From snowdrops to violets

The village is well endowed with flowers, they grow in gardens, at the edges of the pavements and on any patch of grass around.

First it was snowdrops, growing in profusion. As they have started to die back, their place has been taken by daffodils, grape hyacinth and violets. In the grass near my bungalow there is a patch of white violets. The flowers make walking Beano an even greater pleasure.

My own garden is a disgrace, just lots of unkempt grass and moss. I can buy a lawn mower to manage the front lawn but I'm stumped when it comes to the grass in the back garden. It's far too lumpy to mow, I think it once had flower beds there as some parts are higher than others. I shall have to think hard about what to do, whatever it is it's going to be difficult.

Social group

I've just been to the Tuesday afternoon social group, I took Beano and he was an absolute star. He wandered around to greet a few people and then he lay on the floor and went to sleep, it's such a relief to know I can continue to attend.

They are organising a boat trip in a few weeks on the Kennet and Avon, where Steve and I had our boat and as I can take Beano I've signed up to go along.

Tomorrow morning it's tea and toast in the pub, so I will go to that as well, I've taken Beano there already a few times.

I'm determined to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way.

Old nuts.

My daughter went to the flat where I lived with Steve yesterday  to collect my last few belonging. There was just one box that Steve had claimed wouldn't fit in the car, it contained some kitchenware and the name plate I ordered for this place, Cuckoo's Rest. My grandchildren call me cuckoo so it seemed appropriate.

Unfortunately as Steve had been given plenty of notice of my daughter's visit he packed up a lot of stuff that he wanted to get rid of. So along with my stuff there was a lot of crap. I spent most of y'day evening and this morning sorting through it all. It includes a bag of nuts left from tge Christmas before last, a dog harness that is and always has been  too small for Beano, some CD's but no player. There is also a tangled nest of cables, I've no idea what they were for. This also gave Steve the opportunity to tell everyone how badly he's been treated especially as he claims my daughter took things from the flat that he had a sentimental attachment to!

Amongst other things there is a backpack, it's never been used so is in very good condition. When we first moved on to the boat there was a shopping trolley on board. Steve immediately threw it in the nearest bin, as he said we were too young to need a shopping trolley. As I did the bulk of the shopping I was not prepared to stagger along a muddy towpath with a piled high backpack. I purchased another shopping trolley a large one with three wheels either side that coped admirably with muddy towpaths. I still have it, it's still going strong.

Poor Beano

Apologies for the lack of posts.

It seems Beano has dementia, he's taken to howling if he's left alone.

 This will somewhat curtail my budding social life but I will do everything I can to keep him happy. He's been my comfort for the last 10 years so now I will be his.

He's slowing down and doesn't want to walk as far as he used to do so we wander around the village at a pace that suits him.

I'm still spoiling him as he is a funny little dog, he's my funny little dog.

D.I.V.O.R.C.E.

If you know the words, sing along, have I given you an earworm now?

I'm not currently planning on divorcing Steve although I have no objection if he decides he wants a divorce. He is more likely to want a divorce as he would like to remarry I'm sure. He is a few years younger than me and ever since his friend married a lady in her 50's he has wanted to do the same.

I see no point in lining a solicitor's  pocket for no good reason, Steve is due to inherit a reasonable sum of money at some point (if his family ever manage to stop arguing about it!) I'm not interested in taking money from Steve and as I said I will continue to pay the service charge for now to protect my credit rating.

I will discuss this with my family to see how they feel about it, Steve is not their father but I would like their opinions on this matter.

Why?

Why do I continue to pay the service charge for the flat I no longer live in?

Because I own the flat with Steve and if I didn't pay it, neither would he and I'd have a black mark against my credit rating. If Steve couldn't pay the bills on his own, he'd disappear and none of the bills would be paid.

There are 26 flats there and eight of them are for sale and one of them was for sale when we bought ours about three or four years ago.

I'm hoping that the flats will be upgraded eventually and will be more saleable. Currently Reading is awash with retirement flats. All I can do is wait and see what happens.

Every four weeks.

Every four weeks I receive my state pension, once my pension is in my account I move anything left from last month's pension into my savings account. Some months it gets moved back if I have a big expense. But mostly I manage to save enough to pay the service charge where I used to live.

Next I transfer some money to my daughter towards the mortgage payment for the bungalow. My only regular payments are the service charge for where Steve is living, for here it's water, insurance, electric, internet and the milk bill, these all come straight from my account. Other expenses are for food and the social events, £10 a week for two Autumn group meetings, at both there is food, enough so that I miss my next meal as I'm not hungry and £5 a month plus a raffle prize for the pensioner's  lunch and I don't eat another meal after that either.

