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

fuddle

I need to catch up with you all, and apologies for posting before I have read back but I felt I needed to touch base with you all as I have been missing in OS action lately.

It's been a combination of working some nights to cover sickness and holidays, MIL staying here and last weekend was one of those awfully long weekend shifts, and trying to enjoy the good weather with family time too.

OS wise we have invested in tomato plants. I see flowers so I am hopeful. There were bought from our market so super cheap

While MIL was here we were able to have her look after the girls a few evenings. DH and I went fishing for mackerel and got some!!! DH sorted it all and cooked it but freebie mackerel is good for the OS soul.

Our strawbs are producing well. Now the netting is in place we are getting them as they ripen as opposed to the birds. Peas growing quickly, blueberries fattening up but yet to turn colour and we have sown cut and come again leaves.

I have to bake up a batch of cakes for tomorrow for one of the girls' school fayre so as soon as they come in it will be "operation good mammy who is able to bake" wish me luck. Eldest is to take a bedding plant to help with a county bloom competition.

We are all well. Very busy but we like it that way. We are planning to head beach ways tomorrow evening with the kids in their wetsuits and snorkels and the weekend is our folk festival and a trip to an national trust place complete with our picnic basket. That reminds me I must put the ice packs in the the freezer as they have expressed a desire for cream with their strawberries!

Oh, and bless one of my lady's cotton socks... she had her pinned up with pegs this morning. Apparently she has lost her clips so she just made do. A girl after my own heart

Pooky

Afternoon all

Nutty - Hope DD can get another mortgage sorted - how annoying.

Fuddle - Sounds like life is treating you well. I bet the girls are loving being so close to the beach.

Ladyshopper - Helloooooo - hope you have a speedy recovery.

SQ - Congrats on the impending great auntie hood. My friends son and his girlfriend are due next month and I can't wait to have a snuggle with a new baby - it's got to be 10+ years since I've held a tiny baby....I must admit to being quite excited.

I've got so much done today, all my framing is up to date for the business and everything is packaged up and ready to go with the courier. Next few orders are all ready to start cutting and I've started looking at what I'd like to design for Christmas!!! I've got 4 loads of washing in and out, sorted the greenhouse, a bit of weeding, hoovered all through and played hokey cokey with the DW.

And why have I been able to do so much?

Cos DH isn't here!!

His Stepdad has driven him to see his brother who lives nearly 3 hours away - he has a rare cancer that's not responding well to anything, infact it seems to be growing alarmingly. DH felt he needed to see him sooner rather than later, it will mean DH will be overly sore and tried for the next few days but we've nothing planned and he can recover at his own speed.

Rescued a baby black bird this morning, it's parents were going nuts all afternoon yesterday and dive bombing the kittens, we finally found the baby behind the greenhouse at 7pm but just couldn't catch it. This morning is was hiding behind the water butt and mummy and daddy were coming down to feed it. I managed to get it in a box and took it round to next door to pop behind their shed out of the way of my kitties....Mum and Dad are still fying down to feed it but it has no flight feathers so no idea if it will last or not.

monnagran

Crumbs Fuddle. You haven't half been busy. I am so impressed with your gardening adventures, there is nothing like picking your own beans, or digging up your own spuds, walking them up the garden path, washing them under the tap, in the pan and on to your plate. From ground to mouth in 30 minutes, can't be bad. Enjoy your weekend snorkelling.

We have the famous IOW festival this weekend so residents have laid in their supplies and are ready for a siege. It's wise not to go out unless you absolutely have to.

I now have one room cleared for business - (for the storing of packed boxes). All net curtains have been washed and I am putting off getting them hung back up, I hate the things. I have planted 6 runner bean plants so that at least the people moving in will have something in the garden this Autumn. Had planned to put other stuff in but no time now. Bless him, one of out Drop-in chaps came round and offered to help me in the garden - he does this occasionally and is paid with a HM fruit cake. I showed him the 6 bean plants and the heap of bean sticks and showed him how to make a wigwam. When I came back there were 6 wigwams with 3 sticks each. So in theory each bean has its own private wigwam and a choice of sticks to climb. Never mind, he also cleared round the shed which is now devoid of nettles, brambles, old plastic pots etc. Well worth a fruit
cake.

