'supporting each other through really tough times'

Popperwell

katieowl wrote: »

Pops if I was cooking for one, stir fries would be the way I would go. You get to eat lots of great fresh vegetable, and you only need a tiny bit of meat/fish to make it tasty. When you get your hand in, you could dispense with the sauces, and make your own, they are usually pretty basic ingredients, and if you started off with soy sauce, and sweet chilli sauce that would be good. You can also make them veggie with tofu or egg. I make the egg into omelette in a separate pan, then roll it and cut into ribbons.

Kate

What great ideas Kate. I sometimes surprise myself at what I come up with and keep thinking Mum would have liked what I am trying but of course perhaps in different times I would not have been doing all these new things that I am(being adventurous in the kitchen)going to the music club and yes, for now the theatre etc...

Its a new life...

And I like to think allowing for an odd wobble I think everyone gets or problems that have to be dealt with I think my outlook is sunnier and am more positive. It could be a long time ahead and I don't want to be miserable. And only one person has the power to change that!

A stir fry will make a change to stews...but you know I really must have another traditional fry up. I had a couple last year and really enjoyed them(Eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes etc...)

And have some porridge/cereal again with fruit for breakfast and an occasional desert after my evening meal. For ages I have been making do with one course.

I'm thinking what to do as a special on Valentine's Day.

I have Pancakes sorted for Tuesday too. So I am trying:T

Bit personal but I think I am not leaking as much protein at present so I must be doing something right dietwise.

Probably because I watch how much meat I eat.

Popperwell

2T I am planning on making some home made mash possibly adding some leeks as an ingredient soon...I like the idea of your suggestion of adding noodle and making some home made soup too.

I could not believe how high the quality of items were in a charity shop locally selling furniture so may if I think the energy use won't be much invest in a small freezer so I can have more space/room to work with or as some have suggested try freecycle.

It would free up the freezer attached to the fridge. I could use the one on the fridge more vegetables and ice cream etc...and the freezer more for meat and fish etc...possibly meals that I have batched cooked and then split for use another day. The present freezer is too small.

Popperwell

I've just prepared vegetables for the stir fry and have enough for at least two meals and if I leave it in the container I can avoid having to do it again for a few days:pand so many different vegtables, it's easier to list what was not included in the mix:)

Pooky

Snowing really heavily here now, just had to go get DD1 and the car was sliding all over the place. DH couldn't get it back on the drive, it's just kept sliding sideways so we've left it on the road (good job it's a very quiet side street). There's no buses running and the gritters don't seems to have touched the roads.

Never mind, all safe at home now, more logs on the fire and a nice glass of brandy to warm our bones.

Popperwell

Pooky wrote: »

Never mind, all safe at home now, more logs on the fire and a nice glass of brandy to warm our bones.

Yes, that's the most important thing of all. It seems cold here and it has been raining but so far no sign of snow...but that could be different by morning.

mcculloch29

My local weather phone app says a 40% chance of snow for us overnight Pops. Usually when the odds are like that, the snow doesn't happen. X fingers.

missrlr

We have snow falling but due to it being so wet turns to rain on contact with the world ......

stiltwalker

Hi Angel Jenny - that sounds like about the amount a full BA or BSc honours degree with the OU will cost you now - but bear in mind that you can get student tuition loans to cover the cost as long as you don't already have a degree) and you pay those back out of earnings but not until you are earning a reasonable amount (was 21k think its going/gone up to 25k) and it is an affordable repayment amount.

I'm on module 4 (of 6) for a BA (Hons) in Childhood and Youth Studies with the OU - I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up until maybe a couple of years ago when it started to take shape - I now know that I want to work with the families of children with disabilities and special educational needs, helping them to navigate the system and to access all the sevices that their children need. I only know this because I have 2 children with a rare genetic disorder and dealing with the system is a nightmare - I am a confident, articulate, educated woman who gew up in and around special needs education as my Dad was a special needs head for 30 years and I've still had to struggle and fight for everything that our kids need! And I still do, each week (sometimes each day) presents new challenge or obstacle and it absoutely should not be like this. It is hard enough to be a parent of a disabled child without having the very professionals, who are supposed to be there to support you and your child, making life harder and there are a number of liason posts around (some local authority, some third sector) to support parents and it is this kind of outreach work that really calls to me.

In the meantime I am getting involved in what I can fit in on a voluntary basis - in fact I am at a meeting to discuss parent support services tomorrow and I am a key parent at our weekly family support group at the Sure Start centre and I get involved with other things on an ad hoc basis whe I can fit it around the kids and studies.

Of course none of this actually means I'm a grown up - LOL, that would make my mum feel far to old!!!!

nuatha

Angel_Jenny wrote: »

I dropped into this office as it was where I was placed for my NVQ. Admin just seemed to suit me - very organised but not very exciting! My qualifications (apart from a very basic counselling course) are all office / management based.

I've accidentally fallen into a couple of jobs, a case of being in the wrong place at the right time.

Maybe I need to think about admin in other places - like school admin or even admin in a care home. I hadn't thought about that .....

Life is about a lot more than work but 8 hours a day is a looooong time to spend in a bad atmosphere! I work full time and do maybe 20 hours caring a week but I am sure I can fit some volunteering in too!

Work is starting to change how I see myself - it is like being picked at all the time makes me feel that I just aren't capable of doing anything other than what I do now - like I am trapped in a rut.

I hadn't meant to minimise the effect working in those conditions can have. I ended up self employed after working with a toxic colleague, I wouldn't take the risk of being in a similar situation for a long time. Currently I balance running a small IT outfit (self employed) and managing someone else's business, though hours in both have been cut back to look after my partner.

Its really easy for me to say, try not to let it get to you, look at some of the other things you do in your life, but the truth is when your self confidence takes a knock, its not that easy to bounce back quickly. However you can do it.

The reason I'd mentioned the three jobs in the previous post was, my coping strategy for a job I hated but couldn't afford to quit, was to regard it as purely a way to fund me doing the things that were important to me, and it was those things that helped rebuild my self confidence and eventually move on.

Good admins are needed in every walk of life, admins who understand how the business works and have and understanding of how admin supports the core business and the roles of the staff of that business are worth their weight in gold. (unfortunately not every business understands that)

Charis offers good advice, if an informal approach doesn't succeed, look at a formal grievance procedure. Your health and welfare are important and your employer has a duty to protect them.

Sorry, turning into an essay, if not a rant.

Molly41

Snowing like crazy here:eek: