Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

Sunshine_girl2

Sorry to hear you are still not 100% , and that DH is still unwell. I think you are right staying at home for a few days , you need to rest. Great to hear that you got to meet your relatives at your step dads .

Your holiday in Scotland is something to look forward to during these dark winter days . Sending you best wishes for a speedy recovery.

mummytogirls

Hope you guys are all feeling better soon HHOD xx

jwil

Hope you are all feeling better soon x

Do you like yoghurt? Last year the kids seemed to have endless bugs. I started buying actimel yoghurt drinks with the probiotics in them. It might be a coincidence, but they've been much less ill since taking them. It might be worth a try.

[Deleted User]

So sorry that you are still feeling depleted of energy, HHOD, but equally happy that you've decided to stay at home tomorrow. Maybe even more than one day off will be best as although you might begin to feel more energetic whilst at home it's a whole different thing being at work and in demand from all those little ones (who will be very energetic and excited after their Christmas break:eek:). Your Head and colleagues will know you are genuinely ill (you were already unwell before school finished if I recall correctly) and that last week of term or so you were covering for ill colleagues who had to take illness leave.


Also, PLEASE don't feel that just because you have extra and unexpected time at home you should dive in and clear some of your household chores off the list. You need to rest and heal. Sending big hugs your way as I know how much it must hurt having to take time off:kisses3:. You aren't letting anyone down, you are genuinely ill.


One thing that's worrying me is your DH having to do all that driving at the weekend taking DS back to Uni. Your poor DH is still ill and hasn't even started the recovery stage yet which, as you know, takes a long time and means he'll be feeling exhausted even when not doing much. I know from what you said before it's a very long journey and as he's the only one in the car that can drive it's a big responsibility for him when he's feeling so weak. I know neither of you would want to let DS3 down but I'd certainly have a good think about it. If DH insists on doing it I'd insist on staying somewhere overnight and not doing the return journey in the one day. I know you hate dipping into your EF but this IS an emergency situation

I hope you are still in bed at the moment and will be able to enjoy a bit of a lie in, unless you have to phone school early to let them know you won't be in.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Nicnak wrote: »

I love making potato wedges, which are very simple to create and also really tasty. There's no peeling involved either.

I use herbs and spices that I have in the cupboard mixed with olive oil to make a bit of a glaze. I sometimes put the odd bit of chilli powder in if I want them to have a kick. I always use turmeric as it is good for you, some cumin, coriander and then mixed herbs blend. You can make it with anything in. If I want them quicker, I part boil them, but usually just roughly chop potatoes. In a baking tin put the olive oil and herbs and spices. Slowly add the potatoes mixing them well with the herbs as I go along to make sure they all get covered and cook in the oven on 180 for 35-45 minutes dependant on size. If I want them extra crispy, I might up it to 200 for the last 5-8 minutes.

During cooking, a stir them around once or twice to make sure they all still get coated. I find it very tasty, and satisfying because it has so many herbs that have good things in. I have done it with parsnips, mushrooms, tomatoes as well before now. Basically any veg you want. x

Thanks Nicnak . Those sound lovely. Definitely one to try.

HairyHandofDartmoor

foxgloves wrote: »

Awww, sorry you are still feeling poorly, HHoD, I think staying off work tomorrow is an excellent idea. Sometimes these viruses can hang around a lot longer than we'd like. Your idea about getting some charity shop vegetarian cookbooks is a good one. Have you got Rose Elliot's little paperback called (I think) 'Cheap & Easy Vegetarian'. I use that for a few standard recipes, including a nice warming winter bowlful made from butter beans, veg, cheese, etc. The standard old Cranks recipe book is good too - the original version which came out in the early to mid 1980s. I use that loads. I'm not vegetarian, I just eat lots of meat free meals as well as meat & fish.
Take care of yourself,
F x

Thank you Foxgloves . I can't believe I'm still ill after all this time, it's unbelievable .

I don't have any cookbooks after from the Delia Smith How To Cook series and a Mahjur Jeffery Curry Bible. So I don't have any vegetarian cookbooks at all.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Sunshine_girl2 wrote: »

Sorry to hear you are still not 100% , and that DH is still unwell. I think you are right staying at home for a few days , you need to rest. Great to hear that you got to meet your relatives at your step dads .

Your holiday in Scotland is something to look forward to during these dark winter days . Sending you best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Thank you Sunshine .

mummytogirls wrote: »

Hope you guys are all feeling better soon HHOD xx

Thank you MTG .

jwil wrote: »

Hope you are all feeling better soon x

Do you like yoghurt? Last year the kids seemed to have endless bugs. I started buying actimel yoghurt drinks with the probiotics in them. It might be a coincidence, but they've been much less ill since taking them. It might be worth a try.

Thank you Jwil . We stopped buying actimel to save money but only DH used to take it. Maybe I should think about a probiotic though.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Finally_Solvent wrote: »

So sorry that you are still feeling depleted of energy, HHOD, but equally happy that you've decided to stay at home tomorrow. Maybe even more than one day off will be best as although you might begin to feel more energetic whilst at home it's a whole different thing being at work and in demand from all those little ones (who will be very energetic and excited after their Christmas break:eek:). Your Head and colleagues will know you are genuinely ill (you were already unwell before school finished if I recall correctly) and that last week of term or so you were covering for ill colleagues who had to take illness leave.


