The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

pollyanna_26

MrsCD said:

Thanks polly, everything went off well. We've been home just over an hour and we're shattered but content! I collected the sandwiches this morning from morries and I can recommend them, they were lovely and saved such a lot of time standing making them. Members of the church baked cakes and pies, and we bought some other cakes, crisps and salady bits to brighten up the sandwich platters.  We've had 2 services today which were really interesting. Tea was in between then supper later on. All cleared up and home just after 10pm. Another anniversary Saturday over. Tomorrow will be quieter.
Glad you've got the bank stuff sorted. It's so frustrating when you can't do what you need to.
I've managed to catch some of the TV coverage today - saw the ceremonial coverage this morning and a bit tonight. We've recorded loads so we'll catch up through the week.

I'm glad your day went well. Hopefully you're in the land of nod now. I'm in bed but still waiting for the sleep fairy to scatter the magic sleep dust. I was convinced I'd go out like a light.

I was surprised how all sorts of memories came flooding back watching the tv coverage.When I was little I used to wonder why there was a mans head on the pennies and half pennies my dad would give me if we were in the sweet shop. It never thought to ask who the man was but finallly realised it was the late King George the sixth the Queens beloved father.

I think the news of her death shook us all although she'd continued to do her normal work she'd looked frailer since losing her beloved Philip.

The image of her sitting alone  during his funeral service was so sad. She could have done with a warm hand to hold  but she obeyed the rules and sat alone wearing her face mask.

Parliament seems quieter and less arguementative which is good to see.

Seeing William and Kate and Harry and Meghan come out to speak to the crowda and take their flowers and listen to their memories was a surprise. The sort of thing I wished the queen had seen before she passed away. No grandmother or mum is comfortable when their family is divided hopefully her loss will bring unity. She was the one who understood their loss when their mother died having lost her own father suddenly while she and Prince Philip were abroad.

I remember my Auntie Joan saying it was so sad to see the images of her walking down the steps of the plane dressed in black.

During  a pandemic she remained a voice of wisdom. Calm and carrying on.

 Someone who could go from serious to sharing tea and marmalade sandwiches with Paddington Bear.

She seemed to be a wonderful mother, shopping in the summer in the village shop and teaching her children and grandchildren to love the land and nature in the place she loved to be with them in summer. Although it's sad ,it was a life well lived .

I loved the two little children talking about the knitted queens they were showing on yesterdays walkabout. Knitted by their granny who was at their side.

pollyx

grandmanerd

I had a productive day sorting through scraps of paper torn from 'done with' notebooks but on two subsequent days my determination to see the task through has ended in frustration and despair at my lack of progress, so a different tack is called for today. I need to be outside for at least part of the day (for my well-being) but my knees are particularly creaky and other bits not inclined to move much so I think it will be gentle pottering, sitting in the shade to eat and relax and doing one or two bits. I finally got my replacement soil pipe and repairs done and I just want to sit and admire it and stroke it (it's silly to be so thrilled by a soil pipe but it's something that has needed doing but had to wait until I had the money to do it).

In my room, I want to get rid of a large piece of furniture. It's a wardrobe I bought for me, DS1 took it (still in the box) as it matched his other things, then complained I'd given him the wrong box of fixings, brought it back some years later. It finally got put together about 7 years ago (the doors have never been on and have mostly been used as additional narrow worktops in the kitchen and elsewhere) and DS3 helped me attach 5 wheels to the bottom which made it manoeuverable. However last year when it came back into my room, one wheel came off and a second one is broken (not sure if this happened during the moving or was already damaged).

However it's not something I can live with going forward (the replacement rail, if/ when I get one) will be much lighter). I think there's enough capacity for all my clothes to be folded into 2 sets of drawers (they won't fill them but I need towels and toiletries near to hand). The stumbling block is bedding on top of the wardrobe and in some of the drawers. So I think I'm going to put all the gathered paperwork in a box (lots picked up yesterday but it really wiped me out), clear the bed (which has already been cleared and swept/ spot cleaned - fumble fingers again) and make it up with the winter bedding (put the merino wool on top of the mattress) and revert to stuffing extra bedding in pillowcases to use on the other side of the bed. 

That will clear space in the drawers for my clothes (need to do a stock check of books and toys I've bought for my grand-daughter and store them by age) and once the wardrobe is hammered apart, it should be a massive improvement and better use of space.

Just  need to make a start.

Have a lovely day everyone.  

MrsCD

@grandmanerd , so pleased you got PIP!!!!!😁😁😁😁😁

pollyanna_26

Hope everyone is ok. I've made a quick post to you elsewhere GMN re the PIP award.

I did visit the Organic- not so small now smallholding owned by my friends after James picked me up late morning Saturday on his way home  from a meeting at the Farmers market.

Ii have not long got home! My intended few hours became a few days break.

