What are you doing today?

[LovelyLadyLux]

@Grandad - your Christmas is already sounding quite exotic! And if it accommodates everybody then even better.

Today I'm heading out about noon to swing by a local Thrift shop that usually sells lots of decent cotton then will swing by the daughters for a cuppa and then pick up the twins at their school.

The twins had a school assignment to pick an animal or bird native to here and do a report on it. The oldest twin picked a Caribou and the youngest the Eagle. The report on the Eagle turned into a statistical tome of epic proportions whereby anything that could possibly be measured got "factually" put into the report in both Imperial & metric. He definitely LOVES "all the facts, only the facts and nothing but the facts." Not too sure what a suitable career channel to start funneling him into would be but if this "facts" stays he will continue to be very serious minded.

Weather-wise we're really dry here. No rain now for a few weeks but every day is overcast with clouds whereby it threatens rain but nothing comes down. I broke down and put the sprinkler on the vegetable garden as it was gone dry but all the gardens are really needing a good downpour. I know the second I start the water the skies will open - just wish the Rain God would get a move on!

[Ruby Slippers]

I have been giving my caravan a once over as I may nip off for a few days here and there. The extra mattress cushions are now finished and look OK. I said I would sew on the press studs on the cushions, what a job! whoever invented those awful things wants stringing up! it took me forever to stitch around them and I struggled to line the two halves up, I wont be doing that job again.

Horus, you should have bought some popper tape - which could have been applied on a sewing machine! Job done and no sore fingers!

[Horus]

Thanks RS, I think there was a problem with sewing the velcro on and the press studs were purchased instead and I foolishly said "Oh don't put yourself out, I will sew them on" never again

[LovelyLadyLux]

What to do today? What to do today? Hmmmm

Rained last night so don't have to spend today watering although that is simply turning on a tap and timer.

Sun is/was out but seems to be fading back .... no wind at all so will have to give a thought to what I'm wanting to do today.

[Ruby Slippers]

Thanks RS, I think there was a problem with sewing the velcro on and the press studs were purchased instead and I foolishly said "Oh don't put yourself out, I will sew them on" never again

No, Horus. Not Velcro. Popper tape -like you find on duvet covers. You can buy it by the metre and it's plastic poppers attached to tape.

[Horus]

Yes I know the stuff you mean, my caravan front window has curtains with those on the velcro was the original idea to fasten the open ends but it was hard to machine.

[Mad Dilys]

Today I am doing my best to be positive and not side tracked by things I choose not to include in my life.

it's a beautiful sunny day, I am a pretty independent woman, not very bright but bright enough to realise that I have choices. Every day now for me is a day towards moving away from here and closer to friends or family Inshallah.

So more packing today and organise myself for a couple of days serious paperwork and garden planning. I must find out if my youngest is going to bother with a new design for her garden this year as she takes her finals in the Autumn and is studying hard. When I lived closer - about an hour and a half away by car half a day by public transport - I used to surf her sofa for a few days every now and again to keep her garden under control. I don't want to bother her with final decisions on her planting plan unnecessarily, as the other daughter's garden plans need attention right now. My great ambition at the moment is to make a great low maintenance garden that uses all the big rocks presently stacked in her garden. It'll be great - I hope. I wonder how we are going to get the crane in...…………… ?

[Grandad]

I did a rain dance this morning, the water butt is empty and I had to water the plants with a hose.
Lunch today at #2 sons home. He lives in Hawkinge near Folkestone and has also invuted his siter and husband. I will take the scooter because Louis has not seen it yet and he can ride it in their garden. I expect he will want one to ride to school

@Mad Dilys You are confusing me MD. You have been talking recently about getting things sorted in your cottage like the electrics. Now you are talking about moving, is that your ultimate plan?
Oh, and by the way, stop trying to talk yourself down. It doesn't wash you know, certainly not with me

As an afterthought, we did book on Friday evening to go to Igls in the Tyrol for Christmas. Should be seasonal and we are looking forward to that.
Talking holidays, I guess Kiya is now in Portugal. hope you are having a lovely time lass, if you read this

[Mad Dilys]

Yep Grandad the idea is to get this house up to standard so that daughter can let it. Then I swan off to Ibiza to live in a flat of hers there.


I've had a safety check done on the electrics, and the upstairs need rewiring, the lighting in the kitchen and bathroom don't conform to safety standards and will have to be replaced. The only plug in my bedroom is at the back of a built in wardrobe.

The 4 chimneys need capping as the rainwater has caused problems in the past. It would be nice to remove the large Buddleia and re-point as necessary. It might be a good idea to remove the Buddleia growing on my bedroom window sill too.

The bay window at the front needs making water proof and there's quite a bit of repointing needed around windows and the base of the house.

Everything has dried out since I've been here and the moulds are no longer a problem, it was simply condensation with the house not being used for so long. But on the other hand the floorboards upstairs are very loose (good burgler alarms) and it's obvious that the carpeting was laid without due consideration of underlay etc.

Other than that it's a typical 1900s end of terrace with high ceilings and big windows which has been extended to include a large kitchen and bathroom. Three bedrooms and two reception make it a good family house or student accommodation as this is a university city. It's stupid for me to live here alone, but equally stupid not to get the work done before I leave.

[Kiya]

Talking holidays, I guess Kiya is now in Portugal. hope you are having a lovely time lass, if you read this [/quote]


Not quite Grandad............Off on Tuesday noon arriving there 3-3.30pm

[Horus]

Have a great trip

[Mad Dilys]

I'm sure you will make the most of it Kiya, enjoy yourself.

[Ruby Slippers]

Have a great time, Kiya, and bring back lots of photos.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Enjoy Portugal Kiya - LOTS of pictures please

And Grandad's Christmas trip sure sounds pretty darn good too!

[Kiya]

Thank you All, I'll try my best & get some interesting photos to share with you all

[Grandad]

Enjoy Portugal Kiya - LOTS of pictures please

And Grandad's Christmas trip sure sounds pretty darn good too!

Just printed all the doc's related to the Christmas trip like, e-ticket, hotel prepaid voucher, airport transfers prepaid voucher; and e-mailed a couple of special requests to the hotel.
Did we ever book a trip 6 months in advance......I think not


Just got insurance to sort out now.....

[FABlux]

Wow Grandad, that is getting really organised! We are going to El Gouna with our son & his partner in September for 10 nights & we haven't even arranged our ferry to the UK or printed anything yet.

[Horus]

Grandad is always well organised

[Grandad]

Insurance sorted Tick

[Grandad]

I still have not got the sound on the new TV sorted to our satisfaction. The sound bar that I bought, although Samsung the same as the TV, will not pair by bluetooth. The alternative is by optical cable. I did have one but can't find it so should have one delivered tomorrow from Amazon.
However the soundbar ends up we will still want to use headsets for some programs where the dialogue is muffled and very poor, like soaps. The TV does not have an audio out socket so I have ordered a bluetooth receiver with 3.5 jack so that we can use the headphone sockets around the room.
Still work in progress but if I am still not happy, the whole lot will go back. The only good thing so far is the superb picture quality.