Help calm me. house buying and selling stress. Part 5

Good morning, everyone. Hope Millymouge move is getting underway successfully. Mine now feels like a distant dream, thank goodness. Never, ever again.

Today I have to collect a g.daughter at midday from her once a week, three hours in school (Year 10), and drop her home. Her Mum is teaching from home, face to face, at that time and does not really want her travelling by bus.

With the car out I may go, this afternoon down to Dunelms and/or the Range. Nothing in particular, so if there are queues at these, will not bother to stay. Have been indoors now for three days, need to get out.

Fortunately, with all the windows open the flat will remain cool and airy. I do have a fan both in the living room and my bedroom if necessary.

The blind on my bedroom window fell down again this morning. Usually falls down at least once a week, - is very broken. Only need it to last for about four more weeks when I will have my new one put up, hope it will make it!! Have put it back up, but know it will fall down again very soon!!! Do have curtains there also, but unlined, and the sun comes through there early in the morning and wakes me. So blind does help a little.

This weekend my daughter here went to London to visit her sister there. So silly, but I was on edge the whole time she was away. No idea why, - her children were all here if I really needed any help, and even her shielding hubbie would have been available in a real crisis. I used to feel the same when i was in London and that daughter was away. Very silly really - I was so pleased when my son phoned me on Saturday night for a chat.

It is amazing how emotionally dependent we get as we get older. So pleased when I got the text from her late afternoon yesterday to say she was safely back home.

Obviously, the two sisters discussed me and my big birthday next year. It falls on a Sunday and I had hoped to celebrate it that weekend -not to be,, GCSE's and A levels will still be held the week after, and one g.daughter has her 18th birthday two days before mine, then another has her 11th birthday the weekend following mine - and will definitely want a party that day (even more so as none was able to be held this year), so think mine will be pushed back until I am actually 80 yrs and two weeks!!! Not that it matters - as long as they can all get down to be with me then, and I am still alive and kicking.

Shandy - new week, hopefully, by end of this you will have made some more decisions as to where you wish to visit for your next move

Hope the cool dry weather is helping the move MillyM. Franbern a party is always good and delayed gratification is good too!
Hope it’s a good week for everyone.

Well home again, albeit a few days later than planned. I was expected to be discharged on Sunday but all along I felt that was too soon in spite of the Surgeon’s insistence. That would only allow 2 days for recovery. As it happened on Friday afternoon I was struck down by nausea which did not clear until last night. Although still a bit iffy I feel OK. The pain is not too bad now and the head fog is clearing as some of the medication leaves my body. I’m sure there will be more pain as I become more active.
Thank you all for your good wishes. Now The hard work starts.
Millymouge I hope your move went well and it will not be long before you are settled into your new home.

Morning all, not sure I like this humid heat! I'm amazed I'm the only one on here with hayfever, it's dreadful at the moment, itchy eyes too.

Hope yesterday went well for you millymouge.

I thought this birthday was your landmark Franbern? Sorry I got mixed up. My son was 27 yesterday, I'd already sent his gift and an M&S lemon cupcake. Very sorry not to see him for our normal meal out, strange times, his sister is a bit too far away too!

Hope your cut is starting to heal craftyone, I'd missed you'd done that. So very sore.

Glad you are home Spice101, good luck with the hard work ahead of you.

I've got myself into a terrible mess repacking yesterday, I must set the timer today and only pull out what I can do in an hour.

I might put the paddling pool up outside and sit with my feet in it, it really is so hot!

Enjoy your day

Do not send pressies to any of my AC these days. As there are 8 g,.children to whom I DO send pressies, that is quite enough. Do send cards though. In October, my eldest daughter will celebrate her 50th birthday. Last year her slightly older brother celebrated his. He was able to do so and he and wife had a wonderful couple of weeks in Europe all first class ending up in Vienna.

So pleased to hear the end of shielding. I am being very selfish about this, but that eldest daughter received a shielding letter very late. She heads several different mental health teams in East London, loves her work and is very good at it. She went right through the high peaks of this virus still going to work each day, even when some of her teams (those dealing with rough sleepers), and her own Team leader got the infection. She deputised for her Team leader as Assit Head of Social Services for the Borough. All her team members recovered well.

