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

savingqueen

Have a lovely day nutty. I love covent garden, haven't been for years. I'm sure you will come home happier!

sq

StressedOutMummy

I work for government .The new reforms are so draconian but unforuately this is because people have played the system in the past and now everyone has to suffer.You would not believe the stuff I hear from customers in work

candlelight_2013

Welcome Nana, I was a long time lurker as well and have been made to feel very welcome.

Candlelight

candlelight_2013

I hope you are feeling a little better today Kidcat.

Sending lots of hugs

Candlelight

Nanna_to_4

Thank you all for the welcome.

[Deleted User]

Welcome in to the thread NANNA TO 4 nice to have you with us, the more the merrier eh? Lyn xxx.

FUDDLE I totally agree with you, we do tend to blame the government, whichever party happens to be in power at the time, for all the ills and mishaps that befall us. This is in my opinion not totally fair, all parties who are in power make decisions and have policies that part of the population find ludicrous, criminal, bonkers and we all get cross at what appears unfair stupidity at the time. What we all tend to forget at times is that we all have free choice, not meant in an unkind or critical way, but we do and we don't always make the best choices in life for the best outcomes for ourselves do we? Life is tedious in some way for each and every one of us in this day and age, but can we honestly, hand on heart, truthfully say that every ill is the fault of those in power? I think not!!!

candlelight_2013

A good post Lynn, as you say we all have choices, and I am sure most of us would admit, with hindsight, we have made at least one wrong choice.

Also things happen in our lives where it isn't anyone's fault, life just happens. On this thread we know we have love and support from each and everyone, and we just soldier on regardless, as many of you have proved in recent days.

Hugs to anyone who needs one.

Candlelight

katieowl_2

Afternoon eveyone..not posted much this week, as I just wasn't feeling chatty, but have been following the thread and I am sorry for all the carp stuff everyone's having to put up with

When I got out of bed this morning I set myself two goals. One was to get the dogs out, as the weather here has been iffy for the last couple of days, just did that with DS, dodging showers, nice walk down by the estuary blew some cobwebs away.

The other 'goal' was to get my blasted chutney made, so I'm just waiting for a batch of jars to sterilise for my 'glutney' (the HFW recipe, overripe toms, courgettes and apples) and a batch of green tomato which I've tried to make as 'different' as possible by adding dates, ginger and fresh green chillis. That's still simmering down. Tried to offload my remaining giant courgettes on the woman in the market who makes chutney, but she's got them coming out of her ears! LOL! Will see if the DD's want them and if not they are destined for the compost! I can't make anymore chutney, as I've run out of storage space. Someone's given me a bag of those freestanding Ikea metal shelves that fit in your kitchen cupboards, so I'm going to try and reorganise the armageddon cupboard if I can get DS or OH to put them back together. I've got RSI/Arthritis in my thumbs really bad at the moment, and am good as useless.

Set up my machines in the B&B this week, and started playing about with some projects. I've ordered a freehand embroidery foot for my sewing machine online, and want to dig out some embroidery stuff before I sit down this evening. I want to do some 'subversive cross stitch' projects to sell at Xmas. You can google, but not for the easily offended. DD and I think some of them are hilarious, and I picked up a batch of really chi chi floral frames reduced to less than £1 for three in Mr T...so I can picture them working well in those. Want to start as soon as I can. I'm very out of practice!

I've pulled some YS Kievs out of the freezer for DS and OH, I'm finishing last nights sausage casserole as it's GF.

Kate

savingqueen

In my opinion our individual situations are shaped by many things. Government policies have an influence on us all but some more than others - if you have a decent income, decent health, support systems etc you have more free choices. However if for example you are surviving on a very small income, housebound, isolated, in very poor health with no family/friends etc you will more vulnerable and have less freedom of choices to improve your lot. If you have a high income, no debt, good health etc etc you have many more options, eg downsizing, starting a business, shopping around, selling expensive things.

Then there are smaller scale council policies and wider international policies, worldwide prices of food, oil etc.

Whatever our circumstances in this country anyway most of us have options even if they are small ones to decide how we live our lives, how and where we spend our incomes and what priorities we have. Lots of us have opportunities to study, train, find new work, set up businesses etc and of course live less wasteful lives to improve our finances.

Things like your background, age, education, family circumstances, geographical area and many more factors all play their part too - again we can often improve some of these factors too.

We are all individuals so have our own personal set of factors which shape our lot in life and there is a lot we can do for ourselves, people we care about and communities. At the same time there is a lot of external influences we have to learn to manage as best we can - the weather/climate being a prime example!

best stop thinking now and get cooking before our adventure seeing free firework display along the seafront. Boys excited, hope it will be good as built it up for them!

sq

Popperwell

Well I've come back from a reasonable day out to worry and my Housing Association and water board cannot be contacted until Monday.

I got a lot of assurance from the water board last week after the carry on about the drains and was told not to worry.

I even received a letter that has been sent out "It says" to a number of properties giving general info about what not to put down the drains etc...none of which I do. And never have.

My neighbour has put a note through my door telling me something I have no knowledge of.

As far as I know it has happened twice(after Mum passed away and not before if my memory is correct)both times as soon as I knew and was told I called my Landlord out.

The first time they did it. This time they passed it to the water company.

Now in this note and I have no idea which incident this refers to of the two I know of or if its an incident I have never known of but the neighbour is claiming that they came into my garden(no knowledge of this)lifted the drain cover, took out "Adult" nappies and took photo's of them.

I/we have never ever put any kind of nappy in the system. In Mum's latter months she wore some special pants but every single one was disposed of in the wheelie bin and bagged up so that could not be us then and certainly not since she passed away. TBH She no longer used the toilet. Even my Mum's carer knew that.

Why have I never been told any of this out of decency? Its all news to me.

So now they are talking of contacting my landlord via their solicitor for compensation. But again why are they sending notes and not talking to me?

I'll not rest now and I can do absolutely nothing until Monday.