The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

littlemoney

mothernerd said:

It's elaine who has downloaded the sewing pattern for masks. I haven't really bothered about masks as I've only been out a few times and chosen quiet times like Sunday evening. I have worn gloves (or had them with me) to press cash machine buttons or crossing buttons and in case I needed to hold onto the rail to get up the steep steps onto the canal bank. 
I have usually met very few people and we've all been good about giving one another space. I did step out into the road on a Sunday evening (on the bridge over the canal) as a woman and a young boy on bicycles were coming the other way as I reached the top. I did look both ways and there were only 3 cars in sight and quite a long way down the road. The little boy looked as though he was about to lose control of his bike and plummet down the slope so I went out into the road and then back on the pavement when we had passed. Most people seem to use the pavement on the other side of the road. 

Sorry Mothernerd to have bothered you. I misread the entry. I have been unable to get any online slots and have no one to shop for me so I have had to go out to supermarkets twice. After each visit I have felt unwell. My disability means I easily pick things up and take much longer to recover so I am seeking to get some protection as social distancing doesn't happen in supermarkets.

Thriftygifty

littlemoney said:

Sorry Mothernerd to have bothered you. I misread the entry. I have been unable to get any online slots and have no one to shop for me so I have had to go out to supermarkets twice. After each visit I have felt unwell. My disability means I easily pick things up and take much longer to recover so I am seeking to get some protection as social distancing doesn't happen in supermarkets.

littlemoney - Did you see Martins post about potentially when the supermarkets release their delivery slots each day/week? Just thought I would mention if you hadn't seen it. 

elaine241

So it seems I actually live in a good bug out location and if I had to leave the house would still be pretty much OK. Its reassuring to know! I always think that farmers and country folk have been preppers whether they know it or not. My mother , who hated the cold and snow, imported a Swedish multifuel stove as it literally burnt everything except glass/tin and could run all the radiators and hot water in the house. In fact sometimes the water got too hot and boiled in the pipes. She had a normal oven and one in the utility room which ran off propane. She bought case loads of beans, tin toms , loo roll etc from Makro so I knew we would never starve. The log pile was a sight to behold standing about 8' tall and super organised in rows; along with the coal we would never freeze! She kept goats for milk and meat, pigs, hens, duck, geese (guard geese!) had an orchard and a big veg patch. I think I realise now where I get my prepper ideas from! It is also where I learnt to grow veg, process poultry including ironing ducks with a steam iron to make it easier to pluck them ( I couldn't make it up!!). She always kept a gun in the house and taught us how to use it. One day a magpie was attacking baby chicks and pecking off their heads, she ran downstairs , loaded the gun, ran up stairs and hit it with both barrels!! My father calmly remarked remind me not to p*ss you off!
I have been in lock down with the boys for 8 weeks, as the weather is warming up I have decided its time they went camping, its either them or me!! The boys are really good at lighting fires, cooking etc so I think a couple of nights out will do them and me some good. If I am really lucky their father will go with them!!!

Thriftygifty

Good news in Thriftygifty household....The greenhouse is finally up!!!  Costs may have spiralled and it's taken, blood (husband cut his hand) tears from both of us and lots of sweat, but it's up!!!  Tomorrow we will wash it down and move the seedlings that aren't looking overly happy in, I will need to replant cucumbers and we are now down to 2 grumpy looking seedlings.  On another note i've found out why there was a greenhouse shortage Amsterdam have got them for peoples date nights

DigForVictory

elaine241 said:

including ironing ducks with a steam iron to make it easier to pluck them ( I couldn't make it up!!). 

So next someone wants a quill pen, he's to go off with a loaded steam iron, blast the bird's backside, pluck a handful & run...  
Well. that or position stinky roadkill *carefully* over the kettle.
Either way, next time a child grumbles he can't find a pen, I have a whole new challenge for them.... Thank you!

littlemoney

Thriftygifty said:

littlemoney said:

Sorry Mothernerd to have bothered you. I misread the entry. I have been unable to get any online slots and have no one to shop for me so I have had to go out to supermarkets twice. After each visit I have felt unwell. My disability means I easily pick things up and take much longer to recover so I am seeking to get some protection as social distancing doesn't happen in supermarkets.

littlemoney - Did you see Martins post about potentially when the supermarkets release their delivery slots each day/week? Just thought I would mention if you hadn't seen it. 

I have tried many times but no luck.  It's a choice between risking contact with other people in shops or not eating.

[Deleted User]

We've been luckier with Morrissons and have managed a slot last week, one on the 21st and another on the 28th so are fairly well provided for but the downside is that we find they are least likely to have everything we order and some of their substitutions are a lot more expensive and smaller packs than the ones we wanted.  Worst one was when we asked for 3 jars of own brand raspberry jam and they sent top of the range small jars of strawberry instead, now HWK can't stand strawberries and it's for his breakfast toast! we haven't been able to find a 'no substitutions' box on their order site either. That aside we've been very lucky but can't get slots with Sainsburys as they won't take us, Tesco and Asda both consistently have no slots available and haven't for the past 5 or so weeks, we could get one with Waitrose but haven't actually reached the end of their telephone queue yet and Iceland don't deliver this far out.  Saving grace is our local Co Op which is VERY expensive has now put in place a telephone order and pay and we will deliver it to your door service so if we REALLY need something I now there's a good chance we'll be able to get it from them.

euronorris

I can't get a slot with morrisons for love nor money. But I regularly get slots with asda, with ease. They release slots at 10pm, for the next available slot in 2 weeks time. The traffic is heavy for first 2 minutes, then I get in ok and have my pick of slots. I have found though, that if you are already logged in at 10pm, it just says too much traffic continuously. You have to log out and back in again, for it to work. Best all round though to just login at 10.02pm instead.

