make do and mend for tougher times

fuddle

Oh dear. I feel a day of lack lustre and self pity coming on. Woke up in a real down mood. It's not pretty so need to figure out what to do to distract myself and get absorbed in something fun.

DH out fishing (fingers crossed he wins some pennies to kick start the Provence fund) and I'm left indoors with the children till around 8/9 pm. So used to having him home this week I think.

Got bread to bake, iron on name labels on uniform, sew PE bag for eldest, sort out their school bags and dream of peace and quiet next Thursday.

Off I go to try to be inspired.

I have off cuts of some pretty fabric MrsL, i'll have to tie on with wool but i'll give it a go thank you

VJsmum

Hello - I am back from my holidays with no more planned (tho I do have a couple of exotic work trips upcoming!)

Hello new people - I am a right-side-of-50-for-a-bit-longer part time lecturer from the Midlands (though was born in Kent and lived and worked in cheshire / liverpool for a while!). I have a 50 odd year old OH and DD (16) and DS (13). OH's job is under threat so there is a bit of a worry, although we made some decisions about pensions 2 years ago and now manage the fund via properties so we shouldn't starve if he is unemployed. I love to make and bake and am learning gardening and growing edible things. You should see the size of my runner beans - they are a triumph, darling, a triumph (sorry, GQ )

Busy day, busy day. Washing, ironing, unpacking, house looks like a bomb's hit it (OH said we should have 30 minutes on the table and 30 minutes in the bedroom, unfortunately he was talking about tidying them up! :rotfl:), DD is off on a course to become a lifeguard, DS is off to a friends for the day. We borrowed FN (fave niece) for a week but she is currently being delivered home. I have shopping, ironing, work stuff and some curtains to make for investment house.

Best get on. Have a good day all

[Deleted User]

Hey FUDDLE you could always come down here and sort out the bin men who were collecting the green waste bags very noisily at 6.15 this morning and they were joined at 6.30 by the village bottle bank being emptied into the collection lorry, twas a rude awakening indeed!!! I know that feeling 'end of the long holiday blues' it was always a relief to get some peace when the schools went back in September. Did you ever get round to making your fairy garden with the girls? if not would that be something to lift your spirits today? With the autumn things beginning to appear now would they like a ramble to see what was arould like conkers, acorns, sycamore aeroplanes and pinecones and maybe set up a little nature table in a corner that they can add to over the coming weeks. They could write labels for whatever you found and it would enable you to get some more foraging done too! Cheer up little one and have as good a day as you are able to. Love Lyn xxx.

[Deleted User]

Welcome home VJ'sMUM-Hope you had a good holiday. Given the weather this year we are just grateful to finally be able to see runner beans at all, never mind the size!!!!!! Pictures of yours so we can all drool please? Cheers Lyn x.(Sorry GQ!)

Pooky

Gorgeous sun rise here this morning, the colours in the sky and on the sea were amazing. It was worth getting up at 5.45 to see. I could feel a real autumnal nip in the air and the grass and cars were all covered in dew. We're coming into my favourite time of year. All the cats have started their winter molt too and their winter coats are coming through nice and thick.

I've not seen any ripe useable berries down here yet, the blackberries are either green or solid little rocks of bitterness, we don't normally pick until the 2nd week in September so there's still time.

Going to get the brewing buckets soaking today, they've been pressure washed but they've been in the garage and look a bit shabby, a soak in the bath in a sterilising solution will do the trick and then we can get the wine started this evening. Have got the stuff for rice and raisin and apricot. Once those are in the demijohns I shall get some apple and blackberry going (have some frozen blackberries from last year).

fuddle

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Hey FUDDLE you could always come down here and sort out the bin men who were collecting the green waste bags very noisily at 6.15 this morning and they were joined at 6.30 by the village bottle bank being emptied into the collection lorry, twas a rude awakening indeed!!! I know that feeling 'end of the long holiday blues' it was always a relief to get some peace when the schools went back in September. Did you ever get round to making your fairy garden with the girls? if not would that be something to lift your spirits today? With the autumn things beginning to appear now would they like a ramble to see what was arould like conkers, acorns, sycamore aeroplanes and pinecones and maybe set up a little nature table in a corner that they can add to over the coming weeks. They could write labels for whatever you found and it would enable you to get some more foraging done too! Cheer up little one and have as good a day as you are able to. Love Lyn xxx.

I didn't no :eek: thanks for reminding me. I've hunted out a plastic trough and got no further forward. Got green and yellow emulsion in the garage from when we did the nursery in our old house (we never throw anything out!) so I can see if they want to paint it today. I'll put a coat of clear floor varnish on it and hope it will preserve it (from the first house we rented when we got together) Champion, that's them sorted.

