Monday 8 December 2008

Finally a post after a long absence

I am writing this in the kitchen at home where I am the worse for wear. I am off work with the end of a virus I have had all over the weekend and today have been to the doc's and have a prescription for my chest - I also cannot speak as my voice has gone and my throat is raw.

I haven't posted for a while I have been reading and ocassionally commenting and sometimes buying but I havent had the heart to blog a couple of weeks ago as I had planned.

I know we all try and be cheerful on our blogs but I don't feel that way at the moment. I suppose I am wallowing in self pity and anger at this time. A couple of weeks ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetis which was a shock to say the least. My colleague took my blood a couple of times ( she is a type 1) and was concerned so I went for the tests and lo and behold there it was and high cholesterol. I am annoyed with myself for getting this way and am working hard to get the cholesterol down and taking the tablets for the dreaded 'D'. I am enjoying all the wonderful side effects of headaches, nausea, and the runs.

I am feeling angry that I have not been sick for over 2 years and was feeling fine and dandy until this happened. Now I am living under a constant worried cloud - trying to cut out the things to get the cholesterol down and wondering if all the fruit etc is bad for the 'D'. When I left the doctors I was given no advice, no paperwork, nothing just told to come back in a month to see how I was dealing with the cholesterol. I know its my fault - the lack of exercise - I certainly do not overeat and we eat very healthily its just the lethargy that sets in after the chores are done after work and we dont even have a wlak in the evening anymore. I am overweight and I guess this is a wake up call to get me to deal with it. So that makes me angry with myself.

I started on Thursday feeling sick and hot and by Friday was away with the fairies. I felt terrible and then the voice went - I know this is coincidence and nothing to do with 'D' and even 'C' (cholesterol) but it takes me down further. However my woes are superficial compared to my Dad's.

On Thursday I had the worst news I have ever had in my 52 years. My Dad has had prostate cancer for over 2 years but it diminished with drugs and was at bay. Now however the tumour has got bigger and seems to be on the move - his kidneys are clear but we hear on Thursday what is the next thing to happen to him but they have said they won't operate. Now I see that as a bad thing - does it mean its too bad or what? We have been a lucky family with illness but we are a small family and this is my Dad we are talking about - who has always been there for me - even when my Mam wasn't! He is so very precious to us all and it is going to be hard to feel festive this year.

I know life goes on but we are all in deep shock at the moment..................... I have thanks to post for purchases and some pics to add but not today.

I hope no-one minds me posting such a blog but I want to let people know I am still here but sad

Monday 13 October 2008

Bargain Sunday!!







Went to Elsecar on Sunday and found exactly what we have been looking for the conservatory. I wanted a smaller table than the old Ercol we had in there - to give us more room and small enough that we could eat at it and I could sew small things at it!.

I am off today on a flexi day - what is this weather like - I have been washing and cleaning today and I cant get it out fast enough before it dries. Bad news though that means I should be ironing now instead of going off into town.

The table was originally £125 reduced to £85 - Elsecar has a collectors fair once a month but there is a building full of booths and cabinets that is there permanently and it was in one of those. The guy had left his phone number on the wall so Alan gave him a ring to ask his best price - which I thought was cheeky when it was already - he said he could have it for £75! I nearly fell over. He then rang one of the ladies who work there so she knew what he had said - it fitted in the car so off we went clutching our gorgeous table.

I have also managed on Saturday to rearrange the conservatory so I now have my two sewing/crafty boxes handy and have moved some of the books to the front room. Two of the pics are of the shelves Alan has added around two walls of the conservatory - it is 96degrees in there at the moment and I would love to spend the rest of the day in there fiddling about and reading but I have to go to the butchers and the bakers etc! so we can eat.

We went to Bedale on Saturday and were pleased to see that the shops we liked had got better. There is a shop called the Red House and it had the most gorgeous stuff in it. I saw some lovely Art Deco original border tiles that I really want for the bathroom I was going to go off white and aqua's and F&B greeny blues, but then I saw these tiles they are just off white with a soft checkered pattern on them in a soft black sounds silly but they were it wasnt a harsh black - they are lovely - need to persuade Alan now. Bedale is only about 5 miles away but we havent been for ages we have had DIY free weekend because of the weather this might be the last weekend like we had.