Also, PLEASE don't feel that just because you have extra and unexpected time at home you should dive in and clear some of your household chores off the list. You need to rest and heal. Sending big hugs your way as I know how much it must hurt having to take time off:kisses3:. You aren't letting anyone down, you are genuinely ill.


One thing that's worrying me is your DH having to do all that driving at the weekend taking DS back to Uni. Your poor DH is still ill and hasn't even started the recovery stage yet which, as you know, takes a long time and means he'll be feeling exhausted even when not doing much. I know from what you said before it's a very long journey and as he's the only one in the car that can drive it's a big responsibility for him when he's feeling so weak. I know neither of you would want to let DS3 down but I'd certainly have a good think about it. If DH insists on doing it I'd insist on staying somewhere overnight and not doing the return journey in the one day. I know you hate dipping into your EF but this IS an emergency situation

I hope you are still in bed at the moment and will be able to enjoy a bit of a lie in, unless you have to phone school early to let them know you won't be in.

Thank you FS . I do feel like I need some extra time to get over the exhaustion. Don't worry I really don't feel up to doing loads of housework to be honest. If I had the energy to do that I'd be back at school as I do feel guilty at ringing in sick.

DH and I are worried about driving DS3 back on Saturday. A relative suggested he go on the coach and we get a courier to deliver his big computer and monitor. This is quite a good idea, but unfortunately he only has one duvet and pilllow which is at home at the moment, so he'd need to buy a duvet and pillow as soon as he gets back, or we'd have to courier his pillow and duvet too.

Your suggestion of staying overnight is a good one as that would mean we didn't have to drive back in the dark and Saturday would be less tiring for us both. We could ask DS3 for the petrol money as we are doing it to help him and he has offered it to us in the past. We'll have to see how DH is feeling on Friday.

HairyHandofDartmoor

I slept well apart from DH disturbing me a couple of times and didn't wake up until 9am! I still feel exhausted mind you . I put the dishwasher on after I got up to clear the build up from yesterday's dinner. Then sat down for ages. Then I got the Christmas storage boxes out of the void so I can pack away the Christmas trees and now my back is hurting and I feel exhausted again .

School were fine about me ringing in sick and I said I would aim to be in on Wednesday. They rang me back a few minutes later and said some TA cover is needed on Mondays and Fridays for a while and would I be interested in doing it :T. I said yes of course :T. I need the extra money and it's good experience. I'm a bit worried about being well enough to do it this Friday but I'll have to hope I'm stronger by then. I've got today and tomorrow to rest, then if I just do my lunchtime job on Wednesday and Thursday hopefully I'll be up to doing a full day of cover on Friday. So I'm pleased but a bit worried if you see what I mean.

I'd love to take down all the Christmas decorations today but I don't have the strength . So I'll do the little tree in the kitchen which can be done sitting down and I've asked DS1 to help me with the big tree in the living room. The lights around the ceilings and the porch can wait until I'm completely better as I can't cope with climbing up and down stepladders, but we just won't switch them on.

I have taken our lovely red Christmas tablecloth off the kitchen table and substituted it with our everyday gray stripy one. The kitchen looks a bit bare without the red tablecloth but we'll get used to it.

It's just started pouring with rain :eek:. Thank goodness I'm not at school or it would be wet playtime and I really couldn't cope with that feeling the way I do. I feel guilty that the other staff are having to cover for me though as it makes it harder for them .

elizabethhull

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

Then I got the Christmas storage boxes out of the void so I can pack away the Christmas trees and now my back is hurting and I feel exhausted again .


I'd love to take down all the Christmas decorations today but I don't have the strength . So I'll do the little tree in the kitchen which can be done sitting down and I've asked DS1 to help me with the big tree in the living room. The lights around the ceilings and the porch can wait until I'm completely better as I can't cope with climbing up and down stepladders, but we just won't switch them on.

I have taken our lovely red Christmas tablecloth off the kitchen table and substituted it with our everyday gray stripy one. The kitchen looks a bit bare without the red tablecloth but we'll get used to it.

It's just started pouring with rain :eek:. Thank goodness I'm not at school or it would be wet playtime and I really couldn't cope with that feeling the way I do. I feel guilty that the other staff are having to cover for me though as it makes it harder for them .

Did you feel negatively about the staff who were ill that YOU had to cover for ? No? Well, it's the same for you. No guilt required for what is genuine illness.

As regards the Xmas decorations - what's wrong with leaving them up longer ? I believe I mentioned Candlemas last year, being the date on which some other Christian churches take decorations down, and the existence of which custom I use as an excuse for my own tardiness.
It is a custom that has waxed and waned over the centuries, but there exists a superstition that if you leave your decorations up after 12th Night, then they SHOULD stay up till Candlemas (2nd Feb) !!

Sending lots of virtual chicken soup and vitamins xxx