'supporting each other through really tough times'

craigywv

VJsmum wrote: »

Anyone got any suggestions as to what I can do with half a tin of condensed milk - apart from flapjacks?

get some desicatted coconut add some raspberry jelly crystals mix together form little balls leave in fridge to harden melt some chocolate dip balls init and put in fridge ...........raspberry ruffles the milk should be sweetened condensed milk

lillibet_dripping

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

FUDDLE - If the girls would like the idea how about making a Birds Christmas Tree to put out into the garden on christmas day. All you'd need would be a twiggy branch with no leaves on, put it into a biggish flower pot, just in earth or sand and put your bird cakes tied onto it, some strings of peanuts in their shells, wrinkly apples, save some bacon rinds and tie them on in bunches, thread some stale bread in on some of the branches and top it off with one of their home made twiggy snowflakes instead of a star. Mine would have loved playing with that idea, Cheers Lyn xxx.

I note, with interest, that you do not mention this idea from personal experience. You and I both know that the dogs would have the bacon and bread (and probably the apples) off the tree quicker than you can say 'roast turkey':rotfl:

lillibet_dripping

fuddle wrote: »

It is the coldest it has been here so far this autumn. It's literally bitter out there.

Lyn thank you for the solstice celebration info, I now know where the sweet mince at this tie of year comes from. We've been perusing the garden centre today and now I have my eyes open about Yule, I saw a whole section on bells, logs, pine cones and natural little bits of loveliness. DD wants to copy an idea of making snowflake shapes out of sticks, glueing and sprinkling glitter. Ideal some time in the next few weeks. We explained to the girls in there that were (DH is not at all Christian as he should be and I'm shocked after 10 years of being with him how much he knows about Pagan traditions) going to celebrate the gift of life and light and invite the outside in (in the form of decorations) to help us celebrate the gift of life. It's got the girls thinking and they would like to help the birds more this year.

So that's what we've been doing, making more bird cake, drilling through a little baking tray and hung that on the branch to put bread and seeds in. They've speared an apple on there too.

Me too Mar, I'm christened a christian but never quite got it and certainly don't have beliefs. I've always celebrated Christmas though but just didn't quite get it, I didn't feel anything other than a family time of year. Celebrating the winter solstice and what it's all about is what we've been doing for years without knowing about it. I like what I can see, what I can feel, what I'm experiencing and that's why I'm becoming more interested in Paganism... not wicca witchcraft or druidry or anything of that sort, just simple traditional celebration of life.

I have waffled and I am worried I have offended some people's religious beliefs. Please don't be offended. I'm just typing some realisations I'm having for me. I think when people go through a tough time they look for something to cling on to and I suspect that's what I'm doing. I'm questioning everything in order to fight my way through a load of brain fog

Fuddle, you have put into words my exact feelings. My parents are very 'churchy' and my sister and I always felt obliged to attend church with them. I loved the hymns and the organ music but the rest left me cold. It was when I moved to this very rural little cottage three years ago, that I began instinctively to feel 'in tune with the seasons'. I have watched the field at the end of my garden be ploughed, scattered, watered and harvested. I have watched the birds nesting, the frogs spawning, the trees clothing themselves in spring green and autumn gold. When I take the dogs into the forest, it feels the most spiritual place in my world. I think there has been a resurgence in an intererest in all things Pagan (and as you say, nothing Wicca or Druid) because it represents solidity and continuation. We have faith that Spring will follow Winter and the feeling I get in the Autumn of preserving foods and hunkering down for the winter is a very primitive one. The wheel of the year always turns.........

Hardup_Hester

GQ, thank you so much for the recommendation, I shall spend my b'day amazon vouchers on those.
I must update the Kindle list on my blog as I've just downloaded & read the Ben Aaronovich Rivers of London books, they are a bit similar.
Hester

Sunshine4

Morning everyone. Cold but sunny here.
Well I am nearly packed and all ready to go.
Just to tidy a few things then have a shower and thats it .
We leave at 1pm.
Cant wait.