We were thinking about going to the Vintage & Handmade Fair but its a lot of petrol and we need to stay two nights - so we are thinking its a lot of expense. It will at least £300. I would dearly love to see all the bloggers in person but its a long journey for us Northern Ladies! I am going to very jealous when eveyone is blogging about the day and how they met up - my friend at work is going to ban me from reading blogs in my lunch break after the 22nd November because it will put me in a mood!
The trouble is that money would buy me a bath and taps and maybe even a basin for the bathroom wouldn't it. I have to get on and get it done asap because the carpet for the stairs is waiting to be fitted and ther is no point until all the mess has been up and down them from the bathroom.
Right I must go - I have just added my old Ercol table and two pine chairs to Freecycle - so I have no excuse now to be on the laptop.

Wednesday 8 October 2008

We are decorated and carpeted - blissful nights ahead

Another post that is a bit upside down - ie I wrote the bottom bit first so the title refers to further down in the posting. Just a few pics around the house and some of this weeks creations.

I got these little tiny cupcake candles in Whitby this summer and the little hive candle in a charity shop in Pickering - I have had the other bits of china for a long time but they all live happily side by side in the dresser
This pretty cup and saucer was a recent bargain isn't it lovelyThe two little black bowls were Nana's, one is glued together very badly but I still love them and the little jug was a charity shop buy this year - I think it was 99p This is what is on the top of my bargain dresser - we haven't really had the weather to get it outside, strip it and paint it this year but I have high hopes of using the garage later on though I haven't told Alan he thinks its a job he has got away with doing yet! The original Roberts radio was picked up about 5 years ago in a fleamarket for £4 - it gives perfect reception and will go in the conservatory at the weekend. I must get that picture hung up on the wall - there is a velux above the dresser so its lovely when the sun shines - whats that you say? I'm afraid I should have zoomed in on the image a bit more.
This is the gorgeous box I bought off the very talented Lucy Bloom some time ago - I was so thrilled with it aren't you envious???
This is our printers tray in the kitchen it hung in the hall in the other house - I think we probably have enough stuff to start another one! Alan got loads of printing bits from a bin that were being thrown out at the Police HQ - they are brilliant and very different. There are lots of old police badges and lovely signs - see the direction ones on the top of the tray and there is a bobby with his hand up to stop on the top left. There are tiny teddies and little ornaments that were in my Mam's jewellery box in the bottom underneath the tray. I have the box and when its unpacked will post it - her Dad made it for her and it is so simple - she didn't want it but I certainly did. I wear a lovely old gold ring that was my Nana's instead of my wedding ring which grew too tight(!) and this weekend it snapped luckily I was at home and felt it fall off - Alan is going to see if we can get it mended. I am not a jewellery person at all but do love that ring very much as she always wore it and she loved Alan and I getting married very much. She was almost 99 when she died and left me with lots of lovely memories and things ......... She was a perfect Nana when Peter and I were little - she always had time for us - she even had a bag of sand which ashe would haul out onto a blanket for us to play with in winter!! and she always gave us tinned strawberries with evaporated milk - yummy I can taste them now.......................
These are guilty purchases from LA - I know I can make them but I am never going to get round to it and those chairs are hard!!! I got 6 pads and they are so soft
3 reversible cushions not 6 different ones! From my fabric stash - to match Arundel (LA) curtains that are now three widths wide not two - what a job it was like hauling a sail around the table. The carpet is down, the curtains are up and there are even cushions made for the bed! No pix up on the walls nor shelving for my bits yet and no bedroom door on as it needs planing post carpet being fitted and we forgot to do a second coat on it as well.

Apart from spilling 750ml of F&B oil eggshell paint on the floorboards, down my blouse, trousers and shoes - through the floorboards as well the job went fine. I had to remove my trousers in the bay window! to drop them onto the newspaper that David ran and got for us as the disaster took place. I had to scrub myself with turps on my leg in the shower before it would come off and everything had to go in the bin!
We have no wardrobes yet either as they need building in - Oh but the bliss of carpet under your feet and we even freecycled the big old dirty rug.

We finally fitted the shelves in the downstairs front room after making carboard templates and then cutting the shelves to suit. Worth it and a useful tip for fitting shelves into old alcoves.

