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

kidcat

OOh Nargleblast two houses on the road leading to our estate have all their decorations up - its driving me batty as the kids think we should follow! I usually aim for buying the tree around 12th Dec, which gives me time to go completely mad decorating everywhere and outside, I usually finish Christmas Eve

Possession - would one of your neighbours just keep an eye out for DS so if he gets into any difficulty or panics they are close enough he can go to?

Pooky - your trip sounds really lovely, and just what you needed

Sheila - its a small minibus we have bought, I ideally would have preferred something smaller, but in order to be able to separate the kids and give them adequate space, we ended up with a 9 seater! I am looking forward to having boot space though and am most looking forward to having second gear again!!! OH is going to drive me to collect her in a work van which is a relief, and I am trying to plan a route that doesn't involve snake pass, which was awful on Sunday, heavy fog so thick it scared me

Possession

Kidcat I met my dog-walking friend earlier, who lives round the corner, and she said to give him her number and she could be there quickly if need be. However I think he'll be going to school given that he pinched his sister's Tangfastics and ate them all...
My friend also brought me round a huge sack of potatoes for a fiver! (OK, not exactly using up my foodstores but a bargain!)
No idea when we will put the tree up, or what Sapphie will be like with a tree. Last year Lottie just ignored it, even when unknown to me the children left wrapped chocolate under it. But Sapphie is a different kettle of dog.

nuttyp

Hi everyone, second time trying to do a post. Well my neighbours put all their decorations up yesterday for Christmas. There is Blue icicle, reighndeer and a sleigh, snowmen and loads of very bright flashing lights. Over the road had his decorations up and on at the beginning of the month. You see the road is full of nutters.


Work was sort of ok yesterday, I ended up being an independent witness at a dispalianry hearing. The thing is I have just been on a training course with this person. Sad really as we are only talking a small amount of money that has 'gone awol'. Do I believe the charges, no but I switched off part way through the meeting as I didn't really want to hear everything iygwim.


Tomorrow morning I am not working, so me and mum are nipping to the farm shop. Maybe a quick sneaky cake and cuppa too.....


Well done on the new car/bus kidcat. I love the good behaviour treat stiltwalker for little miss. What a lasting reward!!


Ok really must go, have just finished watching obsessive cleaners and need to tidy up - im not like them but I could be if things don't get done.

mrsdwhite

Evening :beer:

I agree that it's just too early for Christmas, even though we've been planning it in the pub since July our pub decorations will be going up next weekend as our bookings start coming in the week after and we can hardly have someone coming in for a Christmas party without the decs being up.
At home the decs will wait until mid December with just the tree going up at the beginning with the arrival of DD's elf friend she loves I'm coming to stay, he will be a welcome distraction from the stress we've all endured this year.
On a personal level this year I just can't get into the festive spirit, I want to but it's not there
Possession I hope you sort your mortgage out ok, the very idea of trying to get a mortgage terrifies me! I'm not ready to be *that* grown up yet. Not that I could financially if I wanted to.

Work seems to get worse day by day at the moment. 2 full timers are leaving at the end of the week, we needed them to go as their negativity has been an issue for far too long and they've become an annoyance to the rest of us and the customers. But still, they were pairs of hands! Then another 2 staff gave notice today, neither were a surprise to be leaving. One was only ever a short term as he just finished a degree and the other just couldn't get on with the kitchen manager, they fought like cat and dog! :eek: but again, they were pairs of hands and I'm seriously worried about impending Christmas.
DH is interviewing 5 people tomorrow, I've given him orders that if they're not awful we must just employ them and worry about getting them into shape as we go along. It's not the ideal way of doing things but beggars can't be choosers sadly.

To help rest my mind a bit tonight I've turned some of my home grown sun (oven) dried tomatoes into a gorgeous tomato pesto. It's suppsed to be going into the hampers for Christmas presents, but it's so nice I'm thinking of trying to keep some back for me
Also, had a crack at some lemon curd fudge, it's in the fridge now, not sure it will set though, any tips for that? It tastes good, just still a bit squidgy.

I'm working split shifts for the next two days, so might not get back on to post until Friday evening. Sure I'll lurke if not post though. Hope you all have a good few days :beer:

Possession

Lemon curd fudge sounds amazing!

kidcat

Mrsdwhite - you may be lucky and manage to find a few students who will be home for Christmas who maybe do bar work at Uni, my uncle has done that in the past and its worked well, because they are home for his busiest times and happy to pick up shifts.

Possession - so glad Ds is doing better

Nutty - there are some things that I am sure you would much rather not know, but at least you were there and able to be independant - sometimes thats the most important bit for all sides

ETA - Mrsdwhite - if the fudge doesnt set, you can bottle it and use as a sauce, my first attempt at white chocolate and baileys fudge ended with bottles of sauce instead

mrsdwhite

Possession wrote: »

Lemon curd fudge sounds amazing!

it tastes pretty good, I've managed to not get it crumbly or dry I think, so that's a bonus! I've got *a lot* of Lemon curd in my freezer as I needed jars, and the cheapest way of getting them quickly was the 19p Mr M lemon curd that I couldn't just put in the bin

Though if I'm hoping to use it up in fudge I might have to go industrial! :rotfl::rotfl:

ETA - thanks Kidcat. We do have a student who will be coming back for a few weeks mid December so that will help, also we have another member of staff who can pick up some extra hours in a few weeks. It's not all bleak. It's just that they've all gone at once!

scotmumof3

kidcat wrote: »

Mrsdwhite -

ETA - Mrsdwhite - if the fudge doesnt set, you can bottle it and use as a sauce, my first attempt at white chocolate and baileys fudge ended with bottles of sauce instead

This sounds very interesting do you have a recipe

CRANKY40

My mum quite often didn't boil her tablet (scottish fudge) to setting point. In it's first state it was like the caramel on a Twix. We just used to shove it back in the pan and boil it again. We never had to do that more than once, It always set the second time.

savingqueen

Good to hear you have your minibus kidcat and fingers crossed re the house offer Possession.

Hope you feel better tomorrow Camelot and your filling went ok shanks. My dental appointment was the best one I've had in a long time despite my anxiety. Dentist is pleased with my teeth - they are not the best a result of too much sugar in childhood so I know how you feel. Just need to brush a bit less fiercely if I want to keep my enamel a bit longer!!

Good to hear your DH is back to work now greywitch and you have had some useful tips. Hang around and let us know how you're doing.

Enjoy your trip out tomorrow nutty... cuppa and cake would be very well deserved! Your trip to France sounded fun Pooky, it's been years since I've done that.

(((((((((((mrswhite)))))))))) what a stressful time you're having with staff. crossing everything that the interviews glean some suitable people. You can always hire better staff later if needs be but you're right sometimes pairs of hands are so desperately needed that any are better than none!

DH started a management training course at work today to reflect his new position since the redundancies and shake-up. He only manages one person at the moment but she is far from the easiest person to work with let alone manage. Unfortunately his salary is still the old one but hey he has got a full-time job still so grateful for that. At the very least it will look good on his CV if any more redundancies are called for later.

DH and DS10 are watching the footy so I am missing Secrets of the Castle but will watch it on catchup another day. Time for a cuppa and fancy a choccy biscuit or two (or three....) actually really fancy some fudge now....