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

stiltwalker

So close we walked Pooky! Was good but expensive - that daughter of mine can get that way! Sounded like it was mental yesterday (carpark full by 10.05 by all accounts) but was just pleasantly busy today and DD managed not to run too many people over with her wheelchair - she wore her 'mind your toes' t-shirt as a warning just in case though. She also managed to negotiate an invite to mine and my mum's annual trip to the knitting and stitching show in Harrogate over bacon and sausage butties in the caf! for lunch, I'd best get saving!


Couldn't offer more than a couch if you ever made it up for Yarndale, but we could certainly do dinner for you - Hx

kezlou

Awwwww what a darling miss stitly is
Love hearing all about her adventures.

Sq ((hugs))

Hope you and hubby can sort something out. My OH had a two month split and we had another chat last week, let's just say he soon bucked his ideas up. They don't realise what we go through. My friend is having the same argument with her hubby. He spent all day playing on games while she did everything, all her have special needs so very tiring.
My OH now helps as he knows how hard it is looking after ds2.

Had lovely pressies this week, friend bought me a lush bracelet. Thank you so much for the paper cut pooky, gorgeous work.

Very happy Ds2, a gorgeous piggy arrived in the post and he was besotted. Thank you so much Ginny, he's been playing with "spider piggy" everyday and sleeps him on the night. So cute seeing him snuggling up to spider piggy and raffe.


Glad you had a wonderful birthday kidcat

shanks77

My internet was playing up yesterday so a belated happy birthday to Kidcat hope u had a lovely day and got a chance to put your feet up for 5 mins. You tire me out just reading what u get up to in a day xx

monnagran

Just read through this page to get a mini catch-up, so have no idea of what everyone has been doing for the past few days. However I gather you had a birthday Kidcat. I hope it was a happy one and that you got a bit of spoiling.

Still enjoying the mild weather here, and enjoying even more not having to put on heating. Hopefully this Indian summer will make the winter shorter and cheaper.

I have been giving a lot of thought to Christmas just lately. I've been reading 'Unplug the Christmas Machine', and I really want to make things much simpler and much more OS this year. I'm not sure that I will have the time to make many prezzies so have to take a different approach. I've decided that most of my efforts will be for the children, and adults will have a SMALL gift and my best love. I love to send cards but the price of stamps is ridiculous. I never send cards to people I see anyway. It seems stupid to wish someone a happy Chistmas and hand them a card that says the same thing, so this year I will send too many cards, (as usual) but will try to include a nice newsy letter. Perhaps I'd better start writing now!

Sorry to bring up the subject but every year, Christmas passes in a manic and disorganised rush and this year I really want to enjoy it. Hence my thinking aloud and I can hear the boos and hisses so there!

x

savingqueen

Hello everyone,

worked my socks off yesterday, so busy I forgot to pop in here so Belated Birthday wishes for you kidcat. Hope you had the loveliest of days.

Well DH and I are being polite to each other, atmosphere is not frosty but definitely only lukewarm. He seems to have no idea why I was cross and I really don't feel like I want to explain it all and start another potential row. The time DS10 is asleep is about 10pm and we are both tired by then with early starts. DS10 has selection tests Weds, Sat and next Tues. I have several school visits, DS is coming on 2 of them with me as they didn't offer open eves. The timing sucks. On the other hand, I don't like an atmosphere and I know I do need to talk with him. If I am being truthful I am worried that I tell him how I feel and he doesn't agree with me and then what. I know how I will feel if things don't change but I have the kids to think about.

Used my alldeedums voucher this morning. My stocks of everything are lower than they have been for a long time and I don't know when I will be able to afford to replenish them entirely or where I will store them as the spare room is out of bounds (for future bedroom plans.)

I have forgotten all the posts now so will have to come back later and re-read, sorry. Need to do a couple of bits then make a stop at a different supermarket on the way to school.

hugs where needed, plenty to go around
xxxx

savingqueen

Kezlou, have we missed your birthday?

fuddle

Is unplug the Christmas machine a book monna? I'm thinking about it but I always do in terms of budgeting but the only thing I have done practically is source a cardboard box for our hamper. It's goodies and treats for us to 'open' on winter solstice also containing a gift for the birds. I digress...

happy belated birthday kidcat I hope you were able to get a little birthday girl spoiling in from your loved ones although if your reality is like mine it would probably last about 30 seconds. I do miss the roll eyes smiley.

I sit here very nearly crying over spilt milk. The weekend has been the worst yet, damn caring profession and zero hours contracts. 2 times 14 hour days and no breaks at all. Short staffed crossed with sickness meant all hands to the pump. So just in from today's shift to find milk all over the fridge and floor. DH was defrosting a milk carton but looks like that carton has split. Also I had no bread for DD's packed lunch this morning as I forgot to leave a batch of dough for DH to cook.

So I literally am drinking tea and typing to you while I have a white stream in the vicinity of the fridge. That saying about not crying over spilt milk means I am allowed to sit here supping and calming down. I will tackle soon.

So all in all in I think I will be looking at milk and more for deliveries of milk and bread. I have tried over and over for a way that suits us and failed each time. I should feel guilty about paying more for deliveries but I have tried and I remember my grandma having milk deliveries when I was little so maybe there's a little OS in there somewhere. Maybe?

cornishchick

Hugs Fuddle from another person stressed to the eyeballs with care work and staff shortages. Frustrating to actually care about the people we support and feel personally responsible for making sure they get the care and support, even if it means me working more hours.
Anyway , re milk and bread deliveries. A few pence spent on the deliveries will take out pounds of stress, so I believe it's worth it.
Sorry, like everyone I am sitting here gulping down a late lunch and coffee, before tackling paper work, at home just because I just have no time or space to do it at work. So back to the grind stone..

Hugs n stuff. X CC

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE love the idea of the solstice box, I may well be playing copycat there! Don't anguish about the ethics or not of getting bread and milk delivered, it's as old as time to have a milkman, a milkman who delivers eggs, bread etc. is a treasure to be used so pick up the phone girlie and get it arranged. You might ask them what time the milk is delivered as our local milkman used to deliver in our road at 11ish in the morning. If that is the case you might invest in one of those insulated boxes to keep your milk cool until you get home between caring visits, specially in the summer. I'll trade you a solstice box with the 6th December which is St.Nicholas Day and when we lived in germany the local children would put out a shoe on the doorstep on the evening of 5th December and in the morning santas elves would have filled it with nuts, clementines and sweets. We still send the girls a St.Nicholas present and they send to us,it doesn't have to be expensive but it's a lovely tradition to set going.

SQ you'll feel so much better when you have the decision on where DD10 is actually going to get his secondary education, this visiting and debating really saps your energy and is soooo stressful, particularly when you are a caring and careful parent who wants the very best for thier childs future. Men rarely see where they have erred and rarely have the insight that something needs sorting out. It takes tact on your part to raise the issues and maybe get him to understand, it takes time on his part to assimilate how you're feeling. It might be better if you could talk together, just to clear the air and then I'm fairly sure life would be less fraught for you while the decision making is going on about DS. Bless you, I just want to give you a hug!!!

silvasava

Fuddle - I still have my milk delivered & just buy extra from the SM when needed. My thinking is it keeps someone employed and there are many housebound people whose milkman is the one who raises the alarm when they see something not right - so in a roundabout way I'm doing my bit. So don't feel its not MS