We could hardly get out of bed on the Monday am after working flat out all weekend but it was worth it. We are tempted to find a little bedroom fireplace and cover the badly finished wall then it will stop me filling the room with more furniture but then a little narrow table would be nice instead................. we will see.
Its the auction again this Friday so we will take a look - we are looking for a small table for the conservatory instead of the old Ercol round one we have in there now - something we eat on and I can do my sewing on as well. I was able to extend the kitchen table and position the ironing board at the end of it with a piece of plywood on top to give the me the length to turn back up the curtains. I sewed one triple width hem and lining during Saturdays Strictly and the other during the Sunday results show. We were lucky with the bay window in our room as someone in previous years had painstakingly cut and fitted wood around the curve of the bay ceiling so we could hang tracking from there, instead of at the window itself so we put up new tracking and thought it was all going too smoothly.

When I went upstairs on Sunday night after Alan had hung the curtains ( I was determined to go to bed with curtains up that night! and then I closed my eyes to get the full effect...............Hmm - the bay window seems to lift at the right hand side as it gets to the end nearest Alans side of the bed thus the curtains seem to rise up and they are two inches too short at that side because of it - I could have cried but I was too tired and panic if I can't get to sleep on a Sunday night. So I gritted my teeth and went to bed. Its only a room I know but I sweated doing it all!!

We are facing the problem at the weekend as its no good attempting jobs during the weeknights - plus the rerun of Goodnight Sweetheart has started again and when I get in Alan is watching the tele - whereas he would do a job in the time before we had tea - no more alas - he must have seen that series at least four times all the way through.

Now on a complete chage of subject
Has anyone ever had a glitch with a subscription with Country Living - I finally got my subscription started after writing to them several times - then I only got two issues - I have to be honest I havent read many mags they were sitting in plastic wrappers until about August - so I started ploughing through them all and noticed there werent any American CL's since the May isssue. I got out all my correspondance tonight and went on the website - when I checked my details it said it was undeliverable due to incorrect details and the account was suspended. Why didnt they email me and say something. The strange thing is that the details they hold are correct so I emailed Customer Services to ask what is going on. I will keep you informed but has anyone out there had problems.

Right I must go to bed and continue to try and catch up with my magazine backlog - its now one hour later it took me all that time to add the pics at the top and a bit more blurb
Good night all

Friday 19 September 2008

Bunging on some pictures and not much text










As usual got the pics in the wrong place!!
I am not going to go on the internet this weekend as we are having a blitz on jobs and once I get on thats's it - hours disappear and so does the weekend. We hope to get upstairs and sand and paint our room. Some of the pics are the back room finished with the wall lights finally up and the front room fireplace with the offensive oak sides removed, painted and shortly (Sat am ) to have new glass uplighters added. Also the promised picture of the lovely bargain chair which is so comfortable I sat last night in the conservatory on it with Karen Black singing to me it was blissful.

So here goes - but I bet I sneak on to read blogs secretly!

Tuesday 16 September 2008

My other house





This is one of our hobbies that has been neglected over the past year but it is finally in place in the conservatory. It is a house with a shop at the side and the shop belongs to a man who makes and repairs chairs - hence the workbench - this room is my husbands work and is the only room we have done to date.
We have four boxes of things we have collected for the house and now we just need time (!) and we may get some more decorating in the house done (the dolls one of course)
I came home tonight to a surprise - Alan had come home in his dinner hour and fitted my wall lights in the back lounge they are lovely - he will attempt the centre fitting tomorrow but my daughters floorboards have to come up to fasten the fitting to the ceiling - there is a ceiling rose and it is wrong in the 30's house but its far too much work to remove it now.
We now have some small spot lights to attach to the beam in the conservatory and then at last we will have lights out there as well.
My friend and I went to the local auction in our lunch hour on Friday and saw some carver chairs which I wanted for the kitchen. I knew Alan was coming back from Skipton and finishing early so I rang him and asked him to look at them and bid if he thought they were OK.
Anyway he rang to sayhe hadn't bought the pair but had bought the other chair that we had raved about and sat in and thought would go for a lot of ££££. He got it for £40 - it is a real chair for Father Christmas to sit in or Grandads to read books to children in. Its coming into the kitchen when all the light boxes have gone and the shelves and brackets for the conservatory are not being stained and the shelves for the front room aren't being painted etc etc. I will take a photo soon and show it off on here. We aren't going to touch the colour of the chair its lovely and worn in all the right places yummy.
I am off to read one of my mags now with a cuppa and then an early night I think - the last few nights have been long and uncomfortable as I woke up with sciatica on Sunday morning - can't seem to shake it off - a visit to the osteopath would do the trick but as the local diy stores and lighting shops have gobbled up the ££ this month I am putting up with it.
Night night



Monday 15 September 2008

Update on 'Bloody XL'!!

