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

Bobbykins

Byatt - so glad u have made an appointment to see the GP, it could be anything and dosing yourself up with painkillers isn't solving the underlying problem. Hope they can sort u out soon.

Yes, we went to Italy. Multo bene!. This was our first foreign holiday in about 25 years. We have a touring caravan and normally stay in the UK but decided this year that we deserved a special holiday. So we went to Tremezzo, on Lake Como. First time in Italy but hopefully not the last. OMG it was soooo beautiful and the weather was just right (whispers - although it was a bit too hot for me on the last day at 26 degrees). The food was fabulous (but my OH got sick of me saying that I could have made it for less ) and the people we met were warm, friendly and helpful. I could easily adjust to that slower pace of life as well. We are now saving up like mad so that we can have another lovely holiday in maybe a couple of years.;).

In the meantime, it's back to the daily grind.:):)

maryb

Arghhh!

DD2 chooses the first day of GCSEs to tell me she absolutely can't find her glasses. She doesn't wear them all the time but we both kinda thought, y'know, could come in useful for exams.....

But unbelievable good luck - optician had a cancellation, she needed a new prescription so eye test was free (even though she's only 16 it has to be for clinical reasons if it's less than 2 years since the last one) and best of all, the only frames she liked were completely free - frames and lenses covered by NHS voucher. It helped that I told her very firmly she was not having Prada, Ted Baker etc etc (certainly not if she's going to lose them!!) And she had standard lenses which they had in stock so I can pick the new glasses up tomorrow.

Phew!

Byatt

I'm back, Dr examined me, very painful when tummy pressed, felt worse today than I have since it started although I obviously had other symptoms I put them down to DD being away...anyway, prescribed a very strong antibiotic (his words, not sure what a non strong one is like), and have to pee in a pot and drop off tomorrow, plus blood tests to check my kidneys!

Thanks for all of you prompting me to see Dr, as I am very good at saying to people they should go, but it never occurs to me I should. Treated myself to some ice cream as I don't feel like eating, and Bess has a jumb bone!

Don't think I've ever had an infection of the water works before.

Sitting here trying not to move as the pain is spasmy (is that a word) now.

BitterAndTwisted

Today I am very, very cross with my little cat Stanley. I live in a flat on the third floor but so far he's managed to catch a young pigeon and once flew in the window with a mouse's tail hanging out of his mouth. Cue a wail of shock and me chasing the little blighter around trying to get the poor thing off him before he hid it somewhere and it stunk the place out. Today he caught a dear little Great Tit and killed it stone dead before I could get it off him. Poor, dear little thing. I do hope it wasn't a female and her little babies aren't cold and hungry waiting for a mother who will never return. He's now in disgrace until I get over it. I thought living in a flat on the third floor might mean no ruthless wholesale slaughter of wild things, but no.

The only compensation is that I'm drinking some very delicious ground coffee made with my sweet little one-cup cafetiere, brand-new and snapped up in a local charity shop this afternoon for a mere pound. Now, if only cats could be taught to earn their keep by making coffee I might be able to forgive the odd casualty as long as they weren't too cute.

Good news! My Approved Food order will be delivered tomorrow. THIRTY KILOS of wholemeal flour for less than £4.50. How marvellously inexpensive is that? That bread-maker of mine is going to get a real thrashing.....

Oh, and nasty black dogs: be off with you!

Memory_Girl

Byatt - just got over a kidney infection (Bank Holiday Weekend so in agony till Tuesday) - keep drinking and stock up on paracetamol. Worse than labour - well, longer than labour anyways!

BitterandTwisted - did you order the 10kg bags of chapatti wholemeal - I can testify that it makes some lovely bread. Started the kids off on 50/50 white / wholemeal and now they are hard core "granary" bread lovers LOL

Also makes great pikelets, English muffins, pitta, pizza bases, crepes, digestive biscuits and works fabulously for sourdough.

30kg should last you quite a while

MG

shegar

Whats going on on MSE?.......Everytime I press button for a thread I get a page of MSE threads come up and I have to keep rolling the page down to get to where I want to be, its a pain in the ar*se, Anyone else got this as well.?........

BitterAndTwisted

Yep, the chakki atta or whatever they called it. I had to Google that term to figure out what it was. It's obvious the AF peeps didn't do it because if they'd listed it as wholemeal flour it would have all disappeared in a trice at that price.

