Saturday 16 March 2024

Achieving.......

 
Work in our bedroom is in full swing but I'll not bore you with each detail, hopefully there will be plenty to update you with by the end of the week. Meanwhile I'd like to share our beautiful camellia now in full bloom. 
And the beautifully scented hyacinths. 
A long time ago I'd found a crochet pattern for a more modern looking granny square that's tiny, so I thought I'd give it a go to help improve my very basic crochet skills. I'd made seven semi-successfully but found them quite tricky so was reluctant to do lots more to make into anything substantial, so the project got put aside. 
Recently I saw a small bag using squares and decided that I only needed to make three more pansy squares and three plain squares and all together they made this little summer bag. 
For the handles I made a cord from old jeans-seams to cover with the crochet which gave them structure. I'm always pleased not to have past efforts wasted. 

Lovely Mother's Day. Daughter came over with R and she'd bought me this great jug that's a really useful size. A friend of her's has opened her new pottery shop so Daughter and M had supported her by buying a mug and a jug.
Son and fiancé arrived soon after with my gift of shower gel and the Pandora heart charm. They also brought a vegan chocolate cake for us all to share. Later the four of us shared a yummy Chinese takeaway.  

Thursday Daughter's dog was here while she was working and she kept me company when Hubby met the guys for some snooker. Daughter finished work a little earlier than expected so she had time to fit in her run and then stay here for a cuppa and chat before taking the dog home. 

Bedroom update....
All the cracks have been filled, all the emulsion on ceiling and walls done twice each. All the gloss done on skirting, door frame and built in wardrobe frames. Almost odour free, then a quick sand down on the window sill and that coat of varnish was a nasty pong that filled the whole house and lasted for days! Curtain pole back up and the curtains too after they'd been through the washing machine and thankfully a dry sunny day so they went out on the line. We had a quick shopping trip and bought a new duvet cover and fitted sheet, 
but couldn't get a bed valance or ceiling light shade I liked or the coasters to go under the casters. I was also looking for some padded quilted vinyl to recover the headboard with but was disappointed there too. Hubby found the coasters at our local Wickes but I'm still looking for the rest. 
Nothing more we need to do in there until the carpet is fitted next Thursday. 

Enjoy your weekend.
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Saturday 9 March 2024

Total House Upheaval......

 
We had talked about it for some time, but as Saturday was raining yet again and Hubby couldn't do the gardening he had planned, he decided that it was the perfect time to remove everything from our bedroom so it can be redecorated and recarpeted.

This was just before
and I'm guessing the end result won't look much different as Hubby couldn't decide on another colour so bought paint the same (I was really pleased), but there are a lot of wall cracks that need filling. It will save him repainting the radiator and furniture that are matching gloss. I do want to recover the headboard as I like the size but looking really scruffy, I'll look for fabric once we have chosen carpet. 

First he had to dismantle the two single beds in the 'girl's room' so furniture from our room could go in there and still be accessible. 

I stripped our bed and put the duvet and pillows along with lots of boxes for all the loose stuff covering the double bed in the 'what room'.

Thankfully we have a double sofa bed in the office and been told by R and Son it's really comfy. We will find out tonight and for however long this takes. 
Sunday morning 4:21am and I'm in the lounge leaving Hubby sleeping (sounds like Bug Brother). I found the mattress really uncomfortable! So now we have taken the thin mattress and topper from the sofa bed in my craft room and added that on top of the mattress in the bed downstairs. Hopefully we won't feel every spring poking all night. 
Monday morning and can report a much better night's sleep. 

