Help calm me. House buying and selling stress *Part 9*

Our u3a Eco group has just met, and had a talk about 'upcycling' materials. Then went to visit another group who are doing just that. Getting materials from Charity shops, etc and making all sorts of amazing articles out of that, which they will be selling at the monthly craft fayre this weekend. A couple of mens' shirts made into gorgeous little dresses for girls with matching scrunchies, etc.

No wind here, just the occasional very short shower, enough for me not to have to worry about watering any of the patio pots this evening, but not enough to cause any problems when out and about.

It is grim here, dark and very wet. I did go out earlier to make sure the trees were well fastened to their stakes, I am very glad I persisted and banged the stakes in very deeply, it was hard work at the time. They are at 45 degree angles and quite low, to keep the root ball steady but allowing the tree to move, it develops more support cells and a stronger trunk that way

I must find something to do that engrosses me until early evening. I don`t particularly like days like this

I'm sure the previous owners of my flat had a problem with him upstairs, as they had a white film over the entire kitchen windows, and their big windows, so you couldn't see in or out. The EA & I couldn't understand why anyone would want to block the view of the garden, think I now know why! And him upstairs told me they wanted to put full size fences up between the gardens, he said why would they want to do that? he must have refused as they are still low, think about 4ft high, so he can look over the top.

Thanks for all of your advise, my son is 35yrs, so I don't feel I can step in and say no for him, as that would be under minding my son as an adult, but I did put my foot down and said no when he asked my son to clear his roof gutters, as I thought it really dangerous to do. I read after about the high number of fatalities caused by falling off a ladder!

Happy birthday to your mum in heaven Shandy I miss mine so much, she was so lovely and kind. She made all our clothes as children Karmalady as you do now. My sister and I would have matching duster coats and dresses. I have a lovely picture of us in them, as one Sunday as we were walking to Church a neighbour called us into her garden and took a pic of us. My mum knitted all our cardigans and for our children, still have them boxed away, can't get rid of them.

So lovely you can still walk on the beach with your little dog Shandy we are band till 1st of Oct. The park I walk in, which is a stones throw away from the beach, is so lovely that I don't feel too deprived, with the swans and ducks on the lake. Terrible to hear about your birds dying, must be awful to see!

Thanks Yogi, I miss my Mum too. How lovely your Mum knitted all your cardigans, very precious. I have a lot of shop bought wool jumpers and got them out yesterday to check for the winter, I must buy some moth stuff.

I didn't mean for you to step in and make the decision for your son, I meant for you to discuss it with him now and agree between you, as a united front, that future requests should be refused. If he gets a long distance driving job he's going to be away for periods and you are going to be on your own.

Bit of blue sky out there, dare I hang my winter coat out for an airing!

It is so sad about the bird flu epidemic. Seems to be spreading out of control atm. Does not seem to be hre in South West (yet!!).

When my children were small, I made most of their clothes and always knitted all jumpers, cardis. etc. Finally learned to crochet when my twins were born, and my Mum and I would make one article each for them in different colours.

My Mother was incredible at crochet - she actually made me my 'going away' suit in crochet silk with matching handbag. It was really gorgeous and served me for several years after my own wedding as a really nice outfit for other peoples weddings. She also crocheted, again in silk cotton, a wonderful white very large circular tablecloth. I still have that (never used), and it will pass on to my eldest daughter and then on to my eldest g.daughter (both of whom, I know, will treasure it). That g.daughter has my Mum's name as her middle name.

I know it seems silly, but I am more relaxed this morning as all my AC/g.children are now back in UK after some of them have been on their holidays. I love it that they are able to afford to go abroad on holiday but am always tense until I know they are back home. Ever since the death of my youngest, twenty years ago, they all send me full flight details whenever they go away and I do check these flight on my laptop. My message 'Welcome back to the UK' got to daughter & g.daughter before they had even left the plane yesterday!!!

