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

Nicepeach

Wow, lot's to catch up on! I logged on last night & did a post, which suddenly disappeared right out of the blue after the screen seemed to refresh of it's own accord kind of thing (as you can tell I'm not a techie!). So, in the spirit which made Britain Great, I gave up & went to bed!

Kind thoughts & hope things improve for all who are suffering poorliness or having troubles. After the past 18 months/2years of the mountain of "brown stuff" I've just ploughed through the thing that kept me going in the really dark times was the thought that, even if it's just by the law of averages, things had to get better. It was REALLY hard to believe this some days, & other days it got worse but it truly did help me trying to keep positive. I used to think I was a very negative person but it turns out I'm not! After a MAJOR life change (financially ruined me but you can't have it all!) from an extremely draining job, working with extraordinarily negative "no-can doers" I've found that if I stay away from negative people as much as humanly possible (unfortunately this includes some family members) I can enjoy a happy, positive life!

Mardartha: thanks for the offer of the RV but I'll pass if you don't mind. I'm just tooo busy being whisked away in fast cars & on private jets by Daniel Craig to exciting Casino type places & exotic islands to take him off your hands. Before you all start getting too jealous - the downside is dozens of pairs of those tiny blue trunks hanging off the airer & the radiator & numerous suspicious looking fountain pens & living in fear of being shot every time you take a brolly out of the utility in case it rains...:rotfl: By the way, I'm a Leo (perfect in every way!) & I was married to a Pisces (supposedly very romantic - never saw any evidence of it during the 15 year marriage) & I always used to say that his water sign doused my fire!

Wanted to post last night to tell you my exciting news (yes, I do have some & don't spend every evening at home with just a bottle of Stardrops for company!). Had the first meeting of the season at our Bee Keeping Association. The weather held out so we could go ahead, it was a lovely sunny day all day here but by 630 the skies had darkened but we decided to go ahead & inspect the hives. Initially, very disappointed as when we opened the first hive it had swarmed & had hardly any bees left in it. However, one of the chaps wandered off & was looking around in the hedgerows of the apiary & HE FOUND THE SWARM! Wow! It was so spectacular to see! They had only swarmed a matter of a few yards & were all clustered on the stem of a stout little shrub! Cue much excitement & several septuagenarian "rushing" around like headless chickens... funniest thing I've seen in a very long time:rotfl: We managed to get the swarm into a new hive & one of the new bee-keepers staked his claim & made a not unsubstantial offer for them! It was a truly fascinating sight to see & if you ever get the chance take a look instead of running away if you dare!

As I said it was a lovely sunny day here yesterday so had two dog walks (much to his disgust) & short car ride to CS with more donations. Have made up a new rule, whenever more comes in, some has to go out. I had quite a haul on Mon/Tues so made my way back yesterday with some donations (accidentally bought more though - it's not working - now I'll have to go back again & I'll buy more & then I'll have to go back again etc. etc.). Managed to get a bit of gardening done back & front & it looks almost presentable as it had got totally out of hand during the recent wet spell, grass was wild & about 2 feet high.

Not much planned for today, off work so can please myself :j Shame it's just started to rain, oh well will just do indoor things & take things to CS but WON'T take purse!

Have a good day everyone, hope you get some sun & if you don't it's a good excuse to stay in jamas & pretend it's still winter (not much imagination needed for that in some areas!).

I'll see you Ron... Later Ron... I know it's bad but it's one of my favourites... x

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi Guys!

OH went to Aldi yesterday and got the baking pots, cucumber, beetroot x 6, tomatoes, spring onions, mangoes x 2, cottage cheese, milk, mayo and eggs. Total £9

Made £29 yesterday from Ebay and have a few more items on that have bids on. Sold my old dinner set for £375 and OH is delivering and collecting the cash tomorrow. Im pleased about that. It was too heavy for me and just couldn't use it anymore.

PP
xx

mardatha

Have to report that the RV was very good today and took me to the post office to send off a nice smelly (sweet pea) parcel. Bobbykins ITS COMING
Want to do more soap today but too knackered as yet, got some fabulous dark and gothy Patchouli & Tuberose to play with. Five more pots of tea and a wee bit of cake and I might manage it..
Was idly wondering earlier why nobody seems to be using the canals for transport - would make sense in these days of high fuel costs. I thought English cities were all joined by canals that went right into the centres and is how they moved all the freight in days gone by? On Time Team once they did Josiah Wedgewood's factory, and the barges moves uncountable tons of china right from the works door.
You could do that now, once you got the system up and running with a constant line of barges then it would be just as fast as the roads. Bet there's no canals left though.

