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

Margaret54

Fuddle love well done to you for standing your ground and speaking up about Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas when it comes love and you will feel much lighter of mind too now you have made the decision. You have a lovely little family and deserve much happiness. I often read your posts over time since I first came on to M.S.E, and know you are hard working and want the best for your family and have so much common sense which many Mums don't have sadly. Many young Mums could learn so much from you and your oldstyle ways. I know quite a few of them who would laugh at us fellow oldstylers too and have no clue how to manage. Take care Margaretx

fuddle

Hi Margaret so nice to read you are keeping yourself busy. Business = happiness I think sometimes.

Pooky it's a dreary day here so opted for tights, boots, dress and cardi. I was sweltering walking from garden centre to Hobbicruft and the car windows decided to steam up on the way home. We all must have been hot!

Been such a productive day. I have the potatoes cooked, the chilli is ready, the bread and butter pud (with bananas, raisins, mixed spice and brown sugar ) is ready, we've machine stitched the covers for the hot water bottles that arrived today and the girls have made their cat felt masks for halloween. So much in the way of inspiration in the craft shop today but way too expensive. I decided to leave the fudge making till Monday when I'm off again

A question for you. My neighbour has given me the innards of the insulation pack that came with her organic order. Apparently she tried it but didn't rate it so there was no way of getting the boxes and insulation pack back. The innards are 100% wool. They are farmyard smelly but as far as I can tell thats all. Does anyone know of any reason why I shouldn't use that wool as a cushion stuffing... other than the smell but I don't care about that as I'm sure it will ease. Maybe I could wash it?

Possession

Fuddle you've reminded me about crockpot fudge, I have all the ingredients so that's a half term activity.
No house news Pooky, though we do at least have a viewing next week. Everyone is reporting the same, very slow market here at the moment. My neighbour told me her friend makes good money from putting up foreign students, so if this goes on too long and we have to start making big mortgage payments again that might be something we need to think about.

nursemaggie

fuddle it would have been the shock of your Durham accent in Dorset. I thought that before I put on my glasses to look at the small writing. It does not matter what size cup you use as long as you use the same one. It is a ratios that matter. What size you use depends on how much fudge you want.

FPK you beat me too it I was going to suggest exactly the same.

Pooky your DD probably won't need an electric blanket the mattress toppers are very warm. My DS has a memory foam mattress and his bedding varies between a flat sheet through an empty duvet cover and and a summer weight duvet if it gets really cold.

Possession why do you think they want the lids loose it is not just customs, they even them out where some had rather a lot in and those that don't have much and they can sent the hats and scarves to the cold places. Of course even in a desert it gets very cold in the night. That's how my DS learned 4 t-shirts can be warmer than a jumper. He visited his sister in Morocco when she was working there.

Nutty I agree with possession get some rest and the tear should be relatively simple to repair. I hope they do it soon it must be painful, uncomfortable and so embarrassing.

Hugs to all the poorlies and all with problems.

Floss

Fuddle, could you make a hot-bag thingy with the wool, or maybe a chimney stuffer thingy?

stiltwalker

Fuddle - if it smells farmyardy it is probably unwashed so if you google washing raw fleece you should get some good instructions - you can wash but you need to be careful to keep the water temperature low and be very careful not to agitate the wool too much or you will felt it and then it will be lumpy stuffing! Properly washed it will be a lovely warm and cuddly cushion stuffing.


Had a lovely evening at the Halloween disco of the special school we go to stay and play in the hols at - DD had a lovely time although DS was grumpy and just wanted to go to sleep.


Got a busy hols with lots planned - will keep reading but might be the end of the hols before I post again - so take care all and copious hugs and love dispensed where needed - Hx

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE you can wash the wool but put it into something like a pillow case and tie the top. MIL used to spin and dye her own wool and she bought full raw fleeces and washed them in the machine in bags like that. They still smell when they're wet but that does diminish in tine.

MARGARET it's so lovely to know that you are having as much fun with Caleb as we are with Ezra, bless you it's glorious to hear you so chirpy love, I'm so very happy for you. Of course you can have my lentil soup recipe, it's the easiest thing to make as there is only chopping up and cooking on the hob involved and it's fat free too.

