Selfsufficientish.com

Thanks Chickenlady

Will perhaps start with a kit... we've got plenty of wine bottles to fill

Shirlz2005 wrote: Hey... I've missed you... where you been ?

Shirlz xx

Computer problems some days - and the unconquerable wish to hibernate on others... Plus a new interest - I've started yoga classes (ouch!)!

Ina

Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow Ina!! I'm still on the collecting phase of the corks - have got a large carrier bag that is half full but I reckon I'm going to need lots more yet.

I'm going to measure the area that I want to cover and try to work out how many I will need and then I'll start asking the local pubs... trouble is, they haven't got an email address that I can see so I'll just HAVE to go into the pub myself heeeeeeee

See you tomorrow xxx

ina wrote:

Shirlz2005 wrote: Hey... I've missed you... where you been ?

Shirlz xx

Computer problems some days - and the unconquerable wish to hibernate on others... Plus a new interest - I've started yoga classes (ouch!)!

Ina

Less of the 'ouch' please! You'll give us yoga teachers a bad name!

Had a lovely day today and it was really lovely to meet you Ina...

Thank you so much for the corks... AND the rum pott... AND the cloth bag!!!!!

Definitely looking forward to meeting with you again when we are in your neck of the woods... do you think you will have another 100 corks to add to collection in a month ??

(reader - Ina tells me that she didn't drink all of these bottles of wine since I made my initial post, and insists that her friends gave her the corks )

I managed to find some beetroot so will be trying out the beetroot curry recipes tomorrow - after my interview for a cheesemaker's assistant... PLEASE wish me luck!!!!

Good luck mate!

If you get it does that mean you will be writing articles for the site on cheesemaking?

Nev

Chickenlady wrote: Less of the 'ouch' please! You'll give us yoga teachers a bad name!

I'm really enjoying it! The ouch is usually that I get reminded what painful jobs I've been doing throughout the week... On Thursday night I was feeling a lot fitter after the class than before. Our teacher is great, too - she has a nice, soothing voice that really helps you to relax.

And yes, it was great to meet Shirlz (and two of her men!). We seem to have a few things in common - amongst others a muddy K-reg car, filled with recycling stuff. And I don't know who would have won if we'd had a competition "who's got the most cloth bags" ! First time I've seen a British person who has not just one but several of them!

Depends on my colleagues whether I'll have more... So far only one to add to your collection (bottle of red wine tonight). As I said, it's shame Cairn o'Mohr have just changed to screw top bottles. They are useful if you want to re-use them for your home made wine, though. (By the way, the Shetland ale is just as good as I remembered...)

Any news about the job yet?

Ina

lol Ina... two of my men... what DOES that sound like... one of my men is 2 3/4 and was incredibly stroppy yesterday!!!

Nev... thanks for the good luck vibes... Ina... no news yet, but I am keeping everything crossed. It's a fantastic set up at the creamery where they make cheese from organic raw milk from local sources (camphill and glasgoforest Ina!) and they are lovely people too!!

Cloth bags - well i now have another to add to my collection thanks to you Ina... Not only are they better for the environment but they are easier to carry too - really can't see why more people don't use them.

David enjoyed his bottle of shetland ale too... oh, and I have to tell you that you will be pleased that I didn't buy a bottle of beer for you on my way there... remember we saw the macbeth ale for £2.50 in Banchory? it was £2.90 at Lumphanan!!! Grrrrrrr...

Shirlz xx

It can't be that good!

Ina

I've emailed my comments to the more expensive shop! They definitely lost out as I won't go in and buy any other products now. I know they have overheads to cover but 40p a bottle more... six bottles we had reserved... compared to the banchory price we could have had an extra bottle!

I also emailed the brewer - and have in fact recommended selfsufficientish to him as he spoke about his chooks and wishes for a polytunnel...

In the city of Liège (in Wallonia, the french speaking part of Belgium) there is a firm called 'Le petit Liège' ('Liège' is also the french word for 'cork') and they recycle corks and turn it into insulation for homes. http://users.swing.be/petit.liege/ is their website (sorry only in dutch, french and german)

My friends have been collecting... do you want the real ones and the fake ones?

real ones please Tigz...

Hey.. I asked on my local freecycle and have had several responses... including one that told me that A 12 FT X 8 FT WALL WILL TAKE 27,500 CORKS !! I'll be slicing them in half so that will reduce the amount required but still.... LOADS.

I have 12!!
Freecycle is a seriously good idea - why didn't I think of it - thanks Shirlz

Shirlz2005 wrote:including one that told me that A 12 FT X 8 FT WALL WILL TAKE 27,500 CORKS !! I'll be slicing them in half so that will reduce the amount required but still.... LOADS.

27,500 corks would equate to about one every half an inch. How are you mounting them? I had assumed that they will be on their side, but I guess if you mount them end on, then you will need more of them.

I've just done some measuring:- end on, you get 14 to a foot, so 12' x 8' would need 18,816.

But on their side, you need exactly half that many. Cut in half, you are only going to need 4,704.

Happy hangovers.