Stripping!

 This week I have mainly been stripping! Wallpaper of course, you naughty things! What DID you think I meant. (The oldest jokes are still the best!)

 

Does anyone know what that gunky green painty stuff is?

Going great guns in the front room...but that next bit of wall is going to need a lot of TLC before it's fit to paper over.

I approached wallpapering with a great deal of trepidation, having never done it before. But, hey, after cutting the first 2 pieces too short, (oops!), it's like look at me I'm going round corners and used up the shorty pieces behind the fire place!

There's a couple of mistakes - little creases that show up in the electric lighting and it looks like I may have overlapped a bit but that was getting the pattern to match up, so I'm very pleased with myself. 

 I can only improve with practise, and boy, there's gonna be a lot of practising as basically every wall has had something drilled in to it somewhere!

 

As a nod to Halloween, I've uploaded this photo that Mr B took in Grainger Market in Newcastle the other week. 

A kitty pumpkin. Cute!

 

Happy Trick or Treating!

(And please don't egg my house like you did last year, Missy neighbour-from-hell)

Z xx



Bowl of Plenty

This little bowl is waiting for Mr B when he gets home from the Wells tonight.

(Well, going on last night it is more like 2am!).

 

I like raspberry jam and have indeed made some one year, but can't abide them as fresh fruit. I am amazed that they are still fruiting so prolifically so late in the year. No idea what 'make' they are; I do think they are my own type, made from ones I got from my mums' and some that grew through from next door, ooo, about 6-8 years ago, and have blended together. Some of these fruits are as big as a regular strawberry!

 

The poor blokes came to lay the kitchen floor tiles this morning, only to find that the latex stuff hadn't thoroughly dried! Will it never end??

 

But, we are getting some of our stuff out of storage next Friday, followed by the rest the following Monday and Tuesday. Exciting but terrifying! I'll be on my own as Mr B is in Cardiff next week; anyone fancy coming round to help me sort out and dispose of stuff?????!

 

Have a great weekend!

Z xx

Uh-Oh!

So...who pushed her way through the locked cat flap and then pushed her way back in, scaring the floor man in the process?

Wasn't me, honest Guv!

 



I'd checked the 2 cats were in, (on the bed, of course!) and locked their escape hatch. Unfortunately I didn't shut them in the bedroom. At some point between then and the chap laying the self-levelling latex, Tabby snuck out. She must've tried the flap while he was working as he came in and said it'd made him jump! We looked over from the door across the room at the flap and there was no face to be seen. Checked the bedroom...one cat had gone AWOL.

Cue about 10 minutes after he had left and there was a large amount of mewing coming from the kitchen. Opened the door and there was a very sheepish cat trying to get back out the cat flap. She wandered back over to me leaving a trail of footprints all around the kitchen floor!

Believe me, cats do not like being whisked up and plonked in a wash basin to be cleaned off! Mr B phoned the vet for advice; but to date, all seems well.

 

Note to self: need sturdier cat flap!

Z xx

 

PS Does anyone else think there's a passing resemblance between Tabby and Denise Welch?????

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/

Tears of Frustration

Don't know about you, but I'm getting a bit fed up with this flat revamp!

The whole of the kitchen floor has been taken up and has to be relaid!

After it had been put down I noticed brown 'gunk' coming up between the tiles. I pointed this out to 2 of 'the blokes who should know' and was told that happens, not to worry about it. A few days later it was wet! My washing machine had leaked. Now, it is a very old machine and it has leaked in the past but it wasn't prior to it being moved and re-plumbed in. Transpires it was put back with a twisted pipe, that was ultimately replaced. All seemed okay, but the tilers were going to come and check out the floor.

This didn't happen until last week, when we were given the bad news that the whole lot would have to be replaced. The water had 'blown' the latex and the tiles come in batches, like wallpaper so the colour of the new tiles may not match the old.

This was supposed to happen at 8 o'clock this morning Mr B had taken (more) time off work in London, because I had another appointment at the MaxFac department to get to. 20 to 11 a lad turned up!!!

I give up!

Still, on a happier note, (because, believe me, I AM a happy person!), they are going to make me a mouth guard to relieve, hopefully, the jaw pain I am getting. Hurrah! And the optician is going to re-test my eyes as my sight has deteriorated since my test in May; possibly to do with my meds.

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2012/marmite-maamite/

I also found out that my mums' neighbour had passed away, which, although I know she hadn't been well for a while and seemed to be developing Alzheimer's, it was still a blow to see the note on the noticeboard. The last time I saw her she had set off the fire alarm when using her microwave (!) and prior to that I had potted up some flowers for her balcony, so happy memories, even if a little bizarre! We bonded over us both being 'Marmite babies'; I took her Marmite sarnies in when she was in hospital ages ago. I will miss you, you lovely lady.

On a good note to end, I got home and popped round to have a natter with my neighbour and took her a small punnet of freshly picked raspberries and a bag of home-grown pears. I think she was pleased to see me. I know I felt a lot better after seeing her!

Z xx

Beautiful Bloggers

 Whilst doing all my gadding around recently I have had the pleasure of meeting two of my blogging chums.

 

First off, caught up with Danielle, who I first met last year at the Northwest Bloggers Meet.

 

Danielle & me livin' it up at The Mal, Manchester!

 

We met up in Manchester again; timed it well as she had had to come in to Uni to hand in her final course work. It was lovely to catch up with her again, in person.

 

Travelling form Plymouth to Exeter, (after much persuasion to get me out of bed, 'cos I was having a bit of a melt-down!), I met  Dee Dee.



