Posted: Sun Apr 12, 26 8:37 am Post subject: Self sufficient? Downsized too much?
It's a question I asked myself this morning when only one of my bras fitted. I feel that some shopping is required as the let it all hang out is not a good view in very senior years. Think I possibly threw out the other two from the pack of three recently bought. Oops.
Making bras is not a skill I have ever contemplated. Or watering cans (the weed killing can for moss killing has gone adrift).
Looking down the line of bungalows for over 50s, most of us don't clean our own windows. Have just sacked the window cleaner for irregular to non attendance. Now I'm looking for a replacement for self and next door. He's not that fit physically next door and I'm rubbish at window cleaning. That's on the line of downsized too much and not really in my line of self sufficient.
Right - so where are our skills of self sufficient and where does it hit the line of downsizing?
We probably all have different skills and depending on age and fitness, variable ability to do heavy work. I can just manage to keep the vegetable garden more or less going, but can't manage the rest. Husband hardly goes out there, but I live in hope of getting him to mow the lawn at some point when the cowslips and primroses are over and before the summer flowers come along. I regret housework is one skill I never really acquired, but able to do quite a lot in the woods, spin and knit.
Born into a family where gardening, knitting and fancy sewing were everyday. All the rest could sing and do sums, missed out on those talents. Mother married step father where gardening, farming and singing were normal. Yep - the gardening is OK. Give me knitting needles and can if the need is there. Can do clothing repairs.
The forces knocked basic necessary cleaning and upkeep of uniform into me so housework happens (if not cleaning windows). Introduction of desktop computers ensures that I can now do household accounts.
Renting social housing means that electricians, boiler maintenance and plumbing come with the rent. Plastering repairs don't. Unless the result of other repairs such as new kitchens. I suspect that if the roof blew off, that would be taken care of. If I break a window, I pay for the repair. I'd never manage off grid.
Moved a lot as a child; can live out of a suitcase. Could downsize a lot more than I have. And it's been busy on that front this last year or so.
I still live in the same village I grew up in, but have been moving further north. The boundary has already been changed once, and if it moves again, we may be in the next village. This is only the 5th house I have lived in, and I don't remember the first as I was a toddler when we left that one. I still have things owned by my grandparents, and although not that valuable, some things have been passed down.
Mother took her parent's furniture from the farm when step father died and it passed to my younger brother as I was set up with my own family by then.
I have often wondered how the farm house clearing went when Dad died as it was all large, very large and heavy, Victorian stuff and huge family portraits that none of us could have got through the door when we went into civvy street. At the time I was in the Forces.
It also marked the change of the generations with normal large family (Dad was one of six). And the change of housing - or at least for me back to the housing more of the grandparent's semi detached two bedroomed with small garden when back in civvy street. At least the knitting, sewing, cleaning, gardening and general tidy living were all useful skills. Oh and the packing and moving skills.
I have a great regard for those who can take on a rural house and live off grid with wind turbine, solar panels, private water supply and no supplied utilities. I'd be lost without internet access. Failed my radio amateur exams which is a brilliant form of communication.
I have looked at the income and decided to replace the window cleaner who had become irregular to the point of having no staff to do the round. There's poverty and attempting to do it badly myself or budgeting for self sufficiency to allow a window cleaner. We'll see how things go this week and coming month.
You can get various mops and squeegees to reach the tops of windows. I don't think they are very expensive, so you might have a look for something to make it easier for yourself.
Now not even a second hand bookshop will tempt me. If I see a book that might be interesting I go into the online county library system and see if I can borrow it. Over the past three years I've bought two books that are new to me and replaced two others that were worn out from use.
I need to go through all our books and take some more to charity shops. I don't use the library much now as it is so difficult to get to. Our nearest is 5 miles away now, and they don't have so many books either. I do buy the occasional book if it is by an author I like and I can't get it another way.
Can you not ask for them to obtain books from other libraries in the county?
We have a fantastic system whereby you can request books from anywhere in the county and it turns up when it's back from the person in front of you. There's a man with a van drives round rotating books.
Yes if it was only what is on the shelves in the local one I wouldn't use the library either as I would have read it dry.
Yes I can, and in the past they have managed to get some pretty obscure books for me. The only trouble is actually getting to the library. As I said, it is 5 miles away, and the only day I could possibly go is my shopping day, and by the time I get to that town the long walk from the car park to the library is a bit much. I have a Kindle now, and as a lot of the authors I like are long dead, I can download quite a lot for free, so have mainly been doing that. I can buy books by other authors at a garden centre I go to quite frequently for no more than £3, but haven't found anything there I want lately.
Think I possibly threw out the other two from the pack of three recently bought. Oops.
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