You're right, it is going to last me for a bit: I only make bread for myself, about two loaves week on average. I'll let you know when I'm utterly sick to the back-teeth of it......

elizabunny

Just popped in to say Byatt I hope you feel better soon and Mardatha, I hope you are on the mend too. ((((Hugs )))) to anyone else feeling under the weather. What we need is sunshine I think!

I have posted this so many times now on different threads, but SO annoyed because I dropped and smashed the inner glass door of my new cooker yesterday! Aaargh, also dropped two cookery books into a sink full of water (accidentally of course). Think I was having a bad day ....and it was the 13th....

kidcat

HI all, have been so busy that I am not fully caught up yet, just wanted to send some hugs to mardy, byatt and everyone else who needs them.
Byatt - cranberry juice is supposed to be good, when my DD17 was in hospital last year with kidney and water infection, they told her to drink loads of the stuff. Of course my dad went overboard and bought several gallons!!

Eliza - you can buy replacement doors online.

Been mega busy as it was DS birthday at weekend, had lovely trip to ski place and then dinner out, my dad came with me and my mum sat here minding OH and kids.
Today I have spent mainly advising parents on dealing with issues with school and ASd kids, which felt really weird as I always feel I dont have a clue. However I was able to advise several parents today, so much so that I was asked if I worked for parent partnership - which was lovely.

DS8 has not escaped again which is a major relief and his Head teacher put an excellent plan in place which appears to be working, his class teacher is not happy - its hard she said - Yes I said, I know!! She pulled a face, to which I pointed out that she goes home to sleep all night whereas I am up and down. Another face - so I said and thats why you get paid the mega bucks. I kept smiling and was extremely pleasant when we spoke, but it did grate a little.

Took OH note into work today, and I asked if this meant he would definitely get his sick pay on Thursday - she said possibly???? May have to cave and borrow money off dad at this rate. Would rather not if possible but if all else fails it may well happen. Ridiculous at my age to be resorting to bank of mum and dad.

Weather been beautiful for couple of days - but has poured this evening, which I dont mind as long as we have some nice days.

No sign of the seeds growing at all yet much to kids disappointment - if seeds grew on wishes and longing peers, then I would have huge strong plants by now!

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi Guys!

OH popped to Morrisons this evening and got:

4 x Danish loaves for 15p each from 79p (DD loves these...yuk!)
2 x Warburton loaves for 15p each from 75p each
2 x Granary loaves for 19p each from £1.44 each
2 x The Best Ravioli with beef & red wine for 19p from £2.50
Tandoori Massala spice for 15p a packet (long shelf life?)
Fromage Frais x 8 for 9p instead of 99p
Brie somerset ripe to 39p from £3
Free from breakfast rolls to 29p from £2.89 (ouch!)
Mushrooms to 25p from £1.35
Salad bag to 10p from £1.50
Big tub of fresh fruit salad for 29p from £1.50 (DD's lunch tomorrow)

He also got some Paprika, chilli powder, green chillies, lemon juice, 2 x minced lamb frozen (£2.75 each now for 500g:eek::eek::eek:), Jamaican curry powder, Jerk seasoning, marshmallows, Rolo deserts, Minstrels:o, Maltesers (BOGOF):D, gum, cinnamon sticks, milk, Philly cheese with sweet chilli (super hot!), ginger beer and bag of coffee beans (£3 from £4) as OH nearly run out and he got change from £20. So not too bad.

OH has got some chicken thigh fillets out to try and make Tandoori chicken tomorrow, but the spices above are to make dhall, curry bases. I watched something yesterday and they did a tandoori chicken wrap with crunchy lettuce, cucumber and raita and it looked and sounded delicious. He also stuck £30 of petrol in the car.

OH also going to knock up a double spagbol and bulk out with the mushrooms and frozen peppers. We managed to get some sauces from AF down to 25p a jar which are quite rich but will add some chopped tomatoes to it (AF to 20p) and a whole bag of minced lamb, so in total Im guessing £3.60 for 8 portions. It would be cheaper using beef but I find lamb sits better with me. Anyway, it'll do a meal for next week and we just need to add pasta we want. So 45p a portion is pretty good though and we use the basics hard cheese or a little cheddar and will have with the cheap salad bag.

I think tomorrow we're have something easy like egg and hm chips with beans or have some sliced gammon in freezer we could have or some 100% beef burgers.....will see what we fancy in the morning.

Anyway, off to bed soon, so see you hopefully tomorrow.

PP
xx