#JusJoJan - 16/1/25 - Decorating done!

Well I'm not following a prompt today but I still wanted to do a post - we're halfway through the month and I think I've managed to post every day.

Anyway the decorating is complete.

Now we have to finalise a carpenter to build in some cupboards/display units for us.  We also want to change the sofas, add curtains and rugs etc and of course move all the stuff back in that we moved upstairs while the painting was being done.

The walls are mainly in the stone colour (Skimming Stone) that's also in the hallway and the chimney breast is Green Smoke.  I'd love to know who thinks up all these weird and wonderful names for paint colours.  

Oh and the standard lamp will have to go.  Definitely not in keeping with the room now.  It never was really but it came with us when we moved and this is the first time we've done any work in the living room.

We decided against putting the TV back on the wall.  It will stand on top of the new cupboards when they're built but for now it will stand on the old base cupboard that was rejected by the British Heart Foundation when they came to take the other units earlier this week.  A blessing in disguise that it didn't go.  It has meant ordering a new stand for the TV though.  I really don't remember getting rid of the original stand when we had the TV mounted on the wall, but I have searched everywhere I can think of in the house without finding it.  Of course once the new stand is here I will probably locate the old one.  Just another example of one thing leading to another......

Mayhem on Monday - 18/2/19

Finally my bedroom is a bedroom and not a bedroom/office.

I have been wanting to remove the large desk from our bedroom and move it to the room that my son and his wife were using until they moved out.

This is the offending desk - it's huge and, thanks to Hubby, usually messy. 

 

This is where my dresser used to be - right in the window and blocking the heat from the radiator.

 

This is how the bedroom looks now and here is Hubby at the desk in its new location.

We still have a lot of sorting out to do (I want to get an easy chair for the bedroom and change a few other things) but Hubby is finding it hard to adjust.  We've also moved my sewing machine from our bedroom into one of the smaller rooms that I want to be more of a hobby room for me.  This means Hubby lost a big surface that he used to dump a lot of stuff on.

I've tried to make it as easy as possible for him but I'm sure it will take time to get used to the changes.  But I'm pleased we've got this upheaval done.  I just wish I'd stuck to my gut instincts when it came to moving the desk.  I wanted to take it apart but Hubby was worried it wouldn't go back together too well and that we would be able to get it down a flight of stairs.

Well he was right that we could get it down the stairs, we just couldn't get it through the second doorway so had to dismantle it anyway.  It was very easy to take apart and it went back together ok too.  I'm proud of myself for not saying "I told you so!"  but I definitely thought it lol.
 

Tuesday Twaddle - 5/2/19

Well we had a meander on Monday so time for some twaddle on Tuesday.

Firstly, I cleaned the carpet!  I have been meaning to get this carpet done for weeks.  And weeks.  And yesterday I was so geared up for it - we acquired a wet and dry Vax machine from one of hubby's sisters, I was set to go.  I'd YouTubed the instructions.  I'd filled up the tank and went to assemble the hose etc and what?  Wait a minute? Where are the rigid sections of hose?  Nowhere to be seen!

This meant we never got them from SIL.  Everything has been kept together since it arrived.

You can imagine my frustration.  Especially when SIL said she didn't have them either BUT I was not going to be thwarted.  If I couldn't clean the carpet standing up as the tubes were missing, I would do it on my hands and knees!  I have been procrastinating for too long.  The tank is full, let's do this.

So it's done and it definitely looks cleaner.  I've now ordered the rigid tubes so that for the next carpet (oh yes I have others lined up for cleaning)  it will be an easier job.

Now I have to take Hubby shopping for a sofa bed.  I still want the option of being able to use the room for guests/grandchildren to sleep in while retaining the floor space for grandchildren to play.

Hubby likes going shopping.  Probably more than me.  (Yes he is a bit strange lol) The probability of us agreeing on a sofa bed is low.  Then we need new curtains.  The sooner we start this shopping expedition the better.  I have next Monday in mind.  (Grandson Noah and his parents will be here at the weekend so that's the next available day.)   I've had this plan in my head for a long time and finally I feel like I'm making progress.  I got bogged down in January.  I find it quite a hard month.  The anticlimax after Christmas, dark mornings and evenings, dreary weather.  Not great for keeping a positive mindset.  

