Got the Signoff...

[Viper254]

I think we talked about that earlier in the thread and I hadn't, but tried to order some books from the library to get me started; thank you for reminding me about that again.

[Flo]

Good heavens, season for fruit best part gone. Where's the jam made? What a case you are Mr Viper. What's wrong with using internet anyway?

[Viper254]

Crop's been pretty poor; got a small amount of blackcurrant jam but the bushes are recovering, I think, from being moved over winter. There's a lot of tired soil here and I need to do some serious mucking/green manuring over winter to put the zip back in it, I think.

Raspberries and tayberries coming thick and fast now so I'll give them a whirl for jam at the weekend :)

[Green Aura]

Don't forget to eat some of them fresh!

[Viper254]

On my weetabix right now :D

[ina]

Yes, seems to be a good year for berries. Blackbirds having all my red currants.

[Viper254]

I know I've not exactly been a shining light presence on this forum recently, but I'm still here, and still very much learning.

The plan creeps forwards. I will be dropping hours by March; not as many as I'd like, but enough to give me an afternoon a week dedicated to working out back, instead of snatching moments here and there.

Food prices are rising so quickly at the moment that I think my time spent on growing is better spent than time spent working to go and buy more food. At least, that's what I'm telling myself now.

I'll have a greenhouse up over winter, I have full compost beds and unlimited water, which I didn't have until relatively recently, so I'm keen to get going. Trying to draw up a big plan for next year; I'm not a person who works well spontaneously!

[ina]

You are right about the food prices - I've been noticing it for a while... Must make more of an effort next year. I wish I could reduce my hours, too; I'm just getting too old for all this stress at work. Flat out at the moment. And of course they can't afford to employ another lab assistant - oh no, but they are advertising for a marketing manager.

To be fair, they were wanting to find a casual assistant, for 3 months, at the lowest pay grade (which is the real living wage in our case). Strangely enough, they can't find anybody. I'm not surprised! You'd be better off working for Lidl's...

[Green Aura]

they were wanting to find a casual assistant, for 3 months

I doubt anyone will either, ina. It would appear it takes about 8 weeks to start benefits, so coming off them for 12 weeks of work doesn't make sense to anyone.

I've just seen a friend detangle her benefits from her (ex) husband's. They parted in early October and she won't receive her first UC payment until December! Fortunately she has family and friends to help but the DWP don't know that.

Trying to draw up a big plan for next year; I'm not a person who works well spontaneously!

Best of luck with your plans, Viper. It's always a good idea to have outline plans then fill in specifics nearer the time. At this rate everyone will be digging up their back gardens to grow some food. Make sure you put in some medicinal plants too! (Green Aura shuffles off muttering about going to remind herself about the "no politics" post she wrote).

[Viper254]

It's not politics to point out that food's a touch more erratic in it's supply and more expensive; that's just truth :)

[Flo]

The best laid plans of men and mice are often wrecked in the growing as we don't know what the weather will do. It certainly doesn't plan for the year ahead. Hope that the greenhouse Viper is planning doesn't get laid low by the winter weather.

Ina - up here all the cafes/pubs/care homes are advertising jobs on the minimum wage. I wouldn't like to guarantee that anyone will be able to get a Christmas meal out easily with decent service or that grandparents in care homes will be well looked after.

Food prices are sneaky and will be worse after the holiday season. The shops are selling now to catch the seasonal trade but after January 3rd expect worse.

[Flo]

At this rate everyone will be digging up their back gardens to grow some food.

We have allotment holders giving up at the moment due to age or having to work and the ones on the waiting list all want half plots. I suspect we shall have takers for bigger plots who will be evicted later on for lack of cultivation because they don't have time or knowledge or the physical ability and we don't have enough half plots at present.

[ina]

Ina - up here all the cafes/pubs/care homes are advertising jobs on the minimum wage. I wouldn't like to guarantee that anyone will be able to get a Christmas meal out easily with decent service or that grandparents in care homes will be well looked after.

Same here. It used to be that casual jobs at our institute were quite popular - people always hoped they might lead to something better and more permanent, or students hoped to gain some relevant experience. But of course, there aren't any term holidays at the moment... I did countless of these jobs over the years, and yes, I am permanent now, but still not really a job that has much to do with what I went to uni for.

[Viper254]

Reduced hours beginning from around March - will hopefully start to a) plan and b) produce proper updates and c) produce stuff I can eat!

[ina]

Excellent - I'm pleased for you.