The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

wondercollie

We still have around 60cm of snow and ice in the garden, so it will be a while before we see mud. But the thaw has started! The drains are blocked by ice so there are some corners where you almost float around them.


Our libraries take books less than five years old and in good shape. Playgroups and daycares are happy to take childrens books. You could even try womens shelters.

paidinchickens

mcculloch29 wrote: »

Pic, the veggie and vegan recipes in Jack's book outnumber the meat recipes and even then, most of the meat ones can be adapted, using Quorn or veggie sausages/bacon for example. Protein being the most expensive part of the meal, beans and pulses feature heavily.

Thanks, Kidcat, I'm a bit of a bibliophile but I have too many books so I have passed books on to the library for a while now.
Re the Jack book, I just thought that for a couple of quid it was a gesture that could do a lot of good, potentially.
I give my library books I have read that still look very new and have been published fairly recently. I'm a careful reader generally, I use proper bookmarks and don't turn down corners. Sometimes the books you see in remainder shops have faults; these wouldn't be suitable, but many are.

That is a lovely thing to do and will really help the most in need have access, I would never even have thought of such a thing. :T

PiC x

FairyPrincessk

Hi All,

Work still very mad but wanted to chime in about libraries. It is lovely to donate books to them. I would suggest calling ahead if you wanted to donate children's books. A lot of books are published with a more durable 'library binding' that helps them to last longer (but not all, and children's books are a notable exception). Some libraries have rules about what they can and can't accept in terms of binding, content and even donations. If the library can't or won't take them, consider:

-schools/ask a teacher even if the school or teacher can't/won't use them themselves they may know of a few families that could. My mum takes some of her gently worn books and uses them as prizes in her classroom, and I can't imagine she is alone in that.

-Women and children shelters. It doesn't matter why they're there--domestic violence or poverty, children often don't get to bring much with them in that situation and the shelter may either give away books, or keep a small lending library. Story time might just help them through a troubled time.

-Children's hospitals--again they may not be able to take them because they can't be disinfected, but always worth asking. A lot of children's wards have toys/games consoles etc. for children to borrow while they're in hospital.

-Host a book swap with other local children. This might mean you end up with more than you tried to give away, so I would be careful.:rotfl:

mardatha

Woke up to a LOT of bird noise this morning - looked out window and there seemed to be a shouting match going on in the front garden between a pair of pheasants and a pair of partridges. That's a first!

Molly41

I love graffiti art x

SDG31000

Morning all


Congratulations Mrs C


I'm off to Lincoln Uni today with DH and DS1 to see if DS1 likes it there and would consider it as his second choice. DH is trying to persuade me that stopping at Damon's Ribs is a good idea. I wish he had said that yesterday before I spent last night cooking turkey soup, turkey pie filling and shepherd's pie so I knew we had food to come back to.
My DMIL is having her second knee replacement on 31st March and as we are visiting this weekend I'm cooking ready meals for my PIL's freezer so they have food without having to worry about it for a few days. I still need to make some tea loaves, flapjacks, fish pies and chicken stew.
I'd better get ready to go, at least this visit hasn't meant the alarm going off at 5.30am.


Much love and hugs xxxxxxx

Possession

I've donated over 200 books to my daughter's school in the last 6 months, so if it's children's books you're wishing to offload schools are definitely an option.

savingqueen

Hello everyone,

Well done on passing induction fuddle.
Enjoy Lincoln SDG.

How thoughtful mcculloch. Jack lives a few miles from us so I would imagine her books will be in all the libraries and bookshops. I plan to borrow a copy and check it out too. Must get down to the library soon.

Great suggestions re books esp. FairyP's post. I pass our old ones down to friends with younger children and have taken bags into school as well - they are always very appreciative and I know they are used as I saw them when I volunteered.

Don't forget charity shops/bins and also clinic/doctor/dentist waiting rooms - when we used to go to the SLT every week, my children soon bored of the few books they had. Freecycle and similar, jumble/fetes... really no reason to bin books at all!

We have a free book store in town staffed by volunteers, mostly old/tired/dated books that some charity shops would turn their nose up. You can help yourself to a max number of books (3 ?) and can make a donation (no pressure to) in a little box if you wish to help pay the running costs. They also have old knitting patterns and a few other bits - brilliant idea to keep stuff out of landfill as well.

enough book talk, washing out in a mo, prescriptions to be dropped off and then as much housework as I can stomach

have a good day whatever it brings
sq

kidcat

Thank you all for the ideas about books - I had discounted both schools, as both PTAs have just completely restocked the libraries. One has also bought a full set of kindles - I think they are aiming to get rid of paper books eventually - goodness knows why but I will ask today if the other one would like some

I walked out of a meeting today, feel really bad about it, but it was an event crammed full of people, I was there as the only parent, and I felt out of place to begin with. I saw the agenda and realised it was going to be of no benefit to us. Then I thought of all the stuff I was behind with at home and decided to leave, made an excuse about call from school and left. I have come home and wrapped DS9 presents for tomorrow - good job as well, as I have run out of paper so need to get more

Feeling really low the past couple of days and struggling to get motivated, so much to do I find I cant get started.

Pooky

Afternoon all

Books - we have a couple of stands at the village hall, you can take as many as you like, just pop a donation in the honesty box and then if you want to leave any they have box just inside the door so you can drop them in and they'll bung em on the stand when there's space. There's always kids books on there too, I saw a few DVDs last time too.

Thick fog first thing but lovely and sunny now, breeze is a bit nippy though. Popped to a few CS this morning on the way to pick up DHs meds, found lots of lovely vintage fabrics, a couple of sturdy baskets (to store said fabrics in) and a lovely cardi and pair of combats....I do love a good CS haul. Just waiting for all the fabrics to finishing whiz zing in the machine and will get them on the line. No idea what I will do with them yet but I couldn't leave them there.....could I?

My name is Pooky and I'm a fabricaholic