The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Blue_Doggy

MrsLurcherwalker said:

Regardless of where you live or the circumstances you have to live with this virus is a killer and dead is dead no matter if your life is idyllic or horrendous.  Every life is precious regardless of colour, race, creed, preference and every life lost because of this virus is a tragedy.  I just want everyone to be able stay as safe as it's possible to keep them until this pandemic has  either run its course or been cured/prevented.  I don't want people (and some will, it's human nature) to be given extra chances to catch it because they think it's OK to mix again, that's an awfully sad worry that I just can't shake off.

It’s very kind of you to worry about everyone else, but you really shouldn’t. Other people may take a different view, and regard a brief illness as preferable to years with the after effects of stroke, or with cancer, or with dementia.  Perhaps you should trust people to use their own judgement as to what’s best for them (as long as they don’t try to inflict their views on you).
 

However, I do agree with you that social distancing is lovely, it’s so nice not to be jostled and have space and time to look at or listen to things without others looking daggers and trying to hustle one along. It’s the self isolation that’s the b*****, especially since it is likely to be indefinite; treatments or vaccines will be a long time in the development and even longer in being made available to older people. Life is life, but if it’s not worth living it’s just a living death. Just my view, I’m sure many will disagree. (And if anyone thinks I want to clutter up the hospitals and imperil overstretched medical staff if I were to catch this virus or any other, I have told those who need to know that I want neither hospitalisation nor resuscitation.)

Greenglockenspiel

Floss said:

Suffolksue said:

sounds idyllic MrsLW and I’m sure it is for you .
however if you were a single mum of 3 kids ,on Universal Credit, living in a 2 bedroom flat on the 15 floor of an inner city multi storey ,then you might have a different view of lockdown!
Im not getting at you ,my husband is dying,so lockdown as such isn’t affecting us much either ,
But some people aren’t as fortunate ,

SuffolkSue you are quite right, a lot of folk don't have the ability to see countryside from their home, people with any disability, illness or mental health problems are struggling to cope, families whose income was managed down to the penny now find that income reduced (or even gone in some circs), home schooling is not an easy thing to do when parents are still working from home (see Jamie Oliver's show, where he's regularly video-bombed by his kids), key workers are spat-on, abused & berated for doing their jobs, and as yet there is no plan for repaying the borrowing by the government which will almost certainly impact on my state & very limited personal pensions.

You are right re the borrowing Floss, I am 25 so I am half expecting to be paying this off with my taxes for the rest of my career! 

Rowan9

I think people are just doing the best they can. More and more are going out into the park and sitting in the sunshine. Most will live in flats and have had weeks with only one outing a day. Many more children are playing in the park but not in the play parks obviously which are still cordoned off. I think families are feeling the need to get out of their homes more now, thinking especially those in flats. But not  just families though, anyone who wants some fresh air. I think when travel restrictions are lessened more will want to drive out to the countryside or seaside for a walk. People need nature I think. It’s good for the soul. Hopefully people will keep the 2m distancing. 

 

VJsmum

THe thing is, this 'we're all in it together' stuff is rubbish isn't it?  We are not all in it together. As Floss said a single mother with three kids in a city centre flat isn't the same as me, who lives in a biggish house with a biggish garden on the edge of the countryside.  If it's a single dad who is BAME and a bus driver then even more so - much more likely to get it, much more likely to die and with much less choice about it than me who can work from home.

I read a report that said the spread in care homes is because the staff are so poorly paid that they can't afford to go off sick, even if they have symptoms - then throw in the lack of PPE...

Being well prepped helps, of course, but it's only half the battle...

MrsCD

pineapple said:

Well it's back to basics for me - I'm certainly reconnecting with my oven! On that note, does anyone have a tried and trusted recipe for Irish soda bread? Either a loaf recipe or one for soda farls and using natural yoghurt not buttermilk. I lost my old failsafe recipe and so far I've not found anything as good.

Look at ammummytoo.co.uk, pineapple. She explains what you can use instead of buttermilk. I haven't tried this one, but it's very similar to Nigel Slater's, which I have tried and is very good, but not if you're trying to lose some weight!
Nigel's also has sugar in, but it's up to your taste it you want to put it in imho. 

euronorris

Blue_Doggy said:

MrsLurcherwalker said:

Regardless of where you live or the circumstances you have to live with this virus is a killer and dead is dead no matter if your life is idyllic or horrendous.  Every life is precious regardless of colour, race, creed, preference and every life lost because of this virus is a tragedy.  I just want everyone to be able stay as safe as it's possible to keep them until this pandemic has  either run its course or been cured/prevented.  I don't want people (and some will, it's human nature) to be given extra chances to catch it because they think it's OK to mix again, that's an awfully sad worry that I just can't shake off.

