Preparedness for when

Hollyberry

GQ - you're elected!

I've loved the chat on here about twin tubs. It brings back lovely childhood memories of lying on the kitchen floor in a nest of clothes waiting to be washed, and listening to that soothing rhythmic sound of the machine at work. I swear it works better than any other anti-stress remedy for me! Our lowly automatic is but a poor imitation...and you can't throw in any last minute extras you forgot.

Talk of blackouts has prompted a little spending here. Coal, or rather smokeless fuel is ordered for our open fire, I've stocked up on candles and put torches on each floor where I can locate them without (hopefully) committing stairicide in the process.

I remember the three day week, when we seemed to have power cuts every time we were at high risk. My poor mum had it worst of any of us. She worked for the electricity board at the time, and they had to staff the phones by lantern light, even when the power was on at their offices. Apparently, staff couldn't be seen to have electricity when other people were being cut off, so they worked constantly in the emergency lighting, then she often came home to more of the same as we had a real power cut. Still have the same Scrabble set we used then. And I reckon I could still cook dinner on the open fire if needed (and have a sacrificial old saucepan in mind).

jk0

Anyone remember Joe & Petunia from the 70's?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkjkdVHpRec

My mother refers to her next door neighbours as Joe & Petunia, as they look & sound just like them.

pricew1970

alltrustgone wrote: »

Well, I for one would vote for you Grey Queen.

If any one of these ******** had the slightest scrap of integrity, they'd be shouting from the rooftops "Thank you but no thank you, outrageous suggestion, we shouldn't even be considering this in the current climate".

They are disgusting.

ATG

If they had any integrity they would not have made it as politicians :rotfl:

daftmummy

very funny jko, I used to love that Charlie and strangers "always tell your mummy before going off with someone "

alice-mary

mardatha wrote: »

What is chocolate?

It is a food group in its own right...imho!

Alice
xx

paidinchickens

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

I love Russell Brand has anyone seen the Paxman interview?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfdi2t-JBTA
Well worth a watch

I didn't want to like ole Russell but he does make me laugh.

thriftwizard

alice-mary wrote: »

It is a food group in its own right...imho!

Alice
xx

Nah, it's a vegetable - it's a bean, therefore it counts as one (possibly more - beans are really, really good for you, everyone knows that) of your 5 a day. Should be available on the NHS.

[Deleted User]

MAR you wouldn't like it at all ....... it's made from KALE!!!!!!!!!!!

mardatha

_pale__pale__pale_

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

What is chocolate?

Nothing you need to trouble yourself about, Mar; leave it to the rest of us to take it off your hands.

bluebag wrote: »

The staff of life.:)

Most definately a food group. The main food groups in my life are; porridge, HM bread, mince, fruit, HG veg, a little dairy and the divine chocolate, food of the gods.

Weeeel, hit the fatigue wall yesterday at 8.30 and went to bed and resurfaced exactly 12 hours later. Feeling much restored, so will have to see how much trouble I can get up to today. Rats, most of the day will involve working for my living; dammit, it does cut into my prepping time.

Been having a browslette at ZH and still feeling that the global economy is a runaway train. The only question in my mind is when we hit that bend in the track too fast and derail. I have no confidence in the happy talk coming out of the government via their media stooges.

I believe what I see in RL. I see that the benefits claims are going up, and that there are people working who are on such pitiful hours and rates that they are still eligible for HB. When the new claims count declines, I will think things are getting better.

I see empty shops on the high street in this southern English city, and empty stalls on a market where you only used to be able to get a space as a newbie trader when someone died. I see a plethora of payday loans, cheque cashing outfits, cash converters, pawn shops, we-buy-gold places, charity shops and secondhand shops.

To me, this doesn't look like a vibrant and growing economy, it looks like an economy catabolising existing resources to keep afloat.

Yes, my spies and informants who live near Waitrose tell me that it's doing a roaring trade, but with only two very specific parts of the demographic; affluent pensioners and harrassed yummy-mummy county wives with five children in tow.

Meanwhile, back in the rest of the city, the shops with fixed low prices are heaving, the £ stores and 99p Stores etc, and the charity shops are mobbed.

Apart from visits this week to the hardware store and another to the haberdasher, I can't think of when I last went into a non-food store which sells things at full price. My life just doesn't run to new clothes, it runs to new-to-me clothes, ditto housewares etc. I've been living this way quite happily for so long that it's just my personal culture and would be very hard to change.