Sort of debt-free but hope to be a super-scrimper in 2019

gallygirl

carbootcrazy wrote: »

I've always thought that when new MPs are elected they should be given at least a rudimentary amount of training in public speaking and debating.

Personally I'd prefer them to have some training in scruples, honesty and integrity :mad:.

elizabethhull

carbootcrazy wrote: »

I served as a Parish Councillor for several years and there were enough machinations within that small circle to rival any of the goings on in parliament:eek:. Parish Councils can be very cliquey and I decided not to put myself forward for re-election after about 6 years of hitting my head against a metaphorical brick wall:mad:.

My Scrabble Club has recently had 2 guys at loggerheads over 'The Constitution', and there have been masses of emails, an SGM of the committee and an OGM of the committee, just as it we were a huge national organisation, instead of a dozen people who love playing Scrabble and have been trotting happily without any mention of a constitution for years.
I squashed the most ridiculous suggestion at the last meeting, but we are still to have everything ratified by an AGM (sigh !)

[Deleted User]

gallygirl wrote: »

Personally I'd prefer them to have some training in scruples, honesty and integrity :mad:.

That would be nice wouldn't it? Can't see it happening somehow:(

[Deleted User]

Good Morning, everyone. I hope we all have a happy and successful week whatever we're hoping to do:beer:


Major decision! I'm officially declaring my diary a Politics-Free Zone. I've really loved the exchange of views by posters kind enough to keep visiting my diary and the fact they took the time to respond to my ramblings:T. I appreciate that the topic is a real turn-off for very many people though and I'm also aware I can become a bit obsessive over my interest in it:o. Also, I started the diary to chart the next stage of my long journey through the financial minefield and my rabbiting on about politics in general is merely clogging up the pages when I need all the help and advice I can get to keep me on the straight and narrow. At least I haven't mentioned the dreaded subject of Brexit very often:rotfl:. Someone whose diary I love to visit has banned all mention of Brexit, by herself and others, on her own diary and I'm doing the same on here. Plus the other parliamentary stuff too. I'm sure if we met in real life and could sit down for a coffee and chat we'd have plenty to say to one another:j . In the meantime though the subject is closed:)


Today is Day 21 of my No-Spend on Groceries Month:j. It's going well so far but despite eating at least 2 types of homegrown green veg with every main meal (as we always do anyway), as well as other things like fruit that we grew, and the batch-cooked casseroles and soups that I'm using up every day, the volume in the freezer doesn't appear to have gone down as much as I'd hoped:(. It's a good job things like carrots, onions, potatoes, celery and leeks are stored in one of the sheds otherwise I'd never get to see the bottom of the freezer:eek:. I was intending to defrost the main chest freezer before any of this year's crop is ready to freeze. I usually manage to rotate the veg and eat up whatever's in there by the time the next batch is ready but last year I was ill and feeling very under par and although the veg stocks went down I didn't feel up to defrosting even when the time was right to do it. It's always a mammoth job for me anyway, I hate it beyond all reason:o. It's a very old, big chest freezer and really needs replacing by something more energy-efficient as the ice build-up happens very quickly. I'm only 5ft 1'' and trying to reach to the bottom to scoop up the ice and mop up the water is a nightmare. The front of my body ends up feeling really bruised. I stand on a low stool so I have better access but it's still a job I absolutely hate and put off as long as I can get away with. At the moment there's a lot of ice near the top meaning the lid takes some closing. Maybe a new freezer is something for the 'wish list';). I think an upright model would be more sensible if I ever manage to buy a replacement.



Today's dinner will definitely include cauliflower;). We had some last night and there's about three quarters of it left. It was a perfect specimen, the curd was so tight and white without a single speck of brown on it. OH seemed really proud of himself that he chose it himself in the market. He normally just asks the seller for whatever he's buying and they hand it over, usually from the back and not the most prime produce:(. After seeing housewives on the continent carefully selecting every single pepper and tomato I always choose my own produce in our local market. I don't need to buy much as we grow a lot of veg but I always pick out my own oranges, cauliflowers and mushrooms. I've tried to train OH to do the same but he always forgets or doesn't feel comfortable about doing it. Not that he often brings something in that I've asked for, he hates shopping. He was so pleased that he selected my 'gift' cauliflower himself but was very embarrassed that, because his left hand is currently out of action, he had to ask the only nearby customer, a lady who he said looked about 90 :eek:, to pick it up from the side display and hand it over to the man behind the stall:rotfl:



I've been watching BBC Breakfast and they've been talking about the Blood Moon. I've been outside twice to catch a glimpse of it but it's so cloudy here that there's no sign of any moon at all never mind a colourful one:(

Lifeisforliving19

Morning CBC. Its cloudy here as well, so there was no chance of seeing the moon either. Such a shame.


