2023 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

flamingo747

That's a sweet story Pip

Mr Flamingo and I met in 1999 when I was nearly 16 and he was nearly 19. I was dating his best friend! Mr F didn't like me the first date, he thought I was silly and mooning over the friend, but within a couple of days we were very attracted to each other. I broke up with the friend and started dating Mr F. Within 6 months we were engaged and moved into a little flat together. We got married when I was 19 and he was 22. After a long infertility battle, we finally had Junior Flamingo in 2012. We had our 20th wedding anniversary this year ❤️ I also turned 40

thriftwizard

(Wish me luck, one & all - DD2 got a knitting machine for Christmas! I may be gone for some time - what I can remember about them would fit on the back of a very small postage stamp!)

PollyWollyDoodle

… and there are a few spare coupons in the sugar-bowl!   I’ve swept the floor, rather a lot of biscuit crumbs - I like to start the New Year with everything clean. Look forward to seeing you all back in the village hall for the New Year celebrations.  

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, sorry I have been mia for a while. I managed to get covid just before Christmas, all christmas plans were cancelled and I am now on day 10 and I think I am finally negative. I wasn't very ill but I am very tired. OH also got it but being on some special vulnerable list got an anti viral infusion but is still positive atm.
Well I have had a trawl through the posts for the year and have remembered I got 4 t shirts and 3 vest tops for myself. The rest of my coupons were used for gifts. I have used 53 coupons but I started the year with 89.5 so have 31.5 to carry over. I am not donating them, I think I will need them next year as so many of my clothes are heading for the rag bag . I have been wearing out things like socks and knickers since pre covid and although the socks are holding up quite well quite a few of the knickers are definitely not going to last another year . So I will be starting the new year with 97.5 coupons

I met my OH at work. I was unhappily married at the time and had already told exH I wanted a divorce and was just waiting for him to move out. I bought him out of the house and at the point I asked him to start paying rent he finally moved out. I have been with OH 28 years now

Take care everyone and I am looking forward to seeing you all on the new thread and thank you Pip and everyone else for such a lovely place.

mumtoomany

I meet dadtoomany over 59 years ago! He was a friend of a friend. We started dating, as it was called back then, on Christmas eve 1974. I was 14 he was 16. My mum spent the next 58 years stating, "it'll never last" . She wanted her girls to marry "nice" people, doctors or lawyers. He was very far from either of those. He left school the following January, without a single qualification. We married when we were 18 and 21. We have five children, and have also opened our home, and been "parents", to at least another 50, foster children, extended family, friends children. Also have four grandchildren, with a fifth due in January.
Rarely had much money, but I would not change any of it. 

Looking forward to joining in again next year. We will have a bit more money then, dadtoomany will officially become a pensioner in a week or so. I may even buy us some clothes.

Happy New year too you all, hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

flamingo747

Mumtoomany wow, that's wonderful! You sound like such lovely people 

Laura_Elsewhere

Oh @mumtoomany - good for you and thankyou for all the fostering work- it's not work I could ever do but I have known people who openly say they owe everything they have made of their lives to their foster-parents. Good foster-families are worth so much... xxx

Why does dadtoomany 'officially become a prisoner' though?! 

mumtoomany

Thank you, @Laura_Elsewhere. That needs to read pensioner! Haha. I'll just change it now, before someone comes to arrest him! Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

Cherryfudge

mumtoomany said:

Thank you, @Laura_Elsewhere. That needs to read pensioner! Haha. I'll just change it now, before someone comes to arrest him! Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

Oh please don't! The village likes a little intrigue! As my mum used to say, 'We may live in the country, but we do see life!'

PollyWollyDoodle

I was going to say that you'll probably save some money while he's 'inside' getting free board and lodging!  
You've done a wonderful thing fostering all those children.  Even though you may not know where some of them are now, I bet there's someone looking back with gratitude for the time they spent with you. 

Also I'm a bit late in responding on this but I wanted to thank Laura for your very open and honest response about drinking/not drinking, it's clearly had a huge impact on your family.  It infuriates me that it's so normal to find birthday cards, especially 18th or 21st cards, that reference drinking or being drunk.  Try finding a suitable card for the child of an alcoholic ... Sorry, don't want to end the year on a rant!   It's been fun sharing the serious and not-so-serious side of things with you all. And I love hearing the happy-ever-after stories.  Let's just say that I've been very happily divorced for many years, definitely wouldn't want it any other way!