Less power to the troll....
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
An Open Letter to Frugal Queen
Dear Froogs,
I stumbled onto your blog a couple of months ago. I had not been actively looking for a frugality blog but there you were. Your words resonated with me. I have been a fanatical op shopper for almost 30 years. I have not been to a hairdresser since 2005 when I got hit for an outrageous sum of money for a second class crooked haircut with an admittedly phenomenal colour. Now I rely on the generosity of anyone who feels they can wield scissors without cutting themselves and I embrace the greyness that is hell bent on Daffodil hair domination. I have always valued my time and cook along the principles of cook now, eat for three days and freeze the rest. I may have actually been a minifroogs already but I still plonked myself down on your coattails and went along for the debt reduction ride with you....however, not once did I leave a comment to let you know that you had another avid follower taking in your words.
That was very selfish of me.
..and now you are gone.
I had actually re-read every post of yours just this last week...and I am glad I did. Thank you for sharing your words and your wisdom, your enthusiasm, your highs and your lows. You and your blog will be sorely missed around the world. I am missing you already. Even this morning I jumped on the internet and googled ¨Frugal Queen¨ without even thinking, or maybe quietly hoping against all hope that you had changed your mind and was back blogging.
Take care of yourself, DB, your gorgeous daughter and son. Stomp that debt out of your life and move into that cute little 2 up and 2 down...I have no idea what one of those are. The really sad part is that a few little nasty trolls have done this and the blogging world will miss you for it.
Maybe one day you will return and blog again, maybe from your new little house and without the debt that drove your first blog! That will show those idjit trolling bastards...you cannot keep a blogging queen down, frugal or otherwise.
Daffodil
I stumbled onto your blog a couple of months ago. I had not been actively looking for a frugality blog but there you were. Your words resonated with me. I have been a fanatical op shopper for almost 30 years. I have not been to a hairdresser since 2005 when I got hit for an outrageous sum of money for a second class crooked haircut with an admittedly phenomenal colour. Now I rely on the generosity of anyone who feels they can wield scissors without cutting themselves and I embrace the greyness that is hell bent on Daffodil hair domination. I have always valued my time and cook along the principles of cook now, eat for three days and freeze the rest. I may have actually been a minifroogs already but I still plonked myself down on your coattails and went along for the debt reduction ride with you....however, not once did I leave a comment to let you know that you had another avid follower taking in your words.
That was very selfish of me.
..and now you are gone.
I had actually re-read every post of yours just this last week...and I am glad I did. Thank you for sharing your words and your wisdom, your enthusiasm, your highs and your lows. You and your blog will be sorely missed around the world. I am missing you already. Even this morning I jumped on the internet and googled ¨Frugal Queen¨ without even thinking, or maybe quietly hoping against all hope that you had changed your mind and was back blogging.
Take care of yourself, DB, your gorgeous daughter and son. Stomp that debt out of your life and move into that cute little 2 up and 2 down...I have no idea what one of those are. The really sad part is that a few little nasty trolls have done this and the blogging world will miss you for it.
Maybe one day you will return and blog again, maybe from your new little house and without the debt that drove your first blog! That will show those idjit trolling bastards...you cannot keep a blogging queen down, frugal or otherwise.
Daffodil
Cursive Blue
I am not normally one to indulge in profanity...at least not in public! However the cursive blue language has just been flowing thick and fast over the last couple of days. I am really pissed off at little sections of the blogging world who it take it upon themselves to personally attack those bloggers who extend themselves, their words, their wisdoms and opinions out on the WWW for all to share, to learn from and to open peoples minds to new and different ideas.
Frugal Queen has just closed down her blog. For those of you who do not know her blog, she lived a life of frugality in order to eliminate her personal debts and she wrote about it in all its non-blazing non-glory. She was very frank, very committed and left no holds barred in sharing her journey. Warts and all. Every cost saving measure, every recipe in depth, every strategy she used she wrote about and shared. She was an inspirational writer. In reading her blog, you shared her journey, you could use what you wanted and ignore what didn´t or wouldn´t work for you. If you never got to read her blog, you have missed out on a generous blogging legend. BUT there are some dickheads out there who for whatever sick reason take it upon themselves to voice their own opinion and personally attack these dedicated bloggers. Rhonda at down--to--earth has experienced it recently and my all time favourite blogger ¨These Days in French Life¨ pulled the plug on her blog a while back as well. I still have withdrawal symptoms from losing that blog.
It stuns me that there are some complete and utter ignomorons who take on self appointed status of blog police and viciously attack bloggers whose only interest is to share information. These idjits obviously have nothing better to do than surf and troll to incite a little bit of excitement into their miserable little dead end lives.
BASTARDS...
ooo, now I am getting warmed up!!!!
I do take this personally. There are some absolute ripper bloggers out there and admittedly it is through their popularity that their word net is cast over a greater area and they run the risk of snagging a blogging troll.
Stay strong, hit delete, do not feed the troll.
I know this will never happen to me as my deliberate low profile/lack of popularity/small fish status will maintain my cloak of invisibility to trolls.
