As today is the only day left of the holiday that has sun forecast we headed for the beach. It was great fun. Bear was gleefully digging holes, making sandcastles, spreading sand and getting soggy chasing the waves. DH wasn't far behind. Father had wisely decided to go shopping.
While father was making his way around the shops, we went back and had a lazy lunch and then back to the museum. I love Whitby Museum. I've blogged about it before. It is amazing. All the wonderful things jumbled up in a small space. The hand of glory (actual human hand) is only a few feet away fromVictorian butter pats, and not much further from a complete set of samurai armour which is on the way to the model boats made of bone by French Prisoners of War in the early nineteenth century. Bear was mostly concerned with the massive ichthyosaur skeleton and very disappointed that he couldn't measure the fossil crocodile.
The highlight of the visit to the museum for bear was the playground. The playground at Whitby Museum is really good and bear made full use of it. He was racing around for at least an hour, found a friend to have adventures with and generally had an amazing time. As I time, around 8pm, he is flat out asleep.
It has been a good day.
Monday, 26 May 2014
Sunday, 25 May 2014
Bear is on holiday
Bear is in Whitby, on holiday and desperate to get to House of Mouse. It is a fun house that I am fairly certain is breaking copyright and he has been looking forward to going there since we left Whitby last year. This morning he has been ricocheting around the lovely cottage (Poppy Nook Cottage, Whitby, amazing comfort, wonderful service) and doing his version of sit ups and press ups. His version of a press up really wouldn't break copyright, it is a loose association.
I love this cottage, we have been here a few times, but being the old fashioned person I am I would probably convert the cloakroom toilet into a pantry. The tiny kitchen is clean, well thought out and well equipped. For a holiday cottage it's absolute luxury. However if I lived here permanently there would be nowhere to store bulk buys. There is barely enough for the few bits that we picked up at the local co-op.
It has made me think. I know I am going back to a cluttered, disorganised work in progress that needs to lose about half the house contents. Living in a space that is not much bigger than the combined area of half our house and seeing it work is a real wake up call. I shall be working on some ideas.
I love this cottage, we have been here a few times, but being the old fashioned person I am I would probably convert the cloakroom toilet into a pantry. The tiny kitchen is clean, well thought out and well equipped. For a holiday cottage it's absolute luxury. However if I lived here permanently there would be nowhere to store bulk buys. There is barely enough for the few bits that we picked up at the local co-op.
It has made me think. I know I am going back to a cluttered, disorganised work in progress that needs to lose about half the house contents. Living in a space that is not much bigger than the combined area of half our house and seeing it work is a real wake up call. I shall be working on some ideas.
Friday, 23 May 2014
A Miserable Day
It has just been grey and wet, and bear had the day off school due to a training day.
The day itself has been okay. We went out for breakfast, had a pleasant dinner, I've been sorting the dining room out, I cleaned the iron and so far so good.
We had thunder earlier. Thunder makes me sad now. Evil cat always used to enjoy thunderstorms and would watch them out of the top window. It's been just over a year and I still miss her.
The day itself has been okay. We went out for breakfast, had a pleasant dinner, I've been sorting the dining room out, I cleaned the iron and so far so good.
We had thunder earlier. Thunder makes me sad now. Evil cat always used to enjoy thunderstorms and would watch them out of the top window. It's been just over a year and I still miss her.
Thursday, 22 May 2014
High Gravity Day
High Gravity Days are ones where you drop things. If a jar lid gets stuck when you really need to get it open quick before the pan explodes then it is a High Gravity Day. If you are in a rush and have opened a bottle, the lid will bounce everywhere on a High Gravity Day and on the Highest Gravity Days will bounce under somewhere inaccessible and while you dig it out the full bottle that the lid belongs to will get knocked over and spill over something difficult to clean. It is the sort of day when the postman knocks on the door either when you are far too occupied in the bathroom or up to your eyebrows in greasy water or trying on something inappropriate and it takes you ages to get to the door, and when you get there in a face mask or hair dye you get the Look. Mind you, my postman is so used to me I hardly ever get that Look these days.
