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

oh superb, so wonderful about the lions. The last to be re-homed and always very important. Seems like fate

A bit of a rest needed now shandy, catch your breath while the body recovers

That car trip was a guise to get the car moving, battery charged etc but I ended up doing 50 miles because of an unexpected long diversion. I only got 4 things from the supermarket because I needed the loo. I went a different way on the way back, right in the depth of the peat levels, was so rural and such a bouncy narrow route, I could have been back 100 years with a horse and cart

I ordered my new bike when I got back, definitely will be able to get it into my car and will go back to the levels for cycling trips.

Very windy here today and cold so no outside anything, all fleece is still on and will remain until the cold spell is over. Feeling calm and content and me and siblings are constantly in touch, mainly whatsapp, even more so that with AC. One AD hardly ever gets in touch but I reached acceptance over that, just her way, I cannot afford to be disappointed in her, would only chew me up and after all she is an adult and we are on good terms, when we have rare contact

So what now? Maybe knitting, I watched the duchess yesterday, I enjoyed it, would not have liked to live in those times when women had no voice. Maybe a bit more of that jilly cooper book on audible while knitting

I've found a home for the lions!

Picked up the painty bin and luckily it would fit the front seat, rather wedged in! All rubbish now at the cottage and I'll take my time to take it to the dump.

The keys were in the tin, just me panicking, and I labelled them and left it at that today, I feel very achey and weary today. I've ordered a new green bin on line, and phoned my aunt to apologise for late posting of her birthday card. I also phoned the builder who will be taking down the lions, he said he'll be back in touch this week. So a few positives.

Ellianne, I know I said I'd stay locally originally but that was because I thought the kids would want me to. I'm now thinking of me only and do definitely agree that I have to move away. I was looking at Norfolk and a bungalow has popped up in the same road as our very good friends from the past - they didn't come to the funeral as the husband has throat cancer, but did phone. Haven't heard from them for four years, sadly

I haven't got the energy to sort the cottage today, I'm just going to sit for a change

Shandy you've just made it clear you can't live so close by to your old house, beautiful though the region is. It will torment you for the rest of your life and you will feel uncomfortable with everything the new owner does. 200 miles away at least is what you need.

Oh yes, the key hunting and labelling makes it all seem very final. Ours were pretty much present and correct when we left but we had had new windows and doors so it was all fairly easy. Like Franbern our back door was hardly ever locked even when we went out in the daytime, until the day we had our latest dog who can apply the weight of his poor on door handles and open doors both inwards towards him and away!
We were never burgled in London or in France but twice in Devon at night.

I've just had the most horrible shock - a blackbird was headdown trapped in the fat ball feeder. I can't have put the lid down securely when I filled it yesterday. I rushed out and it was stuck tight, gripping onto the wire, and the wire is really sturdy. I put it low on the ground and managed to hold the balls up above his head and gradually persuade him to wriggle backwards and out. He has hopped off, but hasn't flown yet, he's gone under my neighbours car. Ah, what a horrible thing to happen.

Thank you for your key story Franbern, it is my time to really look forward, I wish I felt more upbeat, I'm finding it hard being on my own so much. I will try not to care what he does but it is going to be hard being so close.

Oh yes, keys. I have never been the sort of person to lock up very much. So, in all the 16 years I lived in the house, never once used the window keys. When I arrived, I remember one of those in each window lock. I took them all out. Never would have any internal door locked ever. Kept the key to the patio door in it (inside), similar for kitchen door leading to utility room.
The Utility room had been built by me - so there was a further outside door to the garden. I know I was given two keys to that by the builders - had long since lost them, kept that door unlocked throughout.
When I was first trying to move, I did spend a lot of time searching for every key I had in different places, and sorted them out. Put all the window keys on a piece of string, and labelled all the others.
Did have a lot of front door keys - and before I moved I got my children to send back to me the ones they had.
Again, here in the flat, I really must sort out some keys that seem to have been given to me. Only really concerned front door keys. Keep one to my actual front door in key safe, My daughter who lives close has the two for main front door and my front door. I have three sets, all the other keys are just a bit of a mystery.
Many people do change outside door locks almost as soon as they move in.
I must admit than back in the days of the large family house, we lost the keys to the kitchen door (back garden) many years earlier, and left that door unlocked for many years. Indeed, friends knew that if they turned up at the house and I was not in, they could go round the sideway and let themselves into the kitchen. Would often arrive home from shopping, etc. to find someone making me a cup of coffee!!
Nice to be coming to the end of this long road, Shandy - by the end of this month, all the cash should be in your bank, and you will have no further responsibility for the Station.
Time to really look forward - you are young (well to me you are), same age as I was when I moved into my last house - mind you I was still employed then - I had so much fun with that house, being able to do so many things to it to change it totally into my very own.
I loved it there, and have lots of good memories, but I am so pleased that I have now moved on - and I really do not care what the next owners do to it.

