Preparing for winter IV

Cheapskate

Evening all, RL been interrupting all my OS ways for weeks, but finally have a breathing space for a couple of hours, so I'm back

I'd like to add my support of kittie, too - it's immaterial what people believe, but politeness costs nowt. I love reading your nudge-nudge-wink-wink posts, even though I don't often post, please keep doing them! Even if the weather doesn't quite pan out how ANY forecaster thinks, forewarned is forearmed, and if we end up with loads of unused candles, wellies or gloves, then so what?

Crochet has been my new obsession since the summer holidays, and I'm longing for more time to do snuggly blankets, hats and so on! My DD has just had her first baby, so I did manage to make him a new blanket in lovely strong colours, that will 'grow' with him.

My car box is all done bar some snack foods; I need a couple more small torches and some sort of wind up lighting devices, and a wind up radio; we have just enough warm bedding and hot water bottles; I'm need plenty stocks of Ov@ltine/cocoa.... think there's other stuff, too, but need to go back through my little lists.

A xo

toozie_2

Hi

Please can I say I am a long time lurker, and have read this thread with interest for a couple of years.

I did think we would have some white stuff last year, and it didn't arrive! So what????

I am grateful of any heads-up, even if nothing comes of it, or we end up like New York State-heaven forbid.
I would only buy what we would use anyway, food store-will always be used, blackouts, brownouts or snow deluge.

I travel 20 miles to work, so a car kit is great whatever the weather, car's do breakdown-sometimes in the dark, with or without the white stuff, on lonely country lanes.

Alternatives to gas/electric in order for us to eat, keep warm or see are also a good thing-we will run out of electricity makers/sources in the UK sooner than later.

So whatever happens...good or bad...hard or easy....extreme or non-extreme we are ready-and a great part of the prepping comes from shared knowledge and friendly hints on this thread, and long may it continue....Kittie :T:T

I also have very elderly parents are are almost immobile living independently, luckily within walking distance, and any heads-up with forthcoming weather extremes is handy, I need to make sure they are fed, warm, happy, not frightened, and have plenty of medication.

Long may this thread continue happily :T:T:T:T

pollys

I too would like to thank Kittie for her informative posts. Please don't be put off posting Kittie. I love this thread, we are so much better prepared for what winter may or may not bring. Being prepared brings peace of mind.

I've checked the cupboards today and written out my shopping list. The cupboards are not too bad but the freezer needs topping up. Looking forward to a productive weekend.

Happy prepping.

Polly

greenbee

toozie wrote: »

I travel 20 miles to work, so a car kit is great whatever the weather, car's do breakdown-sometimes in the dark, with or without the white stuff, on lonely country lanes.

I was looking for a new-to-me-car recently. One car was lovely, but didn't have a spare wheel - not even one of those spacewaster jobs. Just some glue. I told the (utterly obnoxious...) salesman this was a problem. He wanted to know why - I explained that sometimes people get punctures, and hadn't it happened to him. Apparently every time he'd had a puncture he'd noticed in time to get to the tyre place and get it fixed/replaced.

So clearly he doesn't live in the middle of nowhere, never needs to go anywhere in the dark in the middle of the night, and is never in a hurry. He was a kn*b anyway, and I wouldn't have bought a car from him if it was the last car on earth. But he seriously couldn't get that other people have different priorities and that his situation might not be the same as everyone else's.

I bought a car with a spare wheel... I live in the middle of nowhere, have had nails, flints etc cause punctures, often need to go out at times when tyre fitting companies are closed, sometimes am in a hurry, and have even been known to have emergencies... I need a spare wheel.

[Deleted User]

Ahhh I love you all, I really do. I just had to come on and post to say thank you for your uplifting support and fuddle you are the most energy giving person, you have come on so much from 8 years ago, when I first posted with you. You came through the mill, so strong and never moaning about your lot, you got on with it and are making a marvellous home for your family. Such an inspiration to us

Today was an easy day for me so I am relaxed this evening and I heartily recommend crocheting, making granny squares one at a time, so easy to pick up and put down and eventually making something as big as you like. It is all on youtube and you just need a hook and some yarn. My throws are looking so nice and will make the room cheerful

Chocolate came today and I am trying to forget where I put it. Divine chocolate, as nice as cadburys used to be in the old days.

The dried milk that I bought is very very good, I just make a litre at a time now and have stopped buying liquid milk, great in tea. For cereals etc I use nut milk, that I make, also easy and the dried nuts keep well, no matter what. Today I put a lot of almonds into water to soak and sprout a little, they are much easier to digest. Tomorrow I will dry them on t towels and bag for the freezer. All good stock items instead of milk and for nibbles

Princess_kate

I was thinking this about powdered milk Kittie. Do you keep it in a sealed container in the fridge? How long does it last once made up? I have a big tub of dried milk (I do like to be prepared!) and was thinking about trying it out before we may need it, If it's ok no doubt I'd buy a second, just incase, and get my mum one so I knew she'd be able to have a cup of tea no matter the weather!

rufydoofyM

Kittie I'm so glad you've returned. On checking in this morning I was dismayed to see so many deleted posts, but uplifted to read so much support. What a lovely thread.
Unfortunately my own post disappeared when I tried submit:( but I would like to say thanks for the heads up/winks. I have at times searched for your posts to check along with my own ideas and intuition and found them extremely useful. Last night I signed up for a 45 day sub so we'll see how it all pans out. As others have said for warned is for armed and that has always been my motto too. I see it as a bit of potentially useful fun and if it proves accurate and useful to us then I can see us adding subs when on offer.

[Deleted User]

I am only making the one post today as I am backing off my recently energised mse addiction. I am so heartened by your posts

I get almost all of my dried wholefoods from this next site and have used them for 3 years solid. Their milk is fantastic, I am storing the whole and skimmed milks in lock and locks in the shed and use 4 1/2 flat tbs per pint of water. The skimmed milk does not have the `blue` look that you get in bottled skimmed milk. I actually make 11/2 litres at a time now and tea tastes great
http://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk/nsearch/?q=powdered+milk

mardatha

Greenbee you can buy your own spacesaver wheel. We recently got an Insignia though and they have a spare. Or the RV says you can go to a scrappy and buy a wheel for £25. Your roads must be like ours!

[Deleted User]

KITTIE I'm not a science graduate just someone who likes to be prepared for lifes vagaries and things that happen over which I have not got control . I appreciate very much what you have been able to share with us by way of future possible weather problems. At the lowest practical level I have been able to put things away and batten down the garden equipment at the highest level of preparing I have been able to make the call on buying things like the multi fuel burner and make sure we have fuel enough to run it with. This is not a place where I would expect to tell others or be told by others what I am or am not allowed to post and that applies to you too my dear. I extend politeness and courtesy to others in the posts I make and hope to receive the same in return. I don't always agree with the content of some of those posts but I do uphold the right of the individual to post them and that also includes you my dear. The posts you have made and I sincerely hope will continue to make are useful, given by you in a spirit of helpfulness and caring and are one more way of keeping us ALL safely prepared for the spells of bad weather we sometimes get out of the blue. To those posters who disagree with your source of information I would politely suggest that they post their own sources predictions if they are allowed to, this would go some way towards letting us readers make up our own minds as to who is most accurate in their predictions. Pouring scorn on Kittie is really not productive, she is only relaying information she is allowed to share, don't shoot the messanger if you don't agree with the message, just don't read the message in the first place!