Adam has re-booked the flights and Vicky's Dad has been assured he will get some of the money back but not before the holidy. I just hope that whoever they have the flights with doesn't go under before they get there!!

Friday 12 September 2008

Bloody XL Holidays

My son Adam and his fiancee Vicky and6 other memebrs of her family were off to Florida in 5 weeks - they have lost everything. They didnt want to have credit card debts so they have been planning this for 18 months - her Dad paid for the flights and accomodation so he has lost £6k. Adam and Vicky paid for the minibus for the lot of them for 2 weeks and bought their attraction tickets in advance so they have lost £1400.

Adam has never been anywhere like this so he was so excited to be going. They are all gutted and I don't know what to say. They might get their flight money back but not in time

Tuesday 2 September 2008

Back after a long blogging break.......................

Sand sculptures at Filey - this is another upside down post - its late now and I need to think about adding pics - I will fathom it out another day!!









Hi there to everyone - I have returned after a long break. I felt that my postings were just about everything that was going wrong - so I have been there reading and commenting on others but just getting the bad things out of the way. In the greater scheme of things they were not important but at the time they seemed so.


Anyway in the meantime I am pleased to sat we now have new laminate in the hall and front room and a new carpet in the back lounge - the carpet is heaven after so many months of hard flooring. The sweet peas above must have been the first ones from the garden as I have had the Laura Ashley eau de nil polka dot table covering on for several weeks now - up to now I have had twelve jugs of them and even taken some for my desk at work - they have been glorious. We have munched the beans - eaten the strawberries - with difficulty I might add to say they were tart would be an understatement!


We have the composter bubbling away after moving to a better position and have cleared another small area for more veg - the beetroot and carrots are looking good - though my Mum will be given the beetroot to 'do'!!


At last I have a chest freezer in the garage (which we can access through the utility) I spent many winters trekking across the garden to the freezer in the garage in my last home so this will be bliss. It is at last filled the ginnells - now we can start enjoying the smaller shopping trips - I hate grocery shopping so the less trips the better for me


Alan and I have been on leave since the bank holiday - we havent been anywhere except for days out. I am happy to be at home quite honestly - I sit at my desk longing to be there reading or doing a jigsaw ( my unwinding time) so that is what I have done these last few days.


We went to Filey one day and I went to 'Summer by the Sea's ' lovely shop - her very well behaved and very polite children were there. She is lovely and it is so nice to meet a blogger in person. I can read her blog in a different way now - we had a lovely day in Filey - its a lovely seaside town with a tremendous beach- huge, clean and very very long................. Here are some pics of the sand sculptures people had made - the day was a bit overcast but lovely and warm


We went to Reeth yesterday in Swaledale and then over to Barnard Castle - the day was lovely but very windy - then onto Alan's Mum for a visit. Forgot to say we went to visit the Fat Sheep where Marmalde Rose has some of her lovely bags on sale but it was shut - I was just telling her in a comment that I had said there wouldn't be much open on a Monday and it occurred to me that that may be why Alan was so keen to go out!! No he wouldn't do that - would he??

Tuesday 15 July 2008

Beans, apples, water lilies in the sunshine

Here is the unit from the shed we just need some new kickboard now - its Wednesday tomorrow so Alan will go with his 'pensioners' card and a list and get 10% discount!!
Because I am not normally home during day this is the first time I have seen the one of the water lilies out in bloom - havent caught it very well but you can see one of the fishes head out of the water!

This is Alan watering our beans and sweet peas. We also have spring onions and lettuce growing there. With leeks just along to the left. I was munching the first dwarf beans last night - they were lovely. I went to get the dozen blueberries I have grown to top the fruit salad last night and everyone had been eaten by the birds! Needless to say they now have netting over them.