I've spent a lot of money since I moved in on furniture, bedding and kitchen equipment.  I also bought a pair of shoes as mine are wearing out. I think I've got everything I need now so hopefully I can build my savings back up.

Lunch in the village.

I've just got back from having lunch with the pensioners group in the village. It cost £5 and you are asked to take a raffle prize, I took box of Lindor chocolates.

We had a delicious fish pie with peas and then sliced orange with chantilly cream, it was delicious and it means I don't have to cook today.

My life is non-stop excitement here!

Beano was delighted to see me when I got home and is now asleep on the sofa beside me so I'm going to relax and read a bit more of Peter Kay's T.V. big adventures on the small screen.

Thursday.

Someone asked if Steve has contacted me since I left.

Yes he has for an assortment of reasons, mostly made up and irrelevant.

He doesn't know where I have moved to, just that I'm in the same village as my daughter. I've told him I'm still staying with her.

His latest message was to say that he has to have surgery,  I replied, saying I hoped it would go well.

Sunny day.

We've had a lovely sunny day here.

I went to the coffee morning in the pub and took Beano with me, he was very well behaved and he did see George the pub dog, George is the reason why Beano loves the pub so much.

I managed to get some washing out on my new rotary line and with the sun and a breeze it mostly dried. Beano came into the garden with me and didn't want to come back indoors so I got out one of the garden chairs and sat out for half an hour with him. Eventually he needed a wee and so wanted a walk, he rarely used the garden as a toilet, after the walk he came indoors and snoozed on the sofa.

I litter picked in the park after I left the coffee morning and did did two more litter picks during Beano's other walks. I filled my bag five times with rubbish and shoved it in various bins around the village.

Mahonia

I have what I think is a Mahonia bush outside my bedroom window, I suppose it needs cutting back a bit, I may get round to it eventually. This morning there was a sparrow on the tallest stalk, clinging on as the plant waved to and fro in the wind. Beano was most curious, seeing the little bird waving around so close to the window.

I went to the surgery this morning for my appointment with the nurse unfortunately my appointment is for tomorrow, so I'll go again then!

I have not been able to get warm all day, I have plenty of layers on but I'm still cold. It doesn't help that I have to take Beano out for walks, so when I do start to warm up, a walk in the cold wind chills me again.

I now have two washable cotton bags for when I go litter picking so I will start collecting rubbish tomorrow when I walk Beano.

Where is the shepherd

One of the meals I regularly made for my family was fish pie, white fish in a cheese or parsley sauce mixed with mashed potatoes. This was so my one fussy eater wouldn't refuse to eat it, I sprinkled it with grated cheese and browned it in the oven.

The amount of fish included depended on how much I could afford so my children nicknamed the dish Hunt the Fish Pie! It was always a popular meal, so cheap and tasty.

Today I made Hunt the Shepherd's Pie although I have no idea whether the mince I used was lamb, beef or turkey. When I purchased it I divided each pack into four and froze them individually. I didn't label any of it because I don't care what meat I'm using.

So I started with a small block of mince that I had defrosted and to it I added the following veg, all chopped into smallish dice. Carrots, onion, red pepper, cherry tomatoes and spinach. I also added a handful of oats and some red lentils. As it's just for me and I'm not trying to deceive a fussy eater I haven't grated the vegetables, they are all in chunks. When I made this for my children the vegetables were all grated. 

I shall top this with mashed potatoes and serve with broccoli. I'm feeling hungry already so I will eat soon.

Babysitting.

I'm at Cass's, I'm looking after two of the children, Cass has taken one child and some of their friends out for a birthday treat. One of the tribe is at work, one is visiting their family and one is with a friend.

Cass has been unwell, a bug caught from the children but she's battling on. I've blitzed the kitchen for her, sorted the recycling, loaded the dishwasher etc, every little helps. She'll be home around 2:30 and will then take me home along with two more Ikea bags full of wet washing.

I've fed one of the children, the other doesn't want anything yet. Another one is due home any minute, so may need feeding then. There is plenty of food around, I'll prepare what they want when they arrive.

it's nice to feel useful.

I have a rice pudding in the oven.

I don't use my oven very often, it's not huge, it's not floor standing and it sits on my counter top. It only has one shelf but it's big enough for me. I didn't buy it new, it was second hand but had only been used once. I bought a two ring hob from AO and I cook most things on that. As I've said before, I moved in with just a bed and that was given to me by my youngest son. I purchased a very small fridge freezer also from AO. My furniture, a small sofa, chair and a bathroom cupboard, I bought from a charity warehouse. Cass gave me a wardrobe that was far too big for the bedroom it was in. I keep it in my living room, it probably looks strange there but I don't care. Nobody sees the bungalow apart from my family.

