Monday evening, 22-04-24

Good evening, everyone.  Today started off beautifully sunny but it's now dull and we've had some rain.  A shame, but the sun was bright and cheering earlier - it could have been much worse!

I was inspired by Jackie when I read her blog this morning where she talked about moving curtains around.
I have two enormous pairs of curtains in front of my French windows and the lining of one curtain has torn rather badly on one side - the side that shows.  They are around twenty years old and that particular curtain gets a lot of sun on that bit so I guess it's just rotten really.  The curtains are fine in themselves but the linings obviously need replacing and the curtains need a dry clean.  Big job.

I am more than up to replacing curtain linings, especially if I make the new linings detachable ones - just measuring and straight seam really - so really all I have to do is cut the old ones off right next to the tape and use the correct curtain hooks for separate linings.  I do wonder why I didn't have them made that way when the extension was built, in fact.
I don't need nor do I want new curtains.  I like what I have and they are in perfectly OK condition (apart from needing a clean).

Anyway - that's a job to build up to but, in the meanwhile, this morning I just changed the pair with the torn lining around so that the torn bit is right in the corner and hidden from sight as well as less likely to get any worse because it won't be pulled when I draw the curtains closed or open.  Some of the hooks snapped (as they do) and I had a five minute panic while I tried to remember where I put the box of curtains fixings last time I had a tidy out.
I found them in the most logical place so that was OK.

On reflection, I think I could/should also swap over the other pair too.  They don't get so much sun so the linings seem to be fine but - well, wear and tear and all that.  And in the meanwhile, time to start working out and costing up new lining fabric and all the trimmings.  Perhaps I could go for blackouts - they have better insulating qualities, I believe.
And checking that the local dry cleaners takes curtains!  I'm sure it does.

Thanks, Jackie - I needed that poke to get it started.

This morning I went to the first Circuits class of this block because I missed last week's one.  It was very nice to be back.

Then I came home, had breakfast (nice) and did the usual Monday housework - downstairs.  I'm now in a comfortable pattern with this all and am happy to save the amount I would previously have paid the cleaners.  I was gutted when they said they would have to stop but it's turned out to be a good thing really.

I noticed that my clematis is looking pretty lively - just look at all those buds and that's just a small part.  It will be a picture in a little while.

Less positively, the pollen is beginning to impact.  My nose and ears have been uncomfortably itchy over the weekend so I started the annual anti-histamine tablets today.  They worked pretty quickly, thankfully.

Well, that's today done and dusted.  Has your day been good?  And the weather?  Have a pleasant evening, a good night's sleep, and stay safe and warm.  xx