Garden Room - First Stage .... Having a Hissy Fit

Well the steel supports are in place - almost!!

As usual there are problems, the security light was directly in the way of the upright at the back right, the boiler pipes are touching the metal work and the  builders cut through the oil pipe in the ground.  The work started at 9am and ground to a halt at 1.30pm, seemingly they are back on Monday to take off the conservatory roof .... oh well something to look forward to.

Do I sound p*ssed off .... well I am.  

I hate building work.  I hate decorating.  I hate mess.  I hate mud ... and most of all I hate disruption.  It's no good telling me that it will all be alright in the end, that the end result will be worth all the disruption, the mess, the mud, the work.  It might, but at the moment I am thoroughly hating every minute of every day.  The months of endless planning and faffing about, the whole rigmarole of planning permission, building control, workmen and mess is too much for me.

And to cap it all, at the moment I am not liking the look of it ...... it's too big, it seems out of proportion to the rest of the house and the size of the conservatory.  I'm also sick of being cold, because while the boiler is disconnected there is no heating so the only room that is warm during the day is the kitchen ..... and the worse, worse, worse thing of all this is with no hot water I can't even have a nice hot relaxing bubbly bath to get me in a better mood.

And stamping my feet and having a hissy fit is all I can do about it.

The dismal weather is matching my dismal mood perfectly.

Sue xx

:-(

At Last .....

At last we are off, that is about to have the new roof on the conservatory begun.

We should have been in this position last week, but see that steel beam ... the long one in the picture .... it's over twelve foot long, well it was 'lost' somewhere between the manufacturers and the galvanisers.  I felt sorry for the poor chap that had to phone Lovely Hubby and explain twhat had happened.  I could hear the embarrassment in his voice from where I was sat at the other side of the breakfast bar!!  I know I lose things but a twelve foot steel beam .....

But to give them their due they quickly made another one, sent it off to be galvanised and then yesterday they were all delivered to us.  The builder is coming over to check them out to make sure they are right and then, fingers crossed, work will start on Friday of this week.

And yes, that is sunshine you see in the photograph taken yesterday, we briefly had a lovely day, but they are so short, no sooner had all the chickens over in Chicken World draped themselves in the lovely November sun than it was gone and darkness descended by 4.20pm.

The only thing good about theses short Winter days is the long, cosy Winter nights.  They'll be even cosier once we have some central heating and hot water, I can't wait for that roof to be put in place.

Sue xx

Dogs in Clothes

Lovely Hubby and Charley have obviously formed a mutual appreciation society all cuddled up and posing for the camera.

We got out the 'doggie dressing up box' on Sunday to see if we had a suitable T shirt for Charley who is booked into the vets for next week to be spayed.  T shirts are so much more comfortable for dogs than having to wear the plastic cone around their necks in my opinion, and as long as she doesn't chew at her stitches she won't be made to wear a one, her little T shirt will do.  It used to be Rosy's so it's a real 'big sisters hand me down' which I love.

Getting in the doggy dressing up mood we thought we would get them to model what the box turned out to contain.

Suky is modelling  her 'spaying' t shirt, it says 'Size Doesn't Matter' which I thought highly appropriate.  It still fits her now because she was spayed at just over a year old when she was fully grown, which the vets we went to at the time seemed to prefer.  I prefer it done before they have their first season, but we went along with what they said.

Mavis in her 'keep me cosy I've hardly any fur' doggy coat, which we bought when we rescued her the first time.  She shivered so uncontrollably with cold whenever we took her on the prom in Llandudno that we went mad and bought her her very own waterproof and cosy jacket.  She got lots of admiring glances on our strolls until she outgrew it.  Now unfortunately it fits her again as she lots lots of condition having her pups and being so mistreated.

Rosy has her 'Cosy Rosy' ..... which is really her Thunder Jacket but she knows what we mean when we say "do you want your cosy rosy".  We get it out during storms or on Bonfire Night, and she waits patiently while we put it on for her before curling up to sleep away the 'danger'..  These felted, Velcro'd jackets are specially designed to help dogs that are nervous during thunder storms, loud bangs etc it makes them feel cuddled and safe while they are wearing it .... and it really works!!

