Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

DOVELING you'd know if we had, I'd have been the one hugging the Oak Trees!!!

GreyQueen

And what's wrong with tree-hugging, I'd like to know? That breed (can't spell it) are gorgeous.

[Deleted User]

I don't see anything wrong with hugging trees either GQ, in fact I feel that it's vastly underrated as a leisure time occupation, trees are nice!

ivyleaf

GreyQueen wrote: »

I'm of the generation which didn't have computers in their schooling either; I got myself to adult ed classes and clawed my way up through the RSA qualifications, ECDL etc etc. Not easy to motivate yourself, when you have ME and are struggling to manage, to climb on a pushbike on rainy dark winter evenings and pedal off to far-flung high schools to get those classes done.

I did it because of a realistic understanding that the world had changed and that if I wanted to by employable, I needed to get with the program (sic).

Oh, they did train us to use the department's own computer systems - but it seemed as if the typists went quite suddenly, and before those of us who didn't have a PC at home had had a chance to learn to use one, IYSWIM.

Mind you, I was off work ill for 7 months around that time, so it may be that I was left with a false impression of how fast things had happened (i.e. , because I wasn't there, my colleagues had a lot more warning than I did, if that makes sense?). I did do some evening classes (Italian) before I got M.E. but couldn't manage afterwards, unfortunately.

I did learn to use Word as I went along, but only got more confident with it a few years ago when i was well enough to do some studying with the OU

ivyleaf

Oh Doveling, his poor owner I hope he turns out to be a good "fit" for you, he sounds lovely

Perplexed_Pineapple

There's a very interesting documentary on this ZH article about the French Revolution:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-17/when-class-divide-gets-too-wide-another-look-french-revolution
There do seem to be a few parallels to today.
Doveling, your dog sounds lovely, I'm very jealous :T

mardatha

I would never ever hug a tree. Have you see what lives on them?? under the bark?? YEUGH!
I have something approaching phobia about trees. they give me allergies and they have too many hidden eyes peeking out of them... I can come close to panic in woods and need to get out fast into the open.

Ryanna2599

Doveling wrote: »

Very interesting conversation.
Education has nearly come full circle I think.
I went to the grammar school, my sister went to the secondary modern, Children were made to feel if they didn't pass the "eleven plus" that they were failures in some way. So technical schools, apprenticeships etc. were phased out and everyone went to the same type of school. But children are all different so that couldn't work could it? So now everything is going into reverse.

If only Grammar schools were a thing of the past. Where we live there are still two or is it three (if you count Academies) types of school. DD feels she should sit the Grammar entrance exam because her friends are; IMO too much pressure for a nine-year-old. I don't want to interfere as she needs to make her own decision.

From a prepping perspective I've been rotating the tins this week (from stock into cupboard), making crumble with rhubarb brought home from school gardening club, decluttering baby stuff no longer used by DS and adding to stocks of toothbrushes/kitchen roll/bin bags.

Frugalsod

Doveling wrote: »

Other people want him but we are owner's first choice.
Sorry, I don't do furbaby. He is a dog and will be treated as one.
But loved and well cared for... just not upstairs or on the sofas!:D

Wish us luck!

Good luck.

Well I wonder how long you will manage to keep him downstairs. How long before he is on the bed with you?

GreyQueen

Mar, for what it's worth, I feel the same about bare hills and mountains as you do about woods. Up there, where there should be trees and they've all been deforested by human beans and bliddy sheep, and there's no cover, and the poor soil is degraded and the bare bones are sticking out of the landscape (rocks). *Shudders*

Give me a lovely wood any day of the week. Who could fail to be uplifted by a beechwood at this time of year, as the stately silvery boles of the trees loft skywards and the light filters down through brand new leaves of the most delicate green? Or the scent of pines in sunshine? The golden rustle of aspens in autumn? I adore trees.

This weekend the first cuckoo of the season was heard in the woods where my Dad walks. Apparently the beggars only spend about 6 weeks in the country before burgering off back to Africa. How on earth did a creature evolve such strange and energy-consuming reproductive habits?:rotfl: