Preparing for winter IV

Cheapskate

Glad I'm not the only one thinking about winter when we've not even had summer yet, if we are going to, that is! There are lots of things I planned to do last winter that never came of, so I'm already drawing up my lists. If I start now, even if it's just keeping an eye open for bargainous things to buy/make/adapt, it'll spread the load.

The main things I need to do are:

• get a runner for the hallway
• curtains for the external doors
• new curtains for front room and kids' room
• learn to crochet and improve my knitting, even if just to make blankets!
• new pj's/winter coats/boots for kids - last year's will be way too small

Must make a proper list of everything, room by room, so I have a proper plan - have just muddled through the last few years, but feel that I need to do more - maybe the fey Scottish blood is stirring! :rotfl:

A xo

[Deleted User]

We've just managed to replace the two broken wooden cradles we use for firewood storage courtesy of a lovely landscape gardener working up the road. We are now going to order in a double load of logs to fill the woodpile completely which should give us about 5 tons of wood to use in the woodstove. It's likely to be a little cheaper at this time of year and as we shall pay ahead of the winter it will mean we can be comfortable in the colder weather without having to worry about the cost of fuel. A good place to be as a pensioner, Cheers Lyn xxx.

I should explain we have a run of 13 cradles now, the 5 tons of wood don't fit in just 2 !!!

alice-mary

I had a call from my coal merchant yesterday, asking if I wanted to take advantage of the reduced summer rates, before the expected price hike in September:eek:. Luckily, I have been paying a healthy monthly amount for ages and had built up enough of a balance to pay for 20 sacks EACH of coal AND logs, to be delivered in the school holidays, while staying just about in credit:j. This also prompted me to book my chimney sweep for the same time so I finally feel that I am making a start on the preps for the winter 2013-14 :T.

Keep prepping people, everything we do now, no matter how small, will help us so much later on in the year!

Alice
xx

[Deleted User]

I've decided to freeze all of our rather sparse strawberry crop this year and when all is gathered in I shall make strawberry jam to go into store. There is Nothing quite like opening a jar of home grown, home made jam on a grey, wet and dank day in the middle of winter and as you smell the lovely fruity aroma remembering the lovely warm summers day that you picked the fruit on. A real mood lifter just when you need one, Cheers Lyn xxx.

[Deleted User]

I had the aug forecast and it is terrible and I won`t be unpacking my summer clothes either. I am busy preserving what I can, even my new potatoes from the allotment, just part cooking and roasting in a little olive oil then freezing. onions/garlic/shallots are all drying under cover now, ready to store, broad beans being picked straight for the freezer. I`ll be getting more tins into store next month and have already bought lots of fuel for my cobb cooker

Lots of woolies already made and prepared for a long winter plus socks, shawls etc. Just got to get the wood pellets in now and moving a tonne of bags is no joke but it will be like harvest home and safely gathered in by autumn

I like the idea of the strawberry jam mrs LW, I may do the same. Nothing nicer than hm strawberry jam on freshly baked sourdough bread

re the potential rolling power cuts, having managed fine through those in the 70s. Lots of candles, wind up lighting and radio, vacuum flasks, easy food for camping gas, spin dryer so clothes dry much faster indoors and not too reliant on ch, cheap corded phone etc. No smoke without fire so it will happen, seed being sown by the gov so that it will be no great surprise. At worst it will happen if we have severe prolonged cold so I have a small cosy snug in mind that will easily warm up with body heat and a candle. No electricity in this house means no heating of any sort. For many, it could be as simple as a tent in a room to save lives

edit: am not worried about the freezer as it will last a long time without electric and as spaces appear, I will fill plastic containers with water to freeze as these keep the contents cold

Becky_2

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I've decided to freeze all of our rather sparse strawberry crop this year and when all is gathered in I shall make strawberry jam to go into store. There is Nothing quite like opening a jar of home grown, home made jam on a grey, wet and dank day in the middle of winter and as you smell the lovely fruity aroma remembering the lovely warm summers day that you picked the fruit on. A real mood lifter just when you need one, Cheers Lyn xxx.

MrsLurcherwalker, I fancy making strawberry jam too. When you freeze strawberries do you just freeze as they are?

[Deleted User]

Morning KITTIE I'm another one who will be freezing as much of the produce we grow this year as I can or putting it through the dehydrator. There is enough salading around to keep us going through what is said to be Summer and I'd much rather have the bulk of our crops in store for the colder weather.

I think we're about as ready to cope with any power outages as you are and if needs be we'll bring the bed down into the lounge and rig up blanket curtains round it, probably held up with long bamboos to make a frame. With the woodburner on the room is warm from when we light up until lunchtimeish the next day so it would make sense to use that as out main living space.

How is the hair growing going? I often wonder how you're getting on. I'm still going and mine is half way down my back now and much easier to manage as I can just plait it and it stays in. Miss you posting on the other threads, it really is nice to hear from you again, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Hi BECKY2 I take off the green leafy top and just put them straight in a bag and freeze them. I wash them when I get them out of the freezer and that means they don't stick together and you can get out the amount you need without having to defrost the lot!!! Lyn x.

PattiPickle

Hi
sorry if I sound thick but what's a cobb cooker please?

fuddle

So great to see you posting Kittie. I too miss you!

I agree, I thought 'no smoke without fire' when I head the discussion of controlled factory blackouts. I've read there's no risk to us... but don't believe it.

For me, as I have a small freezer, small house, no facilities to grow my own yet etc it will be a case of making sure there's blankets, clothes, tins that can be reheated and means heating up such food, candles.

I don't have the facilities, space or money to make sure we're prepared on a grand scale but that doesn't mean we won't cope. It's all in the will and determination folks... knowledge and preparedness - can't beat it in life huh?

[Deleted User]

You'll be fine FUDDLE you've got your head round it and know what you have to get and do to make sure you're as ready as you can be, Then if it does happen you'll be OK and if it doesn't happen you'll have a good store of things you'll use anyway. Those who will suffer are the part of the population who solely rely on being able to get what they want from the shops on a day by day basis, and I suspect the shelves will empty fairly fast and then there will be some folks with problems. Having said that, there will still be supplies coming into the shops, so I don't think anyone will be in real harms way, Cheers Lyn xxx.