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

nuttyp

Morning everyone, Lovely weather again today. First load of washing is in the machine. I was woken early by the telephone, OH sister rang to say one of their friends who is just over 40 has had a stroke, he has no speech still.

Yesterday was another busy day at work, we had the area manager in interviewing for more staff. There were quite a few people turning up, but some were obviously more keen than others. One girl arrived for the interview in a summer shorts body suit and leggings!

One of our usual visitors popped in last night, we hadn't seen in a while. He looked so grey, and in his broken English told us had been in hospital for 3 weeks. He showed us his discharge letter, and I wish he hadn't. He is 28, and is hep c positive. He had OD on some drug, and now has multiple things wrong. To make matters worse he is now homeless too. We gave him a hot cuppa and a bottle of water and said to pop by tomorrow evening and we would give him another drink. There is not a lot else I can do, but we at least showed him someone cared.

Yesterday I had to bless sainsbobs with some custom, we had ran out of washing up lqd and couldn't manage until Thursday. I must be more organised.

Payday tomorrow, so I can at least do a big grocery shop and get the store cupboard restocked.

Have a lovely day everyone x

monnagran

Morning all.

Not usually about at this time but had urgent appeal to help out with DS2's cash flow problems so have visited the virtual bank for him. He doesn't often ask so always gets.

Welcome Siegemode it's always nice to meet a fellow OSer. Loved your stories about your Grandparents. What would we do without them. I never knew my Grandfathers who both died before I was born, but my two Grandmothers were very dear to me and were both still around to attend my wedding, though one died the next year. They both lived till their nineties and although they were as different as chalk from cheese they both had a big influence on my life.

Right. I am off to do my pale imitation of a Flylady before settling down to some serious writing.
There are 2 slices of bellypork in a low oven ready for lunch today so have no excuse not to get on with things.

Mar: I really think the Kelp is beginning to kick in. After the manic weekend I would normally have collapsed for days, but I find that I have been pretty productive this week. Fingers crossed.

x

ArthriticOldThing

Morning everyone. Thanks for the good wishes savingqueen. I do actually feel a bit better today so if it continues will try to have quick visit to town. Want to get an ordination gift for a friend being ordained on Sunday. Am hoping the arthritis lets me go to the cathedral.
Hello to all the miner's daughters & granddaughters everywhere. It's a good link to have.
Em-in-a-pickle, some days I feel very old :eek::eek:, it depends how the arthritis behaves. Today feels like a good day as only feel about 96 - sometimes its over a hundred.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Hope you are fitter than me.
I didn't know quinine was good for restless legs Popperwell I will have to try it as I can sometimes suffer in that way. Hope you are feeling better now. Thanks for the info.
Thanks:p to being up early I have watched the river come to life as people get themselves together. Its lovely here at the moment - bright and calm. Mind you I don't know how warm it is yet as not been across the doors.
Its time I got moving so bye for now. Have a good day if you can.

peony40

Morning all,

Sorry to read the sad news.

Sq, everything is fine, of course you should have posted how you felt, it made me look at it from a different angle which i believe is healthy.

I will admit that one or two phrases that were used in subsequent postings did niggle me slightly but that is probably due in part to my being over sensitive, and it's all good now.

Anyhow, i have a fibro flare from hell, so i will not be posting but i didn't wish to disapear without saying why first.

Take care all. X

fuddle

You taking kelp too monnagran? You sure you need it! You've more energy than us in our 30's Yak at your description of butter extending methods. I surely would have gone without.. or would I, in those times. You look after yourself, worried about you.

Lyn the girls took the heads off the flowers and dropped them into pancake batter. I made pancakes - their favourite anyway. The devoured them but admitted that they couldn't really taste the elderflowers.

I have decided to try to continually make my own cordial. It may work out more expensive that ready made concentrate but know I know the base is water, sugar, lemon I can infuse oranges, ginger, lemongrass - more investigation needed but at least I know it's not full of nasties.

I have done my weekly shop. Nuts, seeds, fruit, veg and meat (small bottle of red, few spices, growing basil, bread, milk and yoghurts) and blown my budget. Fresh things are hardly ever on offer are they? I went to M0rrisons in the hope of getting uber fresh (may wrongly assume that they are better than the others) so they will last almost the week. Getting to grips with our diets in priority at the moment, just frustrated I can't grow much of my own (peas are coming along smashingly )

So great to see other OSers post here, and new people too. It really is a lovely place to be at the moment, very friendly, very supportive and so full of knowledge - just like it's supposed to be huh?

