make do and mend for tougher times

katholicos

Jem, just read your post. Not meaning to be alarmist but, please do not be deterred from being a bit forceful with your doctors surgery. If you have no luck then just turn up at A and E or a walk in centre and tell them what the optician found and state that you are having headaches etc. They should take these symptoms seriously.

Pooky

Monnagran :T:rotfl: thank you, that cheered me up no end.

Kidcat - sorry to hear about your bad day and your moggy, always a tough choice to make but as an owner you have to weigh up the dangers - hugs.

Naff day here as DH hasn't been feeling great and has had a couple of really nasty falls. DD2 and her boyfriend got accosted by some immigrant teenagers who got very verbally aggressive, luckily her boyfriend kept calm, got her to the bus station and on a bus out of the way then managed to get himself home safely. She's shaken, as is he, but they will be ok. They were at the beach as it was such a nice day here, very public, lots of people around but still threatened. Where is safe!?!!!

Think we all need an early night.

kidcat

Pooky - thats awful, please report it, the police will log it, I know they wont investigate as such but if they get a few calls they will monitor the area more closely.

mama67

fuddle wrote: »

12 more days until I can begin buying meat again. I've bought the odd few bits and pieces like sausages and a chicken (Aldi and was off. Anyone else had problems with Aldi's chicken?)

The girls at work were telling me I'd be entered into a pension scheme but I should opt out because our wage is so low. The thing is I don't want to opt out. I have begun the private pension and putting £10 per month in (topped up by £2.50 by .... who tops it up, the government?) So £12.50 per month. I don't know how much of my wage will go in to the Council pension plan but anything will help surely. Am I allowed to have two pension pots?

Fuddle I'm a dinner lady on contract so get an annual salary divided by 12 months regardless of if its school holidays or not.

I pay 5.5% of my gross into our Council pension scheme.

hth

Possession

Well I certainly know a hell of a lot more about Dr Who than I knew 8 hours ago.

GreyQueen

Possession wrote: »

Well I certainly know a hell of a lot more about Dr Who than I knew 8 hours ago.

You could go on Mastermind with it as your specialist subject.

Wanders off looking for her sonic screwdriver but can only find boring old earthian ones, dammit.

savingqueen

[QUOTE=MrsLurcherwalker;56343151]SQ - Your family sound as if they are more than enough to make up for lack of other relatives, what a lovely thing to do for you after what must have been a harrowing night. I hope you enjoyed the treat very much. The 'Free' shop sounds a wonderful idea, how commonsensicle is that, it's a win win situation for everyone and a new one for household will be of immense help to so many people in these straitened times. Hope you have managed to catch a nap today and are feeling much better now, Cheers Lyn x.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Lyn for your kind post.:) My wonderful little family are my world. :A

I feel like I am drawing up the drawbridge (is that the right phrase?) a bit too much though lately. My two close/local friends have big, supportive families whom they see regularly and although I do not begrudge them their families for one single second, I am admitting for the first time that I find it hard sometimes hearing all their family news when my situation is the opposite. I don't say too much to them (well one of them at least) as not sure they really understand and I think I might sound heartless not seeing my extended family. Also I know they are very busy with these big families, always a birthday or occasion to celebrate or whatever and I don't want them feeling they need to spend time they don't have with me.

I hope no-one minds me saying this. I am very lucky and thankful for my DH, children and friends and I am aware not everyone is as fortunate. I am being honest in my feelings but at the same time hope I am not being insensitive to others on the thread. Apologies if I am.

Anyway at least I have recognised that I can perhaps be more proactive in socially. I have a couple of old friends in London I would really like to see (its been a long time and they could both use some company) so will make the effort to visit when the opportunity arises. Also going to invite my lovely next door neighbour in for a cuppa (took years to break the ice with her - she was a bit reclusive for a while I think after her marriage broke up) and a couple of other mum friends I am getting to know better over for a cuppa too. My big plan is to host a fundraising coffee morning in support of my favourite charity but haven't been brave enough yet to do it - partly just because I get so anxious hosting social things (better with the kids' parties) and also the charity itself means opening up about something personal to me. Anyway all this will have to wait a little while. THE bug has been back this afternoon for an encore!:eek: As soon as I get my energy back I will need to do some serious catching up on the domestic front, the place is looking dirty/untidy even by my lax standards No way are people being invited round til its half way decent. Even the kids' friends will have to wait - I have a couple of cancelled invites to honour from last week.

