Don't Kill Snails with Salt ... Creme Eggs & Toasted Teacakes ... Biscuits & Bench Stories, Life, the Universe, & Everything! Showing 251-300 of 9,227

[Val]

...and paving means rain cannot soak into the ground. It just runs off, adding to problems allied to drought, water tables, flooding, etc.

[Lez]

Val wrote: "...and paving means rain cannot soak into the ground. It just runs off, adding to problems allied to drought, water tables, flooding, etc."

...and loss of insects, worms etc. so nothing for birds or bees. Very noticeable in recent years.

[Martin]

There seems to me a certain amount of sheep mentality for the modern homeowner, acres of wall to wall carpet replaced with fake wooden flooring, log burners with huge flues that pierce the ceiling, kitchen islands and as you say paving and decking replacing the traditional garden. I've also noticed a retro trend for old fashioned dublin sinks are in "fashion", it's like none of them actually have an original idea between them, just an endless stream of cloned 2.4's rolling on into infinity. Reminds me of Pete Seeger singing "Little boxes on a hillside....", all very much made out of ticky tacky!
At least there are a few parks and wooded areas where the dogs and I can enjoy an hour or two strolling in rustic bliss. Northamptonshire still has a lot of greenbelt rural countryside dotted with little villages and the occasional farm you can still enjoy for the price of a return bus ticket and a few hours of travel time.

[Gordon]

Isabella wrote: "I don't understand the mindset of the pavers-over. They have families and we are constantly told that pollution is dangerous to children but the cars go on increasing and the plants are removed..."

But it's only other people's pollution that harms children. Only other people who make unnecessary car journeys. Only other people who do non-jobs, scrounge, etc. We're a nation of extraordinarily selfish and spiteful people who think nobody else matters but that our own convenience should be everyone else's primary concern.

I'm not saying there was a golden age. I grew up in the sixties and seventies and it was bleak: a dreary, mostly backward-looking country with little to do and less money to do it with, horribly insular and uncomprehending. When I think about how much better things should be now I get enormously angry or sad (depending on how weary I am) at the enormous mess we've made of it.

[Craig White]

top post, gordon!

mostly, people are no good shits!

[Isabella]

Mostly, I agree with you, Gordon but on the whole I'd go further. The selfishness isn't confined to this country. I could rant for hours about the impact on the environment of human beings in their narrow, careless pursuit of their own gratification.
Most of our friends, who are pretty decent people (or they wouldn't be friends at all) don't get why we aren't keen on the idea of cruises - even the ones who can't afford them.

[suzysunshine7]

It is Snowing in Stockport!!! ... beautiful big fluffy flakes just like giant Cotton Balls are falling. It had snowed here overnight for the first time yesterday which came as a great surprise to the two little hairy woofers when they raced out first thing in the morning as usual. However it was only a one-off dusting, mainly on the Lawn, that soon melted away as the day progressed.

I start to get a bit panicky whenever I see it settling to stay on the Pavements because I'm always terrified of having to try to walk on it with my Crutches - but nevertheless it is just such a magical sight to see it fall from the Sky like this and to watch our Back Garden slowly transform itself into a white Winter wonderland ;o>

[Lez]

Just frost here but snow on the hill-tops (the Ochils) I can see from my bedroom. Pretty in the sunshine.

[suzysunshine7]

Tia-Maria is currently racing all around the Lawn - kicking up the Snow with her little furry Feet and trying to catch the falling flakes in her Mouth and eat them!!! ... HA HA HA!!! ;o>

Ohhh, and Mitzi-Ditzi is under the Sofa having her mid-morning snooze before it is their Biscuit Time at 12. She loves the Snow too but, unlike Tia, doesn't like discovering that she is freezing cold and soaking wet afterwards when she has finished playing in it.

[Lez]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "Tia-Maria is currently racing all around the Lawn - kicking up the Snow with her little furry Feet and trying to catch the falling flakes in her Mouth and eat them!!! ... HA HA HA!!! ;o>

Ohhh, and..."

I love the way they don’t remember what happened the last time!

[suzysunshine7]

I know, Lez Lee! ;o> ... they just have such busy little lives that it often seems to take them both several minutes of sheer wild excitement first before they start remember that the lovely 'dry' fluffy Snow also makes them wet - and then they get towelled down and have to stay in the Kitchen until they are dry enough to be allowed to come back into the rest of the House ;o>

[Granny]

Wisconsin has some snow. The northern portion and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan get lake effect snow from Lake Superior. Right now we have a dusting but it looks festive. The Amish folk around here make all sorts of candy for sale. Some of my coworkers order from them. I don't as I'd end up the size of a Holstein.
There is a slow trend toward greening up the towns by planting trees. Hopefully this will speed up.