However....it will vary by area. If asda is the only supermarket delivering in a certain area, it is going to be much, much busier and more difficult to get a slot. We are very lucky we are situated that all supermarkets are within delivery distance (excluding lidl and aldi of course).

Si_Clist

MrsLurcherwalker said:

Worst one was when we asked for 3 jars of own brand raspberry jam and they sent top of the range small jars of strawberry instead

Sorry, but I have to say it.  You've managed to get three deliveries from one store over a three week period and you're wittering about them sending a substitute for own label jam??!!!!

mothernerd

littlemoney it was no bother. I have been thinking about masks but I'm actually run off my feet with what I am doing and have been doing everything in order of greatest need. In the four days between telling mum I was moving in with her and The day I got here and put the padlock on the gate and took the keys out of the key safe (17th to 20th March) I packed as much stuff from my room as possible and any food that would not be used by my DS3 and his gf who are still living in my house (tinned and dried pulses and beans, frozen fish) and got what food and other essentials I could (including cs books) I could.

I came to my mother's house each day at the usual time (around lunch) in a taxi packed to the gills. On the Friday I did two taxi trips and still had stuff I had to leave. The first week in lockdown I cancelled and immediate appointments (just starting on the second wave now, mum's neurology appt will be a phone one, still have 3 June ones to sort), tried to get my pills delivered - pharmacy could collect my prescription from the doctor's and fill it but were not taking on new deliveries, started sorting through the paperwork (I hold most of mum's at my house).

The Working Tax credit people recently decided I was not eligible for tax credits so spent a week writing a letter challenging that (8 pages long, done twice so that I have a copy) and I want it in writing because the error has occurred through them failing to act on information I have submitted online and over the phone and then denying that I had told them - not that they will tell me which change I haven't told them.

The first SM order I could get was for the 28th April but there is a little street resident's association and they put out information about milk and veg box deliveries. I also used a local shop for a meat and cheese delivery for Easter but not sure using them again. DS2 and two 'quasi' grand-daughters do phone and offer to get things but I only like to ask for odd bits and we get them as and when. I have left money with DS3 and given him a list of items to start picking up when he does his shop (the only person I've so far heard of complaining that he is being forced to go outside the house more than usual.

I have only been out a few times (short walks along the canal bank, a few trips home - my garden stuff has never been touched by anyone but me and I've chatted with DS3 me sitting on one of the garden chairs and him just inside the kitchen door with the door mostly pulled to) but have had a couple of incidents which frightened me. About the second week  I ventured as far as M's SM using the walker, to find out mum's and my bank balances (and mum's hands were working okay so she had been writing out all the birthday cards from now until C'mas and putting money in them all). I had already said that if there were too many people around I wasn't even going on the car park (there is a large cobbled area opposite where people queue to get into the sports field). Very few people were about, I think I only saw 5 customers and two members of staff in total. I went to the cash machine ( a line was marked out and regular shoppers were to use a route alongside the edge of the car park), gloved up of course (because other people had been using those buttons). I was part way through the transaction when a man came and stood alongside at the other cash machine. I reeled back, pushed myself as far as I could against the wall but he just grinned at me. I was checking myself for symptoms for two weeks.

The second time i had only gone to post a card for mum and the only people I saw were dropping off shopping and stood chatting by the  garden gate with the vulnerable person standing at the front door and if there wasn't enough room for me to pass at a safe distance I went out into the street around the parked cars. As I approached the post box, I heard voices and as I now walk slowly, they were advancing on me. I went into the middle of the road which meant they went past at a reasonable distance (not necessarily safe) rather than walking either side of me (not youngsters either, about my age).

So masks. I have been thinking about them. I gave away most of my sewing equipment/ materials last year to DS1's Best 'man'  as she runs a sewing group for young mothers in Glasgow. I couldn't thread mum's machine a few years ago and I know from experience that mum has kept things for 10 or 20 years beyond the stage where she was able to use any of it (she still has one sewing machine that hasn't been used for somewhere in the mid-range of that - well before I failed to thread it). I do have things for hand sewing but can't think of any suitable material except possibly cannibalising a teatowel (several layers). Mum's tv guide lat week came with an 'old-lady catalogue' which did have masks (including the full face visor ones) but I thought it was a) 'profiteering' and b) taking away from those who need it most. I think the teatowel idea (or ask DS3 to put my roll of blackout material by the front door for collection) is probably the way to go. It at least serves as a reminder.

I dont think sharpening one end of an 8' curtain pole would be looked on favourably by the authorities and it would get very heavy, very quickly.