KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

MMF007

A glass of tawny port before lunch
A nice ruby port for after cheese and biscuits, with dark chocolate-covered marzipan

not this year though, low carbing continues! Apparently I can have a gin n diet tonic but not sure I'll bother, quite happy with suger free lime n soda - I am giddy enough :rotfl::rotfl:

we have decided to try and outrun the impending storm and set off to Northern Scotland tonight, finishing journey tomorrow afternoon. Looking at the forecast we may well be having cold cuts on xmas day, as powercuts look very likely!! We're very adaptable and not one of the family will be in the least bit bothered, so long as everyone arrives safely.

Take care today,

M

Igamogam

MMF007 wrote: »

A glass of tawny port before lunch
A nice ruby port for after cheese and biscuits, with dark chocolate-covered marzipan



we have decided to try and outrun the impending storm and set off to Northern Scotland tonight, finishing journey tomorrow afternoon. Looking at the forecast we may well be having cold cuts on xmas day, as powercuts look very likely!! We're very adaptable and not one of the family will be in the least bit bothered, so long as everyone arrives safely.

I quite like a Cr*ft Particular at Christmas..............but never at any other time of year:D

DD1 and BF heading home on Friday - coastal and mountain roads all the way.......wont be settled until they arrive:(

Up until last year power cuts never bothered us - coal guzzling Ag* came into its own - 19 years ago and 10 months pregnant - 9 actually it just felt like it - I cooked 3 Christmas dinners for friends in the village. Didnt have electric for a week but we could eat and keep warm:D Now we have gone all eco friendly and environment conscience we have a biomas boiler ( needs electric to run) and a super efficient electric appliances. So if electric goes off, and during strong winds it does, then it will be a pan of soup on the log burner.............hmmm must check freezer or get some tins in!!

I took along some things to a local enterprise which is providing food for those who need it on Christmas Day - appeal gone out on FB. Met with a look of disdain by a volunteer said they had had a lot of donations and was just so negative I took my things away and will consider my future support. This is the second time in as many weeks I have been met with a poor attitude from a volunteer. First was a food bank collection point in local supermarket - 2 collections every week - one for food bank other for animal charity and I alternate between the 2. I popped a tin of cat food in animal basket only to be met with the comment 'people are hungry too'. I explained my donating habit and was just told my values where wrong:mad: It was just the straw that broke the camels back as far as food bank is concerned......I have had some other niggles......... So I have made the decision I will not be donating to the food bank anymore.

As a volunteer I help to co ordinate other volunteers for the local branch of a national charity. We NEVER turn anybody's help/donations/efforts away on the grounds we would like them to continue!! Sorry bit of a rant but I am becoming more an more disillusioned with the whole volunteer/charity sector. IMO too many do-gooders in it for themselves.:mad::(

Right frothy coffee and a mince pie to be kondoed to cheer me up!

greenbee

I no longer donate to a couple of places because of their attitude to donations.

I'm currently donating to the homeless shelter near my mother as they were so lovely when we took the first lot of my dad's clothes in. So the places here that were picky about what they took (which meant splitting the stuff) and are difficult to get stuff to are missing out. It's all being loaded into the car so I can drop it off tomorrow/Friday so that they have warm clothes, toiletries and unwanted sanitary products over the busy holiday period.

Igamogam - we had a solid fuel AGA when I was a child and were occasionally the only people in the village with cooking facilities over Christmas. We also had a woodburner and two open fires. The central heating (oil fired) was too expensive to run for years! Changing to an oil-fired and then a gas AGA means my mother is now dependent on electricity for everything except the woodburner which doesn't have a flat top. And possibly the gas hob, although I hear a rumour that newer ones won't even light with a match if the power is off - some kind of 'safety feature' apparently.

I have oil-fired heating and hot water, both requiring electricity. And luckily an open fire.