I lead a very quiet life, Autumn group, getting Cass's washing dry and walking Beano. It suits me just fine, no grief, no hassle, just peace.

Jobs are getting done.

I went to the Autumn group but no sooner had I  arrived than I received a text to say the handyman was on his way to start some of the jobs I'd asked him to do.

So I returned home to let him in, he re-attatched the kitchen door, re-fixed the mains cable that was dangling down around the facia, fitted the rails in the wardrobe and cleared the gutters. He'll be back tomorrow to fit a door handle and the rotary washing line.

 

Money.

There is a reason for why I still pay one of the bills where I used to live.  Because my name is on the lease and I don't want a back mark my name. I'm also worried that if I stop paying this bill Steve will stop paying the other ones.

I have more money than Steve, although we both only have a state pension, I paid my full contributions whereas Steve didn't so he gets less than me. Steve also spends a lot of money on beer whereas I only buy food although I have spent money on furniture and kitchenware since moving here. They were one off purchases and I'm not expecting to buy much else.

Cass dropped two more bags of wet washing with me this evening  the washing is now decorating the bungalow along with one load of my own washing that I did earlier, the dehumidifier is working overtime.

Dr's appointment tomorrow as I've moved to a new area, my first appointment. As requested, I have written a list of the medication I take. I shall walk Beano first and they go to the appointment. In the afternoon it's the Autumn group meeting which I'm looking forward to.

Another wet day.

Another wet day today so Beano only wanted a short walk first thing, if it dries up later he'll go out for a longer walk. If the rain doesn't stop he'll have to wait for a drier day and will then go out for five or six long walks to make up for his forced restrictions.

Cass and the tribe were unwell y'day but are all feeling better today so she will collect her dry washing and bring more wet washing over to me. She doesn't have a tumble dryer and neither do I but I will turn my heating up, set my dehumidifier running and distribute the washing around my bungalow. It usually dries over night.

As you can see my life is still quiet but so much happier without Steve's insistence on me remaining in permanent isolation.

I have kept in contact with a couple of neighbours and the manager from where I lived in the flat as I need to be advised if Steve moves away of installs a new lady friend. I'm still paying one of the bills for the flat as it's in joint names and I don't want any problems creeping up without warning.

It's taken a while!

But finally I am back online!

An engineer was supposed to turn up on Friday but no-one arrived!

About midday today two BT engineers arrived and by the time they left just after 4 o'clock I was finally online!

It's taken almost two months due to a catalogue of errors but at least I'm now able to blog again.

Back by the weekend

Allegedly I should be back online by the weekend but who knows. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'm enjoying myself and Beano is enjoying lots of walks, yes I do have a garden, but Beano treats it with complete scorn. He will run around in it but then wants to go for a walk!e

Still no internet.

But apart from that everything is going in the right direction.

There was a bit of a problem with deliveries as one of the neighbours kept stopping the delivery drivers as they were convinced that no-one in the bungalows was online. I have now managed to persuade him otherwise.

I'm gradually getting everything sorted out and I'm just waiting to get internet access. I may also buy a tv but I've not decided yet.

I'm enjoying life in the village, I've joined a group that meets weekly and arranged to go for a meal once a month also my daughter has purchased season tickets for the amdram theatre in the village.

It took a few weeks but I now feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, I can talk to the neighbours and any dog walkers I meet without worrying that Steve will throw a strop.

My grandchildren often drop in on their way home from school and it is lovely to see them.

My life has changed dramatically in a relatively short time.

Back again briefly.

I have a six week wait before I get internet so I can only post when I'm at Cass's house.

I have heating and hot water but no shower for a few weeks.

I don't know why no one can post comments, I've not set the blog that way but I will investigate further.

I've visited a couple of charity furniture warehouses and purchased a sofa, easy chair, chest of drawers and a small cupboard for bathroom storage.

I've organised a regular supermarket delivery and there is a shop in the village that is very well stocked.

My newest purchase was my curtains, I bought them in the Dunelm sale, they were very expensive but I wanted thick curtains as one of the neighbours tends to wander around at 3 a.m. looking for her cat. When she shines her torch in my window she was waking me up.

The neighbours are friendly but it is currently so cold (we've had snow) that and conversations are necessarily brief.

I'll post again when I am next able.

Still alive!

Just in case anyone was wondering, I am still alive and settling into my new home. I have no heating, no hot water and no internet but these will all get sorted eventually. 

Beano is confused but otherwise ok.