From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey kayannie - I use the recipe for olive bread dough from Richard Bertinet's book.  The recipe can be found HERE.  The important thing to note is that for a pizza base (my tray is about 16"x12"), I HALVE the recipe.  Also, I use the semolina/polenta to dust the tray with, I do not put it in with the other ingredients.  Also, I don't use anymore than 200g of liquid in total, so tend towards 150/160g of water and then top up with olive oil to 300g of (MrL) white bread flour.  I make it by hand, as I no longer have a BM.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Right, can I say a big HUGE, thank you to everyone that comes on this thread and asks questions, or provides answers/suggestions and encouragement, and for all that you do on other folks threads too.  

Lately, there has been all sorts of chats about swedish death cleaning, decluttering, sorting, moving house, house clearing for relatives etc etc etc.  Having moved house 12 months ago, coming out of a period of huge adjustment with relocating elderly relatives to a much smaller property, and subsequent downsizing/decluttering of their possessions, followed by my mother's lengthy illness and subsequent passing, I will admit to having been in a bit of a trough - what with one thing and another.  As much as anything, this time last year I was mentally and emotionally exhausted by all that had occurred in the 4 years previously.  Ideally, we should have done alot more decluttering before we moved house, but we didn't - partly because DH took responsibility to clear out the rental garage, and he's a bit of a "take it all and sort it later" kind of chap, whereas I prefer (although fail, quite often), to sort as I go - finding a place for everything, or divesting.  

So, today the 'spoilt' bike rack cover spurred me into action, and I jumped off here and immediately started sorting some of the stuff that was (hurriedly removed from my parents house) cluttering our garage.  There is one wooden bowl that I made when I was about 13 in my lunchtimes at school on the lathe (luckily my tutor group teacher was the woodwork master, and was interested in me learning wood turning), for my mother, for Christmas.  It holds memories of that time - his patient tuteledge and the fact that normally the 'O' level pupils (all boys) normally got to use the lathes.  It is a little mouldy, and I don't know if it can be saved, but if it can, I would like to keep it.  Most everything else that was in the box has been junked and there is one item from my maternal grandmother's home that needs a good dust, and then can go to the charity shop, as it is both useful and will appeal to someone.  I had done that before LG and DH returned from their jaunt, and then I outlined my plan to them, as to how we (might) fit the bikes into the garage.  So we had a quick sandwich lunch, and then set too, as a family, making space to bring the bikes inside, so that we don't have a repeat of the damage to them.  We ditched stuff, we sorted stuff into the relevant recycling piles, we re-jigged where some stuff went, and finally there was room to work out how the bikes might fit in - both in the short term, and perhaps the vision for longer term storage.  We worked hard, but we worked as a team, all doing our bit, or what we could.  And although we had to go for the 'short term' storage option (mostly because we haven't got any 'bike specific holders/hangers', yet), we have made a heck of a difference.  

We didn't shout at each other....... too much (😆), and it felt good to be doing a task together that was for our benefit.  

I didn't feel any real attachment to the things that we'd brought from my parents old house.  It was more that we had them 'by default' as the house needed handing back to the landlord and we were running out of time. I am aware that the passage of time has made it far easier to say keep/chuck/recycle.  But it was time to do that. 

But thank you for all talking - openly - about these sorts of issues, because it does need to be done, throughout our lives, and there is no doubt that streamlining and simplicity of possessions does help us, and our loved ones in the long run.  We've only scratched the surface, and we haven't suddenly transformed our home/garden.  But it was productive, and time well spent - and time in each other's company, which is priceless.

Thank you all so much for your support.  Love Greying X 

redofromstart

Mr Redo did wood turning. Soapy wood wash (or a good scrub with washing up liquid) to take the mould off. Let it dry before you do anything else. May need to give it a light sand and again wash and let it dry in fresh air. Then give it a good polish with beeswax or similar and let it dry. I have all the kit if you need help. 

Absolutely yes on the SDC I'm regularly overwhelmed at the moment. 

Mr Redo and I had spent so much quality time together this year, something I'll never regret.