Lots of memories from all the years, My surprise was not only how much more land they'd bought but how they'd extended their business which made them invaluable during lockdowns etc with selling from a table at the gate to delivering to their regular customers.

They live just a short way from Mr Toads tumbledown cottage in the farming community. As I watched for Mr Toads cottage i couldn't see it. I'd noticed James had a grin on his face ,the road was quiet so he reversed back and pointed out a lovely white bungalow with a beautiful garden.

Mr Toad had tired of the (not farming) farming life , sold the wreck and the land. No one is sure where he went but like myself James and others have heard the ParpParp horn and watched him drive through town.

I sort of hoped the poor ex wife had bought a one off lottery ticket and won enough to build that bungalow however it's the home of a middle aged couple and they work the land and seem very nice and friendly.

Lots of post in the hall when I came home so will make a brew and look through that. I was given a huge breakfast before James drove me home so a brew is enough for now though the dundee cake and other home cooked food Jenny packed a bag with are tempting I couldn't manage a crumb at the moment.

Lots of new memories. Every so often we'd go back indoors to pick up on the long journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh. Not only the beloved Old Town in Edinburgh many parts of Scotland we visited over the years.

Tv was turned off when Her Majesty was lying at rest.

I'll turn the TV on later to see the arrival at RAF Northholt and the journey from there.

pollyx

MrsCD

Well I've decided it's time to look after me....I've had a bit of a wake up call recently and if I don't then things will just get worse. Yesterday was a bad one and I had palpitations when I was in bed and started to think all sorts of things... Woke up this morning and my mind is made up! 
Went for a short walk at lunchtime... It's a start. Smaller portions, healthy food..not that it was that bad before but there's room for improvement. Hope you'll be cheering me on.

burtha

Well done on the walk Mrscd . 
small steps to improvement is all that's needed . 
x

MrsCD

Had a busy day, but very enjoyable one. We had some parcels to deliver so after I'd hung the towels out on the line we went for a drive, as my grandparents used to say. We went to South Shields and delivered the first parcel then had fish and chips in the amazing restaurant there. We still had our tea from the flasks I'd put up though!! The restaurant looks a bit like a boat facing out to sea! DH decided we should go in because we hadn't done anything for our wedding anniversary at the beginning of the month. We dropped off the other parcel on the way home but by then it had started to rain so I hung the towels on the clothes horse. I'm shattered now but happy.😊

burtha

sounds lovely mrscd . we were thinking of heading down to shields at the weekend.  May have to look the restaurant up 

grandmanerd

I was supposed to go out for lunch on Saturday but have cancelled in favour of a video call. I'm getting better - my chest has cleared and I don't hurt as much as I did but I'm still very weak. Was hoping if I treated myself very gently for a few days, I would be fine but yesterday I cut out some felt animals (for nursery bunting) and I'm sooo tired (and my arm is aching so no progress likely today). Mum and baby were on their way to sensory play so I got a few waves and smiles and then had a long chat with DS2. I've sent him to get back to his Masters and he's sent me lots of photos and a video of swimming class.

I need to get to grips with a few basics but not sure how far I'll get (not walked further than the bins since last Saturday. I sold the bungalow again yesterday (the first buyer's circumstances changed and they pulled out). Declined the first offer as below the guide price but accepted a higher one - 4K below the guide price but it should complete before or soon after the festive period (I have experience insinuating myself into a solicitor's office that was supposed to be closed on Christmas Eve with essential paperwork, only to find out later that the people whose house I was buying hadn't even got a mortgage in principle.

My brother sounded disappointed (having done nothing whatsoever to contribute to emptying, cleaning or making any decisions at the bungalow). I've put my foot down and said I want half the bungalow money and to share mum's tenant (my grandma's house). He wanted his share all in money but has no idea what he's going to do with it (he needs to make it last just under 7 years until he can 'retire'. He's already in a panic in case they don't renew his PIP next year, doesn't know what pension entitlement he has (niece is checking), thinks he might want another camper van but can't find them (153 on gumtree in the nearest counties), talked vaguely about buying gold (no clue, except he insists he could have made his fortune after our brother died).

We're having a meeting at my niece's house in a couple of weeks, to calm him down and sort him out (that's stopping the panic not a soap opera type sorting out). Sharing mum's tenant and ownership of that house does make things slightly complicated if/ when  either of us dies but I'm only prepared to compromise so far - the alternative is me taking ownership of grandma's house and the tenant and just getting a small amount of cash. Sorry, it's all okay really, just occasionally get fed up of being 'the sensible one' who sorts out everyone else's problems.

Other than that will continue with gentle recuperation from the latest batch of lurgy, work out what I'm going to have for lunch, sort the washing and washing up backlog, wipe some surfaces. It'll take as long as it takes.

Mayaboo

Ooo this thread looks nice