Preparedness for when

lobbyludd

there'll be someone here who is a pharmacist so I apologise for this - but my research department used to share a building with the pharmacy undergrads/post reg's and they are very intelligent and it's a very long course, full of the professional ethical conundrums etc and their duty of care. and then a percentage of them become essentially shop keepers, which is humdrum and there is little intellectual challenge, and not very much kudos from the public - many pharmacy students just failed to get into med school (not all by any means - but a percentage). All of this can mean that a percentage take a very paternalistic attitude to their customers, and refuse to sell them legal over the counter medications for what amount to prejudicial whims. not all of them - I've known very pragmatic, sensible pharmacists, but within any group of people there will be a range. ex FIL was a pharmacist.

I know life is different now, but we always enjoyed a powercut when we were kids - had an element of adventure to it, get them involved in it as that and they'll be fine.

we have board games, books, an enormous pile of paper and craft stuff (if you have jam jars with tea light in, during a black out the kids could make paper snow flakes to decorate them). you could put up pretend tents in their rooms or the lounge if you're only able to keep one room warm) - depending how long it lasts for and whether school is open if you make it fun initially they'll rise to that occasion.

I have some of those recycled wool blankets that I think you're talking about fuddle - they are great - really thick and warm.

my parents on one side are well prepped for powercuts, we discussed it a few days ago.

still cannot believe how warm it is. 20 degrees in my house last night with no heating.

Nargleblast

Good thinking cuddlymarm, just make sure your phone is charged. If you don't do this already, maybe consider putting it on charge every night.Must admit I don't do this, I wait until the battery icon loses one if its "boxes" - you can tell I would never be much use as a prepper, can't you? Although I do have a good supply of home made crab apple jelly, orange and lemon marmalade, and apple chutney in the cupboard.

thriftwizard

Music is a great standby for power cuts; back in the dreaded 70s we sat around our (open) fire with guitars, recorders, harmonicas, Indian drums (parents had lived in India for 8 years) and spoons, and caterwauled away for hours, when we'd got bored with board games & crochet. Aaah, the Golden Age of Folk Music... Luckily our house was fairly far away from anyone else apart from the church organist, who was almost certainly out playing the organ in the dark at the time, like something out of the Pink Panther. You could hear the bass notes thundering across the green...

And we could happily put on an impromptu concert now, with guitars, a harp, harmonicas, recorder & drums still being played from time to time in the house. (DS1 is a professional musician.) But I might mysteriously not be able to lay my hands upon the accordions...

RAS

You only need one light for one person to be able to read out loud. Many people love being read stories.

jk0

Anyone ever think their house is haunted?

About ten years ago I moved into a bungalow I was renovating. Every night I was awoken by terrible howls and running feet, but on investigating, there was nothing there.

I mentioned this to a friend who asked if there could be a cat living there. Sure enough holding a mirror under one of the floorboards I had up, I could see two little eyes looking at me. I tempted him out & sent him packing and heard no more howls.

Now, in my present house, occasionally I hear the doorbell in the night, but of course there's no-one there. This has been happening for ten years now, so I don't think it's naughty children.

Yesterday, I decided to take the batteries out of the doorbell to see if I still heard it. Nope I didn't hear the doorbell, but I heard someone move a box of jingly ornaments I'd put on the landing.

!!!!!!!

moneyistooshorttomention

Hmmm.....wooooooo! jko....

There are advantages to it being Halloween....and personally I'm actually enjoying this one already;) Long story....but...yep....

Whoops...maybe shouldnae have said that....smell of talcum powder coming up any minute now in my house.....

By now, I have learnt that at least one of the handful of previous owners feels like they are "wishing me well" (gawdknowsIneed it as I've got the same NFH they all had) and the "signature tune" employed for "Thinking of you/wishing you well with NFH/apologies you've been landed with them now because I should have been 'stronger' with them/will help you now if I can" seems to be the smell of talcum powder. NFH outlived all the previous owners here....

I just don't use talcum powder and haven't for many a long year and this house has been virtually gutted...so there is absolutely no way I could ever detect that smell logically...but once in a while it happens....

By now I just say mentally "Hello/yep NFH is still at it/any further bright ideas for dealing with her are very welcome".

moneyistooshorttomention

...and I am so not going to be able to resist the fact that I didn't think people actually laughed like this...until I heard NFH outside "acting confident".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MYIPNd6yRw

Happy Halloween/Solstice all.

Bathory

I've not lived in a haunted house as such but when I lived out in the sticks we had a bit of a 'pet cemetary' at the top of the field. I buried a cat who had died of poisoning and was very upset. A few nights later both me and my mum spotted a small light glowing in the dark just above where he was placed. I have never forgot it.

My stepbrother was the last person in the world to believe in ghosts but one night he came home absolutely shaken. It was winter time and he had drove home along the country lanes in the darkness, when he swears he saw a figure standing out in the lane with outstretched arms (like a hitchhiker). He said it was a lady who looked grey-ish in colour and who seemed to have no feet !! It looked like she was floating ! When he stopped the car there was no trace. Ironically, the road is called Dark Lane which is in the Macclesfield area.

Happy halloween/Samhain blessings ...

mardatha

I certainly believe in ghosts. I've had horrible experience of a haunted house and I'm a medium :D

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

I certainly believe in ghosts. I've had horrible experience of a haunted house and I'm a medium :D

I'm a Large, meself.

About 20 years ago, a pal had to have his then-house exorcised due to a haunting which had people being touched by unseen hands and poltergeist-type manifestations inc objects moving sideways through the air. Witnessed by several people on several occasions.

Scared the stuffing out of the pal and some guests he'd not even mentioned it to. I sensed and saw nothing although I was a regular visitor and crashed there overnight several times during the haunting spell.

Guess I must have a tin-ear for the spirit world, then. :rotfl:

The previous occupant of my flat died in it (in bed, natural causes) and I've never had any woo-woo. Mind you, the cottage I spent my earliest years in was early 1600s and goodness knows how many peeps had entered the world and left it enclosed by those snug walls.........