No time to do my CS drop off (of stuff that the shelter won't want) today, so have stuck it in the garage until after Christmas. Have a lot of tidying and packing to do - as well as some work if I can fit it in

Slinky

GreyQueen wrote: »

Compare and contrast that fence with an expensive watch which Dad was bought as a retirement present. Relatively expensive, not a Rowleex but this darned jumped-up battery watch can't just have it's battery switched for a few squid. Oh dearie me no, even jewellers refuse to touch it and it has to be sent off to the maker at the cost of about £100. This will be the second time he's done this, which makes it an expensive gift, but this time is the last. And it's a watch which is worn about 5 times a year, max, for goodness sake.

And people wonder why I favour a £5 steel man's watch which I got 2nd hand.....

GQ, my OH has a similar watch which has to go away to have the battery changed, I feel your pain. One thing I read somewhere is that if you pull the stem out when not wearing it, if it's not running, it's not using the battery so the battery will last longer. If he's only wearing it a few times a year, resetting it won't be too much of a chore hopefully.

GreyQueen

Slinky wrote: »

GQ, my OH has a similar watch which has to go away to have the battery changed, I feel your pain. One thing I read somewhere is that if you pull the stem out when not wearing it, if it's not running, it's not using the battery so the battery will last longer. If he's only wearing it a few times a year, resetting it won't be too much of a chore hopefully.

I'll pass that on, thank you. From what he's said, this is the last time he's going to do this, it's a ridiculous expense for a pensioner, frankly. I'm happy with my bog standard man's steel sl@zenger, no market-stall battery merchant has ever been afraid to crack that baby open and pop a fresh battery in it.

It brought to mind the difficulty that ill-chosen presents can represent to the recipient. His former employer is guilty of another one, apart from this wristwatch; the silver-plated coffee set.

This employer had a particular manager who'd received such thing and found it useless and had decided, in his managerial capacity, that it should be a long-service award for all employees. Revenge, I suppose.

On the balance of probabilites, why would working-class people want a silver-plated coffee set engraved with their name? People weren't asked if they only drank instant (like my folks) and there wasn't a plan b. And, unlike proper silver, you can't even weigh it in for scrap because it's plated, you can't donate it (engraved with your name and the company name) and you have to clean it, because it tarnishes as easily as the real deal.

Mum refuses to have anything to do with it, Dad won't clean it but won't get rid of it, and it sits, taking up half the cabinet, lurking blackly in the gloaming. One day, it will be one of the many irritations which I and my brother will have to deal with.

Wishing everyone travelling (or with relations and friends on the road) safe journeys and power-cut free celebrations. I'm not on the move until tomorrow late afternoon, and don't have far to go, either.

Onwards!

silvasava

With you on company gifts GQ - a friend of mine was up for a long service award of a posh watch - usually they have to be engraved but she had the forethought to ask for an engraved plate on the box! Many years ago when DH & I dived he hankered after a R*lex dive watch until I found they cost £80 every year to be resealed! He made do with C*sio! I got so fed up paying for battery replacements I got DH to buy me a C*tizen ecodrive - it's now at least 10 years old, keeps perfect time, waterproof and I love it. Just doing a last sweep of the house and cupboards then out tonight for the Diamond Wedding anniversary celebrations & I'll see how the photos look!

greenbee

GQ - your dad may be able to find a jeweller/clock shop that is willing to change the battery in his watch, but it may mean it is no longer properly waterproof. My mum has done this with her watch for years and it's fine.

Floss

GQ we use Timpson's for watch batteries - £14ish for a lifetime battery, just take the ticket & watch into any branch and they replace it. We have various costly watches between us which they are happy to do. They also do some resealing, but I never pay much attention to that!

maryb

My watch is supposed to be sent away for very expensive replacement and resealing but as it's years out of warranty and I take it off before I put my hands in water I just take it to a local family jeweller who does a good job for a whole lot less. I think he does actually reseal it but as I say, I've never had to put it to the test

Debsnewbudget

Another vote here for Timpsons lifetme battery. Worth every penny as my watch has a light in it and thats what drains the battery. I used to replace every 9 months but I got a Timpsons lifetime card 4 years ago and no longer worry about the cost