Then the letter arrived (she has no spleen), and since then she has been forced to work from home - which she absolutely detests. So, hopefully, this means that the NHS (her employers), will permit her to return to her office in August. She will be so happy - and, so will I.

Had in interesting zoom meeting with one of U3A groups locally, with a talk, etc. Do enjoy these, and it is such an easy, lazy way of joining in - will have to really make myself go to such meetings when they resume properly.

Yesterday afternoon I went to both Dunelms and The Range. Both felt very safe, large stores and not too many people there. Trolleys all wiped down as we took them in,. Was surprised when I left The Range at 3.30 pm that there was a longish queue forming outside, when I had got there, an hour earlier I had just walked straight in. Not quite normal, but at least a small return in the right direction, Often used to pop to places like The Range if I felt too bored and always would spend some money in there.

Windows wide open, and flat feels, at the moment, quite fresh and cool.

cut is doing fine now thanks shandy, I keep knocking it but it is healing. Getting very hot here too, I am just in and sitting with a mug of tea, I did a good 2 1/2 hours outside this morning, weeding, compost making, transplanting. Then I got too hot and it was time to come in

Binmen are due soon and I decided that the kitchen carpet runner had to go. Too hard to keep clean and not new enough to give away. I cut it up just now with a stanley knife and it is laying in bits in the bin. Never thought it would be so easy and better than a trip to the tip

So I am not sure what else to do with the day, fact is that it is far too hot to be outside. I have a kitchen to clean, lunch to assemble and I might see about cutting out for a skirt. Nose is certainly feeling like hay fever and I am hoping that my eyes don`t get that awful sore gritty feeling. I feel for you shandy

Did I say that I have booked my car in for service and mot? Different closer dealership, lovely on the phone and they will collect and deliver, which suits me down to the ground. End of july

I share your pain Shandy I couldn’t stop sneezing yesterday and by last evening I had taken more pills than I should have, at least it stopped though. But today I have a crashing headache and I ache all over, so maybe it wasn’t hay fever after all, so I’m resting up indoors today and will see what tomorrow brings.
Our elderly neighbour was taken to hospital yet again and it doesn’t look as though he will be returning, so his property will be sold , although his ACs say there is no money for his care, I think the local authority will step in and demand that they sell his quite considerable home. The poor old chap has been alone with Dementia for a few months now and has started wandering in the night.
Meanwhile we are tearing out our car port because it’s basically rotted so, as he isn’t coming back home we will Re establish our boundary while we have the chance and put a fence up, unfortunately it will be about 2 feet from his kitchen window, we didn’t do it whilst he was living there, but as he won’t be coming back we need to do it before the developers move in and assume that his land goes back another 4 feet to our ( now to be replaced) trellis. The small chicken wire fence is still visible to mark our boundary (even though it’s rusted ) after 70 years, although the hedging makes our garden seem smaller.
I expect they will tear down his place and rebuild, as they don’t pay VAT on new builds, so We will have another couple of years of builders I expect, let’s hope we get quiet neighbours!
If not we will be looking for somewhere else to live.
Poor DH, every small job he tackles outdoors ends up being a major event, extending the car port has revealed so many problems that It will end up costing a fortune to correct and replace.
Still at the moment he has nothing else to do!
Craftyone I was so inspired by your veggie garden that I ordered a fair number of plants online from T and M** , what a load of rubbish they sent me ! Raspberry canes that didn’t grow, only 1 gooseberry bush survived, spinach all broken, ditto the stumbling Toms The rest were either were broken or dead, thank goodness for camera phones , so a refund is on its way, soon, hopefully, maybe next year I’ll be able to get to the garden centre and select my own plants. Who did you buy yours from?
Oh dear I seem to have written a book rather than a post. Keep looking for a new Shandyhope your blind stays up tonight* Franbern *as they forecast another bright morning tomorrow.

New home Shandy ! That should read.

