Flying solo

*Robin*

Hello Diary and MSE Friends, :hello:

<..and breathe>

My day began very abruptly after three hours' sleep. I'll spare you the unpleasant details beyond saying that it included copious quantities of bleach, and a mop.
Before brewing the first cuppa, too.

Couldn't get back to sleep so did a bit of catching up on here earlier; there are some inspirational resolutions - I do hope everyone will be successful in achieving their aims this year.

The first two batches of visitors have been entertained, enjoyed, hugged and waved off. Am now waiting for Batch Three to call in (they're staying in one of the other houses so it'll just be to make sure all is well).

I'm ready for a siesta, tbh, so will probably be wide awake tonight (actually that's not a bad idea; keep an eye on BD and his unreliable guts during the dark hours when it's too cold to leave the door wide open for him ).

rising_from_the_ashes

*Robin* wrote: »

My day began very abruptly after three hours' sleep. I'll spare you the unpleasant details beyond saying that it included copious quantities of bleach, and a mop.

Ohhhhh dear :eek: ... been there on many an occasion!

I must admit I was expecting to be woken up by a "let me out ... now" bark during the night but it didn't happen ... I didn't sleep well tho' (worried in case I slept through it - and then I'd have needed the mop too!)

Thankfully she seems to be fine!:) Hope BD is better today.

I could do with a wee snooze myself - trying to stop sleeping during the day & get back into a routine but it's really hard!

Will need to brave the woods (and mud:eek: shortly) as she needs a good run!

*Robin*

Hello Diary and dear MSE Friends, :hello:

Thank you everyone for all your good wishes for the New Year, it is really heartening to know you are sharing my journey.

I have struggled to set out a positive summary of 2012, in order to draw a line beneath it and then move forward and set out my aims for 2013. So many other diarists have done really well with this task, even when life has been very hard for them over the past year, but I just can't do it.
What has happened is done. Trying to summarize it is too depressing, so I will concentrate on looking forward.

Am no-where near ready to put up a proper list, it's still a jumble of headings which loom out of the fog at me; Spanish Probate, HMRC, Land Registry, PPI, dogs, home and garden improvements, tenants, financial planning..

Afraid I tend to withdraw pretty quickly to the more prosaic tasks of the day; cook up dog-food, put on washing, spend an hour or so meditating in the garden..


Yesterday I just got too tired; forgot to switch off the borehole-pump so it flooded. Noticed a stream of water gushing past the patio as I was about to give BD his 'special' medicated grub - dropped the bowl and dashed for the off-switch.. Turned round to discover Auntie hoovering up BD's dinner while he stood oblivious, two metres away.
<Aargh>.
Not very MSE, don't know how much water I wasted.
Managed to find two minor positives in it; won't have to irrigate the trees alongside the lawn for a few weeks, and the passage where BD chooses to toilet was in dire need of washing down anyway.
So it goes.

I did have a small :money: moment this morning; the current a/c I thought I'd overdrawn recently, didn't actually go below the line because an unexpected [re-]payment went in on the same day, so hopefully I'll avoid the monthly OD charge.

Fudgefund wrote:

I always thought the grape thing was a myth! I'm definitely going to try that one next year, stop me drinking.

Oh, no myth; the grapes are very important (a bit like singing "Auld Lang Syne" in Scotland). ..It's much harder than it sounds, too; at every 'bong' you have to pop another grape into your mouth - and try and get to the end of the New Year chimes without choking! Absolutely hilarious, but watch out for someone facing you who suddenly explodes into laughter at the tenth bong!

Igamogam wrote: »

Noticed you posted on Mr Bs thread.......yes complain to Ombudsman.The cost of a stamp and a bit of time

..Even though I ignored the bank's eight weeks to object to their refusal?
Well, it's on the list. Currently blocked by printer and laptop not talking to each other, so can't copy out the Ombudsman's forms.

NewLeaf wrote:

must get all the dogs walked my Mom can't cope with helping with that or even walking that far, which is actually a good thing. I enjoy my time alone with them, although one is a nightmare on the lead.

Ah yes, walking the dogs must be a very essential tension relief valve for you at the moment, lol. Must be tempting to pick up the one who's not good on a lead, but I hope you don't even though your dogs are tiny. Think I'd go for a short link-lead between Best-behaved and Nightmare, just on the pavements/roads where it's essential that they co-operate (I take my hat off to you - none of the Daft Dogs like walking in a city - too many distractions).

NewLeaf_2

How are you feeling today? Everyone get fed and watered? xx

please-let-me-be-lucky

I know you are struggling to find positives for last year so maybe I can help you out a bit!

I'm sure you made PC's last days very comfortable :A. You then coped marvellously with sorting paperwork and money etc without having done this previously. You made an epic journey all on your own. You are looking after the dogs fantastically and helping to ease BD's suffering. You started a wonderful diary and provide constant support to your online friends.

You survived! Xx

*Robin*

Hello Diary and dear MSE Friends, :hello:

It's been a busy couple of days, during which I've had to reappraise what DH would call 'capital spending':
Have accurately costed the next project on the list for this house, and started looking at this year's biggie - an automatic irrigation system for the garden. The price of materials has risen far beyond my earlier guestimate, such that what I want to do is now beyond what is affordable (given DH's Death Duties which loom ominously on the horizon and cannot be ignored).