BLOG ON PEOPLE!!!!!
Frugal Queen has just closed down her blog. For those of you who do not know her blog, she lived a life of frugality in order to eliminate her personal debts and she wrote about it in all its non-blazing non-glory. She was very frank, very committed and left no holds barred in sharing her journey. Warts and all. Every cost saving measure, every recipe in depth, every strategy she used she wrote about and shared. She was an inspirational writer. In reading her blog, you shared her journey, you could use what you wanted and ignore what didn´t or wouldn´t work for you. If you never got to read her blog, you have missed out on a generous blogging legend. BUT there are some dickheads out there who for whatever sick reason take it upon themselves to voice their own opinion and personally attack these dedicated bloggers. Rhonda at down--to--earth has experienced it recently and my all time favourite blogger ¨These Days in French Life¨ pulled the plug on her blog a while back as well. I still have withdrawal symptoms from losing that blog.
It stuns me that there are some complete and utter ignomorons who take on self appointed status of blog police and viciously attack bloggers whose only interest is to share information. These idjits obviously have nothing better to do than surf and troll to incite a little bit of excitement into their miserable little dead end lives.
BASTARDS...
ooo, now I am getting warmed up!!!!
I do take this personally. There are some absolute ripper bloggers out there and admittedly it is through their popularity that their word net is cast over a greater area and they run the risk of snagging a blogging troll.
Stay strong, hit delete, do not feed the troll.
I know this will never happen to me as my deliberate low profile/lack of popularity/small fish status will maintain my cloak of invisibility to trolls.
BLOG ON PEOPLE!!!!!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
A Sea of Green...and A Purple Haze
This year has been a tomato write off. The weather has played havoc with the ripening process that has left me with a field of green tomatoes and not so many red ones. The cherry tomatoes have been the only saving grace for this growing season. The Roma cherries in particular.
I will give the tomatoes another two weeks before I lop them off at the knees and bring the tomatoes in on their vines to hopefully slowly ripen indoors.
I am really liking the idea of a hothouse (HINT HINT, HH!) to avoid further growing disappointment. But as with all things when you are an owner builder, these things take time. There is a backburner, and it is overflowing with things to do.
Having said that, we do have cabbages and some broccoli, so maybe I am not sporting a gardening thumb of death, afterall!
Said broccoli and purple cabbages donated themselves for dinner tonight. Those sporting vegetables that managed to mature despite the appalling growing conditions joined some pan fried free range bacon that crisped up beautifully with a smidge of butter. Also on the plate featured some mashed taties with greek yogurt and black pepper.
The protein was going to be restricted to the bacon and yogurt, but we had two small lamb rump steaks that needed to be consumed before being relegated to the dogs. So I quickly pan fried those and them left them to heat through on the pile of cabbage and broccoli.
The whole lot was then assembled and lightly dressed with some raspberry infused balsamic vinegar and duly photographed for your viewing pleasure!
Rest assured, it was......
DELISH!!!!
I will give the tomatoes another two weeks before I lop them off at the knees and bring the tomatoes in on their vines to hopefully slowly ripen indoors.
I am really liking the idea of a hothouse (HINT HINT, HH!) to avoid further growing disappointment. But as with all things when you are an owner builder, these things take time. There is a backburner, and it is overflowing with things to do.
Having said that, we do have cabbages and some broccoli, so maybe I am not sporting a gardening thumb of death, afterall!
Said broccoli and purple cabbages donated themselves for dinner tonight. Those sporting vegetables that managed to mature despite the appalling growing conditions joined some pan fried free range bacon that crisped up beautifully with a smidge of butter. Also on the plate featured some mashed taties with greek yogurt and black pepper.
The protein was going to be restricted to the bacon and yogurt, but we had two small lamb rump steaks that needed to be consumed before being relegated to the dogs. So I quickly pan fried those and them left them to heat through on the pile of cabbage and broccoli.
The whole lot was then assembled and lightly dressed with some raspberry infused balsamic vinegar and duly photographed for your viewing pleasure!
Rest assured, it was......
DELISH!!!!
Monday, March 14, 2011
My Wessex Saddleback Rototillers.
I actually do have a motorised rototiller, but I don´t really like using it as it annhilates the soil structure. Having said that, my two little Wessex Saddlebacks have done exactly that. Every morning when I stroll on over to feed the little pigs, they can be found ear deep in the soil and happily rooting away for whatever tasty entree they can find.
Some breeds of pigs can be very destructive to your land...our two go above and beyond the call of duty. They are hard core excavators, they till, they toil, they turn and they upend. I wouldn´t be surprised if we find our clay pan, which normally sits around 2 meters underground, to feature as the newly installed topsoil layer.
