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

[Deleted User]

FPK Bringing in the Green is as old as time itself, it was going in saxon times and they used to make a huge ball of greenery to hang in the hall of the longhouse for the solstice celebrations and I daresay it was an old custom by then!!! I love it, it makes the world feel right and I love the smell of the fresh greenery indoors on the short days and long nights. We've got mistletoe on the allottment on an apple tree too so we include that in the decorations as well, carrying on an even older custom along with wassailing the apple trees on the solstice evening, it's a link to the ancestors and a continuation from long ago, it just feels right, Lyn xxx.

kidcat

MOS- I bought an bottle of pet odour remover from pets @ home when Ds9 was at his worse for not using the toilet - it did really work but wasnt cheap.

lobbyludd- once attendance falls below a certain level the attendance officer has to talk to you, so its a standard visit. Be clear the kids have been ill, it happens, you are a concerned parent and it is not in your interests to keep the kids off unnecessarily! Most of ours are fine, but we have a couple who are more difficult, I have found being clear and firm works best.

Hollyberry

What a lovely term for it: Bringing in the Green! I've been doing it for many years, but never realised it had a name. I too love the smell of the greenery in the house, and am lucky that we have lots in the garden I can bring in - even plenty of holly with berries (hence my user name) from the tree in our front garden.

[Is it very mean of me to note that I love it when people come into the garden and try very hard to reach the bits with berries...you'd need to be well over six foot to get to them without a stepladder. It can be very entertaining to see them leaping up at the tree trying to reach the branches. And I'd be happy to share if they only asked, although they do seem to jump a bit when I open the front door stealthily... ]

All those Christmas ads are going whoosh right over my head. Think I much prefer our very imperfect Christmas, and real people doing their best to make it happy. And spending time on here, of course...

FairyPrincessk

How right you are, it does feel right. I shall definitely take up the name and tradition.

nuttyp

Fuddle, well done on settling DD into school. Your an inspiration to them and show them a lovely time. Even attending free events, a nice hot chocolate is always well received.

MRSS LW loving the idea of a natural theme Christmas. We have straw dolls for the tree, my mum and dad got them from Germany years ago for me.

SQ I have one voucher left for @ldi. Will have to go on Wednesday as have accidently booked the car for Thursday. Cant afford to not use the voucher really, I have a mr m one but I find them a lot dearer - maybe its the vast amount of choice.

Princess I had to by the dreaded ink cartridge yesterday - DD is sorting out redoing some course work. It is cheaper for her to print at collage but she cant go back until next week.

Forgot to mention last night we popped into the coop, and they had lots of reduced price meat. 4 chicken breasts for £1.20 and huge pork joint for £1.44, 2 choc mini deserts for 50p and 2 pork chops for £1.20 Me another lady bought all the reduced price bits between us. She said to take what I needed as the bits were only to cook for her dog!!!!! hmmmm well me OH and DD will be eating ours.

Must go and sort some bits for tea, using the pork joint and some fzn veg. Will make big Yorkshire puddings too, very filling.

take care x

[Deleted User]

HOLLYBERRY there is a lady living not too far from here who regularly in the week before christmas cuts holly with berries from her tree and puts them outside her front gate in a rickety old wheelbarrow with a notice on it saying please help yourself, merry christmas!!! I love to walk past and see people take just a few small branches, never greedy and always appreciative. A far cry from the rotten greedy person who last year overnight cut every single berry bearing branch from a tree used by the whole village and left none for us. You could see the marks of lorry wheels by the tree and I suspect it was sold in the markets, such a mean and coldhearted gesture just before christmas, Lyn xxx.

fuddle

Oh that's lovely I've noticed a few back yard giving around the country roads here - books at the moment but I suspect produce and honesty boxes come the warmer months.

I managed on the roads a bit pathetic eh? DD's school is small (class size 19) and saturated in the core values that I want my girls to adopt, religion or not. I explained I wasn't a practising Christian let alone a Roman Catholic but I have a solid ethos about respect and kindness. She directed me to a display - Santa looking over at the baby Jesus explaining to me that their doors are open to all they have room for regardless of their beliefs and will work to give my child a solid education and personal grounding. It touched me. I've both girls in a faith school when I'm teetering on paganism. It feels morally wrong but it's all the council could do. I am thrilled at the grounding they are going to get but a tad embarrassed at my two facedness.

Bleach! That stuff had rescued my dirty bathroom! It looks sparkling and white. I'm really very pleased. I saw a grouting paint pen at the weekend. £8. I think 50p bottle of bleach has done even better. Shame we can't use it tonight because of the fumes though and my hands are feeling rough.

[Deleted User]

Good, good good!!! You're doing great pet, the school sounds really sound and they won't think you two faced at all, just that rarity an honest woman who isn't trying to pull any wool over thier eyes but being open and truthful!!! Well done with the bathroom make sure you put some lotion or cream on your hands too or you'll be sore tomorrow, Lyn xxx.

lobbyludd

Thanks kid-cat, that is reassuring.

we bring in the green too, although never called it that - will be doing from now on! generally the week before christmas, and living in a city centre I limit it to my garden, so lots of ivy (lol) rosemary, eucalyptus and a smattering of other evergreens, no berries alas, so a holly is on my garden plant wish list and should the apple ever get big enough to sustain a mistletoe I'll try and introduce some (saw a programme doing that once ).

DD spends each advert break that she watches at the moment saying "I want that" to each seperate 30 second blast, but in some ways it's almost good that it's so overwhelming, because she couldn't remember any of the adverts for the santa letter. she drew him lots of pictures to make it fun for him to read and put stickers all over the outside.

I am really looking forward to christmas, going to mum's and my brother and his family will be there, step brother and his daughters may also be there and perhaps 2 friends of neice who are temporarily lodging with my brother and his wife in a private fostering situation, due to their family breakdown, so if their position hasn't resolved before then they'll be there too.

nuatha

fuddle wrote: »

I've both girls in a faith school when I'm teetering on paganism. It feels morally wrong but it's all the council could do. I am thrilled at the grounding they are going to get but a tad embarrassed at my two facedness.

I've friends who are active Pagans, whose children go to an RC school and know two teachers who are Pagan who are teaching in RC schools. There's nothing two faced about it, you've told the school (and the placement came about via the council) I'm sure you'll support the schools in and your lasses will do well.

(Back to Lurk mode)