What are you all up to
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Serious trip out this morning, first call to drop last w/ends magazines in to Elderly Sisters ( parked up, engine running, just to yell thro' the doorway, and got surrounded by her window cleaners
) Then the really serious stuff :-- into Morrisons to fill up with fuel - half tank of diesel at 104.7 / litre and despite the lock down and little use the old girl still recorded 34.5 mpg !!Came on here after last nights " Essential Maintenance " and found, as ever, a few old posts re-awakened, very confusing, very confusing.
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Hopefully we will by August be allowed back to look after Callum again, looking after a 2 year old while trying to work is not easy! Normally he would be in Nursery every morning and we grandparents would do the afternoons.
At the moment, Daddy is off school but working from home too, so Mummy is using her holidays to take Wednesdays and Fridays off while Daddy does some work. On her 3 working days they do "shifts", plus Mummy works in the evenings after Callum goes to bed.
Daddy will be on holiday all of July and half of August, so the crunch will come when the schools go back.
If we are not allowed to look after him then they will have to send him to Nursery full time, which would be a large additional cost.
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Apart from a very brief blink of sun this morning, it has been dull here all day. Not too cold, though we did put the heating on for a couple of hours around 13.00, and it will come on again 18.30 unless we cancel it.
I am now getting on quite well with my tidying......well I think so anyway! Working my way through stuff on the floor and stuff on tables, trying to be methodical and stash cupboards sensibly......for a change!
Every so often OH appears to check on what I am up to, and make "suggestions", just to keep me on track. She is still saying I am disorganised, but has said I am making progress.
However, I apparently still have a very long way to go! I think she is referring to my little tool store/hobby room, and the garage! There has also been mutterings about "once it is tidy you better keep it that way, or else......."
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My OH comes from a family of obsessive cleaners, including some of the males😂 I told him what my mantra was, pre wedding........🤣
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Unfortunately I come from a mixed family.....my dad was very tidy, my mum was pretty disorganised. I obviously inherited the "wrong genes".
I remember OH commenting that my Mum made a terrible mess while baking and cooking, but did clear it up afterwards. Also that she (OH) had to pack her case for her when she came to visit us as Mum could not fit everything in on the way home.
OH is not an obsessive cleaner, we have plenty dust here, but she is very organised and puts things away after use, which is apparently where I fall down!
The other day she commented that I had taken 20 years to get my stuff in such a mess, but that I really did not have another 20 years to tidy it up!
I did dispute that, being only 77, but she was having none of it!
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The problem at the moment is not being able to pass reasonable stuff being cleared out onto charity shops etc. We have an outside room that's accumulating boxes that need to go!
Years ago a friend's Mum showed me round her parents house that hadn't been cleared out for several generations. It was like a time capsule, every drawer had something interesting in it, I've still got a couple of things she put into my hands that day! But it was daunting to clear it. It's very tempting to hang onto too much stuff.
A very warm end to the day here and even warmer tomorrow. 👓
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Up earlier today as the Toyota had to go into the garage for some work, it was due to go in just as lockdown hit.
I drove the other car in and then we went to B&Q, couldn't believe the queue and it wasn't even 09.00, didn't take long though for it to go down and we both were allowed in. OH went off for his bits he wanted and I vanished outside to the garden centre. Big disappointment though as I didn't fancy anything they had.
Then a bit of food shopping but the queue at Tesco was to long for me so we went down to Aldi. Much better no waiting outside and almost empty inside. The shelves were the best I've seen since lockdown, all items back and stocked up (they are usually good) Picked up 2 big bags of SR flour, none for me but 1 each for my friend and sister.
Back home to do some housework and OH vanished out to his shed.
The overnight rain wasn't as bad as forecast as we still have dry bits under some bushes. After lunch it turned out really nice and sunny so I took myself off for a bike ride, OH wanted to carry on doing his project. I don't often go off on my own but it was rather nice to go at my pace.
Picked the Toyota up late afternoon but its going back in again when they get the right bit for the heater
on the way home noticed a few MH's heading up the A9. Hope they are fairly local and not some numpties thinking they'll have a nice holiday up here. We are still in lockdown until at least the end of the month.0 -
Brue I had a conversation with my friend today about trying to clear things out that are not needed. She tells me there is a motorbike in her shed that's been there since 1995, he husband is no longer able to ride one (he's almost 80) but he won't let her sell it.
Like me she is trying to thin out their belongings as like us their children live down in England and its doubtful they will ever return to live up here. She said when we 'go' the children will not have time to come up and sort this lot out, put the house on the market, keep the garden tidy etc. (my thoughts to) so we are trying to do what we can now but its still going to be a big job for someone.
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I can only agree brue, I have a lot of old, very interesting stuff that just might come in useful one day! That stash of stuff I have not even got to yet. That is all in my other little room and will be an even bigger challenge to sort through. Some should probably be in a museum!
We have here our stuff, some of our children's stuff, MIL's stuff, and even some of her mother's stuff, all in the loft, so out of sight meantime, but will need to be dealt with eventually.
We have started a charity shop box, but not much in it as yet as we need to see what the children want first.
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One of our neighbours opened her garage today for me to put something in. Draped under old bedding is an Oxford Saloon, circa 1960. Well she thinks it is. We've never seen it and we've been neighbours for over 35 years.
