Preparedness for when

Frugalsod

greenbee wrote: »

I was in the village shop today, and it was suggested that politicians should be on zero hours contracts - so only paid for when they turn up and work (either in parliament or their constituency).

As for expenses, we reckoned those should be calculated at benefits levels - can't claim more for food (only when away from home) than would be considered the proportion allowed for it in JSA or similar.

Why not also link their pay to the minimum wage as well with a maximum multiple of 5 times and 6 times for a minister and 7 times for PM.

Maybe they all should spend the first year of any parliament on minimum wage as well so they get an idea of what millions have to do every year not just one.

GreyQueen

Frugalsod wrote: »

Why not also link their pay to the minimum wage as well with a maximum multiple of 5 times and 6 times for a minister and 7 times for PM.

I could go with that. Don't they do something similar in the John Lewis Partnership? Mind you, people tend to like and trust JL, unlike the denizens of Westminster Village. And I think the politicos spend far too much blinking time on holidays, the lazy s0ds.

SuperGran participated in a local hustings a few weeks ago. The odour of singeing has just about dissipated from the Torydem muppet, whose campaign had the dadblasted cheek to send me personally addressed mail today. How the F did they get my name and address?!

I was planning to attend the hustings and ask them if they'd be signing on on May 8th or if they'd already made enough influential pals to grease into a nice job somewhere but, alas, I had other things on that night. SG squared up and did her duty. The woman has nursed for the Red Cross in war zones and has considerable cojones.

Frugalsod

I must have had thirty plus emails from the Tories via their MP requiring all complaints is initially by email. Weekly pamphlet drops by them as well. This is a solidly conservative area where no other party has had a look in for more than a century but the rest of the constituency is marginal and with high poverty I suspect that it will swing to Labour.

Even today the announcement of a law to stop tax increases looks increasingly like a totally desperate leader trying to hold on to power.

nuatha

elaine241 wrote: »

This weeks drama involves my mothers partner who is hell bent on causing trouble. He tried to marry her in hospital to negate any will (yes he said this to my sister!!) and then got my mother to change her will two days before she died.

Good luck
That sounds like a whole load of complications that you really don't need.

After all this stress I am going to re read my family trusts and will to make sure there are no loop holes that would prevent my wishes being carried out ( I have a son from a previous relationship). I am also going to have a look at Age UK's information re wills, probate etc as they seem very detailed.
I am going to ask the doctor to sign me sick for a couple of weeks ( i am at the moment) as I have decided to put myself first for once and have a damm good rest and ,weather permitting, plant up some of my veg patch.

Putting yourself first sounds like the best plan (now that you've replenished the tea). Seriously, take the time you need.

The one thing I am going to beat myself up preps wise is to get off my butt and scan /save/copy all important docs; I have been putting this off as it involves paperwork!!
Keep prepping all, Elaine xx

I know it seems like work and isn't fun, but you won't regret getting it out of the way.
Look after yourselves.

[Deleted User]

We've had very little literature re the forthcoming election,1 x Conservative leaflet, 2 x UKIP leaflets but for the same person and 1 Green Party leaflet so at least I know names now but not a sign nor whisker of any of the others. I looked online to see names or I wouldn't know diddly!!! This is a staunchly Conservative area but even here there are no posters in windows or gardens, in fact I've only seen one and that was for Lib Dems in one of the suburbs I passed through on the bus on my way to Ikea last week. I guess folks are so demotivated that no one wants to be linked with any of the parties, that or it's total appathy about the whole thing. I don't find these confrontational 'debates' on TV any help at all, just gives me a disincination to vote for any of them and the feeling that they need 'Supernanny' to go in and teach them how to behave!

Nice morning here today and I'm cooking rhubarb.......again! in fact I've got enough rhubarb to feed the nation several times over. Todays offering is more of the oven roasted kind with orange which we'll use for breakfasts and puddings and I've still got half the bagfull left to do something else with. It's an aspect of survival that I hadn't been clued up on that living seasonally means having the same thing over and over while it's ready and available and I'll be trying to ring as many changes of recipe as I can so we don't get jaded with whatever it is we're using at the time. I'm going to start a 'glut' recipe book and record what works and what doesn't in terms of making the glut into differing and acceptable foods that we don't feel 'Oh NOT AGAIN' about.

elona

How about making jars of apple and rhubarb jam.

They could be used for desserts etc or given as gifts.

[Deleted User]

You should see how much I've got of the 'desperation jam' I made at about this time in the rhubarb season last year!!! We have a 16 foot row of the stuff on the allotment and it's growing like a forest and He Who Knows does so hate to let any go to waste. My 'just enough for a couple of days dear' seems to produce vast bagfuls that would feed an army, a hungry army, for a week!!! I like rhubarb, don't think I don't, but I KNOW there is such a thing as too much!!!

moneyistooshorttomention

I've had quite a lot of Election bumph throw the door. Mind you, I just had to scan the local papers to see who NOT to vote for - ie the candidates who think its fine to make discriminatory comments against other British people (ie English, Scottish or Irish)?:rotfl:.

That meant several less candidates I could vote for. Then knock out the Conservative candidate and there isn't much choice left....

greenbee

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

We've had very little literature re the forthcoming election,1 x Conservative leaflet, 2 x UKIP leaflets but for the same person and 1 Green Party leaflet so at least I know names now but not a sign nor whisker of any of the others. I looked online to see names or I wouldn't know diddly!!! This is a staunchly Conservative area but even here there are no posters in windows or gardens, in fact I've only seen one and that was for Lib Dems in one of the suburbs I passed through on the bus on my way to Ikea last week. I guess folks are so demotivated that no one wants to be linked with any of the parties, that or it's total appathy about the whole thing. I don't find these confrontational 'debates' on TV any help at all, just gives me a disincination to vote for any of them and the feeling that they need 'Supernanny' to go in and teach them how to behave!

I have a postal vote, and it arrived before any of the leaflets did It was sent back before then too...

There are conservative posters up here, and lib dem/conservative ones in the next town. I've had a conservative turn up on the doorstep, but I was working and TBH I don't know whether that was for parliamentary or council elections. No one really seems to be making much of an effort to secure our votes - like your area, it's traditionally conservative, and with only 600-odd people in the village probably no one feels it's worth the effort.

I like the 'vote muppet' poster personally...

Re the rhubarb Lyn, if I wasn't off for work again shortly I'd offer to take it off your hands. Mind you, if you have any rhubarb cakes, I'm happy to buy a couple from you for our village fete on Monday My parents donate all their excess jam to their village fete. Maybe I we should run a 'jam swap' so that even local fetes don't end up with too much of the same. Oh, and I have some jam jars if you want them?

[Deleted User]

Hi GREENBEE I'm being abandoned for a few days by the guy with the wheels and I'm going to have a concerted 'rhubarb fest' and make multi rhubarb based things to go into the freezer. The stuff doesn't freeze at all well on its own but made into crumbles, cooked and then frozen it works well. He'll be taking quite a lot up to DD though as she always has many willing takers for the surplus. It's a long lasting crop though and I'm sure there will still be plenty for you when you are home again and free to meet up for coffee!!! Jam jars, yes please I'd love some. See you when you're back and have a couple of hours free to meet us. The willow slips have been a great success and most of them have taken and are growing away well. We might need to fill in a couple of gaps in the teepee in the autumn if you're likely to have some spares then? Lyn xxx.