make do and mend for tougher times

Byatt

Glad she was so helpful Ginny, and you taught her something too.

SpikyHedgehog

fuddle wrote: »

Thanks for the link Mar.
This bit:



To me that is 3 sentences of utter rot. Resolve of the British people? It's nowt to do with the British people's resolve and everything to do with the credibility of their plans.... well done you lads, good plan there. Yes, you stick to your guns, ignore every bit of professional advice given to you since you revealed your jolly good plans years ago and keep your defiant stubborn streak even in the midst of a - growth forecast. Golly good old boy.

Obviously our government think they know better than the IMF, who warned them that they should change course if there was a lower than expected growth.

Cameron thinks his austerity measures are solid but wants to invest in business in the UK. Am I missing something here? If no one has anything to spend buying things from businesses or paying for business services - how is that going to work?

Why can't they loosen the austerity belt? Will it mean more borrowing?

On the revolution must be televised, they give subtitles of speeches, translated into honest...

fuddle wrote: »

I've found GMB and Unison. Does it matter which one? My mam says GMB is what the miners would have used so I'm swayed with them as being more for the working class or is that just daft?

fuddle wrote: »

I'm torn. The one they are in is £6.77 and Unison is £3.50 per month. The girls told me GMB was £3.50 too. I'm going to email GMB and ask about it.

I was the first one at work to join a union, and I chose based on being able to strike if needed as some of the unions for preschool staff won't strike. I'm not saying I would strike, but I reserve the right to do so if I believe it's right to strike. GMB should have something on their website to work out how much you'd pay based on your earnings, I know Unison does...?

Aria`s_Tail

((((HUGS)))) to Cake, I had to go through the exact same thing last year, take comfort in the fact it was peaceful and at the right time for Catto.

Shegar, may sound daft but have you eaten anything different over the last few days, I'm sure certain foods can flare up artheritis?

Mary B. Sympathies in advance on the bra front. I was in plaster a couple of years ago and had to get up at 5.30 for OH to help me get dressed (especially bra, mine too are mountainous) before he went to work (postie), I then used to go back to bed for a a couple of hours whilst half dressed. I hope all goes well.

I know I said I wouldn't be about for a week as I am at work (24h live in carer) but I had a revelation this afternoon.:D
I had brought my laptop to work so I can do my fitness DVDs when on my break but my client hasn't got internet of a DVD player). I had already debated and decided against buying mobile internet as a luxury I really can't afford. Anyway I realised I can 'tether' my phone to my lappy et voila! :j I;m dead chuffed with myself for figuring that out.
I'm just waiting for my client to drop off to sleep then I can go to bed.

D&DD

I was the shop steward at our shirt factory does it show?
The tailors and garment factory workers union was swallowed up long ago by one of the big boys can't remember who now..those were the days..

*waves at a fellow posties wife* Aria's tail is yours snoring too lol

MrsCD

kidcat wrote: »

DD still hasnt declared on birthday cake either, she was veering towards cake pops, then cup cakes then a large cake. Its now too late for me to make anything at all so am really tempted to call into Costco tomorrow after dropping stuff at venue, join and buy a cake - does anyone know if they are available off the shelf or if they need to be pre-ordered? And if pre-order how long they take?

I'm not sure if it's the same at each Costco, but at ours you have to pre-order at leats 2 days ahead. They are worth the cash though if you're pushed for time to make one. I think you can still get a cake at MrA with a photo printed on top. They are usually done fairly quickly if you wanted something a bit different.

SpikyHedgehog

fuddle wrote: »

Good morning

I'm in a dash but wanted to check in with you. Teachers? Do you gift teachers at Christmas? If so, what? Saw some Roses in Coop for £2 on offer. I'm tempted to just get some and then it's done with but the savvy in me thinks I'd like the girls to bake something, but then the stingy in me though it'll probably cost more in ingredients than buying the Roses.

As we can see, I'm fine today... back to pondering meaningless daftness.

I would get them for £2 - if you don't use them for the teachers, there'll be the request for donations for the Xmas fair, Secret Santa with the work girls, Brownie raffle prizes (though, actually DD1 isn't old enough for Brownies yet?), etc...

