Horace's Biting the Bullet Diary

Horace

I had a lie in this morning..got up had a bit of breakfast and decided to nibble some banana cake - I have decided that it doesnt freeze well and I decided that I no longer liked it. Took some African sand pictures to the charity shop this morning so had a longish walk to the village followed by a trip to the market where I got chatted up - I bought a city bra for £5.99 as I bought one last week which is really comfortable. I also went to the hardware shop for a roll of sticky backed plastic as I have a plan: the top of the cupboard in the bathroom is a bit battered so I have decided to cut a piece of blind (I have a large offcut) to put on the top and to hold it down and make it a bit water resistant I will cover it with sticky backed plastic.

This afternoon, I baked a cake - I adapted the banana tea bread recipe and instead of bananas and walnuts I added some peeled and sliced pears, I layered some pear slices on top of the cake (the majority being chopped and folded into the mix) and sprinkled the top with some golden granulated sugar. It is rather yummy and I will remember to make it again because it can be served hot with custard or cold as a cake. A tad disappointed that the fruit fell to the bottom of the cake though but that could be due to the mix.

I have also vacced the hall and the stairs and done some washing which is hanging on the line. I have unpacked some more boxes and will be doing a freegle listing later as i have some plastic crates to dispose of - I have kept a small one back and it is in the shed so I have two small and two large to get rid of as I need the space. I am trying to make space now for the furniture from ex hubby.

Tomorrow, I have an adventure for which I will wear my wellies - I am going to attempt to mow the lawns. Don't laugh but I have never mowed a lawn in my life as it was always considered too dangerous to let me loose with a lawnmower:eek::o Mind you I had never changed a lightbulb either until I had my own place.

beanielou

Pear cake sounds just yum.

Horace

I was at my parents yesterday - I was invited over for dinner but invited early so that mum and I could go to the local garden centre to look at garden tools. Must admit I fell in love with a very expensive border fork that had been reduced to £20 alas I was not allowed to buy it as mum wants to go B&Q first to see what they have.

Dad gave me £20 for petrol.

This morning, I helped mum do a bit more digging in my front garden and then I got the mower out and mowed the front and back lawns. Must admit that I need to get a longer extension lead as I could not mow the top lawn behind the tree. The way things are going the garden will the death of me - there is so much to do and the ground is quite sticky so it makes it doubly hard.

I have registered with a new GP too - I walked there and back. I really must arrange an appointment about my knees which are really bad and I am wondering if I have torn some ligaments in them?:(

Tomorrow I am off to Remploy.

A man came to measure up for new windows today - mum managed to negotiate the cost down and that way I could have a new front door. I am having one that is triple glazed which has a large glass panel to allow light in - it won't lock behind me either like this one does. A new kitchen window is also needed and they are going to fix the patio door too.

I am not long back from the doctors as I walked to the sugery and registered.

Horace

Man came - fixed the patio door and measured up for new windows and a new front door - these will be fitted on 30 August.

Mum came today and moaned that something was smelly in my fridge - I found a piece of cooked pork loin shoved at the back and this was the culprit along with some lamb tornedos that I had forgotten to put in the freezer - cue moaning from mother about wasting money. She was a bit narked because she had bought me some apricots which I gave back to her along with the ones that I had got from the reduced shelf in the supermarket - I realised that I am not keen on fresh apricots and much prefer the dried ones.

Mum was very good today - she bought me 2 sets of velvety coathangers from Aldi and rummaged around in my shed for a tub and found my green plastic Aldi special. I wondered what she was doing at first but out came a bag of compost, some feed thingies and some fushias - all the same variety and she planted these in the tub and placed them where I could see them out of the kitchen window. We then set about chopping up old branches, removing branches from bushes, general pruning and tidying. We shifted the spare roof tiles to the secret patch behind the hedge only muggins here dropped two of them which promptly broke. Doing the garden today was like going on a voyage of discovery as we found another border that was edged with old blue Victorian tiles. I was also presented with the posh border fork that I fell in love with which will last me a lifetime:D

This afternoon, I have done a bit of pruning myself and I chopped up a plant that had spread itself over the patio - I then found a plant with pink flowers that were quite whispy and almost like meadowsweet. Further investigations of the garden uncovered an ornamental quince and a hardy fushia.

I also had a bit of sofa time as it was rather warm and I nipped to the village in the car to buy a clothes prop as the free one in the shed was broken and I needed to stop my clothes dragging on the floor on the line.

Tomorrow is signing day - I am getting anxious about that, anxious about not finding a job, anxious about how I am going to cope with stuff etc. etc. It is all crackers but I cannot stop my mind from running away with daft thoughts..sigh.

Horace

Got up at 7am - watched a bit of breakfast telly, it is nice to see Bill & Sian back together on the BBC for Olympic Breakfast. I did some washing which is now hanging on the line. I made some calls too - I have calls to make still.

I havent long got off the phone to Remploy - it would seem that my advisor won't be returning to work, she has gone off sick and has left so they were ringing to let me know. I asked about MnS and they are going to get back to me on that score and after I advised them about the jobcentre wanting to put me on the work programme in September they said that they would get the Work Choices programme that I am on now extended for 6 months so I don't have to do it. I must admit that I was cheeky and asked if my advisor was going to be replaced but was told that they weren't sure, however, I have put my name forward as I would like the job myself:D

I need to go out for butter and bread as I have neither - I dont even have any spare butter in the freezer and I don't fancy using my baking marg to spread on my toasted teacakes. Despite the heat it might be cupasoup for lunch:eek:

It is such a glorious day here that I might just walk to the jobcentre rather than take the car - it will probably make my knees even more painful than they are now but I need the exercise.

