make do and mend for tougher times

smileyt_2

Katieowl, thank you. Your dogs sound very special (aren't they all?). I would live on porridge and water, an apple a day, and asda smartprice mash and beans before I gave up the ghost on my dogs! They are 13 and 14 now but we still go out for two walks a day of at least 40 minutes each and often longer. They have literally given me a reason to keep living, like yours have for you. Mine don't sleep on my bed with me (Bruno kicks like a horse in his sleep!!) but they do have their beds next to mine.

Fuddle - :mad: about the curtains.

mcculloch29

When the weather is really cold and snowy, I'm often 'trapped' in the house for a while. I can't walk without support and whilst my trike can cope with icy pavements, it doesn't do snow. The shopping trolley likewise.
So I have got a fair bit stockpiled every winter, but not ridiculous amounts.
If stockpiling to extreme is what some people need for peace of mind, so be it, though in the event of a nuclear Armageddon, I'd probably want a swift passing rather than a long drawn out suffering extended by eking out an increasingly desperate existence...

What a cheering thought...! :rotfl:

I did a survey the other day which questioned me on my 'make do and mend' credentials - did I repair things or did I throw them out? It was actually all about using different types of adhesive.

Having just repaired a china salt cellar that was a treasured gift, fixed the sole of my sandals with superglue, plus glued an errant doorbell push on to a brick wall, I was in a good position to give some answers.
Next on the repair list - earrings that have come away from their backs.

Uniscots97

katieowl wrote: »

SmileyT I didn't get past the first paragraph without tears in my eyes...don't worry about it hon. I wouldn't be here without my dogs either, they are the reason I get out of bed in the morning. When I lost my special dog boy, I lasted a week before I rescued these two...one of them was broken hearted at being given away (the other one is a bit too dim to really have those sort of feelings) and we spent about a fortnight lying on the sofa chest to chest mending our broken hearts...we are rarely more than a few feet apart even now, and I hate leaving her to go to work, I never go away from home, and she sleeps in my arms every night - five years on!

I honestly don't know what will become of any of us...but where there is a will there is a way! I'm sure you will find a way to keep dogginess in your life! (((hugs)))


Kate

Kate, my dogs are very important to me as well. When my eldest dog (who passed away peacefully 2 years ago), became ill 7 years ago we were at our wits end trying to pay for her op. We managed and she had another 5 years getting cuddles and being impatient about me giving her jelly babies so she'd stealthily pull the packet out of my pocket. Our vet did tell us about the PDSA scheme where pets can be treated free or for a small fee (I think its £5 but not sure), we didn't qualify as we were working but it might be of some comfort to someone in case their furry companion needs care.

katieowl_2

smileyt wrote: »

Katieowl, thank you. Your dogs sound very special (aren't they all?). I would live on porridge and water, an apple a day, and asda smartprice mash and beans before I gave up the ghost on my dogs! They are 13 and 14 now but we still go out for two walks a day of at least 40 minutes each and often longer. They have literally given me a reason to keep living, like yours have for you. Mine don't sleep on my bed with me (Bruno kicks like a horse in his sleep!!) but they do have their beds next to mine.

Fuddle - :mad: about the curtains.

Yeah mine kick too...but occassional dribbling in my hair is worse...:p

Kate

fuddle

There's a pool of material on the window ledge pooky. It just would have looked weird two curtains being shorter then the other two. I did think about washing the other two to try to make them the same as the washed pair but there was no guarantee they would dry the same length as the washed pair and plus DH put his foot down saying we've paid for new curtains, we want new curtains and after all the plastic, fleece, blanket and sometimes bludy cardboard box we've had up at those windows I wanted my new curtains.

Anyway, all done. DH said we're boycotting Argos from now on. He said that he thought it absolutely rotten that there was no discussion about how wrong it was to send them back like that, no, "eeeh, what a terrible thing to do, sorry you were caught out" It was just chuck the dud goods in a bag, put a sticker on it and chuck it to the side, give me a new receipt, tell me to go pick it up at collection point A. A human conveyor belt :cool: I guess that what Argos is, I just didn't know how much I actually appreciate that empathetic human touch, especially when I'm a bit narked.

Byatt

What's the difference between the bedroom tax and LHA? I rent privately so can only have one bedroom (well I could have more but would still only be given LHA for one bedroom, even if I had 10), so don't understand what's changed? Me having dopey moments again I think.

mardatha

I think UKPreppers is a terrific site. I agree you get the ex-army types who go over the score on the freeze-dried rations or the Mad Max/Rambo wannabees - but any interest or hobby on the planet has these types..always some who go overboard. I've learned such a lot from there and funnily enough it was kittie who got me into all this !
Prepping is for many different things, but all of them boil down to water/food/heat. Get that sorted and you've done all you can.
One guy on there was caught up in the London 7/7 bombs and had to get off a tube train and walk along the track in the dark - he now carries a torch in his rucksack, wears comfy shoes and changes at work.
Remember the riots in London - what if you were out all day or on holiday, and came home late to find that going on...would you have a backup plan?
What if there was a power backout that lasted 24 hours ? No supermarket tills, no cash machines, no petrol pumps, no traffic lights, stair lights in flats. etc etc.
Its all about making us think. Thinking hurts, But it's good for you :D

mcculloch29

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Oh forgot to say, re wartime recipes, The Works have got 'We'll Eat Again' a book of wartime recipes selected by Margueritte Patten for £2.99 - not a big book but quite interesting.

I can put up some recipes from there too if anyone wants them.

Just spotted this-I bought this a few years ago and it is a really nostalgic read. I wouldn't call it particularly useful, but I love social history and it certainly is interesting.

Uniscots97

Having lived through severe floods when I was a child and the authorities threatening my parents with arrest unless I and the other children in the block were handed over (Mum and Dad were on the first floor and the block still has marks were the boats knocked against the building), my worry now is redundancy which has happened twice and this time I'm still seeking work. Having supplies has helped me reduce my outgoings which has taken the pressure off.

Pooky

Byatt - the way I've read it is that HB will only be paid for a set period (and then a gap between reclaiming) and will be based on need, not on where you actually live. So for example, I have two teenage DDs so we could only claim for a two bed flat LHA as that's all we officially need to live in. So it will effectively be cutting the benefit to those who live in a property that is outsized for their needs. I think a single person allowance will now be based on a room in a shared house rather than a one bed house/flat etc.