All the dogs except Mavis were then undressed before going out, they don't really like wearing clothes, but Mavis seemed nice and cosy and as we were just about to head for West Shore in Llandudno for a long walk, we thought she would appreciate being warm.

These two really are a pair of cuddly buddies.

*** *** ***

Thank you for all the comments on yesterdays post.  

For now the lamp remains but some of the comments were really thought provoking.  One from Virginia saying 'I admire your decluttering, but there's also beauty and emotional connection to consider, and a table light tick those boxes ... don't they?'  really got me thinking.  NO .... I do not have emotional attachment to anything I own enough to hold onto things, literally everything could be lost in a house fire (except obviously us and the animals)  and after a moments pang of upset I would quite happily start replacing things .... if we felt we needed them again.

Sure there are things like photographs in boxes, cards we have sent each other on special occasions and even the teddy nearest the lamp, who is called Valerie which I have had since my first birthday and who was Simon my son's constant companion for five years, that are irreplaceable in the physical world, but even if they were lost to fire or flood their memory is in my head and always will be.  So I don't feel the need to keep anything if it starts to feel like it is owning me.

I can almost feel that lamp slipping off the chest of drawers ......

Sue xx

And the winner is .......

And the winner is .... still helping me to declutter!!  As you will see further down this post ;-)

I decided to do the draw the old-fashioned way, with strips of paper and a hat.  Every time I use the automatic number generator thingys I can't get them to publish on my post and it looks like I've made it all up!!

So after much writing down the names of those of you who entered, checking and double checking I snipped away and folded the slips ..... then I went in search of a 'hat'.  

I couldn't find one upstairs and being in a lazy Monday morning mood decided to make use of whatever I laid my eyes on first in the bedroom.

Now as we don't have a po/potty/gazunder/chamber pot under the bed (aren't you really glad about that one!!) I decided to use one of the wooden bowls on the chest of drawers.  

Looking at the top of the chest of drawers through my new 'declutterers' eyes I thought 'what a mess'.

So I whittled it down a bit and gave it all a good polish in the process.  

But I can't make my mind up about the lamp.  We've had it there since we moved in last Christmas, but it has not been switched on even once.  So the vote is going to you.  Does it look better with the lamp ...

... or without it?

Anyway .... back to business, the little slips were put in the smaller bowl and held up by my left hand to a height where I couldn't see the slips and then my right hand (which is much more unbiased than my left one) was asked to do the draw.  

The winner is .... insert fanfare, or drum roll ... or just scroll down, depending on your Monday morning mood ...

(I chose the fanfare option.)

'wherethejourneytakesme'

Who by clicking on her name I found out has her Blog over HERE

So Vivien if you could drop me an email with your full postal address I will set the book of on it's journey to you.  And as Vivien is as big a declutterer as me it might be worth keeping an eye on her Blog because no doubt the book will be travelling on again pretty soon.

Many thanks to all those of you who took the time to leave comments to be entered into the draw and indeed to all those of you who leave comments on any blog post I write.  Your feedback sometimes keeps me on the straight and narrow and always makes this blogging world a delight to be a part of.

So four more items from the top of the chest of drawers to go into my charity shop bag, which means four less items in the house.  I'm making it my mission to take a bag of things into town whenever I go in from now until Christmas.

Happy Monday folks ..... and here's to lots more decluttering.

Sue xx

Decluttering 365 - Giveaway

I read this book last week, it really is inspiring ...well it spurred me into action anyway.

All this year I've been decluttering and entering the things that have left the house on the to page at the top of the Blog, but I had ground to a halt recently.  I guess I was uninspired ... so this book was just what I needed.

Of course it would be wrong to keep it for myself, I've read it, absorbed the gist of it and have now sprung back into action going through cupboards and taking the things I find to the local charity shop in Llanrwst.  I don't even know what they raise funds for but those that they help no doubt need the money that my things will get more than I need the things.

After all I should take more notice of this little box that permanently lives on my sidebar!!

I am determined to, at the very least reach my target of 365 things gone by the end of the year.

One giant declutter that has just happened is one of our cars.  

We have had three cars for a while now, for very good reasons ..... but the Corsa died a very un-dramatic but untimely death on the motorway last week, losing all power and then stubbornly refusing to work at all.  Leaving Lovely Hubby stranded for a while in the pitch black at the side of the M6,  then he was shunted from pillar to post by the AA for almost twelve hours.  I will give them credit that when I Tweeted about this the next morning they immediately sprang into action.  Paying for one of Lovely Hubby's taxi fares from the garage where they had left him and the car to his digs and then onto work, and also extending our membership for an additional six months.  The power of the Tweet!!

So that's us down to a much more manageable and sensible two cars.  We worked out that the cost of the repairs to the Corsa, quoted at over £1,200, would be more than enough to pay for the additional fuel that the Mitsubishi uses when compared to the smaller car.  And hopefully it will be safer for LH travelling long distances over Winter in the 4x4 and we will save on the car tax and insurance.

This must be the biggest declutter we have done for a while!!

If you would like to be entered into the draw to win this book, please just leave a comment on this post.  I am very happy to post to anywhere in the world.

Sue xx

Draw Now Closed

Bang, Bang Your .....Flat!!

For a second I thought I was being shot at yesterday.  

I was in Chicken World cleaning out the hen house when there was an almighty bang directly behind me.  It was the flap, flap flapping of slack rubber that told me after that first moments shock, that it was merely a blow out of one of the passing vehicles on the busy road that runs along our land.

Luckily no one was hurt, and the farmer towing the trailer with the now very flat tyre managed to limp it towards the access part of our lower gates.  Once stopped there was no more moving it, for it was full to the rafters with sheep on their way to market.

I went over to make sure everything was okay, but he had already been on the phone to the cattle market that he was heading towards and they were in the process of sending one of their large trucks to off load the sheep.

The road was chaotic for an hour or so, while the large truck was parked there, it is a sharpish bend and over taking is quite hazardous but they coped well.  

Moving the sheep from little trailer to big truck.

Then the guys that had followed in a Landrover helped him to change the wheel on his trailer and in the blink of any eye they all vanished, no doubt to enjoy mugs of tea and bacon butties while the sheep went through the sale none the worse after their little adventure.

And Jason who was staying with us slept through all the excitement, although Rosy the Jack Russell found the whole show amazing to watch from her vantage point on the back on the sofa.

Sue xx

Poppies in the Moat

A poignant day today for anyone who has had members of their family involved in any way with the armed forces or indeed any part of any war effort.

On Sunday we went into Llandudno and met up with Mum who was holidaying with a group of her friends in the resort for a long weekend.  We walked down the promenade in the lovely morning sunshine to join the masses of people at the Cenotaph.

It was the first time we had come into town for the Remembrance Service, and the sound of the sea lapping on the beach behind us, with the seagulls calling overhead made for a poignant service for my ex Royal Navy man and me.   The service was nice if a little confusing, with no order of service for the many hundreds of folks that had turned out.

The canons firing from the top of the Great Orme set the seagulls off in a frenzy of squawking, so the two minutes silence was filled with their mournful cries. It was lovely to see all ages taking part in the service, with all the Armed Forces represented, and the Lifeboat crews, Cadets, Girl Guides and Scouts, and many, many others all showing their utmost respect.

I'm glad we went, and now we will be awaiting delivery of our poppy from the Tower of London installation that I bought for Lovely Hubby.  The email says it will be on it's way sometime in the next couple of weeks.

The wonderful picture above is courtesy of  Max, Jayne's husband from the Blog 'The View from Bag End'  when I saw it I just had to ask permission to use it here on my Blog.  I will also print out a copy to keep with the poppy when it arrives.   Our poppy is there somewhere nestled amongst all the others, sadly representing the 888,246 lives lost in the First World War.

For lots more about this wonderful installation visit HERE, which includes a film showing the poppies being made.

Thank you to Jayne for permission to use the photograph, and to M for taking such a remarkable set of photographs, the full set can be viewed HERE, this one may appear again when our poppy arrives.

Sue xx