Her husband died over 20 years ago but she wants the sons to have it. They show no intention of doing anything with it.
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Our son also has a motorbike in his garage that has not been used since he became a father some 14+ years back, no idea why he does not get rid of it, but I am not exactly setting him an example!
When the time comes to sell our house, he will not be bothered, unsentimental and far too busy with his work, and his wife has more than enough of her family's stuff, so the clearing out will fall on our daughter.
Goodness knows what she will do with all our furniture, all unfashionable now, but all good quality, it is a problem. Hers is all inexpensive Ikea stuff, so she may want to keep some of our good stuff, it will be her decision.
She has however asked that we clear out the loft, sooner than later!
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One of the garages of the six in our block has an mg midget under piles of years of extra may come in usefull "goodies? that one of neighbors (our age)has accumulated since living in our road about 1970.
it can at times appearat times when he is looking for something that is in there somewhere?
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Brue
I have noticed on our local residents Facebook page recently there have been several people offering "stuff" for free if anyone was willing to collect!!!
David
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Similar here - we have a guy along the road who runs a small removal/house clearing firm. Suddenly there are tables full of junk (sorry recycled) items on the path with "everything free" notices. I did actually pick up a good book the other day.
I'm tempted to pop along with some of the items stacking up in our garage during the night and pop them in amongst his items!
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This happens on our local neighbourhood care and share faceebook too. Often it's popped in the drive or front garden as well.
Social distance chatting to one mum she said it was the highlight of their daily walk. Her young son called it 'our forage walk'.
I repotted and split plants, almost gone before I could get them out there 😱.
So it's possible to recycle in your neighbourhood. We've found new homes for a too large, these days, wooden table and 6 chairs, plastic chairs, balls and racquets, planters and more. I do have to be careful as OH not keen on these things going 😢🤐🤔. I still have our big shed, garage size to do but haven't yet mustered the energy to start.
Actually I stopped tonight to have look through some bits, what caught my eye was a child's play tunnel for the puppy in time. I didn't take it as I heard a child say mum look toys and a tunnel.
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Been glorious here again. More of the same tomorrow 😀
Pleased with the blinds fitted in the conservatory so far, should be finished tomorrow 2 roof blinds to go in and then tweaking of the tensions. He didn't work today, something else already booked involving his household - so long with no commitments 🤣. I'm pleased we chose a different colour after the faulty batches of our previous choice.
Just tweaking and tidying around house and garden in anticipation of Thursdays new arrival.
Pleased to read others are keeping occupied and cheerful, the weather definitely helps 😉
Earned brownie points with a neighbour opposite who's cat went walkabout yesterday and hadn't returned. He's a bit poorly having been to the vets but they couldnt keep him in yesterday! I was just going to drop something to a friend when I saw a black cat, they have one and nextdoor to us have one they are almost identical it was its slowness to hop onto the fence that really alerted me.
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We find Freecycle is a good way of disposing of ordinary stuff.
However, when it comes to old and possibly valuable stuff, it is difficult to know what is the best plan. We have some china that was MIL's and must be about 80 years old, and another set that is about 65-70 years old, but we have no idea whether or not it is worth anything.
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Thanks for the ideas our local village FB page is a bit behind the times I think!
Don't mention what's in the garage, we solved it last time by living somewhere without a garage, how come we are back to square one...?
We do leave plants outside, they go very quickly. Where my sister lives anything put outside goes, (well that's not including her OH or other household members, yet.
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Often you'll see things like 80 year old china on ebay that match your own possessions, just type in the name and design on the cup or plates etc. and see what comes up. It's surprising what's out there. Whether it sells is another matter. I have sold things in the past but packing it safely was a nightmare.
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Similar here - we have a guy along the road who runs a small removal/house clearing firm. Suddenly there are tables full of junk (sorry recycled) items on the path with "everything free" notices
Felt so sorry for the Mil when no-one claimed her that I had to bring her in in the morning. Oh well, another 20 years beckons.
Freecycle??? I'll pay, I'll pay.
(I love her really, even when she's busy spending our inheritance.)
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Yes, DD was saying we could try that, and that there are places that buy items that other people may want to replace broken items, but they do not pay much. Sending it off somewhere is, as you say, the big problem.
We wondered about trying an auction room, DIL's Mum disposed of quite a bit of stuff that way when she downsized, mainly large furniture however.
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Fjord Inn is basic but fine for us, and there's plenty of places,close by of interest, including Castle Fraser, Haddon House, and a decent sized hill, Bennachie. The pub isn't open very often, and then only for a short while, and doesn't sell draught beer. Friendly owners though.
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After a couple of days when we've had some much needed rain it was dry and warmer but cloudy today. Have not done anything out of the ordinary, just a bit of weeding and walking. Hopefully we'll get out in the car tomorrow and perhaps do a smallish hill or two,far from the maddening crowds.
Daughter went back to work on Monday, just getting the Blackpool shop ready for when it is allowed to open. Grandson is still in working from his home but is busier than ever, and our son thinks that he will be back at his school soon, too.
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David, you have tickled something in my memory now
!!Cannot remember where or when but some body wrote somewhere that they had put a couple of electric kitchen items out with the notice " Free To a Good Home " on them. Nothing happened for ages, so they brought them back in, waited a few days and returned them with a sign " 50 Quid and they are yours ". They disappeared in the dark hours that night !!
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