[suzysunshine7]

The Snow still keeps on falling in random light and lazy drifts but it isn't sticking or lasting, like it did for just a few hours the other day - except for the dusting on the Derbyshire and Cheshire Hills that we can get to see from various places in our Village. It is a delightfully magical and festive touch all the same as I sit here sorting through my boxes of Christmas Cards.

It comes as a rather bittersweet moment every year, writing out the Cards, as we inevitably come to have less and less of our once so enormous extended family to send on annual Greetings to - and also, in our case, yet more and more Health and Social Care Professionals to remember with thanks and gratitude instead(!)

So, do the Amish people permit themselves to enjoy having a sweet tooth or is the Candy made up more to be sold on instead, Granny? ;o>

I have to rather rigidly carefully watch my Diet now that disability prevents me from being active anymore. And I can only ever get to just talk of Sweets and Cake now and to allow myself only the rare actual treat these days ... (*sob*) ... Life can be SO unfair, can't it?!! ;o<

I already know that one of my biggest regrets on my Deathbed will be ... so many different kinds of wonderful Cake and flavours of Ice Cream and yet I had to always resolutely spend most of my life imposing such incredibly strict limits on myself! ;o<

If the Afterlife doesn't serve up Afternoon Teas and have any open-all-hours Ice Cream Parlours with all-you can-eat Treats without any calorie gain whatsoever? ... then I'm definitely NOT going to be a very happy bunny! - LOL!!! ;o>

I am extremely ignorant when it comes to Geography, but when you mention Wisconsin and Michigan, I immediately think of vast areas of beautiful countryside with many miles that are non-residential? Or have I got that wrong and that is why there is now more of a trend towards the greening up of the Towns?

[Lez]

I’m hopeless at American geography. I read and post on Talk Classical which has a large majority of Americans who live all over the States and I try to find everywhere they mention. Of course I always forget again. I’ve got all the timezones on my phone so I can check who’s likely to be around at the same time as me.
Michigan’s one I know because of the lake.

[Granny]

Suzy, the Amish can eat sweets as well as make them. They work for profit and do well at it. They refer to us as the "English" and have arranged rides for shopping and medical visits by said English.
There are several state forests and preserves that have thousands of acres , public hunting lands, parks, replanted logging areas. There's also a Tree City, USA movement where towns can get funding for the more trees planted and preserved.

[Lez]

I’m ashamed to say my knowledge of the Amish is based almost entirely on ‘Witness’. Good film, and I imagine fairly accurate.

[Martin]

Just got in from work, I am currently a carer and do a 24 hour shift inclusive of sleep over, I have to bus to another town about ten mile away. When I left yesterday afternoon it was blue skies but very cold,up at seven this morning to about an inch of snow which has been falling steadily most of the day so its now about four/five inches deep and looks likely to lay and freeze overnight. Luckily I was given a lift home but am not looking forward to tomorrow when I have to go back as it's likely to be really bad. Mrs O' told me that our two dogs went out in the yard (as usual), Toby, our Jack Russell, was fine but Rory, the Staffy, took one look and dashed back into the house, smart dog!

[Isabella]

Snow is lovely when it's not too thick and doesn't hang around too long. I do enjoy seeing it but there's always the nagging thought of people like Martin who are duty bound to brave it. Here's to all the folks who make the effort. Cheers!

[suzysunshine7]

Very well said, Isabella!!! ;o>

[suzysunshine7]

All my Fingers are crossed for you, Martin, that the Weather does not match any of the Forecasts in your neck of the woods ... x x x

We have been on Amber Alert today for a very heavy Snowfall across most of Greater Manchester but have only had random fluffy wisps here in Stockport and the ground still remains uncovered so far. If it stays clear I might just venture out tomorrow to do a little Christmas Shopping all by myself if I feel up to it ;o>

[suzysunshine7]

I just HAD to say it, didn't I? ;oO

It is now snowing heavily and it is sticking too - and, in just the last hour, we now have a good two inches in depth covering the Back Lawn!

