Hard Times...

[poliphilo]

This summer has been so wet!  Lovely weather for slugs. Ailz got up in the middle of the night a few weeks back and found no fewer than 14 of 'em sliming their way round the kitchen.

But not good weather for farmers. Apparently we can expect a  grain shortage. And a grain shortage means higher prices on bread and flour.

To add to all the other higher prices.

We're preparing for a tough winter. Energy prices have gone up so much we're not going to be able to have the central heating running like we're used to.

So we've laid in a stock of fleeces and woolies and we're hanging curtains in doorways.

And since there could well be power cuts- what with little Mr Milliband sticking out his little pink tongue at the Russians- we've made sure we've got lots of candles and tea lights.

Ailz has been trawling survivalist sites. Did you know you can use tea lights to boil a kettle?

It's raining again this morning. You can feel the chill in the air. The leaves are coming down.

An Indian summer would be nice.

We've just booked a mini-break in January- with Ruth- in deepest, dampest Somerset (rooms £9 apiece).  It's something to look forward to.

Comments

[nostoi.livejournal.com]

There's a thing called a Kelly Kettle which has a space underneath for lighting a small fire. http://www.kellykettle.com/

We're pretty prepared I think. We are lucky to have a woodburner with a flat top and have got a store of logs in, so we shall be warm and able to cook no matter what happens with gas or electric.

Have you got hot water bottles?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You put a kettle on a trivet inside an old tin box- with tea lights underneath it- and you've got the Kelly Kettle in embryo.

My mother used to have a wood burning stove- and a plentiful supply of logs. She had it taken out for some reason....

Yes, we have hot water bottles- and Ailz just invested in pyjamas with feet.

[clindau.livejournal.com]

Ailz just invested in pyjamas with feet.

Do you have a nightcap yet? Keeping the head warm at night will help too.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's true.

I'm thinking of getting a smoking cap- to wear about the house during the day.

[clindau.livejournal.com]

How are smoking caps different from nightcaps? I'm thinking of a fez-type cap like one worn by a character in a comic strip in the Sunday papers years ago.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My idea of a nighcap is a long floppy thing with a tassle at the end- as worn by Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. A smoking cap is a little round thing that perches on top of the head- a bit like a fez only not as tall.

[nostoi.livejournal.com]

Ailz just invested in pyjamas with feet.

I like that idea :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

She's going to look like a large infant- or maybe a teddy bear.

[chochiyo-sama.livejournal.com]

Another little tip: If you get an old-fashioned metal coffee can, one of the larger ones, put a fat candle in there, and light it, you can heat a small sized room with it--but the doors and windows have to be closed to keep the heat in.

It isn't warm, but with your woolies and fleeces, it will be tolerable.

Hugs,

Cho

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's a good suggestion. Thanks. Candles are something we're not short of.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

After one year when we had quite a few powercuts, we bought a little camping gaz stove to keep available so we could at least make a hot drink and heat a tin of beans.

I have tried making G a cup of coffee by boiling water over a candle, but it took ages and made the bottom of the pan all black and smoky so I don't recommend it.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Just had a thought...

Though perhaps tea lights burn with a much cleaner flame?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Possibly. But I think wherever there's smoke, there's soot.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping it won't come to cooking over candles, but it's good to be prepared...

We've got several old pans which won't suffer from being smoked.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

We've always believed the Mormans were on to something with their exhortations to the faithful to hold a year's supply of food in reserve in their households. Although we don't go that far, we keep a good bit on hand in order to be prepared.

We have a small single-burner camp stove and two or three butane tanks for essential cooking, and I think we could rig the equivalent of a straw box for the ultimate in "slow cooking" if pressed. I am planning to experiment with a straw box-like improvisation for the cooking of grains such as hulled (not pearled) barley.

I also have a manual version of every kitchen appliance that's essential (can opener, coffee grinder, etc.), several thermos carafes, etc.

For communication with the outside world we have a hand-cranked radio that doubles as a cell phone charger.

