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

Morning all. Hard to believe its Good Friday. Doesn't feel like Easter at all this year. Strange time we are living through. Hope you are all safe and your families are well. With the statistics they keep quoting before long I know someone in my family will get it. Just hope it will be a mild case. My brother has gone on sick leave for another 2 weeks he has heart trouble but that's not why. My sister in law has MS and hasn't been to well lately. He's done it to protect her. As he said he hasn't got a vital job. He's a HGV driver for s salvage company. My son on the other hand is a HGV driver for Iceland and delivers food all over the country. My claps are for the NHS and him plus all the others in the food chain. When you think about there are an awful lot of people that keep this country going and most in little ways that are usually over looked. It's only in times of crisis that we think about them. Other times just take them for granted.

It's a bit like war time we aren't getting bombed on or homes destroyed. But homes and lives are still being destroyed by an enemy we can't see.

Change of subject. My home improvement guys phoned yesterday. His opening statement was I don't like to ask but. In my garage are all the supplies for my new shower room, loft insulation,plaster etc for the bedroom. His plaster is doing a job and has run out of supplies and wondered if I would let them have some plaster board and plaster mix. Of course I said yes. Because I am in isolation nothing can be done and I know he will replace everything when the work can be started. Also put me in good books with the plasterer. He did a wonderful job in my kitchen. In times like this we have to help in anyway we can no matter how small. After he thanked me he asked if I needed any shopping bringing in. Ring the door bell stand well back unlock the garage back in the bunga ,then door bell stand back lock up and exchange farewells. It was like a comedy sketch .His parting comment ring me if you need anything. So glad my decorator recommend them. Good tradesmen are like gold.

Didn't go in the garden yesterday but it's going to be nice today. Time to attack the trees and bushes with the tree saw.

My husband always loved VW Passat's . Mind you his dream car was a Jag. He would have had several by now. He liked to change the car ever 3 years. That's all I can contribute towards the car subject.

Shandy57 why are you making masks? As the only sort to offer really protection are hospital grade with copper foil in them.( Sure it is copper as it kills viruses) anyone who is scientifically mind can put me right. I applaud you trying to protect yourself but there are better ways. Hope the house sorting out goes well today.

Stay safe everyone.

my sister is making masks for all and sundry, it appears that many are wearing masks in the nw, some in the nhs are wearing them over the proper safer masks because they are bright and cheerful. No-one down here is wearing a mask, home made are useless and can cause people to touch their faces because they can irritate.

That was a nice chatty post whiff, life is give and take and sharing. My sister went to sainsbury at 7pm last night, she said it is one of the big ones and the shelves were bare, so I won`t bother looking for eggs and butter. I certainly don`t want to queue and then risk a mingle, judging by what I saw here yesterday, people moved too close in the co-op and those on the road did too. Many have no concept of what is actually 2m. Having seen the cough graphics of the spread via a cough in a supermarket, I will try not to go at all. I can have butter taste anyway, the pot of ghee that I stored away and the dried egg came yesterday, had excellent reviews, so I can still make cake and scrambled egg

It was such an achey night again, shoulders, my fault because the obelisks came and I assembled both and placed them in the ground. I had to dig another hole because I re-positioned one from my plan. They were both heavy cast iron with a heavy ball on the top, the tallest was over 2m tall. The new hole was full of big stones that I had to prise out and I never felt the aches at the time. I am living in hope, I have now finished the garden structure and will take cbd and do my stretches and hang back 60 degrees on my teeter. At first my hands will not be able to touch the carpet behind my head but a few seconds and many wiggles later, my spine will have stretched out and I will be able to sweep with my hands. Doesn`t take long, less than a minute in all and it will make a difference to my comfort

I have no list for today but am giving downstairs a blow through right now and need to give my kitchen a sparkle clean. Have a lovely day

Hello and happy Easter weekend.
I have visions of you humphing giant obelisks round your garden Craftyone you will have to send a photo soon.
Please be careful all you zealous cleaners and gardeners.
The fresh yeast and flour arrived and I made hot x buns. I gave DH the job of squeezing the paste for the crosses and the photo of him has been sent to amuse the DGC.
In return we had a video of the wee girls excitedly collecting eggs from their hens who seem to have taken well to the move.
They are very free range,( hens and girls) so the evening job is rounding them up before mr fox comes. They've seen him already...

