This Time I'm Really Going To Do It

Suffolk_lass

This is what we have, with these canisters. Protective eyewear must be worn!

Watty1

Thank you so much. What a great suggestion.  I'm beginning to feel you are my garden guru @Suffolk_lass

One path did get completely restored and is looking great.  I am beginning to feel I have taken on a restoration project buying this place.  I found a leak then yesterday while clearing the patio.  It is not too serious and I have just shelved that for now as I will need a plumber for other work I'm sure (like refurbishing the en-suite so it can be looked at then).

Then whilst doing some housework I decided to clean the glass on the wood burning stove and found the back firebrick is crumbling away (I could put my finger through it) and the glass on the doors has somehow shifted and has ash between the panes.    Interviewing google I found out this might not be as serious as it first seemed.  I will get the flue cleaned by a chimney sweep and will find someone to replace the firebricks.  Luckily I found some side bricks in a barn that were bought in 2015 (eek) and so I just need to buy the back brick.  The wood burning stove has never worked as well as it apparently should and the ex and I sometimes talked about replacing it  but looking online yesterday I wondered if there was a problem with it  so I'm going to see if I can get someone out to look at it properly, although I will clean the glass myself!

Suffolk_lass

I clean the glass on mine with damp newspaper with a bit of wood-ash on - it's free and it works and I leave the newspaper in it to dry out and burn in the next fire

KajiKita

You might find replacing the firebricks on your stove is something you can do yourself. Mr KK did ours and I don’t remember it being a difficult job. A bit messy as it all needed a really good clean do the new bricks would sit right. Orientation of the firebricks is pretty key I think, but if you take some photos before you start of how the existing ones are sitting you shouldn’t go too far wrong. 

Hello btw 😊 I haven’t read all of your thread but I have read enough recent posts to be able to see that you have had a very tough time. I can say, from personal experience, it does improve over time and I think you are doing really well. 

KK

Karmacat

I've used fire cement on an expedient stove - its really, really easy to handle, its meant to go exactly where it sounds from the name of it.  Comparatively easy fixes like that would be a great alternative to replacing the stove!

Watty1

Hello @KajiKita    I can probably sum up the thread quickly, large mortgage, thought I had a happy relationship, paid off mortgage, relationship collapsed, affair, disaster and then as non married discovered the legal system offers no protection and the ex benefitted financially but remained abusive even after I had left.    Am now finding feet. and have an amazing amount of support here to recover.    Posting here has often helped my mental health in tough times and the support and ideas that folk here have come up with has been nothing short of amazing.    I love this board for that.   That sums up 400 odd pages

Watty1

So after reading the comments here, I'm going to figure out the exact stove and buy a back fire brick, a baffle plate and the rope and glue and do the job myself.    After watching a video and then taking on board the comments to take lots of pictures I think that should be doable and moneysaving.

I just need to figure out the exact stove so I buy the right bits, it is one of 2 models.    Feeling positive about this.  I've cleaned the glass, realised it is smoke damaged but I'm going to live with that so all I need is someone to clean the flue.  

Reviewing savings I've realised I've whizzed through a lot of money this last month, and I do mean A LOT so I will be monitoring spending carefully next month and seeing where I can save.  I know a lot of it was essential, like lock changing and Ring camera and doorbell so I know if ex about and vets bills but I am sure there is money I can save, and also places I can make a little extra too.     I sold a supplement the Charming Cob refused to eat and got a third back, and sold the outside dog kennel on Facebook today so that all is a total of £60 in and £14.50 out as I sold the supplement to a pal and we had breakfast in a local cafe and a jolly catch up.    Local cafe's are staying as an essential spend as I'm cutting down on my drinking and this month have managed 22/31 alcohol free days and reduced drinking substantially on the days I did drink.    The cafe connection is they are a lovely social way to meet friends that don't mean wine!

June will be about being mindful where I spend and seeing where I can cut back.  I'm sure there are some areas that will be obvious when I keep notes.

Watty1

My main month of May success is that I have now tapered off my sleep meds.  Last 3 nights have been drug free.   I actually feel tearful about how far I have come.  

themadvix

I don’t comment often Watty as I don’t really feel I have the experience or knowledge to do so, but I always read and you *have* come *so* far! You are doing amazingly!

Watty1

1st June. A new month.  Woke feeling miserable despite everything missing ex and thinking about him.

A few hours later I'm at my desk and struggling to get going but I'm going to try and focus on the possibilities ahead rather than the past and in that spirit, if the last  two months were dealing with addictive substances (painkillers, sleeping pills and alcohol) then this month is about the finances.  I know the alcohol is something I need to keep in check moving forwards but my focus needs to shift a little now.

I have one account for household bills and one for my spending and an old bank account I don't use other than for the rental property which should transfer to the ex  this month meaning I no longer have the rental income, which is a loss of £800 a month so I need to get on top of the money situation.  My plans are to review my household expenses and keep a record of my spending this month so I can see where the money goes (anyone reading here will guess mostly it goes on horses as I've given up buying much for me already!).    

I have some savings and there is a lot in the house to renovate so I will be making a budget for that too along with sorting out my pension and continuing the declutter (extra £10 made yesterday selling a hard drive recorder so yesterdays bonus income was £70).  

So that is not miserable penny watching month I'm also committing to using up the stash of toiletries and food supplements so a bit of self care and pampering.  With a focus to my new future and finances, I'm going to continue with investigating plans for the barn as a potential income source too.