Tuesday was Doggy Day Care, although for Son's dog I do very little little as she definitely prefers Hubby. 
Wednesday between first and second coat of ceiling painting we went out to choose carpet. This is the one we went for (it's a little lighter in reality than this photo). But you know me, of course there's a story going with this. 
There are two carpet shops side by side. 
     We went into Carpetright first and saw one we liked in their cheaper range (it's only a bedroom and about half of it will be covered by a king size bed and other furniture). Then next door into SCS where we found a carpet very similar colour for the same price with the offer of free fitting. We asked the salesman for a quote, he added underlay and calculated. I half jokingly said we'd bought another carpet from there not that long ago (remember the craft room refurbishment?) So do we get loyalty discount. He said no as it already has an offer. I asked about delivery, he said five weeks!!!! We are sleeping on the sofa bed and five weeks scared me. 
     Saying no doubt we would be back, we went back into Carpetright. Asked the chap there to quote for the one we'd seen first. Carpet, underlay and paying for fitting came out almost the same as their rival shop and delivery was five weeks too! However the salesman here then became totally proactive and found us another carpet in a more expensive range that was very similar in colour but actually felt more luxurious and he told us it was on 50% sale so slighter cheaper than our first choice and it was in stock so only two weeks wait, decision made. While he was completing the paperwork and booking the fitter I joked that next door should have given me the discount. This guy then said well as you compared and came back here I will give you a discount! Hubby and I left feeling very pleased. 

Wednesday evening out as usual and this week we wished safe journey to friendsH&H as they are heading back to the US for some months. 

Friday evening Daughter and Son took Hubby out for an Indian meal which was part of his promised birthday present. I don't like Indian food so it's a rare treat for him and having his children to himself. They stayed here for a cuppa and chat afterwards too.

Bedroom progress is ceiling and walls all painted, just some gloss to do on door frames and skirting. Most of the carpet has gone to the tip but old underlay still down. Fitted wardrobes have had doors removed and they are now standing with the room door in the what room. The wardrobe contents have been emptied and all our hanging clothes are now piled high on the craft room sofa leaving just enough space for the clothes horse so I can still get washing dry. I would have taken more photos but you can't get in these rooms any more to take them hahaha. 

Still a lot to do but I'm making sure Hubby doesn't work too hard. 
You'll get another update next week of course. 
Have a good weekend.
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Saturday 2 March 2024

Ending With A March........


With all the spring flowers popping up it's easy to forget we are still in February, however Saturday's early morning frost and Sunday getting up at 6am to a thick fog was a reminder. 

Lovely visit from Daughter and O with the dog of course. O wanted to come over to raid our vinyl singles as E had left her record player when she moved out. E had already taken the few albums we had and now O has taken the shoe box of singles many from the 60s and 70s. Love that he has such a mixed appreciation of all music. 

Had to share this as it amused us both. 
There was a car we didn't recognise drive onto our drive that turned around then the driver got out looking puzzled. Hubby went out saying "are you lost?" He was deliveroo with hot food and couldn't find 69 Leicester Close, Ipswich (we are the final house top of the Close number 28). His English wasn't brilliant so Hubby helped out in the call back to the person that ordered..... turns out it should have been 69 Ipswich Close in Leicester, 140 miles away! 😂😂😂

Wednesday evening we ate Turkish, it was friendHS's birthday and his choice. So much food three of us asked for boxes to bring some home. 
He actually baked his own birthday cake to bring along and it was delicious.
Leap year day has a special memory for me. 1972 was a leap year. I met Hubby on the 14th February on the first day at my new job, yes his birthday although he was very hung over from the night before! By the 29th we were definitely a couple and I jokingly proposed. His reply was to wait and see and maybe by the next leap year day I could try again. Actually by then we'd been married just over two years!

Those tv weather experts said it had been the warmest but wettest February in East Anglia on record!  Then all of a sudden it was March!
Keeping everything crossed it gets dryer for a while.
Take care.
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Saturday 24 February 2024

Pretty Average......

 
Just like his father....... when Son heard there was some tree tidying happening he was here to help, with his own long loppers, steps and chain saw etc. 
Then any excuse to climb up inside. 
They do work well together and I kept getting invited outside to give shaping advice. They didn't need my advice but it was nice to be asked. 

We had stayed available for dog sitting this week as Daughter and O were away, however as it's half term holiday here and R wasn't working and M was doing less teaching, so after last Friday they managed without us. Which meant I actually went out with Hubby two days running..... but nothing exciting hahaha. 

He's been looking for his preferred fish food but they haven't got the big tubs in yet locally so we drove to Capel Nurseries (only about 15 mins away) but they didn't have any either. While there I did manage to find three little plants to use as part of a gift. On the way home we stopped at Tesco and in their baby section I completed the gift before all the grocery shopping. 
He then ordered the fish food online. 