These are the dwarf broad beans they are ready to eat now but the ordinary ones are not full yet.



This is the decking - obviously - we think it has been built too high?? What do you think - we thought we might chop a bit off the spindles and put it all back again!

This is my apple tree - our neighbour said they are lovely - I can't wait. We have planted carrots, onions and beetroot at the bottom of the garden and they are all coming through. Our other garden was different levels but this flat and I can see more of it going over to produce to be quite honest we were late getting going this year but potatoes are definately going in at the end of the year.
Well this has been a more cheerful post than of late - we are having a break from the house for a while after the back lounge is done - fund recovery is necessary and energy levels are low. We need to sit back soon and enjoy the fruits (and veg!!) of our labours.





A cheery post!!


This is the 1930's fireplace removed from my brother's house and fitted in my 1930's house today!! Yippe we are getting there at last. I feel like we are on the home straight now. We have to line two walls that aren't so good - they are originals and the rest have been replastered by the previous owner - he put thick polystyrene in the alcoves for noise reduction and then plastered over them - I must admit we have never heard a sound from next door. New dado has been added as his was too high and new coving in the extension after the ceiling was down. Still searching for light fittings at the moment and have decided to go for downward shining ones so they dont highlight the ceiling!

We had a gap in the kitchen and had the spare tumble dryer parked in there as Dad got me a condensing one and its in the utility but as we dont know how long it will last and ours was relatively new we decided to keep in in the garage covered over for the time being. There was a little 300m cupboard next to it. This was removed and left a 1000mm space and in the garage had been fitted a 1000mm cupboard. So this has been cleaned up and fitted in the space. Its marvellous and I have gained so much storage. The space in the shed has been filled with the dresser base I had in the kitchen when we first came and that was in the garage. That space has been filled with the Ikea basic shelving we had had in my workroom at the old house and Bob's your uncle! Now has anyone else grown up with that saying?? Everyone has storage where they want it and we can rest for the day. Tomorrow the lining paper goes on and then the big job of THE WALLPAPERING starts............................................... Pause for music!



Wednesday 9 July 2008

Plaster disaster update!!

Well today is Wednesday and we now have a newly plastered and coved ceiling at the back of the disaster lounge - Richard once again came to the rescue and did a wonderful job. I think he should be knighted!

On Sunday night we were brushing water out of the garage for 35 minutes in the tremendous downpour - we couldnt let it in because there are lots of boxes in there still including Kate's new bed and drawers. By the following night we had sandbags inside - that was lucky because on Monday we had another one identical but only for about 25 minutes - the sandbags held. Richard and Alan are going to add a soakaway thingy. Last night Alan was sanding ceiling again - its pretty good considering its 1938. We are going to put a coat of emulsion on so we can identify any rough areas still there. We have also decided to sand the two original walls (the others have been plastered by the previous owner) and line them with 1200 grade lining paper before adding Percy to the walls, after so much effort it has to be right. We will be restoring the picture rail asap and that will make the room lighter and the papering easier.

We are still having problems with the laminate flooring man. He has been and relaid the hall but has now decided that he doesn't think its right so he said he had arranged for the rep to come today. Surprise, surprise the rep isn't able to come now after we once again emptied the hall and cleaned the floor ready for the visit. When he came to sort out the hall he was also supposed to change one of the boards in the lounge as it was dipping - he forgot to do that! I just want to say ************** and pay him and get on with life! sorry still no pics to add - mind you they owuld only be off horrible old walls etc etc. I forgot to take pics of the disaster day as well

Wednesday 2 July 2008

Well the weekend that was!!!!!

Well- the weekend!!

We had booked a plasterer who said £200 and he would come and PVA the ceiling Friday night then him and his mate would come and skim on Saturday.

What really happened was this: He turned up with his gear on Friday night and dumped it on the drive - we were worried it might be pinched so hauled it all inside. He was in a rush so said he would PVA tomorrow and come Sunday to skim. Last words - see you at 9.00am

Saturday - Richard came at 8.00pm and made a splendid job of making the hatch bigger and fitting our gorgeous QVC steps - great. By 11.00am I rang the plasterer - no answer so I texted him - got an text back at 1.20pm!!! to say - sorry he couldn't lie he had been at an all night party - you know how it is!!! No actually I don't!! - He would be there in half an hour. He finally turned up at 3.00pm and PVA'd the ceiling and went off saying he would be back at 11.00am on Sunday.

