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

wondercollie

Freezer issue. If you experience a power cut, don't open the freezer unless absolutely necessary. It keeps the contents cold because when you open the door you let the warm air in to circulate amongst the contents. I had a friend who had a huge chest freezer and somehow her child unplugged it just before they went away for the 3 day weekend. She lost a lot of it but found some of the lower contents were still frozen as she was getting ready to clean it.


But then, I'm the woman who is keeping her turkey frozen on the patio table covered with a bucket. It's -22C today, so I don't think I need to worry. I'll have to take it in on Monday to start defrosting it.


Shegar, I'm glad you found a place that works for both of you. It is so much easier when you all feel safe and confident. Is there good bus service to get you there and back?


Hopefully I've finished work for the next week as our operating room closes for everything but emergency surgery. So let's hope people behave and stay safe. We only get called in if they need us.


So don't stress over the small stuff. It's time to love and enjoy each other.

[Deleted User]

Morning Toughies, woke this morning to the most torrential rain on the window a big flash of lightning and a huge rumble of thunder, felt like shouting TAAAAA DAAAAHHHHH!!! My lovely He Who Knows got up and made me a cuppa which I had in bed, sheer indulgence and oooooh so nice.

DD1 made it home last night despite the best efforts of the railways and is having a much needed lie in this morning. We watched Young Victoria on TV last night, what a super little film, I'm going to see if I can find a DVD in the CSs during the coming year. I found a copy of Atonement for £1.99 so that's our watching this year when the viewing is not to our taste.

FUDDLE so pleased you can get your tumble drier and not have damp clothes hanging around indoors, I bought some stacking jars from I*ea for my herbs and keep them on a shelf in the kitchen so I can always get to them when I need to use them and have written stick on labels for the fronts of the jars so I can see at a glance what is in them.

POPS thank you so very much for your message yesterday I'm so pleased that everything is well with you. I really miss your posts particularly your beautiful photos and if you ever felt that you COULD post here and join in with us again, even if only once in a while I know that many other people who have been in contact with me would be as delighted as I would. Have yourself a lovely christmas break and keep on enjoying the things in life that make you happy, Lyn xxx.

whiteguineapig

if you still read pops, a happy christmas from me as well
happy christmas to everyone else as well , i hope you are all enjoying home made mince pies !

candlelight_2013

Hi Pops,

Thank you so much for your message will PM later today.

So pleased to know you are OK and as MLW said I really miss your posts and photographs.

Take care

Candlelight

Nargleblast

May I send Christmas greetings to all you OS mob, and hope the festive season brings you as little stress and as much joy as possible?
I am working tomorrow but will be off till next weekend, so will have a chilled out time at home with OH and DS. At work over New Year then will have visitors (including 2 small boys)the following weekend, so am planning a Twelfth Night banquet (roast lamb, chocolate and banoffee trifle, then cheese and fruit cake). Picked up some penguin design Christmas crackers in Ald1 which contain a wind-up toy penguin in each cracker. You open out the packaging to reveal a racecourse and have penguin races. Not bad, 6 crackers for £4.99, and a bit of entertainment for after the meal!

All shopping done now, apart from a quick nip to the local shop on Christmas Eve for some last minute bargains for the freezer.

Merry Christmas one and all!

monnagran

Everyone seems to be ready for Christmas. Except me. Still, 2 days to go, plenty of time for getting 2 Christmas meals ready. Easy Peasy.

Pops: please add me to the list of Christmas wellwishers. I hope your Christmas is full of blessings.

This goes for everyone else as well, especially those going through a particularly tough time at the moment. I hope you can take some time out to spoil yourselves a bit and make yourselves warm and cosy.

The Rev and I had a home drawn Christmas card and a small box of sweets left on our doorstep after the Drop in tonight. 2 of our lovely people thanking us for what we did. The most precious gift we could possibly have. It has made our Christmas, and me a bit tearful.

x

Pooky

Morning all

Hope everyone is ready for the incoming storms, looks like the one due on 27/28th will effect us more but it's certinaly blowy out there this morning.

I shall get the fire place cleaned out today and another big stack of wood in ready. Candles and wind up torches at the ready and I'm hoping to get my meats cooked today/this evening.

DD1 isn't back at work until boxing day afternoon so she will revert to "sloth mode" for the reminder of the week.....but not Christmas day, she's always so excited and first one up.

DH collects his new motability car today, he's very excited bless him, I'm more excited about having a bit more boot room to store his scooter and the shopping.

Gingerbread house building today, a bit of baking, a bit of film watching and a bit of game playing.......might even sneak in a glass of something alcofrolick this evening

[Deleted User]

Morning Toughies, got woken up at 6.15 by the dustbin men collecting outside so we decided to get going early today and get jobs done in case we lose the electricity supply. He Who Knows is out and walking the hound already, I've sorted out the fireplace, dusted and vaccuumed everywhere and I'm going to do necessary cooking/preparation for Wednesday today rather than tomorrow. I'm also popping to the local shops to get milk, bread and salad today as I know we'll need them over the holiday period. I'm also going to have an alternative meal plan worked out just in case I can't cook what I'd planned and have to use the camping/garden stoves to give us christmas lunch. Hopefully we'll be OK but I'd like a contingency plan just in case.

Yesterday DD1 and I walked the lanes and footpaths and got in 'The Green' which is now decorating the house and it looks remarkably festive. I think that is my favourite part of the celebrations, it feels like a connection back through time and I can imagine forebears doing exactly the same thing and feeling the rightness of using what is still growing to mark a special day.

I don't know what the weather will throw at us down here, we have a strange little micro climate thanks to the position of the Isle of Wight and sometimes we don't get whatever is currently going on weatherwise elsewhere. I hope all us of can stay safe during this run of storms and still prepare for and enjoy the christmas festivities. Look after yourselves, Lyn xxx.

ivyleaf

Hear hear, Lyn - stay safe everyone, and may your Christmas(es) be blessed.

Although I don't post very much I read along, and feel very fond of everyone on here.

I'm just hoping the big sycamore at the bottom of our garden doesn't get blown down onto someone else's property before I've had a chance to get it topped or whatever they call it :eek:

xxx :santa2::rudolf::xmastree::xmassign: (I don't like the snowmen!)

mardatha

This big storm tomorrow looks huge. All ferries off now for the western isles, so if you're spending xmas in Stornoway you've haddit. Windy and snowy here and we're settling in for the duration, Scots weather forums sounding seriously worried. So many people not listening to forecasts and planning to drive long distances.