Your chest freezer does sound a bit of a nightmare, with you not being very tall...maybe you need a long handled mop or something. I would like another freezer so we could keep batch cook more and freeze more stuff, buy more bread when its reduced etc. but we don't have anywhere to put one, apart from in the dining room and I don't really want it in there....although I do have my treadmill in there so its already looking a mess....:rotfl:

I know how your OH must be feeling with only being able to use one hand. When my OH had his accident and broke his collar bone, it was awful. I had to help him dress, cut up his food etc. You just don't realise how many things you need 2 arms and hands for.

[Deleted User]

Lifeisforliving19 wrote: »

Morning CBC. Its cloudy here as well, so there was no chance of seeing the moon either. Such a shame.


Your chest freezer does sound a bit of a nightmare, with you not being very tall...maybe you need a long handled mop or something. I would like another freezer so we could keep batch cook more and freeze more stuff, buy more bread when its reduced etc. but we don't have anywhere to put one, apart from in the dining room and I don't really want it in there....although I do have my treadmill in there so its already looking a mess....:rotfl:

I know how your OH must be feeling with only being able to use one hand. When my OH had his accident and broke his collar bone, it was awful. I had to help him dress, cut up his food etc. You just don't realise how many things you need 2 arms and hands for.

Thank you:T. A long-handled mop is a great idea. Why did I never think of that in about 25 years of defrosting this freezer? I said it was old!


It's OH's left hand which is out of action and he's left-handed:(. I've had to cut up some of his food although I've been trying to prepare meals that don't need much cutting up. He really hates losing even a small amount of independence, even though, hopefully, it's only for a short time. OH has become a dab hand at eating the American way;). We've definitely eaten more rice this past couple of weeks than we normally do. Good job I had plenty in stock as otherwise I'd have had to fail my 'buy-no groceries in January' challenge:eek:

Lifeisforliving19

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Thank you:T. A long-handled mop is a great idea. Why did I never think of that in about 25 years of defrosting this freezer? I said it was old!


It's OH's left hand which is out of action and he's left-handed:(. I've had to cut up some of his food although I've been trying to prepare meals that don't need much cutting up. He really hates losing even amount of independence, even though, hopefully, it's only for a short time. OH has become a dab hand at eating the American way;). We've definitely eaten more rice this past couple of weeks than we normally do. Good job I had plenty in stock as otherwise I'd have had to fail my 'buy-no groceries in January' challenge:eek:

With my OH, it was his right side and he is right handed....lol. Was in a sling for weeks, and even after the sling came off it took a while to get it moving again. He has been having physio and it is getting better now but he still can't get his right arm up above his head.

Karmacat

A mop is a great idea

Not cloudy here (so a massive frost thats still as strong as when it got light) and I'm lucky enough that when I got up, about 6.45, the moon was staring straight at me through my kitchen window there was only the very slightest tinge of orange to it, though, no bloodness involved! On the other side of the house, I think its Mercury and another planet - don't know if its Mars or Jupiter - were swinging around the sky in sync, it was really impressive.

You must have a lot of veg put by, CBC - I wonder if you need to have veg broth for breakkie as well?

gallygirl

I'm currently waiting to hear if I need to fly back to the UK to help DD if she needs a cast put on her hand - another x-ray next week to determine! Though from speaking to her I think it's more spring cleaning she has in mind for me :eek:.

No-one has ever bought me a cauliflower .

I used to hate defrosting chest freezers. We now have a frost-free America style one and I don't recommend it - half a dozen shelves, only one drawer and it's impossible to find baskets or boxes that don't waste loads of space .

HairyHandofDartmoor

A cauliflower is a lovely, if hilarious, present and I'm glad you're off the hook with clearing out the shed :T.

We have an upright freezer and it is very convenient and easy to see what's in there without falling in :rotfl:. One should definitely be on your wish list.

You sound as if you have a very healthy diet with all the homegrown vegetablel you eat.