No wonder I talk a lot of twaddle!  But then I have been conversing with an almost 2 year old today who is at the babbling stage.  Lots of words are recognisable, but lots are definitely not!  Although he does usually make himself understood.

Before and after

This was the picture of the work in progress on the guest bedroom we've been redecorating:

 These pictures are of the (almost) finished room:

There are still a couple of things to finish but nothing that has to be done before our first guests arrive tomorrow.  I need a picture for above the fire place and the mirror needs to be fixed on the wall but they can wait.

I was busy all day today ironing the bedding and making up the bed, cleaning the window, ironing and hanging the curtains plus the usual everyday chores.  Somehow I managed to reach my current steps target without leaving the house!

I'm pleased with the way the room has turned out but I'm going to take a break now until after Christmas before starting on the next room.  My daughter hopes to be moving to a house in December so I'll be helping out with that and all the kids will be around at Christmas so I want to be prepared and not chasing my tail at the last minute.

Although you can be too prepared.  The supermarket that I do my online shopping with has priority booking for Christmas slots.  I was all organised with a reminder set on my phone to book my slot on 26th October.  I went online.  Nothing!  No slots beyond 15th November.

I was about to phone customer services to see what was wrong but decided to recheck the e-mail first.  I'm so glad I did - the slots open on 26th November!  But it makes a change for me to be so keen and ahead of myself!

Time for Me! 20/10/16

Well I did eventually put my underwear on today, and top clothes, (I needed to get out and shop for dinner) but I decided that today was going to be a "Me" day.
We've been decorating on and off since Saturday, 2 coats of paint on the ceiling, 2 coats on the walls plus popping out for more supplies and ordering the carpet.  Tiring work when you've not done it for a while so today was designated as a day of rest and just pleasing myself.

Of course it's hard to completely rest when you realise the laundry basket is rather full, and the dishwasher needs emptying and oh there's some rubbish to be cleared up.  But there were breaks in between for blogging, reading etc.

We'll resume painting at the weekend.  I'm aiming to get it finished at the weekend so the paint has plenty of time to dry before the carpet is fitted.

I'm fortunate that I have a hubby who likes shopping.  I don't have to drag him to the shops.  In fact he'll often go off to do shopping on his own.  We even managed to agree on some carpet fairly quickly.  Just curtains and bedding and accessories to go!

The carpet is due to be fitted on 31st October and our first guests arrive on 4th November.  Sounds like I'm opening for business but of course this is just for friends and family but these first guests are actually friends of our son and daughter-in-law so I do want things to be as nice as possible.  We will also be welcoming DIL's Aunt and Uncle from America here in April next year so no pressure!

I spent part of today trying to find an anniversary gift for my daughter and her wife.  It's their first anniversary next week.  Their first year seems to have flown by.  Finding a suitable gift proved difficult.  I found a lovely record book for anniversaries that I thought would be a nice thing to keep but, fortunately, I spotted that on the page for recording things like where they met etc. there was a reference to "her" version of how they met and then "his" version.  Hmm, perhaps not such a good idea.

Thankfully I did find a site that had quite a few gifts suitable for same sex couples and hopefully the gift I've chosen will be delivered in time.  I also got a few ideas for Christmas presents so not totally a me day after all.  Actually, once you're married and have a family I think it's hard, but definitely not impossible, to have a totally "me" day.  It just takes a bit of planning and probably works best when away from home.

Hanging around going nuts!

There's no Hodgepodge questions today so I found myself pondering on what to post about.  I find that happening a lot lately.  I haven't been as motivated about blogging.  Finding motivation in general can be a bit of a challenge some days.  

I know I don't perhaps comment as much either, especially if I'm reading on my iPad as using the keyboard on there for anything more than a few words drives me nuts.  Apologies for that.

Adapting to life with hubby home an additional 2 days is also proving a challenge.  Especially when the week doesn't go to plan.  Last week was a bit like that.  He was home Monday and Tuesday but we were occupied with funerals.  This week he worked yesterday (Tuesday) but is home today (Wednesday).  He will also be home tomorrow due to a hospital appointment.  This lack of routine drives me nuts.

