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

Byatt

Mardy, sorry about losing your wee hens.

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

Here you go - nekkid garden Dug early March, untouched since. RV just took this now

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mard_soap/7227594582/in/photostream

:eek: That's just so wrong for mid-May.
Been to my allotment and spent 4 hours pottering about although this wasn't all work as it included lunchtime cheese and tomato rolls and a teabreak or two.

The shaggy bit at the top has grass 2 foot high. Seems a shame not to graze something on it but when I offered a pal who has a nag in a village outside the city she declined to ride the critter around the ring road to do some remedial grazing. Some people.....!

I hae planted 2 more rows of beetroot in addition to the row planted 25/3 of which there are about 3 plantlets approx 1.5 inches high. Better luck with this lot. Dad, growing on Nan's garden across the region says he put in parsnips 7 weeks ago and nary a sign of one. It's so disheartening. You don't know whether to wait a little bit longer in hopes that they might reappear or bang a rake thru the lot and start afresh.

Tomorrow, I shall collect some more pea twigs on the way (got a basket-ful on the way up today) and that should be enough. I will put the runner bean wigwams up, too, although I haven't even sowed them in pots yet.

I came in from the lottie and went straight out again and went to the Magic Greengrocer. For £2 I got; 6 bananas, 2 x 250g punnets cherry toms (all bar 5 in perfect nick), a head of celery, pound of carrots and a melon...........oh and a bag of new tatties. I have just had a lovely tea with steamed veggies and half an FB pie and it was just the ticket and cost me about 60p. I shall have a slice of the melon a bit later on. Love ma greengrocer to pieces...........;)

Oooh, back's a bit achey now. Why is life so very very tiring?

Hope everyone had a good day- we had some nanoseconds of sun circa midday but it's all gone now and I've had to put a jumper on.

ETA I got an Addis sandwich box, the blue topped one, from a c.s for 50p as new with labels on it. Happiness............

I'm being stalked by chuggers in my own home! There's a pair of them out there in tabards and clipboards. They were at my door just about 4 pm because I saw them as I was coming back to the flat and hung back so they didn't see me, and now they're back again. Is this legal? I've no doubt its a good cause but we're in an area of extreme deprivation and a lot of my neighbours freely admit to stuggling with rent arrears, so anybody after extra gelt is going to be an embarrasment. I'm seriously thinking of emailing their organisation (the web address is on their tabards) to complain about this.

Mrs_Chip

Afternoon All!

Mar - sorry to hear about the departure of the hennies, we have very much enjoyed looking after the farm hens, and want to get our own - it must have been a wrench to let them go.

And I can confirm we have had a growth spurt in the garden - everything seems to have come on a lot since we went away, it is looking positively lush! The broad beans have lots of flowers, the runners have started twining up their poles, fruit bushes are leafing up well and I have little green fruits on the strawberries - oh and Mr & Mrs Great Tit have moved into the nest box! Rose have flower buds and the flower garden is starting to fill out - it no longer looks like a blasted wasteland!

The down-side is that the weeds have run riot while we have been away, and I need to do some serious weeding .

bonnie_bumpkins

Greyqueen fwiw I would definitely report them. However deserving the charity no-one should be subjected to the aggressive collection tactics employed by such people, whether on the streets or in their own homes. I also seem to remember reading somewhere that charities need permission from the local council to collect from the public in the streets so would this apply to housing estates too? I may be wrong about the council permission thing but it might be worth an email to them too. Makes me SO angry.

ginnyknit

Thank you Katie owl, I am off to pick a couple of carnations

OH has been laughing at me..again..I said what one earth are we going to have for tea as I hadn't prepared anything as DGS was here for the day. 20 minutes later I served up a roast dinner - all bits from the freezer done in advance - he said ' lousy ready meal again :rotfl: he loves it when I say theres not much to eat then turn up trumps.