Oh my, it was like we'd known each other our whole lifetime! It was a wonderful day. The picture above, (where I am NOT drunk!), was taken at The Boston Tea Party cafe, where, to my utter delight, you can take your pooch in with you! The sofa next to us had a Bedlington and a little fluffy dog.

Great company, yummy food and dogs too! Heaven!

Dee Dee showed my the 'vintage' delights of Exeter. I don't know the town at all, but they have just had a Jonny LouLou's open the same week...vintage fabulousness and a John Lewis, my perfect place!

 

Being in the West Country that bit earlier in the month, there was also Lesley's 'Nostagic Mix Fair' in Totnes on Saturday. I had hoped to get there to see Lesley and Sal (Snippets), but it was not to be. Next time! I still feel that I achieved a great deal that week, so won't be too hard on myself!

 

I'd also hope to meet up with Pearl whilst in Manchester; but her doggy was taken ill the day we were due to meet. (But he is OK now, thank goodness). So, again, next time!

 

I feel very lucky to have met some wonderful people through blogging.

Thank you for enriching my life!

Z xx



 

busy, Busy BUSY

 Phew! and it's only Wednesday!

Came home from a fabulous week in Plymouth; arrived home after 8 hours travelling...mind you the first 55 minutes was spent waiting for the next train having just missed the one we had booked on! (Ooo, it hurt having to pay twice to travel to Birmingham!!). Then when we got to Rugby there was a coach to Northampton, which is OK, but takes that much longer and is always chockablock, which means travelling with the cat box on my lap. (Heavy!).

Monday morning saw the right fire, after 4 false hopes, actually being fitted. Smart, huh? We turn on the 'fire' just to watch it...cosy toes!

The wonderful staff at Carpet Supacentre managed to fit us in for Tuesday morning which meant a bit of a mad few hours clearing stuff out of the 2 rooms being carpeted. Argh!

Front room all carpeted and piano moved!

It's coming on!

Z xx

Even Rarer Than Hens' Teeth

 

Yep! Rare as anything you care to mention...a picture of me holding a baby!

 

I have waited 10 months to meet this little dude and I was so excited, I was quite amazed at myself.

 

He, and his mummy, are gorgeous. And I am very lucky to call 'mum' a friend. Thank you for a lovely meet-up today.

Z xx

Home Of Dragons

The train turned off the normal route we do and went through Gloucester and then cross country to I really don't know where!

(But I have since looked at a Google map)

  The (muddy!) River Wye

 Looking over The Wye towards Wyedean 

I did guess that it was the Bristol Channel and ultimately the Train Manager gave out an announcement to let us know where we going.

River Severn/ Bristol Channel

(seeing as I'm not sure where one ends and the other begins!)

Severn Bridge

Severn Bridge

 

 

 

There are 2 Severn Bridges - one is the M4 and the other is a Toll Bridge.

Not sure which is which as I was just snapping madly away trying not to snap all the electric pylons.

It takes a long time going through the Severn Tunnel; it's a bit scary...going under the water! I certainly don't fancy doing the Channel Tunnel to France. Spooks me walking under the Thames at Greenwich too!

I Should Be So Lucky, Lucky, Lucky

  

 The company that provides my support worker held an 'open day' this afternoon. I scooted over there after my initial visit to the Wellbeing Team, based at my GPs surgery. Well, not scooted but taxied, just to make sure I got there. It was great meeting up with 2 of my past support workers. We had a sort of quiz thing  to do and all our entries went into a raffle and my card was the first one picked! Can you believe that? I'd been enjoying the grapes and cheese on offer and chose this prize because that's what I saw first. Then realised there was 2 bottles of Schloer and a bottle of non-alcoholic Muscat too!

(Yes, I can hear you Vix..."What, no alcohol?")

I also received a beautiful gift from Pearl this week, to say 'thank you' for getting tickets for her and her mum to come and see Swan Lake at The Lowry, in Salford. A super-pretty silver charm bracelet. It is SO very me. Each of the charms is chosen for a certain reason. I haven't taken a photo yet, but will do a post on it soon. Just wanted to acknowledge how happy I was and how kind of Pearl to send it.

It arrived the day I was going to the dentist, (again!), as I felt a hole when I was up in Manchester. Didn't know whether it was tooth or filling. As it turned out, it was a corner chunk off a good tooth, which was a shame, but Mr Q fixed it for me. I guess it was the lovely nutty-seedy-dried fruity mix that I had for breakfast with the freshly prepared orange segments!

The building works have basically been finished. We were waiting on the electric fire, that was supposed to be installed the Wednesday before we went to Manchester. We had earmarked the carpet fitters for the Thursday. So, of course, the wholesaler had run out of fires! Had to wait for new stock coming from China. So, with this Decent Homes thing, being all 'green', how then do they answer the carbon footprint of their fire providers????

There was a choice of three. Again, put in the situation of choosing our new fire whilst standing out on the pavement. 'Vancouver' arrived today....eventually! But only after we had 'Rochester' delivered twice and then again first thing this morning!

Good God, even a 100% sane, no mental health problems person would be getting a bit worn down by now!

But, at least when the electrician came to fit the 1st wrong fire, he helped put up my chandelier for me. I bought this at Allders in Portsmouth before we moved here, but for our soon-to-be new home and it's only taken us 15 years to get it put up!

Humph!

Tried to change my header picture this evening.

Don't like new Blogger!

At all.

Keep trying to change background, but when it comes up to view blog the background just goes back to a sludgy black colour.

Will try again tomorrow.

Z xx