Yogi regarding the fence. How can he refuse permission for a higher fence? If the current one at four feet is on his side of the boundary, then why not just leave that and put up a six foot one on your side alongside the existing one. Whereas, obviously, you cannot tell your son what to or not to do, think you need to explain to him that the more he accedes to this mans requests/demands the more he will ask and part of being a responsible adult is to learn how and when to say a firm 'NO'!!!!

In WsM they do ban dogs from much of the beach for the summer months, there is still a large section, which is less used by families, where dogs can be walked all year. I love sitting in my scooter on the Promenade and watching the dogs play, running in and out of the water, chasing and picking up things thrown by their keepers. Always makes me laugh.

Glorious clear bright blue sky here this morning, and virtually no breeze I have been working on recipes for when my friend has her delayed visit to me next week (delayed as she was originally due to come last week - but the RMT actions prevented her). Do hope those rail workers get a proper increase, etc. after over three years of 0% increases which obviously means that they have actually had something like over 12% decrease in their earnings.

You've reminded me of my friend wearing the crocheted bikini her Mum made her for the first time Franbern. White, as well, her boyfriend had helped her wax her bikini line as it was so skimpy and did the wax too thick and injured her. She ran into the sea, and shouted to me to bring her towel - it had just collapsed!

I understand that anxiety Franbern, I get it too when any of my family are out of the country. None of my family fly these days

Myself and my husband lost 8 very dear friends in a plane crash. They were beautiful people in all ways. Part of our group

I did laugh at the crocheted bikini, harks nack to my knitted swimsuit
liverpoolcatholicramblers.com/Archives%20LCRA%201968%20plane%20crash/Bavarian%20Air%20Crash.pdf

Yes, I had one of those knitted swimsuits, back in the 1940's It was fine for me to play on the beach and I was not allowed into the sea on those few occasions that we visited the coast.

I have been around the house to unplug sensitive electronic equipment, dark, puring, thundery and I expect there will be lightening soon. What a miserable end to `flaming` june

however I would rather be here in my warm cosy home than in heathrow, sitting on the floor

So fed up. Just in from taking my dog for his final pee out the front, and heard a deep buzzing. Wasps going in and out of the airbrick in the other front bedroom. Came in, closed the window, and the door won't shut completely, just bounces open again.

Just managed to wedge it closed by putting a piece of cardboard in the door. I don't like killing insects but will get in touch with pest control tomorrow, I don't think the floor men will be too happy to be attacked by thousands of wasps when they pull the floors up.

Just booked the removal for Monday afternoon - which seems to be 12-5 pm. £55 I didn't expect to spend!

Well, this morning it's a very busy nest. My immediate thoughts were last night that if I had to take the floor up, I'd have to move the ten boxes of books/five boxes of sewing/twelve bags of other things that I've stacked ready for removal, but of course a wasp person isn't going to want to go under anyone's floor!

My neighbour was out in his front garden and I told him I was dealing with the nest, and I asked about the mysterious pipe on the front of the bunglow, coming from the corner of the party wall of this bedroom. Apparently the shower drains out here - ? He saw the plumber doing something to it in the past and asked him. Wonder if it's leaking? Could be! Anything is possible

oh no, not more stuff to deal with. Naturally wasps are beneficial if in the right place but most definitely not in your home. I expect monday afternoon cannot come soon enough.

Re that mysterious drain. Once the wasps have gone, I would explore if possible. The water should go into a soakaway, if not into the public drains. If done properly then there should be a rodding point which you will see under a manhole cover. If you could get that up and run the shower, it may well set your mind at ease. To know if it is a particular manhole, run the shower anyway and listen

I came back from town the other day and very suddenly on the other side of the bend in a small road, from an old listed building, there was a massive outflow of water from the first floor, obviously bath water just shooting out of the soil pipe, which is iron, very deteriorated and marked on every joint. Another widow on her own, rattling around in a big big house. It would have soaked me had I been underneath. I expect her soil pipe is blocked from bottom to top

