General Chat

we lived in a hand me down cardboard box but we was happy.......

wet morning :-(

Good morning all.

A beautiful pink and pale turquoise sky here early.
The whole sky to the east was glowing.

I used to love Mum's button box and would spend ages as a child sorting out the various sets and sometimes chatting with Mum about which garment they had come from.
A patchwork cover on my bed was another item that held lots of memories, as some of the sections were cut from the best part of clothes that were beyond being revamped,repaired or passed on to my younger sister. I loved spotting squares of identical material and remembering which blouse or nightdress or whatever it had come from.

Yes string was always kept and carefully neatly wound up for storing. There was a time when all parcels in the post had to be fastened with string, so any incoming parcels were opened carefully, so that string and hopefully the brown wrapping paper could also be retrieved for using again.
Mum also kept nice wrapping paper. We never just ripped open a present. It was opened carefully, so that the paper could be passed to my mother for storing for reuse.
When we sorted out Mum's bungalow after she died ( my birthplace and where she had lived since 1937 ) we found so many items carefully kept for using again.
There was even wrapping paper from my 21st birthday gifts, even though by that time, I was a grandmother !

Like Ann says, I think the passed on habits do stay with us to a certain extent.

When my youngest was born in 1980s, she had some beautifully wrapped gifts, so some of the larger pretty sheets of paper were used to line the chest of drawers, where we kept her baby clothes.

Morning Anng Ann and all,

Dark and dank here this morning and pc says 6 degrees and clouds and rain. I think its just about right this morning.

Must write some more cards today and gert those out of the way. Then I can wrap soem presents.

Good morning, still very dark outside and 3 degrees, Woke around 6 so after an hour dozing I decided to get up. Not dressed though.

Ann I still have a jar full of buttons, mostly from My Mum's button box but I have added to it in the past. Have got loads of small white, some pearly buttons which were sorted through in the past for baby clothes. I do still find it hard to throw out things like buttons and pieces of string. (in case they are needed later).

You were up late. (or early).

My first MIL bought us a small fridge as a wedding present, but like you it was many years, at least 8, and after I moved to my last house before we got a freezer, another huge chest freezer. Our first two TVs were secondhand. Our first lawnmower was secondhand and first OH bought his woodwork machines secondhand. My first drinking glasses and Mrs Beeton's cookbook were from green shield stamps and I got a pack of playing cards by saving stamps from a Jet garage. So much was re-used too. Buttons were saved as was string and old wrapping paper. Wartime habits and thrift still lingered and were passed on by our parents and grandparents.

We didn’t have a car before we married as T had not passed his test until six months after then we had a second hand Wolely like the old police cars. Not sure what year late 49s/50s. We did have table and chairs but second hand also Second hand sideboard to match (G Plan). We didn’t have a washing machine until we had been married about twelve years even though by then we had two children. Had a burco boiler and spin drier and did have a fridge which came with the bungalow. Had my mum’s gas cooker when she had a new one. It was not expected that we would have new. Had our first freezer a large chest freezer, after we had been married ten years.

I have to say the three grandsons with their own houses all started with second hand furniture, curtains etc mostly from the family.

Yes, my first OH sold his car and got a small van before we got married too AnnG. Vans were cheaper insurance then, having just 2 seats and it was more economical to run. OH built in our wardrobes and kitchen units with timber he bought from where he worked, so it was handy for carrying materials. The first thing he made was a roofrack for it. Money was tight then and we had no washing machine for 6 months or any table and chairs. I made all the curtains and the hearth rug and first OH made a camel saddle stool that I upholstered, my dressing table and stool, a set of steps and a long john coffee table. If we couldn't pay for something we saved up till we could. We paid for our own (very, very small) wedding as my mother said parents paying for these things was old fashioned. We had a small buffet at our new bungalow after for our parents, first OH's sister and family and the only aunt and uncle my mother kept in touch with. My mother did bake some pastries for the buffet but I had to pay for the ingredients. I bought a very simple white wedding dress in a sale at a bargain price of £10 and when my mother saw how cheap it was, she said she would buy it for me. I didn't need a veil with marrying in a registry office. Our honeymoon was 4 days at my then MIL's caravan at Ingoldmels, only 4 days as dad insisted I was back at work by the Thursday, so he didn't have to go to the bank for the wages instead of me. My parents weren't poor as they lived in a detached house with a third of an acre garden and always had big cars that were new.

Oh Vera, that's horrid having a bad headache. I hope it soon goes and isn't a migraine. Good idea to keep away from screens for a while till it's better.

There were about 6 subs on our food order, which we can at least use. I just bought apples from the farm shop the other day, so guess what they sent me instead of orange juice.......yes, apple juice!

I managed to sort both freezers and the fridge before the delivery and still have some space which is good as I forgot to order 2l of milk less, so had to freeze a bottle.

I must start getting cards written tomorrow. The days seem to be flying by now!

Hope the headache is better tomorrow Vera take it easy and I hope you get a good sleep tonight.

I got on well this morning hoovering and tidying up and putting my shopping items on another tabel so I have the telly stand for the Chirstmas tree and sorting out some craft stuff. selected a box for the boys presents so I can cover it and I am going to put ALL their presents in the box as they always have them on Christmas Eve. Em still has their stockings from last year.

Leased they have arrived anyway hope it is all there.

