From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

KajiKita

My parents had a big gong they used to bong to get me home! I kid you not … 😂😂😂

KK

Blackcats

We knew that it was time to go home for tea when Concorde flew over just before 6.

It's good that LG doesn't want to join in with the antics of the kids in the neighbourhood. Family Greying are in agreement about that so if you need to you can come up with a handling strategy.

Greying_Pilgrim

Too right redo - colloquialisms are grand - but can also identify which parts of the universe you hail from… 😉

I wouldn't say that us kids were 100% perfect, but what we did wasn't malevolent, and we didn't harm anyone. Are there things we (technically) shouldn't have done? Yes. We scrumped alot, from a training centre's garden (it was left to rot, but that's not the point). But we never damaged property, never physically harmed anyone. and never annoyed householders, and for sure, yes, if an Adult had said 'no', 'stop' or 'you there' - we would have been rabbits in the headlights, and stopped immediately. Our parents would have been informed, and we would have been in more trouble…..

In some ways, perhaps some sort of indicator - bong, church clock, or watch would have been a good thing. I distinctly remember playing out with some kids - who my dad worked with their dad - and we stayed out too long. Dad came looking for us in the car and boy, were we in trouble. It was all about different parenting expectations.

So tea was OK. I used green box apples to make apple crumble. I used the green box raspberries and a left over half a lemon to make a raspberry lemon sponge cake. That made 12 slices. I used YS'd finger rolls and h3r0n low-priced L1nda Mc veggie to make hot dogs. I cooked up some onions and put some oven chips in the oven with the cake and crumble. We had veggie hot dogs & chips, and then apple crumble and yoghurt for pud. There is apple crumble left for tomorrow.

I can't think of anything else MSE I achieved today, although I stopped myself going out for some lemons/limes, as I remembered the lemon half that was in the fridge. Lemons were in my prices in MrS this week, but the St St were OOS, so I didn't get any. I got the washing in about 4pm, and it is now on the airers. It was dry, but cold - the wind has been good drying all day, but the temperature had started to drop and as I was pulling the washing in, we had the mildest of rain showers. Still, some working clobber, and some uniform is dryer than I expected, so I'll take that.

Greying X

Humdinger1

May I make a shocking confession? Aged 6, I played a game of knock down ginger. The very next day in morning assembly, the head, no less, spoke about the evils of the game and mentioned that it was illegal! She also asked for reports of anyone doing that. My face must have been a picture and I have never done it since that day. Onwards and upwards love Humdinger xx

Cheery_Daff

Sounds like you made an excellent insulated cup decision Greying! 😁 I hope they bring you many happy days out. Definitely a worthwhile picnicking investment, I say.

And yes, I agree that LG loves those things because you have instilled a love of them! I have musical friends whose kids play instruments and love being in theatre performances, active outdoor friends whose kids love kayaking and walking and climbing, and friends who play video games whose kids love playing video games 😁 My own nephews are dungeons and dragons geeks, always online with their pals, and a lovely set of young men 😁

I was never allowed to roam out as a youngster, although as a teenager I was once with a gang who ended up on the roof of a rival school 😱 I believe there were drugs involved too. I wasn't actually doing either of those things, but a teacher was still in the school - we ran, but they caught one girl 😬 I suspected she'd give everyone's names, so told my mum as soon as I got home, fearing more trouble if she heard it from school (very likely) - but it seems the caught (quite cool) girl didn't know who I was 😭🤭😂

Greying_Pilgrim

Humdinger - I lived outside the village that I went to primary school in, so didn't quite get the same exposure to games - good or bad. But one difference (in olden times 😉) was that the village was quite small, the headteacher lived in tied accommodation at the school 😬, and that most folks knew each other, and their kids. Whilst several of the teachers at LG's school do live in various parts of the estate, the senior leadership team do not. In fact the head lives some goodly miles away. They don't have a 'prescence'. Them saying, "it has come to my attention that children from this school are……." wouldn't change anything. They really seem to take the view of 'containment' and then shifting the kids on to the next school. Kicking the can down the road if you will. I would have been mortified if I'd been doing something and the HT mentioned it in assembly the next day 😬 irrespective of whether they were 'kite-flying' or it had come to their attention that me/others were doing anti-social things.

Cheery - you (and other posters) give me hope with your postings of the young people in your circle being 'awesome' 😁LG is at least getting a 'rounded' education. Maybe not through school, but by being a member of this family. They don't have a 'specialty' - gaming, music, gymnastics, swimming, footy, painting, drama….. and I don't know if that's an issue or not. I am a little worried that they don't do a leisure activity for the fun of it, but also to develop. Club is OK, but we're going through a bit of a lull at the mo, with a leadership change and perhaps a slight railing back of focus - for all manner of perfectly valid reasons. I will keep encouraging LG to participate, as if club stops, what else is there.

We have lovely sunshine here, but it is cold. I have pegged the workwear wash out. As I was doing so, I was aware of what seemed like a whole tribe of little birds in the tree behind next doors garden. It was like being in a pet shop with all the twittering. So I got the m3rlin app, and set it to go. We had a flock of siskins! It has solved my mystery upside down birds in the Silver birch tree! Although the birds were actually in the oak tree - it's not an 'oak' oak tree - it is thinner/spindlier than an Oak tree, rather than the birch. But a) the description of female siskins matches what I saw earlier in the week in the birch tree, and b) they are normally in birch or alder trees. As I was listening/recording the birds, I began to pick out the birds in the tree, and there was clearly a male, glowing yellow in the sunlight. But I have never knowingly seen/heard siskins before - how fab!

We had a slow start this morning. Both DH and I were awake in the middle of the night. DH thinks he's suffering insomnia as a side effect of his medication, but thankfully there ae only a few more days of taking those, so 🤞that is the reason.

I think I will probably put a curry plate on for tea, as I want to watch the rugger. Lunch is leaning towards soup, despite the sun, it is cold, and I've not got a ton of bread for sangers.

Greying X

badmemory

I've never even heard of a siskin. How marvellous! I've had a quick google.

Cherryfudge

Lucky you! I will add siskins to the ones I hope to see…

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81922698#Comment_81922698

I know right? I played DH the m3rl1n app recording of a siskin, and he said, "that reminds me of……" - course, smart alec me, says "Sammy Miller's motorcycle museum" (there are finches, budgies and small birds in the courtyard at the museum), and he said, "yes, but no, I was thinking of the pet shop that used to be in Greying Town". And he was right - that place was an institution, and a 'must visit' every time you went to town. All the fish in tanks, they had an elderly mynah bird that was always grumpy, and puppies and kittens….. a child's dream. I know pet sales and pet care has reached much better and safer practices and levels these days, but in the 60's, 70's and early 80's things were less regulated. We did - as kids - get to see a wide range of animals, birds, fish and insects upclose tho.

Greying X

Jellytotts

Hope your new travel mugs provide many a fortifying slurp on a picnic. We got ours about 8 years ago now from Mr A’s metal base with a decent spill proof lid. They were £8 each and have been a marvel. We had a few days jaunt this week and I filled them before we left and we stopped to drink them 4 hours later an they were still at the “ooohh hot” stage of sipping.

I had a row of great and blue chested birds in the fence this morning looking at me and then the empty feeders…quite menacing. I’ve been out and refilled them now so I won’t get pecked to death.

We had a really heavy frost this morning which was lovely to see but the sun soon melted it away and it’s still bright now which means the heating hasn’t kicked in so often. I’ve just been out to fill the log baskets, clear skies again tonight and I’m going to need a fire and a nice bowl of risotto to see me through a Saturday night without Ms Tarbuck!