Hmm. Project One must now be very MSE; metal posts rather than elegant brick pillars, and steel sheeting as opposed to an insulated, attractive tiled roof. "Campo style" they call it; the end result will be the same - a pleasant patch of shade in high summer - but at less than half the price of my first ideas.
So it goes.

Hopefully that will leave enough in the bank so that I can employ a professional firm to sort out the irrigation, as the layout of the garden is such that an amateur would be unlikely to get it right first time. My ignorance on the subject is massive, and I definitely can't afford to put in the pipework twice!

I also went to have a look at DS4's efforts on DH's smaller cottage. His taste is even more minimalist than DH's was; he's thrown out half the furniture! It looks different but ok, especially as DS4 has obviously spent ages scrubbing the whole place, including the walls. Now he's turning it into an artist's studio. And he's done the task I was dreading - sorting out DH's clothes (for the third time). Bless the lad.
I found my jars of sweet mincemeat - just too late to make mince pies for xmas, lol - plus lots of tins of fish for the dogs, and almost five litres of finest virgin olive oil; all now transferred to my store-cupboard here.

please-let-me-be-lucky wrote: »

I know you are struggling to find positives for last year so maybe I can help you out a bit!

I'm sure you made DH's last days very comfortable :A. You then coped marvellously with sorting paperwork and money etc without having done this previously. You made an epic journey all on your own. You are looking after the dogs fantastically and helping to ease BD's suffering. You started a wonderful diary and provide constant support to your online friends.

You survived! Xx

Thank you very much indeed for this, Be Lucky! It's a pretty good summary of the positive bits..

Blind Dog is surprising me; he's rallied considerably since I started giving him my other migraine pills. His fur is becoming soft and silky again, his skin is healthy, he's putting on weight - guts are ok if restricted to rice, chicken, fish and nothing else - and he's perking up; started barking to warn me of incoming visitors again, which he's not done since I collected him. His hearing is better than I realised (maybe he just didn't care when he was feeling so miserable, a couple of months ago?).
Auntie is also showing more of her old spirit, and again, I think the second migraine med has got her arthritis under control - she even slept outside last night (which has always been her preference unless it's wet).

Giving the Old Dogs my medication every day is hammering my stock of course, so it's just as well the clean mountain air is having it's hoped-for effect - am getting far fewer migraines than is normal for me in the UK. Which is lovely.

*Robin*

Good morning Diary and MSE Friends, :hello:

It was another glorious dawn today, with such strident colours that I wished I'd put more effort into learning to paint when the opportunity was available. All I could do was watch in awe as bright orange and purple softened to pastel shades, and the birds awoke, singing praises.

Yesterday I had a look at my day-to-day living expenses.
Electricity is higher than I'd like, running at about £50 a month. But vehicle costs are much lower than expected - still got over 3/4 of November's tank of fuel (an extra benefit of lots of NSDs, staying at home as much as possible). Am spending an average of £45 a week which covers food and medicines for myself and Daft Dogs, household products and [at the moment] vegetable seedlings to plant out. The freezer is full, the store-cupboard overflowing - if I have a period of illness it doesn't matter, Daft Dogs and I can still eat for a month (from experience I'll have recovered enough by then to go out and re-stock. Or if I'm that unwell, someone will have turned up to rescue us by then, lol).

Must confess to buying one completely unnecessary item during last week's shopping trip though. Even DS4 said "You're wasting your money, Mother!" (- he only calls me Mother when he's cross with me ).
It looks like a modern artwork, an interpretation of the kind of daisy a small child will draw alongside the archetypal image of a house; a central red door, four windows - two up two down, a smoking chimney on top. On one side the child might put pictures of their family, massively out of scale. On the other; the daisy.
So; five silver metal stalks rise from an understated black weighted base. They are springy, and can be moved to any configuration desired. Each stalk is topped by a white translucent globe, about the size of a golf ball.
It's trick is that it responds to sound. Inside the globes are coloured lights which flash at a particular frequency..

I put it on the side and didn't mention it. Every single visitor since then has 'discovered it' with delight, experimenting with different noises and generally having loads of fun with it. ..Actually I think it was £5 well spent - I don't fritter much on entertainment!

dorothy52

Happy New Year, Robin and all who read your diary.

I am so pleased to hear that BD and PCD seem to be recovering, what wonderful news to start the new year with. The fact that you seem to be enjoying better health as well is a real bonus. I agree with Be Lucky, you really did achieve a lot last year and should be proud of yourself, as I am sure PC is as he watches over you.

I will continue to read every day and post occasionally and quietly cheer you on from the sidelines, you are truly a remarkable woman and I don't doubt that your future endeavours will be successful.

Much love

Dot xx

PinotGrigio41

Robin,

I honestly can't remember if I have posted on your diary, but have certainly been lurking ! Seen you often over on NLs thread .

Just want to echo Be Lucky really with her positive words the other day for you. You are truly amazing ....... Oh and for the record , I call my mum Mother when I am cross with her too as does my eldest DS to me !

Have a good day today.

Mrs PG x

greyfox

Hi, Robin,

Happy not so New Year!

*Robin* wrote: »

(I still haven't come across those archives - think they may accidentally have been put into into storage, twit that I am. )

Not to worry. If you can remember his name (and anything else about him), just PM me & I'll have a look & see what I can find. I'm taking a break from my own Tree at the moment and getting withdrawal symptoms!

Take care,

GF x