From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim - having grown up across the pond, Halloween was defiantely a thing, but I firmly beleive it is what you make it & does not have to be of the horror variety!  As littlies like LG, we loved to dress up in costumes, bob for apples, carve pumpkins and had lots of homemade goodies, including popcorn, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, candied or toffeed apples.  As we got older, it was definately about the trick-or-treat aspect, but we got one evening to selectively gorge (after everything was checked over by an adult) and then the remainder was metted out piecemeal by the adult in the house usually up until Christmas if not beyond, with our packed lunch.  Like any holiday, I think picking and choosing what works for us as individuals is paramount!  H@llmark Holidays are not a thing for me personally, though I love to celebrate everything and anything! May 4th anyone?

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks for all your support.  I didn't specifically wake DH up, but when I went upstairs he was awake, and i asked him if he was ready for lunch, and he said yes.  He ate a bowl of pea soup, had a bit of bread and butter and a cup of tea.  He's sitting under a blankie and being very quiet - so being at home was by far the best decision (and yes, I know we know that, but sometimes DH can be a bit stubborn.....).  

rt - whilst I agree with celebrate how you want, I think we'll have to agree to disagree with what halloween has become in the UK.  I like things connected with the celebration of autumn, but not all the plastic, sugar etc.  I like images of pumpkins outside brownstones in New York, I like all the tree colours in New England and - even when we get magical colourations in this country.  I adore anything 'appley' and spiced too.  But the other bits just aren't for me.  LG can celebrate how they like when they're older - but I'll support Pumpkin carving, and eating apple crumble 😁

Greying X

Blackcats

I'm not a fan of Halloween either and when my kids were young I tried to avoid it which I think was easier back in the 1990's.  I used to wonder why on 1 day of the year it became ok to knock on doors and accept sweets from strangers - yes I know this is stretching the point but .....
I personally don't believe in ghosts and don't think skeletons are fun - insert the Halloween equivalent of bah humbug here!  I realise this is inconsistent but I didn't mind gentle stories about witches like Lizzie Dripping and The Worst Witch.   We also adorned our black cat of that  era with a fancy orange pumpkin collar.  Now my children are parents themselves they seem to have adopted a more liberal approach than I did but they are definitely not full on Halloweeners.

beanielou

Not a Halloween lover either especially when it’s now so commercialised. 

Hope Me G feels better after his sleep. 

EssexHebridean

Another one here who sees the mixed messaging between “don’t accept sweets from strangers “ and “oh but you can accept sweets from THESE strangers” as problematic. The Americanisation of what was always a low key event traditionally for most in the U.K. has a lot to answer for I think - and not in any sort of good way! I’m certainly glad I grew up when I did, those that even went the pumpkin route back then were the unusual ones! 

badmemory

To be fair we did penny for the guy.  But there was always a parent very close.  Now they seem to be totally MIA.

kayannie

Very pleased to hear your OH is improving, I do hope he stays home tomorrow & is soon fully recovered. How long before you go away?
KAxx 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Mmmm, jury's out regarding OH improving - he's still in tear-inducing pain ☹️  I don't know how much sleep he's had.  There is still discharge from his ear, so it doesn't feel we're much further forward.  He seemed to improve after the ENT visit, but then went back downhill as yesterday wore on.    He will need to contact someone today - GP, 111 or the ENT department.  This isn't clearing up, and we've been at this 10 days now ☹️ He certainly won't be going into work.

kayannie - hopefully we go away next weekend 🫤

Tea last night was sausage pasta/sausage rice - depending on who got what leftovers, with freshly cooked veggie sausages sliced into it.  I did also finish off the YS'd broccoli.  LG - unbeknownst to them, ate more broccoli than DH, as DH is having difficulty chewing, with the pain, had LG known, they would have not eaten their broccoli - so for once I was grateful for staggered meal-times!

I'm going to have to check the washing today, and work out how I could perhaps dry some of it, as a really still, cloudy day has been forecast.  Then the beebeecee have done their usual thing of forecasting wall-to-wall rain for the next 10 days 🙄 I hope they are wrong and they change to some 'drying days'.  I'm already behind and I need to get some extra linens refreshed for the holiday.

Right, I best go and administer some drops and make some snap. 

Ta for popping by.  Greying X