🦞🦂 *What are we up to?*🦂🦞

Yes indeed, it was hard coming back to an empty house but I managed to keep my tears to myself until DS left.
I stayed up knitting until it all felt normal again and was able to then sleep in relative peace.

I asked google the distance between our homes and kept getting different results!
It's about 40 miles, so a round trip journey is, by NZ standards at least, a long one - and with petrol at an historical high, pricey.
Still, my son feels I'm worth it!

I don’t like churches with chairs. To me, the pews mark out one difference between a church and a meeting place. We have various activities at our church but they are all church related.
Grmmaretto I didn’t realise your BiL was so young. That must have been such a shock to you all. Lovely photos.
kaimoana so pleased to hear you had such a lovely time with your family. Did you talk to your son about your need to find suitable housing. I always find it hard leaving family after spending time with them. The quietness gets to me.

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I guess if the churches can still be used it saves them from being sold out of community use.

One near us has become a training centre for people working at heights.

Another Church of Scotland has had all its pews replaced with stacking seats and is still used for services but also concerts and in a couple of weeks, it's a polling station.

I was on another long walk this morning which lifted my spirits somewhat.
It was sunny. The Cuckoo flower was blooming.

Kaimoana it does sound very unlike you to be surrounded by all this space age technology! I hope you aren't too sad going home to be on your own again.
Did you manage to speak about your needs to DS?

The mushrooms are Saint George's mushrooms, delicious at this time of year.

I can't believe I'm saying this. 40 years ago I was very hostile to mixed-use places of worship.

I still am, NS.

Dear Kaimoana, what a lovely, bittersweet day

I love the smell of washing dried outside - something gentle to be grateful for

Yesterday it was one of my granddaughters' birthday party and it was held in a beautiful church now well used by the community. When we had done the clearing up some locals turned up to set out the seating ready for the church service today. It felt right that this should be a place of ordinary life too.

I can't believe I'm saying this. 40 years ago I was very hostile to mixed-use places of worship

" When you are on your own things affect us more I think"

I agree. When its bad, you are marooned in a sea of your own sorrow.
When it's good you have no one to share it with.

Nevertheless, I can share with you

I had a wonderful time yesterday. All but my son were out and about for the first couple of hours so I was able to sit in the comfy kitchen and chat to him as he prepraed the meal.
And the robot vacuum cleaner (nicknamed Jolene) was scurrying round the room doing her job.

As probably befits an IT professional, DS2 has a smart house and a smart car.
Verbal comands are all it takes for any task to be accomplished in either.

I felt as if I'd just emerged from a Rip van Winkle dream to find myself in the future - slightly unsettling.

On the way home, I was filled with a sense of impending loneliness and fought the tears by chattering.

I don't mind living alone, in fact I prefer it but the contrast between such a happy, lively day with the grandchildren and their parents took a lot of self-control. I'm fine now.

Another sunny day and ideal for drying laundry, so I must get that out of the w/machine onto my covered deck.

Dear Grammaretto, I am so very sorry to hear of your sudden and unwelcome news. I send you hugs and flowers 💐

I hope, Doodle, you are feeling better today after that sad anniversary reminder. I guess that people and doings are all with the best of intentions but the emptiness is still all pervading when you get home and close the door on the outside world.

Have you had your family get-together yet, Kaimoana? I really hope that you've been able to take him aside and speak honestly about your problems.
Thinking about you, as always.

I heard from DS (😱) recently: he had been told, in a snigger whisper by DGS2, that a girl at school has a crush on his elder brother (10).

All the more embarrassing since he had recently been felled at his ju-jitsu class by another -shock-horror- girl. 😳.

Thankyou Doodle. I think it was completely unexpected. He was in his 50s. Maybe a heart attack.
My poor dear SiL.

Widowhood is not a club I would recommend. 😥

Oh Grammaretto
What a terrible day.
Thinking of you and your family

Oh my goodness Grammaretto I’m so sorry. What a shock for you all. Had he been unwell?
Not surprised if you’re a bit miserable. When you are on your own things affect us more I think. A phone call to your SIl often asking how she is would be the best thing I think.
Kaimoana hope you had a lovely time with your family. Love and hugs 💕

I am still in shock after hearing that my DBiL died unexpectedly and suddenly yesterday.
Hard to comprehend and not knowing what to do to help. My SiL lives in England so I am not sure how to help.

I hope walking group was good. Doodle and your hair is looking beautiful.

I had a look over yet another house for sale today. It's nice but I don't think it's the one for me.
It has a shower room on the ground floor but all the bedrooms are upstairs.

I wish we could call round and give you a big hug Kaimoana.

I should be going to hear my DGD in her orchestra tonight but I am too weary.

What a picture of misery I am today.

Kaimoana if i could i would pop over and give you a huge hug. You have so much to put up with.
Have a lovely time with the family and please talk to your son about moving to somewhere more suitable for you.
Grammaretto sorry you missed your day at the seaside. I’m getting very forgetful these days and overbook myself sometimes. Busy day today. Walking group first thing. Then hospice for lunch and late appointment at the hairdresser.