I have a burn on my wrist from nearly 3 years ago, making the brownies to send into school for the staff for last day - and then it was closed with too much snow! (One of the TAs lives round the corner and DS1 is friends with her DS1, so her family got 1 tray full, and we made the sacrifice of eating the other tray .)

I do prefer making something though. Every year I plan to start forcing bulbs at half term and don't do it DS1 has now been in school for 14 years I may just save that to do with my grandchildren!

katieowl wrote: »

Pretty sure mine is cause by my brain going at 90mph when the body is doing about 5mph brain/mouth lag in other words... because it happens when I am writing by hand too....I'm several steps ahead of what letter/word I'm currently forming in my head, and my hand keeps trying to keep up with my brain, resulting in a mess on paper. Much easier for me to type, in fact I think I may be loosing the ability to hand write entirely :eek: does anyone else have this problem?

Another fairly good day at the market for me yesterday, I'm getting such nice feedback from people, which really makes the effort worth while. The downside is that on my days 'off' I'm still cooking as I'm experimenting with new stuff. Today's experiment is a GF/Vegan pastry - chilling in the fridge at the moment. I have some pasty filling left over from Monday so will use that up in the experiment - and we'll call that tonights dinner! LOL!

I had to go pick DS up from college last night as they had a special extended lecture, which was past the last of the busses home :mad: NOT only that, but they then went an HOUR past the time that they said they'd finish, so I got there for seven, along with several other mummies, and we stood there like lemons for an hour waiting for the lads to turn up!!! I didn't get home until gone 9pm so I hope they are not going to make a habit of doing this! The only consolation was, that on the way home, I saw my first ever live badger! So I was made up about that!

I've got tons of housework and washing up to do, so better get on with that instead of chatting to you lot

Kate

I think a word that repeats of hour over-long late lectures are not ok is due - that would have been tricky for anyone who doesn't have someone able to pick them up with a car without it then overrunning!

tessasmum wrote: »

Fuddle, I made little open trays last year from thick paper, and then put a scrunched up piece of tissue paper in each one. On that was laid about 6 pieces of home made fudge and then the whole thing was put in a cellophane bag from Lakeland [cheaper alternatives are out there, I hope!] and tied with a scrap of ribbon. A little home made label attached to the ribbon listed the To and From info, with ingredients listed on the back for those that needed to know.

I am going to do the same again this year as the fudge was very well received, although I am probably going to make it three home made truffles and three pieces of fudge as I have found a crackingly good recipe for Ferrero-Rocher type sweeties. I have done a practise run of these [photos on blog] and they came out very well.

The "home made" impact of this does make it memorable, though, and people ask for more...

I love that idea!

As a preschool teacher, I love the cards where the child has put their own mark making in them, and anything that goes with it is warmly appreciated. But I particularly like homemade food 'cos I'm greedy. We got a scrumptious Portuguese flan at the end of the summer term, with about 1cm thick layer of almonds on top. This did however mean that the staff member with nut allergy couldn't have any.

I'm not sure how much DS2's school appreciate the homemade stuff as I don't get any feedback - I know DS1's did as they told me so when he left, they said they'd miss my cooking!

The_Dragon wrote: »

when gifting food items PLEASE remember potential allergies!

I think if you're making something for lots of staff at school, if you don't know of any allergies/religious reasons to avoid specific foods/dietary choices/medical requirements, it's enough to make it clear what's in the food.

When we've had parents cook us curries, I don't eat them as a vegetarian unless they confirm there's no meat in there & what their definition of no meat is

katieowl wrote: »

But conversely if you KNOW someone has an allergy/intolerance a well thought out and researched home made food item is a cracking gift, bearing in mind the dreadful offerings in the supermarkets!!! (and have you seen the price of vegan chocolates!)

I sell quite a bit of GF and Dairy free stuff in the market, and it's really lovely to see peoples faces light up when they discover they CAN eat something! I do a dairy free/GF mini rocky road choccie, but I know you can make truffles with coconut milk, and they are lush (Aldi do a dark choc that is dairy free!)

We did food gifts for the family last year and my eldest DD did a fantastic job of making treats for everyone, that were tailored to the various allergies in the family. I got some fantastic GF florentines, and DD had dairy free stuff. She's also made some vegan treats, although I find that the most challenging.