It’s very kind of you to worry about everyone else, but you really shouldn’t. Other people may take a different view, and regard a brief illness as preferable to years with the after effects of stroke, or with cancer, or with dementia.  Perhaps you should trust people to use their own judgement as to what’s best for them (as long as they don’t try to inflict their views on you).

The trouble with that though, is for many, it won't be a brief illness. It will either be death, or a long illness with lifelong after effects. And you have no way of knowing if that will be you, or not.

And additionally, this isn't like sitting there with a pistol loaded with only one bullet and playing Russian roulette by yourself. With the illness only infecting you. People are contagious before they show symptoms, so can easily pass it onto others very quickly, and will almost certainly pass it onto anyone they share a house with.

So, as much as I would like to take the attitude that others can take whatever risks they feel like, I can't. Other people's choices can have a huge negative impact on me and my family.

I feel most for those single parents, with kids at home, stuck in flats where one or more of the household requires to be shielded, because even when the restrictions are relaxed, it will still be very unsafe for them venture out.

Helebore

I think also, vjs, people don't get sick pay. A place I have worked in, we were talking about a person being off sick for a while and they stated that they wouldn't  get sick pay at all. I don't know how true it is, I don't know how ssp works if at all. I was quite shocked. I tell people to join a union but some have or some cannot be bothered. 

Onebrokelady

A lot of people don't get sick pay so will have no choice but to go to work,SSP is not enough to actually live on even if you do get it
I am fully appreciating the fact that I have a house and garden so feel very very lucky at the moment,when I first left home I lived in a one room flat with no outside space, imagine lockdown for the many people living like that today, I can understand why some people want the restrictions lifted, this is not only killing people with illness, it's also possibly killing people due to poverty, loss of business and livelihood, lack of access to outside space, suicide rates have gone up

I can also understand why some people don't want the restrictions lifted, they feel threatened by it and feel that they are being put at risk, it's a double edged sword.

Personally I think some restrictions need to be lifted in a controlled manner because it's impractical for the whole nation to stay indoors for the rest of time, there might never be a vaccine so the powers that be need to take that into account, this virus will need to be controlled with various measures that can be flexible so we can get the country back on its  feet

I haven't had to stay in my home on a strict lockdown because I have to go to work ( I wish I could have but I work for the NHS so have no choice ) but my daughter has been at home and it is affecting her mental health so for her a relaxation of the rules would be good

People also need to remember that for some it's up to them when the lockdown ends, just because others are going out and about doesn't mean you have to, you can adapt the rules to suit your circumstance if you don't work or have anywhere where you need to be, just carry on staying at home, you can't be forced out of your house unless you need to work or have another pressing reason to be outside 

I am adapting to living like this now and finding ways to make it work for me, everyone can do that
My plans are to sort my house and garden so it's a comfortable place to be in in those times when I can't be outside and to stock up some supplies to make winter easier to bear because with this situation carrying on I think winter is going to be difficult. Working in the hospital in winter is very challenging and with this virus on top of flu and other winter bugs such as RSV it's going to be a nightmare
Im planning on making my life as easy as I can now in readiness for this winter,in the meantime I'm going to enjoy myself and adapt to whatever rules we get given next 

[Deleted User]

I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion and to do their own thing in this situation which has no precedent.  I think I am entitled to my opinion too but none of you have to agree with even a shred of it.  It won't make a jot of difference to how we live our lives which we will do in our own way and to our own satisfaction regardless of opinion from anywhere else.

I have put at least part of the day to good use rather than posting unwanted opinions on the prepping thread and I've made 4 nice jars of bread and butter pickle to use up some cucumbers I've had in the veg box over the past few weeks so not all of the day has been wasted.

This is NOT and never has been a jolly picnic in the park, it's not lovely to have space to not be jostled and take time to look at things it's our sanity to walk out into the country surrounding the village and stand in a field and not be afraid to breathe for 5 minutes every day, without it we would be in a much darker place than we are.  I am an optimist by nature and I care about people, I know I come across as horribly positive and try to see the brighter side in most situations but that's just who I am, there is a wonderfully effective IGNORE FACILITY which is very easy to use if my posts are a constant source of friction to any of you, with my blessing!

CCW007

MrsLurcherwalker said:

I've made 4 nice jars of bread and butter pickle to use up some cucumbers I've had in the veg box over the past few weeks so not all of the day has been wasted.

Do you have a recipe you could share? I can't remember what recipe I used previously but I've been planning on pickling cucumbers recently so this will spur me on.

Got very cheap rates on electricity tomorrow (it will actually be free for an hour) due to a mixture of renewable generation and low demand so will save all my washing and cooking for tomorrow. It's a good excuse not to do it today 😉