Quiet Day

Dormouse - I think that I'm also going to be spending the next six months following the men around. Funnily enough, I seem to be the only one to open curtains as well. 

Eileen - none of us drink hot drinks, so it's more heat and light that bother us. However we also have a stock of candles, a pile of blankets and a room with comfy chairs for us to hang out, so I'm not stressing too much. 

Bless - I'm considering getting some more solar lights, perhaps like fairy lights meant for the garden that I can put around windowsills just for all the time.

As for powercuts, I have a guilty secret. When I got an inheritance from uncle, I bought something that I'd wanted for ages that I honestly couldn't see me using - a storm kettle. At least, I hope it's there, as I never had the nerve to open the box. It is a ridiculous extravagance that was something that I wanted just because. So I'll be able to heat some water in most circumstances. I suppose that I had better check the box. In my defence, I was not in a good place at the time, and I've felt guilty about the extravagance ever since.

I also plan to stock up a little more on candles. Next time I do a big shop at Tesco with my 10% off, I plan to go to the candle section and stock on stuff that's on offer. Tesco candles aren't brilliant, but they will have a little light and some warm. I also have a soft spot for candles. They warm me up psychologically, so having one or two around in safe spots will make me feel better. This also involves picking up a carbon monoxide detector. 

As a sort of reassurance, as I over think things, I'm going to get a bag in a corner out of the way with a few candles, a powerbank to charge phones, batteries and perhaps even some snacks. I'll make a point of checking it every Sunday when we all hang out, so that things stay charged, and then I can forget about stressing. 

The candles will get used regardless. I won't be surprised if we get a few powercuts over winter, but I don't expect that they'll be long or really scary. I just need to be able to find the bathroom, find the water tap in the kitchen and find the blankets. I already use some of the brighter rechargeable lights, because I have them in the car to knit to when I'm waiting for bear in the darker nights. 

I haven't done much today. I've been waiting in for someone to come about the boiler. It was leaking, but now it's stopped. It's fairly low on the list. 

I think I will have an early night and then I hope to get cracking tomorrow. Tomorrow is the first day of metereological autumn, and perhaps it's as good a time as any to sit down and work out what I'm doing. What is harder is working out how to make myself stick at things. If I find out a secret, I'll share. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

Panic Buying

Sharon - it's all good now. This should be the last year that bear is in school uniform, so finger's crossed I don't end up having to get new stuff in the middle of the year.

Cherie - I wouldn't be at all surprise if we had a few outages over winter. I've just checked, and my stock of candles is uncharacteristically low - great excuse for a shopping trip!

Eileen - thank you. I really recommend Derren Brown. I can't put too much, as it would give away a lot of the show and spoil surprises, but it was so much fun!

Bless - I think that I'm definitely going to have to use some form of meditation. Thank you.

Deborah - I've done my time washing double duvets in the bath and never again! Mine is probably okay for a year or two yet, but I'm keeping an eye on it. 

Dormouse - I keep a load of different 'funnies' saved, so that I can cheer myself up whenever I'm sinking. This is another of my favourites here.

Wherethejourneytakesme - I'm saving that advice. And the foam was hilarious. 

I'm feeling a lot better. I called in at Aldi and bought some solar powered lamps. They're meant for the garden, but they should charge on the windowsill and give enough light to watch the stairs if the power goes out at night.

Here's the result of my panic buying.

They weren't very expensive. I doubt that they'll be any good to knit by, but they should stop us tripping over things. 

Here's the only pic I remembered to take when we went to see Derren Brown (seriously recommend it!)

It shows the grand theatre and my complete inablity to allow for lighting.

We had a leak yesterday from the bathroom. The man came out today to sort it, thank goodness, but I'm seriously sick of something that should have been finished a month ago. A pic or two from there.

Writing stuff - nothing much to report, but another of the series of articles about research is on the Three Furies website here. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

On the Blink

Quickly posting as the power is on the blink. The streets around here are being hit by intermittent power cuts (something something something cables something)

But thought I would post and say all normal apart from banks of candles and a rather limp solar light.

Also, saw Derren Brown 'Showman' at the Grand Theatre Leeds and it was epic.