Lentil Soup
6 oz split red lentils (sorted through to get any stones/other seeds out)and thoroughly rinsed in a sieve.
1 good sized onion peeled and chopped
1 good sized carrot peeled and chopped
1 stick of celery diced
1 good sized potato peeled and diced
3 pints of stock (I use beef but chicken or vegetable is fine too)
1 heaped teaspoon of dried thyme
1 heaped teaspoon of dried sage
2 Bay Leaves
1 heaped teaspoon Marmite/Yeast extract to add in when it's fully cooked
celery salt(add in at then end)
black pepper
salt if needed but added at the end of the cooking time as the lentils will not soften and break down if salt is added before they are cooked.

Just pop everything except the marmite , celery salt and salt into a very large pan and bring it to the boil, then simmer it for as long as it takes for the lentils to be fully broken down in the stock. This can be anything from 1 hour to 2 ish hours depending on the age of the lentils. Remove the bay leaves and add the marmite/yeast extract and celery salt to your taste. Check the seasoning and add salt to your taste if it's needed. This makes at least 6 good sized servings. Hope you like it, Lyn xxx.

chickens11

FUDDLE.....Cor your bread/butter pud sounds so yummy , good ole English puds this time of year in autumn are so lovely, I will eat anything with cinnamon in and mixed spice , im gonna have to a small one for my self , only trouble is I only eat seeded brown bread , I suppose I could buy a small white and just take out the amount I need for a pud and freeze the other for another pud.......Where theres a will there:Ds a way ....
MARGARET54....Lovely to see you posting again , I love reading your posts.....
LYN....I do agree with you about the weather , we have a sunny day again , its about 12 outside now and by this arvo it will be about 16 again , I know its nice not to be too cold and wet but its very funny having all the doors open all day and next week we will be into November......It certaintly makes winter seem so much shorter......

My foot is healing nicely , still got bandaged on and special boot , but I go back to see surgeon on Monday , then I will be 2 wks to the day of the op.........I cant bear any pressure on the heel but ive now lost the crutches and zimmer and I walk on a stick and tip toes, cant wait to get the other foot done , so im hoping by next spring I will be be able to walk normal......
Ive got 18 new hens that have joined my 20 something hens they are POL ...........
Ive still got my family of hedgehogs visiting everynight for the their mealworms , they should hibernate in the next 2 wks, when they stop eating the mealworms I will know when theyve gone to bed for the winter.......
My grass could do with a cut , I will grab the first son that comes here to do it ............Hope you all have a good weekend ....Sheila

ArthriticOldThing

Good morning all.
MrsLW the lentil soup has my mouth watering. I make a very similar one and keep in fridge to do my lunches for a week.
Well I had the Carpal Tunnel Surgery on Thursday and now have a very bulkily bandaged right hand and wrist. The surgery was fine under local anaesthetic but very painful since. Also very restrictive as unable to use right hand and I'm right handed. Have to keep dry and bandaged for 10 days. So have decided not to try going out for at least a week - getting washed and dressed is quite an exercise.:rotfl::rotfl:
Enjoy the hols stilty.
glad you are seeing some progress with the foot Sheila.

savingqueen

Morning all

just lost a post grrrr. Glad you've had your op AOT but sorry its so painful. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Glad your foot is healing Sheila. You will both be able to do more once you have recovered fully.

Lovely to hear from you Margaret, especially about your little Caleb.

Had a bad night sleep wise and woke up late having drifted in and out of sleep. Tons planned today but will need to simplify. We get an extra hour tomorrow so that will help!

Harder to post now my laptop has died and DH is using the PC for both work and leisure so much. We need to make decisions about secondary schools this weekend and its really stressing me now. If DS doesn't get into one of our preferences, it will be the nearest and by far the worst secondary school for miles for him. His primary school uses one of their facilities sometimes as it is a small school and nearly every time he goes he tells me of bad behaviour there (from the secondary school pupils). Yesterday one of said pupils pushed into another and then into DS. The only teachers present were the primary ones who had to tell off the older pupils. He really, really does not want to go there, he has seen for himself what it is like.

Looking forward to a nice bath later and roast chicken for dinner.

Have a good weekend everyone
SQ x