What Preps are you doing this week? Part 7.

[Arzosah]

I'm doing little jobs that make things easier and tidier, partly to improve living standards at home, partly to clear the kitchen table so I can do proper craft work: I have an idea for a flyscreen over my large bowls, so I can soak porridge overnight - using an old plastic necklace as weights.

Over the last month+ A lot of the jobs I have done have been geared towards lifestyle improvements, just like you. Rearranging my workshop was the most monumental. Everything is now to hand, with extra bench space for working. Stuff I have been meaning to do literally, for years.

Thats really good to know, actually, I do feel a little inadequate at not doing this stuff

[diamond lil]

Arsozah do one wee bit at a time, section by section. I meant this year to focus on the garden and growing veg but that got hit on the head by the virus. We can't get the shed now the company is shut for the duration, and the top of the garden is piled up with 32 big slabs that were to be the base. Plus I couldn't get seeds or plug plants for a decent price, ebay sellers seem to be asking a lot this year and the garden centres are shut.
So I bought a garden swing instead but it feels like sitting in a building site and is bugging me to hell
For us at our age it's a bit of a dilemma... half of me thinks ah to hell with it, I'm old. Time to get nice comfy things, take care of yourself, you've worked all your life, etc etc. Then the other half of the brain says well why waste money on garden swings when next week you might be ICU and die.. hang onto all the money you can so that the family can get it when you go.
I am such a cheerful optimistic wee soul

[Arzosah]

Arsozah do one wee bit at a time, section by section.

You're right but the garden *always* has to have a bit of attention - stuff **grows** down here, and even so, I'm digging up 3- 6 bramble roots every 45 minute session, which is all I can do in a day (and I still need a day or so off every so often, even so). Tidying and cleaning is the other priority - during illness, and during all the probate and distribution of my mother's effects, cleaning just got abandoned - so I've almost caught up there, pretty good. Got a new kitchen last year - there's a *lot* of work associated with that, that you don't think about until you have to do it. My tech has been collapsing - I've updated that now (except my tv aerial, which is creating problems, ditto my camera, for about two years).

After that (from tomorrow!) the plan is to have a couple of hours on the kitchen table a couple of times a week, crafting - that cover for standing food will come first, then a little knitting project, then we'll see.

So I bought a garden swing instead but it feels like sitting in a building site and is bugging me to hell
For us at our age it's a bit of a dilemma... half of me thinks ah to hell with it, I'm old. Time to get nice comfy things, take care of yourself, you've worked all your life, etc etc. Then the other half of the brain says well why waste money on garden swings when next week you might be ICU and die.. hang onto all the money you can so that the family can get it when you go.

Same dilemma for me, of course, as we're so similar in age. Have nice stuff (it will "see me out", as people used to say!). To me, though, it isn't "don't waste money on a garden swing, you might be in icu next week" - if you might be in icu next week, all the more important to buy that garden swing! Plus I don't have kids myself, and any inheritance from me for the next generation of 5 nephews and nieces won't be lifechanging - they can split the money from my house, if I need to spend, I'm going to.
Next big expenditure is the boundaries - side gate is still stuck, 3 fences (front and back) have collapsed, the garden gate has fallen off the pedestals, and there's been vandalism to the pedestals themselves. No garden swing, ta muchly! But I have a couple of lovely aluminium patio chairs, very nice.

I am such a cheerful optimistic wee soul

Yes you are and you're right too, though
As you said on another thread, the next few years are going to be tough, very tough, between covid and B.... I'll do all I can to get through, and at the end of it** I'd really like another holiday (Orkneys, or a genealogy holiday to Ireland).

**if there is an end. I really hope so.

[peejay]

I've set up a 2nd & 3rd veg bed at the top of the garden this weekend. Got a delivery of ex-mushroom compost coming hopefully in the next couple of days. Luckily I managed to bag some seeds before things went too mental, but not all heirloom - some just plain old garden centre varieties but they'll do for this year. The company I'm contracting for has announced they're cutting 15% of global workforce - my contract is due to finish on 30th but they know they're way behind what they need to get done so there has been talk about renewing me another month so we'll see this week...

[Medusa]

I am still at work, husband is furloughed and has been busy making more raised beds for the past couple of weeks using whatever he can find in the garage. I have cursed over the years at his hoarding things but have been very grateful right now that he has. Raised beds from pallet wood, raised bed from left over shower boarding and the one built today was from random bits of wood which he removed from his Dad's garage recently. He is constantly on the go and part of me is really pleased that he has had projects to keep him busy and entertained as he wouldnt do well stuck indoors doing housework/watching TV.

[Nurseandy]

Hi all, a while ago I posted that I was being redeployed to a covid palliative care ward. I'm pleased to report that as of today I'm back in my normal nursing role as the covid palliative care ward has closed due to low patient numbers. The other dedicated covid wards in the hospital remain open and we have a contingency plan to reopen the palliative care ward should numbers increase when lockdown is relaxed.
A big thanks to everyone on here who gave their encouragement & support on my redeployment and I'm also pleased to report that we had sufficient and appropriate ppe at all times on the ward.

[Arzosah]

Hi nurseandy - I greeted you on another thread, but can't have too many "welcome backs" to a nurse

I'm waiting for my online shopping right now - my computer, and my garden hose and bark chippings/ manure/ compost.

Soaked the second set of seeds - peas, beans, more kale. Of the first set, the marigolds germinated a few, and as of yesterday I have *one* kale seedling I'm not sure its going to make it

I bought a mint pot at my Sainsbo last month - yesterday, as per Monty Don's recommendations, I finally cut some of the stems and plonked them in water. Its been inside, but .... the whole thing is covered in greenfly! Whaat? Is this the situation of "use a spray with extremely diluted washing up liquid"?

[cbp125]

Feeling really happy today, I managed to set up and send my first email without internet! I routed my email 680km via 40m hf. It was far easier than I thought and quite fun but I love the idea that I can send and recieve emails from anywhere in the world without the internet.

[jennyjj01]

Feeling really happy today, I managed to set up and send my first email without internet! I routed my email 680km via 40m hf. It was far easier than I thought and quite fun but I love the idea that I can send and recieve emails from anywhere in the world without the internet.

Uh? I'm intrigued. Looking into ham radio, which is what i think you are on about.
Was this a radio station to radio station text transmission of some sort, or did it bob into the internet long enough to find it's way to a proper internet email client?

[Arzosah]

My new wholesaler delivered nice and early yesterday: industrial quantities - 5kg brown rice, 16kg SR gf flour, that sort of thing, very good. I hadn't quite rumbled the "decant into smaller packaging to store" - so thats what I'll be working on today.