From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

Tas been a funny auld day.  DH is suffering from an ear infection, and whilst he has been treated under the 111/out of hours scheme earlier in the week, the medicine is not really having an impact.  He bit the bullet and went back to them today - and again, we can't fault the service, but the Dr prescribed something that then subsequently wasn't available at the pharmacy.  It all took too long to sort out, and of course supermarket pharmacies close at 4pm on a Sunday.  So DH - who isn't the world's 'best' patient - has been getting very down in the dumps.  LG is getting upset, because dearest papa is upset and unwell, and it's all been a bit fraught and teary.  

DH did at least retire upstairs to bed, and despite LG wanting to go and wake him up every 5 minutes, he did get some sleep.  

So, having made a veggie version of Harira for lunch, I figured we had had enough veg and fibre, and so made a grilled cheese sandwich each for LG and I whilst DH was sleeping.  It was just the job, to raise spirits a little - I think ooey-gooey cheese possibly has that effect on most young children 😁 (allergies/intolerances excepted, of course).  DH did wake up about 7pm, and shuffled downstairs feeling very sorry for himself.  Luckily, a grilled cheese sandwich worked it's magic on him too, and he ate every morsel.  We all had Greek yoghurt and banana for pud, as it's what we regularly have, but also DH is on anti-B's, so I don't want them wrecking his gut flora and us having more issues to deal with.  

LG and I watched the footy - well done Scotland 😁

Needless to say the washing didn't dry on the line - we didn't move beyond cold, grey and slightly misty today - even though sunny spells were forecast as the day wore on.  I did put the dehu on for an hour, but what with DH needing to be in a quiet place to make and receive phonecalls, and the places to put the dehu/airer being limited, we ended up with it in the living room, which I hate, as it just makes me feel awful - and obviously, dehydrated.  Anyway, it was on for an hour.  It didn't dry the washing fully, but it put them more at the level I thought I would be bringing them in at - had we had sunshine.  

Not the best of days, but we've still many blessings to count.  And I do have a great deal of sympathy with DH, as I had recurring ear infections in my teens, and boy, does it hurt.  I couldn't - at that time - take tablets easily, and of course, the anti-b's are rather large tablets.  Luckily, my last bout got cleared up with 'kiddy' liquid anti-b's - anyone remember the banana flavoured stuff?  

Anyway, LG went to bed at the normal time - school tomorrow - and DH has retired back to bed, now too.  Hopefully a hot water bottle and medication will gift him a better night's kip 🤞

Ta for popping in.  Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Gosh, yes, I do remember the banana flavoured stuff 😬 I had a LOT of ear infections as a young child, they were most unpleasant. Solved by having my tonsils out when I was 7 - I've never had once since, thank goodness (although bizarrely my tonsils eventually grew back (!) And I got tonsillitis, having never had it when I originally had my tonsils). 

I do sympathise, both with DH, but also with you - Mr C currently has a nasty cold and is also feeling quite sorry for himself 😬 Fortunately we haven't had bureaucracy and nonsense to deal with on top of things.

Still, well done to you for bringing the day round a little with melted cheese - excellent work. And for bringing in your washing - I confess mine went out, then didn't come back in - I didn't realise until I came home at 8pm and of course it was dark then, so I've just left it out overnight and hope the sun shines again tomorrow...

rtandon27

Ah the magic of gooey cheese! Nothing better on a chilly autumnal evening when there is lurgy in the house!

Baileys_Babe

I too had a lot of ear infections as a young child, I can still remember the pain and both the yellow 'banana' and pink 'strawberry' antibiotics.

I hope Mr GP recovers quickly and calm returns to your family 🤗

badmemory

I too had a lot of tonsilitis followed by ear infections but there weren't any antibiotics then, so I have damaged ears.  What a difference the NHS made.  People forget.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Thank you for your support.  

