make do and mend for tougher times

meanmarie

Welcome Emalou...so sorry to hear about your Dad.

I have had a microwave for years ( not the same one!) At present I have 2, donated by DD3 and DDIL1, the latter is a combination which suits us fine as I don't have to put on the big oven for just us.

GQ....was reading in paper to-day something about carrot growing, writer said not to sow until May and to loosen the soil a couple of weeks in advance, as carrots need loose soil to prevent them growing in all sorts of weird shapes.

PAH...hugs

Marie

monnagran

Hi, all you people with verbal diarrhoea (OK I looked it up, right?) I am trying to keep myself to one visit a day or I wouldn't get anything else done.

Ginny: On the subject of baguette mountains, yesterday one of our Drop-in visitors was heard to wonder what they were getting to eat. His friend said that whatever it was they were bound to have garlic bread with it. He was sooooo right.

MrsCD: Organised? Moi?

emalou: welcome and very sorry you are having a sad time. The hole in your heart will never be filled but you will learn to live with it in time.

SpikyHedgehog: I'll have you know that I played lacrosse at school.
Well, perhaps not so much played as lurked around the edges of the field communing with nature and hoping like hell that the ball wouldn't come any where near me. Oh yes, I'm ever so posh. Or at least I can do posh if the occasion demands it. I'll draw a veil over what I'm like if the occasion doesn't demand it.

I have a cheapy Mr T's microwave that I find really useful for re-heating things and dealing with small amounts. My Dad, who was the original MSE-er, used his microwave for just about everything as it was cheaper on the electricity. He did wonderful syrup sponges in a teacup for his puddings. Although he had a good pension and quite a bit of savings, all his plant labels were made out of cut up washing up liquid bottles. One Christmas one of my boys gave him a bundle of 500 proper plant labels. Dad was appalled at such extravagance and when he died I found the plant labels, untouched, in his shed.

Now here's an interesting thing - I have an intermittent patch of some eczema-like rash on my arms. A friend saw it at the weekend and said she had just the thing for it, a cream she made herself from beeswax, borax, distilled water and a few other things I can't remember. She dropped me round a pot this morning, I rubbed a bit in and my arm hasn't itched all day. I'll keep you posted.

That's enough for today.

Sleep well all.

x

bluebag

emalou88 wrote: »

Thank you

It's quite cold and dreary here today - that big black cloud isn't looking good either, should make the walk home from work interesting I'll be able to warm up at home with cups of tea and blankets.

What is everyones thought on microwaves? We currently don't have one due to lack of space in a tiny flat, but we are hoping to move in the next couple of weeks into a rented house - with a seperate kitchen and a lot more work space to put one.

Possession take care of yourself, it's never nice to feel under the weather. I've been very lucky and can't remember the last time we got a bug or a cough/cold etc.

Hello, so sorry to hear about your dad. I lost my beloved dad three years ago. I still miss him and think about him so much but it's not so painful now.

Pleased you may have a new kitchen to put a microwave in. I love mine and wouldn't be without it, so quick to defrost things and heat stuff up with very little mess.

I just use a cheap and cheerful basic one as I've found it easy to use and they don't last that long, although my first one lasted 16 years or so...but I've had several since that old trojan died.

bluebag

GreyQueen wrote: »

Please don't run away and hide, that's a really good idea. I love the idea of high rise carrots. I shall keep my eyes peeled for barrels ready for next year. Perhaps if I grease the sides with a mixture of Vaseline and Vicks Vapour Rub the dadblasted snails and slugs won't get them in there.

Gawd but I hate those blasted things..............:mad:

I have a secret respect for you after you posted your slug murder count. Serial killer extrordinaire! I hate them too, great revolting tubes of slime.

I did find that leaving an old takeaway tray with a small dusting of slug pellets seemed to contain the slimefest that happens when they eat the stuff, but golly it's still gut wrenching to empty and thankfully Mr Bluebag usually does the decent manly thing. (although even he's had a yag or two on occasion):(

ginnyknit

Ginny: On the subject of baguette mountains, yesterday one of our Drop-in visitors was heard to wonder what they were getting to eat. His friend said that whatever it was they were bound to have garlic bread with it. He was sooooo right.

I knew it, the baguette mountain lives on :rotfl:

GQ did have some success with a dish of water with a sprinkle of yeast in - cheaper than beer though you have to keep replacing it. For the slugs I mean of course

I played lacrosse too, hated sports with a passion and it wasnt just a bully off it was a bully with a stick, attacking ankles. Was always much better at indoor sports - I mean squash or am I just digging myself in deeper.

thank you all for your good wishes, have a basket of sweeties and yarn just need to pack a book, and of course 6 tons of stuff for OH

GreyQueen

Am I the first one in? (Dusts off the tea urn, sets the coffee to percolate, gets the toaster warmed up.......)

