From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

lucielle

Can you put the clothes horse outside in lieu of washing line?

L

rtandon27

@lucielle - I was wondering the same 😃

Greying_Pilgrim

Trouble is, we've no where much level or mud free at the mo. We've a lovely drying breeze, but I suspect the clothes horse would be horizontal within about 5 seconds flat ☹️as it'd just keel over. A great MSing thought though, thank you both.

A near neighbour often puts their clothes horse out the front of the house - as it gets plenty of afternoon sunshine, but their front is far flatter than ours and they have paving slabs in strategic places. In the longer term, we could adapt our frontage to be a little flatter in one section, but topography is against us here.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

Well, I think I've taken the garden work possibly as far as I can go. It's as level as it can be (by eye) and with the need to incorporate the drain cover etc. It's not wholly level, and does slope slightly. I think i'm niggled most by the stones. We have got so many out, starting with basketball boot sized lumps of rock, and going right on down to shards of gravel 🫤 I know it's impossible to get everything out - we've had a damn good try! - but other than sifting every square foot of soil, I'm not sure how you cure it. I just don't want any sharp stones to go into the underlay of the tent/into a barefoot etc. Anyway, I did manage to get to a point this afternoon where I think I'm at 'good enough'. And 10 minutes after I put the tools away, the heavens opened….. We had storms forecast - I think we've got away lightly but at least the ground is damp - which is a better receptor for the grass seed.

Tea was a wrap boofay. We had wholemeal wraps, tahini, mayo, yoghurt dressing, sliced cucumber, grated carrot, 2 colours of lettuce leaves and smoked tofu pieces. Yum.

LG did help me a bit in the garden this afternoon - which was appreciated, as I don't think it's the most interesting past-time for a young kiddo, but they want to get to the seeding bit, and want to help with that too. They do recognise the hard work that has gone into getting to this stage (as well as the repetitive, boring nature of digging over and then breaking down the soil - especially when solid clay is involved). There are very few, if any kids around here who would work with their parents on a home project. Maybe it's us that's in the wrong, asking LG for help, maybe we shouldn't see it as a team, family effort. But the alternative is hanging around with others who think knock down Ginger is the epitome of fun……. Perhaps we just have to ride this one out, perhaps they'll move onto something else, somewhere else.

Greying X

VintageHistorian

I think it's useful for LG to see that things can be done with a bit of hard work and everyone pitching in. And one day they might be looking at a similar patch of ground themselves thinking "Now, how did Mum start when she did it?"

Also don't underestimate what a novelty such things can be for a younger person. I have plenty of memories of helping parents/grandparents/teachers with things that, as an adult, are rather mundane, but as a child helping out for the first time they were actually quite interesting.

Cheery_Daff

IndIndeed, I agree helping out with household jobs is both character building and fun! Really glad you've got it to a level you're happy with, that's fantastic! 😊😊

KajiKita

I was shelling the first broad beans of the season last night and the smell, the activity, the sounds, took me straight back to being c. 10 and sitting on the bench of my Irish grandpa’s courtyard, with his black Labrador Kim, doing the exact same task for dinner, under the exacting instructions of my step grandmother 😊 A nice memory ❤️

KK

Greying_Pilgrim

Oooooh, HG broad beans, and first of the season at that - heaven!

Not quite the same, but in the same vein, I remember when we lived at the rental, and it must have been the holidays, as LG and I had been to a food waste share table event, and everyone had overlooked the (in pod) peas. I asked if we could have some, and of course, the volunteer was like 'fill yer boots' - and we spent a happy half hour at home podding the peas, and then we had them for tea. And I do think - although LG did fluctuate with their 'no-likey', that those peas were the turning point for LG eating peas. Whilst peas remain 'not no.1 favourite', they will eat peas. And the thrill of 'how many will be in this pod?' never grows old, does it? 😁 It was also good for LG to see the pod to yield ratio from the peas, which is why i never buy peas/broad beans in pod. But home grown? Fab-U-lous!

Greying X

redofromstart

The only peas my pair will eat are the fresh in pods, preferably straight off the plant. Funnily enough I was on a mountain bike trail last week that edged a farmers field full of peas in the pod. If I had to fall off somewhere I wanted it be there.

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82022690#Comment_82022690

Oh goodness, yes! Not to falling off, obvs, but location-wise…… 😁 We saw broad beans last week, but I couldn't tell you if they were broad beans for human consumption, or field beans. But what made me think they were broad beans were that the plants were squat and dumpy. I seem to remember having seen field beans and they are tall-er plants. There are certain plants/veg/fruits that I miss from our allotment days, but the site politics puts me off taking up a plot again. Mind, in the medium term we'll see if we can get anything going in pots etc here.

Greying X