OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

LavenderBees

What do you do, 3for?

Huge revelation tonight....rhubarb and ice cream....bloomin lush :T

LB xx

3forholidays

LB I work for the local council as an accounts assistant.

Glad to read that you enjoyed your homegrown rhubarb!

3forholidays

Hi everyone :wave:

Hope you're all ok. Very quiet on here. Real life keeping everyone busy I guess?

Need2bthrifty

Just skipping through and noticed the mention of rhubarb - I love the stuff!!

Aside from stewing some to have on my cereal of a morning I've tried rhubarb vodka......:drool: and have to say it is quite delish, rhubarb ice cream is yummy too.

What with the recent rain mine has had a growth spurt so picked a good few stalks today and made some rhubarb and date chutney - it tastes really nice and I think would go well with a variety of cold cuts/cheese as well as curry I reckon.

Catching up on previous posts -

LB - loving the sound of your new cooker and yes a bit of range envy going on here.

Ellie - totally applaud you on going for a complete change of hairstyle - I've kept mine really short for years (pixie cut - think denise welsh, except my colour not so white blond as hers )

LavenderBees

Morning! :j

Have been really lazy about posting the last few days. It seems the more time I have, the less I achieve

I was flying with the planting on lottie over the weekend and Monday, and am really pleased with how it is coming on. I love this time of year.

Tuesday...hmmmm.....well, I had the fostering social worker here for the H&S check and it seems cat litter trays are an issue :eek:, but the pusses have to toilet somewhere, and preferably in the litter trays! I also am now more aware of the dangers my pusses potentially face by my offering to foster children. Some of the stories have horrified me, and I'm worried.......and not sure I'm doing the right thing.....

Also, we had to talk about family relationships, and mine are not the best, so it was a distressing afternoon. She was very sympathetic and understanding, but I guess my emotions about Mam and Dad, and the poisonous siblings are still pretty raw, because I was absolutely wiped out. And lets face it, airing dirty linen to an almost stranger is never easy...

So,as a result, yesterday was a bit of a wipe out. The electrician came and did further work, and when he left, I put my PJs back on (my comfort blanket ), and slept the day (and my ragged emotions) away.

Today is my fostering medical...now my GP is absolutely lovely and caring, but he tends to make me cry by asking me how I am, and really wanting to know :eek:. He can't be fobbed off with a blythe "I'm fine"....so I need to hold it together :eek:. And he is going to comment on my weight gain, I'm sure. So, not the most comfortable morning in store

But afterwards, I'm free...no chores lurking, and if the weather stays bright, I might just go and blow some cobwebs away with a walk on the beach.

As for rhubarb....I poached and froze most of it in smaller amounts, so I can try a few different things. Thanks for the recipes, NTBT, I am really hoping I develop a liking for it....it's growing well again :eek:

So, that's you all caught up with my doings...what's everyone else been up to?

LB xx

mothernerd

Hello Lavender Bees. Hope your doctor visit wasn't too traumatic and often your body knows best - take the opportunity to catch up on your sleep.

I had a very lazy day yesterday. DS3 has gone to his gf's house for a few days (her parents and the young children have gone to a theme park for a few days but gf has to work so couldn't go) and I hoped to get lots done. DS3 sleeps downstairs a lot of the time now and frequently stays up all night working and then sleeps in the daytime so both his room and the front room downstairs are off limits most of the time.

Well I ended up sleeping for most of the day. I have had a few days when I have woken at 4.30am and known I hadn't had enough sleep so read and dozed for a while but yesterday was worse then ever.

Did get a load of washing in and put out lots of rubbish. I have done several balance transfers to 0% (card offered me a credit increase a few months back but had no balance transfer offers) which whilst the overall payments won't change much will mean I am reducing the debt rather than it going on interest payments.

Planned to write down flylady this week - I know there's lots to do, just can't work out where to start so needed a list I can tick things off (can only do 15 minute chunks especially heavier stuff like mopping) but now have a change of plan.

Had put the washing out and done the washing up mountain (still finding bits DS3 has squirreled away) when DS2 called. He is moving today (woman he was renting a room off is moving her bf in) so was delighted when I offered him his washing machine back (I bought it him for Christmas a couple of years back). Decided he didn't need the fridge freezer (my old one) but then called back later as the landlord has moved the one that was there when he went to view.

He has various friends helping him during the day but will be back this evening for the ff and the washer when his friend with a van is free. Offered him various other bits (airer, brush, mop and bucket etc). So pleased to be getting rid of these.

So emptied the freezer bits into the tall freezer and the fridge stuff into a bag. When I've had a little rest I will go back and clean it (have turned it off) and when the next load of washing is done, clean the washer for him. He might take the tumble drier as well but there is no room for it in the tiny kitchen so it would have to go in one of the spare bedrooms.

