Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

I am still putting off many of the life laundry activities I should be getting on with. However, yesterday I had a good excuse and went off to a neighbouring town to buy a really small log-burner from FB Marketplace. When I told DH we had a very grown up discussion and concluded that we will actually rebuild one of our out-buildings to make it into a proper workshop. It is on the deeds of our property as a permanent building so maintaining it is all irrelevant to planning.

We have already put electrics in and it is still weather-proof but the single skin walls are not what I would call stable and the render is not in contact with the brickwork. The windows are on the wrong side - facing in to the garden and often covered by the clematis montana that covers it in pink flowers every Spring. As a project, it does mean quite a lot of fiddling but we are both capable and it will be enjoyable to undertake a big project together. A sort of mini-me for the refurbishing of an uninhabitable farm we nearly bought a couple of years ago. I think he thinks it will satisfy my desire to do this. For me, it is about having a space big enough for both of us to undertake our projects and hobbies, possibly at the same time!

Suffolk_lass

In money news, the TSB PIN arrived, and when I peeled it off the code was unreadable - only the outer coating came off, rendering it useless. I logged in to request a replacement and there is the new SO I attempted to set up, sitting in the pending transactions space, waiting for me to approve it. Unfortunately the page is not loading properly with a spinny symbol (not my PC) going round and round and not loading to the point where I can choose approve or cancel.

There was I thinking the IT would have settled down! I have a cheque to pay in at some point next week so I will ask the Branch Staff to sort it for me. As long as the new PIN number comes in a retrievable form it will be OK as I can draw cash out instead if necessary.

That won't be today though as I am going for a lovely walk with my friend. There is a well-known TV personality whose home has a very impressive garden at this time of year and we will include walking past that in our route today. I am very much looking forward to this after two afternoons cutting up the brambles and blackthorn so it fits in the bags for the dump (tomorrow's first job) and on my knees, weeding paths in the vegetable garden (I have completed more than half now!).

I must keep going with the garden and hope that we can clear two more flower beds this weekend - one has an invasion of periwinkle, brambles and hypericum, the other is our front garden where the stalks with the seed heads have done their winter job for the birds and need cutting down, with the moss underneath needing scraping off and some topical treatment of any emerging ground elder needing to be undertaken.

In my dreams (as there won't be time) I would like to move some rosemary to the front garden to replenish the front hedge (a tradesman pulled on to the grass verge and drove over the base of three bushes, snapping them off at the roots and killing them). We are seriously considering a picket fence but I guess he would have smashed that instead.

Karmacat

Your renovation of the outbuilding sounds wonderful! Nowadays, I'm a big fan of "living as if" - if you live as though you live on a smallholding, then gradually it will *become* a smallholding. Perfick!

The walk and clearing the garden also go in the right direction have at it, SL :j

Suffolk_lass

Lovely walk yesterday - a bit more windy than we had anticipated, but a really good leg-stretch and the gradual hill felt less arduous as we walked up to the dam across the reservoir. We had a mug of soup in the cafe (I paid as she drove) and then I tackled four boxes of carp when I go home. Down to one that is all paperwork and needs proper sorting, I might do this later.

We have the dump to sort this morning! "Living the dream", they call it!

Suffolk_lass

I feel I am not making good enough progress with my life-laundry activities. That said I dropped off a pair of those giant laundry style bags today at the local CS. I promised them some more so I have to do some getting on with it now!

I have been prepping stuff to take away - I am visiting my Mum for a few days next week and then on up to the Highlands. I do hope my cat and seedlings manage without me for almost two weeks! I doubt the Wifi connection will be up to much but I may find a few moments to catch up on here - but mostly I should be catching up with friends in RL and out getting lots of exercise.

Money matters - DH has been paid so we are in to April's money. Only 5 more pay-packets for him and no going back on that decision.

beanielou

Enjoy your break

Karmacat

Great stuff, SL! And of course RL takes precedence, especially on such a long trip.



For the seedlings, have you ever used that capillary matting, that waters from a reservoir? I bought some a couple of months ago, but I haven't got it set up yet.

Busy_Mee1

Have a great trip Suffolk Lass. We had a long weekend last weekend over the border. The weather was fantastic - hope it is for you too x

enthusiasticsaver

Enjoy your trip Suffolk Lass. I am also off to visit my mum in London too next week. Long journey but not as far as you I don't think. Joys of retirement being able to take off whenever you please

Lovely walking weather at the moment.

Suffolk_lass

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. I think my Mum was hoping I would go up ahead of this but there is so much to do here and I am hoping she is going to come down to stay with me in May. If the weather is warm she will be able to sit out in the sun - she feels the cold a bit more than she used to and warming herself in the sun has always been something she has enjoyed.

In related matters, some of the food I am taking is in the freezer. I have a car plug-in cold box to keep most of it cold but am currently fretting about it staying cold enough as it will be in there for four days, before I can put it in the fridge at the house we are renting. I am hoping that by keeping it undisturbed it defrosts really slowly. As well as some cooked things I have a turkey (bought frozen from the SM for just £13 after Christmas) and some sausages. I will try and pack them round the boxes so there is no room for warm air to circulate. I don't mind the turkey defrosting as it is for the Sunday, but the rest needs to last into the following week. It was all frozen as fresh as possible and is spiced so I am hopeful!