Hugs and good health to all. 

Ups and Downs

Bless - it was hilarious! I thought about the homemade laundry detergents you see online, and I was thinking that the borax usually added would possibly cut down on the foam. I now treat with extreme caution and stick to mainly Ariel, like my mother and grandmother.

Jane - I shall have to remember that. Though I don't use laundry detergent as such, but white vinegar. I'm sure that would have worked just as well. At least I got a cleaner floor and a good story out of it.

Eileen - the schools get a kickback from the uniform shops and no doubt are looking to raise funds. Here is the price label on bear's blazer.

He's not particularly tall, and there's more meat on a butcher's pencil, so it's not outsized. It's still £65. And the nearest high school that isn't a grammar has a boys blazer in exactly the same size for £31.99 - just under half of the price. What is worse, the blazer for bear's school is brown. The school is insistent that the blazer is a a particular brand from this particular shop. When I was a kid, you could pick up a blazer elsewhere and just buy a sew on patch from the school. Mind you, our blazers were black and easy to come by. It's almost impossible to get a brown blazer (I checked last year when it looked like we may not be able to get one) but a man's blazer from Matalan in black would set you back £33 and probably wear better. The quality of this blazer is awful and the fabric is dreadfully stiff.

To the lovely commenter who said that they could imagine me wading through the foam - I did! It was like an old fashioned comedy film - and so funny. 

So - ups and downs. On the day before yesterday I was laughing about the washing machine and admiring the bathroom. It's pretty much done. I'd considered getting a picture or similar for decoration, but I'm enjoying the minimalist look. We have a new mirror (stick on acrylic panel), and a toilet roll holder that sticks to the side of the vanity. 

Yesterday I had a panic attack while driving. I thought I was going to pass out and I couldn't find anywhere safe to pull over. I was terrified. For at least ten minutes, I was holding it together just enough to drive, but I was in a very bad state indeed. I was struggling to breathe and at one point my vision started to get blurry, though fortunately only for a few seconds. I don't know what to do. I can't get in that state when I'm driving bear, and it isn't fair on other road users. The road was pretty quiet at the time, so there weren't many other drivers around, so it could have been worse. However, if this starts happening regularly in the future, it isn't safe for me to drive.

I went out today for a short drive, and I was fine. As far as I can see, the panic attack was nothing to do with driving but with other health stuff going on. It just hit when I was in the car. There was a lot going on yesterday, so I think that I got ambushed. 

I don't want to be a hazard on the roads, and I don't want to endanger bear. This is the first time that anything like this has happened, so I'm not ruling out driving, but I can't do this as a regular thing. I can't have panic attacks while driving. I don't know what to do. I'm going to do some more practice runs when the roads are very quiet.

I should really try and get the GP to sort out the dermatitis, but I'm not sure that I have the mental strength, especially not at the end of the school holidays. Perhaps I should speak to them about this panic attack. I don't have much faith in them about this, though, and it feels silly taking up their time on this. Of course, it could also be a sign of the change. I'm getting a few hot flushes which are quite unexpected. 

I think I need to start by cutting down on caffeine and taking up some meditation. Wish me luck.

Also here is a thread which, if you scroll down, is a record of the notes left at a hotel about soap. It is one of the funniest things I have ever read. It's good to remember the fun stuff.

Hugs and good health to all.

Me and Washing Machines

Bless - I'm wondering if I need to check its shots lol!

Sharon - the author is Nancy Warren, and I spent far too much time reading them

Eileen - I've run an empty wash and it was fine so I'll run a proper one tomorrow.

I called in this morning and picked up school football socks for bear. The shop look like it had been hit by a severe weather incident and the assistants looked dazed. There were boxes all over, stuff bagged to be collected behind the counter and mums wandering around with a panicked expression and a tape measure. I checked bear's blazer that I bought a few weeks ago, and it's still a little on the big side. I don't expect that to last long. I also called in on Dewsbury Market, and took a pic, but I didn't see anything that I fancied.

It's a rubbish pic, but if you squint and expand, you can see the logo. I took one other, but the sun was against me and I couldn't tell what was going on with the pic.

