make do and mend for tougher times

meme30

Thoroughly enjoyed the opening ceremony last night. Good for Danny Boyle, promoting the NHS, do you think the Government will take any notice!?

Loved the Queen, real, will it be her? ...OMG it is moment! Loved the way she and Daniel Craig could barely contain their laughter.:rotfl:

I think the fact that there was humour amongst the story of our island shows our spirit. Yes things are bleak but we will get on with it and have a giggle as well. The music was amazing!

Another recipient of a brown envelope here, panic prevailing at the moment. I am trying to control that in order to concentrate my mind to fill in the form. It's not easy:(

mardatha

Ignore me, I found it !

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

Ignore me, I found it !

Found what? Have I missed something? Been to bed and zzzz'd for 10 hours after 2 bad nights and feel almost human.

Well, almost.

SDG31000

Found what mardatha? The Holy Grail? A vein of toffee running through the garden? Lord Lucan and Shegar hiding in your garden shed?
PAH take care of your poor foot please and try not to worry. They have to provide a safe house for you and don't get fobbed off. Xxxxxx

I've got my fingers and everything else crossed for those of you being faced my the mindless and common sense-less welfare system that we have in this country at the moment. Good luck and please don't loss heart (((((hugs))))))

Did everyone watch the Opening Ceremony last night? I thought it was fantastic, just eccentric enough to represent this great country and with wonderful bits of humour.

Today I am attempting to wake up and I'm not sure how long and how much tea it's going to take. I have to get everyone awake, then we need to drop either DS1 or him and DS2 into town, then shopping and lots of cooking. I'm not sure if we also have to fit in bed shopping and a trip to Melton Mowbray to buy clothes for DH and DS2. Greenwoods menswear have a half price on everything sale on for a week and their shirts in particular last really well. I brought DS2 three lots of school shirts from other places last year, as I had to keep replacing them as the collars went. I'm hoping paying a bit more to start with will pay off in the long run.
I also need to sort out where all the stuff from AF is going. I'm waiting for some big stacker boxes from a friend so no point putting it all away properly and then having to sort it all again. DH was ok about it all but has asked me not to buy anything bulky for a while.
Time for more tea. Take care everyone, chin up

fuddle

You lost summat Mar? :rotfl:

We thought the opening ceremony was fantastic and yes that queen moment was a really good twist to it. Well done her for agreeing to it

Well the mother text me at 9.04 with "is this the best we can do?" and then again at 9.19 when I didn't reply with "this is a load of rubbish" DH was spitting feathers at her ignorance. I just replied "we're enjoying it" and heard no more. I can't be doing with her negativity with everything... nothing or no one is worthy of her praise.

Anyway. I see UK are keeping AAA credit rating as we're dealing with our debts. When I read it I was so proud to be British, part of a sensible country and so strong and dependable and then I realised that I'm part of this nightmare at the moment.... but I'm going to try to stop moaning. I do believe the government are slashing money from every possible place. I do believe they aren't just targeting my house. When I worked I could get the EYFS (framework the under 5 practitioners use) pack totally free. A very impressive and informative pack. I've gone to order the updated pack in preparation for my childminding and found that I can only download it now and have to print it myself. I think about how much money that simple step is saving.

I know it's difficult right now, and I know it's set to get an awful lot worse but when you think that the alternative is a Greek-esk situation well, I have to just grin and bare it and believe that the people we have in are doing this for the ultimate good of everyone. Will I ever be voting the conservatives? I'm a North Eastern working class lass so, what do you reckon?

I guess with the the whole sense of solidarity and celebration as being part of GB right now may be clouding my judgement, but to go through these tough times with a positive out look can only be better for me personally. Seeing my mam go through life stabbing negatively at every one and everything makes me re-adjust my trouser braces. I'm going to be a true make do and mender... and with a smile on my face.

Popperwell

meme30 wrote: »

Thoroughly enjoyed the opening ceremony last night. Good for Danny Boyle, promoting the NHS, do you think the Government will take any notice!?

Loved the Queen, real, will it be her? ...OMG it is moment! Loved the way she and Daniel Craig could barely contain their laughter.:rotfl:

I think the fact that there was humour amongst the story of our island shows our spirit. Yes things are bleak but we will get on with it and have a giggle as well. The music was amazing!

Another recipient of a brown envelope here, panic prevailing at the moment. I am trying to control that in order to concentrate my mind to fill in the form. It's not easy:(

Morning Meme(and fellow MSE's)

We do and that's what our Government probably hopes, as a traditionalist it was the older music that moved me(you know, what we usually hear on Last Night of the Proms/Remembrance Sunday)

As I said elsewhere...I thought the best part probably was the simplest of the night from when Steve Redgrave entered the stadium to the lighting of the cauldron. And good old fireworks going off around the location. That was enough for me.

When I saw Muhammad Ali(Cassius Clay)he's older but it was so sad and touching to see him as he is now.

So happy that speeches were kept to a minimum and the fear of too many political points being scored were avoided. No doubt that will happen later.

I found it interesting how the event was covered in the US and put some links on my blog.