[Granny]

We usually have a foot of snow by now. Our counties are ready for it and are pretty prompt in clearing main roads. Side roads get done next. Farmers do their own drives and farms. Landscapers here usually do contract snow removal in winters. Pickups with blades run all over on snow days.

[suzysunshine7]

A FOOT?!! ... Ohhh Squirrels!!! ... the UK would officially declare a National Emergency and go into a full scale panic if we got that here! ;o>

[Martin]

Capricious and fickle as only British weather can be Suzy, hopefuly it's only here for two or three days, milder wet weather expected by the mid-week so you won't have to postpone your shopping trip too long. Ours is mostly done now, I do look forward to wrapping everything up and coming up with ways to disguise each present, especially the obvious ones, toilet roll tubes, extra packaging, bubble wrap etc are good for hiding cds, dvds and the like. Or for jumpers and t shirts try empty cereal boxes, nothing like seeing a crestfallen fizzer on Crimble morning tearing of the wrapping paper to find a packet of Cornflakes or empty toilet roll, works especially well on young nephews and nieces that you dislike!

[suzysunshine7]

Ahhh, my Dad has also pulled that Gift trick on us many a time, Martin ;o>

I have got most of my stuff online as always now - but I SO miss real Shops! I last went out shopping before my Op in mid-Nov and so I want to get at least one more trip out, and for several hours if possible, all by myself so that I can take it all in and still feel a small part of it all.

It is incredibly slow and rather hard-going on my own but I like the incredible sense of liberation that comes from not having to keep on considering and worrying about holding up anyone else while I take my own time in taking it all in.

I haven't found anyone yet who will come with me just to simply wander and window shop with me - and so I always feel on the Clock with my Mum, or my friend, whenever I ask them if they will take me out. They both like to go straight into a Shop to the exact Aisle, buy whatever, and then come straight back out again - and I often have no real clue at all beforehand as to what I might be wanting to buy or in knowing what other great Gifts or Cards might also be on sale elsewhere in the Shop afterwards.

To be honest, I really don't find being cared for to be very easy at all. I absolutely dread the day that I will be permanently stuck in my Wheelchair and my Hands completely give up on me - and so I will always keep on fighting to keep on going, to remain as independent as I can for as long as I can ;o>

[Martin]

Here's hoping its a long, long time Suzy, about the only thing worse I can imagine is being completely deaf and blind, to be confined to an existence of silence and an empty darkness is beyond comprehension. You are, as always, an inspiration to those of us of sounder limbs and bodies, your grace and fortitude are gifts that give us cause to count our blessings.

[suzysunshine7]

It really isn't so bad for me, Martin - the loss of everything to do with my previous life absolutely hurt like Hell for quite a while (and it still does on a bad day) but I genuinely consider myself to be a very lucky bunny indeed all the same.

Blindness and Deafness also scare me too, as my Dad has issues with both Sight and Sound, and I do sometimes wonder just what else I might have also inherited as well?! I greatly enjoy and rely very heavily on all of my senses and to ever lose any of them would feel far more devastating to me.

I've actually made a very good friend of my Wheelchair now ;o>

[suzysunshine7]

Martin wrote: "Just got in from work, I am currently a carer and do a 24 hour shift inclusive of sleep over, I have to bus to another town about ten mile away. When I left yesterday afternoon it was blue skies bu..."

Awww Martin, as a Carer you already have far more than enough to think and to feel about everything else without also having to worry about risking any challenging journeys and whether the Buses will still be running today ... please remember to also take very great care of yourself as well, won't you Poppet? ... x x x

[suzysunshine7]

Well, the Snow has officially arrived today across most of the UK and is now rapidly turning to Ice as well. It was minus 12°C in Northumberland overnight with over 140,000 Homes are reported to be without any Power in places such as Surrey. And hundreds of Schools have stayed closed - which will surely be the joyful answer to many a hopeful child's prayers last night! ;o>

All the News Reporters across the UK are in a complete tizzy over it all as usual and yet I'm pretty sure that folk like our Granny would be laughing out loud if they could see just how dramatically we react over here to what in other countries is probably barely little more than only just a very insignificant bit of Snow! ;o>

We are never quite prepared or seem to have enough experience to know how to best deal with any Weather extremes here - and I think that is why, even when we know it is coming, we are still always caught out by it somehow.

I do feel extremely sorry for all of the Homes without any Power as I simply can't bear to be cold these days - and there will be young families with Babies and many vulnerable disabled and elderly people who will be struggling badly right now to try to cope without any Heating and Lighting, hot Drinks and Meals. And I hope that good old-fashioned Community Spirit will show itself and help to see them through it.