Oh Doodle while its natural to think and mourn, its so very sad for you. Sending love and courage.

Gram I DO hope you get to the seaside with your friends soon. You are very noble to honour that previous commitment

I am so much looking forward to my day with the family tomorrow ans trying to sweep away the contrast which, when I come home again, is endless days alone, knitting.

I used to love living alone and on some levels still do but now I drop and knock thing all the time having lost my spacial wareness.
In the kitchen I am a danger to myself so generally feel totally useless.

All my regular home care ladies are, for one reason and another, not working. So I get 'reliefs' and am grateful for them but each time a new one comes we have to start from the beginning with what to do. Often they are from a culture which does not have that British reserve which curbs the tongue So ask very personal questions. If I did not know better I would feel it impertinent.
Add to all that the feeling of being a burden and this wretched, everlasting earache..

Can someone pop round and give me a darn good shaking until I see sense? .

Another sunny day but its getting chilly now.
Summer began early so we knew it would tail off into chilly mornings early too.
Before global warming, it was normal to have clement, even hot days well into June.

Dear Doodle I am sorry that you've been brooding on the anniversary of that sad time.
I hope your bereavement group were able to help you through.
Please don't dream.

I had forgotten to cancel my volunteer shift tomorrow and now I've been asked to stay an extra hour as my colleague is sick. So I'll miss a fun day at the seaside.
Never mind. I can go to the seaside when this house business calms down.

I planted potatoes this afternoon. I hope to sell my building plot/garden separately or not at all. I love my garden so much.

Thanks for that G&T. I enjoyed it.

Well done Grammaretto estate agent sounds a nice chap.

I’ve been very sad a lot of the day. Today two years ago was DH’s last day at home and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve been out with friends this morning and to bereavement group this afternoon. I might go to bed early and just hope I don’t dream tonight.
Hope all are ok. Sleep well all

Well done Grammaretto. On all counts!
Sending our faithful old retainer up to Scotland with a 🍸

I hope Kaimoana is having a good day whether or not it's her birthday!

I was dreading showing the estate agent around. I enlisted a friend for moral support. It turned out ok. It was a young man who loved the house and said it would be a once in a lifetime experience to sell it.
He said the houses in England are hard to sell but Scotland is much better.

I'm shattered now and need a large G&T.

Btw, I sent 4 bras away to one of those cancer, charities.

Ooh, is it?
Happy birthday
🎂
Hope you have a lovely day anyway!

Kaimoana not sure is your birthday today? Is there cake 🍰?
Hope you have a lovely day.
Grammaretto not sure how the housemarket works in Scotland but having viewings from people whose house isn’t on the market yet doesn’t lead to a quick sale down south. Hope it works out for you.

Ha Ha! It took me 4 hours Doodle. It would have been much quicker for a faster walker. I stopped to chat to some patient labradors and their owner and sat down frequently.
I soaked in a bath when I got home.

While I was out my estate agent phoned to arrange to come out to get the selling process started. The agent for the one I want to buy also phoned. He has at least one other prospective buyer but their house isn't on the market yet either.
Enough of boring house stuff!!

Is it your birthday today. Kaimoana?
Whether or not I hope you enjoyed the time with DS and Gubbins and her mum
She must be getting big now.

I'm still constantly amazed at the speed of growth despite having watched it many times.
One of my DS - the tall one- grew half an inch a month. I have the evidence, rather worn, on the kitchen wall. Not on a removable chart unfortunately.

I must measure the treadle sewing machine which I'm about to sell on Facebook. Someone wants to know if it will fit in her car. I had at least 8 responses. It must be too cheap but I don't care. It has to go!

Have a gentle day Lobstars.

Four hours ?! Where do you get the stamina. If I manage an hour I think I’ve done well. Sounds a nice walk though
Beautiful pictures
Bambo bras sound painful Ixion all those shoots sticking up everywhere. Mine have no underwires or clasps but lots of elastic just to keep things above waist level.
NN thongs. No like wire big and comfy that my motto 🤣

Grammaretto i suddenly got a mental image of all these pandas wearing underwired bras 🤣🤣
I hope you get some money for your books. Are you planning to sell some? Oh now I can imagine you at home with Manuel
Que 🤣🤣

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Thanks for the link to the bra charities. I shall try to send mine off.

However I now have the estate agent coming later this week so my mind is concentrating on house.

I went on a walk today by myself to suss out this new route in a familiar place. It took me four hours! It took me through streams to cross, gates to climb and bulls in a field. they look docile . My walking group won't like it.
It was a sunny day. Was it sunny where you are Lobstars?

And if they are well worn, bravissimo has a scheme I think

Or here?
www.youunderwear.com/pages/smalls-for-all-1?hl=en-GB#:~:text=Have%20you%20got%20any%20gently,Calder%2C%20H55%208PN%2C%20United%20Kingdom