The washing machine reminded me of an old story, so I thought I would share it again. It goes back to before bear was born, I think, or he was very young. And it's something of a cautionary tale.

I had a rug that I liked. It was sort of a cotton throw type thing, but quite thick and robust. It was only small and was looking very dingy so I thought I'd give it a wash. As it was 'hand wash only' I thought I would have to swish it in the bath, but then I had the bright idea of bunging it in the washing machine on the handwash programme.

So far, so good. However I also went out and picked up some handwashing detergent, Stergene. I want to be fair and let you know that I didn't read any instructions. Instead I threw the rug in the machine, added the detergent, turned it to the 'hand wash' setting, pressed start and carried on with the rest of my day. 

Until I heard the start of the spin cycle. It went something like, 'whum, whum whum whuuuum whuuuuuuuuuum' and stopped. This wasn't the usual sound so I went and had a look. It was overflowing with suds. These didn't come out of the soap dispenser (old machine). Instead it was all just trapped in the washer, with everything gunked up. 

I had to turn the dratted thing off at the mains, wait for it to finally release the door and then I opened it up and foam started pouring out. The bubbles seem to have been all squashed together, but once they got out of the machine, it was like they could spread out - and they did! And they kept coming! There was foam everywhere! The stuff seemed to keep coming for hours. It was like some sort of special effect in a horror story. 

Eventually I pulled out the rug (which was never the same afterwards) and ran the washer empty a few times, so it settled down. The washer was fine, but I double checked with the instructions on the bottle. I had definitely turned the setting to handwash (I use a lot of settings) and nowhere on the bottle of Stergene did it say that it shouldn't be used in washing machines.

And that's when I found out that laundry detergent actually intended for washing machines has a foam suppressor added, and soap meant for handwashing doesn't. So I'm sharing this as a warning to anyone who feels like trying it. 

Also, the floor was lovely and clean where I had to mop up gallons of the foam, so there's always a silver lining.

Hugs and good health to all. 

Washing Machine was Sick

Cherie - that's what I miss about falling behind on blogs. I miss my family. Thank you. You are awesome and I'm looking forward to catching up on your YouTube channel as well. 

Bless - thank you. Now I know what the plant is, I can enjoy it that bit more. The garden has always had some, and I think that they look so delicate, even if they are in inappropriate places.

Eileen - I was almost frothing, which is silly. I don't to describe too much as they are a better author than I am, but I am desperate to do better. The air brick now has a grill instead of just tile board over it, but it's less than brilliant.

Sharon - if you have Kindle unlimited, I suggest that you head for The Vampire Knitting Club ebooks on Amazon. I also suggest that the author's series of The Great Witches Baking Show, heavily modelled on the Great British Bake Off, is worth a go. It's a fun read with a murder every episode.

No sign of plumbers. We need a few bits and that's it. I am soooo unimpressed.

And I thought that the washing machine smelled a little off, so I bunged in some laundry cleanser in the empty machine and set it off on a hot wash. I may have miscalculated.

I'll have to go back and do a few 'rinse and spin' cycles. Still, it's giving the tubes a bit of a clear after all. 

I've only done a couple of thousand words, but I'm going frantic with all the other ideas kicking around in my head and the need to seriously clear the house. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

Challenge Accepted

Thank you for all the amazing and kind comments. I feel completely hugged and it has been an amazing help to me over the last few weeks. Never underestimate the power of a kind comment. You really, seriously helped.

I'm not up to speed on blogs or much of anything today. However, I've been distracted by writing things. I've been reading a cosy mystery (not one of the Nancy Warren one's, Hazel, and apparently there's a new one out on 28th September) and I've got very frustrated. They killed somebody off wrong. It sounds silly, but I'm utterly annoyed that they wasted the awesome character and it didn't help the plot. I feel like stamping my feet. 

I have a backlog of writing that I owe Three Furies, but then I'm going to write a cosy mystery and I'm going to make it work. I'm not saying that I can do things better than the writer. They certainly have a better work ethic than I have, and I know that there are gaps in my stuff. On the other hand, I feel for that wasted character. 