The biggest issue with this newly crumbed layer is the loss of soil moisture...and the fact that when it rains, it ceases to that have lovely crumbly texture and becomes a mud slick. Do the pigs mind? HELL NO!!!! It then becomes the worlds best wallow. Of course, it makes feeding the pigs hazardous as it clumps to the bottom of my wellies and suddenly I am engaged in a very unwanted weight training regime whilst trying to fend off two hungry little piggy cannonballs hell bent on getting the food bucket down to their level immediately. Me suddenly hitting the deck with the bucket is merely a further impediment to accessing the bucket. Feeding pigs in the rain is a hazardous sport. You must be quick, agile, strong and cunning. I often lure them out the gate into their general run then quick as a flash head on into their feeding/sleeping run, nimbly closing the gate behind me, deposit the goodies, open the gate and then duck out after they have sped into the run.
Once the piggies have been dispatched into the freezer we will engage in a very enthusiastic reforestation program for the pig run. We have great plans for that churned soil. It involves alot of pumpkins, zucchinis, cucumbers and sweet taters. That little piece of land deserves a living mulch layer. Also, it will provide some foodstuff for the next batch of piggies.
Daffodil
Some breeds of pigs can be very destructive to your land...our two go above and beyond the call of duty. They are hard core excavators, they till, they toil, they turn and they upend. I wouldn´t be surprised if we find our clay pan, which normally sits around 2 meters underground, to feature as the newly installed topsoil layer.
The biggest issue with this newly crumbed layer is the loss of soil moisture...and the fact that when it rains, it ceases to that have lovely crumbly texture and becomes a mud slick. Do the pigs mind? HELL NO!!!! It then becomes the worlds best wallow. Of course, it makes feeding the pigs hazardous as it clumps to the bottom of my wellies and suddenly I am engaged in a very unwanted weight training regime whilst trying to fend off two hungry little piggy cannonballs hell bent on getting the food bucket down to their level immediately. Me suddenly hitting the deck with the bucket is merely a further impediment to accessing the bucket. Feeding pigs in the rain is a hazardous sport. You must be quick, agile, strong and cunning. I often lure them out the gate into their general run then quick as a flash head on into their feeding/sleeping run, nimbly closing the gate behind me, deposit the goodies, open the gate and then duck out after they have sped into the run.
Once the piggies have been dispatched into the freezer we will engage in a very enthusiastic reforestation program for the pig run. We have great plans for that churned soil. It involves alot of pumpkins, zucchinis, cucumbers and sweet taters. That little piece of land deserves a living mulch layer. Also, it will provide some foodstuff for the next batch of piggies.
Daffodil
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Perspective.
Cash and I had a major setback setback last week. He has been diagnosed with Navicular Syndrome and has effectively been retired. This diagnosis has traditionally been associated with a slow decline in soundness and eventual euthanasia. In fact, the vet who diagnosed Cash, essentially suggested palliative shoeing which sets the ball in motion for decline.
My hoof trimmer, who keeps herself very up to date with the latest research regarding horse hoof health, is far more optimistic. Which, of course, sent me scuttling off to the internet to begin my own research. You wanna know something, Cash may just able to be rehabilitated. But that is not the point of this post.....
I spent three days in the doldrums over my horse...A HORSE, PEOPLE!!!
Japan, on the other hand, has been plunged into an apocalyptic state with potentially thousands dead, an unknown number missing, thousands injured, water and food scarce, vital infrastructure destroyed, a radioactive meltdown reality and the imminent threat of continued aftershocks. Japan is existing in a nightmare of destruction with no immediate way to safety. The psychological, fiscal, environmental and structural recovery will take years.
My horse issues are pretty insignificant in comparison.
My hoof trimmer, who keeps herself very up to date with the latest research regarding horse hoof health, is far more optimistic. Which, of course, sent me scuttling off to the internet to begin my own research. You wanna know something, Cash may just able to be rehabilitated. But that is not the point of this post.....
I spent three days in the doldrums over my horse...A HORSE, PEOPLE!!!
Japan, on the other hand, has been plunged into an apocalyptic state with potentially thousands dead, an unknown number missing, thousands injured, water and food scarce, vital infrastructure destroyed, a radioactive meltdown reality and the imminent threat of continued aftershocks. Japan is existing in a nightmare of destruction with no immediate way to safety. The psychological, fiscal, environmental and structural recovery will take years.
My horse issues are pretty insignificant in comparison.
Another Disaster....
We are only into March, and yet another country has suffered a natural disaster. Northern Japan experienced an earthquake and subsequent tsunami. HH and I had actually turned on the TV on Friday night in preparation to watch the news when the details of the tragedy were being relayed before us on the screen. We were gobsmacked by the unfolding disaster. Again, it is unfathomable that such devastation can be wrought so quickly and effortlessly by Mother Nature.
Just watching the wall of water descending on seaside Japanese towns and seeing houses swept inland, sometimes completely intact, was gut wrenching. Cars just swept along, boats and ships tossed around with less effort than a child in bathtub. It was all very surreal.
Again, our thoughts are with another country and the people affected by this disaster.
Daffodil
Just watching the wall of water descending on seaside Japanese towns and seeing houses swept inland, sometimes completely intact, was gut wrenching. Cars just swept along, boats and ships tossed around with less effort than a child in bathtub. It was all very surreal.
Again, our thoughts are with another country and the people affected by this disaster.
Daffodil
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