Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

Sounds like you had a few productive days. There seems to be a never ending amount of stuff to clear in the house, when do you think you’ll be done?

It's absolutely never-ending, isn't it! I can't believe it's been over four and a half years though admittedly I can only go every few weeks and I took two long breaks when I couldn't travel (broken arm with complications and then the pandemic).

I'm actually sure I will never finish and at some point I'll just have to hand it over to the next people. The shed and garage are largely unexplored but both are in a state of collapse between age and neglect so there's won't be much that can be salvaged there. Indoors there are rooms with little or no furniture and most of the cupboards are now completely empty - but I still find things of interest! My Dad kept just about everything, as far as I can make out, notes, technical drawings, sugar packets, receipts... Mum just kept a lot. I've realised, though, that had they lived with Internet, there wouldn't be nearly so many books, photos or letters. True, they would have had them in a digital form but that's a different sort of problem.

The plan is that in the next few weeks the solicitors will complete the searches and all will sail merrily ahead. The longer this doesn't happen, though, the more I'm beginning to think someone somewhere has found a hitch. Apparently it's a complex title as the house and garden are on what was once two plots belonging to adjacent manors, and different mining companies bought rights to the land though that applies across the locality and hasn't been insurmountable elsewhere or nothing would get bought or sold, there are some sort of access rights because there are overhead wires, there is not just the one unused side entrance that I knew about but a second which was 'hidden in plain view' though now closed at both ends... who knows if they've found anything else!

Sun_Addict

It does make you think when you hang onto things are you making a future nightmare for your kids to sort out. My mum’s house was the same she had so much stuff 😱

I hope it all goes through without any further hitches 🙏

Cherryfudge

Thank you.  

There's a thing called 'Swedish death cleaning ' - not as grim as it sounds - which comes to mind. With the amount I have I need to have started years ago. Still, better late (;) ) than never.

Cherryfudge

It's been an amazing day for losing things! Sadly weight is not among them.

I was on the early shift and it was raining so I reached for my mac and realised I'd left the keys for Mum's house in the pocket. When I went to take them out they weren't there, just the keyring hanging open. Then I picked up my purse and a bank card was missing - I remember having it in a jeans pocket while out for a walk near the old house on Monday, and checking it was still there as we went back into the village. I also remembered seeing something that shape and colour as I dashed to the station, pausing a moment then leaving it as it looked like a membership card and I didn't know what to do with it.

I had to hurry to get to work so there wasn't time for a search, but I brushed my teeth before leaving and went to put my glasses on then found they'd gone bendy: one of the tiny screws was loose.

With no time to do anything about anything I went to work wearing my computer specs and searched the work toolbox unsuccessfully for one of those tiny screwdrivers. I tried to get into the banking app and it told me to try again later, and there wasn't anything I could do about the keys so I texted DH to explain and parked all three things mentally till I'd finished work.

DH texted to say he'd checked the car and the keys hadn't fallen out, so when I got home I decided to mend the glasses using one of our screwdrivers then have a quick search for the card and keys before getting official about it.

Glasses were nowhere to be seen.

Most of the five bags I'd brought home yesterday were still around so I went through them one by one and... the bank card was in my sewing stuff! And why not?

I then went back to work and searched in every room I could remember being in but the glasses were nowhere, though I took them in this morning and couldn't find them when I got home. I texted a colleague from the morning shift in case she'd seen them, but no luck, though she was pleased I'd found the card.

Back at home I searched the Internet and found a site that helps locate missing items. It took a while to find how to enter the train journeys I'd made yesterday as apparently the two of the stations and one of the train companies I'd used don't exist but I got round that eventually and there were some 'found' keys, but they were black and yellow and had gone to ground in Newcastle, which proved they aren't mine.

After dinner I was going up the stairs at home and suddenly there were my keys in front of the dolls' house on the landing! I have a vague memory of putting something down there, but I've no idea why they were in my hand when they usually live either on my jewellery box or on the key hooks in the kitchen.

Tonight there's still no sign of the glasses - but they might be easier to find if I had distance vision in any of my other pairs! Amazingly, I have an optician's appointment - the first in a couple of years I think - tomorrow morning so if I have to replace them at least I'll know the prescription is right!

Cherryfudge

I forgot an expense the other day: the fridge-freezer went haywire again so I've ordered a new one which comes to £284.99 including delivery. We'll load the old one and take it to the recycling centre ourselves rather than pay the £20 for them to take it away.

