Wednesday 31 August 2016

Blogs

I read quite a few blogs, some I have stopped reading as there is a limit to the amount of 'How to knit a 3 course meal from vacuum dust' instructions I can read.

I also find some blogs just too perfect or maybe some people's homes, lives and children really are perfect.

I don't mean the blogs that are about a specific subject, such as Attic 24 or The Patchwork Heart, both crochet blogs that I enjoy. Obviously the photo's on these blogs are perfect but they need to be.

Just in case you are interested, here is a list of just a few of my favourite blogs.

John at Going Gently frequently moves me to tears, tears of sadness when John writes about the loss of one of his beloved dogs and tears of laughter, usually when he writes about his bulldog Winnie and her obsession with the slippers of sex.

Peter and Jane makes me roar with laughter, she doesn't blog very often but posts regularly on Facebook. She tells the truth about family life, warts and all, with her husband, children and judgy dog, the dog seems to disapprove of her alcohol intake.

Weaver of Grass and Magnon's Meanderings are always worth reading, always interesting, as is Always Another Chapter which is written by a writer friend of mine

If you are looking for cheap recipes there is Cooking on a Bootstrap, yes Jack does post political stuff too, but she has lived in real poverty, not the pretend 'Look how little I can spend on food, whilst having three holidays a year and driving a Bentley' crap.
Another blog with cheap recipes is Thrift Cottage.

Also I love to read Katie's Recycle, she is another 'tell it like it is blogger', we share a similar sense of humour and she is the only person I know who's life turns to shit even more often than mine, despite her hard work and best efforts.

Back to the subject of perfect, Devon Dreaming is a new blog with some perfectly beautiful photos of Devon and I'm sure there will be more to come.

If I read your blog and I haven't mentioned you, it's nothing personal, just my crap memory.

Tuesday 30 August 2016

Money

Hubby's friend is receiving a large pay out from his wife's job, as she died so young her 'death in service' payment is huge.
It is a very sad way to receive money but he will have enough to put a roof over his head for the foreseeable future.

I did all the calculations, I worked out the finances and made the decision that I would retire by Christmas 2017, woohoo, I was on a count down.

Over the weekend I checked out the figures my L&M had given me for his side of the plans.

I have no idea what he was thinking of but he made a huge miscalculation.

I will now be working for another 3 to 5 years, to say I'm devastated would be putting it mildly, I shall be trundling round at work with a Zimmer frame!


Sunday 28 August 2016

Mother in law

My first Mother-in-law was a malicious, spiteful, old besom.
There was nothing personal in her spite, it was just a form of entertainment to her.
She loved her siblings but had very little contact with them as she constantly caused trouble in their marriages.
She also caused trouble between her sons and their wives.
She told my husband that our firstborn could not possibly be his child as he has blue eyes.
She told my ex husbands 2nd wife that he'd never love her as much he had loved me.
She is now in a home, she hates it but neither of her daughters-in-law will take care of her and only one of her sons visits her.
She has breast cancer and dementia, she cannot tell her arse from her elbow.
But she still causes trouble at every available opportunity.
She claims to sit in her room alone every day, when in fact she joins with everything going.
She claims to have no visitors ever when in fact her grandchildren visit her regularly.

My 2nd mother-in-law was an amazing woman, kind, loving and is sadly missed.

Saturday 27 August 2016

Selfie's

I've never really understood the current passion for selfies, I have two very pretty work colleagues and both their facebook pages are filled with hundreds and hundreds of selfies followed by loads of comments from friends saying how beautiful they look.

I also know plenty of unattractive people and they also feel the need to post lots of selfies.

I understand family photos, holiday photos, weather photos etc.

It's the countless 'Here's me looking to the left', 'here's me looking to the right', 'here's me drunk and here's me sober' photos I don't understand.

Maybe I'm just jealous, as there is no way I'm inflicting my face on an unsuspecting public

Scared

A pigeon had the temerity to land in my garden this afternoon to which the dog took great exception.
She tore out into the garden and I think it was touch and go whether the rather fat pigeon would manage to take off in time and escape.
It did, but only because it only managed to get as far as the top of the compost bin. As the dog is a Jack Russell cross she couldn't reach it and the pigeon was then able to make it on to the fence and away.

The pigeon wasn't the only one to get a fright today.
I was driving home after collecting my L&M from work when a jogger suddenly ran out from behind a parked van. I slammed on the brakes and managed to stop in time, she did apologise, she was wearing headphones so hadn't heard me coming.

Congratulations

Congratulation to Charlotte and Luke who got married yesterday at Bradfield college.