Sunday dawned - I left Alan in waiting for him. I was in Homebase using my 15% voucher on paint etc and replacing Alan's Black & Decker Mouse sander. Alan phoned at 1.10pm to say he hadn't arrived yet and would I ring him - so I did - he said he was having his dinner first and he would be there in an hour!!! He finally turned up at 2.15pm and started to plaster leaving a hell of a mess as he worked.

After about an hour (he was huffing & puffing and sweating - I kept giving him water - I am sure it was drink - he was red eyed) He shouted me to come quick - there were huge blobs appearing in the plaster and it was dropping off the ceiling and taking the artex off with it!
He said that he could only think that whoever had put the artex on hadn't PVA'd the ceiling first and because he had wet it with the plaster as then the plaster dried it was pulling it off - it was falling off as he was speaking! If it wasn't so awful it would have been funny. So he and Alan decided to quickly scrape off all the plaster and the artex came off as well but you can imagine the mess that created. It was everywhere - he hadn't at that point done the extension ceiling at the back of the room which was the reason that we were skimming the ceiling!

Anyway off came the plaster, I started scooping it all up with a shovel and so did Alan - the guy said he would give us a hand but then proceeded to remove his gear which coincidentally took as long to remove as it took us to scrape it off the floor and bag it up. (he did take away the bags of plaster for us) Hey - who needs a sauna!

We then asked him what we could do with the back ceiling - he climbed up and peeled the tape off which was masking tape! stuck on over unplastered plasterboard. He said he could only suggest Alan steamed off the artex and then had it plastered. He was most concerned that we would say he was rubbish at his job and that it had never happened to him before - we assured him it wasn't his fault as it wasn't. I could have said your reliability and timekeeping are rubbish but I didn't. We asked how much he wanted and he said £100 - so we paid and he went off to the pub!

So - after a cllo drink - it was so hot - Alan gets the steamer set up and starts to steam and scrape the artex off - after about 10 minutes the plasterboard started to disintegrate and fall off. So he pulled down the ceiling and coving (just in the back area which is about 13ft x 6 ft. What a mess - all had to be bagged up again by us!

It was so badly done he was glad at the end he had taken it down - we rang Richard and he came the next night to inspect it all! and he is coming to re-plasterboard it on Sat am when Alan has added more noggins etc.

Whilst it is open Alan called my brother (an electrician) becuase he could see the wiring for the lights and we wanted to add another light at that end of the room. That was fitted last night.

So what a long winded way to get a wall light up! and artex off a ceiling - hope you haven't fallen asleep reading this - it was so awful at the time we just laughed and I still love my house after all this - Mam and Dad were appalled at how much we are having to do but it is our choice.

Waht I forgot to mention is that Sunday and Monday evening Alan has sanded the main ceiling with his little Black & Decker Mouse (wonderful tool thoroughtly recommend it) and it looks lovely - just a couple of littel cracks to fill - I can't unerstand why they covered it in artex.

Last night we spent hours hoovering the plaster from the under the skirting boards and getting the dust up, now the floor is washed it looks qquite presentable - an any one else's eyes its actualy a dump but after Sunday afternoon when it was covered in huge lumps of damp plaster and artex its paradise.

Sorry I have no photos to add and its just boring writing .................

Friday 27 June 2008

Weekend Working..............

Busy days ahead over the weekend here in bay window land. Richard who is our favourite chap (he does loads of things for us that Alan doesnt know how to and Alan assists and learns at the same time) is coming to widen our loft hatch on the landing, fit a very clever ladder we have bought off QVC and then hopefully Alan will supervise our two sons putting flooring down in the loft. I am so excited because then we can get some boxes up there out of the way at last. I would love to be able to sit in the wonderfully sunny conservatory we have without having to wedge a chair in between boxes and spare furniture.