Hope everyone has a good day :)
Not sure if i will be on much in the next four weeks.

[Deleted User]

Morning LILLIBET - that is true, and the lurcher is much better at stealth than the border terriers were, I perhaps should have suggested putting the tree in the front garden where the poochies are likely to be on leads and not running loose pretending to be sparrows!!!!!!! Hope everyones pets are OK this morning after the fireworks of last night, Docky finally settled after midnight and is fine this mroning and out walking perfectly happily with his Dadi but we are finding it impossible to persuade him out for his late night wee and I'm hoping his bladder control is good! No accidents so far, but the potential is there. Have a good one all, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Aria`s_Tail

Morning everyone.
Have fun Sunshine
Lovely sunny but nippy morning here and the start of my week off.:j
Really should tidy up the garden and put all the pots and things away for the winter. The problem is that OH has parked two motorbikes in front of the outside cupboard that I need to get into. (This cupboard is under the stairs as well and I have another tin of expanding foam and some more bubble wrap to try and insulate under the stair boards a bit.) I can move my own motorbike no problem but the huge thing of OH's takes a bit more shifting and my back hasn't been playing ball for the last few days.
Might stick some kind of chicken casserole in the slow cooker for tea and think about doing a pudding.
Going out to a gig tonight, a famously loud metal band so will try and remember earplugs this time. Last time I saw them indoors it took nearly a week to regain my full hearing!

thriftyniftyme

Morning all!

OH is in a bit of a mood because he has to go and sign on for the first time. So I've dug some croissants out the freezer to cheer him up with! He has applied for lots of jobs but heard nothing yet, though I suppose the process takes longer than a few days. He has a few irons in the fire, one with his old employer's biggest competitor! But he doesn't like to open up about his feelings, so he's going round pretending everything is hunky dory, like I can't read his mood after all these years *rolls eyes*

Uniscots97

thriftyniftyme wrote: »

Morning all!

OH is in a bit of a mood because he has to go and sign on for the first time. So I've dug some croissants out the freezer to cheer him up with! He has applied for lots of jobs but heard nothing yet, though I suppose the process takes longer than a few days. He has a few irons in the fire, one with his old employer's biggest competitor! But he doesn't like to open up about his feelings, so he's going round pretending everything is hunky dory, like I can't read his mood after all these years *rolls eyes*

That was the same as OH and me. We both got paid off (within a few months of each other). I ended up finding OH a job through an agency (warehouse stuff), ok it wasn't the best but nearly a year on he's still there and worked his way up. Yes he's still classed as a temp but he agrees its better than nothing. Myself, it took 4 months before i got something and I was just about climbing the walls. When I did get something (temp) I had to wait for my clearance to come through which took another 2 weeks. I don't know what your OH does Thriftynifty but I do know the sorting offices are now taking on people for over Christmas as are a lot of warehouses to help out with Christmas stuff (i.e. Argos, TNT, DHL etc)

jamanda

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Morning LILLIBET - that is true, and the lurcher is much better at stealth than the border terriers were, I perhaps should have suggested putting the tree in the front garden where the poochies are likely to be on leads and not running loose pretending to be sparrows!!!!!!! Hope everyones pets are OK this morning after the fireworks of last night, Docky finally settled after midnight and is fine this mroning and out walking perfectly happily with his Dadi but we are finding it impossible to persuade him out for his late night wee and I'm hoping his bladder control is good! No accidents so far, but the potential is there. Have a good one all, Cheers Lyn xxx.

We are struggling with doggy panics at the fireworks too. She won't go out for her evening wee either. She gets in such a state we have to have tablets from the vet, she has one of those plug in thingys and she is still scared witless.

And as for thunder .... Last time she shook and panted that much I thought she was going to have a heart attack.

Nothing whatsoever will calm her.

Be glad when everyone has set fire to their money and the bangs stop.