I have no idea who they are but there were signs up announcing the wedding as I drove past yesterday.

I was also lucky enough to see Charlotte in a horse drawn carriage and she looked beautiful.

Thursday 25 August 2016

On my hook


Baby blanket for a colleague using Sparkle from B&M and an odd ball of white chunky, using an 8mm hook.
I always use a hook one size bigger for the foundation chain otherwise the chain is too tight.

Rats

The rat man has been to DD2's it's costing an arm and a leg, money she can ill afford so my L&M is paying.
DD is away for a week so we are hoping she can come back to a rat free home, although the continuing disruption from next door isn't helping.
Hopefully they are putting poison down too, they are currently on their 3rd large skip and at least one upstairs window can now be opened.

Wednesday 24 August 2016

Fecking Morons

Yesterday I was surrounded by fecking morons, from the one who bid on one of my ebay items,  and then read the description. So emailed me to demand I cancelled his bid because if he cancelled it, it would 'affect his standing within the ebay community'. I assume this translates into I don't know how to cancel my bid.
Next I get an email asking me to deliver an item that is marked Collection Only, I am willing to deliver within a 10 mile radius, where does he live? 96 fecking miles away!
Finally, last night, the dog kept barking, this is unusual for her, she barked at the binmen on Tuesday but hasn't barked since. I went out in to the garden and realised the local trollop and trouble maker, Mo was running a stick along my back fence. No doubt so she can ring the council and complain about the dog barking. This is the same silly cow who put a note on a neighbours car and signed it in my name etc.
I called the dog in and kept her in until Mo got bored. What she doesn't know  is that it isn't my dog and by the time the council get round to contacting me the dog will have gone home.

What better to do on a sunny day

First we played with a bowl of water.

Then the ice cream man came round.

Monday 22 August 2016

Ebay

I've listed a lot of items on eBay, I have more to list.
You know that thing on eBay where is says 'View other items from this seller'?
If people do they are in for a surprise.
The weird and wonderful assortment of things I'm listing includes a PVC corset dress, an aircon unit, 3 pairs of skiing goggles and some handcuffs.
I'm adding a couple of items a day and some items have watchers so I hope they sell.
I took three pillows round to a neighbour, she can use them for toy stuffing and I found a few more DVD's for the local nursing home.

Sunday 21 August 2016

It's Done

Remember the ensuite that looked like this?

Well now it looks like this, it needs cleaning and the door handle is wrapped to protect it, it is chrome under the plastic bag.

Saturday 20 August 2016

One of my lodgers

Snuggled in a blanket on my knee, she must have got bored with the book my L&M was reading to her.

Today I poop scooped

Just as I should, I hear you say, if I'm caring for a dog I need to accept this as part and parcel, and I do.

Unfortunately the poop I was scooping was a large German Shepherd sized poop in the middle on my front drive.

I was very tempted to deliver it back to the owner of said German Shepherd but the weather here is strange, glorious sunshine interspersed with extremely heavy showers and I didn't fancy arriving on the wrongdoers doorstep looking like a drowned rat so I put it in my own bin.

Friday 19 August 2016

Early Start

We had two of the DGD to stay last night, it always cheers my L&M up to spend time with them,
Mind you I could have done without them waking up at 4:30! Still it was 6 by the time we were all washed,  dressed and breakfasted. We will make cakes in a minute for them to take home with them.

I mislaid their dog for an hour last night and I assumed that she had snuck upstairs the be with the girls, I know she often sleeps on Norah's bed until DD catches her and sends her downstairs. When I'd finished clearing up I went to find her and she was on my bed beside hubby who was reading  aloud to her from his Kindle. This is the man who say's dogs aren't aloud on the furniture.

Wednesday 17 August 2016

Difficult days

My L&M's friend is beyond devastated, we are offering as much support as we can. The work on the house has slowed down until he is on a more  even keel.

We can manage financially until Christmas if we need to, but I think he will feel able to move on physically and mentally after the funeral.

I've now found out that they weren't actually married, I didn't realise this and there is no will, things are turning nasty with the family. Lots of items that he believes are his are actually in her name.

We will go to the funeral, this will be interesting, one of my sisters in law, the one who spat in my face at MIL's funeral?

She worked with the deceased and will also be at the funeral, let's hope she manages to behave with some decorum this time.

I have finished my summer job of feeding cats and fish and watering house plants and gardens. I looked after DD1's dogs Monday and Tuesday as she was out on daytrips and her postie refuses to shut her gate and her dogs have escaped a couple of times.

