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

shanks77

Wow early for blackberries we still have a good few weeks to go. I have a bush in my back garden which produced several pounds of fruit last year and looks to be the same again this year. Will make some jam and keep some for crumble hopefully with some of mums cooking apples yum

paidinchickens

Strange day here.

DS is heartbroken as his first love has dumped him and he is gutted. He hasn't got a clue what to do. He got a message from her saying "I've changed my profile picture, altered my relationship status and I'm blocking you as I don't want' to be with you any more"

Dumped by FB........my poor baby.

On the plus side it has put a bit of ooomph into DD who has him at her house at the moment and it's given her something to concentrate on.

Kids eh? doesn't matter what age they are does it? still makes you worry yourself sick.

PiC x

Jazee

Ooh PIC, hope DS's broken heart is mended soon. And no, it doesn't matter how old they are, all we continue to do is worry about them.

Too early for blackberries here too. I saw some that had ripened on a dog walk earlier, but not many, took a couple from high up and ate those. A little sharp actually. Can't wait to make apple & blackberry crumbles again. Love them.

I hope you are all having a pleasant evening.

kidcat

Oh dear PIC - but what a lucky escape for him, this girl is clearly not very nice - who on earth dumps someone that way???

MrsLW - blackberries, our bush has a few ready for collection but the vast majority will be a few weeks yet.

Jazee ((hugs))

I collected doggy yesterday and got his test results, its not liver cancer thankfully but his liver looks awful she said, so they have taken samples.
Cushings is back in the mix again as the tests yesterday showed enlarged adrenal glands and some other bits which point that way. SO now he has to have another set of tests on wednesday to verify the cushings. She also is doing a liver function test to see just how bad the liver is.
Am dreading the whole thing, yesterday he was still very sedated when I collected him and I had to lift him into the car - he weighs 47.5kg and it was DD tiny little car - it was not a pretty sight nor was it particularly easy. thankfully OH was home by the time I got here so he was able to lift him out this end. He then slept for the rest of night well apart from the kitten kicking him out of his bed regularly! We had to lock her up eventually as it just wasnt fair on the poor dog.

Today we went to collect big car but it wasnt ready - it needed more parts so it wont be done until tomorrow, mechanic is slightly panicking because he wants me to put at least 200 miles on it before I take it on holiday - I pointed out I have done 300 since Tues and havent really been anywhere so 200 is easy peasey for me

I feel I am spending money like water this week, between the car (bill is currently over £500) the dog (he topped £600 yesterday) and I have had to buy a roof box today for the holiday (DS is nowhere near mobile enough to cope without the wheelchair while we are away - partly as I havent been able to get him out this week without the car, so he hasnt built anything up yet!)
So have managed to log into my clubcard account (been locked out for ages) and convert my points into days out vouchers - means we will not have any days out to pay for when we are away, just need food and fuel (I have 8p per litre off my diesel via clubcard as well).

DD is moping around terribly after the break up, so we have been trying to keep her busy and distracted, its so hard finding things to distract a 19 year old - its so much easier when they are 8 and a lolly ice makes things better!!

shanks77

Kidcat sounds like u have ur hands full as usual. Wish I could do something to help but will send positive thoughts ur way and hope that helps xx

[Deleted User]

It's the benefit of living as far south as we do, the blackberries we've got are some thornless bushes we put in a few years ago on the back fence behind the polytunnel and mini barn just to use the space and they love it there. We've been picking for abour 3 weeks now and have had kilos and still have kilos to come. The wild ones here are ripe and luscious looking in the hedgerows too but no one seems to be picking them which is sad and such a big waste. The elderberries have ripened here too and the hawthorn and rowans are prolific this year and certainly the rowan berries are ripe enough to pick, hawthorn needs a few weeks yet but is showing red on the trees. I'll pick elderberries and make elderberry cordial towards the end of the week when He Who Knows is back (I can't reach the tops of the bushes!!!) as it's so useful for sore throats and coughs and colds in the winter. The hazelnuts are starting to fall on the footpaths and there seem to be a good crop of sloes too which will make good sloe gin for christmas. The apple crop isn't as good as the spring blossom indicated it would be and I think it's due to low pollination, not many bees around and very few wasps too this year. No matter, we'll make what we can any use what's there to make nice things to go into store, waste not want not being a good motto indeed!!!

Jazee

Mrs LW, when we lived down south we planted some of those thornless blackberry bushes and they were just becoming established when we moved north so we never really got the benefit of them. I am in the early stages still of establishing a proper grow your own garden here but I must consider planting those again.

[Deleted User]

They more than earn thier keep JAZEE and are much easier to pick than the wild ones.

Pooky

The blackberries aren't ready here yet either and we're right down on the coast - will be a week or so. DH and DD2 did manage to get elderberries and rosehips yesterday though so we've got some wine started.

Kidkat - What will happen with doggy whilst you're away or is DH staying behind?

PIC - That's how DD and her BF broke up (they're now back together), he changed his relationship status to "single" and didn't contact her. He's not in my good books for messing her around and he was here yesterday and barely spoke 2 words to me - I shall be having words when I see him next, I will not be made to feel uncomfortable in my own home, I don't care how shy he is, he can be polite and talk to me like an adult.

DH's dad is arriving tomorrow so I'd best get the house tidy - will be the first time he's met the girls (I met him briefly 14 years ago - less than 2 minutes), so I'd like to create a decent impression.

DD1 has tonsillitis and feeling ropey, she went to the walk in centre after work yesterday and they said yes its your tonsils but we don't give antibiotics any more for it so just get on with it and rest your voice. She's working from 5pm-10pm today on the tills so not a lot of chance to rest her voice poor thing.

Got a chicken to pop in the oven in a mo, it's overcast and chilly here (yay!) so I think a roast dinner is in order......I can then play rubber chicken for the rest of the week

kezlou

poor pooch ad that blumming car of yours. its like our old one, loved eating money!

sq enjoy your holibobs!!!!

fingers crossed for tomorrow pooky x

Looked at the blackberries but sadly not ready yet

Have found a plum tree so hopefully once they ripe we'll be have plum jam yum. SAme as elderberries and tons of brambles very close to where we live.


freezing here, very windy, rain, gale force winds lovely