I was just 20 when we married and T was 22. We were together four years then despite my mother saying I was too young to just have one boyfriend all that time,
Plenty more fish etc. And saying they couldn’t afford a wedding. We paid for it ourselves and got their permission to marry under 21. For 20 months we lived in rented and then Naval hiring accommodation. I was young when we met but was an early starter and already had had several boyfriends three previous RN.

My then OH was age 24 when we married and bought our bungalow AnnG. It was detached and one of 5 being built. It had a large bay window on the lounge and those small square panes of glass with the odd bulls eye pane here and there, also in the front door. It cost £3500 in 1969. We had been seeing each other for 4 years by then, the first 2 in secret from my dad, who had told me I was far too young to have a boyfriend when I was aged 18. He spoiled a budding romance with my first love with his strictness. He was a motor engineer who worked on Roger Clarke's cars and and is now a first class racing car and ferrari restorer with state of the art equipment and his own business.

Well, Asda are later than usual today. It did say the slot was full and the delivery would be from another shop today, which I don't understand as we have a pass which gives us a fortnightly delivery automatically and the order gets started within a day or two of the previous delivery, so how do others fill the slot ahead of us?
I'd better check whether there are any subs. Oh I think they are here!

Hope you feel better soon Vera.

I’ve just come on to say hallo but won’t be staying as I’ve got one heck of a headache. I managed to do a couple of jobs this morning and I’ve cooked our usual big Sunday roast dinner but I’m not doing anything else today.

I hope you are all OK and that you all have a good night. I’ll be back tomorrow.

I was 22 and T was 24 when we bought our first place a two bed bungalow, I think it cost £2500 that was 1962. No problem with a mortgage as OH was well paid in the RN compared to many people. we did sell our first car to get the money for the deposit but that was short term and we soon had another car. I was not working then as we had a 17 month old baby.

Tesco has been, he was ten minutes brfor time. Two subs one acceptable was a jar of apple sauce with cider instead of plane apple sauce. that was a good one as I had been tempted by the one with cider but it was dearer. the other was not acceptable, I ordered a large strong roll of foil and they sent one about10 inches wide, really tiny.

I looked out of the window just now and there were three blackbirds all together in a group on the lawn.

Afternoon All,

I slept really well last night and feel much brighter this morning.

My PC says the same as yours AnnG, 5 degrees and cloudy and it is cloudy and dull. Your son did really well to buy a house at age 18 and good to get on the housing ladder at that age. We took 4 years to save for our first home when we got married when I was aged 22. We could have bought a house, both cheaper and sooner, but we got a new 2 bed bungalow by waiting and with less mortgage with having a bigger deposit. It was still hard then as they didn't take a wife's earnings into account for getting a mortgage and first OH was on apprentice wages till he was aged 22. I don't think youngsters today realise or know we boomers had different difficulties.

I've been good and cleaned the sink and cooker hob this morning. It will be the floor and bathroom next, maybe tomorrow or later in the week as the food drop is this afternoon.

How is the knee on your sparrowleg now Mel? He's as cheeky as OH isn't he! I hope you aren't too bruised.

Better get on now and see what's to be done. BBL

Morning Anng and all,

The pc says mostly sunny tpday and 7 degrees but its definately wrong about the mostly sunny bit at the moment so I am hoping the sun will come out later on.

Must finish writing my cards today and get them off inthe post and I need to give the coopies a bit of a clean out if its not too windy.

Must do some wahsing too.

Good morning all, a bit grey an nondescript out there and 5 degrees so I am pleased not to be continuing my social whirl today. Just the Tesco man visiting this morning.

I have the bedding in the wash so that will be the bed change to do and I am sure there is more dusting or something to do and equally sure it probably won't get done. I slept reasonably well last night give or take waking up a few times.

I meant to say, on the way back from lunch driving down the dual carriageway, going in The opposite direction we saw, nose to tail at least fifteen small tractors.. no idea where they had been. Or were going.

He's just called me sparrowlegs Ann. Hope you sleep better tonight and have a lie in in the morning even though its wipe down day.

Hope you sleep better tonight Ann.
Son lives in Milton Keynes. We used to live in Clifton, Sherrord, Beds which is how he ended up I. MK houses were cheaprt there and he was only 18 when he bought his first house.

I just got them for the snow Mel, in case it came over my shoes. The zips were only in the top few inches at the back and I thought were just to help ease your foot into them, like those with the buckle at the side that adjusts. I'm thinking I might get some waterproof stable boots now. Yes, my OH would be saying things like that too. My dad's nickname for me when I was a toddler was 'sparrowlegs' as I had thin legs. They aren't anymore though. Good idea to let the air get to your knee when you can. I hope you've battened down those fairies of yours as I think you are due very windy weather.

That sounded like a nice meal AnnG and good that your son changed the bulbs and dusted while he did it. That would never have ocurred to OH. If you ask him to do something, he puts his blinkers on and does exactly that and no more. So washing up what doesn't go in the dishwasher means exactly that. No wiping of the mixer tap or window sill or the cooker hob. What area does you son live in? You may have said, but I can't remember. It's quite a run for him if it's 2 hours away.

Yes, I agree Vera, we would miss them, and they are handy for tight jar lids and reaching the top of cupboards! Mine seems to be conveniently deaf, even when I shout loudly, then troops in five minutes later to ask if I said something. Then we have a pointless conversation discussing what I wanted him for, which I have sorted and done on my own by then.

I'm off to bed now as I feel quite tired. I hope everyone sleeps well.