Good morning Michael and all GN's from an extremely dark and still morning here in North Yorkshire. can see nothing but black outside so far. I am absolutely shattered and limping around this morning, but in a good cause so physically, a real crock but mentally great today.
Yesterday was S day, as in the grand planned sorting day. This had many opportunities to go wrong, but didnt. So the great plan was that the cleaners were coming for 2 hours not 1,that the other lady they know Amanda , who has previously come on occasion - the great key and anything else finder, who isone of those very slim people that you wouldnt think would have a lot of strength but is an ace at opening things no one else can and moving large things with ease, was coming to sort out the borders and at last get the languishing plants put in, that were my great sale bargains, but which I hadnt been able to do myself. Then the next thing was to hope that the weather would be dry and let us get on with things easily. The last but really necessary was for me to be in the organised sorting mood and not be dithering about each and every thing.
Well for once , it all came together, and it was a busy bee hive of activity. I had been out in the morning, putting the washing in and getting it hung out before I went to the group, and cut short my trip there to be back and at the ready when the gang arrived. So I was able to dump my bags down and carry on down on the yellow peril to collect the washing, which was slightly damp but ok for ironing and I wanted it in and out of the way before the onslaught in cas it started to rain later. So by the time everyone arrived I had got the washing in and had made a hasty sandwich and was already rather tired so opened a bottle of cider, and enjoyed my fresh bread and the little treat, to "gird up the loins" for the task ahead.
When Amanda arrived first, I had opened the gardening shed, put out the fold up chair into the garden, and just while I was showing her what areas I needed weeding , a car that was in the nearest space to my flat left, so I hastily hobbled to my car and moved it into that space.Tick tick, for when I need to sort out the picnic basket etc etc and not so far to walk. Returned to the interuppted plan of action and was showing her where I wanted the plants to go , when even better the neighbour who had parked his car slightly blocking my garage doorway left, so again a quick hobble to get the keys and a wrestle with the wonky door meant that I got that open and ready for action. The plan was for some things that I didnt want to actually get rid of at the moment, but that were in the flat could be moved to the garage where they would be dry and safe but out of my way.
So, before they even arrived I was very tired and my back was very bad and legs looking swollen , as I was too busy and was ignoring the fact that I hadnt put my legs up much at all that day. Never mind, it was all worth while and we all pulled our weight, and of course they were all able to work at a much quicker pace than I could have done. Things were moved, the mattress turned on the bed and bed made and I rather ensconsed myself in a chair in the lounge, and they brought me firstly all the bags of winter/summer clothes, where I sat rather like a spider in a web, (or like the bag lady!) and had a flow line. So it was summer things clean but not ironed in one bag, winter clothes in another to be hung in the wardrobes or put in the drawers. Another bag of winter things shoved in a different bag to be tried on later where I wasnt sure that I a) could still fit into them or b) still liked them enough to wear them, and then lastly another bag for clen things that I had definitely decided I wouldnt wear again , to go to the charity shop, and the odd bits and pieces considered rubbish put in the rubbish bin. We all beavered away at our various jobs, with me calling out when I was ready for more bags to sort or for them to put things away for me. When that lot had been done, I then moved onto a much harder job, namely going through my many many books, with the aim of trying to give lots away and to sort through bookshelves and return the books in an ordered and tidy manner, as over time the shelves were getting mixed up, as I found it difficult to bend down to etc. Well Debbie was assigned to keep me fed with piles of books and did a good job, but as expected there was very little found for the charity shop, and I had to keep myself on a tight rein and not allow myself to start reading books. I did manage to find 6 books to donate!!
We only had one pitstop for coffee or tea and I had a tesco coffee cake to raise spirits and give energy to the workers. So at the end of two hours, they had something else they had to go to, and I had had enough anyway. Amanda had done well in the garden, managing to make a major difference to one whole border so that it really does look "before and after " with one border looking much tidier, weed free, and of course , with the precious plants in and watered. So there is still plenty to do there, but I will be encouraged to do a bit every day now as and when I am able, as the mess of it all is now improved. Oh and we had a joint effort to sort out the honeysuckle that I had bought very cheaply, planted next to a wigwam of canes, but not been able to wind it in and out ,and so it had been growing skiy wards .So between us, I directed Amanda in how to carefully unpick and unwind the branches, then I inspected them and used my secateurs to trip off small dead bits, and broken stems etc and then it took some time to rewind it through the wigwam and in a more horizontal manner. When that was all done and a bucket of saved water poured round the roots and the weeds near by removed it is now in a much better state and one less thing to annoy me when I couldnt do it myself.
