The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

Softstuff

I love just plain bisto gravy... on chips.... with cheese :eek: there's a reason my weight is up and down more than ... er... I'll leave that sort of thing to Hester

Glad to see things are on the up in your household Nurse Maggie, my fingers are still crossed for your DS.

I'm glad the school is being helpful Hester, hope things improve soon there too. I know you're normally made of tough stuff, but the upset and stress has to go somewhere, so if you need a cry don't be afraid to let it out.

I had 14 xrays, 6 blood tests, 4 prescriptions and an injection yesterday. .. I'm on a waiting list for the partridge in a pear tree and if we get a power cut I emit a greenish glow. My favorite doc is being ever cautious and wondering if my worsening spine and shoulder is due to a genetic condition and checking that before I get physio. Frankly I hope it isn't in some respects, because it is incurable and degenerative, but on the other hand it would explain not only my bod, but my mums and long departed nans.

[Deleted User]

I have just been reading about swine flu being up and coming again, how it strikes fast and can make people very ill for weeks. This time of the year is dodgy, in between seasons and very up and down weather. Anyway I have gone back to my immunity boosting stuff and always washing my hands when I come in from shopping etc, knowing full well that these flu bugs are spread by droplet, so can be breathed in from the air

A very good soup on the go now, just the stock initially. Turkey wings from christmas with sage and plenty of thyme and some ginger as well as the usual carrots, celery, onions but increased the onions and added several cloves of garlic. Pressure cooker job and it is ready,so will now put outside to cool quickly

The cooked meat will be frozen in portions and I`ll be using in yummy squash risotto, makes a fantastic comforting bowl of food, I use frozen and thawed squash soup with pudding rice. I just have this feeling that I want to be ready to pamper myself, just in case as I know this flu is in the uk and there was something on my local bbc news about it. I`ll freeze the stock in portions, ready to add veg for soups

Everyone takes sambucol for winter, me too but many of us see the sun now and then and lower our guard at this time of year

HuH you are really standing up to the plate in your role as mum and grandma. I admire you greatly for what you are doing, you have inner strength

camelot1001

I hate gravy! If anyone comes here and wants some they get gravy granules from Ald!

That's a lot of tests Softstuff, hope they get to the bottom of things.

Sounds like your DS is doing well nursemaggie.

The weather here is glorious again, I hope it lasts as everyone is so much more cheerful, me included.

Has anyone ever tried to drill holes in a number plate? Goodness me it's hard. I need to attach it to the bike carrier with some rapstraps as the garden twine keeps breaking! The drill is on charge and I will attack it again to see if I can get bigger holes. Wish me luck!

silvasava

Camelot - DH says if it's a metal one put some masking tape where you want the hole and use a metal drill slowly & should do the trick. If it's plastic you can use a skewer heated to melt through HTH

mardatha

I've been watching the swine flu on FluTrackers too. Been getting online shopping and not been out anywhere much.
I'm another one who can't abide gravy in any form.
Am sat at fire watching the cat watching the snow and trying not to listen to the RV moaning about the weather. 70 summers spent in Scotland and he still expects the south of France. Bah.

monnagran

Good morning.
A nice bright morning here on the beautiful IOW but a tad chilly.

Ivyleaf: Your comment about the riotous selection (that would be 'rigourous' thank you tablet) process for your CD reminds me of my SILs letter to me some years ago. Her teenage son was starting a new job which involved his mum buying him black shoes, black trousers, white shirt and tie, black jumper or jacket, two days induction course and one day of shadowing someone. And after all this he would be a highly qualified.........drum roll.........collector of shopping trolleys in a supermarket's car park on Saturdays.

Hester:thank goodness your school is being supportive. It's about time someone did something to help you instead of you doing all the supporting.

Nursemaggie: you have all my sympathy with your space problems. I have a little book called something like " making the most of small spaces". I'll send it to you if you like. I have to say it hasn't been much help to me.
I went from sharing a very large 4 bed 3 reception roomed house with numerous out buildings to living in one room with all my possessions stored in various garages belonging to friends. It drives me mad.
My son had a little go at me this week, saying did I really need to have two little cabinets on the landing because he thought it didn't look very good. I bit back the words, "My house. My landing. I'll put what I like on it," and unchacteristicly burst into tears. DIL shouted at son, son overcome with the sight of his strong mum in tears, said mum feeling ashamed and humiliated and it all ended with a great big family hug. Such is the effect of living in too small a space.

Well, we have a busy day today so I must get going and be useful

Happy weekend everybody and all mothers, enjoy your special day.

x

Oh, my goodness. I see that the mysterious CD has joined us again. Sorry ivyleaf, it should have been DS of course.

ivyleaf

Aww monnagran, sending you huge (((HUGS))), and to Hester too.

mardatha I must say that today I could sympathise with the RV - I would love to be somewhere warm for a couple of weeks. Although we've had no snow here, this winter seems never-ending even though the daffodils and crocuses are out here. (and my hay fever has already started!) It was sunny when i got up today, but it's clouded over now and I think it's due to stay cloudy for the rest of the weekend.

fuddle

Funnily enough I've been reading about using thyme for chest and respiratory disorders. Thyme tea seems to be popular for coughs and cold symtoms.

Thanks for all the gravy suggestions

mardatha

fuddle I used to make an infusion of thyme and honey that killed my yearly bronchitis stone dead. It's a very powerful antibacterial.

nursemaggie

Thank's monna If the book is the usual putting cupboards round the walls I'm afraid it won't be much use to me either. All walls used up and the space in the middle. It takes about 5 minutes to clean the living room as can only move the furniture a few inches and vacuum round everything.

I'm getting used to the small space. We too came from a large Victorian House when we were in West Sussex. It's not yet two years since we moved from there. We got rid of a lot when we moved up here. We basically have three rooms.

In West Sussex we had a spare bedroom, 3 separate understair cupboards. Was huge staircase. DS's bedroom was bigger than the entire flat here. Large cupboard on the landing, very large sitting room and dining room and a breakfast room. We had built in cupboards all over the place.

We did not even store anything in the spare bedroom until we bought ourselves new cases in London during the Olympics of all times. I can't even remember what we went in Debanams for but there were some really nice cases half price.. It was funny me kept offering to carry my case all the time.