Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

In the shed, quietly away on the engines.....

[Wendyf]

Moving slowly out of our kitchen and into the utility room. At long last we are ready to start work! The plan was always to attack the kitchen last, as all routes pass through it, but we never thought it would take 16 years to get to this point. Everything was bought 2 years ago before Col got his cancer diagnosis and has been stacked in the barn, so we are hoping it's all still OK.
Goodbye falling to pieces 1970's kitchen with painted & stencilled cupboards, rag-rolled walls and grotty vinyl covered concrete floor!! Goodbye horrible coloured tiles that make a picture of a basket of fruit....goodbye to the north wind that blows in somewhere under the sink!! Hello months of dirt, mess and back breaking work, we are back on track.

[PanBiker]

Best of luck Wendy, don't think about the muck just the end result when you are done. We love our refurbishment, the replacement units we put in have added a lot more functionality to the kitchen.

[Wendyf]

I've always enjoyed living on a building site Ian, we have spent most of our married life working on our houses. You don't have to worry about being clean and tidy! I forgot to say goodbye to the woodworm in the old bits of beam that have been re-used as lintels above the window & door, no amount of treatment has beaten the beggars and I am so looking forward to getting rid!
I'll revive your kitchen refurbishment topic and post some pictures as we go along.

[Sue]

Enjoy, we love our new kitchen, worth all the dust, grime, boxes of packed up goods, temporary kitchen in the conservatory, constant sweeping , mopping etc. All worth it in the end.

[LizG]

Looking forward to the photos Wendy.

[Stanley]

Best of luck with it Wendy.... You're doing it at the right time of the year! Will it include bringing the pan for me to look at?
I shall be getting ready for the bathroom carpet fitter who comes this morning...... Could retreat to the shed while he is agait......



Before.......

[Stanley]

After.... I never got into the shed and won't be in there this morning. I nearly put my lights out yesterday shifting stuff about, I know my limits! I shall write an articles for the BET and have a quiet day......

[Sue]

That looks nice Stanley

[Marilyn]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have to confess I HAVE sat on that particular loo!
( and therefore have washed my hands at that washbasin)
Yet, I can't say I particularly remember the old carpet...
But glad you are pleased with the new one, Stanley

Now onto important things. WHERE is you grab rail young man? You need a big grippy handle to get in and out of that shower...your recent birthday demands it...so I demand to know where it is.

I patiently await your answer

[Sue]

It's funny you should say that Maz, I too have been in that situation but if I had been asked I would have said the old carpet was a red one.

[Stanley]

The Gas man must have got news of the carpet, he comes to service the boiler this afternoon. Unfortunately it's after dinner so I may lose my afternoon sleep! Glad you like the carpet, even I have to admit it's much better. You sink into it now in your bare feet......
No need for a grab rail. You approach the bath, put both hands on the towel on top of the Janet Graham Memorial toilet roll store and get into the bath while leaning on that. Perfectly comfortable and safe.
Apart from that the usual shopping day.
I mentioned somewhere that the council are picking up the old carpet and underlay on Tuesday so I spent a few minutes in the yard covering the old rolls with the polythene sheet the new underlay came in. It will stop them getting sodden with water if we have any rain.

[Stanley]

Aiming to get back in the shed after a few days lay-off.

[Stanley]

Making three gland nuts...... Then watching the Spanish Grand Prix. By the way, much improved qualifying now they have gone back to the old method.

[Julie in Norfolk]

Doing at mother's new bungalow what I wanted to do 4 weeks ago, when I had the energy and enthusiasm.

[Stanley]

I can't imagine you lacking either of those qualities Julie! Good luck with it and don't try to do too much.
I'm taking my own advice in the shed. I made a big mistake when I did five hours welding the beds, that's what woke my shoulder up and I am still paying for it! I'm further down the road than you and I am having to learn to respect my limits! So, quietly away in the shed today working on my engines.... no deadline, no rush.

[Sue]

Haircut and colour this morning and dentist and hygienist this afternoon. In between I shall be making a dress for Briony. We went to see her and the family on Saturday and I was given a request. ' Please please grandma' she produced a library book and asked if I could make the same dress as the little girl in the story. Luckily there were lots of pictures. She wanted the ballet shoes too but I suggested to Julia she may get some in a dance wear shop or on eBay. Now Briony is the tomboy of my three grand daughters so this request has come as a bit of a shock. However I have found material, pink for the skirt and pink broiderie anglaise for the top. I have net for the underskirt and found some fabric with flowers that I can cut out and appliqué on. Watch this space !

[Wendyf]

The net underskirt sounds like it might be a challenge Sue.
I shall be moving the ponies to their spring section of the field. It has dried out nicely and I need to get them on it before the grass gets too long. They need another good grooming session too, they have masses of dead winter coat that needs brushing out. I shall be on call to help Colin if necessary, doing some washing and filling any spare moments with gardening.

[Stanley]

Dennis and Sparky will like that Wendy! I'll bet they have a good roll afterwards. Have you ever tried, after grooming, rubbing a dry cake of soap against the grain of the hair? We used to do it to raise the nap and make the cattle look fatter but I have noticed that the next time you groom them it is easier..... Old fashioned White Windsor soap left to dry was best but any good block soap will do.
I shall be doing a bit of quiet studding in the shed and reading my Deighton.....

[Sue]

The dress is going well. I have abandoned the appliqué flowers and sent for some iron on ones from eBay. I am just waiting for info from Julia about the final required length. Today I will be sewing my own dress creation this morning and this afternoon helping in the local hospice shop. I have a little packing to sort as well , as we set off on a 5 day Norwegian cruise with our friends Wendy and Keith on Saturday.

[Wendyf]

I didn't get round to the grooming bit, it took me most of the morning to get the electric fence moved....not an unpleasant task surrounded by the sound of lapwings & skylarks (the curlews have gone quiet now) but a bit on the chilly side. Amazing how many spiders make their homes in the nooks & crannies of the plastic fence posts!
I got a 2.30 appointment at the vets for Bruce to have his annual jab & check-up so the ponies were put back out at lunchtime still in a hairy state.
Going for a walk with my friend from Hainslack this morning, then more gardening if it stays dry.

[Stanley]

Dennis and Sparky will get an early bath today.....
I shall be on my usual routine, a couple of hours in the shed on the engines, a bit of reading and of course my afternoon sleep.... These idle pensioners living the life of Reilly.....

[Sue]

Mission accomplished

The request

And the result complete with a two layered underskirt and the and net.

[Sue]

Why does the first image not come up



Ignore that comment. I gave done it

[Wendyf]

Gorgeous!! What a wonderful Grandma.