working they can pay, what will happen if they lose their job?

Westcoastscot - thank you, I am trying hard to focus.

DS8 is upset I have told him I wont be able to take him to his trampolining group tomorrow - he got really panicky and was crying, so I have told him we will reassess tomorrow - knowing full well I am putting off the battle only.

GreyQueen

annie123 wrote: »

Calendula (pot marigold):
http://www.herbexpert.co.uk/growingcalendula.html
Loved by bees, self seeds if you want to it to (my self seeded are 9" tall so far) or not, so easy to grow and I have no green fly since I've been planting them every year..........and they're edible
Rather than French marigolds that the garden centres sell.

Thanks, hun. I have had self-sown calendula in flower for 12 months of the year, it's fantastic stuff. So joyful to see their big bright orange or bright yellow faces with the bumblebees on them when all else is drear and lank.

I've been to the lottie after w*rk, a flying visit between thundery showers. Weather here is very volatile at the moment, hard to believe it was about 20 degrees not so long ago. The back water butt which got drained down accidentally to spigot-level (1/4 full) had got back to 1/3 full in 2 days but the front one had topped over so I bailed from front to back and now have 1/2 full and 3/4 full and the ongoing rain should equalise them soon. My lottie is absolutely saturated, which is uncommon such free-draining soil. Very different to the acute drought this time last year. And that blasted couch grass is germinating in the seed beds again........but only til the rain stops and then I'll be on it like white on rice.

Re seed sowing times, I heard a good tip from Bob Flowerdew which was to wait until the annual weeds are germinating as this tells you the soil temp is high enough.

oldtractor wrote: »

Hi everyone. Things definitely are getting tougher. I shopped at the co-op today , thye have taken over our local independent supermarket. My goodness ! how expensive they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to have to plan better and travel further to the nearest Aldi. An example is tinned cat food. had been paying 45 to 50p max. less if on offer. the stuff on the shelves today was minimum 71p. And dont get me started on the fresh veg prices.
I'm quite upset.

I have a Co-op not many mins' walk away but whenever I've gone in there I've had forty-fits and walked out empty-handed. It's a shame as I'd like to support their ethos but a girl's gotta eat.

Last Saturday, I was in a Big Mr T with Mum doing her big shop and picking up some bits for me. The fresh greens were shocking and I persuaded her to leave them and we'd nip into the Aldi which we'd pass on the way home anyway.

Lots of stuff we needed was on the Super 6 (carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and cucumber) but even stuff that wasn't like cauli was 79p as opposed to Tesco's £1.79 for the exact same size. I also think the Aldi one was fresher. Bearing in mind that the broccoli crowns were also 39p as opposed to 79p and we bought several and saved a couple of quid just on those.

My parents buy my Nan dark chocolate as a regular little treat and got p'd off at how her favourite Bournville was going up and I suggested to try Aldi's stuff as I'd heard it was very good and she loved it. Reckons it's better than Bournville.

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Things will be getting a lot tougher when the Welfare Reforms really start to bite this time next year - especially for people on low income/on benefit who are going to get hit hard with the "bedroom tax".

Further depressing news - I work for a Social Housing Group and I had a email newsletter today with the headline story being that the government are considering changing the benefit rules further by withdrawing Housing Benefit for all claimants under 25.

Unbelieveable and very, very worrying . . . .

It's getting crazy-bad. By the first week in January I'd spoken to landlords who'd found out their unemployed single under 35 y.o. tenants weren't eligible for the one-bedroom self-contained rate once their LHA renewal came up and were only going to be getting the shared-room rate. The difference between those 2 tariffs is pushing £40 a week here. Can anyone make that up if their only income in JSA/ ESA/ Income Support? Can they heck. Unless you had savings to raid you're scuppered. The landlords were serving notices to quit and the first of those poor souls will have lost their homes by now.............:mad: Every time there's an announcement the news just gets grimmer and grimmer...............

