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

camelot1001

Another one here who gets fed up with charities. I feel it is a very personal decision as to who you support.

I give my unwanted items to Cancer Research (my choice), I always support the Earl Haig Fund (my choice) and give 2 hours a week to CHAS where I volunteer (my choice). Everything that comes in the post is binned - after I have removed the coasters/pens - and the plastic sacks are recycled in my bin as liners. I do not feel guilty.

Fuddle, I work in a school and our children are being asked for quite a lot of money at the moment, and so are us staff!
stiltwalker, hope the poorlies are feeling a little less spotty.
sheila, looking forward to hearing that you are on the road to recovery.

Had a strange day at work, the children enjoyed a pantomime that visited - the noise was deafening! A class of 7/8 year olds were asked to write about the best thing that has happened to them and a little boy wrote that his favourite day was when I asked him to join me for a programme of work to help his reading. What must this lads life be like if that's the highlight of his world? I am a bit too emotional in these situations and always want to take them home! I will make sure that he always gets a smile and a few words each day.

Rotten weather here, it has rained all day and the wind has been quite strong but I think we are in for a worse day tomorrow. I hope you all stay safe, warm and dry.

Possession

We've been asked for an awful lot by school too recently, a combo of school trips and PTA stuff along with charity days. Luckily DD's school is pretty sensible about costumes etc, no christmas jumper wearing day for example and they prefer if you make/adapt something for the christmas play rather than buying a sheep costume. Certainly no pressure to buy one. Also there is a (friendly) ban the last couple of years on Christmas presents for the teachers.

monnagran

I know times are hard but I cannot imagine why schools need all this extra funding. In the good old days (yawn, yawn,) our children got to enjoy Christmas without all this money raising. There was a Christmas party and yes, parents were asked to send along a few cakes or some crisps. Apart from that there was the Nativity play with minimal costumes - dressing gowns for the boys, (dressing gowns+teatowel on head = shepherd. Dressing gown + homemade crown = Wise Man. Nightdresses for girls, nightdress+tinsel halo = angel, nightdress+blue curtain = Mary.) Nothing too expensive there. I remember one year giving out the main parts and saying to the rest of the children that they could chose which animal they would like to be in the stable. We had a donkey, a couple of cows, several sheep and a gorilla.

As to charities I give a monthly donation to a tiny charity run by a relative where I know that every penny goes to those in need and not to someones plush office or advertising campaign. And that is it. I have overcome any guilty feelings by putting begging letters straight into the re-cycle bin without even opening them. I also skip the TV tear-jerkers. If they can afford letters, glossy pamphlets and TV advertising they don't need my money. That's not to say that I don't help out where I know there is real need but on a very restricted income I give my time, my energy, my compassion and whatever else I can do. No, I don't feel guilty about the money.

Camelot: Oh, you are the very best sort of teacher. That is one lucky little boy to be in your care.
I once spoke to a man in his twenties who was in my class as a six year-old. Apparently I transformed his childhood by putting my arm round him whenever I heard him read. His parents were unemotional and undemonstrative and no-one else ever hugged him. I didn't tell him that I put my arm round him to draw him closer so that I could actually hear him. In a busy classroom it was difficult to hear readers who were very quiet. That small boy must be in his sixties now and I really hope that he found someone to love him.

Well, My house is unnaturally clean and tidy (as long as no-one looks in the cupboards) a gammon joint is cooked and in the fridge, sausage rolls made, a lemon drizzle cake and a couple of dozen mince pies that boiled over and are now encased in a toffee-like substance. No matter, two choices, eat them or leave them. My DB and SIL are arriving tomorrow bearing our grandfather's longcase clock. They don't have room for it and we do. Apparently.

The manse was inspected and admired by all the people who came to the Rev's meeting this morning and the big boss, (no, Mar.) had a good lunch.

All set for the next trial.

x

burtha

Hi all,
I to am amazed at how much money school's ask for ,this is the 1st year that I have not had a child in junior school for many many years ,both now in year 7 and 8 and so far only small amount for raffle tickets has been asked for ,never realised how much pressure it was till now ,carnt believe how good it feels ,I think last year in DEC for 1child it was about £90 ....plus food,cakes,costumes, time,...unrealistic ,no wonder I hated Christmas lol
This year is so much better

Dd may get results back from op on Thursday,fingers crossed they have removed all the cancer ,still waiting for lymth nodes to be checked ,she is still bandaged up but hopefully the skin graffed will take and be OK ,weekly checks for the next few weeks ....hey ho
Our little baby is growing up fast ,she wiggles and giggles and can shuffle forward on the floor ,dd has managed with one hand to change her nappy as long as she dosent wiggle to much lol ...thank god we have her ,how can anyone stay unhappy when she is around ...