Normally I don't call a day 'High Gravity' until the evening. However I managed to drop an egg between the fridge and the cooker and once I have dragged my courage together I will have to pull one or both out and face the horrors. That is quite High Gravity. I have also managed to knock my glasses while opening a car door and have been outwitted by a carrier bag so I think I am safe.
It is too rainy to check on the bees, but they were considerably calmer yesterday so I suspect they saw off whatever was bothering them. The rain also means that I don't have to water the trees. I think I would still prefer the sunshine.
Normally I don't call a day 'High Gravity' until the evening. However I managed to drop an egg between the fridge and the cooker and once I have dragged my courage together I will have to pull one or both out and face the horrors. That is quite High Gravity. I have also managed to knock my glasses while opening a car door and have been outwitted by a carrier bag so I think I am safe.
Image from stockfreeimages.com
It is too rainy to check on the bees, but they were considerably calmer yesterday so I suspect they saw off whatever was bothering them. The rain also means that I don't have to water the trees. I think I would still prefer the sunshine.
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Father was Chased by Bees
The bees in the chimney have never given much trouble up to now. They've drifted around at roof height and caused no bother. Yesterday was a different matter. Father was having a natter with Nice Mr Next Door and around twenty bees came for him. Nice Mr Next Door chased them off but father was stung and Nice Mr Next Door was menaced as well.
As Nice Mr Next Door is always working outside, it is quite worrying that he got bothered by bees. We have had those bees for years without any stings. In fact they have never taken much interest in us at all. I did wonder if we had a new swarm and now I wonder if the 'bad neighbour' bees have moved in. When I found out I went and had a look at the chimney and the bees were looking definitely stressed. I may have been forty foot below them and they are small and I am getting a bit short sighted but those were not the usual happy bees. Normally they are just floating around the chimney pot but yesterday they were diving and darting about and a lot less chilled. At least, as far as I understand bees. However Nice Mr Next Door did say that he had seen wasps mixed in with the bees, so perhaps they are not asbo bees but just bees under pressure.
We also have ants in the kitchen. We now have an ant trap down after spending a large slice of morning going from Homebase (shut down - when did that happen?), Tesco (didn't have any), Morrisons (didn't have any) and finally B&Q. I am unimpressed having a small plastic pot full of toxins perched on the edge of my sink, but that is where the rotters are coming in.
I don't mind getting rid of the ants but I will be keeping an eye out for the bees. They have been such good neighbours, I hope things don't go wrong.
As Nice Mr Next Door is always working outside, it is quite worrying that he got bothered by bees. We have had those bees for years without any stings. In fact they have never taken much interest in us at all. I did wonder if we had a new swarm and now I wonder if the 'bad neighbour' bees have moved in. When I found out I went and had a look at the chimney and the bees were looking definitely stressed. I may have been forty foot below them and they are small and I am getting a bit short sighted but those were not the usual happy bees. Normally they are just floating around the chimney pot but yesterday they were diving and darting about and a lot less chilled. At least, as far as I understand bees. However Nice Mr Next Door did say that he had seen wasps mixed in with the bees, so perhaps they are not asbo bees but just bees under pressure.
We also have ants in the kitchen. We now have an ant trap down after spending a large slice of morning going from Homebase (shut down - when did that happen?), Tesco (didn't have any), Morrisons (didn't have any) and finally B&Q. I am unimpressed having a small plastic pot full of toxins perched on the edge of my sink, but that is where the rotters are coming in.
I don't mind getting rid of the ants but I will be keeping an eye out for the bees. They have been such good neighbours, I hope things don't go wrong.
Monday, 19 May 2014
A Busy Day
DH has got a week's leave, so today bear was shunted into after school club and DH and I went shopping. There is a serious party that DH will be attending with some very expensive surroundings and then a very fancy party in September. He needed a new suit and really it needed to be right. We went to the York Outlet.
Actually, it was fairly painless. We went to one shop and DH and I left with a very nice suit, two very nice shirts, a waistcoat, a tie and a pair of shoes for DH. I did see some jewellery I quite liked, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted and I thought it was a lot of money, so I thought I would wait and see. I did think as I went around that while it was nice to save 70% and 80% it was even nicer to save 100% and just not buy stuff in the first place.
