Lessons in how not to be self sufficient

[Flo]

1. Switch off the freezer by mistake, not discover for some days and lose the winter stash of vegetables (which are to be composted)

Please feel free to continue the list.

[ina]

Oh dear - sorry to hear this! Sure we've all done something like this in our lives...

[BernardSmith]

Tried to grow some tomatoes and cucumber from seed this year..Managed to harvest a handful of cucs but after about three months I had a few tiny fruit but then the frost set in and that was the end of that experiment. So an inexpensive experiment that turned out to be quite unsuccessful.

[Flo]

Was it self saved seed?

[Odsox]

Strange ... just about all the tomatoes I grow are saved seed from year to year and so far no problems.
I DID have a problem with bought seed this year though. I ordered "Golden Grape" and when they fruited they were "golden" alright, but not the "grape" part, they were fairly huge beefsteak ones. They were very nice flavour though and well behaved plants, so have renamed it "Golden Grapefruit" and saved seed for next year.
The 2nd one was ordered as "Black Prince" but was most definitely a Gardeners Delight, both from the same seed company.

I don't save seed from cucumbers as I haven't grown one yet that I like enough to grow again, but I do save seed from squash, and this year from bolted onions.

[BernardSmith]

The seeds I used were from store bought vegetables and not saved from last year's harvest. Lesson learned. (Perhaps these vegetables are irradiated, though I thought they were grown locally

[Odsox]

The seeds I used were from store bought vegetables

Ah, they were probably F1 hybrids then, and saved seed from F1's usually have very variable results.
Most commercial fruit and veg nowadays is from hybrid plants so that the plants are uniform and all crop at the same time

The only sure way to get the same traits as the parent with saved seed is to take it from open pollinated or heritage varieties

[Flo]

Lesson Number 2:
Remember to charge the phone and the Amazon Fire before things stop for lack of charge.

Lesson number 3
Read the instructions properly before doing a bank transfer to a new payee.

Modern technology - worse than saving seed from F1 seeds.

[Flo]

Lesson number 4 - make sure you know where you put the mobile phone. I can hear it ringing and receiving texts but I darned well can't see it. So it's a good thing that the old one is still there with a small amount of cash on it.

[BernardSmith]

Lesson number 4 - make sure you know where you put the mobile phone. I can hear it ringing and receiving texts but I darned well can't see it. So it's a good thing that the old one is still there with a small amount of cash on it.

Can you use the second phone to call the missing one? If you switch off the lights and have the room or rooms in darkness you may be able to see your phone light up when you call... and if you don't answer it there should be no charge, right?

[Weedo]

I don't see the problem; I rarely carry the phone with me - usually resides in the ute or on the kitchen bench and not alwturned on. My telephone is there for my purposes, not others

[ina]

I use my phone as a watch...

[Flo]

I couldn't decide where the second phone said the first one was. Son-in-law found said missing phone under a cushion on a sofa I rarely sit on. As the family is all round the world sort of thing I do use it for WhatsApp and also for a lot of text messages. Doctor reminds me of appointments the day before, deliveries remind me that they are due sort of thing. It's not essential but a darned sight cheaper than the landline to use. It's also handy for allotment committee things.

[Odsox]

My telephone is there for my purposes, not others

Both my daughter and her husband did this years ago, as did my mother-in-law. Their phones were always switched off when they weren't actually making calls. In consequence you could never contact them, which I considered very selfish, as it needed everybody else to have THEIR phones switched on to be available when needed.
Also as Flo points out, it's used for other things now, delivery drivers ring to find me, doctors appointments, weather warnings, plus finding out where the other half has parked the car.

[Weedo]

Odsox, the phone is not deliberately switched off - it is just that I don't need to have it bolted to my head 24/7 and that often (because we have terrible access and the phone is constantly roaming to find service) it is flat. I hate having things stuffed in my pocket and only carry a wallet and handkerchief so the phone gets left behind. I also need to take care of my health - the digital noise; the bings, pings, squeaks, buzzes, flashes etc. create blood pressure problems. So, roll on retirement when the digital time thief can be relegated to the drawer until I choose to check the messages.