DH did at least get some sleep last night.  He got up at 10pm to take his medicine and then he was awake again at 4am, but in between there was a bit of snoring, so some zzz's at least.  

Hopefully the new medicine will be in at the pharmacy today.  

LG had scarlet fever some years ago now (although I remember it like yesterday - they came out of school white as a sheet, and the teacher didn't even notice/say anything ☹️).  And because they had the body rash appear (which was then diagnosed as scarlet fever) in the evening, literally minutes after we had given them some strawberry flavoured paracetamol, the Dr didn't know if they also had an issue with strawberries (it's apparently quite a common allergen).  Cue the pharmacy ignoring the Drs request to provide non strawberry liquid anti-biotics ☹️ and a subsequent hunt for non-strawberry flavoured.  In the end, we managed to track some of the banana flavoured stuff down at MrA's pharmacy - but oh goodness, LG is NOT good at taking medicine (particularly when they are most ill, and most need it).  I remember it taking well over an hour and a half to administer the dose - no mean feat when it's perched on a spoon in mid-air 🫤And funnily enough, LG doesn't much like bananas either, so it did feel a bit like jumping out of the frying pan, into the fire. By the end of the 2 week course of anti-b's I think we got administering time down below 5 minutes...... 🤪

At least the strawberry allergy doesn't seem to have manifested, and it must have been "just" the scarlet fever. rash  It's remarkable how many brands of kiddy medicine come only in strawberry flavour.  And yes, badmemory - I for one was glad that my mother had passed when LG got scarlet fever, as mum would recognise scarlet fever as a killer illness in their childhood times, and would have been fraught with worry about LG.  

I have got the dehu on again, as the one needed bit of workwear isn't absolutely bone dry.  DH could use something else, but given he's poorly sick, I'm trying to make things a little less stressy and get the clothing dry so that it's ready to use.  One less thing for him to worry over, as he's insisting on going into work.

We've got rubbish cloudy, still weather conditions forecast for the start of the week, so getting washing done is going to be an issue.  We don't even get much sunshine until the second half of the week.  I may have to employ the dehu more or venture to the launderette this week.  Although we have duplicates of some things, it'd be just like my crew to get clothes covered in summat that can't be brushed orf.  

Thank you for all the grilled cheese ❤️ We did only have one round each, and whilst it's not the healthiest concoction, perhaps in moderation it's OK, and it's 'warm hug' properties can't be underestimated.  At least the bread was wholemeal 🤣

I'm thinking slow-cooker stew for tea today.  Details to be finessed as we go along.  

Right, snap to prep.  Best shift-a-tail-feather.  

Ta for popping by.  Greying X

KajiKita

Sorry to hear DH is struggling so. Why does he insist on going into work if he is ill? Does he not get sick pay?

A question I have been wondering about for some time, but have hesitated to ask, is why you don't get a tumble dryer? I appreciate you are trying to dry stuff with minimal energy usage but there is so much washing for you to process each week and it's only going to get harder as LG grows and the surface area of their clothes to hold moisture after washing grows too ...

The new style condenser-dryers are said to be very energy efficient (when my current one eventually dies - unfortunately it's Miele so is likely to go on for decades! ) and if you get a recon / seconds one might not cost too much to buy. I just wonder if it would give you huge amounts of headspace, time and physical space back, especially in the winter?

Hope LG and you both have good days and Mr GP doesn't come home too worn down by the day

KK  

Greying_Pilgrim

Valid point KajiKita - it's the energy cost that is putting me off primarily, and there would be a slight issue of 'where' to locate a tumble drier - although I appreciate that we'd make it work 'somehow' if we went down that route.  But I absolutely see your point about the 'headspace' clothes washing takes up.  It is unfortunate that much of the washing is also heavier weight fabrics, and/or fabrics that couldn't take TD'ing, or wouldn't last long if they were TD'd - if that makes sense. 