The back room that we are currently decorating has taken a bit of a turn for the worse ie the decarting has ground to a halt. We have an extension (it added about 6' to the room) and the ceiling is awful you can see the tape on the plaster board and its also where the flat roof leaked so there is a nasty stain. It is artexed which I hate but only very slightly so we are having the whole room ceiling skimmed over the weekend. He is coming tonight to do the first stage and then Sat or Sun to do the rest of it. Then we can get on. The fireplace almost fell over when we removed the fire surround so Alan had had to make brackets to fasten it against the wall. The surround we have from my brother is lovely but the opening is a bit bigger than the fireplace so we are busy modifying it with black painted wood! It will look good - honestly! Alan also blacked the fireplace last night - it looks very good. We are getting there. It will be so nice to get the paper on at last I have always coveted the 'Percy' paper from and it should be an improvement on the room hopefully making it lighter as it is prone to being a little dark.



Have been trying to source some wall lights and a centre light fitting that we both like and can afford some of them are astronomic. So any pointers to websites or shops with good selections would be gratefully received. We prefer double wall lights and I wanted a triple centre fitting we also need four sets of wall lights hence the bargains needed.



I have written to the local council this week to ask if they have any record of our foundations being dug deeper than required for the garage then we can start investigating the cost of it all.
We are now trying to distribute all the things that we got together and Kate bought for when she was moving out. She is still looking for a house share with girls as she says she is ready to move out anyway. Hence I now have a new microwave because I bought her one! mind you mine was a bit dodgy and had a hole on the top side where I melted it by leaving a hot lamp next to it after a power cut!!

My gorgeous blue delphiniums were snapped in two by the viciuos wind we had - I was sooo cross. Am also cross with myself for deleting all the before photos of the garden. Anyway we got some more lettuce, carrots and beetroot planted this week.

Other big news here is that my son Adam and his fiancee have booked their wedding for next August. They have been very sensible and booked it all in a lovely local hostelry and we are having the ceremony there as well. It has a lovely riverside garden and they prefer to do small 'do's'. There are ex-parents to invite etc etc but they are determined to make it 20 close family for a wedding lunch (its a Friday) and then a do at a cricket club on the Saturday evening for the rest of the family and friends. So my frock won't need to be posh! and Vicky wants a really noce dress but not a wedding dress. They have both said they don't believe in spending loads of money on one day - it well be better spent on a wedding as they want to move to a whole house (ie not the quarter sized one they have now) as soon as they can.

Right must go and get on - but first be warned I had to give in with Supanet and pay them £103.91 to get out of the contract. Please, please be warned about these Internet Service Providers and read the very very small print - they have you every way you turn. In the end I just gave in and paid as I was starting to lose sleep over it. I would thoroughly recommend 02 we were up and running in one week which is fantastic.

See you all later, hope you all have a good weekend, in order to keep out of the workmens way I have offered to check out the charities and the Laura Ashley sale - now aren't I kind!!

Saturday 21 June 2008

Exhausted from stripping..........!!!!!!

These are some of the
things I have in and on
top of my dresser - I have
so many other boxes to
unpack yet I am going
to have to be selective
and maybe sell on some
of my 'stuff' !!









Don't worry I haven't got a night job - stripping the walls and washing off horrible gluey paste - yeuk. Poor old Alan thought we were finished and then I pointed out the wall at the top that is where they added an extension on - so more water in the steamer. We had the conservatory doors and windows open and it was pouring outside - all the windows were steamed up and so were we. More gardening last night after stttling own for a cool drink after tea and a 'watch the pond' session we made some decisions on the garden and got up and did it there and then. Shrubs out, acers moved. path planned, carrots moved!! all go.........

Tomorrow should be adding dado round the room, then painting of dado and all paintwork. Have had a delivery of my brother's unwanted 1930's fireplace. Tall with an oval mirror -in lovely condition. So tomooorrow I can see it in situ as the horrible dark shiny one is now off - so the nice clean, decorated front is piled high with 'stuff' again. Still we have broken the back of the job today and it was pouring down anyway - what more could you ask to be doing on a rainy afternoon - Yes I know, reading , resting , watching an old film, those days are on hold in this house.
Right its 9.30pm there is film I would like to watch but typical of tele now it starts after midnight and we only have trash all evening - we haven't even had it on tonight. May as well go to bed with Alan, tea and Country Living!