What are you all up to today? - part 3

Glad you are having a good time with the rellies, where are you this weekend? 

The sun is setting and the sky looks fab once again, pearly grey shot through with reds and pinks.

Been busy cleaning the oven and the microwave, now all sparkly clean shame I've got to use it for the dinner tonight

My experiment of using the slow cooker to cook the lentils and yellow split peas has worked out fine, only took a few hours of free electric (solar panels) didn't have to keep going and adding water and no burnt pan either (they always stick)

Goldie, excuse me for not knowing but don't farmers have less to do in winter than at any other time of year, or is it because the days are so short you can't get so much done, just interested.

Absolutely not! We have 250 cattle inside now. They all have to be fed (at least once) and mucked out every day. The cows are milked twice a day. In summer when the cows are outside there is less feeding, and deifinitley less mucking out. There may be less daylight now but we still start work at 05:00 and finish after 6.30 at night. "Doing up" - the feeding/mucking out etc - takes longer, so there is less time inbetween for other farming jobs (hedging, muck spreading and the rest). In summer we can get by with one person, plus a farm worker three days a week. In winter we need both my son and husband. If we want some time off we work harder to make it possible. On Christmas Day we will start work an hour earlier to have more "time off".

My son has gone to a party tonight and finished at 5 -so my husband will be later finishing, Then at 10.00 he'll go ut to do the night check (walking round all the stock).

I don't want this to sound like a moan - it isn't. Winter may be hard work, but that's what we do. And don't start to ask about Spring work. That's what more daylight hours are for - to get more work done after milking.

Would I change my life? No way. 

Youngsters should be taught money management at school IMO.

I think it needs to start at home and be continued throughout growing up including at school. Sadly some parents don't know how themselves .  Because so much is now done without cash the concept is much harder. One is unable to see how much you had and
how much is left after a spend.

My mother often recounts the time I asked my dad for something and he said he had no money. I told him to go into the bank and they'd give him some . At that time I hadn't got the concept that to take out it had to be actually in the bank .

The problem is that many of the parents themselves do not have a clue.   So they cannot teach their children anything.

Looking at many young people today ( the 18-25 year olds), many seem to expect that they should have everything they had when their parents supported them, be able to have their own place with everything they want, but have no idea how they are going to
pay for it.

So they get credit cards and loans and run up debts which they cannot repay.  Even those whose parents are responsible with money can find themselves in difficulty if they have not been given the basic information on money management.  So it needs to be
taught in school.  

A lot of parents seem to assume their children somehow know about money, so they do not bother to actually teach them anything.

Glorious sunset at the moment, cold day after frosty start no breeze, but clouded over early afternoon, which makes the sunset all the more surprising. 

Thought I was being excluded again earlier but noticed on latest activity that there's been none for anyone!

Gave up on knitting the socks, completed first row and although on three needles I still had a straight line . I certainly don't need the socks or know how to knit them. (My Gran used to always have some on the go, stemmed from the first world war and continued. My aunt told me if an army lorry went through she'd give them socks.) Was just a whim awhile ago, to buy wool which included the pattern, will find another use for the wool. 

On a brighter front I found an advent calendar I bought for us in the sales and hadn't made granddaughter's took precedence the following year so that will be my next project.

Went to a garden centre with cafe, really busy . There was a Father Christmas in residence already, appointments can be made online long queues to see him and to use the cafe! Bought lovely Christmas plant arrangement as a gift, just got to keep it flourishing .

 

Oh dear, B2, I think knitting is becoming a forgotten skill these days.

My Mum taught us all to knit (2 boys and 2 girls), I doubt my older brother can still remember, but I quite enjoy it now and again.  I even remember the special way of casting on that she taught me.

My 2 younger sisters are "knitting machines", they always have something on the go!  When the older one comes away with us we have to keep her supplied with wool so she has something to do.  This year she made us each a pair of thick cosy socks within a few days.

OH's mum was a great knitter too, OH's dad only wore hand knitted socks, so she always had a pair under manufacture, according to OH these were made from 3-ply wool, whatever that is.

In Norway we tend to only use the thicker wools, OH says it is "double knitting".

For socks we use 4 needles rather than the UK 3 needles, but the principle is the same.

Enjoy your trips Francis, brue and nth. Weather forecast for next week looks very cold but bright and sunny.  Today is bright and sunny here and now the frost has cleared isn't too cold.  I have just swept up a load of leaves which kept me warm.  Before
that we went to order our new stair and landing carpet - hooray!!  Mr H surprised me this morning by saying he had measured up while I was out yesterday so did I want to go and choose. Measurements
being checked tomorrow morning and carpet being fitted on Wednesday.  They are a family firm that we have used for years.  Mr H used to play darts with the present owner's father.

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Thanks Millie

+1

Drove home today from 6 night stop at Southport. Big frost overnight and some ice on roads near site but sunny for most of the way with occasional bits of fog.

Got caught up in traffic jams from Widnes to Runcorn. Anybody in the area should avoid like the plague until road improvements completed.

Unpacked. Feel so much more relaxed after week away. 

That's good to know. Have you any idea of when the roadworks will be complete? We had intended going that route in 2 weeks time, through to Chester.

Bakers2, when I knit socks its with 4 needles 3 have knitting on and the 4th is the one you use to knit/transfer the knitting to, if that makes sense, you could always use a circular needle. I'm fascinated watching the Germans (possibly other europeans aswell)
the way they knit. Its a bit like half knitting and half crochet.

I know what you mean about once you've finished it the problem comes if it doesn't fit.

I'm trying to get my head round a crochet pattern just now, its been a long time since I've made anything following a pattern. I think I will need a few trials first.

MillieH, I think the advert I saw for embroidery was when we were away a few weeks ago, the only magazine OH can remember us having in the van was the supplement out of the weekend paper, sorry. Will keep my eyes open incase I see anything
that you might like.