I was so busy thinking about the poor thing that I tried putting seed in the suet pellet holder and the stuff went everywhere.

And the weed is, I think, one of the spurges, or euphorbias. I can make an argument for wood spurge. Here's a better pic, I think. It's a bit draughty out, so it was hard to get one that wasn't a blur.

I know this plant, which has been a regular weed since we moved in, and it does have the milky sap, though they have always been quite small.

The bathroom has had its first coat of paint on the windowframe. DH has put up a mirror and a small shelf and I have ordered from my friend eBay an inexpensive new lampshade. The current one is older than bear and it shows. I'll take pics when it's finished.

Now I feel so out of sorts because of that poor character, I'm off to get some writing done. Obviously I need to sort out the stuff for Three Furies, but then I can get that cosy mystery (my style) sorted out. I'll post my word count tomorrow. 

Hugs and good health to all. Also, thank you. You have been a real support. 

Good News

According to the nurse, it's not cancer but dermatitis and they need to ask my GP to refer me to a dermatologist. As I've had no luck with my GP ever doing that, I'm not optimistic. 

The bathroom is almost all finished now as well.

The whole business has given me a lot to think about. I'll be back tomorrow with a proper post, but I need to come here and say that you are all awesome and have been a real help and encouragement over the last however long. You made a positive difference. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

Nothing Much

Eileen - gutters are always a worry, aren't they? I'm keeping all crossed.

Bless - Shakespeare said that troubles come not in single spies but in battalions, and I think he was right! Years ago, when bear was little, we had the boiler go, the tv, the washer, the gear box, the printer, in fact, almost everything over a short time. It was nerve wracking! I'm hoping it's a little easier this time. 

Sharon - that fuchsia is the most energetic thing in my life at the moment. It's a thug. And the progress is creeping on.

No visit from the plumber today. It's incredibly frustrating. The other plumber, the one who serviced the boiler and living room gas fire, is awesome. I texted them about the leak, they rang me straight back, explained that they had other work on, then arranged to check and then book stuff in. It was all clear, easy and reassuring. The people doing the bathroom are lovely, but I wish I knew what was going on. Here's the radiator, looking shiny...

I keep having to remind them about the air brick that's outside. They forgot to cut a hole in the tileboard. This is where it should be. 

It's really near the ceiling and close to the radiator (or should be, if it lines up with the air brick outside). I'm considering my options.

As for the dratted fuchsia, the other things that are seriously flourishing are a rose bush that father planted (he had all the green fingers) and a weed that has sprouted underneath the airer I was using outside.

I don't know what the weed is called, but it's very pretty. I should really get going on the garden. 

I've got some ironing done, and not much else. All is fairly calm at the moment, so I'm making the most of it. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

Bathroom Continues

Bless - mindless crafts are a real help. Thank you.

Eileen - the sink may have gone and the huge radiator that was stashed behind it has been installed but there are half a dozen planks of wood leaning against our highly polished fireplace surround. It's getting there.

The bathroom is indeed getting there. The lovely plumber took away the garden rubbish and came back and installed the radiator. There's still bits, but I have a faint hope that it will be finished by the end of the week. It's very faint. There's painting to do and rain is forecast.

And while the really lovely plumber was sorting out the radiator, I found a small leak in the gas boiler. I may have literally whimpered. And we still haven't found a roofer. Perhaps it's just as well that we haven't had much rain. 

I called in to Tesco. Sometimes I wish that I had the sort of lifestyle that used backpacks.

On the other hand, I have iffy shoulders, and I've dislocated the left one three times. Perhaps it's better if I stick to a shopping bag.

I forgot my handbag. Fortunately I had a gazillion vouchers on the app, so I could pay for the bits of shopping with that. I hope that bear likes the stuff that I got him. 

Writing stuff - Three Furies Press (who have been amazing to me over the last few weeks) have blogged about creating a home bar. It takes me back to when I was a teenager, and I drank far too much of stuff that was far too strong. The article is here. Isa is very much a kindred 40% spirit.

And I've written another installment of Under Dark Skies, which you can find here.

Hugs and good health to all. 

