'supporting each other through really tough times'

Possession

fuddle wrote: »

Possession, what were you doing while you were oversees? Where did you go?

I worked on the JET programme run by the Japanese government for 3 years, teaching English in high schools and junior high schools. I travelled a lot around Asia in breaks. It was very well paid and I shudder now to think how much money I wasted. Youth is wasted on the young eh?
Kate if the survey's initials are VO, it says on their facebook page that they expect them back at the end of November. I'm waiting on them too, although only for £10. I don't trust these places and tend to withdraw my earnings as soon as possible.
Byatt I think certain frozen foods are BOGOF too so possibly more savings if they are what you want.
VJV I hope your lightbulb moment makes you feel MUCH better.
Softstuff although numbness isn't painful as such it is horrible isn't it? I had lots of numbness in my legs and feet after both knee replacements and it's obviously a bit worrying after you've had major nerves and whatnot (complicated medical term) severed. The outside sides of my knees are still numb and always will be but at least I can walk now, it's a small price to pay.
Dane, hope she's OK now.
Fuddle, listen to Byatt she's absolutely right on this one!

nuttyp

Well it seams everyone is very busy one way or another. Fuddle, the new house seems like a good deal, especially as you may be able to own it after renting. I wish we could do this, but its not possible maybe beacuse im 40!! DD rang yesterday evening to say she had seen other nan - its OH mum. She had her nails done but was very unusally quiet and acting strange. We had a photo done of our girls on holiday for her, not that she has bothered with them for the last 8 years or more. Maybe shes regretting not wanting to know her son or his family. Who knows!! Familes are strange aren't they.
OH rang to speak to her, but she was busy and said im ok. That was all.
Previously a few years ago We even rang when one of our DD was in intensive care in hospital, no phone calls, no contact at all. I rang to say we were on nottingham, not even a local hospital, not a care. Sad to say really but i too find this hard. Im glad i have my mum, bless her.

Have work later, going to heron fd store, its a clearance centre does all sortsof food. They were doing 8 soups for a £1, 12 eggs for £1. All good and cheap.

PipneyJane

Hi All.

Hugs to anyone who is feeling down.

Fuddle - good luck with the house. On the job front, if you'd have to buy a car to live there anyway, then you should really only factor in the additional cost of getting to/from work each day. Your new journey to work is about the equivalent of about 1.5 litres of petrol/diesel (depending on the car). I can't remember the exact distance you'd have to cover but at current prices the return journey comes to, say, £4/day.

Mrs VP - so sorry to hear about your DH. What a horrible way to be told! I hope he finds something soon.

McCulloch - hope they pull their fingers out re the new project. Limbo is a horrible place to be.

Softstuff wrote: »

See Nuatha, therein lies the problem. I mentioned the possibility of store bought Christmas pudding (the Heston version is over here this year) and hubby looked like I'd suggested poop with brandy sauce. It appears if you do it right for a few years, you have to do it ad infinitum.

Prudence, thanks for the recipes, I'll bear some of those in mind. I'm afraid I'm not a fan of the Australianised Christmas with ice cream cake, if there's one thing I cling to as a Pom it's decent dessert at Christmas.

McCulloch, so sorry to hear your news too. Definitely an annus horribilis for many. Or an anus of a year if you're feeling a bit more uncouth!

Fuddle, you're right, I can take my time baking. To be honest the bit I dread the most is going to find the ingredients (some of it is hard to come by here). I hope you manage some sleep. I find a warm flannel on the forehead and a nice cup of horlicks helpful if I get one of those headaches that won't let me sleep. I'm not suffering from that problem right now though, the new tablets I have don't half make me drowsy. Off for a nanna nap now.

Love to all you guys. Thanks for being there for me.

Softstuff - displaced Melbournian here - buy a Lions Club Christmas cake and take that. The Lions Club cake one is the best and it raises money for charity. You can always ice it and tell them you're trying a different recipe if anyone comments that it's different. Say it's one you got off the BBC website...

For a good Christmas pudding, check out your supermarkets first (can't remember what you have up north) and if they aren't good enough then buy one from Myer's foodhall or David Jones' (will you be up to going down to Brisbane?). Incidentally, the supermarkets often sell Christmas puddings but they're quite frequently in tins, not in pudding basins. Alternatively are there any school fetes going on near you? Check out their stalls before you buy anything. My friend's mum used to make dozens of Christmas puddings to sell each November at the Melbourne Grammar fete.

HTH. It's a long time since I was last on the Sunshine Coast.

- Pam

ETA: I don't like the ice-cream "Christmas Puddings" either. Taste disgusting.

elona

fuddle

Byatt has already put things better than I could.

There is nothing "to make up for" or to apologise for in a Mum and dad doing the best for their family and any decent parent would be leaping up and down as they were so pleased for you.