Kate

Mum is always very impressed when people make nummy food for her

fuddle wrote: »

Yes Lyn, Roses chocolates You're a corker and I love being around you x

Having been to work and seeing the excitement of the teaching staff over schools Great British Bake Off (selling cakes to raise money for African charity where they enable children to have a school meal) I am going to bake a gift! I was thinking something simple like twinks hobnobs, cellophaned and ribboned with the girls doing their thing on the label. Probably more than the Roses but what he heck!

I bought 2 chocolate muffins (you know, to show my support ) and just scoffed them both with a cuppa and double

I have good news! I have received my confirmation with the social housing division and I can now bid for 2 or 3 bedroomed properties. I am very pleased to see on the letter a warning about the proposed bedroom tax too.

Our grading is non emergency and the lowest tier so realistically it will be a very long time before we'll hit lucky but it's a start.

Edit: pops I'm looking at the grading for this council (different to ours as we're wanting out of the area) but it says you'd be given top priority (not emergency but ahead of many other) If you're an under occupier with 2 spare rooms! Good news though, worth keeping a look out for something in your area, if the rules are the same for lvn'

Brilliant! And as Mar says, it may well come up quicker than you think.

mardatha

Really odd sky here this morning and the rain forecast to move in early afternoon. You take it bad when you've had a week of gorgeous frosty sunny days. I looked north every night but never saw the northern lights yet, one of my life ambitions.
This year for the C word I'm getting the family a hot water bottle each, and on Ravelry I found 2 whole pages of hot water bottle cover patterns so the Gothy daughter can have a purple and black one; the artist son can have a bright colourful one; and the huntinshootinfishin son can have an olive green one, unless I find a cammo pattern

Sunshine4

Its pouring down in buckets here has been all night.

Mar I was going to knit OH and myself covers for our new hot water bottles. But I am not allowed to knit for the time being.
I have some spare fleece, so I will make the covers with that.

Trying to save as much cash as I can, so I am looking at what I have in the house and using that. Also stretching the meat out with oats and lentils.
Its a battle when everything in the shops is going up everytime you look.:mad:

fuddle

I'm attempting a K1 P1 (I'm rubbish, always forget what stitch I did last and it turns out jumbly) rib collar (neck) then carrying it down to be a shrug like thing over my shoulders... completely made up by me using wool out of the Kemps lucky bag I got a few months back. Casting on 300 on circular needles. Wish me luck because I cannat do socks yet! I'm always running before I can walk.

At doc's tonight. I'm going to ask about weaning off the AD's. I feel on the whole I'm much, much better but it depends on whether he thinks it will knock me back. It might be too soon.

Spag bol tonight. My job and then digging out the borders ready to get some bark down as a weed solution.

Does bindweed die back in the autumn/winter?

VJsmum

OK, resourceful people a couple of puzzles you might be able to help me with

1. I have a chicken casserole (Delia's chicken in cider vinegar) leftovers that I am defrosting. Only I remember that it was too vinegary before. Any ideas how I can de-vinegar it?
2. I have a pair of knee length black boots, ideal to wear with skirts and dresses. However the bottom of them is completely smooth and I cannot walk far without nearly falling a over t in them. Particularly at this time of year with leaves on the ground. how can I rough em up a bit?

I am sat at home supposedly marking. I will start in a mo and bribe myself with cleaning the floor when I've done it - what an exciting life I lead :rotfl:. I have a ridiculously light workload at the moment as some things I had been teaching have been removed due to the closure of a course. It will pick up after christmas and next year will be manic so I am not worried for my job, but at the moment it is money for old rope. I don't like it much, I'd rather earn my money honestly than get paid to mop my own floor. Having said that, over the years I have worked far more than i have been paid for - last year I worked the equivalent of 3 weeks more than I'm paid for and the year before that was 5! So I guess I'll make the most of the lull. I have told colleagues and bosses that my workload is stupidly light but they haven't acted on it, everyone is so precious about their own modules (I am too if I'm honest). Not much of a moan to have really is it!

Fuddle - maybe you feel better cos the AD's are doing their job? In the past when I've been on them I found i kept forgetting to take them, that's when I knew I was better.

OK - I will mark this dissertation