Morning all, sunny but very cold here. We had a very bad hailstone storm last night.

It's hopefully going to be better in a few days, I'm not going to turn the heating back on at the station, just in case the boiler decides to go wrong before completion. We had to buy a new boiler months after moving in '99, the whole of the ground floor was full of fumes as it blew out due to the chimneys vortex. Solved it with a horizontal flue but a huge chunk of our small saving pot. Things were different in 'the old days'!

Hope your shopping trip went OK craftyone. I was really annoyed in Sainsburys last night, it's marked out as one way and a young girl passed me the wrong way, too close, twice. I saw her again at the till area, she'd walked straight to a till and was told to join the queue. Completely unaware. I'm doing my normal beach walk tonight, I only ever see one or two people. I wonder how many people will be there with the new exercise guidance.

I've just got to collect the bin full of paint tins and sort out the keys today, thankfully all the heavy work is over. I did have a spare key set hidden in the garden which I retrieved, now I can't find it! I've found the tag in the cottage bin so I did bring it back here but I couldn't find it in the key tin yesterday. Think I'm a bit tired, I just missed it.

Have a good day whatever you are doing

morning all. Second night in my flipped mattress and I am sure I am sleeping better, I think I will make a note in my desk diary to do it every 3 months. I could not survive without my lovely tk maxx diary right now, permanently open in my kitchen

I am out for a drive soon, to catch sainsbury early morning shopping, 40 mile round trip.

All good here. Have a nice day

Morning all, happy first anniversary craftyone!

I was shocked to see it's been a whole year, my mind is a blank, no idea what I've been doing for the past year. I do remember thinking I'd copy you by labelling the mattress for turning, such a good idea!

Very, very cold here, so glad I don't have any more sledging to do at the station and it's all here. Just key sorting up there today and rubbish collection, I bought some tags from the village shop, I've got 20 years of keys to sort. I locked the gates again last night, having my bin stolen has shocked me.

I think I told you my daughter's car had a puncture - battery is now completely flat I did run it a few weeks ago then got too busy and forgot.

I've just ordered a rainbow carnation wreath for my husband's anniversary on the 17th, I hadn't realised how close it is now.

Have a good day whatever you are doing.

you beat me to it whiff, sounding upbeat again . I have been pottering since 6.30, still in my dressing gown but have been putting good frost protection on all necessary plants and my garden looks like a lot of ghosts right now, I also did a heavy box tidy in the garage. Shoulder felt ok when I woke but like whiff, easy to forget and I am hoping the heavy box lifting has not set it back again

I have decided to go through my fridge later, to get rid of any delightful goodies that I cannot resist and which only add inches to my hips.

Happy one year Craftyone. When you think what life was like for everyone then and how it has changed. Hope you shoulder isn't to painful. Trouble is we see a job that needs doing and just get on with it. Forgetting that we are getting older and we don't have super strength. After my stint in the garden yesterday my left arm was more painful than usual. Did I rest it of course not I wanted to do my cross stitch. Honestly don't know why I do these things to myself. At least the pain level in my arm is back to its usual level.

Put a load of washing on at 6. Be ready to put out after breakfast. At least my fruit cage hasn't fallen over during the night . Not worth doing a through clean of the bunga today. Pest guy coming in the morning. We will see if the furry meance are still there. I hear something for a short time at dusk but not the scratching or running I heard originally. So don't know if something is there or its birds on the roof. Anyway they can't get out through the roof it is sealed. My roofers put hard plastic hinged thingy under the edge of the tiles which goes into the gutter and blocks anything getting in. Must remember when he comes tomorrow to shut the doors as no doubt flies will descend. I must make sure he seals the hatch edges with tape to contain any left up there. If squirrels are gone I can get my kitchen/ bathroom fitter in to strip out all the loft insulation. Not a nice job. But I can't wait until it's safe to get the shower room etc done. As it's a health hazard and if left only going to get worse.

Speaking to my best friend tomorrow she is a counselor but have text her to say when I tell her about my son I need my friend not counseling. She has promised not to have her professional hat on.

My daughter is popping round later with some wine I asked her to get. I didn't realise it would kick up such a lot for dust grinding out the old mortar. So I will be taking the 2 bottles to my neighbour as an apology. They have been lovely since I moved here and don't want them to think I take that for granted. Also don't want to be thought of a bad neighbour.

Hopefully everyone will have a good day. Be interesting to see what Boris has to say.

Yes framilode, I agree that it is best not to look back to the past, we have to move on, go with the flow and that can be dictated to by numerous circumstances financial, retirement, getting older, widowed and so on. The branch that bends is the one that does not break

One year on and I have done a trial, extending the intervals between mattress flip and turns, it was supposed to be every 3 months but I did it at 6 months and I think that could not be helping my sleep. It is a top of the range hypnos, yes bought 8 months before husband passed because he could never get comfy, except that time we slept in a hypnos bed, so it was the very best we could afford. 2 x 3` singles side by side.