A couple years ago our daughter in law sent us woolen mittens whose "paws" open up to reveal fingerless gloves beneath them. They're more novelty than necessity for us at this point, but in a real pinch we'd be ready.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We've talked about cooking in a straw box. I think we could rig one. We keep straw in the house for the rabbits.

Those hand cranked radios are a great invention. I'd like to have one.

You sound very well prepared.

[oakmouse]

Straw boxes (or hayboxes, as they tend to be called over here) just plain rock. They're easy and cheap to make and they save a lot of fuel. We have two, actually stuffed with polyester quilt batting rather than hay or straw, and they work wonderfully for soups, stews, chili, cooking dry beans or root veg, etc. If you want to talk shop I'd be happy to chatter about how we made them and what we do with them.

[mummm.livejournal.com]

Oh my... I'm truly impressed by your preparedness!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ailz has been doing a lot of reasearch. Me, I'm counting off the days till next spring :)

[richenda.livejournal.com]

The really bad thing about slugs is that they crawl over the cat's food.
Pyjamas with feet - sounds excellent

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Slugs get everywhere. And they can climb. I removed two from the kitchen draining board the other night.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Oh, I meant to have my snail icon...here it is!

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I love it--bunnies in the parlor and on the stairs and snails in the kitchen!

Tony, I am moving! La-la, I can't stop myself--it's the tale of my life, I think, trying out every house with every possible view.

This house (see my post today if you have time) backs up to a farm that's in the center of our very small town, so that standing in the yard to take photographs this morning I heard a donkey!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Here's where we differ. the thought of moving- and all it entails- fills me with horror. Last time we contemplated it- a year or two back- I came close to having a nervous breakdown.

Do donkey's greet the dawn with their braying- or is that only roosters?

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Kate, who lives in a house next to the same farm, tells me that donkeys keep her awake at night, which I consider a rather exotic and intriguing problem.

Tony, here is a photograph of my living room, taken just this hour:



I consider myself an optimistic person, but this morning I am feeling overwhelmed and afraid I have made a terrible mistake.

It took me two hours just to tape these boxes together. I must now begin to fill and seal each one, with books, dishes, spices, photographs, journals, pencils and pens, and artistic clutter of every sort.

All I have to strengthen myself is orange juice and a signed lease.

Wish me luck--at this moment I am terrified.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You'll be fine.

And the new house is so pretty. Like a doll's house.

Our rabbits would love to get in among all those cardboard boxes.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I wish your rabbits could be here to play this afternoon--what fun, to see them investigating the boxes!

Kate's cat Vincent is like that--here is his icon picture, taken during my last move from the house I sold. He likes small places.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He feels safe, I suppose.

We're taking the new rabbit to the vet's- to be neutered- on monday. I'm hoping that if I put her travelling box in her pen, she'll step into it herself- without us having to chase her down.

[silverhawkdruid.livejournal.com]

Ugh, the slugs! I have been lucky enough to avoid them coming indoors, but I daren't set foot outside after dark for fear of treading on the little pests. They are everywhere in huge numbers. I have never seen so many. Even during the day when they are mostly out of sight usually, they are meanering merrily over the lawn, and sliming their way up the elder.
We have also been inundated with earwigs, and those have been getting into the house!
I have friended you after being pointed to your blog by Oakmouse. I hope that's ok.
I am in Essex, England, and also in the process of trying to build up measures to stave off the cold etc this winter. Could be pretty miserable at the rate things are going.

I just caught the weather forecast, and they are hopeful of some sunshine over the next day or two, but not an Indian summer, just yet. Still, one can hope. :-)

Take care,
Regards,
Silverhawk

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Pleased to meet you! I've friended you back.

I don't know why, but we don't seem to get earwigs here. Plenty of woodlice, though.

[silverhawkdruid.livejournal.com]

I miss the woodlice. I will happily swap some for some of our earwigs. :-) In Cornwall, we had woodlice everywhere and rarely saw earwigs. I wish I knew why.