DT Brown oopsadaisy, some arrived late due to covid but all were in good condition. I don`t like Tand M for plants, their hardware is ok and often at good prices and their seeds are fine. Gosh you seem to have your hands full, it is good that you are so on the ball. I would move fast re that boundary

craftyone thanks I will make a note of that supplier, in case I can’t get out to actually buy the plants myself, mine weren’t very cheap just rubbish, anyway let’s hope the refund comes through.
Yes we do need to move on the boundary, once the fence is up we can point to the low rusty fence that weaves in and out of the bushes and say that it is the original boundary.
Sadly the neighbour is the only one left that knows that when the field was split for 3 houses, many moons ago, the chain link marked the boundaries on the properties.
Anyway, we just need to order the panels and get it up PDQ.
We have a carpenter arriving in the next week or so, to do various outdoor work, so he will have more to do than he expected.

Spice101 glad you are back home and hope the pain isn't to bad. At least you can rest when you are at home.

Oopsyadaisy3 you have a lot of work to do but it will be worth it to have your boundary back. I've had a lot of plants from Thompson and Morgan and have been happy with the quality. But I haven't had any veg or fruit plants off them.

Went to the bungalow this morning. All the doors are on and the decorator will give them a coat of clear varnish tomorrow as I had them in unfinished Oak. It will keep them from getting marked. All the bedroom is painted and really happy with the colour I choose. Decided on the position and leg height for the shower chair and handrail in the shower cubicle and the position of the handle by the toilet. My home improvements guy will be able to measure up for the cupboard I want made for my towels etc. All the work will be finished this week. Hopefully I can give everywhere a good clean on Friday. Ordered the new mattress for my bed and one for the spare bed from one company. Ordered the bed frame from Wayfair and ordered a small bedside table from another company. All free delivery. My daughter is taking me to Dunelm soon to get the curtains for both bedrooms and some new bed linen. Also need new mirror for the window ceil and free standing toilet roll holder.

Next week the garden will need a good weeding.

Hope your blind stays up Franbern.

Any houses you like the look of Shandy57?

Have a good evening everyone.

SHandy, there you are.....B&B;s and self-catering all opening beginning of July - just right for you to go off to visit the towns your are considering. These will all book up quickly, as people who have cancelled holidays abroad will be keen to get some sort of holiday in this year. Last week, my daughter booked a self catering cottage in Devon for final week of July, and they were then already taking lots of bookings.

Daughter came this afternoon, firstly for her weekly team meeting (she does it here as my wifi is better as in her house there are so many of them using it and downloading stuff.

My samples of border for the walls arrived today and she helped me in my decision as to which one to order to go with my new curtains. All ordered now and she and one of her teenage children will come over to put it up.

Very hot, but after we had eaten tea we did sit on my balcony and eat icecreams.

Tomorrow, after I get home from Sainsbury's she is going with me to Topps Tiles, finally to select tiles for my guest bathroom and then on to Carpet Right to select vinyl for both that room and my ens-suite. Then I will sit in her garden for the afternoon, under the gazebo and watch her youngest splash about in the large paddling pool.

Do hope the sunny weather will continue over the weekend.

Franbern hope you find some tiles you like and flooring. It's so much easier with someone else giving their opinion. I had forgot how much I missed shopping with someone else until I moved. Enjoy your afternoon in the garden. Watching grand children play recharges the batteries. Always makes me laugh when they expect you to join in. Don't know about you but I have my limits. Getting on the floor is the main one. My grandson said nana bike. Had to explain I wouldn't be able to get my leg over one and where would my stick go. He thought for a moment and then said ok. Nana hide.

Hope you have all got the sunshine today.

Home from my LAST Oldies hour Sainsbury shop. All unpacked and put away . Piece of toast and mug of tea and then off to collect daughter to go to Topps Tiles etc. We were told at Sainsbury that as from Friday normal shopping for all will resume.

Will probably go at same time next few weeks and see how it all works out.

Going to be very hot here today. I love being in a first floor flat - left windows open in every room during the night . At the house, I always felt I ought to close ground floor windows when I went upstairs to bed. So, flat is still reasonably cool and I did not need any fan in my bedroom last night.

Seems to be everything, except sports centres and swimming pools opening soon. I know that British Gymnastics is petitioning government to permit the children's gymnastic clubs to re-start. After all, both the exercise and social contact will be so good in helping out children and all clubs are being advised by BG how to put in excellent procedures taking account of the virus. Be good if they could reo-open in August and be able to get some holiday courses underway.

