'supporting each other through really tough times'

kidcat

Mrs LW - thank you, that is a beautiful picture

fuddle - I bought a picnic rug in Home Bargains last week - I will be buying another one as we used it yesterday and it was great - however its not big enough for my tribe. I suggested the wildflower seeds, they were very successful for us last year, can I also suggest good old sunflower seeds as well, DS9 and DD7 planted some and they are growing beautifully.

Shegar - ouch your eye thing sounds scary, take care

Its been incredibly busy today and its gonna be a long week too:)

mardatha

I've got a drop spindle too, somewhere. I mastered it but it's too slow for me. I have no patience, plus then there's the dyeing.

Possession

It can only be on the Old Style board where multiple posters have drop spindles just lying around .......

PRINCESSX87

Morning all!!

Thank you for the kind words, Deposit money is being held until we're debt free. We have decided that OH parents should keep hold of it so we're not temped to spend it on rubbish

Feeling a real sense of being unless & deflated today. Still trailing new medication for mental health and at present I don't think i'm getting the full benefits as yet. I cant help but feel that I MUST have done something awful in my last life to have so much bad luck and horrid people around me - Kicking me whilst i'm down so to speak.

Other than a few selected people I feel I cant talk to anyone, Because I worry that im "dumping" my rubbish onto them. I have the same feeling when writing in this thread too Sorry !

Today I've decided to just potter on with some housework. Taking my mind off everything!

Hope everyone has a great day. & Stay safe all x x

[Deleted User]

PX87 we all understand how you're feeling, I don't think there is a single one of us who hasn't at some point in our lives felt that way for multiple different reasons, so you can say it to us in the complete confidence that we will support and understand you and not be judgemental, we have no right and wouldn't be anyway. Life is like a roller coaster ride little one, sometimes up and sometimes down but the bits you don't notice in general are those days when you're neither of these, the days in the calm bits when you are on an even keel. Don't feel you can't share with us, heaven knows there are many days when I'd like nothing better than a magic wand to be able to fix all the vexations and difficulties in everyones lives, but, I don't have one and neither does anyone else, so, all we can do is be here for you, understand and listen and hope all the time that life gets better for you and everyone else very quickly. Hugs to you and everyone else who has need, take as many as you want, they're not rationed and there are certainly enough to go round everyone many times, Chin up, we're with you, Cheers Lyn xxx.

FairyPrincessk

Hi All!

I'm hoping I'll be able to pop in a bit more often over summer. Just seeing the tian recipe and thinking about Fuddle's french day got me excited! The past few months have been really tough for us. First, the bathroom collapsed onto the floor below in the middle of the night the night before my OH had his first job interview. He didn't get the job and we had to move out of the house for four weeks. He then got a different job (hooray!) that starts in September. We then had another leak, drain problems and our landlady never quite finished the work...so we moved house at the beginning of the month. We're just getting settled, and the new house is much nicer, with a really luscious kitchen--lots of worktop space for bread and pizza and the like! Plus we're closer to the main road with lots of shops full of exotic foods.

Throughout all of this, I was working on a really tough chapter for me thesis and I was so scared that my work was going to be rubbish..but I had my feedback meeting yesterday and it seems I managed to hold it all together:D Seeing as I haven't always responded to chaos so well and had a really tough time with my work, I'm very proud of myself!

So, I can relax a little now. I have a chapter to write this summer, but as it is my last I know exactly what goes in. Plus, the new house is much easier to maintain. However, money will be very tight until my OH gets his first paycheck, so I think I should stay on the OS board so I don't go wild in any CS! Would be nice if I could keep our grocery shop to a minimum until then as well. We have a tiny sized veg plot here and I raced around the evenings of the first week we were here getting some plants out. I've got peppers (sweet and spicy), some strawberries that were already there, some salad leaves germinating, some broccoli germinated and I've got some courgettes and cucumbers germinating in a window--I know those are a bit late, just hoping not everything dies--I must get something, right??:rotfl:

I often pop in to read the toughies thread and love how positive and supportive you all are!

Princess--something that really helps me when I feel low like that is to make separate lists. So, maybe make a list of things that need to be done as housework, then make a list of nice things to do for yourself. Sometimes, it means lighting a nice candle and sitting down with a cuppa. Sometimes it means I'm going to spend five minutes putting together some nice music to listen to while I work. Other times I promise myself I'll bake in the afternoon. Whatever it is, it has to be something I'll enjoy. It really does help in the long run with that feeling that life just keeps kicking you. I often find it really difficult to remember that even when times are tough I still deserve to relax and be nice to myself--it is hard to be happy when you're always mean to yourself! Big hugs!

Fuddle-I think you sew, if I remember correctly. What about sewing a cheap fleece blanket to a poundshop shower curtain? It won't last forever, but wouldn't be expensive and would keep the damp off. Don't forget some nice French music! At least some Edith Piaf on youtube! I've got a nice and cheap ratatouille recipe that is very Provence! It sort of involves a lot of "mushy veg" though, so not sure the girls will like it!:rotfl:

nuttyp

Lovely picture mrslw. I love any plant that has purple or blue flowers. I have a few shrubs in the garden, mostly from poundland that have taken a couple of years to be a decent size. They do the mixed seeds fuddle in a box you just sprinkle and water n leave, very easy gardening.

I have taken DD to collage as she has another resit exam today, its part 1 of maths. Her old school has just been put into special measures, im not surprised as they don't enforce the rules as they should. Bullying was rife hence why I got DD to learn martial arts, no body picked on my girls after she started!! But the reality is she should have to defend herself, nor should she have to worry about attending school in safety.

Ive got the first load of washing in the machine, and hope the sun stays about enough to dry it. I so need payday but its another 2 weeks away, considering we are both working we never seem to have enough money. I may do a car boot sunday as I have a far bit of useful stuff to sell, OH complains as we barely see each other as it is, but needs must at the moment. No vouchers for shopping this week, so will be a minimal shop again. Tonight OH is freezer left over tea, basically I freeze the left overs and make a meal eventually. I started doing to after reading on here about it.

Well must get the bathroom cleaned, and a quick hoover. have a good day toughies..

savingqueen

quick pizza dough Q if anyone's around? I want to make pizza for tonight's tea. usually just add sauce and toppings to a shop bought baes. Then thought I make bread, should be easy to make a pizza base.

Can I make the dough now and stick it in the fridge? If so when does it rise, I assume before it goes in the fridge? We have swimming after school and boys will be starving and late home so can't wait for an hour for a pizza base to rise.

TIA (back this eve hopefully for a proper catch up and chinwag)
sq

FairyPrincessk

Hi SQ--yes, you can make it now, although I wouldn't bother sticking it in the fridge. Pizza dough doesn't rise much left at room temperature. You can stick it in if you're worried about it growing into a massive monster!

I think my OH only lets it rise for 30 minutes sometimes, if at all. He is the official pizza maker in our house and is of the opinion that rising is just a suggestion. However, it does taste better when he makes it in the afternoon and leaves it out (covered with a tea towel) for the afternoon, so I would say go for it!

Personally, I think the dough is a bit tasteless with no rise, but enough cheese fixes anything. I've tried encouraging him to do it early, but who am I to question?;) This is why I'm the official bread maker. I'm better at following the "suggestions" in recipes.

savingqueen

thanks a lot FairyP. Just having a bite of lunch then just enough time to make some dough before rushing out again. Let you know how it comes out later, quite excited!

cheers!
sq