Preparedness for when

ALIBOBSY

Sadly I have agree with those on here that say they are feeling things are sliding down the pan. TBH the recessions/depressions of the past all had something "BIG" to drag us out of them, but I just can't see anything on the horizon to do it for the country this time.

Historically if you think about it its only say the last 50 years or so where expectations of lifestyle and "wealth" have become the be all and end all. Prior to that people just lived and managed.

All my grandparents generation grew food in the garden, often had chickens, fixed their own cars/washing machines etc, made most food from scratch/baked/stretched food and money budgets as a matter of course and obviously this was even more of a way of life in the generations prior to that.
TBH even in the 70's my Dad did have a veg plot, and has always loved his garden, but Mum pushed him into grassing it over as she couldn't see the point-as it happens me getting into GYO has spurred him into sticking some food items in amongst the plants in the garden and we often swap seedlings lol.

But whole generations now are unused to this way of living and expect and indeed demand so much more. The reality is though for someone to be rich, someone else-usually many more people have to be poorer or at least less well off. With the passing of peak oil the money has been and will slip from our western societies, I feel like what we are seeing now is the deadthrows where the rich are desperately trying to hold onto their money and will do that at the expensive of the most vunerable in society if thats what it takes.

I honestly don't believe it makes a jot of difference who you vote for now its all fiddling whilst Rome burns-ALL MP's whatever there group are on the whole pretty rich and don't want to see that fall, and any party would sacrifice the lot of us to look after themselves.

So many bad things in the offing. Are the banks open in Cyprus yet? Bet it will be a run when they finally do even if the "haircut" doesn't go ahead-who will trust them now? If they go then maybe Greece will start to follow and so on, could be a Domino effect with run after run accross the EU if we are not careful. Hope it doesn't come to that, but its isn't impossible.

Next couple of years will see energy issues and I wouldn't bet against rolling power cuts a la the 70's so when any spare cash going to invest in more wind up/solar items. I fancy one of those stoves where you burn twigs etc to heat a small pan on top AND a small generator sits on the side producing power-can charge mobiles/lights etc from it.

I am still not sure it will be a big crash, more a slow slide out with less a bang more a whimper .

Prep harder and get those seeds in lol.

Ali x

ALIBOBSY

Had some good and bad news this week. BIL is going from strength to strength and they have revised him staying in hospital from 9-12 months in Feb, down to 6 months at the start of the month, to now saying maybe in the next few weeks .

FIL and MIL still a bit worried that SIL is taking about "getting back to normal" and has this impression he has been a bit "ill" but will be 100% and back at work shortly and although he has done really well (the nurses keep calling him the miracle man), he is left with a number of disabilities that mean its unlike he will ever work again and certainly will not be doing his old job.

Bad news is a bit of a shock really. We live in a small village on the edge of a small town, semi rural and the sort of place you can rarely go out without bumping into someone you know. Its a great community sort of place. Our local church 4-5 years ago was having a problem with numbers dropping off, debts and needing a shed load of cash to redo the roof-lovely old listed building.
New vicar came in and raised the money for the roof and sorted the debt, filled the pews and really made a difference, he was extremely inclusive and involved with the church school where our kids go to. Our family knew him his wife and kids very well and I would have described them as friends-not best friends, but certainly good aquantences. They were lovely when I was ill last year and have given DD2 lifts with their daughter to various things-they are the same age. However a few of the older people in church resented him and saw him as not "traditional" enough and there was a feeling they had conspired to get him "moved on" now the church was safe, so he and his family went to a new parish late 2012.

Now the shocking thing-noticed their facebook pages had disappeared when on facebook then got a weird letter from school stating they took their responsibilities to child safety very seriously and were aware of an "ex governor and frequent visitor to the school being investigated by the police". When we looked online we have found the vicar has been suspended in his new parish and been arrested and charged with "enciting a child to perform a sex act". Everyone at school, at church on the playground etc is just in shock. I find it hard to reconcile with the person we knew and am trying to hold onto innocent till proven guilty and feel so sad for his wife and children either way. The rumour is it was a teen he was involved with, but noone really knows what the police are alleging.

Sometimes life can hold bad suprises I guess. Makes you second guess your senses, and obviously if he has done something the family of the teen and the girl herself must be going through it as well.

Keep prepping and I suppose trust noone :eek:

Ali x

Shropshirelass

This literacy problems really upsets me too, as I have had so much enjoyment, and comfort from reading, as well as extending education and general knowledge. For years I gave my children extra lessons, as well as checking their homework when that was possible. Teahcers are in a difficult situation, often need to be social workers and police, before they can teach.