Maybe that should be the theme of this post - things that drive me nuts.  Hubby at home all day without any plan and following me around drives me nuts.  Feeling guilty for sitting around reading or blogging when he's at home drives me nuts.  Are you getting the picture yet?  

I was fortunate to have over a year at home on my own when I could just do what I wanted without being under any scrutiny.  Now I feel under scrutiny.  A lot.  Which is an unfair assessment really because Hubby is so unobservant he probably wouldn't be able to tell you what I'd been doing all day anyway!

This week really feels like an "in limbo" week.  On Monday I had to wait in for someone to come and repair the bedroom window that was broken.  On Tuesday I was waiting in for the washing machine repair guy.  Both of those things are now fixed but just waiting around is unsettling.  Today we seem to be waiting around for the medication Hubby has had to take to work.  Tomorrow there will be waiting around at the hospital.

Fortunately Friday has a plan.  I have friends coming for lunch so I will have to shop and prepare for that.  I've decided on my main course (chicken with noodles) I just have to work out dessert.  Then it will be the weekend where lounging about feels allowed.

Next week I can get started on some painting - did I mention that we've been waiting for plaster to dry and yes, you've guessed it, that's been driving me nuts too!  I dread to think what I'll be like when it gets to waiting for the paint to dry.  Might need men in white coats!

A load of waffle and total chaos 26/9/16

It's been a busy time here.  We've had two rooms plastered but the plaster is still drying out so we can't move forward with painting just yet.  This means the house is still upside down with the stuff emptied out of the two rooms being plastered.  I've decided that the room that will be a spare bedroom is the priority so I will probably move as much as I can into the other room so that at least the rest of the house can get back to normal.

I'm not sure what normal is anymore though.  Hubby is supposed to be at home Mondays and Tuesdays but it doesn't always work out like that.  He was at work last Tuesday for example but this week looks like it will run to schedule.  

But of course DIY never runs smoothly.  My son and his wife were down for the weekend so we needed to put the mattress on the floor of the room that has just been plastered for them to sleep on.  The mattress (and the rest of the dismantled bed) were in our box room.  Long story short, we managed to break the window moving the mattress as the uprights toppled sideways!  This was at about 7.30 pm Friday evening.  Thankfully the damage is covered by our building insurance and they organised someone to come and make the window safe and they will also organise for it to be properly repaired.

But things could be worse.  Today and tomorrow will be spent at funerals.

Today we went to the funeral of an old friend who we hadn't seem much of over the last few years as he and his family had moved out of London to Kings Lynn in Norfolk.  In his late 50s, he was a keen cyclist and was fit and healthy.  He was out on a cycle ride with friends when he just collapsed and died from a heart attack.  A prime example of the fact you never know what life holds in store.  Although it was shocking, Ray had led an active busy life.  He had lots of interests and many friends.  There were lots of people at the funeral celebrating a life well lived.

Unfortunately tomorrow will probably be harder.  This funeral is for the nephew of hubby's brother.  Sadly he was born very disabled and cognitively impaired.  His parents have been brilliant at caring for him at home but he died suddenly of natural causes last week.  He was only 30.  Parents are not supposed to outlive their children so this will be a very sad day.

Both these deaths have reminded me how short life can be.  One of the Hodgepodge questions last week was about being a people pleaser.  I'm definitely one of those but I think I'm going to try and please myself more, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.  

We had a lovely outing on Saturday for my sister-in-law's 60th birthday.  All the siblings and their partners met up for a walk (most of them meeting at our house) and then we ended the day with a meal out at a local pop up restaurant near us.  Prior to the event though I had quite a chat with one of the younger sisters who had agreed to arrange a collection from the rest of us and organise presents for the birthday girl.  She was getting quite stressed because although she had ideas for what to do (including a trip away) she hadn't been able to finalise everything and was worried the rest of us would be cross.

I managed to reassure her that would not be the case if they were all like me and just glad not to have the responsibility.  We also agreed that we won't do presents in future once people get past 60.  If we make it to 70 or even 80, we'll make do with a get together of some sort.  We still have quite a few 60ths to come though so the gift dilemma won't be finished with just yet. 

Another instance of pleasing ourselves.  No one should be stressing out over buying presents on behalf of other people, although it does make sense to club together to get something worthwhile.