Just popped back on to whinge . Been trying to get a slot at Sainsbury's for a week since being finally getting on the list. I've wait up until one day clicks to the next and it just comes up not available. Spoke to them this morning no help. Say keep checking. I do every hour. What annoys me a neighbour of my daughter's has Tesco deliver every week . His son goes to work in the car everyday and he takes the dog out 3 times a day. Like some on here who are in isolation or relatives who are isolation means just that. I can't get within 6' if anyone ever my own family. Luckily the children can get some shopping for but I don't ask for all I need as they have to shop for their families and because of me having to go out extra times. Putting themselves at more risk. Arrr. Been having online delivery since November 2003 since my husband was terminal. Since the children left home I usually have a delivery 4-6, weeks and get the top up fresh myself . Last delivery was 13th March. Sorry just so annoyed.

We used to have hens and both DDs have hens, frustrating for me but so be it

I have 70s music on, a very old playlist on an old mp3 player that is linked to an old bose loudspeaker, it is so cheery. I do my exercise while dancing around to the music. I have been dusting, proper dusting, lifting and dusting and have at last cleared a kitchen window cill and got rid of old cards. Faux and realistic tulips taken out of vases and will be wrapped to store until next year. I ordered another good size faux arrangement from peony faux flowers, they have a good discount code right now. This one is destined for the hall table. I will have 3 good big solid colourful arrangements downstairs, much nicer than th aspidistra which still resides here and is just about holding onto its domestic quarters

Dining part is almost done, then I will get stuck into the kitchen end and that will be all the `work` for today. Oh yes I have transitioned from the over-bath gas fed shower into the en suite electric shower. The warm weather has warmed the inlet water up so that it feels very efficient ie a good enough spray

That is so unfair whiff. I tested waitrose last night, no delivery slots for anyone at all, I went to the end of june. Send an angry letter to sainsbury directors at the main company office. Here is a list
beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03261722/officers

Craftyone, does the cbd help? Would love to think it does but as far as I'm aware we cannot get it here and it is a prohibited substance.

I've had no trouble getting eggs and I have a stock of them. Something I will always add to my shopping trolley as I think if you have eggs you will not go hungry.

Was going to make some hot cross buns but cannot get yeast. Flour is not an issue just no yeast. I did have some in the cupboard but the use by date was 2017 and it had gone hard so I assume would not work. I binned it.

Waiting for my dinner to be delivered from a local restaurant and have enjoyed a couple of very nice glasses of red wine. Life is good even if frustrating.

Happy Easter to all.

Home made masks can be used to stop the wearer spreading cough and sneeze germs to other people. Although, if someone is coughing and sneezing, they should not be going anywhere near at all anyone else. I do think that sometimes these bits of material loosely held across nose and mouth may give a very false sense of security to the wearers. It has no way of protecting them from catching anything.
My Sil in Boston USA, told me she wore both mask and gloves to take some special pesach food to her daughter there, (leaving it on the doorstep, etc.). I was rather puzzled as to why? As she was not coming close to anyone else at all.
Still looking for my sunglasses, probably find them when the good weather breaks.
Was woken before 7 this morning by the rubbish collection lorries, so wonderful these people are working as normal, even on Good Friday.
Last night I took off my bed duvet (it is only summer weight 4.6 tog), but use this for winter and it is too hot for me in the summer. Replaced with my thin summer throw.
Annoyingly, have found that some of the windows in the flat have faulty opening and need repairs. Obviously, no way can I even start to organise this at present. Will ask the Residents Cttee for the name of the company who can do this and hope to be able to arrange for them to come and carry out repairs as soon as they are permitted.
Somerset, and the rest of the west country is CLOSED to visitors. Police did have to stop quite a lot of caravans and motor-homes on the M5 yesterday. do wonder that people do not understand they cannot go away from their normal homes at this time.
Seems to be that different areas supermarkets are very different. I do my weekly shop in oldies hour at my largish Sainsbury - and find everyone is very good at respecting the 2 m distancing, and each time I go, more and more shelves and areas are getting back to normal. This week only aisle at all depleted was Home Cooking Aisle (Flour and icing sugar). My small local Tesco - nearly opposite my flats, is also excellent with the 2m thingie, have always had milk and bread and even some eggs now. No flour though.
I love eggs!!! Have not used dried egg since I was a child - never even purchased such things in the last 60 years. I use a lot of eggs, usually purchasing a dozen each week local farm eggs - have managed to obtain eggs throughout this.
Have a good Bank Holiday weekend everyone, do not over- work in gardens, not the time to get soft tissue injuries or, (worse) broken bones. Be careful.
I do hope that everyone who is clapping, etc. at 8 pm on Thursday evenings, will remember when this is all over and a much needed salary increase for low paid workers is asked. Last time when the pay increase for nurses, etc was defeated in the House of Commons, that defeat was greeted with applause from the government side!!!