Treading Water

Bless - thank you. I suspect that this will be a false alarm, but I will just have to wait and see. As for that fuchsia, I think the best description is that the dratted plant is strangling the yellow rose. It's a thug, but a very pretty one. 

Cherie - I drive past a fuchsia on the route to Tesco that is, as far as I can tell, exactly the same variety but with half the flowers. I'm giving father the credit. He had a real knack with fuchsias. Any of the ones he planted turned out to be monsters. I do enjoy it, though, as do the sparrows. I was relieved to see a small one hopping around, but still no song.

The bathroom continues unfinished, but he came for half an hour this afternoon. My garden looks like this.

On the bright side, he took away the massive sink that wasn't fitted, several sacks of plaster and some spare floor boards. We now have a bath panel fitted. We need the architrave around the door and window sorting and painting, the window painting, the grab rail and radiator fitting and the air vent cut. There is a fancy air brick on the outside but so far they have just boarded over it. They are also going to box in the pipes. 

Bear was out most of today with friends. They went walking on Ilkley Moor. I was a little worried that he may end up drenched, but he was fine. He's getting so independent these days. 

I feel like I am marking time. I don't know what to do with myself, and feel that I can't get on with stuff or start stuff at the moment as I am waiting on so many things. August has always been an odd sort of month for me. I think I may take tomorrow as a thinking day. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

It's All Fuchsia

Sharon - thank you! I'm pretty sure that it's not serious as if it was, they wouldn't have done it this way. I could do without this, though. As for the bathroom - they promised it would take one week! 

There is very little happening at the moment. I am mainly in a puddle due to the heat. Even the spider plants are looking seedy. The fuchsia, however, seems to be thriving. It's the only energetic thing in my life at the moment and while I was waiting for the Amazon delivery (air purifier), I snapped this. The dratted thing is bigger than the bathroom!

It really needs to be cut back, but it's feeding so many bees that I'm hesitating. If the last few years are a guide, it will keep flowering until the first frost. You can see all the buds waiting to pop. The current weather and hosepipe ban can't be good for flowers, so I'm reluctant to get rid of any, at least in the short term.

I can't see many berries. I don't know if they have dropped due to heat stress or whether the sparrows got in. To be honest, I'm a bit worried about the sparrow squadron. I haven't heard any birdsong for ages. I've put water out and topped up the feeders, but I'm quite worried. This sort of weather must put them under stress. 

We should get some thunder storms in the next few days. I can't wait. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

Weather Continues Again

Eileen - I think I am more frustrated that I asked for it not to be a phone call but a letter. I'm getting a phone call. I guess it will be okay, and the fact that it's a week away is reassuring in a way. I'll be glad when it's sorted out.

This is what my bathroom looks like at the moment.

Almost but not quite there. Going into week four with a bathroom that is smaller than most shop elevators.

I am absolutely desperate for the weather to break. It's supposed to start easing off on Monday, and I've promised mysef an ironing session. Mind you, I should never say what I'm planning to do on here as it always ends badly.

I am considering stocking up on candles, though. I'll risk saying that. I expect that come winter and the cold weather (my bones are expecting it to be cold, and I have no idea why) we will be hanging out together as usual. A candle in the room (with adequate ventilation) can help take the chill off things. It's not really a cost effective way of heating, but having a candle lit, for us, psychologically makes us feel a little warmer. Of course, Yankee Bundles are closed for stocktaking. I may go large in Home Sense. I have a large supply of blankets and I plan to use my time knitting more to either sell or donate. 

I suppose it's the time of year to stock up on stuff for cold weather, but we don't need much and I just feel like hunkering down until it finally rains.

Hugs and good health to all. 

Out of Sorts

Cherie - I hide from the sun! I always have. But it's nice to know that it's out there in moderation. I'm really looking forward to the rain!

Eileen - thank you for your prayers. I think that there are two days per year when I'm comfortable, but I think I perfer the cold because then I can put on extra layers. 

Bless - the local weather here is forecast to get near the low 90sF (32/33C) and I do not approve! My home is designed to soak up all the sun and trap the heat - very necessary for normal British weather. I'm sure that I'll appreciate it more in December lol! 