With all these things going on I haven't felt very motivated to blog.  It's a bit disconcerting having a disorganised house and not being able to restore some order.  Hopefully on Wednesday I'll be able to make a start on moving things out of my bedroom and lounge.  Fortunately my son and his wife did take almost all the wedding things that were still here home with them yesterday.  We still have a dried flower arrangement as it wouldn't fit in the car but I can live with that a bit longer!

Works in progress! 20/9/16

It seemed a good idea initially to get all the plastering that needs doing (ceilings of two rooms plus walls in one) but now I'm not so sure.  These are the rooms being done.

This one will be done as a guest room.

This one, which is a bit smaller will be my work room.  Not sure how much work I will get done in there but there is a bureau there for paperwork/computing and my sewing machine will go in there when it's finished.

 

However, as you can see both rooms are empty apart from the larger items of furniture.  And even those (wardrobes and chests of drawers) have been emptied.  Plastering is a messy job and the dust will get everywhere but I wanted to avoid it getting on things like my clothes, bedding etc.

I'm sure you can begin to imagine what the rest of my house looks like.  The stuff had to go somewhere!  The bed from the bigger room has been dismantled and is in the box room we use for storage - hopefully we won't want anything from the shelving in there just now as the mattress is in front of the shelves and you can't even get in the room!

Other items are either in my bedroom or in our lounge.  The whole house looks like a tip at the moment.   It will be another couple of days before the plaster is finished and then I can start on trying to restore some sort of order.  My son and his wife are due at the weekend but they will have to make do with just the mattress on the floor!  I will also have some of hubby's siblings and partners here at the weekend as we are going on a walk and then out for a meal locally for his sister's 60th birthday on Saturday.  Thankfully the kitchen/diner is unaffected by all of this.

My to do list has also grown somewhat.  As we emptied out the rooms I was making mental notes of things that needed to be sold/donated/trashed or just rehomed.  Some of it needs to be rehomed with our kids but that won't be happening in the immediate future.  One couple are currently living with us and the other two are both in rented properties without too much space.  

But despite all the chaos and mess I do actually feel more in control.  Getting this work done is the first step really on a long term project of getting the house how I want it post children.  There is a plan, although it's not going to be done quickly.  But that's ok.  One day, one job at a time. Well maybe not every day (there has to be blogging time) but I'm sure you get the idea.

A Stupid litte Drama 6/10/14

Having made a start on stripping wallpaper last week I got a bit more done at the weekend.  Not loads but at least I was still moving in the right direction.  I also attended my daughter’s first fitting for her wedding dress.  She is going to look beautiful.  Yes I know all brides look beautiful but she’s my bride and I’m allowed to be biased.

I felt as if I was going down with a cold at the weekend.  My throat felt scratchy and I was coughing at night so I decided to stay away from my sister-in-law and mother-in-law.  Don’t want to put them at any risk.  I didn’t feel too great yesterday but after a long lie in I decided that I really ought to push on with the wallpaper stripping.

Well I obviously pushed myself too hard.  I was trying to finish another wall but I reached a point where I knew I needed to stop.  I was feeling a bit wobbly as it was past lunch time and even I’m not stupid enough to be wobbly while on a step ladder.  However, I didn’t realise just how wobbly I’d got.  I made it down to the kitchen intending to make myself a cup of tea and something to eat and I just couldn’t.  I felt awful really quickly and I knew I needed to get help as I thought I might pass out and I was on my own.  It was a most horrible feeling and in my panic I actually called the emergency services.  By this time I was laying on the floor with my legs raised.  (Having taken a first aid course does help sometimes.)

Anyway long story short.  I’m fine.  I rested for a while.  Had a chat with a paramedic who arranged for my GP to call me.   By the time he called I was feeling much better (I’d had sweet tea and food by that time.)  We had an interesting chat about causes of faints and symptoms that could be displayed (including the cramp I experienced in my hands at one point, which was particularly scary as I just couldn’t move them for what seemed like ages but was probably only seconds.)  He referred to Jane Austen heroines who were prone to swooning but how it’s always good to have a Mr Darcy around in the event!  I went in to see him this morning to check my blood pressure which was fine and got my annual flu jab at the same time.

Moral of the story, listen to your body and don’t try and push it too hard, especially if you’re up a step ladder and no Mr Darcy on site!