DD2 phoned this morning, to ask if I could look after her dog for a few days. Her next door neighbour is one of those mad hoarder types, the sort you see on TV. Her house was overrun with rats and they had got into DD's garage. The pest company have been round and laid poison, but DD is worried that her dog, a Jack Russell cross, might catch a poisoned rat.

On Friday DD1 has a Dr's appointment so I am going over to watch her children for an hour.


Monday 15 August 2016

An excuse to sit down

My DD's dogs are here and they follow me round and won't settle until I sit down.

This evening I've listed 66 albums on Music Magpie, I've only made £14:75 but it's cleared out another two shelves and it made me sit down. The dogs have fallen asleep on the sofa beside me.

So it's a win win situation.

The Eagle has landed

Hubby's friend is due in an hour.

DD's dogs are due soon too we have them overnight tonight.

Hubby's friend doesn't like me or dogs.

Wish me luck.

Sunday 14 August 2016

Feeling guilty

I just can't throw off the feeling of guilt.

I know it was my fault, I was behind the wheel at the time and I know I was struggling to find the correct pedal.

I also couldn't see properly everything appeared dark, as though a blind had been pulled over windscreen, or maybe I was falling asleep.

I know people were injured, there may even have been fatalities, though I sincerely hope not.

I still remember the terror when I jumped out and hid amongst the crowds that had gathered round.

Unfortunately it is very, very difficult to drive a double decker bus through a city centre.

Especially when I'm actually asleep in bed.

Saturday 13 August 2016

Tool porn heaven

Today we went to B&Q my L&M spent some time looking at tool porn and I priced up the lampshades.
We found a basin and vanity unit small enough to fit in our ensuite shower room. We looked at lots of them and they were nearly £400, ouch, but eventually we found one that was part of a discontinued range so it was only £74.
Tomorrow it will be fitted, along with a few tiles, then I can paint the small amount of wall that isn't tiled and another room will be ready to go.
Underneath the basin in the ensuite, the plumber left it like this 10 years ago. I have always wanted it finished but we didn't get round to it.

This small amount of wall needs tiling or painting.

I will post the after pictures once it's finished.


Friday 12 August 2016

It's all the little things too

I read a post recently from someone bewailing their hard life because a bottle of ketchup had split in her shopping bag and made a mess.

I did think 'Oh if only that was my biggest problem at the moment'.

But it is sometimes the little things that add up.

I have had some successes this week.

Firstly I have finally finished applying for a tax rebate for hubby, it's taken me days to do it but is finally finished, hooray.

Secondly I have received an email telling me the £300 parking fine I received has been dropped. It was for the time we spent in the hotel when we went to the boat show. The parking/hotel register system failed so it appeared to the parking company that we weren't staying in the hotel where we parked. This has taken 8 weeks to sort out.

Thirdly, further conversation with hubby's friend has cleared up the situation somewhat. The friend has Plan A and Plan B in place for his future. All he now needs from us it seems is a place to stay between his wife's death and her funeral. This we can manage easily. So a sigh of relief from me.

Hubby is taking things badly, the death of someone he has known since he was a teen and who is a few years younger than him has hit him hard.

Wednesday 10 August 2016

Devastating news

Hubby received a phone call this afternoon from a friend he has known since secondary school.

His friend's wife isn't expected to last until the weekend, she is only in her early 50's.

She was advised a few years ago to stop drinking but she was unable to manage this.

Her liver has now failed, there is nothing more that can be done for her.

She and her husband lived with her father, the two men don't get on.

So as from this weekend, hubby's friend will be homeless.

Hence the phone call, guess who he is moving in with, yep, us!

Monday 8 August 2016

Routine

I  seem to have got into a routine.
Go to sleep at 10, wake at 1, go to the bathroom, have a panic attack, read until 4, go to the bathroom, back to bed and sleep until 6.
Well at least I'm getting a lot of reading done!

The ceiling of the hall stairs and landing is painted and one coat on the walls, another coat still to do.

Saturday 6 August 2016

Odds and Sods

I've cleared a cupboard that was full of my L&M's bits and pieces and scrubbed the front of the kitchen floor cupboards.

Then I needed a rest, so I sat and emptied the penny jar and bagged up the money in to bags ready to bank, £31, the Nationwide is the only place that will take it,  neither of my banks will. Bloody cheek I think when I want to pay it into an account.

My bunch of keys is getting bigger, I already have my house and car keys also my work keys.
I have the keys to 3 of my children's houses too, then I added the keys belonging to the colleague who's cats I'm feeding and garden I'm watering. Then my neighbour came round and I added her keys to the bunch, I need to move her post as she has a glass door and water her pots in her back garden.