Next day I had the pleasure of a visit with him to the tip! Back seats down and my car had been completely full, mostly garden rubbish. Then onto Iceland as since the freezer had been run low to defrost and then some space loaned to a neighbour while their freezer was replaced it was looking very empty, not efficient use! It isn't empty any more. 

Out with our usual friendsM&P Wednesday night and the four of us managed to find a week in April we can all do for our next Spain holiday. FriendM will book the flights and hire car and we use her apartment. Looking forward to that. 

Hubby got called over to help Daughter with a plumbing conundrum. Just back from her holiday she immediately loaded the washing mashing and discovered when the cycle started by filling up the toilet upstairs overflowed! 😳 it made us laugh a lot, then Hubby got serious went over and fixed it as she knew he would. 

Hubby has scrubbed out this planter that we want for the water feature, but it needs a bit more prep before it can be used. 

So good to see the colours returning to the garden. 

And a lovely surprise Friday afternoon when Daughter, R and the dog arrived, having walked over. They couldn't stay long as R has work to do but it was lovely to have a cuppa and catchup before Hubby drove them home. 

Nothing planned for our weekend so let's see what happens. 
Enjoy yours whatever you do.
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Saturday 17 February 2024

Hearts and Hounds........

 
Our week started with dog sitting for Daughter and a bit of taxi service for O but other than that a relatively quiet weekend. 

Certainly not quiet Monday morning as we had to find extra chairs and jiggle for space round the table as there were 13 noisy neighbours here for coffee morning. Some telling me again how they really love our weekly get together. 

Shrove Tuesday and we enjoyed a pancake lunch cooked for us by O and Daughter. 

I made two cards for Wednesday as Hubby's birthday is Valentine's day so he gets two cards and a prezzie. I don't go to the shops alone these days so that would look odd and if Hubby goes out he tends to take my car so I can't sneak out then, hence his present was bought online and making his cards rather than buying! 
Thankfully he told me what he wanted, more boys toys.
No sooner the rain had stopped mid-morning there was a little trail of debris round the garden where he's been playing with his new hand chain saw. 
As it was a Wednesday we still had dinner out with friendsM&P, however we upgraded to The Belstead Brook Hotel food was really good (my calamari was a little chewy but not too bad). M&P came back for coffee afterwards and M had a surprise message that her daughter had gone into labour. This was a worry as very very premature. I took my phone up to bed (which I wouldn't normally) and got the message about 12:30am baby girl delivered and a first photo. 

Thursday and Friday Daughter was having her radiators flushed through and a new boiler fitted and the dog didn't take kindly to four strangers arriving and going from room to room so she came here some of the time. 

Thursday afternoon friendHBW had us over for a ladies afternoon tea, just four of us so easy to chat. She put on a lovely spread and we each came away with a little gift. 

Then Thursday evening we had Son's dog as they went for a meal and an event with Professor Brian Cox in Ipswich. They said it was really interesting. 

Friday Daughter and O headed to Derbyshire for their annual hostel week with friends. Remember how R and the dog used to just move in here, well now R works full time but they are closed this week as it's half term and she may arrange stuff with her friends, so it's been left to M to drop the dog here and pick her up as and when we are needed. We were needed all day Friday but we will stay flexible till Daughter is back next Wednesday. 

Heard from friendM her very premature Granddaughter is still in neo natal but doing really well. Another valentine's birthday. 

With love from me bye for now.
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Saturday 10 February 2024

Some Out Mostly In.........

 
Early start on Saturday, I'm always up early but this was a be up, wide awake and ready by 8am early. Son arrived with his b-i-l to collect our treadmill. Hubby and Son had moved it into the shed when we cleared the office to put the sofa bed in there over a year ago. Now it's in the cabin in his garden which he is making into a gym.

Lovely late lunch with friendsL&K (friendsL&M should have been with us but L is in hospital, I'm checking on her and she's improving daily). L&K had been to the Russell Watson performance in Lavenham the night before and raved about him and moaned a bit about a few audience members and the failings of the hotel where they stayed overnight. 
I nearly got a beautiful sunset picture while we were driving home but didn't get my phone out quick enough before the amazing colours hid behind a road lined with trees. 

