Selfsufficientish.com

Good for you - and if you want a bit more practice at the tidying thing - come over here there's loads to do!! lol I agree with you about the positive attitude thing - getting well is half the battle if you don't wallow in misery. My mum always quotes:- The cure for this ill is not to sit still And ...

Hi Maggie We live in the North East too - so I know what you mean about the winters!! Living next to the sea my first thought was "well the sea never freezes......" obviously adding salt to the water butt is a big no no - but is there something else that could be put in to stop it freezing...

Hi Millymillymandy - I've just caught this thread and my thoughts are with you. A few years ago my beloved Granda died of annorexia - it was aweful to see, but he was a man of high principles and very dignified - even to the end. He also taught me a great deal - like how to read (from head lines in ...

Chris bought me Geisha last week - I loved it - didn't see the end coming at all and cried buckets!! I also love Neverland - cried buckets then too (Chris is now used to handing out the loo roll when we watch films!! lol) I also love Romeo and Juliette - the Leo and thingy one - yeah I know its a bi...

Ouch - know the feeling - you have my sympathy. I once had a little dog who became over excited every time the door bell rang - hed run down the hall way and wet himself. One day, as I ran after him, bare foot, down the laminated hall with a paper towel in my hand I slipped in his wee and hit my foo...

Thank you Shirley - it is!! I usually have it cos by the time I've chvvied up the kids and sorted packed lunches etc there's no time for anything big. Its really good - especially when I'm on site cos I find that I end up hungry quickly and head for the bacon butty from the greasy spoon if I don't!!...

How about you take at least 1 banana, some ginger in syrup, oat meal, sesame seeds and honey, add then to milk and whizz in a blender to make a really fast and yummy neutricious milk shake that fills you up til lunch time!!!

Don't eat too much - it turns your wee pink!!

If a potato peeler is too small try one of the cheese slicer things that you can buy in Ikea - its very similar but with a wider cut. I'd love to know how you get on
Regards
Helen and Chris

12 Since there is to be a 20% increase in housing in the North East - how about making sure that the houses that are built are more ecologically sound. 13 And while we are at it what about trying to do something about sexism in the construction industry, especially since there is a big push for wome...

With the glut of rose hips, sloes and crab apples in the area we've been keeping a track of where all the free fruit is too. Found some sweet chestnut trees but was disappointed that there was hardly anything in them. :cry: On the other hand found a nice pear tree and got a few pears off it, bit gra...

on a similar theme.....
Was told that couch grass can be used as a coffee too in the same way as dandelions.
Finally a use for that persistant weed, and no weed killers or such needed to get rid of it too as you end up seeing it as a resource instead of a scourge lol

Chris and Helen

The reason for the masses of elderberries is that this year has had a glut of fruit from lots of different fruit bearing plants and trees. This means that what would be normally a stop gap in the fruiting period has become just another berry in the masses that are available. Trees usually have a glu...

We've not used slippery elm but soap and sugar are always available :lol: Agree with the lavender and tea tree thing though, wouldn't be without either of them, but as a joiner and a sparky we get our fair share of spelks from rough timber and the poltice is a good way of gettin rid of persistant sp...

I'm tempted to try pickled nasturtium seeds! Any takers on whether i can get them to grow? lolol seriously though, I moved here (near Alnwick, Northumberland) 1 1/2 years ago and the garden was like little house on the prarie, including little girl in a flowery dress courtesy of one of Helens friend...