[Craig White]

"how dramatically we react over here"

i will assume you're talking about the england piece of the u.k., because -12? tropical! -25 i would consider putting on a light jacket and maybe long trousers, just mibbe, mind! :)

[suzysunshine7]

HA HA HA!!! - well, I know that folk are all so much hardier up here in the North of England but I'm definitely not planning on wearing my Bikini outside today! ;o>

[Lez]

I’ve never been as cold in Scotland as I often was in Sheffield. Used to get more snow there as well ‘cos we were high up.

[suzysunshine7]

I'm really hoping right now that I haven't just made a huge mistake in buying some Moisturising Body Lotion from a Seller on Amazon.com?! ;oO

Honestly St Ives as a company are just SO flippin' annoying!!! They keep on releasing their Beauty Ranges over here and into all the Shops then, just about around the two year mark and completely without any warning, they like to suddenly discontinue with supplying whatever it is and just leave their loyal UK Customers to wander all around the Internet trying to figure out where on Earth to continue to buy more.

This is, at least, the 5th or 6th time that they have pulled this rotten trick on me now - and so I've been forced to scour the Internet for weeks in search of a (reasonable!) deal on St Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter Lotion for my Mum.

I used to buy it for just 99p a Bottle from high street places like BodyCare and at around £3 - £5 from other Shops - however I've just paid out £28.21 for 3 Bottles (including Shipping) which was the very cheapest deal that I could find from any Seller that was also prepared to ship out to the UK.

The Goods Value, minus the Shipping, comes to £12.01 - and so I just hope that I am right now in thinking that, so long as the Goods Value is under £15, I will not be liable for getting stung by any extra Tax on it?

Ahhh well, my Mum deserves the very best that I can give her and she really does love this particular Body Lotion - and it may even arrive in time for Christmas with a bit of luck as well ;o>

[Derek]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "I'm really hoping right now that I haven't just made a huge mistake in buying some Moisturising Body Lotion from a Seller on Amazon.com?! ;oO

Honestly St Ives as a company are just SO flippin' ann..."

Suzy - where is it being shipped from?

[suzysunshine7]

The USA, Derek - I'm afraid I can't be any more specific as to which State as the new Layouts on the Amazon Sellers Storefront pages mean that you can't get to see a Seller's Store Address anymore. I wasn't charged any extra Tax on going through the Amazon.com Checkout and I am hoping that my Order comes just under the Custom Tax Duty for importing Goods into the UK?

[Derek]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "The USA, Derek - I'm afraid I can't be any more specific as to which State as the new Layouts on the Amazon Sellers Storefront pages mean that you can't get to see a Seller's Store Address anymore...."

It will depend on the shipper. Legally it's the cost of purchase and shipping they should declare on the customs label. Having said that a lot of shippers only put purchase cost on the form. So you might get away with it.

Also, Royal Mail don't always notice as I've got away with it before when I should have paid extra. Just hope they'll be too busy to notice if your shipper includes postage:-)

[suzysunshine7]

Derek wrote: "suzysunshine7 wrote: "The USA, Derek - I'm afraid I can't be any more specific as to which State as the new Layouts on the Amazon Sellers Storefront pages mean that you can't get to see a Seller's ..."

Ahhh? - I have been Googling all over the place for accurate clarification and only got all the more confused by what I've been reading - and I had always thought that it was only the actual Goods Value that counted which was why I got brave on it and ordered three Bottles to see my Mum through the year.

Hmmm? - well, if I cancel and re-order then I could get just the one Bottle including Shipping for £14.57? - but I think that I will take a chance on the three that I have ordered and just hope that it does pay off!

Thanks for all the advice, Derek - it sometimes only gets more confusing when you try to Google for answers and I was getting nowhere on managing to figure this one out - LOL! ;o>

[Lez]

I’ve just paid £13.68 tax (I think) on a DVD from America as I couldn’t make head or tail of the duty. The website (the only place I could get it) didn’t mention tax of any sort, just the postage.
Royal Mail first left a card saying the seller had underpaid, then when I filled in the online form, they said it was customs duty I had to pay. When I got the packet it was covered in stickers saying I had to pay VAT plus a Royal Mail excess charge! The DVD was over £15 but nothing was made clear anywhere. I’ve only ever bought CDs from the US before with no problems.

