Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

monnagran

Hi silvasava. I have a house in Bembridge, presently occupied by my DS2 and his family. It is very lovely, the sea is at the end of the road about 200 yards away. The beach is the children's playground winter summer.JackieO: If you should go to the top of Culver Down do have a good look at the view for me. I have been up there so many times, once in the snow, and never managed to see the view. It has either been foggy or hammering down with rain. So much for the 'Sunshine Isle'. Not much to report today. I came home from Holiday club and realised that I had someone calling in for tea and didn't have much to offer so very hastily made a batch of Peanut Butter cookies and some cheese scones.As they are due any moment I'd better go and be hospitable.x

silvasava

Monna - how great to live in such a lovely place and to bring children up by the sea. DS1 lived on the seafront at Hayling a few years ago. I could have waved
Not much MMMing done today. Checked on the caravan to make sure its all OK in storage (yes it was) bought some rope and a weeny sink plug for the boat & went into Brewers to see if they could match the masonry paint n our house as Sandtex had discontinued it. They've got one near enough for me so that will be the next job for DH!
Came home & picked some more beans, sliced and froze them. DGD rang to see if we were in 'cos she wanted me to pluck her eyebrows - done! Tea was a quiche that we didn't eat over the weekend, some baby carrots that were just about to die and some beans from the garden with garlic mash and a bit left over that's going in the freezer. Not very exciting and we've both got our dental check up tomorrow so fingers crossed. Have a good evening all x

meritaten

ive been up and picked another 3lb of gooseberries - everyone says the gooseberry jam I made last week was delicious. another 2lb or so of raspberries and an armful of rhubarb! DD has delivered a dozen jam jars and I don't have to childmind tomorrow so am planning a huge jam making session!
This will be the last year I pick from mums garden, she passed away last Tuesday and we hope a family member will buy the house, but if not, then it will be have to be sold. either way my raspberries etc will belong to someone else. I say 'mums garden' it was really the family 'allotment' as we all planted stuff and shared the harvest (except for the fruits which were left for me to make tarts and jams with, but funnily enough still got shared around the family).

Nargleblast

Sorry to hear about your mum, meritaten. If you can't keep the house in the family then maybe you could take loads of cuttings from the garden before it gets sold?

candlelight_2013

Sorry about your Mum Meritaten, my sincere condolences

Candlelightx

vulpix

Very sorry to hear your news Meritaten.

nursemaggie

Sorry to hear about your mum meritaten and what a good idea to take cuttings of everything.

MyHappinessProject

JackieO wrote: »

vhalla Happy Birthday honey ,hope you get lots of spoiling
Weather looks a wee bit brighter at the moment,well there is a yellow thing in the sky which wasn't ther yesterday :):)

Boy's dentist appointments went well no treatment and next appoinment next February.I drummed into them from as soon as they knew what a tooth was how important it is to clean and look after your teeth.They all have lovely smiles and rarely need treatment .

DGS Ben is looking after the three boys this morning as I am having a couple of hours off to see a film at the 'Crinkly morning ' cinema.Film cuppa and a biscuit all fir £3.00 I read the book last year and the film is 'Child 44' so I'm looking forward to it.

DD came home last night with another little mouth to feed.She is a lettings agent for an estate company, and often when folk move out they decide they can't take their pet with them.So her household has been increased with another hamster.She seems to be a hamster rescue centre.She said if she didn't take it then it would have been a bucket of water and a swift death and she couldn't bear that.She has 'rescued around 4 or 5 over the past few years .They live out their lives in peace and comfort at DDs and the boys all look after them.My DD should have been in charge of a zoo she just can't bear to think of any animal being put down because its not wanted or needed anymore.So now when we go away on holiday this year we will have three adults, four boys, one girfriend, (of the eldest boy) two dogs and two hamsters plus all the luggage to carry down to our holiday house :):) The only thing we don't take is the tropical fish (thank goodness)her sister feeds them whilst we are away.

DD's house is like Noahs ark at times with waifs and strays of both the animal and human kind:):):)But I wouldn't have her any other way bless her.
Right time for a shower and some breakfast I think bran flakes and chopped banana I think.Its quiz night tonight so no cooking as I get a meal there
Onwards and upwards chums
JackieO xx

I am just delurking JackieO as I have been touched by many of your posts...your family sound wonderful and you sound like you are a very loving, loveable mother and Grandmother. You seem to have a very positive approach to life. your attitude is admirable and very inspiring! Thank you for your posts .

[Deleted User]

So sorry for your loss meritaten.

We took cutting from my late ma-in-laws house on the Island when she passed away in the early 1980s.She had a large hebe type bush in her garden that was grown from a cutting that Her Mum had.

In 1901 when Queen Victoria died my husband's Grandmother saw the coffin being taken down to the boat for transport to the mainland from Osborne House.Virtually most of the Islanders turned out to see the procession.A small piece of one of the wreaths fell off almost at her feet, and she took it home and potted it up, and over the years every one in the family have had cuttings from the original, and then cuttings from the 'decendants'.When my ma-in-law died my husband said we'll have to make sure of getting cuttings from her 'Queen Victoria' bush.Well we did and in turn have given cuttings from that to both of my DDs and they have them in their gardens.

I have still in my garden now a bush from my old house, which when I moved I took with me and its growing well.
We still call it Queen Victoria's bush although its now about several generations down from the original one.

Every time it flowers I remember my ma-in-law telling my two DDs about it when they were little girls, and her one was so tall in her garden they used to burrow underneath it and giggle.

Good job we took cutting as when the house was eventually sold most of her back garden was turned into a road of around 12 houses,and what was left of her beloved garden seems to be mostly paved over.I think she would be shocked to see what was once her pride and joy (just under an acre) with these houses on there

If you ever get anywhere near to Northwood on the IoW then Wyatts Close is built on what was once a large garden full of every edible thing you could think of to eat. If you could eat it she grew it. Bless her she really was an OS lady, who fed her sons from her back garden as she was widowed at 28 with two small boys and very little money in 1937.

She would have loved this forum I think. Its nice to have a lasting memory of plants from your gardens or from your parents gardens I think.
I can still see our 'Clara' toiling out in the garden picking fresh fruit and veg for the family wearing her old straw hat to keep the sun off and her wrap around pinny which she always managed to keep a few sweets in the pocket for the children

Lynplatinum

Evening All

meritaten - I am sorry for your loss.

Jackie O - what lovely memories

Today was full of memories of my Mum - I met up with my DS & his GF and my ex in St Ives and took GF off round some of the better shops with stuff from genuine local potters and jewelers - not the 'gifts from Cornwall by way of China or India lot!

We also went to Barbra Hepworth's house and garden (called a museum but it has far more character than that). In the garden there is a bench where my Mum used to love to sit and think. I sat on it while GF pottered off looking at all the art work again (she was an art student @ uni). It was so lovely sitting in the shade of the trees - watching the light play on the sculptures. My only regret is that I did not come down here and see my Mum enough. although I knew she understood. A nice day with great memories.

St Ives is very beautiful but was very busy today!!! However you can still find quiet spots if you look for them.
Take care all :A