It wasn`t a nice day yesterday, I felt a bit aimless so I hit the sewing again. Made a warm caplet with a cowl collar, nice to slip on for extra warmth or in bed for reading. Upside was that the fabric was utterly horrible to sew, knitted and very stretchy. I had nothing over and am glad I dealt with it and the garment is nice and cosy. Fabric has been sitting there, looking at me for a long time

More rain expected in a couple of hours but roads are far too mucky after the rain during the past few days, too many puddles for me and my bike would get mucky. I console myself re lack of exercise because I am mostly standing up and moving and certainly up and down stairs many times

It has been a good couple of weeks re not spending, just a few bits of fresh food and my organic delivery each week. I have a biggish bill end of this month, still to do with husbands company affairs, the last time as I am now completely severed. I happily, will be able to pay from current account, thought I would have to raid savings again
Next month I shall do my first ever online tax, I held onto the accountant until all affairs were finished. I am a bit nervous about doing it but now only have some savings interest and pension to input

It is getting darker as I write, such variety of weather in the uk, I did put some washing out but perhaps will have to finish via the tumble dryer

Meantime the blackbird came back with his wife and youngsters and one by one they are sitting in my blueberry bushes, taking the green berries. I used to have a huge walk in fruit cage at the family home, wish I had one here but it cannot be. I am going out twice a day and picking any berries with a hint of blush, they ripen indoors nicely but are smaller. C`est la vie. Upside ia that my bug and bee friendly garden is also now bird friendly

Wasp man has just phoned as he was in the area, and my wasps have been killed. I do feel bad about it but with the floors coming up, needs must.

I ran the shower and it does indeed come out through the teeny pipe into the six inch drain. What a bodge.

Shandy sorry you had to deal with more problems. Surely your surveyor should have put that in his report about that pipe and drain. I know you said he was a friend but he didn't do his job properly. And you should be able to get some money back as he didn't do what you paid for.

Thanks karmalady and Whiff, just back from the shops with a gigantic roll of gorilla tape to temporarily cover the airbricks to avoid any future nests. I have asked for them to be mouse meshed when the job is done. Not great considering the condensation here, but it's only for a month. Quite heavy rain now but will have to do it now, just in case.

No manhole in the front garden karmalady, there's one at the side of the house, and one at the back patio doors.

Off to do the gorilla'ing, wish me luck!

They are collecting boots for Ukraine here, I've just found a fantastic pair in our local charity shop to donate. Who knew how interesting shoe laces and 'eyelets' were ... finally managed to find some 180 cm boot laces to add to the donation, and a pair of new woolly socks.

My neighbour has just got home at the same time as me, and told me she had a suspected heart attack in the early hours of Tuesday. She is very slender and fit, has never smoked, same age as me, 65.

Makes my wasp nest anxiety so trivial doesn't it, what was I worrying about!

stress, it overides many other factors for heart attacks. I hope your neighbour is ok now . It is complicated, being thin is not an indicator of being well

More rain due today, I am going to put the summer duvet back on, a sheet and blanket were not enough last night

I'm guilty of not listening properly nowadays karmalady, I was so shocked, I know I didn't. I did ask her about her cholesterol and she was quite taken aback, I explained my friend was very fit and the perfect weight, but she had high cholesterol, genetics in her case. I put a get well card through her door this morning and gave her my number again - and I'm packing a hospital bag for me. I'd be so angry to be poorly now with my pension finally coming next year. It's made me more determined to plan fun things.

Coffee morning up the road today, now it's here I don't want to go, but I'll force myself xx

shandy did she actually have a heart attack as in tested at hospital or did she perhaps have bad heartburn and thought she was having a heart attack

Have the wasps died down?

Boring confining weather today, no shopping done, so more sewing as that keeps me living in the moment, mindfulness and silence which I like. Anyway, this garment was cut out and stashed months ago. It has many pieces and needed concentration. A cord pinafore dress with long straps and buttonholes down the side and on the straps. Nice fit and away for winter, mustard colour and I have suitable coloured warm tights. No chance of me growing old in twin sets and pearls

All I did around the house today was some quick weeding and a kitchen and bathroom clean. I would go bonkers without my hobbies