Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Lynplatinum

Hiya

Got DIL to Hospital on time and she is having a girl and they are going to call her Alona - an elvish name! Awesome - such a lovely name and great idea.
I spent the rest of the day taking them out for breakfast (£14 for 3 of us - all fry ups - yep diet gone for a burton today as well! ) Buying DIL some maternity trousers so that she is comfy (2 pairs) and taking them shopping for food (for which they paid) at Ald! They got a massive trolley load for £24 and we could take it to theirs in the car. They dont have a car and DIL will no longer be able to carry stuff so they are now stocked up with heavy stuff for about a month - it will only be fresh stuff they will need to get. Such a lovely and warm and caring day - I am very blessed!

Came home and had another one of the low fat chicken pittas and a cuppa (heaven bless who invented tea! :T ) and then a slice of cake. Had not eaten since 'breakfast' at about 10.30 but I was not hungry all day! So that's good!

Nurse Maggie - really dont envy you covering up strong colours - it drives me nuts when a tenant moves out and I find they have painted everything the latest designer fad of dark grey/chocolate brown/bright orange!! :mad: I am afraid I charge them for both the paint and my time by not returning all their deposit as they are clearly required to consult me about colour changes in the tenancy agreement! I am a good landlord who deals with problems efficiently and quickly and charges under the market rate (i.e. not putting it up every year!). My accountant keeps on telling me I should make more out of them but I have such nice tenants I cant bring myself to throw them out or force them to leave if they cant make price hikes (yep Im a big old softie!!)

GQ - being a person of reasonable height - there are definitely times I would envy you - supermarket shelves for one! However us compact types win when it comes to going round Tudor castles :rotfl: Vie la difference!

Many thanks for the sympathy shown on here today! Feeling better now
Nite All

GreyQueen

Morning all.

Lynp, being a giantess by the standards of most historical periods has definate disadvantages. I nearly had a panic attack on the narrow twisty enclosed stairwells inside the Scott Monument in Edinburgh and have beaned myself on the top of door-frames in ancient houses before now. Or the fit under the lintel is so tight, I can feel my hair brushing it, and I'm not doing Dallas-style Big Hair.

And tall people are usually long-legged and this isn't an advantage on airplanes and buses, believe you me. But I have been able to assist some of the more compact members of society by getting things down off high supermarket shelves for them as can snaffle things off 7 ft high shelves without difficulty.

Today's plan is too eat very lightly, as I have been feasting a bit on Friday and Saturday and am feeling a tad bloated. I shall also deal with a niggling problem on the carry-case for my longbow, with a bit of sewing of Velcro. The rest of the day is going to be restful as I'm getting a bit ragged around the edges and very much counting the hours until Christmas closedown (5 pm on 24th for me).

Onwards!

silvasava

With you on the disadvantages of being a long legged tallie GQ! Went to a Christmas lunch yesterday with DH and big group of friends - had one of them say to me that they were surprised I was wearing stilletos!! They were a 3inch heel (DH is tall ) I've always subscribed to the theory that if I wear heels people automatically think I'm at least 6inches shorter lol. Don't get me on clothes that are too short in the leg, arm & waist - that's how I started sewing - I'm definitely an ectomorph with long narrow feet too!
I'll look out the name of my gooseberry for you - may even be able to strike you a cutting ....:)

Siebrie

GQ and Silvasava, I am tall too; 6ft in my socks I find it very convenient, because I can see all around and reach everywhere. I often help out people in supermarkets, colleagues in the awkwardly constructed work kitchen, and little kids that have lost their parents ( I just put them on my shoulders). I am not minimising on the kindness to strangers front :wave:

GreyQueen

I'm 5 ft 10 in my socks, always wanted to be a 6-footer but didn't make it. It has advantages and disadvantages. Most of my extra leg length seems to be in the thigh-bones, which means I've spent many a happy journey on public transport choosing between straining my back by sitting with my legs canted sideways, or pressing my knees on the back of the seat in front of me. Deep joy - not!