I do wonder about swimming pools .....with so much chlorine in the water and in the air, wonder how much danger they are. Pity, that over past decade or so nearly all the outdoor lidos have closed they could really have been useful now!!

I had promised one of my g.children (back last January) that, after Easter, I would accompany them on a weekly swim.Do need to get a new swimming cossie, -my build does not really work with off- the-hook ones, need a trip to a fitting place (Bravissimo). Had partially arranged to do that whilst I was in London (cat and house sitting) over Easter. Obviously, never happened. There is one of these in Bristol, so - hopefully - can visit them in a few weeks time. Have not been swimming for years, used to go twice a week when I was working - then I had a long time out when I first seriously hurt my back, and somehow never got back to it.

It relly is nice to hear your stories and also that you are well as could be, love the chat, so friendly

I went out cycling early today, back by 8.15. Now in a cave while I type. Soon out to the tip and to to get some compost. I have a new teracotta strawberry planter and want to get my new mara des bois into it from small plastic planters. I`ll have to find something to curve over the large drainage hole. It is quite tall and I could do with something to fill the bottom half, binmen came yesterday, nothing suitable left apart from one plastic milk bottle

oh yes, got, small plant pots will do it

Back from Topps Tiles - tiles all ordered and will be held by them until Bathroom fitters can collect them. I will not need to store them here. Then we went to Carpet Right to select vinyl flooring both for bathroom and en-suite. Again, all ordered and paid for and they will hold for fitters to collect.

Seems quite exciting now - finally feel this is actually going to happen.

Lunch now and then over to daughters garden. Do be careful about sun, everyone. We all need Vit D, but not to get burned.

Glad everyone is well and busy.
You have reminded me I need to choose the tiles for the new bathroom due to be fitted in September. My original choice was beige but over the past few months I have been leaning towards grey. Decisions.
We had a pool years ago, I could so do with a swim today.

I had to scrabble right down on the ground to get the octopus gas reading. I have 2 rubber stepping stones down and put a kneeler on top of that, I have to bend almost to the earth to get a gas reading. Ridiculous place to put the meter, electricity is in a normal cupboard inside. I registered my interest to get a smart meter, so they can take auto readings

Does any company still send meter readers around?

I have it!! one a year will do
octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/categories/all/meter-readers/

I`ll make sure I have done a full year with octopus and then I will no longer send a meter reading, except for one a year.

I am with EDF. Cannot have a smartmeter, as the gas meter is in each indiidual flat,whilst the electric meters are all in a cupboard (one for each floor - five flats) in one of our lobbies. So, the meters are too far from each other for smart meters.

When I first moved here, I sent of the meter readings, and was quite surprised when EDF sent someone round to check on them. Then when I sent my readings in January this year, again they queried them and sent someone round to read them. Did accept my last ones (I send them in quarterly), although did say they were 'unusual'. By that they meant I had not used as much as they thought I should.

Had home made lemonade and cherries at my daughters, but even under gazebo was much too hot. Home now, sitting in my living room with windows open and my fan on - it is lovely and breezy and cool

My guest bathroom is totally enclosed, no windows anywhere near, so I have picked white tiles to keep it as bright as possible, silver and glass border and similar for the floor.

Franbern a glass effect border sounds nice. I did look at mosaics but am now fixed on some Italian glass tiles around the mirror.

The best time of the day, feels continental and all windows open because it is cooler out than in. One of those days to move like a sloth

Franbern, your upgrades sound stunning, I have all white bathrooms and love the freshness, I asked for large white gloss tiles. My neighbours all got that beige with streaks that seems to be used in most new builds

I have no idea what I am going to do all day today, certainly too hot for knitting.

Good morning. So it's off to the tile shop in a bit, still undecided and now thinking maybe white after crafty's comment. My intention is to tile the floor too which means non slippery, so I think shiny might be out.
The dog has a bad stomach. It was a bit hot on the walk yesterday and he drank some puddles with flies on them. He is therefore staying home today, no walk.

Forgot to say, it's a private booked appointment. 45 minutes allowed in the tile showroom to choose.