Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Herbyme

Cheerfulness, the only ones that have come up are a kind of posh lettuce seed from Italy called canaries' tongues. No sign of my coriander (sow by June 2012) or parsley seeds (ditto) germinating yet (I did pour boiling water on the parsley, I always do).

About what you might call 'rip-off Britain', I've driven a long way today and was horrified at the price of screen wash at motorway services. Also food, coffee etc, and also at railway stations, on trains etc. Anywhere that people can' t make a free choice. Why does that seem to be acceptable?! (having seen the price, I made do with some water from a long-left bottle in the back seat to top up the screen washers instead. It did fine for today!)

Vhalla, what a shame you're not local, I can't give away a clean down duvet whose filling has balled up in places... my local Freecycle has been changed (I know not why) to Freegle and it doesn't seem nearly as good any more.

HOWMUCH

Evening everyone, with regard to 0% credit cards my son has been using a M&S 13months one for purchasing items for his new housewhich will be shortly coming to an end. He has just had a mail shot for Halifax and I think it was for 24months 0%
I must get the calculator out and tot up my months spend.
We went to the urologist yesterday and DH has to have his prostate removed, we have a pre-op assessment next Wednesday. So it's all ops at this end on male parts what with DGS hydrocele op on the 6th and now this for DH.

vhalla1478

Hi again,

Carolinerunner; that would have been ideal, thank you for the thought - it's appreciated and Howmuch, everyone's good wishes will be with you and your family at a difficult time for you all.

I've been milling an idea around the last few days. I wonder if any of you are familiar with the book and/or the film of 84 Charing Cross Road, which tells the true story of an American writer, Helene Hanff and her correspondence with a second hand book store in London and in particular with a man called Frank Doel. They never met but their lives touched one another. Wouldn't it be interesting to see a television series/film about us all and our separate and disparate lives, but yet there would be the connection that we all have with one another? I often wonder what you all look like and I'm sure I've got it completely wrong, but you're all there with your differing personalities in my head. I hope you don't mind!

Have a good night, All.

Viv xx

cheerfulness4

Caroline, I had to goggle the lettuce as never heard of it before. Looks really fun to grow bt none the wiser why its halting in its growth. Some things started early have that annoying habit kf doing that though, don't you find? Lets hope it gathers itself again soon as it would look lovely on the plate.

Howmuch, looks like your DH and DGS are going to need a bit of TLC for a while. Always unsettling for ones waiting on ops. Hope it goes smoothly for them both.
Very relieved my mum's little minor op is over and done with today. Just to help her see a little better in her case.

Viv, I watched that film many years back. I too build up pictures in my mind of others here. Only natural, I think. I wonder if its like reading a book versus watching a film; the former can be more enjoyable because our imagination can conjure up all these vivid images.

silvasava

Vhalla 84 Charing Cross Road was such a lovely film - is it me but I do love a really good story (with the added bonus of no sex, drugs or violence!!) Another one I loved was 'The Last Indian' (appeals to blokes too!)
I have mental pictures of how everyone looks too & I bet I'm totally off the mark - while I'm here slobbing in my nightie everyone else is super organised, slim, beautiful tidy home :rotfl::rotfl:
Nah - I think we're like the women in the war - working the best we can with what we've got - bit like land girls too - roll up sleeves & get going!!

Have a lovely Thursday everyone x

[Deleted User]

Vhalla I definitely have a face fit for the radio :):)

I received through the post yesterday and nice £20 money off voucher from that famous swedish store I$%A great until I looked at it properly and its £20 off anything you spend over £135 !!!! again great, if you need to buy something, but my nearest one is Lakeside about 50 odd miles by road and I can't think of any reason why I would need to spend £135 in any case mind I suppose you do get a 'free' coffee :):):):):):,

Fools and their money may be easy parted but not this foolish old Granny :):)

Thanks Janb5 for the recipe Looks good as it has honey and cinnnamon in it very yummy

Still here hanging on to my 'appennies at the moment only three more days left of February and the food purse is still in good condition :):)
Have a frugal day chums

JackieO xxx

Prinzessilein

Another fan of 84 Charing Cross Road here! (And a few years ago...probably a decade or two...I visited the site of the shop!)


As for what we all look like...I have my images based on usernames....


vhalla:...a definite Nordic goddess look...so.... tall with flowing blonde hair!


cheerfulness:.. a really big smile and slightly 'rounded' figure so you can give good hugs!


HOWMUCH:....always standing with your hands on your hips, leaning slightly forward in disbelief.


JackieO:....well obviously you wear a pillbox hat!


misstara:.....a Belle of the Old South?


Silvasava: I see you in a smart black/white suit, very neat and precise...but this is because for a while I was misreading your name as Silvasalva and thought 'butler'!


As for me....I look neither Germanic nor regal!...I am short, dark haired, bespectacled and decidedly plump! (Actually plump is being generous!...I have real weight issues - partly down to meds and the fact I am often housebound.....a few years ago I was 22 stone...I am battling it and am currently 16 stone and shrinking...far too slowly!)


At Morrisons yesterday with Mum...she picked up a large leek and put it in her trolley...checked her receipt later and saw it scanned through at....4p!!!!!...she is making a large pot of leek and potato soup - perfect for today as we have a thickening sea-fog and will bring me up a portion......a real bargain meal!

vhalla1478

Morning Everyone,

In spite of the jokes, I shall continue to think of you all as lovely, whether you like it or not and I'm sure your outward appearances reflect your inner ones! My grandmother used to say that after 40 you have the face you deserve - a sobering thought! And when I've written this script I'll let you choose who wants Angelina Jolie to represent them on screen!

I'm with you, silvasava, if you want sex, drugs and violence just watch the news; I want to be entertained and taken out of myself when I see a film. That's why I like the adaptations of Jane Austen's novels (although, as you say Cheerfulness our imaginations conjure up the characters). She wrote at a time when there was war and seriously bad social conditions for ordinary folk but there is hardly a hint of anything more than genteel poverty in her novels and that is very lightly touched upon. I'm a history buff and when I see adaptations of real historical events, I'm afraid I shout at the tv if they get the details/costumes wrong!! Mad, but harmless.

Well done, JackieO on your spending, that's really splendid. I also dislike the way money off is represented; do they honestly think we're morons? I was in Wilko's the other day and the clothes washing liquid of the make I normally use was better value if you bought three of the one that wasn't discounted, rather than the differing sized one which flashed 'bargain/money off'.

The weather here is c--p, pouring with rain, not conducive to putting my head out the door - so when I've gathered myself together I'll crack on with my rug and hunt for the filling for the oven gloves. Better than my DB; he's doing exams all week, technical mainly, for his job, but it's the practical survival ones today; climbing 200 feet, and fire and water drills etc.

I'd better go and start my chores, have a great day, Everyone. Recipes later when I've gathered myself together.

Viv xx

vhalla1478

I just had to comment on your post, Prinzessilein; it's brilliant. I obviously have you wrong, I imagined you as blonde and curly haired. Cheerfulness I agree with your description, silvasava I think of as slim with short grey hair. And should I disabuse you and tell you I have very dark red hair? JackieO, I imagine is dark and glam like her namesake, Yes, HowMuch must be as you describe her and mistara I think of as being petite. I expect we'll all have some readjustments to make.

Viv xx

kittym

Hi all
just a quick post to let you know that there is a £5 money off voucher in the Daily Mirror today for *LDI's supermarket. Voucher is valid until thursday 5th March.

Have a good day. Will catch up on posts later. x