I've often thought that in a modern country the social welfare systems, although often inadequate, are a buffer against civil unrest. The Powers-that-Be might want to give some consideration to the matter before they throw all the toys out of the pram. 'Nuff said.........

Well, I've had one good whoopsie lately - a packet of Mr Kiplings French Fancies for 35p. I've just eaten 6 of the 8 and feel a wee bit queasy, which is no more than I deserve, of course. Am I a cheap date or am I a cheap date?

Have a good 'un and (((((((big hugs))))))))) to everyone.

ETA Ooooh nearly forgot. Great to hear the good news about your OH, katieowl and hello to debbym.

VJsmum

kidcat wrote: »

Would kill for some broccoli

Steady, I know you're ill but.......

Hope you feel better soon

katieowl wrote: »

it's actually CHEAPER than running it through the big washing machine in the laundrette in town. Isn't that disgraceful???

I've just had to have a new washing machine and now have a 7.5 kg one that I reckon will take a double duvet. Do you know anyone with a big machine?

greenbee wrote: »

(VJsmum wasn't the only person to bring a cold home from Stockholm).

Ooh dear - it must have been the very warm here followed by the very cold there. I am just about recovering - still very tired though and am hoping the weekend will sort that out.

Have spent the evening rearranging DS room. He is back from skiing tomorrow and vehemently opposes change. I told him I was going to do it and he has agreed. Hoping that his late arrival tomorrow night means that he won't have the energy to complain.Took me 2 hours and I haven't finished yet.

That was after a phone call from dad. He is still in hospital (nearly 3 months) but has just been moved to a rehabilitation unit. THey have told him he's got 3 weeks to improve otherwise he may have to go into a home. He was very down as he doesn't think he can improve in that time. I am worried he will give up and not even try.

Our boiler is bust - there was water gushing everywhere. Props to the plumber though who came out within an hour and the boiler should be mended on Saturday.

I am looking forward to my day off tomorrow - DD's last day as an "only" child. She has had lots of attention which has set her up for the next few tough months of revision / exams. Then it's the weekend when I hope to get the house straight and make some inroads into the garden, particularly putting some seeds to germinate in the conservatory. Last year they "cooked" as it was so hot, I don't think that will happen this year tho :cool:

kidcat

We have a 9kg load machine and while I can get a summer double duvet in, winter ones just dont fit. I only ever buy cheap duvets from Ikea now for the very reason that its not possible to wash and dry the stupid things reasonably.

VJsmum- tell your dad that he needs to take each day at a time, set himself a daily goal and work towards it, ignore the threats - realistically it can take weeks to organise a residential home place - which extends his time in rehab to a much more reasonable time frame!

Hope all goes well for your DD returning to Uni

VJsmum

Thanks Kidcat - that is really good advice.

(DD not off to uni, she has GCSE's coming up - she is an "only child" this week as DS is skiing! - but thanks anyway )

smileyt_2

Just flying in to give huge hugs to all those who need them - I've been really busy so not had time to post but have been saddened to read of the tough times some of you are going through.

Re naughty dogs - a couple of weeks ago Bruno shredded a quilt on my bed. Last night I foolishly left a bag of interfacing and bias binding on the chair then went to use the bathroom. Came back downstairs to find shredded interfacing and bias binding ...... it's a bl**dy good job I adore him or he'd be up the creek ......

mardatha

Kidcat, if you'd kill for a bit of broccoli - yer not ill hen, yer MAD.

katieowl_2

[QUOTE=VJsmum;5243440
I've just had to have a new washing machine and now have a 7.5 kg one that I reckon will take a double duvet. Do you know anyone with a big machine?

[/QUOTE]

My machine is massive, but this is a king size duvet and a 13.5 tog to boot, it just won't stuff in. I can get the quilty top throws in, but not an actual duvet. :mad:

I've just folded up the spare really thin one we used as an emergency measure (brrrr. chilly night!) and I can see that wouldn't fit either, as plan B was to buy two lower tog ones that we could use together!

Kate