A weight off my mind.

Cass had to go into town today to collect some school uniform, she arranged to meet Steve there and then took me along too. I know I needed to go but I had a very upset stomach leading up to her collecting me.

Meeting with Steve enabled me to close the joint account which is a great relief, I didn't like Steve being able to check up on my banking. I used the account rarely but still felt uncomfortable about it.

I'm not convinced that Beano recognised Steve, he seemed pretty disinterested but did take a dog treat from him so possibly did recognise him. 

Steve wasn't happy about closing the,account but couldn't really argue, he had been checking the account regularly despite denying this.

We were civil to each other and Steve was very keen to show off his new tattoos. I'm not keen on tattoos and would never have one but then I'm a coward. Most of his old tattoos were done by friends so we're very amateurish and the new ones do look marginally better.

Steve gifted me a pendant it's a triquetra and it's very nice but rather heavy, it's engraved with sayings such as Speak with love, Know your power, Honour your word, See only with love, Be balanced, Blessed be. I'm not sure why he bought it for me but I accepted it politely.

Politics

I always drummed into my four children the importance of voting, especially my two daughters. I told them that women had died, fighting to get voting rights for women.

As far as I'm aware they all still vote, though I have no idea who they vote for. To me, that's not important, showing up is. The last time I mentioned them voting they replied. We wouldn't dare not vote, we know how important it is to you.

When I met Steve he'd never voted, but complained endlessly about various political parties. Eventually he got tired of me shutting him down every time he complained and started to vote regularly. At one point I heard him telling a friend, who was complaining about something political, the same thing. Saying "if you don't vote, you don't have an opinion"

A trip on the Kennet and Avon canal

I'm just home from a trip on the K&A on a horse drawn boat, Beano came with me and was well behaved mainly. He has been fed and is now asleep, I'm resting with a cold drink.

The trip was organised by the Autumn Group though not everyone went. I was given a lift by Pat along with another person that I didn't know.

It was a lovely and peaceful trip and the banks of the canal are very green though the water levels are low.

Pat had asked me to shorten a pair of jeans for her and I'd managed to do this in time to take them with me for her.

Tomorrow is a coffee morning so another excuse to go out and socialise.

I've decided to book a cleaner to help me keep on top of things, I really struggle with cobwebs as they are high up and difficult to see, I also struggle to clean my skirting boards as they are so low down. 

Smoking!

Once again I woke to the smell of cigarette smoke, I don't smoke, I never have. My windows are closed so I've no idea where the smell is coming from.

It seem to happen only occasionally but it is a bit disconcerting. My mother smoked heavily for many years and it was her habit of waving her hands around whilst smoking that put me off for life. I was forever being caught on my skin by the edge of her cigarettes. Not enough to cause a serious burn but enough to sting the sensitive skin of a small child.

Still it encouraged me to try harder to become independent as any request for help with tying shoelaces or buttoning a cardigan came with an added burn.

Keeping busy.

I've used up nearly all the yarn oddments I had making a blanket so I bought a box of yarns and half-made items from eBay.

The box arrived today and I've already had great fun sorting it. The box contained a mixture of half made items and balls of yarn. It also contained some knitted squares, these I have put to one side and I will sew them together. Next I will alternate between pulling the half-made items apart and making yet another crochet blanket with the full balls of yarn. There is enough to keep me busy for the rest of this year at least.

Sue in Suffolk, I have used those Velcro type hangers for all my small pictures, the ones I have left are larger and heavier and many have glass fronts to the frames.

Fairy lights.

I bought a few sets of fairy light to hang around the place, I gave one set to my granddaughter and kept the others for myself. I have a very sturdy set of steps with a hand rail so hopefully I won't break my neck when I attempt to hang them.

I had butterfly lights hanging in the boat but Steve hated them so they were left behind. The new lights I've bought include a set of ivy leaves, a set of butterflies, a set of coloured cotton balls and a set of coloured spikes. The ones I gave my granddaughter were small pink flowers.

I've also ordered some picture hooks so I'm hoping to get my pictures off the floor and hung on the walls. I have a large blank wall in my living room so most of them will go there.

It's gradually coming together

Backing away slowly.

I'm backing away slowly from some people who are getting on my tits.

This includes some of the people I know and some of the bloggers I usually follow regularly.

I won a competition at one of the the social clubs I attend, I know this was partly political as one member expects to win every week and people don't want to tackle her. So my entry won as I had provided the most items beginning with a certain letter. There was no prize, just a round of applause and a seething competitor who didn't win.

I'm also avoiding someone who I've realised is living in an alternative universe. I seem currently to be their favourite target for conversation. If I can't avoid them I do at least now know they be talking mainly ballrocks. I'm fortunate that I have a pretty good poker face, albeit slightly vacant. There is one lady I see in the village who seems to realise I'm not as stupid as I appear but she not dobbed me in so far.

I've stopped reading a couple of blogs as the bloggers are ranting on about politics and I'm not interested. I don't enjoy being ranted at about politics or religion. I have my own opinions on both but I don't expect other people to share my feelings.I stick to the 'you do you, I'll do me' way and so far it's worked.