We've gone for a smaller one as we're no longer feeding teenagers and want something that fits in an area with a low ceiling!

Honeysucklelou2

How frustrating to lose the glasses! I always find those the hardest to find as sight is poorer without them! Good news that you were able to find most things and the optician’s is tomorrow so the glasses can be sorted.

The title deeds sound fascinating...so much history can be discovered within such documents.

Cherryfudge

The new fridge/freezer was delivered yesterday after I'd gone to work so Dh set it up and all seems well. My colleague and I had a further search for the missing glasses and both of us though I might have set them down on a wheelchair that lives in the staff cloakroom and which both she and I use to dump our bags on. I looked, twice. She went and looked too. Nothing. I went back and decided to look down the back of it in case the glasses had randomly leapt overboard. To do this I stepped forward with a foot under the chair. There was nothing down the back but the glasses case was under my front foot. Good job it's a rigid one and the glasses aren't harmed.

The shift went quite well though I had a care task to relearn as a former client is back with us who needs a specialist procedure that I've never been quite at home with. This time, however, things fell into place and I'm now, thankfully, confident. The sleep in was uneventful though I woke once or twice, then this morning's shift was with two different colleagues. One was very clearly trying to avoid the task I'd been learning yesterday but people are fed up with this attitude so I stood my ground and she ended up not able to avoid it, which I think from previous experience of her will mean she will now do it with an aura of relief and possibly exclamations about how easy it is. Interestingly the other colleague didn't know the client at all but just went ahead and learnt the procedure.

There are a lot of gaps coming up in the rota and old habits die hard: it would be easy to volunteer for too much and perhaps I've already done so, but I'm so ditzy at the moment that I think it would be unwise to add to the mental load.

Today we had arranged for as many of the family as were available to get together with relatives who are holidaying in the area. DH texted me to let me know where they'd gone for coffee so I was able to join them for a couple of hours and spend time with J and L as well. Afterwards J and L offered to help us take the old fridge freezer out to the car, then stayed for tea and a chat - so nice and so like old times. J and I have arranged a 'shopping day' with each other on Saturday though neither of us wants to go anywhere busy or needs to shop for much, it's more a mum and daughter time.

Meanwhile I had a phone call from my sister while I was at work which I've had to hand over to DH to sort out: long story short, they hope to visit us on Tuesday. It was originally going to be tomorrow as well but they are worried about Covid levels in the area they'd planned to go to en route so that's been curtailed and to be honest I'm relieved as I'm so, so tired today and really need to get a few things done tomorrow.

Spending yesterday:
Medical (optician) £35.00
Housekeeping £13.43
Gift £5.99

And tonight I'm thankful for a procedure finally 'clicking' at work; support from colleagues; time spent with family and a text from someone I couldn't see today; new fridge/freezer; J and L's help, company and taking some small items we'd stored for them.

Cherryfudge

We took the old freezer to the recycling centre this morning then I had another glasses repair done and treated myself to a couple of books of knitting and crochet patterns (£5.98) and a card for a colleague who's leaving (£2.50).

Off to work now - then two days off!

Cherryfudge

Once again I'm very tired this evening: I think I've not been getting to sleep too well as I've been keeping going in order to fit everything in. Tomorrow looks like a traditional day off, though, so I'm looking forward to that!

This morning I was up reasonably early to have a bit of a tidy before my sister and her family came. DH has been a hero, organising everything and being the main host as I'm jus too tired...

It was good to see them: my niece is growing up and I had some good chats with her as well as with her parents. We took them out to lunch (£43) and went for a walk in the afternoon but have also managed to hand over a load of items of my sister's which had been in our shed for a few weeks after I found them at the old house. We have shed space again, and DS2's room is a little emptier as I'd kept some other stuff there. We have been through Mum's embroideries and are each taking a couple, then I'll ask DD and DDiL if they want any. I'm wondering vaguely if I should ask the lads too, but are they likely to want vintage embroidery? My sister has also taken some of the many pillow cases, a sheet and a small box of papers.

She and my niece made me an amazing miniature as a gift: a sweet shop with miniscule jars and tiny notices and labels. It's adorable! I need to find a place where it can live safely.

Spending:
Meal out (entertaining) £43
Gift £20

Tonight I'm thankful for a couple of days of seeing relatives, for Dh's amazing help and for days off to come.

Honeysucklelou2

That’s lovely that you have had chance to see your sister and niece ( am I right in thinking they live abroad?).  
Hope you are able to have a restful day and feel less tired.