I have just flipped it over, I had numbered the edges and will turn it in 3 months. It is so very heavy, I cannot remember mattresses of yester year being heavy. Anyway I am grateful for it being 3`, no way could I manage anything bigger and in 4 years I will just swap the mattresses.

I had a nap this afternoon, a proper one on my bed, was so weary, I walked slowly and looked like a little old lady in the mirror. So I have been doing some bits and pieces with a view to repairing my shoulder, it started being painful again today and it was carrying heavy watering cans plus reaching up high with that arm, when will I ever learn

Life can be strange, can't it? When we moved here two and a half years ago and left our lovely villa in Spain I somehow had the feeling that the move and the house would be a disaster. For the first year it was, my husband was very unhappy which cast a blight on everything. It was also the middle of winter in a quiet village and we never seemed to see anyone. The house was such a mess I thought we would never get it right.

Fast forward and we are well settled and know many in the village. The house is done to our satisfaction and financial situation. I will never love it like my villa but am happy. Sometimes you settle straight away and sometimes it takes time and also not looking back to the past.

Sue H49 That must have been a wrench but such a sensible decision to safeguard your future.

You have worked so hard Shandy and achieved so much. I'm full of admiration and here's to a happy future.

5 mile walk today. London seems a lifetime ago!

August 9th here too Whiff. Party day?

Should have said bin area, it hasnt been returned ?

Just learnt the less haste lesson again - lid came off a paint pot as I dragged the bag to the bin, should have checked the lids first. Luckily bottle of turps in the bag tooso all cleared up but I got some on my nice top? Neighbours are laughing and singing in their garden.

Sitting my garden having a drink. I have made a cage round my damson tree out of bamboo canes held together with old cut up tights. Found my husband old fishing box and going to use the floats as bird scarers. Use fishing line to tie the net to the fence. Channeling my inner Craftyone ones solutions to problems. The bungalow became mine on the 9th August and collected the keys on the 10th.

crafty yes, a year is a big milestone! Congratulations!
Yesterday when we were sitting outside some passersby told us they remembered our new place going on the market last April and how it was snapped up overnight!!! (by us!) A bit embarrassing really, because the lady next door, who was also sitting outside, had it taken from under her feet (by us!!) before her second viewing 4 days later. The good thing is she is happy in her new home and we get along fine.

Sue it's sad to see your old house being flattened but I guess things move on. Life is full of chapters.
Crafty enjoy your kitchen sorting. I have chipped several plates unloading the dishwasher since we moved, I can't work out why, but it might be time to throw them away. I know when we ran our self catering farmhouses chipped crockery was a No No due to the chips harbouring germs. Even more so now!
Good luck with the bin Shandy. The emotions you are feeling will soon be transferred into the more positive search for your new property. Whiff made an I interesting observation that houses are still going on the market. Several have gone on in our small town, but strangely none in DD's area of London which I follow like a hawk. In some respects I think Londoners will be very resilient in all this and hopefully won't all want to leave the capital thus causing prices to rise disproportionately in the provinces.
A bit colder here today but blue skies. Time to hang out the washing.

I don`t feel as bouncy, probably more philosophical because of the times we are in, worries too about the AC, Will they, won`t they, manage to keep going and what happens to them and DGC if they get it but I bumble along and do things as I see them here. It is like us all, we do the best we can in these horrible times. The big jobs are all done and it was good to have jobs with a beginning and an end and hard though it is for shandy, these jobs may have helped her along the lockdown. Yes I agree too, shandy has turned into superwoman

Each day I look for what I call positives, something that makes a long-term difference and it might just be clearing a drawer but is trmendously uplifting and it makes the time pass in small hops

The work on your bungalow and garden sound tremendous whiff, obviously uplifting and has to be worth every penny. When does your year end? Mine is tomorrow and all in all, it has taken a full year to get settled and cosy and to stop spending. I am going to celebrate the year with that new bike, which I may order next week and then when all this is over, I will maybe see about forming a small cycling group in the local area, maybe within U3A

Hey Whiff thanks for your words of encouragement, so nice of you to say you are proud of me

I've been looking at moneysavingexpert this morning and a couple of people have posted that their buyers have pulled out. I do think I was lucky to sell at the auction, and am so glad not to have to face another winter there, wearing my coat and hat while I'm watching television. This Christmas day I might even be able to wear a thin dress instead of a huge woolly!

I'd better get dressed and go up there, keep your fingers crossed my bin is back

Here comes your new life Shandy57 life can only be up from now on!
Do hope everyone is enjoying this lovely day.