And having just gone out on the school run - it is actually...... well, it feels like very, very fine mizzle, but I guess it could be mist - but it's definitely some form of precipitation, which, coupled with 0.5mph breeze, and overcast skies, ain't looking brilliant for any form of outdoors drying today!  

I don't know if this is coming across as excuses, but we don't have the finances to have endless sets of uniform (particularly the 'branded' stuff - albeit there is only one 'compulsory' piece of that), DH only has a small set of work uniform - that he must wear, but I don't have much 'wiggle room' and it needs to be turned over weekly, and, when it comes down to it, we haven't much storage space for additional clothes.  Usually, I can get the washing done - it's just we've got a real lull in the weather this week, that will take a good few days out of the equation.  Am I right in assuming that grey, overcast, still autumnal days are no good for variable pricing energy tariffs either?  Does it need to be either breezy or sunny for better tariffs to be offered?  I realise I may have misunderstood how the prices vary according to production - but thought they were tied to green energy sources. 

DH would get SSP - which...... is it still around £14 per day?  But it goes back to DH's 'poverty' mindset, and how he feels about letting us down if he doesn't get paid.  It's a shame, as in all our years together - and let me tell you our household income has been UP, and down, down, down during this over-half-a-lifetime we've shared together - we've never not managed.  OK, sometimes we've gone without, but not in the real essential stuff - roof over our heads, food on the table, (clean) clothes on our back.  And also, I'm thinking that this 'fear' is deep-seated and has come from DH's childhood.  On paper, his family looked infinitely better off than my own - infinitely better.  But behind the scenes I'm not sure things were so rosy.  A mix of self-employment, keeping up appearances and keeping up with those blessed Jones's next door, tell a different tale.  I can show DH the bank balance, or move the money to pay a cc bill, or show him the pot for the X thing we're currently saving for or need to purchase, but somewhere deep inside, 'what if' exerts a stronger influence than that written in black and white.  

But yeah, I wish he'd take time off to get better too - even if it was a strategic day or two to really let the medicine do it's thing.  

Thanks for raising those points KajiKita - it's always worth reflection, as circumstances do change, and what "worked" before, may well not work today, or moving forward.  And I hope I am always open to thinking things through, rather than simply dismissing things as 'too hard', 'too much work' or 'too technical' etc etc.

Greying X

Baileys_Babe

In theory Mr GP knows his body best, but I feel that he is going into work due to his 'poverty' mindset, despite the fact this will delay his healing and make him tired & grumpy so no fun to be around.

Are you charged with filling his prescription today?

We too don't have a tumble dryer both the cost of buying and running one is part of the reason, also a number of items we own can not be tumble dried. Where possible we dry the laundry outside, if not we put it on the airer with the dehumidifier on. I do run the dehu for longer than you though, our dehu tells you the spaces humidity and re run it until this is down to 40%. Our house is a couple of hundred years old and can feel damp and cold, so running the dehu to dry the washing also helps tackle this.

This morning it was mild and dry so I've put a wash on, whilst I was out it started to mizzle and has done for at least an hour, it has now stopped, I'm going to at ten thirty and if it is still dry and the flags have dried out I am going to chance my luck and put it on the line for a few hours and hope it comes in drier than it went out 🤞

KajiKita

I appreciate that you have responded to my question and I'm not labouring the point, but just to say, you don't have to fully dry in a TD (which is when the worst damage to clothes happens, I think) - you can interrupt the cycle or set them to a point where they come out 'ironing dry' (i.e. not bone-dry) and then allow them to finish off naturally. It does allow the worst of the moisture to be removed and evenly dries areas like seams and the elasticated hems and cuffs of things like sweatshirts, which seem to stay damp for aaaages when air drying.  

Or, just now and again, just dry something because you need it and need it now.

FWIW as well, I have been using the TD for Mr KK's work stuff for years and they haven't 'aged' any faster than normal use. He tends to cut them, snag them, tip paint over himself loooong before they wear thin!  

(I will stop now, promise. )

KK