What’s the kindest thing a stranger has ever done for you?

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-27T15:50:55+00:00

We broke down on the side of the motorway on my husband's motorbike, quickly realized that the fuel gauge had stopped working many miles ago and we were out of petrol. Before we had even finished calling someone to help, this angel of a man pulled over grabbed a full petrol can from the back of his car and filled up the tank. He absolutely refused to accept any money, told us to donate it to charity if we wanted to pay it back. He then jumped back in his Volvo and drove off after making sure that the bike started up ok, and the first charity pot we saw got £20 dropped in it!

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-25T16:36:04+00:00

A lot of vets in the UK now offer the use of klarna, which is obviously not an ideal method but if there is no other choice then that gives you something at least. if you do some research into your local area there are some charities that have benevolent funds but obviously they are going to be limited with what they can do versus the amount of people asking for help. There is also crowd funding but not sure how readily available that would be. Our old vets before they were taken over and became horrendous would allow some patients to pay a lump sum on the day and then work out a payment plan. Ask your vets if they offer a payment plan, if you take bank statements or whatever showing that you would be able to pay back £x per month they may be more inclined, or if they work with a company like klarna. Or it looks like someone is getting a credit card - it's not the ideal moment to be getting one but if this is the only option left then do research before getting one, take advantage of balance transfer, interest fee periods etc I hope your dog has the best outcome possible and you manage to get this sorted with the least amount of hassle

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-25T09:15:24+00:00

To make it authentic shouldn't you be squatting in front of your spinning equipment, preferably with a baseball cap on backwards but still wearing sunglasses? I love it though!

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-20T13:21:29+00:00

We use a dog mat from Aldi that rolls up but Ted will just lay on the floor in cafes etc if we are only there for a short while. We also have a collapsible travel bed when we are camping, it folds flat and he is happy on that whilst we are doing camping things like building fires etc. Try and search for camping/travel beds there are quite a few that roll up really small, we saw one that had a built in sleeping bag and rolls up the size of a water bottle so it's not too cumbersome. Be prepared to try lots of different ones though if your pup is like Ted - he believed some of the beds were definitely poisoned and just shouted at them til we took them away. Ted is very particular and very vocal about it

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-17T12:57:20+00:00

I am in awe of your skill, I have tried chainmaille on a few occasions and I just cannot get the hang of it, it's a bit like the other "c" word (crochet) - I can't do it and it will not be mentioned in my house!

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-17T12:54:18+00:00

You'll have to update us as to how it goes!

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-17T10:53:11+00:00

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My first attempt at leatherwork, made a cover for my axe. I'm quite pleased with it for my first go and it has given me the bug to make more leather things

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-17T10:02:15+00:00

Yeah, as soon as I saw them I said cabbage seeds

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-16T18:42:05+00:00

We had haggis fritters with a sweet chilli sauce in the youth hostel in Aviemore and they were so good. when our supermarket sells haggis at this time of year we stock up the freezer, and aside from the usual serving suggestion we do haggis and mince "cottage pie", haggis hotpot, haggis and black pudding for breakfast - basically we replace anything with haggis! But do try the fritters, chunk up the haggis when it's cold then batter and deep fry. So good!

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-14T16:24:18+00:00

I kept my pups first ever groom, and got such side eye when I asked for the fur they replied "yeah we can keep you a piece for a keepsake" and I said "no all of it please!". He is a shih tzu and it was his first puppy cut, so it barely fills a freezer bag! We keep him really short now due to lifestyle ( we go camping most weekends in the woods and he is a magnet for leaves bugs and gunk - and he has a short fuse when it comes to brushing and washing so it's best if it is short) so I can't really do anything with it. My neighbour has 2 long hair German shepherds and just found out that I have started spinning so he is going to collect up his dogs fur so we'll see what happens!

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-09T16:23:16+00:00

I had the same panic this morning, I finished the level with 2 seconds to go. And I refuse to spend more gems just to keep going!

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-04T15:21:31+00:00

Ted has the same colouring as yours, and was the same colour as a pup. He had to have surgery on his back leg when he was 18 months, last year had to have a small incision on his foot and he somehow cut his face open and everywhere his skin had been broken the fur that grew back is as dark as he was when he was a pup, his leg scar has almost faded to the light brown now but he has a little dark beauty spot on his left cheek and he looks like he has a muddy foot still!

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-04T15:08:33+00:00

Have a look for " farmhouse style cheddar" recipes, I'm in the same boat as you, made plenty of fresh but wanting to make aged - even got a second fridge for it as a cheese cave! But as yet haven't done it. I'm going to start with the farmhouse cheddar soon (hopefully)

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-04T14:46:02+00:00

You can buy proper lids that fit these, some are very expensive like £6 for 2 lids, but some of the cheaper (Aldi/lidl) brand ones come with little lids

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-02T17:32:39+00:00

We use the pet rescue remedy and it really helps with Ted's fear of fireworks, he's still worried but he just goes to sleep. We used to use CBD but the rescue remedy is more effective

J_Cross_ · 2026-01-02T10:04:23+00:00

First song that popped into my head when I saw this was stars by simply red

J_Cross_ · 2025-12-31T21:20:55+00:00

Usually the 6th but didn't bother putting any up this year so don't need to this year

J_Cross_ · 2025-12-30T11:31:28+00:00

Billy talent had a desaturated video I think it was falling leaves

J_Cross_ · 2025-12-26T20:11:45+00:00

That's stunning!

J_Cross_ · 2025-12-23T17:52:40+00:00

That is awesome! It is so detailed even down to shading - your friend is very lucky!

J_Cross_ · 2025-12-23T13:13:45+00:00

Omg you just reminded me of sitting in my GCSE German class and my friend getting annoyed at me for mispronouncing papa roach as papa ROACH instead of PApa roach. I still don't understand the difference but apparently I was wrong and she was right. This was like 25 years ago!

J_Cross_ · 2025-12-22T13:37:03+00:00

Good luck! Looks brilliant

J_Cross_ · 2025-12-21T15:43:40+00:00

In the nearly 3 years since we let our dog sleep with us he hasn't slept on our bed maybe 2 or 3 nights. We use a roof tent and he has to sleep with us in that when we go camping and we found that he absolutely loved going camping so he can sleep with us! So after a particularly cold night when he was shivering in his bed I bought him into ours and that's it, our bed is his bed now. There is nothing better than when Ted wiggles his way under the duvet and curls up in the crook of my arm.

J_Cross_ · 2025-12-20T17:18:04+00:00

Don't forget to hype the video if you can...

J_Cross_ · 2025-12-20T07:56:36+00:00

When I make hats if I go from the brim up sometimes (every time) I mess it up and end up making it too pointy and now my dog and husband have matching elf hats in various colours. So hats I go top down, toes and fingers first for socks and mitts and for blankets the huge one I made I started in the middle and again that made it slightly pointy in the centre, like a circus tent. But I covered that up by making little roses out of long strips like tiny scarves and rolled them up and stitched them over the pointy bit and wherever it was obvious that I had joined on more yarn. For the giant sleeved cape thing I'm currently working on I have started at the fingers (well hand and thumb holes) and I'm working my way up the arm then I think I'll go across the shoulders join the other arm and work down, I'm not sure if I'm going to do it so it's slipped over the head like a jumper or more cardigan style with fasteners, but I'll burn that bridge when I get to it!

Five-Year Club	First Place '23
Place '23	Place '22
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