Then we went into York itself and had a trip on the river, a browse in the shops (purchase free) and a nice ride home. Bear enjoyed the after school club.
Father is so poorly that he is actually going to the doctor tomorrow. He has had a vicious cough for a while, and it needs to be sorted. I'm keeping all crossed.
Review of last week - actually it could have been worse. I was poorly with the food intolerances so the dining room has not been touched, but I must have done nearly 5000 words with one thing and another and I managed another 100g of yarn knitted up during a fun evening watching tv with DH and father. This week is going to be slightly different with DH home, so I'm going to aim for continuing to attack the dining room and taking the advice from Witch Hazel I am going to aim for 30 minutes each day. I am going to try for another 100g of yarn knitted up and 1000 words per day.
Actually, it was fairly painless. We went to one shop and DH and I left with a very nice suit, two very nice shirts, a waistcoat, a tie and a pair of shoes for DH. I did see some jewellery I quite liked, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted and I thought it was a lot of money, so I thought I would wait and see. I did think as I went around that while it was nice to save 70% and 80% it was even nicer to save 100% and just not buy stuff in the first place.
Then we went into York itself and had a trip on the river, a browse in the shops (purchase free) and a nice ride home. Bear enjoyed the after school club.
Father is so poorly that he is actually going to the doctor tomorrow. He has had a vicious cough for a while, and it needs to be sorted. I'm keeping all crossed.
Review of last week - actually it could have been worse. I was poorly with the food intolerances so the dining room has not been touched, but I must have done nearly 5000 words with one thing and another and I managed another 100g of yarn knitted up during a fun evening watching tv with DH and father. This week is going to be slightly different with DH home, so I'm going to aim for continuing to attack the dining room and taking the advice from Witch Hazel I am going to aim for 30 minutes each day. I am going to try for another 100g of yarn knitted up and 1000 words per day.
Thursday, 15 May 2014
Normal for Here
I think father is feeling a bit fragile. He had the tv on last night and stayed downstairs. Normally he wanders upstairs to do his own thing, last night I think he needed company. He didn't get it from me. He had the tv volume on extra loud and while he would reject any suggestion that he is deaf, he does normally have it on double the volume I prefer. Last night it was even louder and I had such a thumping head that I hid away. DH kept him company and apparently he was in a very rambling mood. I don't feel bad about this - father does prefer DH's company, I think he enjoys the company of another man.
To be honest I am a bit worried. Today he went out to fetch his papers. I had already got them but I couldn't tell him as I was on the phone to the council - and that is never a quick call. I saw him coming home along the street and he was so frail looking.
We had been talking about what we may theoretically, possibly, in the fullness of time, consider thinking about doing in the bathroom. Today father took down the bathroom cabinet from the wall and then went off to play snooker. He will not come home sober.
I broke the news over the phone to DH so that he did not come home to a dreadful shock. DH was not impressed. He may love father, but he needs somewhere to keep his contact stuff. I had been blindsided and was a bit baffled. I've put a shelf back up, and I've tidied out a different cupboard and sorted out some of the stuff in to there, and we keep most of the medicines in the kitchen anyway, so the few upstairs got moved. It could be worse.
I think father would like the whole house decorated and is moving things along. It is overdue but I dread to think what will happen next!
To be honest I am a bit worried. Today he went out to fetch his papers. I had already got them but I couldn't tell him as I was on the phone to the council - and that is never a quick call. I saw him coming home along the street and he was so frail looking.
We had been talking about what we may theoretically, possibly, in the fullness of time, consider thinking about doing in the bathroom. Today father took down the bathroom cabinet from the wall and then went off to play snooker. He will not come home sober.
I broke the news over the phone to DH so that he did not come home to a dreadful shock. DH was not impressed. He may love father, but he needs somewhere to keep his contact stuff. I had been blindsided and was a bit baffled. I've put a shelf back up, and I've tidied out a different cupboard and sorted out some of the stuff in to there, and we keep most of the medicines in the kitchen anyway, so the few upstairs got moved. It could be worse.
I think father would like the whole house decorated and is moving things along. It is overdue but I dread to think what will happen next!
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