This morning the plumber turned up. This was something of a surprise and if he had been ten minutes earlier, I would have been in my nightie. No-one needs to see that! Half of the stress of this wouldn't happen if they just told us something! And apparently the plumber doing the work hadn't heard about me asking for a grab rail - that the boss had repeatedly confirmed would be fitted. And there are bits of window and door frame all over. I'm not a happy bunny. The two men are lovely people, and I've no concerns about the quality of their work, but I am very unlikely to recommend them. That is, if they ever finish the dratted thing. 

As it was, when he arrived I was re-reading the letter from the Breast Clinic that came this morning. I asked to be notified of the results by letter. This is because I don't feel like trailing out to the clinic unless necessary, especially with Covid still being an issue, but I don't take information in well when hearing it. I prefer to read it. Besides, I don't want bear to overhear anything. The letter was telling me that I have had a telephone conversation booked for me next Friday. 

Of course my imagination is working furiously. My imagination always does. It never stops. Now it has something else to work on instead of ghosts in a medieval fantasy castle (I'm working on a sequel to King's Silver). I would rather deal with pretend ghosts. If I have asked for the results in a letter, but they book a phone call, that doesn't sound like good news. On the other hand, they stated in their letter to the GP that I had had skin cancer on my leg and I haven't. I've had very non-serious skin cancer on my nose, but nowhere near my leg. I do not have much faith in their ability to keep records. Mind you, if it was serious, it would be for right now, or they would just call. I could do without naff raffing about this.

And it isn't even lunchtime yet.

No pics, so another one from the past. This is one of ice on the inside of my windscreen, as I feel the need for something cooler.

And here is a quiz where you have to identify the food that the cats are dressed as. I have never seen so many felines plotting revenge in one place. I don't know what they're going to do, but it will be dreadful.

Hugs and good health to all. 

Weather Continues

Sharon - by the end of the day I feel like I could be scraped down! I do not approve. The weather should break Monday or Tuesday, though.

Bless - I managed to get there and back, but I checked on Google maps and the distance is around 500 yards or less. You can see the surgery clearly from my bedroom window. A few years ago, particularly before I passed my driving test, walking even ten yards out of my house was beyond me if it wasn't for bear. I would be almost hysterical. Now I'm better at getting out. Sometimes it's good to celebrate the achievements. 

But today, there have been no achievements. It has been far too warm. I'll be complaining about the cold before you know it, but right now, it's too hot.

I haven't taken any pics so I'll pic one from the past.

The image is from 22 June 2018 and is really just a short cut between light industrial units and waste ground, but it looks deceptively enchanting. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

And It's Warm Again

Bless - thank you for your kind thoughts. I feel so supported and hugged. 

Cherie - thank you. I'm sure it's all nothing, but unfortunately I have a well developed imagination. I really appreciate the kind thoughts. 

Sharon - Thank you, I really appreciate all the good wishes, they help so much.

Athene - I think I may have to join the gym (grossly overweight and creaky as I am) because there are times I can't get into the shower as it's set over the bath. That will be a win-win, though, if I can get any fitter. I hope that bathroom fitting is going quicker for you.

Hazel - there are swathes of witches having cozy mysteries while knitting, cooking or being a make up artist. It seems to be a genre in itself. I may have read several, or several dozen. I admit nothing. And yes, I have a few ideas...

It's warming up again. I do not approve at all. Also, I've done very little. I cooked a chicken crown early in the morning and we had it cold with coleslaw and bread and butter for dinner. I may try a rice salad tomorrow. I'm making a decision that I'm not dashing about in this weather, especially with a half done bathroom.

I visited the nurse for the annual check up. It was ridiculously warm walking over there at 9am. On the other hand, I walked out of the house and over to the doctor's surgery. That is an achievement that I am not sure that I could have done a few years ago. I could always do stuff for bear, but not for me. But today I did it, so I'm taking it as a win. As I haven't taken a pic today, here's one I took some time ago.

This is from 13 August 2021. Things were a lot greener then.