It will be bacon, sausage and eggs for tea.

Not much else to report really, I still have much to do and the black dog of depression is hanging about like a bad smell which isnt helping matters.

Wordsmith

Sorry to hear about your black dog, Horace. Maybe it's the lull after all the hard work and excitement. Getting out and working in the garden is good - but don't overdo it.

Fortune_Smiles

Hello Horace. I have read your diary from start to finish and look forward to hearing each instalment of your adventures. I am so impressed by your attitude and approach. I've found you to be a determined, creative and honourable person and I'm very pleased to know you (virtually ).

Fortune x

Aesop

Sorry to hear about the blackdog Horace

maybe it is a mixture of everything, the weather, looking for work, moving home, etc. All the pressure and stress has just built up.

as MG says, be gentle to yourself xxx

Horace

What a weekend - my parents came around on Saturday afternoon they asked me to shift my car so that the van could get in - they had bought me a flat screen telly:cool: I discovered that the scart lead for my DVD player was dreadful (cheapo from a cheapo store) and dad said he had a spare - they also bought me a scart splitter so that I could switch between the telly and the DVD player. It is wierd because I either watch the tv on scart (cable) or I can watch the tv on tv which is freeview. Mum did a bit of gardening for me too.

I took myself out yesterday mooching - although I did end up buying a pair of general purpose shears (these are not cheap but made locally and have a lifetime guarantee), I tried various shears before settling on this pair which are well balanced and fairly light. I can use them for edging my lawn or cutting the hedge as I remembered that I have conifer hedge at the top of the garden. I spent some of my settlement money (money I had in fact taken out of the bank to buy a tv with - still have lots left as I want to buy a Dutch Hoe and a rake).

I joined a gardening club too - no membership fee, it gives me discounts on plants and I earn 5 points for every pound spent, so I could use the card in the restaurant at the garden centre and still earn points. Points get turned into vouchers.

Mum is around this morning - pruning and raking - she is wearing my emergency rain mac (I have a few about) as no sooner had she arrived than it started raining. She is out there now making short work of things. She bought some treats for me too - 4 mini choc ices on sticks (like Magnum only nicer and cheaper), some thickly sliced ham as she had bought a joint of cooked ham in Aldi and sliced it herself, it was individually wrapped and it has gone into the freezer (it was frozen anyway).

I am in my back bedroom surveying the landscape - I have had to write to the council because their correspondence has been confusing - firstly they say that I get CTB from 7 July in my new abode then the next letter sent the same day tells me that I have to re-apply because I have moved. I have had to get yet another proof of benefits letter showing my new address and I am sending it in the post, sorry it will have to go 2nd class as I can no longer afford 1st class post. (I refuse to buy first class stamps on principle).

The black dog is still hanging about - I am doing work in short bursts and then when I get bored/fed up then I go and veg in front of the telly.

I received a call on Friday from Remploy telling me that my appointment with my advisor has had to be cancelled because she is off sick. I asked when she would be back and was told that she had left - my little brain immediately thought..vacancy...so I asked if she was being replaced and if so could I please be considered? Well, my new advisor was a bit stunned but did say that as yet no decision had been made to replace my advisor, however, I could be considered as expressing interest. We talked about the Work Programme that the jobcentre are itching to send me on and I was advised that I was on the Work Choices Programme and that she would apply to get that extended for a further 6 months so that I don't have to go on the Work Programme.

I am trying to sort my stuff out slowly - I have relisted some stuff on freegle after having my time wasted plus I added a few things such as an electric fly killer and an Art Deco trolley that would make a good restoration project for someone. The trolley cost me nowt as it belonged to London Twerp but it was a good home for my telly if a little unstable as I felt that the tv would topple on me each time I leant behind it to switch it on or off at the wall.

My left knee is really starting to play up now so I will have to make an appointment at the doctors - I will walk up there. Last night I rested it on the sofa and covered it with a fleecy blanket to keep it warm which seemed to help a bit. I have gone from being fairly active to moving about like a cripple - sitting down is quite painful as is standing up and having to kneel down is horrendous because I have to cling onto furniture to pull myself up again. I wrenched both knees on the day that I moved and I know I have wrenched them a few times since then on uneven pavements. I refuse to take painkillers as they only mask the pain and make me think that I am superwoman so that I do myself even more of a mischief.:(

The sun is out - and my blue hydrangea is looking amazing, it is the deepest, brightest blue imaginable.

I feel sure that I would have liked and got on well with Iris who previously owned this house, she sounds as though she was a great character but not only that she had a love of plants and I keep finding different plants in my garden that are truly stunning.

Horace

Aaarggghhhhh - I relisted some items on Freegle and now I have been inundated with requests. I got a strange feeling about one person who responded so decided not to let him take everything that I had listed and instead have promised the radio cassette player and the Art Deco trolley to someone who is in desperate need. I got the distinct rumbling in my gut that the chap that is coming for the stuff wanted to sell things on - anyway he is having some of the stuff e.g the crates, fly killer etc.

Mum rang me tonight too to tell me about a cookery programme starting tonight (now in fact) and to let me know that the garden waste has gone to the tip and she has bought me a shovel from the hardware shop (I have been using an ancient dustpan in the garden and it is woefully inadequate).

In an attempt to eradicate Iris from the house, I decided to take down the silly part net from the kitchen window - this blocked my view of the garden and now it has been removed from the window, light is flooding in. Now I feel as though the kitchen belongs to me.:D