Have my last church council meeting tonight so had better see about some tea and find something more suitable to wear.

x

Ladyshopper

Well, I went for a drive - only local to the chemist to pick up my prescription. I have a hip to hip incision which has healed really well, but got some fluid lumps, a bit like blisters just underneath. Don't want them popping with the pressure of the seatbelt, so but some big bubble wrap under the seatbelt across my tummy and worked a treat! Unfortunately the surgery does not appear to have worked (bladder surgery), and I am going even more than before the operation, so am really stuck for going out unless it's local and there is a toilet.

nuttyp

Lady shopper I sympathise on a bad day my IBS can be a nightmare, if I am at work I can be going every half hour or so. It has been fine all this week, but I am on holiday so it will be...


Today I made some cushion covers from a folded tea towel and some napkins. Just need an insert for them, and they will be used outside for the patio set.

shegar

LADYSHOPPER...Many thanks for your post regarding Emla cream, I will get some of that when I next go to chemist.......
And many thanks for all the other messages for me, the injection havent given me any pain relief this time , so I phoned the surgery this morning and asked the receptionist have the dr done a letter yet for the podirist at the hospital, and she said no not yet but will soon be done.....

So I asked her if it would be possible to go and see dr privately, cut long story short , I phoned the private hospital and they are now awaiting for a referral from my gp, I can get appointment within 2 wks .....
Ive done this before for both my shoulder ops , it cuts out waiting at least 8 months via NHS......If I wasnt in so much pain id wait for NHS , but I havent got a very good quality of life right now and want my mobility back.....

To see dr privately costs in between £140 to £200........Its the same dr private and he also do NHS patients, which I dont really agree with because you get exactly same op and care ,but obviously the dr get much more money , but its just so much quicker going private....And people say "money cant buy you health " well it certaintly can.....So I will go for the consultation private but have the op on NHS, it will get it done much quicker......I actually call it que jumping , but for the amount of suffering im doing needs must.........Probaly a lot of posters wont agree with it but Ive got to try to get some relief ,im sick of having to sit on my butt reading or on the net wasting my life away ,I want to get back to my old self and work and enjoy life.....Sheila

savingqueen

Evening all

We have had some busy bees posting today! The heat and lack of sleep has slowed me down today but I have plodded on fine.

Yay to the storage room monnagran! :j
Glad you got to go out with DH fuddle.

Recovering from major surgery is frustrating ladyshopper but sounds like you are being a sensible lass. Hope you are back to normal soon. One good thing you have more time to post here and can have a good nosey on the other threads/boards/blogs etc.

More good news to share. DH heard this eve that he has passed another exam and his project is good to go and be submitted (tutor thinks it will pass). Another exam result to go in a few weeks time and then 2 more to sit, one day after the other. Not looking forward to that week!

I am in decluttering mood and keep on finding new homes via friends and charity shops for random stuff. Also made a dent in massive amounts of paperwork to be recycled. Even found a home for unwanted videos, charity shops here don't want them but we have a free books shop (yes!!!) who have a video section. A lot of the books on offer are old, battered, dated and not likely to sell well at the chazzas especially at the prices some of them charge. I am building a collection of classic children's books to balance all the modern stuff the boys read. To be honest they devour books both on their e-readers and the real mccoy. Part of me just wants to fill endless black sacks (a skip would be helpful!) and just thow out of the window :rotfl:however the satisfaction of re-homing as much as possible is well worth the effort not to mention the horrors of adding to landfill.

sq AND MY SMILIES ARE WORKING AGAIN!! :j

fuddle

Sheila, as a nation we have the option to go private for so much of our health care. I would argue at your corner that you are saving the NHS money... what is the difference between what you are doing and that of a family purchasing their own equipment for their needs and that of a family who get their equipment supplied due to means testing etc.

You're not taking, you're being proactive and sorting yourself out due to your needs. You can do it so why the heck not. I am aware of the 'snobbery' (that isn't the right word I know) surrounding supporting and being grateful for the NHS health system. We should be so, so proud of our system but that doesn't mean it has to be used for each and ever turn in my opinion. If there is another way, a better way for an individual then that individual should go for it! The NHS is changing as we are all aware. I think the days of that snobbery have long gone.

Monnagran hullo! Be under no illusion, we have no allotment of produce but we are starting with containers, building and learning. DH has been out talking to our neighbour tonight. It seems our every move is being watched as she admits to having chuckles over us working with our sticks and wool for the pea support frame etc ... in a good way, I think!

savingqueen

Pooky -so sorry to hear about DH's brother. DH will be worn out emotionally as well when he returns. Hugs to you all.

sq x

savingqueen

Good for you Sheila. You have had so much on your plate for ages particularly healthwise. Now that DH is settled and happy in his 2nd home you can concentrate on getting your health problems managed better. I so admire your fighting spirit. Go Sheila!

sq x