Hello Miner's daughters... I'm a Durham Miners granddaughter

nuttyp

Awe fuddle, I do envy how you are making your own cordial. Your an inspiration to me, if I had the time I would definatley do more things back how they should be done. I would love to be able to make more things from scratch, but I end up using things to save a few minutes. Naughty I know.

Tea is spag bol tonight, pasta takes about 5mins to cook, and the mince I will do before I go to work and then they only have to heat it up. I usually just take a sandwich for tea, but I may take a salad box for a change!!

Bathroom has been cleanded, ive hovered through, 2 loads of washing pegged out and im pooped!!

FairyPrincessk

Wow, Mrs. LW! What a lot of strawberries. I think we've probably got around 30-40 green fruits, many of them good sized, but many not. I don't know how old the plants are, nor do I have any idea what to expect per plant. However, I do think these plants will be coming out when they're done. Since the space is so limited I'd like to use it for something else and I suspect these plants don't have many fruitful seasons ahead of them. My guess would be that these plants are at least in their third summer.

This morning has been productive. I'm taking things slowly today, which sometimes means things get done faster than if I try to convince myself I need to be quick:D A couple of things knocked off my list of "things I don't really want to do" and some good work done this morning. Washing out on the line, seedlings basking in a sunny spot and garden inspected. Looks like I'll be on slug removal duty again tonight:eek: The neighbour's on one side have a jungle of free spirited plants (don't like to call them weeds, but some might!) Can't understand why the slugs don't move over there. The garden on the other side is completely dug up for potatoes with a few other bits 'round the edges. I'm a bit jealous, as most of our garden is taken up by not very attractive grass, but as the landlord has been kind enough to let us do what we want with the plot I don't want to overstep his offer. The rest of it doesn't get much sun anyhow because of how the terraces are arranged.

I tried watching Something for Nothing on the online catchup while having lunch but after 5 minutes I gave up. Between the adverts and then the guy's assertion that he was getting all of this furniture for free:mad: when he was clearly using a car or van, petrol, an internet connection, a laptop etc. I couldn't take any more. I think sometimes we forget how much privilege and how many resources it takes to avail oneself of the "free". I suspect many of these programmes are well-intended, but I often feel as if they reinforce the notion that those who don't have what they need are only in need because they won't help themselves, when in fact that are far more barriers to those who truly need things than the better off can imagine. It is no good telling people they can get free used furniture if you don't suggest how they should locate and transport it. What about those in less metropolitan areas there the pickings are more slim? I know later in the programme it says he kits out a youth centre, perhaps it gets better, but I just couldn't stick with it. Sorry, probably a bit more of a rant than you all bargained for!

Right, I think I might get a cuppa and get back to work.;)

fuddle

Hey nutty, when I was working full-time a few months back my habits were terrible, house a pigsty and I was shattered. Anything to save a few minutes.

Cordial is easy now I have done it

Homemade Ginger Cordial

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 piece (3 inches) ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. Step 1
   
   Slice the top and bottom of lemon with a paring knife. Set one of the flat sides on your work surface. From top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit, cut away peel. Trim off any white pith from peel and discard. Discard flesh or save for another use.
2. Step 2
   
   In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, 1 cup water, ginger, cream of tartar, and lemon peel to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
3. Step 3
   
   Add lemon juice and return to a boil. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bottle; let cool. Keep refrigerated, until ready to use, up to 2 weeks.

http://www.marthastewart.com/316649/homemade-ginger-cordial

I will try this one when elderflower is no more.

fpk, I gave up on it after about the same amount of time. My thinking, more annoyance, was that the presence of a camera, explanation of a TV show in the making might just be why they got things for free... and if I did it I'd most likely be shoed off with a I don't think so madam!

FairyPrincessk

Lovely recipe fuddle! I don't normally drink cordial, but I might have a got later in the summer! I suppose I could do something exotic like Lavender for my brithday.

tattycath

Well. I was late up this morning.
Another late night, as I work shifts-normally the night shift, my body doesn't want to sleep at night.
So I didn't get up until 11 today and I'm working tonight.
Got to go in the loft and find some cables for my DH.
Might go investigate elderflowers on Friday. As I'm going to be too busy to do anything with them today and tomorrow.