On cars, for most of my driving career, I have driven Renault cars. Had a couple of bangers early on, a Ford Corsair with wooden panelling and painted purple (when my dad had a go in it, he said he checked to see if anybody was looking) and then an Austin 1100. With my DP we’ve had Renault 5’s, 14’s, a 16, a 20 and a couple of Clio’s, most with the word ‘sport’ attached. He’d always wanted a BMW so just over 3 years ago, he got his wish, a sports version which I don’t like as much as the last Renault. Gets a bit tight with both GDs and a passenger in the back. He always drives it in sports gear and I tend to use comfort, the a’ brum, brum’ noise does nothing for me. So there has been much discussion over what comes next, if and when we get another car. I’m keen on a hybrid, something that can do at least 300 miles in a go as that’s what I need to get back to Northumberland and other points north. I don’t think BMW do those at the moment.

Craftyone emailed Sainsbury's head office already. Doubt I will get a reply. Off to attack the tree and bushes.

Morning all, I hope you all have a 'good' Friday!

Time is going so slowly, after my admission of feeling panicky yesterday I checked the calendar, the buyer exchanged twelve days ago, I have ages to get organised. So fortunate I am so close and able to walk up to the house, I do feel it was meant to be. The hallway is full ready for me to collect later this morning, then I'm doing my daughter's bookcase.

I'm going to walk my dog the whole way to the beach this morning, I think the police may be there to check the car park. I'll remember his water bowl this time, had to use my hand yesterday.

Enjoy your day

The power is still there, the magic

I have spent 30 minutes in a right panic looking for my lifetime recipe book, all the recipes I wrote out, my turquiose leather covered book. I always placed it on my recipe shelves and it was not there. I looked and looked and looked on other book shelves. Calmed myself down and said aloud to my husband `where is it, help!` and I went straight back to the recipe shelves and pushed 2 books apart and there it was tucked in at the back. This happens all the time, in all the days since my husband died, I lose things like car keys but I ask and go straight to where the lost item is. Once I lost a very tiny important allen nut into deep gravel. I found it, the same way.

Had to share, the silken thread is still there, it is just a little psychological push, mind to mind

I wish you could come and isolate here in our spare flat Whiff we have so much food. That's too bad that you can't get a delivery.
My DS has been delivering food boxes from Amazon. He works for the Royal Mail. It surprised infuriated him that people were doing this. The boxes are heavy and because of the distancing they can't use vans with more than one person in them, but maybe it's something you could try?

We also used to keep hens crafty and geese, which were the best burglar alarms ever and grass mowers to an extent but eventually they were killed by foxes and we decided to have a garden instead!
It's great that DD has kept up the tradition.

I'm sorry you can't get a slot Whiff, some people are getting up in the night to get one at silly o clock - my friend got one at 3 am in the morning. I'm glad I went food shopping on Wednesday, I hadn't realised today is a BH, haven't looked at my diary for ages.

Good morning everyone, even though I'm usually rather late to add my greetings I always read the morning news on this thread.
Mythbirtthedragon I too had a Renault Clio sport. Very nippy. Does anyone remember the Papa and Nicole adverts? The French always take their adverts one step further in the way of sex, mistresses etc. C'est la vie!
If I hide anything valuable or important I write a note to myself in German and pin it to my notice board. My theory is a German burglar would be very unlikely in the UK?! Hope your sunglasses turn up Franbern. Good to hear Somerset police are stopping caravans on the M5 from heading in. The A303 also comes into Devon so I hope they are patrolling that busy road too. Quite a few so called celebs have places down here, I see Gordon Ramsay and family are in Cornwall. Andrew Marr has a lovely house (for sale!! Shandy??) up the road from here, but he doesn't appear to be around.
Shandy does your dog drink while out? Ours is very fussy and only likes to drink at home, not when in the car. He does like river water though.