Being a sneaky so and so I would be tempted to tell her there were a couple of sites. one 50 miles away and one 30 miles away and then when she raises a stink agree what a pity it is but you have to do the best you can for the children.

Later when something comes up much nearer ( the place you have already seen ) she will look stupid and selfish if she complains.

maryb

I changed my Tesco vouchers instore but I needed to check they had what I wanted first as I was going for Christmas lights and once you have changed the vouchers you're stuck with using them in that department. DDs always insist on the biggest tree possible and as our house is Victorian it can accommodate a very tall tree. We used to use two sets of 150 lights to cover it but they were showing their age with missing bulbs etc. So I spotted a set in Mr T's and used my "vultures" (as the DDs called them when they were small).

I save my Clubcard points all year so that they all come in the November statement and you get a nice bonus as well (although you can't double up on those). Plus I topped up with £100 on 18 October You get the £100 back in clubcard vouchers but, again, you can't double up but you get a £6 voucher as a bonus. Plus I had two separate £6 off when you spend £60 vouchers.

So in addition to my lights I bought cooking brandy and port and a few other bits and pieces which made it come to £60.02!! My 'free' vouchers and the doubled up clubcard vouchers covered all but £18 odd so I used one of the top up vouchers for £16 and ended up paying £2.52 in cash. The till operator's face was a picture! And then I got a till spit for £4 off £40 next week! I could so understand how those women on Extreme Couponing get so carried away

missrlr

VJsmum wrote: »

Hmm good point - let's hope the bugs can't afford business (note - it isn't my money being used to pay for flight. I wouldn't waste money that way!!)

oh a trick I have ued to great effect (as I end up traveling a lot round Europe in leg-removal class) get some antiseptic wipes, when you sit down wipe the arm rest, the tray both the bit facing you when up and the bit you use when down, all across the back of the seat in front. Most people when they sneeze etc are revolting and don't use their hands, and breathe in general (although there are days when I wish they didn't!) facing to the back of the seat in front and it is a HAVEN of bugs. This method has saved me from getting many bugs on the travels and I thoroughly recommend it. I was also told by an air steward the seats are not cleaned between passengers and rarely across the backs - which is icky.

Fuddle - a phrase boss uses is "that is not acceptable" it stops people in their tracks. he then follows up with the reasons for the unacceptable-ness if necessary. The other one I use, as taught to me by Grandad is "is that so" means whatever they take it to mean and no one can argue with it, especially when delivered it a flat monotone.

Practice, to yourself, in the shower and you will get it. Also I find delivering any sort of news where you think there is going to be an unwanted reaction very baldly helps, just a matter of fact NOT too loud "right so x and y is happening on z date, just so you know" usually leaves them speechless. Well for a minute or two, or in my mother's case until a week later and then she spent 3 months trying to make me feel guilty about it - I still got married abroad! :rotfl:

Aria`s_Tail

fuddle wrote: »

Will I be kicked out the OS toughie club if I admit that I don't cook our Christmas dinner? I don't (insert blush smiley but on my phone and cannat be faffed) I've not admitted this before but DH is a far superior cook than I am. I feel like I'm swearing lol

Ditto here too!

Kittikins

Fantastic, thank you - I think we'll do it for our end of term party, will go down very well I'm sure!

sevenup01 wrote: »

Afraid not - sorry. We set up 3 tables. table one had the cupcakes and runny icing on it, table two had the writing icing tubes for decoration and table three had bowls of smarties. they raced in pairs to ice and decorate their cakes with the others cheering them on. Thye werent allowed to eat until everyone had finished and we had judged a winner (well it was a race and they all agreed who won) No prizes just cheers and messy faces!
It was part of a cupcake challenge and they have a few other things to do before they get the badge including making a cupcake shaped pincushion. The bun fight was screwedd up newspaper taped into a paper cake case and then they split into two teams and threw them at each other. the winning team was the one with least buns on their side at final whistle.

mardatha

Wot everybody said re telling the mum, Fuddle. If you said to your mum that you'd come and fetch her more often then that's handing her a weapon to whack you on the head with innit - Cos anytime she's bored then she's going to remind you of it
I say things then pause and either look at them or do something like making tea.. that way they have to answer you before you rush in and offer to move the earth for them.

fuddle

Byatt, I tried to PM you a reply but you inbox is full.

Crazy that I have no clue on how to deal with my mam. I thought that was a canny good plan but now you've all pointed it out to me I can see that I would just be feeding her. Byatt, you have been a star and the info in the PM and here guys has helped me so much, seriously. I worked for two years on a psychology degree (didn't finish it) to try to suss out what was going on with me and you all sort me on here.

I've so much to think about now, thank you