[suzysunshine7]

I regularly buy things from the USA and from China but it never usually amounts to anywhere near £10, never mind £15. And I deliberately always buy my Collagen Supplements from the USA just one Bottle at a time (they last 5 weeks) to avoid paying out on any extra Tax on top - and they use a 'Local Post' Delivery Service to ship to the UK that amazingly only costs an extra couple of pounds on top of the cost of my Tablets?!

I have only got caught out once on eBay, a couple of years ago, when I bought myself a spare Glasses Frame. I had just got new Glasses and I absolutely hate trying on and choosing new Frames every few years because my last ones are now not longer for sale anymore.

I had paid £160 at the Opticians for the Frames alone and looked online out of curiosity to see if they were sold over the Internet any cheaper - and I not only discovered that they were already a discontinued style but that an eBay Seller, an Optician in Florida, was selling off his 'Like New' Display Frames and had just one pair of mine for only £11 + Shipping Costs which brought them up to around about £30.

Unfortunately though, I was unaware of the need to also pay Custom Duty Tax and so Royal Mail sent me one of those Cards too, Lez Lee, demanding an extra £11 before they would deliver my Parcel to me. I paid up and thankfully the Glasses Frame turned out to be absolutely perfect, identical to my others as I had hoped for, and they even came with in very nice solid and expensive-looking Glasses Case as well.

I had still saved over £100 on buying them through the Internet rather than my local Optician, while he still had a few pairs left in Stock, and so they really were a fab bargain after all. If I suddenly go and break my current Frames I have them in a Bedroom Drawer just waiting to be got out and glazed ... but still, I really don't want to get caught out like that ever again by the Royal Mail!

[Isabella]

I think that all taxes and duties are deliberately framed in the most obscure way so that the public can't fathom them out. There was an item in the Times just before the budget where some expert was saying just that.

Private companies are just as bad - rail tickets being a prime example. Even price comparison websites that claim to save us money don't directly compare the same thing as I found a few months ago. What looked like a big saving actually was a very small one when I went far enough into it.

Supermarkets get round the unit pricing laws by using different units on similar products. They know that very few people have the time, expertise or inclination to sort out the real differences and so they get away with it.

I'm glad you made a real saving on your glasses, Suzy, but really you shouldn't have to have a deep knowledge of the tax system before you buy!

[suzysunshine7]

And I thought it would be SO simple as well?! ;o>

Just Google for it and there the information would be ... Hmmm?! - LOL!!!

I only ever book Train tickets through 'TransPennine Express' as they happen to run most of our local shuttle and long distance Trains here in Greater Manchester - plus I find them to be one of the best Train Websites to look up Train Timetables, navigate my way around and book on, and they are also always by far the cheapest too even if I do occasionally go and have a quick look elsewhere.

As for Comparison Websites, well as I understand it, all of the Companies that are on those have to pay to be listed on them - so they may be the most competitive on their deals and prices amongst the other Companies that have also paid to be on the same Website but still not the best or the cheapest of all across the rest of the Internet?

I know I often mention this but I am signed up to receive the weekly e-newsletter for ... 'moneysavingexpert.com' ... as they offer unpaid for and unbiased info, comparisions, deals and vouchers, and I find I can always rely on them to put me on the right path. I've just used them in the last week to find the best around right now in One Year ISAs for my parents - and I've saved so much in time and money through keeping on using them as my research source to find the very best in their constantly updated Top 5 or Top 10 of Savings Accounts, Broadband & Phone Network deals and even on extra-special offers on Gifts including some fab Flower-filled Planters for the Back Garden as well ;o>

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

[Isabella]

That sounds worth a try. Thanks, Suzy.

[Isabella]

That sounds worth a try. Thanks, Suzy.

[suzysunshine7]

I just found a Christmas Pudding Snail ;o> ...

[suzysunshine7]

And a Christmas Tree one too ;o> ...

[Craig White]

..........but none with chips? :)

[Granny]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "I just found a Christmas Pudding Snail ;o> ...

"

These are fantastic! Well done, Suzy! I do not know how to post a picture. I found a humorous one that truly depicts the difference in coping with snow between the east coast, south, and upper midwest. I can't post it. Drat.

[Martin]

Where do snails go for their holidays?

Slime Regis!

[Gordon]

Martin wrote: "Where do snails go for their holidays?

Slime Regis!"

Not the Say-Shells?

[Craig White]

how about Slugton?