Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget - 2021

Wednesday2000

My champagne moment yesterday was catching up with a member of my family on the phone. I hadn't spoken to him in nearly 20 years. We talked for almost 2 hours. I am catching up with another family member by phone today. I hope it is not awkward as it has been 25 years since we spoke!

I also have an interesting book to start today. I ordered a sun hat so I can sit in the garden this week with the sunny weather.

phoebe1989seb

Any news on your impending move, Wednesday? Hope you don't have to wait too much longer! I don't think I'd have the patience for a sale/purchase to go through in these covid times 🙄

Our last few sales and purchases have all been completed so quickly, especially considering they were extremely old, quirky properties - a couple took three (!!!) months max from first marketing to completion 😁 - but everything seems to be dragging for sellers/buyers at the mo! It must be hellish being in limbo.....

Yesterday's champagne moment was enjoying a glass of our favourite riesling (picked up on Sat from Waitrose 😉) whilst chilling in the egg chair 😎

Today, it's back to normal - getting more rockery plants moved, this time into pots - although I can't quite summon up the strength for lifting the rocks themselves. At least it's a gorgeous sunny day again 😃

Wednesday2000

No, no news. The estate agent said he is self isolating for 10 days and I think he is lying. I don't even know if I care anymore about moving.

Anyway, I have a massage booked for today. It's only for 30 mins but I'm looking forward to it.

helensbiggestfan

Getting there.  Odd job man will do the top triangle above the bay window for me, can't quite reach.  I still need to do something clever with the bricks and change the colour of the doors,  but they can wait until next year.  I need to spend the next couple of weeks in the garden before it gets too cold.  Shattered now, going to rest for a couple of days before I start anything else.   

helensbiggestfan

Oh dear the third picture isn't showing. Will try again.  

helensbiggestfan

Wednesday.....your EA self isolating..😂🤣.  Lying toe rag.  

sugarbaby125

LL your paint job on the front of your bungalow looks good. I admire your hard work, but pace yourself. 

helensbiggestfan

Only cost me £28 for the paint, odd job man will probably charge me about £50, if that.  It was hard work but I have saved myself a small fortune.  Another £50 or so for paint for bricks and woodwork. Jobs a good 'un.  Decorator did me a favour by letting me down.  Made me get off my derrière. 

My next door neighbour was astonished (I think he's Indian, he made some comment about poor old granny having to climb ladders).  Cheeky beggar but to be fair he did say if the odd job man let me down he would do the really high bit for me so I just smiled sweetly). 

He's a nice man really, he fixed my fence for me so I won't complain about his ageist jokes. 😂🤣

Wednesday2000

helensbiggestfan said:

Wednesday.....your EA self isolating..😂🤣.  Lying toe rag.  

I know! Lol.

The house looks great!

phoebe1989seb

You're doing a great job, LL 😀 Have you any idea of what colour you might do your doors? Something like F&B Green Smoke might be nice - we painted all doors and windows with that at our last two houses and it looked lovely (even if I say so myself 😉).

The last one was a three-storey Arts & Crafts house - so a similar style to your cottage-y bungalow - I painted all 20 windows (including two bays) and 6 exterior doors myself - the top ones I did from the inside, leaning out, which was a bit hair-raising! Very fortunately the roughcast render wasn't in too bad condition as I'd have needed scaffolding for that 😮 

There seems to be an excess of cheeky beggars about at the moment....DH has issues with a few (trades) on the renovation project he's doing. As the project manager too, he's dealing with all the carp and fielding the lies/excuses to the client 🙄 Don't know how he keeps his cool, tbh....he's more patient/calm than me, lol!

However, if your neighbour has offered to help, he can't be that bad, I guess....

As for your EA, Wednesday, I'd take that excuse with a very large pinch of salt! Can't you get an update from your conveyancing solicitor? Not that you want to be a pain, obviously, but you've every right to enquire as to progress 😉

Today's champagne moments - baking a yummy (well, hopefully, I've not tasted it yet!) marmalade cake using up an opened jar that I didn't particularly like.

Also, starting to get the area cleared for the garden pond - it's going to be quite big (18 x 12' approx) and I'm really excited about the planting as - amongst other things - I want loads of lovely yellow flag irises 😍

And....just being able to sit out in the sunshine, surrounded by pretty flowers and peaceful countryside....a nosey squirrel came within about 30cm of where I was sitting having my lunch, lol!