20-02-25

And it is good morning from me again.  Today is the day it is supposed to get considerably warmer again, not that it has been that bad in the wider scheme of things.  When I think that some of you have had to cope with temperatures in the -20s and -30s (and that's F, not C), it makes me wonder how I have the nerve to grumble really!

Hopefully, it will soon be spring, the bulbs will flower and nature will wake up again.  And I will start thinking about this year's tomatoes.  Yay!

Anyway, mild and damp is the name of the game today but that's OK because I have plenty to do inside.

Back to yesterday and, apart from a few little niggles, Ray and co have finished, everything is clean, fresh and as tidy as it's ever going to be (downstairs, that is) and I have paid the bill which was semi-eye-watering but what I expected, I'd saved for it and it was worth it.

It is just SO nice to get up and not feel the pressure of being ready for 8:30.  I will be but I don't HAVE to be.

I am looking at my sideboards with a fresh eye.  They are older than Alex so around twenty seven years old and, inevitably, have become more than a bit battered.  I was saying to Ray that they have done OK for such cheap stuff (as I thought);  he gave me a quizzical look and pointed out the quality workmanship and the fact that there was a Parker Knoll label in one of the drawers.  I don't remember going for Parker Knoll but must have and am now thinking they are worth a bit of restoration in time.

Thanks for all the nice comments about the tiles blanket.  It is definitely going into the garden room.  I used some of the leftover yarn to have a go at a cushion cover in the same pattern but it doesn't really work as a single tile so I think what I might do is look out for plain or textured cushion (just a couple) that pick out one of the colours.  The blanket over one chair and matching cushions in the other.

I got some more sorting and decluttering done upstairs.  How can one person end up with so many socks and tights?  I dunno!  At least now they are organised and sorted and I know what I have - no more sock buying for the rest of eternity!!

Then I took a deep breath and ventured into the yellow room where Beth used to have her Kitty Stitches workshop.  It's an awful mess.  I didn't get far but I did tackle and defeat a box of thread bobbins of various kinds, ones that Beth used, ones that I used and a whole pile from Mum's collection and she was a great needlewoman so there were loads.
They're now all tidied, sorted and in their own place.  Inevitable, there was some wastage as there was so much unravelled and tangled thread but I got there and now need to move on to the next bit.

Just one more thing about yesterday and that is that, while I was working with Lindsey in my Personal Training session, she suggested that I might like to think about changing my Spanish holiday to the second one she is now also organising in September next year, so it's not too close to the Crete holiday.  Same place, same schedule of excursions.  Great idea!  So now I am going in September, not May.  It gives me more time to save, doesn't it?

Very quickly on to today - I have SET online, then Chris is over for coffee and chat, then I will be diving into more decluttering, sorting out, etc, and this afternoon I need to go to Cook's to pick up an order.
Should be a very satisfying day.  :-)  I hope yours is too.  xx