"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

greenbee

Tank needs emptying - called and they're coming late morning/early afternoon, so hopefully that will resolve the problem. 

I've been outside to hang up the overnight washing (cleaning cloths) and talk to the gardener. He's mixed commercial compost and home-made leaf-mould into the remaining home-made compost (the batch that's ready), and cut down and disposed of all the outside tomato plants. Compost from those is going on the flowerbeds as we think they might have had some blight. 

Garden furniture has all been moved into the sunshine to dry out, and will be put in the carport later to dry properly. Next week it can go into the shed (so I need to hoover inside there before then and do some woodworm treatment. 

greenbee

Lovely day off with my mum and my cousin - out to lunch and then a nice walk. Plus I have clean drains and septic tank, garden furniture stacked up and drying, the outside of the shed has been de-spidered for me to paint, and several plants from my mum's garden have been transplanted into mine. Plus the compost has been mixed and dead tomato plants have been moved.

More cousins tomorrow, so need to get washing in overnight and hung out before I leave, plus visit the greenhouse and encourage the tomatoes to ripen. We'll be moving some of my mum's garden furniture under cover for her while my cousin and I are both there. I'm hoping to get back in time to slap some paint on the shed and maybe do a bit more in the garden. 

I've now done pilates every day since Tuesday, and thanks to @redofromstart have got the treadmill up and running for work so have been more active this week than I have in ages. It was nice to walk outside today rather than on the treadmill, and give my poor IT band and glutes a break. Plus I had a nice walk with my cousin who was widowed during the pandemic at 55. It's good to see her so well and so positive. She comes up to see my mum twice a year - partly because she likes to come and see all the cousins up here, but also because she's been very close to my mum since she lost her husband as very few of her friends had any concept of what she was going through. 

Cats are busy doing their 'we don't like our food' act. I know what they want is the home-cooked stuff, but what I got out today hasn't defrosted yet and the fish I've just cooked isn't going to be on offer until they have eaten what they've got. One of them is an utter pest when she's doing this. The other is very polite and sweet - so tempting to give in, but unfair (and would probably result in even more annoying behaviour).

redofromstart

I've done just over 12k today which I'm pleased with but currently languishing in 2nd thanks to all that treadmill suffering. 

greenbee

Only 3.5k steps today as mostly I've been driving/standing around in the rain in a field. I did get the majority of my mum's garden furniture under cover so it can dry out before it is stacked for storage and the rest brought in. And I fed the tomatoes and told them to hurry up and ripen.

Tomorrow need to involve cooking the veg I've got in the house (for meals during the week) and then painting the shed, staking the broad beans and doing as much weeding/cutting back as I possibly can. I'm very behind on the scything and wildflower sowing too. 

redofromstart

Ooh result as I am just short of 10k ... although given that I've just turned my stupid ankle...

greenbee

That was nothing to do with me. I can't see myself getting a huge number of steps in tomorrow as I'll be focusing on cooking, housework, and the garden. And also need to do pilates as I didn't have time today. 

greenbee

Slow start in the morning didn't help. Houseplants are being rotated through washing up bowls for a soak and given a haircut. Back of shed and part of side have been painted and one more paint can (and gloves) is in the bin. One load of washing has just about dried on the line. One bucket of perennial weeds is in the garden waste bin. 

I've stopped for some fennel tea (two days in a row, I want to get back into drinking it regularly rather than cold water as a. it might help me warm up and b. it's an appetite suppressant and some of my clothes are getting a bit snug!). Oh yes, logs and kindling are also in, and the heating was put on standby while I left windows open for a couple of hours to air the house. 

I'm going to try to get another hour or two of work done in the garden, then come back in and prep some veg so I have food ready to cook as soon as peak rate electricity is over. There hasn't been much solar today, and tomorrow doesn't look hopeful, so I'm not going to export anything today and save it for tomorrow. As tonight looks like being chilly I'll try to remember to put the towel rails on at cheap rate along with the DW and possibly WM. And maybe a SC or two if I'm organised. 

I think I'm getting to the point where I'll need to use the boiler for hot water, but at least if any excess solar is being diverted to it, it won't use quite as much oil as without it. I need to remind myself that reduction in the stress caused by the stupidly small oil tank is my primary reason for solar, and the specific set-up that I have.

I'm contemplating getting in touch with the solar installer and asking him to come up with a design for using the rest of the roof with an idea of the costs/benefits of each section. I do also need someone to disconnect the dodgy wiring to the shed, replace the three bathroom fans, sort out the bathroom lighting (split it in the big ensuite, remove a couple of lights in mine, and come up with a solution for the main bathroom), as well as sorting the lighting in two bedrooms and adding some sockets (mind you, the fitted wardrobe needs to come out of one of the bedrooms first). I also need the internet relocation sorted as that should theoretically solve some of the wifi problems and possibly even slightly improve my bandwidth.

One cat has killed and half eaten a mouse, so I suppose I should go and dispose of that and get some weeding done!

greenbee

My gardening hasn't done much for my step count, but I've put a lot of windfall apples and forgetmenot in the compost (I may regret the forgetmenot unless I cycle it through the hot bin!), which means the veg plot looks a bit tidier. 

I've picked a few beans and courgettes - and already have some in the fridge, so I need to cook something with them. I think I'll light the fire, then get on with prepping whatever veg I can find to go in the oven. 

greenbee

Batch cooking on Sunday has paid dividends, although meals have been a bit cheese dominated. I have some smoked mackerel that needs eating today which is probably a good idea.

Upstairs houseplants were completed yesterday (bath needs cleaning), first batch of downstairs went in the washing up bowls overnight so will deal with those (and the rest) today. DW descaling wash done overnight although I’m not sure it was hot enough (hot wash tends to fail) as the top rack citric acid wasn’t completely dissolved. But better than nothing. WM also used overnight on a different programme to usual - not sure it worked so well for the cheap rate period, but it’s done. Will put it out on the line, although I’m not hopeful it will dry as there is no sunshine and not much wind forecast. Whites need to go in to soak so that they’re ready for an overnight wash tonight.

Open porch is being glazed today, which will mean parcels (and visitors) get a bit less wet and windswept while hanging around there. The family friend doing it is also going to take away the fitted wardrobe in the back bedroom, so we need to agree a date for that to give me time to empty it (and redo my FBMP listings). The person who bought a different wardrobe last week has made an offer on some chairs I hadn’t got round to listing which I think I’ll accept. It’ll help pay for the glazing. 

Forgot to open the bedroom windows on the night vent last night which definitely had a detrimental effect on sleep, but for some reason I didn’t get up and open them… I also need to remember to take painkillers at night as I’ve been getting pain in my hips overnight again. I might have to make a GP appointment at some point - I’m overdue to go back and discuss some test results anyway, but really CBA to try to organise it.

Boiler service booked for next Monday, so need to make a list of what else I want to ask him (move the flue to higher up the roof which will reduce fumes into the garden, swap out a couple of radiators if I do the sizing calculations). 

Solar generation is low with the moment, and at this time of year it is lower than predicted. That may be due to shading from the house. I’m tempted to ask the installer to quote for panels on other bits of the roof and get them done now (along with any other electrics in the roof) so the inside of the roof is then left alone and can have the insulation sorted out and left undisturbed. 

One cat spent the night on my bed, the other is now having a bath on it. I’m up, dressed, and back under the covers but need to get up and get on with things despite a late night working yesterday.

badmemory

My solar is barely generating half my basic usage at the moment.  Yesterday was quite good but Sunday & today can only be described as pathetic.  I'm wondering if my detached garage can get some panels on.