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

meme30

Well, I have made a start on the Ironing Mountain! Only one week away and it's huge! I will have to do it in 20 minute sessions as my back and neck are in revolt at the same time! I can cope with one or the other but both together is taking the Michael!

Bargain of the day yesterday was 200gm of Pastrami for £1! Our freezer shop again (H*ron Foods) Picked up a few so spare freezer will not just full of bread!

DD going to see her midwife for the first time today. She is very tired and is getting dizzy when going upstairs. I think she may be lacking in iron as she is only 11 weeks gone. My antidote is eating liver and drinking shandies made with stout, I can't tell you the look of horror on her face! :rotfl: She will eat broccoli but on its own it will not be enough. Just wait till the inevitably prescribed iron tablets get working and she get 'bunged up'! Pregnancy can be a pain all on it's own without the help of a man made one!

meme30

Mardy:- Chickens eat cabbage ?!?

katieowl_2

meme30 wrote: »

Mardy:- Chickens eat cabbage ?!?

OH YES!!! Chicken LURVE all sorts of greenery. We give them the last of the kale each year, and any PSB stalks with leaves to nom on.

Mard, You can buy spring greens seeds...http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/spring-green-greensleeves-seeds-pid2250.html other spring greens may be available

Kate

GreyQueen

Mardatha, there's nothing to it, just put them in a bowl and add tap water until they can swim freely. They take the water in, swell and germination starts. If you plant them dry, they've then got to absorb the water from the soil/ compost until they get to the same point before they'll germinate. It also enables you to see if you've got live ones or duds.

As French beans are pretty small, I only give them 24 hours to soak but the bigger bean, like runners and and broad beans, seem to germinate at 48 hours.

One thing you must never do once you've soaked is let them dry out without planting as you've forced them from dormancy to life and they need to grow or they'll die.

I've had broad beans which were pre-soaked appear above ground 6 days after planting.:)

As to what "spring greens" are, I think they're just immature cabbages of varieties which don't form hearts, but I'm sure somebody else more expert will pop by with a better answer.

lizzyb1812

mardatha wrote: »

Tell me more about soaking seeds - I got some purple dwarf seeds here and tried 4 in wee pots just for fun - none of them ever appeared
Also does anybody get the Asda "spring greens" at 97p a bag ? What kind of cabbage is that, does anybody know? It's the only one my chickens will eat!

I don't know how other people do it but I dampen a rag and lay it in a plastic box, put the seeds in, fold over the rag, put the lid on and put the box in the airing cupboard for a day or two/few. Chitted some very old sweetcorn this way and about 50% have now come up in tp tubes filled with compost. I've done the same with old peas as well.

anguk

maryb wrote: »

And I see a lot of young women walk out of good jobs when they have children. I'd have loved to stay home when my two were born but DH lost his job while I was on maternity leave so back I went. And lucky I was able to. I tell them to go for a job with flexibility if they can, and work part time. Because even if husband earns a fortune, no woman knows in advance that she'll escape all the 4 Ds - Divorce, Death, Disability, Downsizing. And it's easier to ramp up an existing career that's been pootling along than to try and start again having been out of the jobs market for years

That's what I've always told my DD, I steered her in the direction of a career where it could be possible to earn a good wage for doing part-time work because you never know what's round the corner. She's starting university in September hopefully on the path to being a chartered accountant then hopefully if she ever faces one of the four Ds she'll still be able to manage.

mardatha

God I didnt realise planting stuff was so complicated - whatever happened to the mental image of me floating aboot in white gloves and a sunhat gracefully chucking handfuls of seeds in the air and then next day walking out in the hat gloves and flowing summer dress into a cottage country garden full of fabulous greenery?? :rotfl::rotfl:
TY for the hints and the link x

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

God I didnt realise planting stuff was so complicated - whatever happened to the mental image of me floating aboot in white gloves and a sunhat gracefully chucking handfuls of seeds in the air and then next day walking out in the hat gloves and flowing summer dress into a cottage country garden full of fabulous greenery?? :rotfl::rotfl:
TY for the hints and the link x

:D:D Reality's a lot grubbier and sweatier, isn't it?!

My fantasy self has a trug of flowers and a long frock and wanders around etherially, too. My real self wears clumpy boots, has earth under her fingernails and a sore back and is squinting balefully out the window muttering about this rain which is supposed to be blowing over. Decided I shall wait until 2 pm then go anyway and get wet if I have to. Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

katieowl_2

mardatha wrote: »

God I didnt realise planting stuff was so complicated - whatever happened to the mental image of me floating aboot in white gloves and a sunhat gracefully chucking handfuls of seeds in the air and then next day walking out in the hat gloves and flowing summer dress into a cottage country garden full of fabulous greenery?? :rotfl::rotfl:
TY for the hints and the link x

:rotfl: Scotland you live is it??? Snort... and it's bad enough here!

Kate

lizzyb1812

GreyQueen wrote: »

......... squinting balefully out the window muttering about this rain which is supposed to be blowing over. Decided I shall wait until 2 pm then go anyway and get wet if I have to. Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

GQ - I'm in Suffolk and it has blown over - think you are east-ish too?

Katieowl - good luck to your DD re the accountancy thing. It's hard work but definitely worth it in the end and you're absolutely right about it being good re part-time/contract/temp working opportunities.