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Sunday 4 November 2018

Wild, Wet and very noisy

The sound of the rain slamming into windows and the howling of the wind were very nearly drowned out by the sound of money going up in smoke.
Yep, fireworks.
There is a large house close by, lived in by an extended family, (no young children) that is quite ostentatious, a highly visible display of wealth. 
As the saying goes, If you've got it, flaunt it.

Last night they sent several hundreds of pounds sterling up in smoke, bright showers of colour and many loud booms and bangs.

Jealous? not a jot.

Annoyed? quite a lot.

Apart from the intrusion of noise and the stink, apart from the dozens of rocket sticks that will be strewn around the gardens, the sheer waste astounds me.

There were a few organised displays (always the best and safest way to see fireworks)  cancelled because of the forecast high winds. 
These attract many people and the diluted cost is easier to swallow for the majority of us.

I know, it is their money to do with what they will.  I have no right to criticise, but....

I do not like ostentatious displays of wealth. I am not, I hope, one of those self righteous "if I can't have it nobody should" people. At least I hope so. I have a strong conscious sense of what is right, instilled into me from birth. Perhaps I go overboard.

If I am offending anyone then just stop reading, it is so easy.

When I see money being thrown away my mind goes into overdrive. I think of all the children going hungry, all the homeless who need a warm coat and a meal and I despair.

I acknowledge that there is no short and easy resolution to either situation. Successive governments, of all persuasions, have failed. Great fundraising drives have had no long term effect, indeed there are those who say that it just prolongs the situation.

I just feel that it is probably down to Joe and Jane Public to each do their bit.

I do a regular food bank shop, I try to buy things that can be eaten cold as often there is no money to feed an expensive pay as you go meter.
I like to buy the other essentials, toothpaste and brushes, shampoo and body wash, bars of soap, menstrual pads and so on. At the appropriate time I add chocolate bars, not eggs, for Easter and for Christmas. I buy tins of sweets that can be divided up into small bags, they were 2 for £6 in Tesco at one point.

As someone once said "man does not live by bread alone" children of all ages need a treat every now and then.

Then there is the flip side of the coin.

There are beggars on the streets of one of our local towns, they are all clean, well nourished and fairly well groomed. One of them has a better manicure than most women that I know. But the hungry are always there, invisible, silent, despairing.

I am a "feeder", I like to cook and feed people. I hate to see waste and use every scrap of food that comes into the house.
As I have said many times, I count myself very fortunate to have the knowledge to do this. Vegetable peelings go into a stockpot, the onion skins add colour as well as flavour. The stock goes into many meals. I am still learning tricks, last week I watched James Martin deep fry parsnip peelings. How much are root veg crisps a packet, a pretty penny I have no doubt.

I do not deep fry anything, but I found that carrot peelings crisp up beautifully in shallow oil, you just have to cook a few at a time. my next try will be parsnip peelings, sprayed with fry light and put in the air fryer. If they fail then it will be into the stock pot with them.

I am on the soap box again, preaching to the converted, I am not trying to "teach my Grandmother how to suck eggs". She would have blown them and made a cake. I am just running off at the mouth, so to speak.

The soap box is back in the cupboard.

What about Strictly then? The scores are all over the shop. It is a completely open field and we are at halfway point now. Still that elusive 40 has not shown its face,perhaps it is waiting for Blackpool.

I did manage a fair bit of knitting, vanilla socks so that I do not have to take my eyes off the dances.
I have completed 10 of the 64 crochet squares and will hopefully crank a few more out tomorrow, not until after The Results and Dance Off though, it will be strictly only socks during that.

Now I need to get my day started, it is amazing how fast the time goes when I get a bee in my bonnet to share.


                           TTFN                              Pam   

I hope that this has not come over as bossy or preachy, It is just how I felt while Herbie enjoyed the display. He charged around with all the excitement of a small boy at his first party. leaping up to catch the bright showers and yipping with glee at every bang.
There was one very loud Boom that had him jump backwards through the back door, he soon recovered his equilibrium and went out as fast as he entered. 

Back tomorrow with a brighter post. Pam xx












33 comments:

  1. I used to take calls for local councils. New Years Eve was always the worst for frightened pets taking off when the fireworks displays would happen, but anytime there was a fireworks display this would happen. Some animals find it deeply terrifying.

    I am glad that your Herbie does not feel that way, though. That is good news for you. :)

    It is a waste of money, too, but these days I cannot stomach what I know it is doing to the poor dogs and cats nearby. I can't enjoy something when I know it is so distressing for the animals. :(

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    1. The wild life suffers just as much as pets, although they can move into deep countryside here.

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  2. It's just how you feel and I do agree with most of what you've written above. It's hard to know how to help really, I think.
    xxx

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    1. We can only do what feels right to us.

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  3. hi Pam, I enjoy your blog very much! This post reminded me of somebody we knew. very rich and lots of man toys to show for it. We saw him once on his ship in a harbour in the south of France. He was sat alone on deck (is is solo) hailing all and sundry he recognized to join him on board for a coffee. He obviously was lonely and it was rather sad to see. Could not let go of the 'show', but could of done something better with his money in my opinion. Ofcourse its his money. On another note, I am truly amazed at all the cokking and preserving you do! Great stuff. M.

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    1. I can only be what I am, I love to be busy. I have all that I need and most of what I want.

