2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

Mind you, I grew up with a university lecturer as a father, and it was quite normal for us only to see him to say goodbye as we set off for school and then to say goodnight, for weeks on end. 

In his 80s now, he is far better at managing work-life balance, but only in the last few years. In his late 70s it was still normal for him to get up around 5pm to start working, pause only for lunch, work right up to his evening meal, and more evenings than not work il midnight... he thinks he doesn't do enough... 

Luckily, I haven't inherited his work ethic  

Another quiet night at my end of the village - slept right through! Did others have raids, or did you all sleep well too?

The forecast for the Borrow valley is for it o get quite a bit colder this week, so I hope you all have your good wool vests and socks at the ready?

Don't you mean 5am @Laura_Elsewhere?

My sympathies for all of you who are/were teachers.  My SIL is a high school English teacher.  She reckons that, during the Lockdowns, she regularly worked from 9am to 9pm.

I reckon I could sleep through an air-raid right now.  I had my booster on Friday afternoon.  (Moderna.)  Suffered the chills and a bit of tingling up my neck and on my face, on Friday evening.  Bit of a headache yesterday.  Today, my arm is more tender now than it was yesterday and I now feel considerably more tired than I should.

On the plus side, I finished DH's new hat yesterday, so can wrap it and give it to him for Christmas.  That will give him something to unwrap on the big day since his main Christmas present is the promise to buy him a new suit.

- Pip

Liverpool_Anne

@Gem-gem, I once had a line manager who told me they were going to ask us to account for our 1265 directed time hours. I gave her my account before Feb half term, they never asked again

florianatwobob

Fortunately no air raid sirens for the last 3 nights which has meant 3 nights of over 8 hours blissfully uninterrupted sleep (which is almost unheard of for me). I’m hoping to keep at it for the next few days and over Christmas. 

Wraithlady

No recent air raid sirens here, but one went off at 6am 3 weeks ago - false alarm, due to dodgy electrics (black market materials, I wouldn't be surprised).

Now the guests have gone home after our Solstice dinner, I can try and finish the skirt I've been working on and had to sideline to get the house up to standard - after I've caught up on my sleep, I'm too old to do 2am bedtimes any more. 

But at least dinner is sorted - leftover stew and potatoes, and plenty of cheese for lunch tomorrow.

Gem-gem

Liverpool_Anne said:

@Gem-gem, I once had a line manager who told me they were going to ask us to account for our 1265 directed time hours. I gave her my account before Feb half term, they never asked again

They also did that with us at the council - (After teaching became an Adviser), We had worked our 36 hours by Thursday lunchtime - we asked if that meant that we could have Friday off. They told us that we should manage our time better!!!!!

Air raids was later last night - 6am. It has been 3:30am several times this week. Mind you, heading to the shelter with a bucket helps to get rid of the night sweats!

Was looking at knitting and crochet patterns with a friend yesterday. I then went home watch a Croft online tutorial on you tube - it took me 1 hour to perfect making a slip knot, creating two stitches and the a ring of 6 double crochet stitches. I had my mum in 'stitches' last night when I told her - she said that she would be able to do it in about 30 seconds! The problem I had was that I kept losing count!! Thought, I would give you all something to smile about. 

MrsCD

Well done! Keep at it and you'll soon be making blankets in the air raid shelters!

thriftwizard

All currently calm at night at this end of the village! I've been out doing one of my markets today - I don't usually work November & December, because people aren't really in sewing/project mode, they're focussed on Christmas - but the last two I've done have gone really well. It's nothing compared to what teachers put up with, but people often think I'm really lucky to (sometimes) be able to take what's a week's salary for them "in one day". Except, of course, it isn't just one day - when I hit the road at 6am, I've spent a good part of the previous day planning what to take & loading it in the order I need it to come out in order to set my stall up quickly, and I'll spend the day after unloading, assessing, packing stuff away properly (just ask me how to fold a vintage kimono!) & cleaning or mending anything that got damaged. Add in sourcing new stock, cleaning, mending & working out how best to store and/or present & market stuff, and disposing of old, unsold stock as best I can - sometimes stuff just doesn't "work" for me, but may well for someone else, or somewhere else - plus the fact that there's no pension and I do all my own book-keeping, and it's not quite the part-time doddle that my 9-5 friends imagine!

Looking forward now to getting on with Christmas now, then settling down to some lovely making...

Liverpool_Anne

@thriftwizard, no market stalls are hard work, plus you have all the work of sourcing or making your stock with the added complication of having no steady regular income. Before teaching when I had time I used to do some voluntary work for G****peace, part of which involved doing stalls. I well remember the time it took to pack a large market stall and stock into my tiny mini, it had to be just right or it wouldn't fit in and unless you have help you can't even get a break in the day.
@Gem-gem, yes that old chestnut, "it's your fault if you can't manage your time properly" . And people wondered why I became a union rep
Take care everyone

CAFCGirl

@Gem-gem are you learning to crochet? Me too! 
It was my goal for next year but I've started early as I couldn't contain my excitement at the prospect of 'hooking' (is that the term?) houseplants as I got two pattern books.

I'll see if I can add a photo of attempt one that I equally love and loathe.

CAFCGirl

I love that I managed to learn the stitches but sewing it all together is the part I loathe, looks so naff.... oh and my inability to count, so mistakes are plentiful