I know how you feel. Don't know what it is about me but I heard the mail drop through the letterbox and thought I bet it's from you know where...it was:(

Probably because I don't get much mail just utility bills, rent statements and after that usually something to give me grief from the DWP. And now I have signed up with NPower to do my gas and electric on line and use Direct Debit, I'll receive even less mail...

Hope I did the right thing but they say I am on a better tariff to what I was but I hate paying standing charges on meters but they all seem to do that.

I had to do something and I hear that paying that way is better than quarterly in cash/using a credit card. And doing two fuels rather than seperate.

Cheapskate

Morning folk, taken me ages to catch up - well worth the read, though!

Washing vs baths - as kids we had a bath Saturday night ready for church Sunday, then strip washes the rest of the week. The only time we had extra baths was if we'd got really mucky, plus we had an ancient immersion heater that cost a fortune to heat so mum used it sparingly (we're talking about the late 60's onwards). I still do the same now, all our children have been treated the same, yet if I mention it to friends I feel that they're thinking "mucky bu99er"! :rotfl: However, none of have skin problems and most of them and their children do, ergo I win!

Money/benefits/purse tightening - we currently receive TC as DH has a very low wage, and mine's not great, and we have 2 littlies. Compared with the previous version of TC many years ago, when we had about £3 - 5 a week, what we receive now seems an obscene amount of money to me - no wonder the system's being milked! As we don't live a flashy life, I can save out of this, and do so as I am always suspicious that "THEY" will ask for some back! :rotfl:

We're going to eat out of the freezer pretty much this week, then I'm going to re-stock before prices hit the roof. Home grown veg is almost a write-off thanks to the weather and the bl00dy slugs, thinking about raised beds and more tubs for next year, possibly sharing an allotment with friends, too - oh, the excitement!

To those lacking self confidence, I'm like that too - often think I'm less than capable, don't measure up (whatever the topic!), never blow my own trumpet, etc. - but the older I get, the better I get and some days I even think I'm good at something! However, it's taken until the ripe old age of 44 to think like this!

Have had about 3 hours sleep, but feel ok - bet I'm ready for a nap about 2 this aft though! Off to dress littlies who are starting WW3 upstairs - talk to you later.

A xo

Pooky

Wow, Danny Boyle did an amazing job with that. The amount of time, imagination, inginuity, engineering and sheer hard work that went into that was beyond belief. And the copper petals, simply stunning, do you think I could have one in the garden!?;)

Was very impressed to see the NHS promoted in such a brilliant way and GOSH too (my youngest had treatment there for a while so its very close to our hearts). Those volunteers did an amazing job, they all deserve a medal for the amount of time and effort they've given for their country.

On to more mundane things; the freezer cook off ends today as I'm about to shove some pork casserole chunks in the SC with some butter beans, apples and onions and the final chicken will go in the halogen oven to roast. The cats have been dining very well on any of the meat that looked slightly suss but everything has been cooked, cooled and portioned up ready to go in the new freezer on Monday.

On the washing/bathing front, I shower daily and wash my hair at the same time - poker straight, fine hair looks lovely when washed but when I wake up it resembles a lopsided, 80s inspired, back combed birds nest, an attractive look I'm sure you'll agree. DDs shower every other day unless they feel particularly grubby and DH gets done every other day normally, but every day in this weather, it's such a rigmarole for him and he gets so tired and sore from the effort that given his way it would just be a wash down, I just findit easier to get him in the shower though as there's more room for me to help.

Popperwell

Cheapskate,
Once again you prove often if we get talking with friends and neighbours away from the media, many do behave in a similar way on the simplest of things though the media/experts would be shocked that everyone is not having a daily shower or bath.

You do what you have to...why have them if it's un-neccesary is one reason but as has been said previously many are having to cut back because of cost but equally if we are dirty because of work, illness or other reason we would. If money was no object we probably would have them more often and enjoy doing so.

Many are afraid to sometimes admit something because they fear the reaction of others.

The same regarding being able to save occasionally...
Which could be temporary anyhow as you suggest using food as an example prices increase.

And then if you do go through this, you then may be applying for help and have to jump through all the hoops again with the worry and no guarantee you'll be helped again.

But that extra money does give you the chance to try and have a bit of a normal life perhaps a treat rather than living a life that is basic and totally frugal(almost hand to mouth)allows perhaps for when something needs replacing or repairing. As happened the other night when Pooky's fridge/freezer failed.

Or you need it now because you know the future will be difficult
and circumstances change. But your other worry that an error is made and you are asked to pay an amount back happens so often.

What a worry that must be...

Popperwell

That was good to see the NHS and GOSH to be acknowledged(though I had not cottoned on until you(Pooky)gave me the clue that we were talking about Great Ormond Street Hospital.

I had my turkey mince and veg cooked in the slow cooker last night but did not use it all. Can I reheat what's left and have another meal safely? Would you?

Just by perhaps heating it on a hob or back in the SC?

The mince originally came out of the freezer(needed defrosting)but I have not re-freezed it. Just put it in the fridge at present, There's enough for a small meal tonight. It's just in a freezer bag tied closed at present. There is gravy and potatoes with the mince.

If it is ok how long would you do it on the hob(and what heat)or if in the sc(low or high heat)and again how long...thanks for your help.