Help calm me, house buying and selling stress. Part 4

Feeling rather smug . Finished clearing a large bed of old plants and weeds. Moved a few large rocks with spade and fork so I could resite a plant into better position. But that me done have to have a couple of days from gardening but achieved what I wanted. My tree saw arrived today. Have a go with it the weekend.

Franbern sounds like you have your Sainsbury's run down to a fine art. It's safer for your daughter at home. Puts your mind at rest.

Have a good day everyone think I'll have a nap after lunch.

Wow Shandy, just look how many people are coming on here to wish you Happy Birthday! Hope the dog walk was good and uneventful!
Franbern, if you were to drive a junction or two down the M5 and I were to drive a junction or two up we might one day meet in the middle. You sound relieved your daughter is now self isolating but it must be frustrating for her. My GS was diagnosed with ITP at Whipps when he was a toddler. They said it might have been due to a vaccination.
Whiff, thank you for opening up a discussion about deep cleaning a property for occupants. Interesting. It is going to be an expensive job for landlords or tenants too. Something to bear in mind Sue although it might not be necessary. Glad you have been busy in the garden Whiff, now take a rest.
Good luck for your husband's scan Grammaretto.

oh I am late to the party

A very happy bithday shandy xx

Happy birthday Shandy, hope you have a very relaxing one.
I tend to agree with Grammaretto and others about cleaning your old place. I know we have our pride and don't want to leave the house unclean but I have to confess to doing just that. I had fully intended to give it a good going over before the new owners took over. Even asked my cleaning ladies if they would come and do it. Everyone, including my mother told me I was mad. As the place will be demolished in a matter of weeks it did seem a little pointless. In the end I ran out of time and the clean did not happen. I would have been more concerned about this had the purchasers not done us out of over $100,000 and had respected our wishes about no access before settlement. Had someone been going into the house to live it would have been cleaned.

Craftyone, I'm not sure what your sisters have been told or by whom but I believe we have been kept pretty well and honestly informed, albeit after perhaps a slow start. The numbers here are quite low compared with other countries but, as far as I am aware, it is still expected that between 60 - 80% of the population will be affected at some time. We are about to come into winter which from what I have read provides the best conditions for the virus. The fact that our winters are nowhere as cold as those in the Northern Hemisphere may or may not be a positive for our numbers.

As at 3:00pm on 8 April 2020, there have been 6,013 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia. There have been 105 new cases since 3:00pm yesterday.

Of the 6,013 confirmed cases in Australia, 50 have died from COVID-19. More than 319,000 tests have been conducted across Australia.

There is plenty of information available. It may be the information coming from the West Australian Government is not as good as it could be. I don't know but I believe we are adequately informed.

We had a Facetime session with DS and DIL yesterday and the 2 GS which was good. GS's (3 & 5) were there just long enough to tell us how they had been "playing" with a bull ant nest and managed to be bitten before running off to do something more interesting. Term 2 will start next week in Victoria but students are expected to do remote learning. Not sure how that is going to work the parents will be informed by their schools of what to process will do. Classes are not expected to return to normal schooling during this term which will end in June.

Sue, they are in WA and are expecting 20% to be affected. I have put them right

It has been a cracking day, beautiful weather and I got my lafuma recliner out, sat back in it with a tonic and frozen lemon and a sunshade umbrella attached behind me. I got off after reading and realised that the elastics were on the point of perishing, I might have ended stuck in the lafuma with my bottom on the floor. For £10 I have ordered a new set of elastics

So I ate well today, enough veg. I cannot be bothered with any real cooking though, everything is quick and good for me. I have been avoiding my easter treats, plums in chocolate and dark chocolate walnut whips. I would love some ice cream, something else I get cravings for but I will make some easiyo yoghurt and churn it in my ice cream maker. That will have to suffice

I saw a bumble bee on my blueberries today and a blackbird came to drink from my water feature, all is well

Happy birthday Shandy. Have never posted on this topic but read it regularly and you seem such a nice lady, so glad to hear you have sold your property. Best wishes. x

Happy birthday Shandy, hope you’ve had a lovely day. I’ve followed this thread from the beginning, and look forward to reading most days. We moved house last July it was the most horrendous move we’ve ever had everything that could go wrong did,plus lots of family illness thrown in too,the only saving grace was it was over a relatively short three months , it then took us another three months to get the house sorted,but boy it took the stuffing out of me, totally lost last summer, so we were so looking forward to this year, until the virus ! Onwards and upwards. Good luck with your house sale. All the very best to you all.

