My home is a mess

Emm-in-a-pickle

Evenin` all. I cannot believe all I`ve got done today, and thanks to a lot of help from others. Really tired out now, but much to show for it. A week tomorrow I`m back at work, (albeit easing back in slowly) and that`s a very good feeling too.
I`ll sleep tonight...

dibuzz

I've not really done a lot today, just bits and pieces but this evening I walked down to the shop and spent 20 minutes talking to a neighbour on the way down. It doesn't sound like much but for me it was.

Emm-in-a-pickle

Hi Messies!

I feel like I`ve hardly stopped since Wednesday. Foolishly I did some cutting out on the floor that day, and my back has twinged ever since, just a mild niggle but enough to know it`s there.
Thursday, DGD`s mum came over to assist with the rest of the cutting, and we both decided it was time to give up using the floor and get the table out! (Gateleg table, seldom used, sits slimly in a corner of LR with fruitbowl on it.) Table is now STILL half up in front of fireplace, haven`t had to move it as it`s been too warm for a fire. Fireguard has been shoved in the corner where table usually lives - and the top is completely cluttered with `stuff`...
I`ve got 3 different paper patterns on the go, 3 garments half-sewn, and another 2 cut out. (Plus, I`ve got 3 pairs of new uniform trousers to shorten, by Friday)

Also on Thursday, my ex (DS`s father, who has now retired) came along with his strimmer and actually managed to get DS using it, but still leaving certain patches `wild`. I kept getting called outside to say which bit to do next, but I`m very happy with the result.
On Thursday night I cooked 2 large chickens, so we`ve been living on that ever since.
Friday I had to do some shopping, then shift some dressmaking stuff off DGD`s bed before collecting her from school.

I have got as far as I can with the sewing...it is now time for the IRON (EEK!) The only time the iron gets used here is for pressing seams - and it`s been years since I had any new seams to press. Iron was stashed somewhere, so I spent a couple of hours yesterday evening searching in Spare Room of Doom, and eventually found it. I also found the half-sized tabletop ironing board.
It was so warm indoors that I thought `if I`m going to be using the iron I`ll leave the back door open for some air`.
But with the back door open the air that came in was very stinky... dear old Dafty dog hasn`t peed indoors for days, and when she does outside she doesn`t go far from the back door.
Suddenly, a few days` worth of dried pee (from she who eats pilchards every day!) with the sun on it was wafting into the house. It was minging beyond description.
So, I set to with buckets of very hot water and stardrops and the yardbrush, scrubbed it all twice, then had another go with Zoflora (Twilight Garden flavour). Smelled lovely out there when I`d finished, but by then I was in no fit state to faff with the iron, so the seams are still not pressed, and the sewing is still on hold.
No excuse for this morning, I just haven`t got going yet except for clearing up in the kitchen and putting dry laundry away, as I`ve done 3 WM loads of DS`s in the last couple of days as well, making the most of drying weather.

I hope everyone`s having a good weekend, whatever you`re doing. x

dibuzz

I'm tired just reading all that Emm!
Eldest has just treated yougest and me to lunch at the pub whichwas very nice and best of all I didn't have to cook or wash up.
I'm going to try to do some more painting later but it's too hot to do much.
I did a bit of digging in the front garden yesterday and a couple were walking past with their dog, they stopped to ask about Steff as they hadn't seen me out with her. I gave them her left over treats and dentastix so they are all out of the way now. He always made a fuss of Steff and it is time to sort all her stuff out now.

pollypenny

I'm very impressed, Emm! I'd be in a pickle, too if I had three lots of sewing on the go.

I haven't made anything for years, in fact only altered curtains to fit DS's house and that was 15 years ago.

After carrying so many heavy paint pots to car, then in dump, my wrist has gone again, so at a halt with DIL's Aran cardie.

Just one job today, in sPite of a huge pile of ironing. I have potted up some cutting of Christmas cactus. Dead easy, but they'd been sitting on kitchen window sill for a year.
Also salvaged last year's porch basket, put some nasturtium seeds in with the daschia and a creeping Jenny from another basket.

Glad you enjoyed your lunch Dibuzz. I managed a coffee with a friend that bumped into in the local market. Beautiful day, just like being in France.

Emm-in-a-pickle

Dibuzz, I`m glad you enjoyed the pub lunch. I told the folks here to snack/get on with it themselves, and rinse whatever they use, as I`m not doing kitchen stuff till evening.
(FAR too hassled with using an IRON!!!!)
I`m glad to hear you`re talking to neighbours a bit more, every little helps, I`m sure. It`s nice too that Steffi`s stuff has gone to folks who noticed her absence.

Pol, it`s not the sewing that got me in a state, it`s using the pesky iron! I`ve pressed the necessary seams now, and I`ve cut and pressed the uniform trouser bottoms ready to sew. That will be the last time they see an iron, till the @rse falls out of them!
I`m now going to sew the uniform hems and call it a day, as the sewing machine is in DGD`s room. I`ll crack on with the other stuff when she`s gone home tomorrow. At least I`ll be able to put stuff ready in my bag for Friday. Just hope I`ve washed all the itchyness out of them!!

Chicken again tonight, and steamed veg. OH`s tummy was a bit quirky again earlier in the week so plain food won`t go amiss.

dibuzz

I went to bed at 9.30 last night and only woke up at 10.30 this morning, I think I must be making up for all the nights I only had 2 or 3 hours.
It looks like a rainy week coing up so I'm going to try to mow the lawns today after a very late breakfast.

Raksha

#2 son has drawn morning shifts this weekend, so guess who has been up at 5.30 to get him there? Taken advantage of the extra hours to have some me time and spent a couple of ours with my camera catching the early light.
Cleaned and tidied the kitchen yesterday and living room today. Sorted dogs toys out, thrown away all the destuffed skins of soft toys and popped tennis balls, but they still have a huge bucket full of raggers, balls and other bits and bobs, plus a simikar sized bucket of food dispensing toys which are currently soaking in a bucket before being loaded in the dishwasher.
A joint of pork in the slow cooker and a bacon joint in the other one for ham next week... an Approved Foods pineapple swiss roll soaked in Malibu and set in pineapple jelly in the fridge, going to make some custard with coconut milk and top it with cream cheese and pineapple.
Cleaned up the cup of coffee OH knocked over, without killing him as I'd only just sat down..
Now my knees and ankles are killing me :-(

Emm-in-a-pickle

Dibuzz, that`s another decent kip, well done!
Everyone seems to be cutting their grass today - next door are doing theirs again (the ones with the noisiest mower ever!) It`s quite funny really as it keeps stopping and starting and the whole family join in somehow.

It`s bins day tomorrow, so I`ve done a trash trawl BEFORE OH puts the bins out today! DGD has gone home, but I`ve not got on with any more sewing yet as I`m still faffing with the remains of the 2 chickens (chicken AGAIN tonight!!) and trying to think of something different... carcasses have simmered for a while and there`s still loads of meat left, plus there`s a meal for Littly dog in the pickings. I`ll probably freeze what I don`t use tonight, before there`s mutiny!
At least I`m clearing up as I go along though.

pollypenny

Had to buy a new iron today. The old one keeps tripping the fuse box. Someone must have dropped it, as it has a bit clearly stuck back.

OH swears it wasn't him, so I suspect DS when he was over here for work two years ago.

Cleared huge pile of ironing listening to the serial on R4.