I didn't get a pic of the crab apples on the way back. They are ripening nicely and the trees are loaded! I also picked up a new hoodie for bear as the one he had was too small. Bear is now wearing a man's medium. Which reminds me, I need to pick up a belt as I can't find the last one I got him. He may have the height of a medium man, but he doesn't yet have the width. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

Not the Right Kind of Chaos

You are all awesome. 

I plan to properly catch up tomorrow with all the lovely people I follow, the awesome people who comment and just in general. I apologise for not getting to it sooner.

I don't mind a certain amount of chaos. If nothing else, it means that there's a good story there. However it's a little too much for me at the moment.

I'm still quite achy, so not exactly feeling like dashing around like a mad thing. The weather is not helping (33C or 91F in the car this evening). However I really need to be dashing around like a mad thing. 

Bathroom is still not finished and we are in the third week. The bathroom is not vast, sprawling acres of tilework and intricate pipework with complicated fittings. It's the length of the bath plus about the same across. There is a toilet, a small sink, a bath with a shower over it and that's it. They aren't even tiling it - it's tile panels, and I am weary of stuff being everywhere. That includes the first bathroom sink that they brought which is almost bigger than the bath and sitting in the middle of my living room. They are waiting on more tile board and they don't know when that will come in. I have no idea when I'll see them next. 

All the stuff from the bathroom has been distributed over the house. Stuff from the kitchen has been partly sorted/tidied/thrown but also has been distributed as the boiler was serviced yesterday. Then there was a leak and the carpet is definitely stuffed. Today, stuff that I should have sorted from the living room has been distributed as well as stuff from the dining room that was in front of the gas meter as I had the gas fire serviced. I'm starting to twitch. Add that I've been dragging out all sorts of washing from obscure corners and the heap that is my washing pile in the kitchen is emphatic. 

I wasn't meant to have the fire serviced today. I was supposed to be catching up on some work for Three Furies Press (who are awesome!). However I got a call which meant that I was hoicking boxes and bags everywhere so that they had space to do the service (despite the humungous sink sitting there). 

This meant that my plans for dinner went out of the window so DH and bear had fish and chips, and I believe that they very much enjoyed it. 

I nipped out to pick up some bits, but didn't see much that I wanted. 

I'm going to have to prune the fuchsia. It's taking over the garden and overhanging the path. It's currently full of bees and sparrows, though, so I think that I shall wait for a rainy night. The way that the weather is going, that may be in October. 

To be honest, all the chaos isn't a bad thing. I'm looking at things now and asking myself - do I really want this? Why do I want it? Can it be easily replaced? I don't have the mental strength at the moment to sell on eBay, and a lot of stuff isn't worth pennies, so I imagine that I will be getting rid of a lot of stuff - I mean, lots and lots and lots! The house is stuffed and it has to be cleared, especially if we are getting more work done. We need new electrics and new central heating radiators. To do the work for that needs space. I'm making a decision to keep nothing 'just in case'. I have too much stuff, and most of it doesn't have a home. It needs to find a home or I need to get rid of it. 

Now I am going to get an early night as I have an appointment at the doctor's surgery tomorrow (routine appointment with nurse, the results from the biopsy won't be for at least another week. Mind you, I opted to be contacted by letter and the Royal Mail are likely to go on strike, so who knows). 

Hugs and good health to all. 

Still Doing Okay

They spilled something next to me during the biopsy which has left me feeling dreadful for the last few days.

Bathroom chaos continues.

We had a boiler service today which mean it was repressurised which meant, in turn, that a pipe in the bathroom sprung a leak. We will need a new ceiling in the living room if this continues.

We still haven't heard from the roofer. 

Bear has been revising.

The house looks in utter chaos as everything is everywhere, and it's going to continue to be crazy as I am getting the living room fire serviced on Thursday. I mean, what else can go wrong? 

You are all awesome.

Hugs and good health to all. 

Doing Okay

It went okay today, but I'm feeling a little under the weather so will catch up properly tomorrow.

I had a biopsy, the doctor seemed to think that it wasn't too bad but there was a greater than zero chance of there being something so we went through with the tests. I'll hear back in around 10 days. 