morning friends, another lovely day to come and I had a good nights sleep, took cbd gummie because my shoulders have been suffering, heavy lifting in the garden no doubt. I also took 2 of my precious paracetamol, I am hoping I managed to break the pain cycle

I have nothing deep and wonderful to do today, another one of those days when I hope to eat well without too much snacking. A bit of pottering outside. I am glad I got an E/W house with E at the back, I like to sit in cooler shade when the weather becomes too hot for me. If you don`t hear from me tomorrow then I will have been stuck in the lafuma all night, naturally I am hoping that the elastics hold until I can re-string it

Thank goodness for my siblings, I talk to them all the time via round robin e mails, it means that I can continue to be cheery and light with my AC and dgc. I miss everyone but heyho, it is just temporary

See, nothing deep and meaningful today, just chit chat and glad to hear that Bristol researchers are about to trial a covid vaccine. Have a lovely day

Hello all, like you Crafty nothing big happening today. It has been a lovely autumn day with beautiful sunshine and blue skies. All going downhill over the next few days though.

My major task for the last few days has been researching cars. Had this virus popped up I would have been out buying one about now and I'm finding it very frustrating not being able to go and try some out.
I'm considering the Volvo XC60 - probably what will get eventually, the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5. Anyone had any experience with any of these?

Morning all. Another sunny day here. Won't be doing any work in the garden today. My tree saw arrived yesterday so going to attack the large rose bush and holly the weekend.

My daughter brought some of my shopping last night. The usual pantomime she rings the door bell so I know it her let's herself in while I stand in the living she goes outside while I take it to the kitchen. Tells me she will get the rest tomorrow and leaves. All the time having the required distance between us. I am on the list at Sainsbury's but so far not been able to get a slot. Last time I had a delivery was beginning of March. I only have a delivery 4-5 weeks mainly heavy and bulky things. I used to just pop out weekly for any odd fresh stuff. Hate the children having to get things it puts them more at risk shopping for me and them.

My son has been very busy he's a HGV driver for Iceland. Since having glandular fever last year he has always antibac wiped down his lorry before using it and when he finishes work. So he had already got into the extra hygiene habit. Talking to another driver who delivers to the range said he has never made so many delivers of paint to one place. Used to be a few pallets a week now it's daily.

Some of the garden centres up here who don't do on line delivery are taking phone orders to be collected at the gate. That's ok if you drive. But it stops them going out of business.

In away it's a good time of the year for this virus to happen as it would be very miserable in the long cold winter especially with the floods .

Did anyone see the beautiful moon the last 2 nights. Last night there was a blue edge to part of it.

Speaking to my friend from the Midlands last night and discussing the possibility of testing everyone once all key etc have been tested. To see who has had or got it or not had it yet. Saying kits would have to be sent out or teams go door to door. She said she wouldn't have it done. Sorry I lost my temper. She just couldn't give me a reason why she would not have it done. Ignorance is not bliss it's just ignorance. My mom never had a smear test and the only time she had a mammary gram was when she found she had breast cancer. Her excuse was she couldn't stand waiting for the results. Prevention is always better than cure. When I think of some of the things I had done over the years no matter how horrible I was always grateful to have them done.

Back to my veering from topic to topic. Had to believe its good Friday tomorrow. We'll have a good day everyone. Stay safe.

So nice to see some other GNs joining in the conversation now and then.

Cars Sue, just like properties I am a serial buyer and have driven a fair few models! As a general rule we love Volvos because there are strong and feel very safe. If you are driving longer distances they are comfortable because the seats are quite hard. Easy to get in and out, our big dogs loved them too. Our BMWs all looked lovely, very sleek and quiet to drive, but we found them too soft and low down. For some reason they made me speed maybe because they seem very quiet and purr!
Mercedes were top of the class and I don't say this to boast. We had 3 different models and each time we went to the factory in Germany to collect the car and drive it home. Great experience, the factory was amazing and the number of hours spent on each car was about 3 times a Renault. Smart clean workforce, great working conditions .... restaurants, doctors, physios, hairdresser. I half understand why Germany is performing well with the current crisis.
(German was part of my job, so I am a bit biased).
Viel Glück.

whiff, I went for a `walk` around my garden last night at 9, the moon was pink and beautiful and there was not a single sound anywhere, no music, no voices. It was quite magical

What a start today, I was decanting a new bag of freshly roasted coffee beans into vac bags, to vacuum and freeze and I spilt a 1/3 of a kg onto the floor, so much time on hands and knees, I was not going to let even one get away. Making room in my full freezer, a bag of breadcrumbs, chucked it out for the birds, then I saw the label, it was crumble topping. Oh well, I cannot make more, I am sailing close to the wind with my butter supply and certainly don`t want to physically shop. I bet the birds enjoy it