In an ideal world, I wouldn't have been awake for 1.5 hours already but I don't live in the Ideal World, I like in Shoebox Towers were the second major altercation of the night outside my flat started about 5 am.

Finally gave up after half an hour and called the Police and found that most of my neighbours had beaten me to it, they'd had lots of calls. So we had 3 police cars and one full-size ambulance down here all to contain 4 blinking Young People, one of whom was beyond trollied and off into screaming drugland (he was carted off in the ambulance, I'm sure A & E will be thrilled).

Such fun for those of us who will be leaving for work. And some of my neighbours will be leaving about now, or in the next 30 mins. The socialites were with a neighbour who is a PITA.:mad: Beats me what they do for drinking money as they don't seem to work. And since when did Monday become a clubbing night?

Anyway, I have tea and will slowly bring what passes for my brain into gear and get on with the day. Catch you laters, GQ x

ETA Bluebag, my Dad thinks it's hysterically-funny that I count the ones I kill but it's the only way I have of feeling I'm doing something about the incredible amount of the things. My lottie is flanked with derelict lotties 4 feet tall in rank grass and its probably full of them and anything I do is futile but I can't give up. If this lot overwinter and new ones hatch, 2013 will be even worse than this year and that would take some doing.

They eat everything except couch grass................

Molly41

Really inspiring blog

Pooky

Morning all

GQ - hope your early start doesn't leave you flagging to early. Inconsiderate wotists!

DH has gone off to see his consultant up at Kings college this morning, the patient transport driver arrived at just gone 6am and was his usual grumpy self, he actually swore and mumbled about the fact he'd only had 5 hours sleep, as if that was our fault!!! DH will be making a complaint when he gets home and ask for a different driver next time. It's bad enough to go to such a big hospital for an appointment let alone having to put up with grumpy drivers.

My parents are visiting today, dad is going to lay some more loft boards and put my new aerial up!! Mum will no doubt rearrange my cutlery drawer and turn all the glasses and cups up the other way in the cupboards (I just let her get on with it and change it back when she's gone).

I'm roasting off some bendy veg for a lunchtime soup and there's a loaf in the BM to go with. My parents won't eat anything with onions, peppers, garlic, herbs, mince, sweet corn.....blah blah blah so soup is a safe bet and cheap for me as funds are distinctly tight this month.

kidcat

GQ - Grrr on your behalf

Pooky - that is an awful way to treat someone.

Ginnyknit - good luck today


Have had very little sleep myself, OH decided that last night was the one he was going to get into a flap about his family stuff from last week. Of course it was entirely coincidental that it was his first day in work today or that he was having to get a lift in (not) so he called my dad at four in the morning waking up my mum and sending them into panic to tell my dad not to pick him up at 4.30. And then called in work sick. So no wages for today.

Am really cross with him as he doesnt see what he is doing or how it impacts on the rest of the house. He also failed to tell me that little car tax was up - he admits he knew and just didnt say. Grrrr!!!!!

Have a friend popping in for coffee this morning, I can see that being an uncomfortable experience, we used to be really close but in the last twelve months I have hardly seen or heard from her. Firstly after she injured herself and fell in with some really wierd church crowd who took away her phone. Then because she moved in with someone else (less weird) but it took up all her time.

Recently she has bought her own place again (but still not moved in) and has started to initiate contact - but its usually because she needs something. SHe asked me to hire her a car a few weeks back as she didnt fancy taking hers away with her.

And now of course I will need to get car repaired and OH sorted ready to go back to work tomorrow. I had hoped to have a few hours to myself today but no such luck

valk_scot

monnagran wrote: »

. Although he had a good pension and quite a bit of savings, all his plant labels were made out of cut up washing up liquid bottles. One Christmas one of my boys gave him a bundle of 500 proper plant labels. Dad was appalled at such extravagance and when he died I found the plant labels, untouched, in his shed.

I use cut up milk bottle plant labels as well. Packs of labels are a ridiculous price and unless you use pencil and scrub them clean at the end of the year it's use once and throw away. Waste of money, bad for the environment. A waterproof marker is much cheaper and lasts for ages plus you can put the used labels in the recycling bin. Having said that I'd be thrilled if someone gave me 500 labels as a present!