Mortgage free in Forever Home :-)

SandyShores

Thanks Kajikita and redofromstart, I've just made an effort to scour the web, and have ordered some wire wool strips to go under the washer - I hadn't thought about the strip around the bath but that's a really good idea (especially if I need to cover up the wire wool).  The dishwasher seems to be a very small gap, but I've also ordered some rubber door seal strip to go on the bottom of the understairs door - and that could also be useful to slip under the dishwasher.  I've ordered another humane trap just in case and that can sit alongside the wall.  The only thing I need now is to something to make the gaps in the vent a bit smaller.  I was thinking about prising it out and perhaps glueing net curtain along the back of it.  Its costing a few pounds but its something I've dithered about. 

redofromstart

The thing that annoys me most is that the mice eat bulbs, crocus and iris and Frits melt over winter here sadly. 

Decorators caulk is cheap and good for small internal gaps.  We used expanding foam glue for the bigger outside gaps. Like the wire wool idea. I know they just moved insulation wool out of the way or made nests.  

KajiKita

Had a lovely pottering weekend getting some long-standing chores done and ‘coming back to myself’ iykwim. 

Slowly working my way through the path I am putting in across the Border of Doom. It’s one of those jobs where every inch of the task takes three times as long as you think it will - there are lot of plants worth saving all muddled in with congested, knotty, thick roots (hence how I broke my fork last week!), as I dig those up they need to have new home found for them, which in turn needs clearing. Then planting and as it’s been dry for a while and there is no rain forecast, watering them in. Then walking back to the BoD …. I am hopeful I will get it finished next weekend. That will be my pioneer strip to work from to clear the rest of the bed of the weeds and oregano roots in particular. The aim being to use this bed for things like dahlias as it’s the only south facing bed I have in the garden and Mr KK wants more big, bold flowers apparently…. 😂😉

Grocery spends are running away from me a bit this month, partly because of the spends we had at the hospital and I have been struggling with concentration somewhat this month! 

Mr KK is doing better, I think largely because he is so much less stressed after the conversation with my ex GP friend. I think he feels safer and more in control of the situation. No sign of the stone appearing though …..

KK

KajiKita

Forgot to mention another positive 😊
Finally allowed myself to sow tomatoes (three types, including tigerella which I’ve not grown before) and sweet peppers. 

KK

evebeme

Mice are little devils. They can squeeze through an opening the width of the lead in a pencil. Best way to out smart them is with steel wool. It's the one thing they can't chew through.

Suffolk_lass

I have never heard of the wire wool idea. I shall have to remember that! I think because we live in a very old (17th C) cottage with no real foundations there are only two chances for us (that is no chance and fat chance) of eradicating them completely. We put poison down in the house recesses and a couple of traps but definitely live and let live outdoors. Our Stealth Cat would definitely tell me if there were any in the house parts we use

KajiKita

Minimal exercise today 🤷‍♀️ ah well 😉

Now on book 8 of 2023 😊

Had a win today. I bought a Windermere-land collapsible laundry basket in March last year but it is starting to split already. I emailed them about it on Sunday and had a message today saying that they are going to send me a new one! 😊 They want the old one back but I think I will wait until the new arrives and then use the packaging from that delivery to send the old one back to them! 😉

Not a NSD today as I had lunch in the heavily subsidised work canteen - £1.92 for a crunchy Quorn fillet, HM barbecue butter beans (which were lush) and egg fried rice which I think is an amazing price. It rings the changes a bit as I am getting a bit fed up with what I can muster for work lunches atm. I’ve checked the menu for the rest of the week and there are no other veggie options this week that have good levels of protein so I’ll not bother again this week 😉

I then discovered when cooking this evening that Mr KK had almost set fire last night to an ancient narrow spatula / food slice that we both really like. We’ve had this object for c. 20 years but it’s had a few ‘adventures’ and been ground down to a new clean edge a few times but the latest assault looks fairly terminal to me! 😂 I had a rummage online and found new versions of the spatula we have, in the US for c. £12 - seemed okay until I got to the £179 shipping cost!! 😳😂😂😂😂 Then went to look at 1kea and found another likely candidate for £4 …. Result! 😊

Mr KK went to work for the first full day after two weeks at home. He had a gentle day, got a few things done and nudged his boss into making some decisions (a very specific skill!) with minimal pain and no painkillers. He’s done his daily wee test and nothing scary showing up. We continue to wait …..

KK

LadyWithAPlan

KajiKita said:

Minimal exercise today 🤷‍♀️ ah well 😉

Now on book 8 of 2023 😊

Had a win today. I bought a Windermere-land collapsible laundry basket in March last year but it is starting to split already. I emailed them about it on Sunday and had a message today saying that they are going to send me a new one! 😊 They want the old one back but I think I will wait until the new arrives and then use the packaging from that delivery to send the old one back to them! 😉

Not a NSD today as I had lunch in the heavily subsidised work canteen - £1.92 for a crunchy Quorn fillet, HM barbecue butter beans (which were lush) and egg fried rice which I think is an amazing price. It rings the changes a bit as I am getting a bit fed up with what I can muster for work lunches atm. I’ve checked the menu for the rest of the week and there are no other veggie options this week that have good levels of protein so I’ll not bother again this week 😉

I then discovered when cooking this evening that Mr KK had almost set fire last night to an ancient narrow spatula / food slice that we both really like. We’ve had this object for c. 20 years but it’s had a few ‘adventures’ and been ground down to a new clean edge a few times but the latest assault looks fairly terminal to me! 😂 I had a rummage online and found new versions of the spatula we have, in the US for c. £12 - seemed okay until I got to the £179 shipping cost!! 😳😂😂😂😂 Then went to look at 1kea and found another likely candidate for £4 …. Result! 😊

Mr KK went to work for the first full day after two weeks at home. He had a gentle day, got a few things done and nudged his boss into making some decisions (a very specific skill!) with minimal pain and no painkillers. He’s done his daily wee test and nothing scary showing up. We continue to wait …..

KK

Your work lunch sounds lush. How annoying about the spatula, I had one I used for 20 years - for some reason it was perfect and then it disappeared down the back of the oven and was never seen again ....

You are having adventures... I like mice and had pet rats and gerbils, but wouldn't want to wake up suddenly next to one..
Hope the stones pass quickly - I remember a friend having them and screaming in pain..

KajiKita

@LadyWithAPlan, we actually had two of these spatulas, but I took one to a village event to serve some vegan sausage rolls with last summer. None of the sausage rolls went 🙄 but I forgot to collect the spatula and it has disappeared into the bowels of the village collective somewhere …. 😂

Another mouse this morning, sat dazed and confused in the middle of the kitchen floor, with the cat looking at it - because the mouse wasn’t moving neither was the cat. I was able to quietly walk up to it, drop the open end of my slipper over it, slide the closed toe of the other slipper under the open end of the slipper that the mouse had scuttled into the nice, dark, safe toe of and escort it outside. All without a single shriek! Quite proud of myself 😊😂

KK

redofromstart

Oh well done you.  I could have made myself covered it but it'd have stayed there and died of old age.

Some years back one of my furry friends arrived proudly holding a spiky long nosed tiny rodent which she let go in the kitchen.  I removed her, caught it, by the simple expedient of letting it bite my finger and it holding on grimly till I got it outside, shaking my hand and squealing all the way.  It flipping hurt and the blasted thing ran straight back into the kitchen.  

Much sympathy on waiting for it to pass through his system.