Ellianne, Germany is on the point of recession and won`t be selling many cars to the uk. People will get priorities right and will hang onto cars. We have austerity in front of us for mny years to come. When we do buy again, it will be cars made in the uk

Good morning everyone, lovely sunny day again. I should now be in London - cats and house sitting for my eldest daughter whilst she and her daughter were having a holiday in France. I had load of plans for that week to visit so many friends in and near London!!!
On the question of cars, that daughter always swore by her Audi, but her last purchase was a BMW - and she is totally in love with it.
When the children all grew up and left home, I can remember the excitement I felt at being able to have a really small car as not having them and friends, etc in them. As for several years I was still helping out with g.children, I still wanted a 4-door car (could not climb via front seat to put them in child seats, etc. ), My last two purchases have both been Hyundai i10. The current one, will probably be the last car I buy - it is incredible to think that it now nearly five years old, but I have only done 21k. Always found the main dealers service dept. very helpful.
Was so tired yesterday, due to the upset with that 'phishing' think I got caught with the night before, I just could not sleep that night, was away for most it. Had lovely night sleep last night and feel back to normal now.
My daughter in Weston contacted me yesterday afternoon asking if I had any spare Matzo's in my cupboard, she had made a eve of Chanukah meal, and forgot to buy these when she went shopping. I had an unopened packet, so she timed popping round, to when I was going downstairs to put my car in the garage (I had left it in our car park when I returned from shopping in the morning) - and with us keeping a good distance between us, she was able to pick these up (she will replace them when she next goes shopping).
Nothing much I have to do today - will probably spend far too much time on the laptop. Once I am dressed, I will do my daily exercises (did not do those yesterday - but I had pushed a trolley around our large Sainsbury), then I will find ways of passing the time, including a 15 minute sunbath on the balcony.
Katyj - lovely for you to join in with our conversations, glad that your home move did work out well. It was during those horrific months of selling/buying that many of us first met up here for moral support.
Sue, seems strange to think of you going into Autumn, just as we are celebrating our Spring Festivals and looking forward to the long days of summer. Hope your husband is making good progress now.
The gorgeous cherry blossom on the trees I can see from my Living room is getting more lovely each day. So many plans I had for this first spring and summer here, but all we can all do now is to hope we will be able to realise those in 2021.

Morning all, lovely to read all your news.

I had to chuckle about you spending the night in your lafuma craftyone, I hope your elastics come soon! Keep your phone by your side!

I'm waiting for elastic too, I'm sewing masks from thick cotton for me and the kids. Not good enough at sewing to offer to make them wholesale for the NHS, wish I was. People all over the UK are at their sewing machines, mainly making scrubs, it's fantastic. Whether they help or not, I'm going to wear one when I go shopping. I went essential food shopping two days early yesterday to buy myself a birthday cake and an old lady kept coming far too close to me. They've built a new M&S here and I parked away from everyone else - I then realised they were in one place as the trolley shelters were there!

I came home to tulips and chocolates from my one good friend here, so nice of her. My 'flaky' friend that I was so upset about last year didn't remember yet again.

I am feeling panicky about clearing the house and have to keep reminding myself I do have a lot of time. I did manage to bring my daughter's clothes here yesterday, I will be packing her general bedroom items today. I must be more disciplined and clear upstairs first.

Interesting to see your discussion about cars. I'll just be running my Nissan X trail until it is no longer viable to repair, as it's diesel. My husband loved his Merc Ellianne, it was too expensive to buy when he was medically retired. He ended up leasing a Suzuki.

I am irritated the second homer is here again, they seem to come for a few days each week. Their main residence is where my daughter is renting, 25 miles away. I asked them what it was like there - seems exercisers are all using one area. My daughter is doing a lot of yoga in her room.

Have a good day everyone

I meant to say thank you for all the birthday wishes! So nice o you to take the time.

I am determined my 63rd year will be a happy one, it's down to me to make sure it happens

Managed to get a delivery slot with Tesco. They text me with a delivery time, came on the dot the bonus being, free of charge, my order was in bags which as we know they had stopped doing some time. ago.Well done Tesco.

Hello everyone! Thanks for sharing your interesting news.

We went for our first outing in 3 weeks yesterday. I drove our only car - an 11 yr old Toyota -I love it! through the half empty streets of Edinburgh to the hospital for his scan.
We weren't overly impressed by the precautions there. Chatting nurses, blocking an exit. At least visitors were not allowed in but there were no masks and not many sanitisers at radiology.
It was a beautiful sunny day and I sat in the garden of the Maggie's centre by a cherry tree and got on with my knitting.
DH is coughing a lot but he has had that cough since before Christmas so it's to do with his cancer and not the covid.

