The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

silvasava

HardupHester - you are very welcome to squeeze into my cupboard at any time. I promise to feed you cake too!
Monna - how lovely - a new sewing machine to put through its paces and how very thoughtful of your family.
Bought my veg plants this year from a lovely local nursery. We've been busy and I've not had chance to get seeds planted. My seed potatoes MUST go in this week - they've been chitted so long the sprouts are up about 3inches!! I've gone for mini cucumbers again as they are much more convenient for the two of us. I don't have to wait so long for them to get big enough and don't have half a cue lurking in the fridge.
Have a good evening all.

candygirl

Happy new sewing machine Monna xx:j
Am in a proper grumpy mood with this hortid, wet weather, after seeing a nice weather pic from last year:mad:
Just ignore me :rotfl:

mcculloch29

Hello folks, I went on a break from MSE for a while as real life had more demands than my virtual one, but it's good to have caught up. Hester and Monna, wow, such challenging times, but how good to read of your lovely new sewing machine Monna.

I employed a gardener to tidy up for Spring a few weeks back, the very cold weather has meant that the weeds he took out haven't recovered which is great.
I really need a property that is easier to manage with my arthritis - just me in a 3 bed modern - ish townhouse with steep stairs and a high bath. I need to improve it before selling though. I am saving so much money with DS (aka Dr C.) not being here.
I had my heating on a lot this winter so my gas consumption went up but my electricity consumption was down by two - thirds over just 9 months of DS not living here.
I knew he was leaving music amps switched on, etc, but he always denied it, it is SO good to know I was right.

I won't mention it to him, there's no point now. I wonder if he does the same in his own house?!

I've had some lovely free things to review and some of them moneysaving too, like the eco ball to replace washing powder.
I also got sent two balls of compressed wool that help to soften and dry washing in the tumble drier, at lower temperatures. Mine's on the low setting, DS had it permanently on high! I will review them once I've checked how they work.

Hard_Up_Hester

Thank you Silvasava.
Monna fantastic news about your new sewing machine.
We took the dog for a long walk down to the lock once DGD had been collected, I cooked roast lamb when we got back and then had a nana nap!
Welcome back Mcculloch29

milasavesmoney

monnagran wrote: »

I was pretty upset that when I collected my things a couple of weeks ago I was unable to have my sewing machine. Yesterday my family went off for the day and when they returned a lovely sewing machine was plonked down in front of me with a chorus of, "Happy early birthday." Aren't families wonderful? This one is much, much better than the one I had to leave behind. (ETA, sewing machine that is, not family.)x

My heart did a floppy flop when I read this sweet account of your darling family!

elona

Monna

I am so pleased for you :j:j:j

I am having a very quiet day as builders are not due till tomorrow.
Made an omelette for breakfast and have a chicken roasting in the oven. Planning to have chicken and low fat chips later and scrape the chicken from the carcass to make either chicken and veg pasta or a curry or chicken noodles and freeze some in portions.

New kitchen is on order so it will be good if I have something home made that can be microwaved while everything is in chaos.

Hester

I really hope you find a flat that will suit your needs. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Hugs to all

ivyleaf

Lovely to see you back Mcculloch29 :j

monnagran

Hi everyone.
Yesterday was exhausting. I went back to my little village church for their MayDay event. It was freezing.
So nice to see so many old friends some of whom hadn't yet caught up with the fact that I was back and were most surprised to see me. I spent all day waitressing and talking - a fair bit of listening too.
When it was quieter it was great to sit for a while and hear what had been happening in the past year.
The lady whose much older DH had celebrated his 100th birthday and been told the next day that the lump on his neck was indeed cancerous but that there was nothing much they could do for him. He came home and mowed the lawn because he wanted to get a few jobs finished before it finally ' got him'.

The chirpy, funny lady whose MS was galloping away with her and was so furious that she had to use a stick to get about that she bought the most outrageously coloured one and then, in her words, 'gilded the lily'. She was still worried about her adult Downs son who lived in a living-supported flat and having the time of his life. "Too much wild partying. Lucky boy," she said wistfully.

My dear friend who fought cancer and won and is now in her fourth year of unexpected life. The doctors tell her that they don't know what to do with her as there was never a 'Plan B'. She is still battling noisy, drug-taking neighbours and her stroppy 18 year old DGD has moved in with her causing the rest of her hair to turn grey. She is organising Quiz Evenings, huge themed entertainments, telling children stories in C*st* Coffee shops, running the Sunday School, looking after her toddler DGS, and cat sitting for friends. Trying to find a gap in her diary to have lunch, or even coffee with her is next to impossible.

It went on and on all day and the stories kept coming. Truly, the human spirit is an amazing thing. I was in awe of these brave, hilarious, life-enhancing folk. The day was full of love and laughter but I came home and was asleep by 8.00pm. Hence the uncivilized hour of this post.

I expect that Hester has done half a days work by now and is having her elevenses.

I am freshly amazed at my ability to drone on about nothing in particular and bore you all to tears. You can all go back to sleep now, but at least I've bumped the thread.

x

Hard_Up_Hester

Monna, I'm sure your friends are please to have you back on the Island.
You may be many things. loving, caring, strong, determined, brave, hysterically funny, but boring, never!
My furry lodger went home around 3 yesterday afternoon, her owner arrived bringing chocolate and Bison Grass, which is a type of Polish Vodka, hic.
I've listed about 20 items on FB & Gumtree and got a box ready to go to the charity shop.
I'm aiming to clear a minimum off 100 items a week to get the house empty.
Someone on another thread asked where I got my energy from, I said it was from pure thoughts and clean living,
Actually I am the laziest person you could ever wish to meet.

Islandmaid

MONNA - it sounds like you are back with a bang!! How fantastic of your family to get you a sewing machine X and it sounds like your friends have missed you too, hope you are starting to feel 'home'.

DH has been a right grumpy git all weekend, we went to a friends party on Sat, which was great fun, we were playing songs that reminded us of our youth (80's anyone?) till he started playing 'his' music and like a spoilt child wouldn't let anyone else have a go, even when the hostess pointed out no one was dancing/singing any more.... We left not long after (me apologising profusely) when we got home, I noticed he looked a bit 'grey' and asked if he was okay, only to be told, 'how many times do I have to tell you that I,ve got a cold and feel like !!!!', I asked if I could get him any thing and was told to shut up and leave him alone - so I did, for the rest of the weekend - he,s left for work now, after demanding to know where I had 'hidden' his work trousers, then finding them washed and folded in the usual place - nuts to him, I have 3 kids, I have no desire to look after another . Rant over....

I'm off this week, and intend to do some stuff for me, a few kindle books need reading for a start