'supporting each other through really tough times'

Popperwell

Afternoon All.
Can anyone tell me where my energy has disappeared. Another day of feeling torpid. Hope I pull myself around for the music club tonight.

Must eat soon...going for yogurt, fruit and cereal. Nice and simple.

Wishing a good Tuesday to everyone.

Possession

Hmm, I think you've inspired me to make pizza for lunch at the weekend when we have lots of extras to feed. I still have pizza base mix catering size bags to use up anyway.
Have just mowed the lawn despite it being wet as it's now forecast to rain every day up to and including the weekend here. We have an extra 16 on Sunday and I was rather hoping to chuck everyone in the garden. : (

fuddle

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

SHEILA I'd have been as cross as crabs with the stupid woman, did she pull your plants up to take away, or just pull them out of the soil and leave them? Either way is unforgivable, but at least if she took them with her they might stand a chance of rooting again, some people eh? I'm glad you like the pond, it is lovely to sit round and watch the fish if it's warm enough and also the damsel and dragon flies coming and going, and lots of hoverflys come to look at us very earnestly at eye level when we're sitting there and them zip away again on business, I love them. We don't have a frog this year, have done most years since we put the pond in, but I think they must have suffered in this horrible cold winter and spring, not seen one this year at all. Mind my neighbour has lots of slow worms in her garden and luckily she loves them and shares them with us, particularly the babies, she gets so excited and comes to knock to show me, cos I love them too!!! Sorry you're not feeling too grand at the moment and hope that you get a decent nights sleep and feel a bit better tomorrow.

FUDDLE so pleased that your Childminding Course is great and that you enjoyed it, it's what you need pet, go girlie go!!! Glad you like the pond picture, DD1 got me a packet of wildflower seeds which is where the oxeye daisies in the picture came from along with some georgeous plantains, some poppies, some pink campion and some scabious too. The irises at the front are scented ones and smell best in the evenings so it's a joy to go past them to water the top garden. If you want a go at hand spinning, do you have a drop spindle? If you don't I have one that is taking up shelf space in my store and I'd love to send it if it would be any use to you. Let me know. I don't see how anyone could consider you boring, you're more skilled than most people, and learning new things all the time, I'd say you were adventurous and not just in the ordinary mould, maybe they should take a good look at themselves and see what they can't do before coming to the conclusion you're boring eh? Sleep well, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Hi Lyn. It's very kind of you to offer but I've been put off hand spinning because if the cost associated with it. The carders are £30ish, then the fleece and as mar says there's dying costs along with racks to dry the fleece. Something that was a money saving idea and a way of getting my own cheap wool has turned into an expensive fanciful idea of a hobby. I hate it when that happens!

PRINCESSX87 wrote: »

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

PrincessX when you're feeling rotten like today hang in to what happened yesterday. That luck you had yesterday is life changing. It's the break of all breaks and although its not happening now it will happen in the future when the time is ready. Hang onto those feelings of security and until then, when the debt is paid and you can go forth with buying your own house, maybe have a bottom drawer to fill with items for your new dream home. Just little things

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

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:

I do sew - try to anyway the girls struggle with tomato based sauces anyway but thanks. I saw shower curtains today but to be honest the ready made pocnic blanket was nust as cheap. I was excited when I read the French day idea of Lyn's yesterday too. I'm wondering if I can find a croissant recipe, DH adores them.

I bought for Father's Day. It's only a £1 stamp for the girls to write 'super dad' in his toast in Sunday but with their hand made card (a pic of Alfie) it should go down quite nicely.

I saw those in B&M this morning kidcat, the picnic blankets, so will go back after pay day. I was cross with myself with the cooler ice packs. I got 2 for £1.50 in Wilkos yesterday but saw 3 for £1.99 in BM, chuntering away I then thought 'you stupid idiot! A bottle filled of frozen water will do the same!' :mad:

We're getting the little fishing nets out after DH comes in to go dip in the ponds, see what the kids can find. Hope the rain stays off!

Must I now as I'm making mince and onion pie for tea, carrots or cabbage? I think cabbage and gravy too

alfsmum

Speaking of dough, does anyone have a numpty-proof loaf recipe they'd be willing to share pleas? Cakes, biscuits, muffins, crumpets, scones, you name it, I can bake it. But bread and I don't always hit it off.....

I'm sure I used to make decent loaves and even hot cross buns many moons ago, but then I was given a bread maker and got out of the habit. The bread maker finally went to that great scrapyard in the sky last year and my efforts since then haven't met with much success. Ideally I'd like a loaf that is at least fifty percent wholemeal and a recipe that I can play with to add fruit, nuts, olives etc. very grateful for any help.

FairyPrincessk

my recipe isn't fool proof in the least so I'll let someone else share (I think there is a poster called Steve who has a nice recipe?)--however, 50% wholemeal is quite a high percentage and might be why you're struggling. I've had minor success using 1 part wholemeal to 2 parts white.

I think my problem is I keep moving house. I get my bread down at one house and then move to another and the rising conditions, oven quirks and mythical bread fairies are totally different. By the time I get it down again I have to move again.

The_Dragon

We use THIS recipe and it works well for us! Well it works for my seeded wholemeal rolls - Dr Dragon likes his sour dough white loaf

alfsmum

Gosh, thanks both for the quick response :j

fuddle

A grow your own question coming up...

Is there anything I can sow now, straight into a pot, that will be ready for autumn time and/or is there any veg that can be grown in a pot that can be harvest in the colder months?

Thank you as always

Mrs_Chip

Fuddle

There are lots of things that you can sow now - all of these will do well in a pot or container. I even use wooden veg boxes and plastic crates lined with weed suppressing membrane to plant in - makes a nice big container for pennies.

Salad leaves - for cut and come or to leave to heart up. A packet of seeds will do you all summer if you make successive sowings.

Radishes - a nice quick crop, lovely and crunchy and much nicer that shop bought.

Carrots - choose a quick growing small type to pull as baby carrots or leave to get a bit bigger. Need nice light soil - multi compost mixed with horticultural sand is best.

Beetroot - face your demons, they are yummy grated raw, or freshly boiled and served warm, also very good for you! Pull when small for sweetness.

Purple sprouting broccoli - start now for harvest next late winter/spring. Will need a big pot each, but lovely at a time when stuff is expensive.

I'm sure there is more, but better to start small and work up to it. And I find it best to grow stuff that we like to eat, and / or that cost a bit more to buy in the shops.

fuddle

Thank you Mrs Chip. I have been facing my fears over beetroot - cake can be made from it

That's my plan then, more salad leaves for over summer, beetroot for later in the summer and purple sprouting broccoli for winter.

Thank you MrsC