Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

DD and I went for a walk this afternoon along the footpaths and lanes and then down to the river. The footpaths are absolutely awash with fallen hazelnuts, they're almost ripe but still have green but hardening shells. I know we've had some windy weather over the past 24 hours but there are so many fallen nuts and they have all smashed underfoot as people walk the footpath, it's a popular dog walking spot. There are luckily lots of nuts still on the bushes but it's early for them to be coming down in numbers. Looking at the foliage on the trees and bushes it looks as though we're into an early autumn, the leaves are starting to turn colour and are looking like they're drying up. Is this the same in other parts of the country? We have bumper crops of hawthorn, rowan, conkers and blackberries this year but they are small and hardly swollen due to lack of rainfall and only just beginning to colour up and ripen, nowhere near ready to harvest yet. Our homegrown apples on the big old tree are starting to crack and split I think due to the heavy rainfall we've had a couple of times lately, I'm slightly concerned that the majority of them will be damaged and unuseable or rot on the tree as they are damaged, again is this just us or are other fruit trees doing this? The current predictions are for a hard winter due to the El Nino this year and if old wives know anything then the heavy crops are explained but if we lose the fruit and nuts before they're ripened for one cause or another it will be a bleak old winter and if we do get bad and cold weather the wildlife will really suffer.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

1 Tonsil.. Is there another way around it?? PayPal accoynt/ card. Western union payment to yourself?? I haven't got aclue about fees etc for these, but if it means you don't run out of cash. I know I don't post alot,but I do read.. But if there is anything I can do, please let me know.. I am sure there are others on this thread would help if needed .. Some with this country ( I know its nowhere near as bad as Greece) the politicians haven't got a clue what effects their decisions have on normal people...

nuatha

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I think I could do with someone here explaining clearly how WE can have OUR finances in OUR currency affected whilst living in someone else's country - 'cos tis a bit beyond me I must admit...

If you are using a native bank then you have whatever restrictions that bank or country chooses to impose. It may or may not affect your actual bank account depending on where that account is and the actual banking arrangements. However if you have a sterling account with native bank, then you get hit by whatever restrictions are imposed.
Example if you live in Spain then the courts can claim property taxes from any account you hold anywhere, together with the court costs and any fines.
I had taken it that 1Tonsil was using a Greek bank and had paid a sterling cheque into an account there. Whether or not that is a sterling account is immaterial. (Having said that I wish 1T good luck in getting it resolved).

Apologies for concerns caused by my absence, a combination of distraction techniques while awaiting some test results (pointless getting my knickers in a twist, since the result is more tests) said distraction may well be leading to a career change.

Doveling

It's dreich outside and I have just put a fleece on. My hand did hover over the central heating switch but I resisted.:rotfl:So cold!

1tonsil- how can they not let you have some of your own money? Thank goodness you have supplies in hand and paid your taxes when you did! Hope you get something worked out.
Like MTSTM I'm struggling to get my head round it.

I've started a "change" jar on the dresser in the kitchen so cash is available for small purchases as suggested in previous posts.

The hedgerows and trees around here are heaving with berries etc. so it may be a bad winter.

With that in mind, on the chicken front, I think I will take up the offer of the coop and run but not actually get any chooks till next spring. Thanks for helping me think it through.:D

[Deleted User]

Hi NUATHA hope you're OK and that tests and possibly more tests come to a conclusion for you that improves life even if it does precipitate a career change. Hope MIL is continuing to make progress and improve and that you and Mrs. Nuatha are both coping with the extra caring that MIL needs. Stay strong my friend, thinking of you all, Lyn xxx.

mardatha

There are no apple trees up here MrsL so I dono how they are doing. No sign of berries yet, in fact my big buddleia hasn't bloomed yet and my lilac is just coming out now. We haven't had much heat or sun this year, apart from that 4 days earlier in the year, around April I think it was.

[Deleted User]

My buddelia is almost finished now and the flower spikes are mostly brown and dying back. When DD and I walked this afternoon what was very noticeable were the huge amounts of big bumble bees on the lavender bushes in gardens we passed. Massive amounts of what I think are 'Tree Bumble Bees' and live in colonies but at least 100 on some of the bushes and very active it was lovely to hear and watch them being 'busy bees' in the most literal sense of the word. Lilacs here were finished before June, it's a small island this one of ours but with big regional variations in weather isn't it?

1Tonsil

You have it right Nuatha....we have a Greek bank account here and a UK bank account in the UK. Anyone with a Greek bank account is subject to all the restrictions that a Greek citizen is. For instance, if you transfer euros from the UK then you are only allowed to take out the sixty euros a day that the Greeks are allowed to take out.

When the Greek banks got closed by the IMF, western union and paypal stopped all operations in Greece. You can also use the Greek debit card to pay for items within Greece, but not outside it...so you can no longer order online if the company is outside Greece. The same goes for companies, they cannot pay suppliers outside the country and can only pay within limits inside Greece. It is also very difficult to get enough cash to pay bills when the limit to draw is only sixty a day maximum.

I really cant see any of it having a happy ending. The prime minister was at a meeting about the banks with the creditors today, but had to be taken to hospital after a third panic attack:eek: It has made me think that things are much worse than we have been told and we should all be having them! If all else fails we will have to head back to the UK to sort out the money situation if we cant get to our money over here.

We are in the middle of a heatwave here, its very hot and very muggy at the same time and they say there is no end to it in sight!
I would give anything for a good torrential downpour for an hour, or an hour or two of a cold breeze:rotfl:

We are being very careful with money at the moment and I am on a make do and mend plan. I had three pairs of jeans that were much too baggy on the legs , but fitted elsewhere. I made them into shorts and they are just the thing in this weather. I have been busy getting the surplus of green beans and tomatoes I was given, into the freezer. I am going to clear some of the bits and bobs in the freezer in the next couple of days and get something more worthwhile in there.

Today I saw warnings from the health institute in Greece that we have been added to the warning area for West Nile disease from Mosquitoes, and Ebola from tourists! Scary stuff. I also saw an update that said a Manchester A and E had been closed today due to a suspected MERS outbreak. God forbid, any kind of virus would spread like crazy in this hot muggy weather.:(
Thanks for all your support and suggestions, they really do help xxxx

mardatha

I could let you have a nice cold breeze and a torrential cool downpour! Swap you for some lovely blazing hot sun ... *sobbing*

jk0

I've got an idea 1T.

How about if you transfer the equivalent of say 100 Euro plus fees online to your sister in Blighty. Then she withdraws it, takes it to the post office, changes to Euros, and posts you a single 100 Euro bank note by airmail. Repeat every week as necessary.