Now it's pruning tidy up season, so steps, long saw and long loppers are out till the brown bin is full. 
And then he added to some of the neighbour's brown bins. 

All is fair as we are loaning freezer space to a neighbour who had to empty theirs and take delivery of a new one. 

Other than that there's been nothing else worth mentioning, oh apart from getting 46 out of 50 in our usual Thursday night YouTube quiz, which is our best score since hubby and I have been doing it alone..... definitely worth mentioning. 

Have a good weekend.

Saturday 3 February 2024

Homework and Helping Hand........

 
Six of us are now booked for a Northumberland holiday in June, staying in the village of Seahouses near Bamburgh and saying we must visit Lindisfarne while we are there.  FriendLW and friendLL are telling me how they were drawn to the area by a series of books and a film. I've homework to do! 
Had a good read Sunday and this author does paint a vivid picture, although story line is a bit predictable. Finished Holy Island Thursday. I'll leave the second book till next week. 
Dark history with lots of shouting, sword waving and dead bodies. I lost interest in it quite quickly, Hubby watched it through and said it was ok (yeah just ok). 

R was working from home on Monday but finding it hard to concentrate so she changed venue and set herself up here upstairs. Even our very noisy coffee morning wasn't a problem. She came down for lunch and we had a lovely chat, then reluctantly she went back upstairs till Daughter arrived around 5pm when we all had tea before they headed home. 

Surprise visit Tuesday morning from friendKK. I love it when people know they can just drop in, and she didn't care I hadn't showered or got dressed yet hahaha. 

Daughter had mentioned to her local friends we had the water feature to give away and one of her friends really wanted it. She doesn't have a big car and it's concrete and very heavy so to save her suspension she took one part and the plastic reservoir on Tuesday and the second part and the pump on Wednesday. Pleased it will be used and not thrown away. 

Daughter came over too, later Tuesday afternoon as she needed car light bulbs replaced which Hubby always does for her. 
So not much reading done Tuesday. 

Sadly a lot of my time has been punctuated with messaging back and forth about my friend with the delusional mental illness. Still no confirmed diagnosis and allowed home each time she had been in hospital (we think she was discharging herself) which had made her worse. Thankfully at the moment she is back in one hospital department waiting for a bed in the right department but told she can't leave, so we are all praying she gets the treatment she needs to get better. A huge stress on the whole family and making matters worse when she was in hospital last time two family members got parking fines when the machines said no payment required! 

Also heard friendLL has been taken into hospital and will be there all weekend, so we won't see them Saturday as planned. 

It's supermarket daffodil season again, don't they cheer up very chilly days with their promise that spring is on its way. 
Have a good weekend.
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Saturday 27 January 2024

Wild Weather and Web.......

 
Saturday and our children met for another early morning long walk with Daughter's dog (Son's dog really can't walk far anymore), they did just over eight miles. Both here for mugs of tea and chat afterwards. Hubby tried to help Son fix his van door window but they couldn't. Then Son loaded up some of the wood we had here for his log burner before heading home. Daughter headed home too hoping that O and R would be out of bed and ready for lunch. 

Another named storm at the weekend, Storm Isha, apparently the 9th named storm in about four months! We certainly heard the very heavy rain and wind and the Orwell Bridge was closed all day and night Sunday, however Hubby still said his journey to Felixstowe and back felt OK just longer with the divert through town, and only one quick thinking swerve on the A14 coming home to avoid a huge chunk of tree in the road. Thankfully no damage to anything here. 

Then just two days later Storm Jocelyn hits the UK.  Really windy here but the main storm didn't come down country this far. 

It seems like it's mostly been a week of Internet searching. I've a friend who is having a really hard time with anxiety, confusion and delusional behaviour. Thankfully she is being helped medically and mentally. So I've been looking up things about alzheimers and dementia including Lewey Body Syndrome as I know so little about it. Scary and very sad. 

On a happier subject, remember as a group of four couples we holidayed in Zakynthos last year, well friendL messaged us all about Bamburgh in Northumberland as a possible location for this summer and set us the task for hotel hunting. UK holidays are quite expensive so after checking all facilities I made good use of all reviews. I found four possibles I shared and now waiting to see if the others find anything else. 