Mardatha that garden is seriously naked :eek: I think most supermarkets sell oomph but its labelled 'chocolate' :rotfl:

Just saved about 20 quid on vets fee's - clipped rabbits and guinea pigs claws and gave then the once over - all well and podgy.

DGS sat in a patch of dandelions picking the flowers for the rabbit then posting them through the wire to him - so cute. He made me sit in the garden for an hour while he pretended to be working in the greenhouse - mixing labels up again. Have been nervously patrolling veg patch to make sure no slugs eat my various beans as I am trying some new slug pellets that don't harm birds or kids - so far so good. Planted watercress so we should have hot weather now as they need lots of water, lets hope it works cos its feezing here again.

All in all had a lovely day though OH is struggling and has to rest often but am going to keep having DGS every weekend as we need the sunny little smile of his to keep us going.

GreyQueen

bonnie_bumpkins wrote: »

Greyqueen fwiw I would definitely report them. However deserving the charity no-one should be subjected to the aggressive collection tactics employed by such people, whether on the streets or in their own homes. I also seem to remember reading somewhere that charities need permission from the local council to collect from the public in the streets so would this apply to housing estates too? I may be wrong about the council permission thing but it might be worth an email to them too. Makes me SO angry.

Thanks Bonnie.

We're had lots of problems with chuggers in the shopping streets of Provincial City. I nearly lost my rag the other year when I was accosted by the 4th one (same charity) within a 60 meter stretch of street. :mad: I've been described as having a kind face and am always approached for directions (i.e. daily) and by chuggers (unless I see them coming and dodge).

On-street collections (and I've done these for various charities) have to be licensed by the local council. There are strict rules; you mustn't approach people nor even shake your collection tin, so it chiefly involved standing quietly with a hopeful expression.

Because the chuggers in this city have been so bad for so long, there's been a lot of press coverage and it's transpired that chuggers are exempt from the regulations around charity collections. Don't think the legislation has caught up with the practise. There was an informal agreement locally that they'd calm it down but things have started to worsen again recently. According to letters in the local paper, some people are staying away from the city centre because of it, but I live and work in the centre, so I've no choice.

This coming-to-the-door malarkey first happened a few weeks ago, when I had company around one weekend about mid-afternoon. Went to the door and it was a young woman from a national animal charity and she started her speil. I said no thanks politely enough and got a facial expression which was obviously intended to convey her belief that I was a selfish cow who'd probably kick kittens to death if no one was watching. To say I was unimpressed was an understatement. Grr. Today, it's a human charity and they're hunting the block in pairs.

It really p*sses me off. One of my immediate neighbours is dying (terminally-ill, hospital can't do anything more), a lady opposite has just lost her Mum two days ago, several other people are on their uppers financially, only the drug dealers have got disposable and there's beggar-all chance of them signing up.

Och well, I'll sleep on it before I fire off an email to the charity concerned but it's an annoying new development. I went offline for a while to play dress-ups with my work blouses and other clothes and Oxfam will be the beneficiary as usual (I'm registered there for Gift Aid). They also seem to get the best prices in town, so that's another reason I donate to them. I gave them several pieces of gold and silver jewellery several years ago when I simplified my life, a generosity which would no doubt surprise the animal-charity chugger.

OK, going off to find some small furry animals to abuse and vulnerable human beings to treat equally unpleasantly........only joking, ladies, only joking. I'm putting the kettle on. OMG, how remiss of me, I didn't do a tea-quote-of-the-day. Here's something to ponder........

