'supporting each other through really tough times'

mrsmortenharket

Thank you for my welcomes.

MeanMarie, everything good here. X

Mrs VP, I am sorry your husband has lost his job. X

I'm not as much as a toughie as many of you are. I am in awe of lots of you.

I had to de-lurk as I think about many of you in Real Life!

Mardatha, for instance, every time I buy sweeties!

And GreyQueen for (re!)introducing me to Frey Bentos pies! :rotfl:

Good night all

Lisa x

Softstuff

Thanks for the love, I feel more positive today in any case. Even if it did turn out to be MS, we wouldn't have to change much of our life to adapt to it anyway.

PIC, that to and fro with the wuss of a teacher made me dizzy, so I can imagine how your son feels.

Unixgirl, I'm so sorry to hear you're in limbo, hoping for a good outcome for you.

Mrs VP, so sorry to hear about your OH. I'm wondering if a bunch of us need to have a "Kicking 2012 up the bum New years Eve party"? I don't think there's many here have had a good year.

Sorry I can't comment more individually but typing is taking far more effort than usual. But you can have some virtual cake instead.

Here's a question for you:
Should I go out and buy a Christmas cake, christmas pudding and mince pies or should I make them - the catch to this is, I have to have them because Christmas over here is a large family affair I have to go to (there is no way out of it) and I tend to bring dessert, if I buy them I leave myself shorter on grocery money so have to make more from scratch there, if I make them I have more grocery money so can buy easier premade stuff for meal. And I feel like cack. Answers on a postcard.... :rotfl:

nuatha

Softstuff wrote: »

Here's a question for you:
Should I go out and buy a Christmas cake, christmas pudding and mince pies or should I make them - the catch to this is, I have to have them because Christmas over here is a large family affair I have to go to (there is no way out of it) and I tend to bring dessert, if I buy them I leave myself shorter on grocery money so have to make more from scratch there, if I make them I have more grocery money so can buy easier premade stuff for meal. And I feel like cack. Answers on a postcard.... :rotfl:

If I send answers on a postcard will it get to you before Christmas?
Equally, if I sent baked goods I'm afraid they'd arrive too late (if they survived the journey and were admitted into Oz).
If I was your family I'd be voting for you baking (so no pressure there )
Seriously, I hope you're feeling better soon.

fuddle

Hmm. Deliberations. I think the clue was the word easier. If you make them you can buy easier premade when the heat is on. And if you make them you can spread the making over days before hand. ?

Feeling cack

I've a stoving headache myself. I started back on the AD's yesterday and by gawd am I paying for it. I am literally shattered but just can't sleep. I've come down for a paracetamol and half hours crochet in the hope that when I go lay back down I can sleep.

I hope that tomorrow is a much better day for the toughies. It's been a bit cack allround really

mcculloch29

Mrs VP, that's horrible. What a time of year to be given such news. Wishing DH and DD all the best. Softstuff, it truly has been an annus horribilis for you. Your reaction is commendable.. and MS is very, very variable, let's pray it isn't that.

I had an email from one of my colleagues tonight wondering what is happening with our futures. I can't say too much as work is a bit funny about any of us mentioning what we do. I mentioned something on a forum once and had a gentle ticking off.

There's around 100 of us working on one project, scattered nationwide across England, and 20 of us are currently waiting to start work on a second project. We are in limbo land at the moment, earnings slowed right down on Project A and Project B is yet to take off.

I was officially made redundant from my other job at the end of September, but we have to wait 10 weeks for redundancy pay, in case we get another job within the organisation (public service employer).

So yeah, not been the best year I've had, definitely, definitely not the worst, but at least I still have the hope and some expectation that things may improve.

Prudence

Hello Softstuff ...Whichever is easiest... icecream cake?

Mrs VP - What a stomach churner, good thing you are resourceful, and your daughter is a star.

Fuddle..is your headache easing? Hope so. Your eyes are getting heavy....sleeeeep, sleeeeeep

Softstuff

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.

paidinchickens

Mrs_Veg_Plot wrote: »

Bad news in the VP household tonight. Mr VP works until 7.30 pm and at 7.20 he was called into the office and told that he no longer had a job . Apparently the project he was employed to manage is not bringing in the amount of money that they thought it would. This was topped of with the comment that he is a eally nice blok to have about the office. Thats nice but it does not pay the bills.

Have stopped feeling sorry for myself now. We will be sitting down tomorrow to look at our finances. He is off to the job centre and the employment agencies tomorrow. DD2 (16) has a 21/2 hour gap between lectures tomorrow and has asked her dad to pick her up so that she can go to the job centre with him to look for a job as well.

It is a good job I have learned so much about thrift on this thread, I am going to need to step my thrifty ways up a gear.

Mrs VP

Terrible news, I feel for you.

We are still sat waiting for DH medical board appointment and it's like waiting for the hatchet man, it will either be just before or just after Christmas but it is unanimous DH is not fit to work any more.


I don't know if it's worse before or after crimbo I suppose before so you don't over spend, so we won't be having an extra tangerine just incase.


Had DSs sixth form evening yesterday, he still wants to go to college and I say over my dead body :rotfl::rotfl:

I know they should make their own decisions but he rarely gets anything done without being nagged and as college treat them as adults and lets them be responsible for their own workload it will not be beneficial to my lazy toad teenager who would rather rot in his pit :rotfl:

Bleached all the kitchen floor (doggie odour) and I'm hoping it dries befor everyone gets up, unfortunately I can't get owt done as the floor is still wet so I will have to sit here with my cuppa and laptop

meme30

PIC:- Pleased you got a result. Sending hugs to you and your DH. :grouphug: While you are sorting your doggie smell, any ideas about a fishy one? Lovely smoked cod last night but my kitchen smells like it's still sitting on my bench! Yeuk!

MrsVP:- that's Bl88dy awful news! I hope he finds something else soon.

Softstuff:- bless you, you sound so fragile and tired at the moment. Why not try an easier alternative to make and take. I am doing this:-
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/chocolate/truffle-torte.html

When you are poorly, 'fannying on' with pastry etc is too tiring. I would look for bought mince pies and we like a MaTThew W8lker bought Christmas Pud here. Then again, being as you are at the other end of the world, I'm sure there will be other makes you can get. I have heard reports that the Heston one is not all that great!

Cheapskate

Morning

pic - how annoying being in limbo re the appointment, but if you know DH is definitely not going to be working is it just a formality? Have you already prepared for him not returning? Have a hug while you drink your cuppa.

softstuff - I'd do it gradually if you'd really rather make things. Make and freeze pastry one day, to make mince pies when you're up to it, and do other things in little chunks. Maybe buy in some time-saving things to tweak? I have family in Oz so I know it can be hard and/or expensive to buy British Christmas foodie things. Take care.

Not had much sleep, so dog-tired on top of everything else. I had last week off work, back today and have realised how hard those 2 days are, as they're quite long!

fuddle, hope you feel better soon, will send you a message later, take care.

Hope everyone has a better day than recently - have a hug and a nice strong cup of tea!

A xo