It will make it much easier for me to shuffle things round in the kitchen and his washer doesn't spin my heavy towels properly. Feel lighter already at the prospect of them going.

In between I shall return to the mystery of the socks. DS3 had no clean ones to take to his gf's. I bought him 15 identical pairs (any lost ones can still pair up) two/three Christmases back and had previously bought some in the sale at the shop that caters for larger gentlemen. He needs men's size 13 to 15 so it's not like you can get them anywhere.

I have found a handful (dirty) in the six inch gap between the downstairs bed and the coffee table he has commandeered but had no luck with the others so far. He rejected the ones in his little drawers (original place for them) as being odd ones. They have to be here somewhere, even if a few have been lost along the way. He is due some new ones but if we can hang on another few months.

Enjoy the rest of your week off Lavender Bees, the chores will still be there but the job situation will have taken it's toll and although your fostering is an exciting (planned) change, that will still knock you for six from time to time.

LavenderBees

Well done on the balance transfers, Mothernerd, and good luck with the sock search. If you find any of mine, please let me know. It surely is one of life's great mysteries where socks escape to!

Today went better than I expected. My GP was very supportive of my fostering application, and had already completed most of the form, so it was all very informal, more of a chat than anything.

He did show me my weight back in 2006, and asked me to think about how fit I was then in comparison to now, and how much better I will feel (both health and confidence-wise) if I get back to that weight. He made me feel it was all very possible, which it is, if I can get a grip of myself!

He sent me for an xray, too, as we suspect I have the beginnings of arthritis. It was all very slick, and extremely pleasant staff. One of the benefits of being in Northumberland is the fabulous NHS care (or I have always found, anyway) :T. I will get the results in a week or so, but in the meantime, my treatment is losing weight and getting more active.

So, as I had to go to Morpeth for the xray, I hit the shops :eek:, and it was one of those lovely days when everyone is smiling and pleasant and chatty.

So, I've had a lovely day , am more broke :eek: but more motivated to look after myself

Hope you've all had a good day.

LB xx

mum2one

Enjoying our group weather certainly helping the aches and pains trying to get a swim in every day help the arthritis, it's great being able to get into a pool walk in one, sheer luxury.

We had a incident with Ds last night we'd booked an excursion to see the reps Cabernet - had food included - the food wasn't the best and dd said spaghetti tastes funny so she left it.
On coach way home - how long to the toilet -45 mins - I can't wait that long - next minute - ah - she's had the runs she was so worried - luckily the rep was brill, she want and grabbed her stage outfit for dd at 1st hotel they arranged for us to get off first - the mess - it was everywhere, th done gd thing about Tunisian toilets they have the hose pipe in the loo - I ended up her leaning over loo and using the hose, she stayed and helped us, sent a massive role of loo roll with another rep to the coach and stayed with us, arranged a taxi transfer. She's only a young girl (23) she handled it amazingly, it restores ur faith in people.

Touch wood she's ok today just had a day at pool.

Ladies you would be proud of my Mse ways - looked at trip to the zoo -£55 ( for dd and me) debated as it's an amazing place - thought were do diy, got taxi booked he drives us there's wAits the. Return - 30min journey - 2 hrs at zoo - £17 - entry £10 - best bit another couple coming with us and sharing taxi - £19 my share.... Xxx

LavenderBees

Oh gawd, that sounds awful, Mum2One. :eek: Hope all goes better for the rest of your holiday.

I had no idea children need hosing down quite as often as they seem to....:eek:. I must ask the fostering social worker...:rotfl:

Speaking of hosing down...earth to JKS...how are you doing?

Beautiful morning here, so I'll get a little gardening done before my shower, and then I am treating myself to a manicure/pedicure. The poor beautician is going to have her work cut out today, bless her...

Enjoy your day, whatever you're up to...make the most of the sunshine...

LB xx

ellie99

LB...you got a non-emergency x-ray ON THE SAME DAY??? wow, that's good!

Oh your poor DD mum2one, hope she's feeling better now...and well done that rep, handled it brilliantly.

I've been at the seaside today, the sea was lovely, very clear and all different shades of blue. Unfortunately I only got a fleeting glimpse as I was working (very hard, I'm cream crackered now!) I was working so hard I totally forgot I had a chocolate bar with me, not like me at all (shh, remember the diet!) :rotfl:

Got home about 7 hoping DS1 would be in first and have done food, but he's not in yet, so had to feed myself :rotfl:

Quite tired now, DS2 texted me at 11pm last night and woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep, and was getting up before 6am. Will need to tell him not to text so late. I want to stay up and watch Rebus on TV if I can stay awake. I know they're repeats but I refused to watch them until I'd read the books, so that the TV wouldn't spoil the books for me. And now I've read the books and I'm ready...gotta do things in the right order