OK better go ,washer to empty and uniform to be sorted ...
Hugs to anyone who wants one ..:):)

Softstuff

Woke up feeling as though there was a black thundercloud over my head (with a light drizzle). Found I'd forgotten to put the dopiaza I'd batch cooked yesterday in the freezer last night and had to bin the lot.

Also was feeling a bit miffed that I was due a haircut and other things feminine, but needed to do it myself (I'm sure there's others here who understand, just because I'm practical and *can* do things, doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice now and then if I didn't have to do them). In any case, told myself to take a concrete pill, harden up and got on with it. So far have cut my own hair, waxed eyebrows and lip, shaved all body regions and given myself a manicure and pedicure. Feel better now it's done, not to mention at current market rates here, have saved about $250 :eek:

Still have to decorate a tree for no money using what I have here at home (Blue Peter anyone??) and bake my Christmas Cake (better late than never).

nursemaggie

Would it be better to buy a Christmas cake this year Softstuff. You do need to still be taking it easy.
I have guessed at what you had done but it does take a surprising amount of time to get over anything but the smallest of ops. There are a lot of layers of muscle to heal. It took me 10 months last year. Then suddenly I felt a lot better. Take care of yourself.

Softstuff

nursemaggie wrote: »

Would it be better to buy a Christmas cake this year Softstuff. You do need to still be taking it easy.
I have guessed at what you had done but it does take a surprising amount of time to get over anything but the smallest of ops. There are a lot of layers of muscle to heal. It took me 10 months last year. Then suddenly I felt a lot better. Take care of yourself.

Thanks for your concern NurseMaggie. I'm doing ok. I weighed out the bits yesterday between sittings down. Stirred it up today, got hubbie to hold the bowl whilst I put it in a tin and it's presently in the oven. And I'm sat on my bum.

Lunch is a free pizza and garlic breads delivered (I won a competition!) and other than that I plan to do things in little stages.

I've frankly been astonished at how long it's taken me to heal from this (not on a pain basis, but the wounds themselves). Might be yet another sign I'm not a teenager anymore :rotfl:

mcculloch29

Live music club tonight and it takes me hours to unwind.
When I was a registered childminder we made hundreds of tree decorations over the years.

Some suggestions for cheap/free decorations:

Little Chinese lanterns, as small as you can manage.
Scraps of felt stuck to card to make a Santa face (warning: incredibly fiddly).
Cardboard stars covered with aluminium foil
Salt dough decorations, coloured with food dye, varnished with PVA. Cut out using cookie cutters.

Brightly coloured Christmas stamps steamed off letters and stuck to card.
With felt scraps, bauble/star/tree/crescent shapes stuffed with cotton wool and embroidered / sequinned/ decorated with tiny bits of felt.

Crepe/tissue paper and loo roll crackers
Little stained glass windows from black paper, filled in with coloured tissue paper or coloured cellophane (sweet wrappers).
Any kids modelling material re-purposed for decorations - Fimo, plaster of Paris.

Try and look at things with new eyes to see if they will go on the tree.

My decorations include a felt reindeer that was a car freshener, a teddy bear from the Isle of Wight that was a key ring, an Australian koala that was a key ring, a wooden brooch from Estonia in the shape of oak leaves, a light pull in the shape of a beach hut from Falmouth, a trumpet-shaped brooch that was a charity donation thank you.

There's a Fimo Santa brooch that lost his pin, a tiny wooden aeroplane from a Christmas cracker, a mini dream-catcher from somewhere, a lightbulb painted in coloured enamels from Northern Ireland, a 3D foam shaped gift tag from Wales, and two colourful stamps featuring poinsettias from Estonia stuck back - to - back.

There's probably loads more but the tree isn't up yet, this is from memory. You get the picture, though, I hope.

Softstuff

Thank you so much for that list Mcculloch29. I'm keen on the chinese lanterns and they brought to mind also some origami whatnots that I hadn't even thought of (but I do have paper for). I'd thought of salt dough, but then figured I didn't have varnish, I didn't realise you could PVA them. I might also make some fake crackers too. You've really inspired me.

I feel this may be my task tomorrow (especially since I can do most of it sat down!).

mardatha

Is Frugal Queen on MSE?