Have given up searching for sunglasses. Using my ones from the car.....sure when the weather gets wet and cold they will turn up.
We have unusual windows in these flats, a couple of mine refuse to open. They have sort of cantilever hinges and I think these are just broken I will need to ask the Residents Cttee for the firm that can repair these, and then just have to wait until such time as they will be permitted to come into the flats to do so.
So many companies like that, will be so busy (assuming they have survived) when this is past.
Craftyone, I also love Peony faux flowers, have several different types. At present still have my daffs out and tulips, one lot in a vase and one is like a growing plant. (My spring displays), Will wait until end of April to change these out for summer ones.
It is harder finding good faux flowers and plants for outdoors. Need to be UV resistant.
Shandy, it is all moving forward and, yes, you do have time in hand.. Have you started to look on line for properties to buy?

Ellianne, I have particularly fond memories of our last Clio. We were travelling down the A74 between Glasgow and Carlisle in summer 2005, having been on holiday in Skye, heading for Northumberland. About halfway when DP was in the outside lane we had a flat and the car started to go out of control. It spun twice across the inner 2 lanes of traffic and slid to a halt at the bottom of the slip road facing the wrong way. The cars who stopped to help couldn’t credit a) no one was injured, b) no other cars had had to take evasive action and c) we hadn’t tipped over. As it turned out, we had 3 shredded tyres and I had a badly bruised arm where the airbag in the side arm had burst. I have wondered if the cars we’ve had since would be so resilient.

Sit down time!!

I keep popping out whenever I see that a soaking bean seed has sprouted, I put it into a prepared root trainer, loose compost on top and a bit of vermiculite. My riverford box came today and I think they are struggling to source fresh organic veg. I can see the same happening next year so am prepped by growing red russian kale, purple sprouting broccoli and leeks. In days gone by, when we were broke, I just used to pick off a leaf at a time, never mind waiting for the purple sprouts. They are fine veg for overwintering

No post yesterday so I am hoping that my oregano and strawberry plants come today. I paid too much for the oregano on ebay but am getting 3 perennial plants, I am going to put lots on my food, plus thyme. Herbs can have very good properties, especially useful right now

Franbern, I never thought about the uv resistance. White and pale cream and they have a 25% reduction to the end of april

It is interesting eating out of stores plus whatever I am sent from riverford. I left a nice bar of lindt chocolate for him today, with a thank you on it. He never fails to turn up and will be getting a bigger christmas box this year

I am going to manage without the butter and eggs. Ordered ghee which keeps for ages and coconut oil which can also be a direct sub for butter. I will save my precious frozen butter squares for spreading on fresh bread

Surprised at not being able to get butter. Plenty of that in all supermarkets, and all other spreaders - but I only use butter. As I have said eggs are reappearing on supermarket shelves. So it definitely appears best for me to continue my weekly car run to Sainsburys for my shopping, and not have to worry about my supplies. ]
Am eating pretty much like usual - I always use a lot of fish and only a little meat. Both are available on weekly shop. I do notice that my shopping bills are definitely up from what they were prior to this.
Think this is partially due to me not now spending loads of time whilst I hesitate and waver in an aisle as I compare weights/prices, etc - now just taking whatever it is I see that is on my shopping list - and there is definitely an increased price on many items.
Do think it is getting increasingly difficult for those with their families indoors/at home, and whose income may now be very much lower than it was two months ago. AND....it is going to get much worse in this area over the next ew years.

youtube. Andrea Bocelli music for hope, live performance on 12/4 and all have been invited. I am on the list and will be given a reminder. 6pm

Just seen that report about that woman boasting about all the food she stocked up and how much she has thrown away. There is a picture of her proudly smiling. Says she will keep doing it. Her face should be plastered in all the shops and refused service. It's how proud of what she's done that annoys me.

Love Andrea Bocelli, so I will be there.
However, how come he is allowed to perform in Milano cathedral and yet our own priests, rabbis, imams etc can't stream live from the place of worship? Ours has to sit on his sofa in his living room, it's not the same.

Glad you weren't injured MbD. We spun round in snow on the M5 and ended up facing the opposite way against the barrier, luckily no one was going in the fast lane. The kids slept through it. Sue was asking earlier it was a Volvo, very solid and good in snow. It also had a heated driver's seat and I always used to feel like I had wet myself when it came on!

Sue, yes cbd is very good. I took a tiny amount of the stronger paste this morning and it helped a great deal, I want to completely break the pain cycle so took one dose of ibrufen after lunch. Later I will take a cbd gummie and another before bed and no more painkillers. I have been overdoing it in the garden, I know it

Neither set of plants came, oregano nor strawberries. If they don`t arrive tomorrow, they will be half dead. They both posted at a silly time, one is a big online nursery. No mail today and none yesterday

I don’t think we get post/mail on Good Friday ?
I ask my Mum to find things