Greying_Pilgrim

redo - of course, sugar soap!  We have some of that somewhere..... I've used mould clearer on it, and then some rubbing alcohol, as I thought there was either 'old' wax or oil or varnish on it.  I left it out in the sunlight to dry.  It's come up ok-ish.  But I think another go with sugar soap is a must, and yes it will need to be sanded and revarnished.  I think I used varnish on it, but i remember this stuff being in a jar at school and the brush was always in it.  I can't think that varnish could be kept like that?  Perhaps it was linseed oil? 

I remember that the wood is some sort of hardwood that was very beautifully grained.  My chum (we were both very tomboy-ish) did a bowl too, but her middle name was definitely fearless, and she loved the way that the wood shaved off with every passing of the chisel and she soon went through the bottom of the bowl and into the wooden .....faceplate (??) Our teacher made it look pretty - as though it was a two-tone bowl - but of course, we'd made our faceplates out of scrap wood for the metal spindle to screw into, so of course, he could only do so much.  My friend passed away over 10 yrs ago, after a somewhat turbulent life, so it is a nice reminder of the (relative) simplicity of school days.  

Greying X

kayannie

GP - thank you for the bread dough recipe - I'd given up on making pizza dough but I'll have another go at it now.
The last 4-5 years in your life sound very similar to mine. It takes a toll on our health, doesn't it? I swear I look 10 years older than I did 5 years ago!
KA

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Past 8am here and you can hardly see a hand in front of your face 😕

LG and DH are already up - but watching TV I think.  

kayannie - I clearly look old as I am constantly referred to as 'LG's grandma' 😕😆 

Sometimes when you are dealing with these life phases, it is easy to get swamped (actually very quickly), and to also think that it's only you.  But then places like MSE allow us to discuss life matters and you find that others are going through, or have gone through very similar issues.  With my own parents, what has become clear - in hindsight - is that they should have acted much, much sooner in almost all aspects of life. I won't go into details, but it's taught me that kicking the can down the road only works when there is a road to travel on.  When you're approaching the end of the road, you need the least baggage - hand luggage only......I was very clear when we had LG that we didn't have a child to 'look after us'.  I don't want to burden them, especially as they only really 'know' DH and I as 'old'.  

We had veggie burgers and chips for tea last night.  Hardly a nutritional powerhouse meal, but it was a popular choice - albeit DH took an age to eat his meal.  He's clearly not in pain, pain - otherwise we would be hearing all about it, but it's 'not right' either.  I shall see what his plans are re contacting the dentist for advice.

Must submit meter readings today.

I suspect if the power remains on, we will have soup for lunch today and tea is most likely to be something that does NOT involve chips!  😆

Thank you everyone for the kindness that you extend to Family Greying, you are so, so, appreciated.

Greying X

rtandon27

GP - we are on the same wavelength! - OH & I had burgers and chips for our dinner last night!

Still in staycation mode so will be having coffee and cakes at some point this morning!

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 said:

GP - we are on the same wavelength! - OH & I had burgers and chips for our dinner last night!

Still in staycation mode so will be having coffee and cakes at some point this morning!

Blow!  We ain't got no cake in Greying land! 🙁😆

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Right I have recorded and sent our meter readings in.  I do like that the account updates immediately and that you know where you are with both useage and payment.  We are currently in credit (not by masses, but about a month's use) and our costs this month were similar to what we spent in Apr/May this year, which is about right I think.  

I've thought about what RT said about cake and remembered that we do have some YS'd teacakes lurking in the freezer, so will get those out for an elevenses treat.

The weather is dreich, although thankfully it has lightened.  Definitely soup and hot chocolate weather - not necessarily in that order!

Greying X

rtandon27

🤣 - I love that cake can be magicked out of the freezer! - cake, crisps & anything treat-like do not make it past go in our house, so we try to never have them in-stock!

We don't have any cake 'in-house' but I have a coupon for two free coffees and OH will be making use of his 60+ 2-for-1 discount to supply the cake, so a local garden center will be visited.  The trick is not to succumb to any other spends and keep the outing as MSE as possible!

We have however magicked a bitty breakfast from what was in the fridge & freezer and have had our first cuppa of the day without spending a single sou!