Bathroom continues chaotic.

Bear continues awesome

You are all amazing.

Hugs and good health to all. 

Bathroom Continues

The sink that they brought in is massive. It's huge. It's wider than the bath. There is no way on this planet that it will fit in.

Next time I feel like a new bathroom, I'll move house.

And I'm not sure that I'll be able to use the shower the way it's set up. It's set above the bath and I struggled with the old set up (grossly overweight with creaky joints) but I'm not sure that I can manage at all with the new set up. 

Feeling a little stressed and not really managing much. I don't know how I'm going to get clean enough for the hospital on Friday. There is only so much I can manage with a washcloth and a bowl of water.  

Hugs and good health to all. 

I Took Pics

Bless - thank you. I feel utterly hugged.

Sharon - thank you. The hugs are incredibly welcome. The bathroom is likely to take twice as long as predicted. Sigh.

I went to Tesco today with the main purpose to visit a non-wobbling loo. At least the petrol gauge has dropped. I filled it up on Saturday and it didn't seem to stop. In the past, when I've filled the car right up, it auto shuts off. It didn't on Saturday and in the end I stopped pumping. The petrol gauge showed as 'so full it's like I've eaten two Christmas dinners' full. DH and I between us put on around 50 miles between us before today and it only moved from 'utterly stuffed' this morning. I was relieved.  

I took some pics of the bathroom. It may look small. That's because the bathroom is around 180cm or 5ft10ins square, give or take.

The toilet is finally in the correct place. There will be a radiator installed on the opposite side to the bath, together with a very small sink.

I wasn't sure about the tile board. It doesn't have any grooves, it's just printed on, but I think that it looks fine and it will be easier to clean. Bear doesn't like it. It's going to be a long summer.

I'm not sure about the gold foil underneath the bath, but it's too big to be a chocolate bar wrapper, so it is probably for something or other. You can also see the new floor as well. It's nice.

The berries have come on the fuchsia so I thought I would get a pic or two before he sparrows got them all. I was staring out of the window earlier as I waited for the plumber and a sparrow flew straight into the window, bounced off and carried on as if nothing had happened. Those sparrows have hard heads. 

My pics don't do justice to how lovely and juicy they look. I'm still not making jam with them. My track record with things like boiling sugar isn't good. I'll let the sparrows enjoy. 

Also, the roofer that came this morning said that we needed a new roof. Here is a pic from a few days ago. Please note that the man never came near our roof space.

We don't need a new roof. Getting the damage from the feathered fiends repaired may take some time. 

Hugs and good health to all. 

You are all awesome!

I'm sorry I've been missing. I find out whether I need a biopsy or not on Friday, and on top of everything else, it's put me in a dark place. As anyone who follows my stuff will know, I have a ridiculously active imagination and it hasn't been doing me any favours.

The pigeons keep queuing on the roof ridge, looking subdued. Mind you, knowing pigeons, it's probably their two brain cells competing for third place. We have some roofers coming around to have a look at the pigeon flap. It's just one slate that has been dislodged, but it's on a stupidly high roof. Last time we had work on the roof done, it legally needed scaffolding. That makes it a lot more expensive, but not as expensive as a leaking roof.

And speaking of leaks, I was sitting in the study on Saturday with heavy duty headphones on, and I heard a tapping. Apparently, while the nice men were doing the work on the bathroom, they knocked the waste pipe of the sink in my room next door, which meant that the water was dropping into the living room ceiling. We had what looked like a huge blister dripping! The lovely plumber came out, even though it was Saturday night, and sorted it out. 

The bathroom, for a variety of reasons, still isn't finished, even though it should have been done and dusted last Friday. I am desperate for a looooong shower and the security of a properly fixed toilet. Fingers crossed it will be done by Wednesday.

Bear is in a good place and currently trying to eat his own bodyweight in snacks. I'm expecting another growth spurt. He will tower over me soon!

The England team won the European Championship (Lionesses!) and Liverpool won the Charity Shield. Drink may have been taken.

Writing stuff - I submitted a series of pieces to Three Furies Press in June, and the third is out now here.

Hugs and good health to all.