Friday was Doggy Day Care day, Son's dog was booked in with us quite a while ago and we nearly had both dogs but Daughter's dog can stress Son's nervous little one (she just wants to be friends), but thankfully it turned out R was working from home so the dog stayed home with her.  
Here is the one in our care today, she is totally relaxed. 
I've put a pouffe there for her to use as a step as she's finding the height of the sofa a challenge now she is older and arthritic. 

Thoroughly enjoyed this week's finale of the TV reality program The Traitors. No spoilers here just in case you haven't caught up. 

Enjoy your weekend, forecast warmer, see you next week.

Saturday 20 January 2024

Plenty Of Sub-Zero......

 
Last spring we talked about removing our water feature as there had been a problem with it for some time, a leak in the underground reservoir perhaps as Hubby was having to add water to it every day, or it would dry out overheat and blow a fuse. We can't actually remember when Hubby created it, at least 20 years ago, and it looked like this (a waterfall with cascading water) 
As you know Hubby hates sitting still but even I was surprised that on a day that started at -2°C he decided to take it apart! 
Nothing more has happened to this so far. It will have to be replaced by something as the birds loved drinking, bathing and splashing around in the water.

We attended a funeral this week. It was for the brother-in-law of my old school friendL. As childhood friends and having sleepovers I knew the whole family well. The prayer room was quite full and it was an extremely cold day for standing graveside. An hour and 20 mins drive each way and they really appreciated our being there. It was an orthodox Jewish funeral and if you have never been to one and interested I'm happy to explain more.  

Our usual team effort to defrost the freezer. I unload and Hubby does the scraping while I keep the saucepans water hot. Then I reload. Less than an hour from start to finish. 
There were three pizzas in there, two vegetarian and one vegan, that Hubby and I don't like, Daughter doesn't eat pizza and Son refused them as his freezer was really full already. I can't throw good food away so messaged our vegetarian next door neighbour who immediately came up to collect them. 

No actual snow here but very frosty white mornings and a couple of -5°C readings on my phone when I've got up and guess it's been even colder during the night. 

On a happier subject I've caught up with printing the blog posts for 2023. Probably unnecessary but it's my diary so although all online I do like to see it as a physical thing. 

I've finally got round to shortening the sleeves on a new jacket I've had for ages and also made myself another little handbag. Mainly because it's always warm upstairs in my craft room. 

Till next week, stay warm and watch for slippy pavements.
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Saturday 13 January 2024

From Under A Blanket......

 
Daughter and Son met for a long dog walk early Saturday morning and they changed their planned location to Woodbridge for a less muddy route because of all the rain we've had. Afterwards they came here, picking up R on the way and they left after a couple of mugs of tea each. Son also helped Hubby get the Christmas stuff up into the loft as it's all getting too heavy for me now. 

And then it was finished. 
I also love jigsaws and we usually do them together, however Hubby was really enjoying the challenge of this one so after my initial help I tried to leave it all to him. 

We had Daughter's dog here twice this week. Tuesday afternoon when Daughter took O roller skating at Bury St Edmunds, it's a two hour HE session. O said there weren't many others there but he still enjoyed it. Second day was Thursday when Daughter had a plumber round to fix her heating problem. The dog may have been good and calm or she could have given the plumber a hard time when he moved from room to room, we didn't give her the option. Hubby went to play snooker with his friends and M decided to go home for the plumber, so Daughter and O joined me here for lunch. 

We have often seen a fox or two when we've come home from a late night out and we know they use our garden as Hubby has to do a poo patrol most days. However recently we are seeing them during daylight. Monday there was one in our garden while we were having coffee morning (it was actually snowing at the time too) and Friday there was one crossing the drive and heading into our garden at 7:30am. Unfortunately they are either too far away or moving too fast to get a clear photo on the house cameras. 
I love all the wildlife we see here. 
I was about to publish this then this morning I saw these two in our garden at 8:15am.
looks like an adult and a young one. We watched them for about 20mins.

That's about it as it's cold and damp outside and I've no need to be anywhere. Stay warm and I'll see you back here next week.
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