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  4. I have never bought any fireworks.Like you ,I think community bonfires and fireworks are best.I love seeing fireworks and when our children were small we always went to a community fire usually in a small village.The children(now in their 40s) still talk about and they used to pyjamas on under their clothes to keep warm.Happy days.

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    1. I used to go to the local RAF station as a young child, the displays were amazing. Good memories.

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  5. I agree whole heartedly and Why shouldn't youget on your soap box on your own blog.
    Heather

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    1. It is the first time for quite a while, there were not too many cobwebs on it.

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  6. One of my cats hates the fireworks, the other sits at our patio doors watching them. I do agree with you, they are such a waste of money. So much in our world is unbalanced with the difference of those who have and those who have not. I bang my drum on the food waste, at every level, at the farm (rejects from supermarkets), at supermarket, and house hold levels. We like you waste no food at all. NEVER did I think in 2018 people in UK would be hungry, be cold or homeless.

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    1. I do not think that we have seen the worst of it yet Marlene.

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  7. Yep - both Bossy and Preachy!

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    1. Not like you then that cares sooooo much about the animals and wildlife being frightened to death

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    2. From each according to his means, to each according to his needs. A misquote but one that I have heard many times.

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  8. Our village had a collection for a fire and small firework display which was cancelled due to the high winds. Mickey (our dog) is petrified of the loud noise so we won't be going along but we should be able to see it from the window. My coop dividend is saved and then spent on food for the food bank. I phoned the organisers and they let me know what gaps they had for hampers they give out here.

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    1. We have a food bank in the next village, it is doing sterling work. They post a list of requirements in the local shop for all to see.

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  9. Loved the post Pam x So pleased that little Herbie was not frightened by the fireworks; I hate them because of my pets but I sometimes think it is me more put out than them; I suspect a few more m=night to go yet so we shall see xx

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    1. Luckily this year it was only the 2 nights, lst year it dragged out over 2 weeks. I see that as an indicator that money is tighter now.

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  10. I agree whole heartedly. Ostentatious anything bothers me, too. You are lucky the dogs took it well. So many are terrified, poor things.

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    1. Ben is slightly deaf but has never bothered about the noise, possibly as he grew up with noisy Springers and a mad Westie.

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  11. I so agree with all your comments about food waste we really do not waste much at all, when we hear the stastics of food waste we are always amazed. Some times we need to rant, I get concerned about the amount of water we waste by not collecting it from the roofs to use for flushing the toilets etc. I do enjoy reading your blog as I am an exiled Welsh woman and the blog keeps me in touch with my "home".

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    1. We waste so much of our resources, they are finite as, I hope, many of us are beginning to acknowledge.

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  12. 4.30am... that's the time some awful person decided to set off a few fireworks locally here ... got to have been a deranged teenager who then slept the whole day away.
    I vote organised displays only, there would be no need to sell fireworks to Joe Public then. Much safer ... hopping off the soapbox now.

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    1. The weather here dictated that the time frame was very tight, all over in a couple of hours and 2 nights.

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  13. I agree with what you have said. Flaunting your wealth without helping those in need is just not right.

    I learn new frugal tips every day from bloggers like you and I am so happy for the ways to stretch our money so I can help others.

    God bless.

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    1. It doesn't take much to make a difference, 1 tin of something a week soon mounts up.

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  14. Though fireworks are strictly prohibited in most towns in Southern CA there are an awful lot of people who flaunt the law and light bottle rockets, grenades, and fireworks that should be in a show, from their driveways. Most are brought across the border from Mexico illegally (perhaps the govt should monitor that instead of women and children asking for asylum).
    At the freeway offramps there are always people sitting with cardboard signs asking for money, When I went to the cell phone store to get a fix on my iPHone there was a woman with 3 children standing at the curb, with a sign saying homeless. It was during school hours and I wondered why the children weren't in class. Our schools provide free breakfasts and lunches for all children, regardless of need.
    My little dog hated fireworks and the big one, though she's supposed to be a hunting dog, hides behind the couch.

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    1. There are always the idiots around, those who think that they can do as they please regardless of others.

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  15. I'm with you all the way regarding fireworks, luckily Chloe, our cat, is not worried about them but every year I end up with something nasty in the garden somewhere. Last year it was the remains of a rocket, lots of sharp little pieces of gold coloured hard plastic shards all over the drive in the front. Took me ages to find them and clear them up. I was worried about my car tyres and for weeks I kept finding them glinting in the sun, I think they were washed off the roof. This year we have a hedgehog hibernating in a clump of day lillies, although we covered him with some more leaves and a piece of course plastic meshing to keep them in place I am worried about fire work debris landing onto him. I've got a hedgehog house on order but delivery is delayed. Grr!

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    1. My hedgehog house is half underground and has lots of undergrowth above it, it is tucked away in a corner at the top of the garden so it should be quite peaceful.

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  16. I couldn't agree more with you Pam.Why did I not think of anything to be bought for the food bank trolley to be eaten cold. Fireworks have been going off for 3 nights! Alfie now 10 months barked at the noise of them, we turned the TV up and he seemed OK. Have started socks on circular needles Cherry Heart pattern slow progress but will get there. It was the long tail cast on. Glad Herbie was OK.

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    1. That was something the food bank in South Lincs suggested and I just carried on after moving here. Good luck with the socks, once you have mastered the first pair it is downhill all the way and they will be flying off the needles.

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