anguk

ginnyknit wrote: »

I have a Leo who talks through the best tracks on rock radio, can't find anything which is under his nose especially at the crucial point of a tense thriller on tv. He eats the last biscuit and leaves the packet on the worksurface and leaves empty plates in the fridge when he has filched the last sausage. But I forgive it all when he brings me a diet coke when I am fed up and puts up with all my wool everywhere :rotfl:

OOh Byatt your Gp is very special - hope the diet works :T my GP is a rather tough Indian lady who spends her hols working on the streets of India tending to the poor so in her mind a 9 year menopause and lousy arthritis is 'normal' I havent got a chance but she is very good with OH and thats what matters at the mo!

I've got a Leo too and he sounds very much like yours. But what makes it worse is I'm a Leo too! :eek:

Mrs_Chip

Morning All!

Well, we could certainly be forgiven for thinking it is autumn here, it's grey and cold - I am constantly surprised by the ability of the weather to change so drastically overnight, when will I learn???:D

In sole control of the farm this morning, OH has gone for a trot along the Bude CANAL (Mar !) and Mr and Mrs OG have popped down to Boscastle - I say popped as I doubt they will be out for very long the wind is perishing cold. The heating has gone off now and the temp in the cottage is dropping fast (feels like home :rotfl:), I might be better off camping out in the polytunnel for the day.

I think the canals that are left are gradually being brought back into use, but mostly by the enthusiasts, not because the powers-that-be think it makes good economic sense. A lot of freight used to travel by train too, all the big factories had lines that ran right too them, and producers could rely on the train to get fresh produce to the markets overnight - that has all pretty much gone as well. I can't think of a more uneconomic way to move stuff around than lorries, all shuttling about tiny amounts of stuff.

time to chivvy the chooks, one of the blighters is not pulling their weight, we have only had five eggs for the last few days. No-one is owning up though, and they all look shifty.

BitterAndTwisted

Dearest Mardatha: please put me on the list for sweet-pea and tuberose soapy things. I lurve me some florals. I'm also rather fond of patchouli when it's not too strong, so put that on my list, too.

Gifted some of those lovely pentacles to a friend the other day and she's asked for your contact details. She was particularly impressed by the glitter. Bright shiny things! Woo!

BitterAndTwisted

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

I think the canals that are left are gradually being brought back into use, but mostly by the enthusiasts, not because the powers-that-be think it makes good economic sense. A lot of freight used to travel by train too, all the big factories had lines that ran right too them, and producers could rely on the train to get fresh produce to the markets overnight - that has all pretty much gone as well. I can't think of a more uneconomic way to move stuff around than lorries, all shuttling about tiny amounts of stuff.

The very powerful and influential road-lobby in this country has a lot to answer for. One could hope that there might be a shift on the horizon with fuel costs with only one direction to go. One hopes the infrastructure won't have been completely destroyed by then but with the current gov't in thrall to said lobby we might have to wait for an election and a far-sighted administration. I'm not holding my breath. We got into this unholy ruddy mess through short-sightedness and the need for instant results to satisfy the electorate. If things are going to change we need to be the engine demanding it but I fear we have become altogether too selfish and "Me! Me! Me!"

I saw on the telly recently that goods on the Tamar were shifted under sail. Now that would be progress and a heck of lot less noisy and polluting than ruddy great trucks on every road.

Eh, one can dream.....

Softstuff

The patchouli sounds nice Mardatha. Just the thought of it brings back memories of uni, floaty skirts, dubious morals and odd rolled up cigarettes

Odd part of dinner I thought I'd share: I made a pizza topping without tomatoes - pureed pumpkin. Added some little ham bits and it was quite nice. I made what I call "nomato" sauce a while back, a puree of cooked beetroot, carrot and a little celery with soy sauce. It looks a lot like marinara sauce and tastes not unlike tomato. It was a pain to make but froze well so was good for a batch cook.

mardatha

Imagine how life once was - right in the middle of huge cities there would be the canals with wildlife and horses padding along pulling barges silently, people living on the barges their whole lives, lock keepers cottages and wee inns... we would have the best of both worlds now if we could somehow get that back. None of the old bad days of illness and early death, plus loss of pollution and noise. But I suppose you canny turn the clock back eh. Although maybe one day they will be forced to.

Bobbykins

mardatha wrote: »

Have to report that the RV was very good today and took me to the post office to send off a nice smelly (sweet pea) parcel. Bobbykins ITS COMING

:j:j:beer::T:j:j:D:T:j:j:j:A:A:T.can you tell I'm excited?