We had our family quiz last night. We came last as usual but as DD doesn't have bandwidth, we had no video.
The questions were too hard for me.
How many US presidents were left handed? and can you name them? Really?

I must tackle some more sorting and cleaning today. I found a flask to take tea to the hospital and found there were clothes moths inside. Why?

My car is a skoda yeti and I was going to change it, just because but I have completely changed my mind. The dealership service is excellent. I love that car, if one can ever love a car. It is a 1.8 petrol L&K and as my neighbour keeps saying (having a dig I think) it is top of the range. I am very glad that we bought it. Maybe in 10 years we will have self drive cars and I would buy one and tell it where to go

Pace of life has slowed, I went to a local supermarket, narrow pavements. Too risky in future, 2 older men obviously had no idea what 2m is, I popped into the road for one but a car was passing when the other one came by. I came back with nothing, no eggs and no butter

No work to do right now. Both my male neighbours have gone visiting their lady friends, one almost 100 miles away. Obviously these men were never prefect material. I am not reporting them because we are only a group of 3 properties and they are very kind and helpful to me but it does not stop me being inwardly mad

One for you Crafty. La Fuma installed under a tree.

Love those lafuma recliners, zero gravity. I wish I had a tree to sit under

We had four, all rainbow colours, but I left two in London for DD. If anyone is moving and is without their furniture for a week or so, I would recommend one.

Afternoon all, one mask made and washed, two more to go. No chair here, amazing what you can adapt, used the step ladder as a seat. I've had to adapt the pattern so it's lined with t shirt fabric, the quilter's cotton is too hard against your skin. Two more to make, my machine struggled with the pleats. I've left an opening to insert a paper coffee filter.

I really don't feel like going to the house ever again, but am forcing myself after this coffee, it's overcast and horrid today.

I was going to retrain as a reflexologist and had to find a lafuma type chair, couldn't get one locally for love nor money. I didn't continue with the training, discovered I don't like feet. Person I practised on had very slender feet, reminded me of chicken breasts, urgh!

Sue, had to let you know that I have just followed your scones recipe. Intregued me, lemonade, cream? Anyway, I used half the amount you said (there is only me) and I did add in some dried fruit. Cooked in my microwave (Hotblast, which is like normal oven) made half a dozen good sized buns.
Amazed how sweet they taste, no sugar in there, suppose the lemonade substitutes for this. Really nice and tasty - will try to ration myself on eating them. Many thanks.

Wow!! thqt was quick, my renewed driving licence photcard arrived in the post. Only applied for this just over a week ago.
So that is in place for the next three years. Do wonder what the world will be looking like when I will need to make next application (assuming I will still be alive then).
Sue's scone (t-cake) receipe worked really well. Just ate the first one, buttered, with my afternoon coffee.
SHandy, be a little careful as to what you put in your face mask. Do remember that their prime purpose is to stop YOU from spreading any infection to other people, does not appear to have any effect in preventing you from getting any infections. If it was as easy as that - we would not be in the situations we are in now. So, do not think coffee filter sounds a good idea, You need to be able to breath comfortably and properly whilst wearing one of these.
I will make no comment about refloxology - not been impressed in the couple of time I have come across it. Once, at an introductory day - the expert /teacher, failed to find out, when massaging my feet, that I was missing a very major and large organ internally!!! Even though he insisted on telling us how through the sole of the feet he was in contact with every internal organ in the body!!!
Weather down here is very hot and sunny. Have been searching for where I put all my sunglasses when I moved - I know I have my driving ones in the car, but should have at least two other pairs - no idea what I did with them.

Glad you enjoyed the scone recipe Franbern. It is so easy to make. My way to stop eating things because they are there is to freeze some. Does not stop me eating them but does slow me down.

I totally relate to having no idea of where you have put your sunglasses.
Before we moved I put aside a Royal Doulton figurine which a friend wants to buy. We had not been able to meet up so I could give it to him so I put it aside before everything was packed up so I would be able to readily find it. I have absolutely no idea where I put it and I may never find it as it is only very small. For 3 years after my Mother went into care I was convinced I had somehow lost her jewelry. I knew I had it and I knew where it was until one day I went to the cupboard to take it out only to find the cupboard was bare. I spent many hours trying to remember what I had done with it. I was afraid that it had been put in with some things that went to the op shop but all was revealed when Mum had to go into hospital last year and I brought some of her things home with me. Including her jewelry. I had obviously taken it to her at some time so had never lost it!