The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

westcoastscot

Hester that's just lovely! Hope work is going well for you both just now - and thanks for your good wishes, I'm fine, just a little sick of taking the hard way with everything!!!

fuddle

Mar it's just awful. It must play on his mind the whole time. I'm sorry your family are going through such a sad time of just trying to get on with things.

Softstuff

Sorry about your son and his partner Mardatha. Some people really do have so much to bear.

Hugs WCS, hope you find some easy wins soon.

Your LandM is such a lovely chap Hester. I hope he's been suitably rewarded for his exertion Hester it's wonderful having a practical stepdad/grandpa, not just because the job gets done but because he's teaching your DGD how to be practical too.

An unusual day for me today, I'm off to an outlet mall. I need work shoes, underwear that is less saintly (no, not like Hesters, just not holey), some socks with no holes, some jeans with no holes (sensing a theme here?) And some pjs (not holey, but worn to transparency ). I have a feeling though when I get there my overriding statement will be "how much??" And I could well come home empty handed. Charity shops here are getting harder to find good things in, so when a friend said she was going I decided to see what the fuss was about.

moneyistooshorttomention

Softstuff - try asking yourself what you'd feel like if you were going somewhere smarter in holey clothes and that tends to act as an incentive to buy something new:rotfl: (that unexpected hospital visit for instance). Hence I'm still working on getting my weight down - 1 size down and 2 to go - as I shall be able to persuade myself into a wholesale chuck out of clothes then by just telling myself "It's okay to dress like this here - but it won't be when I pay visits back to my home area" (ie it's a much smarter area than here...).

I'm getting myself through the "How much?" territory of what they'll come to by having written out a list/thought and re-thought it as to what is necessary to ensure it's the minimum amount of clothing I reasonably need - so I'll try not to gulp at the thought of the total cost of the list....(my own version of that famous "What would the man/woman on the Clapham omnibus say?" - in this case as to whether it's reasonable).

Am resisting the temptation visibly of thinking "Oh...there's still some wear in that - so I'll keep it". No there isn't - not when it's obviously faded and generally not pretty pristine:rotfl:

FairyPrincessk

Morning all,

Mar, there aren't really words are there? I know you're there to support your son just as he is there to support his partner but it doesn't make it fair or any easier.

Softstuff, OH and I have each been allocated a clothing budget this year. We each made a list of what we needed, did some research and tried to whittle it down and then tried to make it fit the budget. It has helped with the guilt a bit. I still haven't finished buying my bits. We're in London soon and there are a few shops there where I want to look at things in person as I'm trying to make a quality vs quality decision on cardigans.

I mended a jumper yesterday that I'd noticed a small hole in last week. As I was doing it I had to dig out the yard that came with it from the button box and started trying to remember when i'd gotten it--it has long been a favorite. I can't remember if I got it when I moved here or perhaps the year before but it is somewhere around 10-11 years old. These days I find it difficult to find that sort of longevity in high street shops but I keep trying.

I'm still ill and have spent the last four days mostly tucked up in bed trying to shake this before teaching tomorrow and Tuesday. I ran a mild fever most of yesterday so hopefully that will be me starting to win the battle on the nasties.

Softstuff

Well, I at least did pretty well on the work shoes. A smart pair of hush puppies, able to fit my custom orthotics, marked down from $149 to $59..... then when I got to the counter they were further reduced to $29. I made use of the reduction with a couple of casual tops, 2 pj tops, pj bottoms, a bra, 2 pairs briefs and a vest top. Total cost less than $200. I consider it a job well done (especially finding a bra that fit).

mardatha

I collapsed into giggles when a friend in Alabama told me her favourite meal was corned beef and fried hush puppies I said wow you Mericans are tough - you eat shoes?

Floss

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

... "It's okay to dress like this here - but it won't be when I pay visits back to my home area" (ie it's a much smarter area than here...)...

I'm intrigued as to why you don't call the area you live in your "home area", and why you feel it necessary to qualify your words by saying that area is much smarter than where you live, isn't that a bit disrespectful to your neighbours? How long have you lived where you do, and why is it not "home"?

Softstuff

mardatha wrote: »

I collapsed into giggles when a friend in Alabama told me her favourite meal was corned beef and fried hush puppies I said wow you Mericans are tough - you eat shoes?

:rotfl:

Where is everyone?

Islandmaid

Just popping in to add my hugs to Ma and her DS - bless them x

Hester, as I say to my lovely Hubby - any man can be a father, it takes a real man to be a Dad x My Hubby never had children of his own, but my kids are proud to have him as a stepdad, closer than their own dad unfortunately for him x