I have decided that I'm going to make some caramelised onion chutney (if my neighbour has a jar she can let my nab, she's an retired OSer, always busying herself) and strip the wallpaper in the back porch. It dates from the 1980's the LL said and I cannot put up with it no more I'm hoping the wall is ok to just paint as it is an extension. Fingers crossed I don't end up giving myself an expensive wallpapering job to do!

Off I go to get ready, with a bit more of a spring in my step

VJ'smum I'm embarrassed to say I have never tried a runner bean. I fncy growing them but only when I work out what you cook them with. How bad is that?!

gailey_2

Morning guys.

well its day after taking all 3kids and 1 big kid out for day im shattered.
Glad we went yesterday as weather not great here.

I think im one of the few south west osers.

But this place we visisted was very unusual.
It was a butterfly farm 2houses, small animal paddocks and reptiles.

But it was also a craft village so tonnes of crafts shops from knitting,model making, card making, fabrics,scrapbooking was fab.
I was very restrained and brought 4peices of felt at 20p a sheet only in pink and blue as want to make fuzzy felt book for the kids.

seen few baby hampers want to replicate cheaply for dhs cousin whos just had a baby..

Kids had fab time.

eldest held a snake! I was scared
baby liked the goats
toddler liked the guinie pigs
hubby liked the meercats and butterflies.
A few landed on me and they were huge.

mse under 3go free so dident pay for younger 2.
Was £15 for 3of us and not too far to drive.
we packed a picnic so brought no food abd drink other than an icecream and the kids went to a super cheap softplay £3.80 for all 3 thats unheard of in bristol!

Every one had lovley time was our 1st day trip that cost money,
As this summer we done 2free museums and parks and swimming as had swimming vouchers.

I love taking them places and often pick up few leaflets.
but longleats a shocking £90 now for us all to go for 1day!
Een bristol zoos £42 and they dont have that many animals.

So we look for value for money usually.

Today im tidying the house and helkping eldest finish her butterfly project.

spent hour half yesterday constructing a rather american project book called a lapbook and finding it quite complicated as has so many pop out bits and foldables and im rubbish at origami.
Im sure once done look fab just spent small fortune on trying to make it hence large stationary bill other day.

but the 2notebooks i brought to make it will least make 2.
as wanted to do olympics project too before shes goes back

printer keep getting outbid so taken a chance on non wireless for 99p locally as googled can get inks for it and will have to somehow download drivers may hae to go over technie board as got netbook laptops been broken for few months and libary print costs are extortionate!

So best go busy myself. wanted to batch cook but that might have to wait until tommorow.

made a september planner but need to spend some time on the 4weekly meal planners and borrow hubbys laminter again.

Hope everyones ok and having nice bank hols.

grandma247

Gailey my ds has made a few lapbooks with my help. They are a bit fiddly but the results are so good. He prefers them because he does not have to do loads of writing in one go.

What was yours about?

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE - If your porch wall isn't good enough to paint you won't need to spend a fortune on new paper, if you have a B & Q or something like that near you they always have a bin of end of lines of wallpaper going at silly prices. If it's a porch you wouldn't need more than a couple of rolls so not a disaster if the wall is not in good nick! Hope you're feeling more positive now, Cheers Lyn x.

Evie74_2

Hello again everyone - it's taken me almost 24 hours to catch up with you all but I'm there now!

First things first - re-introductions:

I'm a 38 year old (just - b'day last week! :eek:) married mum of two DDs aged 4 and 8. We live in a rural town in the midlands. I work part time (in theory at least - recently it has felt more like I am working full time hours for a part time wage). DH was made redundant at the beginning of August so is currently looking for work. I have always been interested in OS things and am a very keen baker and preserver (and eater). DH and I have always grown some of our own fruit and veggies but in the past couple of years have made more effort with that side of things (although for very little reward this year, thanks to poor weather and The Great Slug Invasion).

I also enjoy sewing (embroidery and cross stitch mainly, but determined to crack the quilting thing as well) and am a beginner with knitting and crochet (my long-suffering mum is an expert knitter and crocheter and has spent many long patient years trying to encourage me to at least try. Suffice to say I don't think I have inherited her natural ability!):rotfl:

I am also very interested (DH would say obsessed) with 20th century social history (esp. 1940s) - on which note, I happened to see that the people who made Victorian/Edwardian Farm on BBC2 have also made a Wartime Farm series which starts on 6 September :T Is it sad that I can't wait to watch it?!

Not sure what to do with the Bank Holiday... rain threatens, but I'm still tempted to see whether our blackberries are feeling more northern (i.e. ripe) or southern (still green). I have to brave Mr T and/or A!di at some point too as I haven't been for a couple of weeks and while we are all alive and don't have scurvy, I could murder some fresh fruit!

Have good days all

Evie xx