Is there no Latin word for Tea? Upon my soul, if I had known that I would have let the vulgar stuff alone. ~Hilaire Belloc


Have a good evening, and a sweet night's rest. GQ x

bonnie_bumpkins

GreyQueen wrote: »

it's transpired that chuggers are exempt from the regulations around charity collections

That's a sorry state of affairs. Is someone on commission from the number of people signed up?? :eek:

GreyQueen wrote: »

Went to the door and it was a young woman from a national animal charity and she started her speil. I said no thanks politely enough and got a facial expression which was obviously intended to convey her belief that I was a selfish cow who'd probably kick kittens to death if no one was watching. To say I was unimpressed was an understatement

Outrageous. How dare she make such a facial judgement :mad: I have developed a pretty thick skin over the years and care not one hoot for other people's opinion of me, especially when I know full well they are trying to manipulate me. I own my little house and would have no qualms requesting that they foxtrot oscar off my property (all six feet of it to the pavement!). I have form for this I have invited a chugger in a nearby town who trotted after me, loudly accusing me of being uncaring and selfish, to do something of a sexual nature which I'm sure is physically impossible. But it wouldn't surprise me if he managed it. T*sser.

And breeeeathe. Peace and light and love abounds. Has 'Titanic' finished yet? *yawn* Time to open the vino I think.

Bobbykins

Awww Mardatha, sorry to hear about your hens. At least you know they are not too far away and are OK.

its flippin' freezing here today. I lit the wood stove last night but used the last of my kindling and small "starter" pieces of wood, and my OH has been "too busy" (playing with his bike) to get me any more sorted today. So I have had to put the heating on tonight - IN MAY :eek::eek::eek:

He is now flopped in front of the goggle box watching the football, drinking the last of the wine, with a bag of peanuts on his knee. It's a hard life isn't it?

(I shouldn't moan really - he's one of the best and I wouldn't change him for the world.)

Right, am off to have a hot bath, with my sweetpea scented soap, in the hopes that I'll stop shivering.

GreyQueen

bonnie_bumpkins wrote: »

Outrageous. How dare she make such a facial judgement :mad: I have developed a pretty thick skin over the years and care not one hoot for other people's opinion of me, especially when I know full well they are trying to manipulate me. I own my little house and would have no qualms requesting that they foxtrot oscar off my property (all six feet of it to the pavement!). I have form for this I have invited a chugger in a nearby town who trotted after me, loudly accusing me of being uncaring and selfish, to do something of a sexual nature which I'm sure is physically impossible. But it wouldn't surprise me if he managed it. T*sser.

And breeeeathe. Peace and light and love abounds. Has 'Titanic' finished yet? *yawn* Time to open the vino I think.

I was caught wrong-footed as was surprised on my own doorstep with 3 family members only about 3 meters away in my living room and in clear view and earshot. My flat is tiny. Even so, I damn near snarled at her something along the lines of: "And EXACTLY what do you mean by that expression, madam?!" Well out of order. When I next feel the urge to donate to an animal charity, it won't be that particular one, believe you me.

Would've loved to have seen you with "your" chugger...........

I've done a lot of things for charity in my life, including several years of voluntary work for two different charities, week in and week out. I just adore it when someone who appears to be a student, and is certainly a stranger young enough to be my offspring, and who knows nothing whatsoever about my character and habits, impugnes me as a caring person because I haven't helped them to get their blinking commission.

**and breathe.** All is well in this best of all possible worlds, as Dr Pangloss said, if I remember correctly...........:p

fuddle

The very first tie I encountered a charity direct debit worker at my door I was a nervous wreck. It was something quite new back then and was so forceful but nice with it. He asked if he could rest on my stairs. I didn't know what the heck to do, I had this bloke in my house, I had invited him so to speak and giving him my bank details and giving my permission for a charity to take money. It was my fault, all of it because I wasn't prepared or strong enough to say no.

I cancelled the DD the next day and resolved never to be put in that position again. Now when they call, I either ignore the door if it's obvious (I have had one peer in my living room window though, that was very unnerving) or I say forcefully "I have my charities that I support thank you, I won't be signing up with you today" That way they can't think I'm a hard, uncaring cow.

I do believe they earn a commision, yeah. That doesn't sit very well with me either... what percent of the direct debit amount doesn't even get to the charity.

Collection tins every time, that is actually a pleasure. The people are so nice and always say thank you for what ever copper my children put in their tins.