I'm did a cooked breakfast at 6 this morning after which my L&M started painting, he has done all the doors and architrave upstairs (some for the third time as he couldn't decide which shade of white was best!) He's stopped for a cuppa and I will cook pork belly for his tea at about 5 o'clock.

This evening I will start on the paperwork, we have reams of it, most of it is my L&M's he never knows what to keep, I will be ruthless.

Friday 5 August 2016

Half hour on, half hour off

In order to pace myself when I have so much to do I work in 30 minute spurts then I stop for a break and have a cup of tea, or I change to a sit down job.

Today I've put more stuff out by the bin and again some of it has gone. I've also cleaned all the windows inside along with the frames and sills.

My L&M finished early today so I collected him from work and we went to the bank to pay in some money.

Then we went to lunch, I had sea bass an it was delicious. I usually choose something a bit cheaper but today I really fancied the sea bass so hubby treated me. I had Eton Mess afterwards, now I need a snooze!

Thursday 4 August 2016

What a muppet

A friend collected a load of gardening equipment today, she will come back next weekend for more.

I've been putting other items, plastic garden chairs, washing basket etc. out by my bin and they have been disappearing, this is great as it saves the items going to landfill.

Unfortunately on one of my trips to the bin I managed to lock myself out.

I didn't feel like waking to work to collect my L&M's keys.

So I climbed over my 6ft high, securely padlocked gate.

Not bad for a short, fat pensioner wearing a dress!

What's on today's To Do List

Collect stairgate.
Poop Scoop the garden.
Feed dogs.
Check out charity shops for wicker baskets.
Book tickets for forthcoming day out for my L&M.
Price up local hall venues.
List garden stuff on Gumtree.
List Jewellery stuff on Ebay.
Feed cats.
Water garden.
Feed another cat.
Pack up 2 more boxes of stuff to take to charity shops.

And that's before I start decorating!


Wednesday 3 August 2016

And breathe

As I have been wittering on for ages about it, I'm sure you all know our house is being prepared for selling.

To this end I have decluttered all my craft stuff, pruned the kitchen cupboards, my wardrobe and all the books and ornaments, I have also got rid of lots of furniture.

There is some decorating that needs doing and I'm happy to pay for the decorating to be done if my L&M doesn't feel up to it.

The hall, stairs and landing WALLS need painting, 10 years of careless lodgers and messy grandchildren has really taken it's toll.

As I'm not at work for a few weeks I've spent my time washing down all the woodwork, and scraping the paint off the glass panels in two of the downstairs doors. I found that the woodwork was all in good condition and didn't need painting.

My beloved decided he would do the work himself and to this end he sent me out to buy a specific kind of roller, I couldn't find said roller, I tried Wickes, B&M, B&Q, Selco & Screwfix.

Yesterday I took him to Wickes where he immediately pick up a completely different roller saying 'I told you they sold them'!

He swears black's blue that he gave me the correct information and I know damned well he didn't but I bit my tongue and kept quiet.

When we got home I started to prepare our evening meal and he started ferrying stuff upstairs. After a while I went upstairs to tell him what time we would be eating and I found him painting the fecking bathroom door!

So now all the woodwork needs painting as the door he has painted makes all the others look grubby, my L&M is of course complaining about all the work now needed.




What a lovely surprise

Look what the postman has just delivered, thank you so much.

Tuesday 2 August 2016

Gone

Today a local charity collected three bookcases in various sizes, some plastic garage shelving a wicker whatnot and a cream suede covered ottoman.

More space in the rooms so they will be easier to paint.

Just an average night

I went to bed around 10 and was asleep by 11ish.

I woke at 1am and went to the bathroom.

Went back to bed but couldn't get back to sleep, so I read my kindle until 2:30 and then went back to sleep.

At 4am I woke in a panic as I realised I hadn't booked the long stay airport parking for my holiday.

What the fuck?

I'm not going on holiday, I don't even have a sodding passport!

It took me ages to fall asleep again because of the adrenalin rush and then the alarm went off.

Today I have to move all the furniture that is being collected downstairs and line it up in the hall.

Tomorrow my own personal House Doctor is coming to give me advice (my daughter in law who flips properties).

I also have my daughter's dogs staying for 5 days. That will put a stop to the decorating, wet paint and dog hairs don't mix!


Feeling stressed.

I'm worried about Beano, his nose is warm and dry and he hasn't wanted to go out for his usual walks today. My face is sore it feels...