Goodness I didn't mean to write all that above but I'm glad I did, its very therapeutic all this writing malarky. I feel like I am waiting to embark on a new chapter on my life but not sure what. DS2 being at school fulltime for a year now I guess is the catalyst and we are thinking about moving (but not telling anyone else other than you wonderful on-line friends)

We are off to the flicks tomorrow (cheap junior movie tickets for old releases). Knew we would be struggling this weekend to do something as a family so at least DH & I can rest at the cinema (if my tummy sorts itself out by then!)

sq:)

Possession

GreyQueen wrote: »

You could go on Mastermind with it as your specialist subject.

Wanders off looking for her sonic screwdriver but can only find boring old earthian ones, dammit.

Yes I've often thought a working sonic screwdriver would be very useful. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of Dr Who, maybe they'll bring one out.:D

Saving Queen enjoy the cinema trip tomorrow, and I hope you'll feel better.

kezlou

monagran :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
sq aww your famkily are so sweet.
jem -get to the docs!
kidcat-what a nightmare

I tend to tell my children everything, if they ask a question i always try to answer it no mattter what the subject. It can emabrassing but i'd rather that than leaving them in the dark.My youngest is 8 and wants a phone but ive said no you can't have one till your 11. The same applied who ds2 who is now 12. I ended up getting a contract phone for his birthday, the deal was that he couldn't ask for money as i was paying for the phone.

We looked all over and payg was just far to expensive and his school as lso said no phone on during school hours. But expected the children to have internet acess on they mobiles for homework purposes. Total nightmare.

I got this deal
5000 texts (any nextwork)
2000 three miniutes
unlimted data
250 minutes(any network)

this was for £13 and the bill is capped to that price as well.

Mine is £18 (capped) so making it to £31 for both of ours. Three were also the only mobile phone place who would cap data, texts and calls. So i bot the bullet and the contract, felt sick doing it but i knew i needed a phone for us both as mine was broke and he needed one for school.

Oh and ahem my eldest was the last person in primary school to have a mobile phone, everyone else couldn't believe that he didn't have one.

Well the builders were here today, had to drag myself out of bed 8:30am to let them. work took longer than expected so they have to come back next week to finish it iff. Look very n ice though, started tidying but theres dust everywhere.

Apart from that we haven't been anywhere. OH is off down a mine tomorrow, its one of his hobbies so if you see red van around Crook in the North East England its probably him. No idea what were going to do yet.

Well i'm to bed totall yshattered.

kidcat

Savingqueen - I can totally understand that, my OH has no association with his family and I know there are times he finds it hard, although it was his decision. I was very aware for our wedding that there was not to be a brides/groom side of the church.

GQ - we have several sonic screwdrivers, none of them work, neither does our pocket watch thingy either much to DS14 utter disappointment,

Mobile phones - our rule was yr6 primary, my theory being that was the age they were going out a little more alone as part of high school prep. They started on PAYG and it cost a bomb even for just basics, I have a contract with T-mob so I added an extra account for DD after a couple of years of PAYG, she still has it now, it costs £5 per month, has 100 mins, unlimited text and data. DS started on PAYG for a year or two and then we moved him onto same deal too.

My quandry now is DD6 is out playing with her friends which neither of the older two were able to do, in and out of their houses, and I think she will need one younger than the older two, which they are both highly offended by. BUt times have changed, for us the change of area has allowed DD6 the ability to go out and play, call for friends and a little freedom, whereas for the older two we lived in the middle of town, no houses close by, surrounded by pubs etc. If they wanted to see friends it needed to be an organised visit, military precision exercise.

I am not planning on her getting a phone this year but can see that by age 8 it may well be peace of mind for me to know she has it whilst out.
DS8 obviously will not "need" one for a long time and this in itself will also cause issues.