Have made the adjustment to the bowcase, something I've only been meaning to do for about 18 months, lol. Should make carrying it around in a couple of days a lot more convenient. Have also minimalised by taking a book back to the library and some recyclables out to the communal bins.

meritaten

ohhhhhhh - rub it in you lot! rofl - I am one of those 'shortaarses' that you help out in supermarkets! 5 foot tall and cant wear heels due to disability! it isn't even the HIGHEST shelf in the supermarket I cant reach!
however, in the unlikely event I will ever fly in a plane again, I shall console myself with the knowledge that I have more 'leg room' than any one else!

GreyQueen

:rotfl:Being tall ain't all it's cracked up to be, meritaten. But rest assured, we tall bods are mostly harmless and perfectly happy to haul things down from the upper shelves for anyone in need of our orangutan-like reach.

Have finally used up the second half of an instant custard sachet (went with a bit if the YS cherry pie I got this afternoon) so that's one less thing floating about on the kitchen counter. Onwards and outwards, I WILL win this war against clutter!

nursemaggie

Of course downsizing counts as minimising Elona I am counting our move as downsizing as we have one less room. My decorating I am counting as making do and mending because without going back to the plaster and wood it will not be a good finish.

The flat is in probably one of the first blocks of flats built here after the war in this area. We are not on a council estate but an area of terrace houses of varying sizes from 2 bed up to 6 bedroom plus the mill owners house at the top of our street. I think we are on a bomb site.

That makes the flat around 65 years old. I think it has been decorated over the years by a succession of 2 year olds. There has been lots of modernisation at different stages. The electricians and joiners doing these jobs either had no idea how to fill in holes or they were two years old too. They are just lumps so filling in what we can and smoothing what we can that is definitely making do.

As for short legs when they had foot rests under the seat in front on planes I could never get my feet within 6 inches of it and I cannot reach the floor with my feet in a plane. Mostly I can only reach the floor with my toes in any chair. Your feet tend to go to sleep when you can't reach the floor when you are sitting.

vulpix

I have recently regained a couple of inches now my spine is fixed,now up to a statuesque 5' 2".Another one here who has to commandeer taller people in shops and at home.In my last kitchen the wall cupboards were so high I could only use the bottom shelf,at the front only!

Nurse Maggie I am sure when you have all your things in the new flat only you will notice the finish in the decorating.I hope you will both be very happy there.

Lyn,wooohooo a lovely baby girl to dote on.Congratulations.xxxx

Fuddle I hope you have had a stress free move.You kept that under your hat.

Today my daughter has turned up with LOADS of clothes shoes and bags which are either mouldy and or smell damp.Her flat is very damp.I have spent the afternoon washing shoes with bleach water and washing clothes.She of course was only passing through.Hmmmm.

Still trying to clean the house after the building work,keep having visitors which is lovely but could they turn up when I am clean and tidy please?

Vx

meritaten

vulpix wrote: »

I have recently regained a couple of inches now my spine is fixed,now up to a statuesque 5' 2".Another one here who has to commandeer taller people in shops and at home.In my last kitchen the wall cupboards were so high I could only use the bottom shelf,at the front only!

Nurse Maggie I am sure when you have all your things in the new flat only you will notice the finish in the decorating.I hope you will both be very happy there.

Lyn,wooohooo a lovely baby girl to dote on.Congratulations.xxxx

Fuddle I hope you have had a stress free move.You kept that under your hat.

Today my daughter has turned up with LOADS of clothes shoes and bags which are either mouldy and or smell damp.Her flat is very damp.I have spent the afternoon washing shoes with bleach water and washing clothes.She of course was only passing through.Hmmmm.

Still trying to clean the house after the building work,keep having visitors which is lovely but could they turn up when I am clean and tidy please?

Vx

Nope - doesn't work like that! visitors NEVER turn up when its clean and tidy! only when you are having a 'messy day'!