A few years ago I helped out with Reading Volunteers ina local primary school. I worked out (due to confidentiality I could not be informed) that the three 8 year-old girls they asigned to me had emotional problems. One told me outright, after she had missed a session to attend the police station, that a man had been 'interferring with' her. I felt I should mention this to the teacher, who rushed off to inform the head,as the child had not discussed this with anyone before me.

Both of the other girls mentioned disrupted home lives, being locked in their rooms or in the bathroom, by mother or mother's boyfriend, moving house to get away from mother's partner, etc. Granny seemed to be basis of security to all three poor little souls. They all found it difficult to concentrate on anything for longer than a few minutes, though had not been diagnosed with any learning difficulties. In the few hours I was there at the school I witnessed parents accusing teachers of bullying and violence, in situations where they may just have been trying to maintain discipline, teacher's word against child's word. In the end I let them know I couldn't continue - I was getting no information, teacher had no time to speak to me, and I felt I was vulnerable to all sorts of accusations, and had no training to deal with kids problems.

I dont see an answer to this, peoples' minds are full of tv, soaps, video games, many homes have no reading matter, if your mother cant read, how can she hear your reading or spelling? Its a vicious circle we havent managed to end. And I suspect R*ling Cl&sses (bankers, polititians) are quite happy with this, as if you cant concentrate or read, you wont realise SHHF until it is too late.

2tonsils

Had a very bad couple of days with pain in my shoulder and arm again.When the painkillers stopped having an effect I went for acupuncture to try and kill the pain and ease it off a bit. They did the acupuncture then electrical stimulus (like a tens but through the needles for acupuncture) deep into the muscle and nerves yesterday.I had an early night as my arm was really sore and it felt a lot better this morning when I got up.

The doc is phoning me on Friday to see how I am and is thinking of sending me for an MRI if there is any doubt. Unfortunately its the one where they have to inject a dye into the joint so not looking forward to that at all.

The bank of cyprus here in Corfu is unfortunately still closed and the people with deposits in it cannot access their money either. Many are pensioners whose pension is paid into the account. There are also many Greek military personal and policemen who have accounts at that bank so quite a few have problems with no access to their own money. They are due to be paid at the end of the month and are trying to convince the Greek government to pay them in cash when its due rather than just hold on to it till further notice. What a flaming mess!

Meanwhile my plumber finished the job, the plasterer is half way through but cracking on with it, I have got my residence permit and health book sorted and when I went to buy a new washer I accidentally found a repairman who may be able to fix it cheaply...great stuff. Have 23 degrees here but its cloudy and going to be stormy later....oh how I wish the rain would stop! Keep warm and safe tonight and over the next three days, it looks very windy, cold and snowy on the european forecasts!

daz378

bushcraft mora knife arrived today, doing laundry although i have to drain off into a bucket, a slight inconvenience, will buy a new washer eventually, restocked water back up, now going up town, might investigate solar chargers, get walking boots another day, too expensive in town

Butterfly_Brain

The_Dragon wrote: »

That was also used in Tales from the Green Valley (based Tudor/Stuart times)

Also how to make lye soap as well, it is well worth a watch on yt and it has Peter Ginn in it as well :lovethougbe still my beating heart

Butterfly_Brain

sb44 wrote: »

Don't know about the plant feed but it is male urine that works as a compost activator, so don't bother saving yours up ladies.

But ladies wee is good as a weed killer

mardatha

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Also how to make lye soap as well, it is well worth a watch on yt and it has Peter Ginn in it as well :lovethougbe still my beating heart

********************************
OI! HE'S TAKEN!

mrs_lds

We think we have it bad on the roads in south Africa my friend says that they are stealing man hole covers to sell Onto metal dealers. Do not travel at night walking on unlit paths danger.

ALIBOBSY

Still no sign of a deal in Cyprus yet and a few sites are showing people queing outside banks awaiting them opening/atms starting to pay out.

The news sites seem to be underplaying the seriousness of this. I am wondering how they can avoid a run on the banks as soon as they open. Even if the tax thing is scrapped surely all trust is gone for the people.

Then if things start to spread to Greece or Italy or Spain? Humans are a funny bunch and the whole banking system is basically a juggling act based on peoples belief in the system-where alot more money sits on paper than ever exists in the real world, if trust is lost and people start to withdraw from banks it could get very messy very quickly.

I hope things don't spread, but I do think Cyprus is screwed unless they restrict and take over the banks and tightly control what people can withdraw. Not good at all.

Then we have the Gov here in the budget effectively betting on the housing market AGAIN by underwriting higher levels of mortgage debt and so propping up the banks AGAIN.

Am I the only one who feels like we are on the edge and waiting for someone to push us over?

Off to plant some stuff as at least thats simple lol.

Ali x