So the result when they left, is still a work in progress, but definitely a heartwarming effort. I now have the garden in a much better state, no pots of plants waiting to be done and can slowly do a bit as and when the weather and my back allows. Quite a lot of things have moved to the garage, so now I need to decide what is going where in the spaces left and do that. In the meantime, everyday things like the ironing mountain need sorting, but even that will be a little diminished as any clean summer things will go unironed into the summer bag.
As you might expect, I was absolutely exhausted, and in quite a lot of pain, because I hadnt stopped and rested but pushed on to make the most of the time. It was a struggle to make something to eat, and I had to go and sprawl on the bed with my legs raised for a good half hour before I could manage to do anything.
Today I need to be in the library for 10 o clock for what I hoope will be curling rather than the bocca today. I most definitely will be sitting for whatever we do, but look forward to decreaking myself and enjoy meeting the group, and also having a break before returning to the onslaugh this afternoon. Also a little triumph I shall be reporting to the group there. I told you of the saga of the useless disabled entrance to the hotel etc and I had written a detailed email to the head office of the group, and told the people in the bocca group of my efforts. A couple of people agreed that it was all badly done but that I was wasting my time getting in touch and that nothing would happen. Well HA!! My missive did get through to the person I wanted it to and I received a reply, thanking me for my detailed email, explaining that he had not visited that particular hotel himself, that he had sent the email and asked for a detailed report from the manager there, and promising to read the report and then get in touch again to let me know his findings and what they intended to do about it. So a small triumph to begin with but a start,and I most definitely will not lose interest or let it go until something is actually done. I shall also be checking on the progress from the librarian on my complaint about getting into there too. I am in Brunnhilde mode and will be donning my viking headdress (metaphorically speaking) and going into battle whereever necessary, remaining polite but determined. Watch this space.
So as you can see , at last the scales are coming down on the positive side with actually being able to see something for the effort put in. That is not only good for this occasion, but more importantly gives me a recent memory to look back on, when things are not going my way. Oh and I even had success in getting a pair of trousers in the sale in Seasalt, sent directly to the shop , and not as on the last occasion sent to my address and nearly ended up in the rubbish . So was even able to totter up there on the yellow peril at nearly 5pm , try them on and return home with them. so felt it was a pity I hadnt had a go on the lottery or something as yesterday was my lucky day. Well I am also pleased to be able to tell you all this saga of positive events, after you have all been so kind and put up with my grumbles and moans. If it works, I am sending you all some of my good luck wishes for today.
I am glad you had a quick turn round for your blood test Mick and hope you have a good day today. GrandMattie I cant actually think of the name of the company, but in the garden centre there is a make that you can get longer handles for things and swap them about, and I wonder if you might look for a brush or other things with longer handles, or alternatively just buy one of the handles and fix a brush head onto it ? If the name of the make comes to mind I will let you know. I hope all goes well with the fitting for Iris. It is such a hard thing for her to cope with and it is also so hard for families where we can only help in little ways and wish we could do more for them. Marzipan , I am a fan of Seasalt , for the colours and the quality of their materials, but get so annoyed that they dont stock all the sizes in the shops, but expect us to make all the effort , trying things on at home etc., It actually does show how much I think of their things that I am still buying any of their things via the shop. I do think their stripey T shirts are very good and have many of them , and in particular have about 3 or 4 pairs of their linen trousers with the T shirts to match and get great wear out of them, being my favourite when you can choose something to wear, feel good in it and then totally forget about it and just know you will be comfortable and look fine in it. I am pleased for you that you have not ended up with lasting problems with your feet and hope you have a good day today.
Sar53, so sorry you are having a rubbish day and that you wont get away on the boat. Bad enough being in pain, but when it also stops you doing something you want to do it adds to the misery. Dont apologise for your post, we all , hopefully, feel able to tell it how it is, and it is an added disappointment when you cant do something you have looked forward to. Be kind to yourself and hope that some painkillers soon kick in and ease things for you.
Well , I can see easily now, and it is still, grey, and a bit miserable looking, maybe we might get rain by the looks of it, well that will help my newly planted things, No sign of squirrel or any bird life at all this morning. Time to look for the WD40 - in my case the shower!- and get myself together. ( I wonder if the younger readers even know what that is these days !) I shall hopefully ease up after my trip to the group this morning and return to further onslaughts on the mess. Well I can actually get into the long cupboard now so that is a start. Wishing you all a positive day too and award yourselves a lovely cup of coffee or tea to cheer the day, as I am about to do.
