Never Quite Enough Time

We have been stocking the motorhome.     Or rather we have been stacking things for the motorhome in boxes (crates) in the dining room.     To stock the motorhome itself we do rather actually need to have taken possession of it.     The part is still awaited!     In itself that presents some concerns as to if, as and when, future parts might be needed.     S, however, seems unconcerned, very much wants this particular motorhome and such matters fall under the blue job heading round here. One way or another it will be sorted eventually and it will need stocking so we have bitten the bullet and are getting on with getting stuff together.    The Vespa has had a little tlc and is booked in for its MoT.    It could possibly do with a little more tlc paintwork wise.    Let’s say being homed in the MiL’s garage when she drove her car through the central pillar and doors of the closed double garage the odd mark or t...

The wardrobe I thought was more or less sussed, at least for now ie pre retirement, is clearly not. There is the raft of stuff belonging to pre Covid when 3 inch + heels, suits, Boden/Hobbs Phase Eight dresses went to the office and black tie dos, if not commonplace, actually happened.    Whilst trimmed back I can’t bring myself to jettison them all yet, possibly never, there must be some appropriate outing at some point in the future surely?    Possibly, well probably, not for the heels!    I’m cool with that.    It can all hang there until I am ready to accept or have conclusive evidence those days are never coming back. At the other end of the spectrum I was sorting some summer casual holiday clothes.    Sneakers, espadrilles and the odd pair of sandals aside this seemed to comprise of a lot of linen.    All tops.    In my enthusiasm to get rid of linen trousers (save for that one pair to remind me not to buy linen...

    There are Bramley apples all over the ground.     St Monty of Don (the patron saint of Gardeners’ World) claims this is a good thing as the tree is looking after itself whilst under stress.     I am thinking that it is a good thing that I will have fewer I need to process.       I am very much aware that we have not finished last year’s jars of apple sauce yet.     That said a (retired) friend who has a very early fruiting tree informed me today that beyond those they eat immediately all her eating apples are going in the garden waste bin.       Clearly I am not alone in suffering some lethargy right now. As luck may have it we do not have anything like the crop of Coxs this year, the Braeburn numbers are up and a decent size but it is a potted patio tree so has its limits.    This means we may have some breathing space re eating apples as we have yet to finish last year’s dehydrated apple rings (though ...

  I had a conversation over WhatsApp recently about shrinking worlds.     Decisions being taken to give up skiing and sailing (or at least the boat) seemingly due to knees (though granted those of my correspondent’s spouse).     That was enough for me to be following the advice on an over 50s physio short on YouTube re knees - mobility and balance.     All good advice I’m sure and I really ought to try harder generally and perhaps use my weights at home for something other than propping doors open…….     It is just this whole ‘over 50s’ thing.     It wound me up with the pandemic when apparently the over ‘50s were “vulnerable”.     Now we have to actively maintain our mobility and balance.     I don’t feel “vulnerable” and my mobility and balance are just fine, thank you.     To be frank I’m not sure who this over 50s physio is treating.     How much over 50 are they exactly?   ...

  For a moment there I thought I was on a roll.       The motorhome part is still awaited but the watering issue is resolved (or at least the time the watering was taking has been reduced), the scaffolding is up for the chimney to be repointed so S could stop going on about it falling on his side of the bed and I have sold both the nest of tables and a pair of loafers on eBay.     Admittedly, the sales only amount to £25 but that’s two (arguably five!) things out of the house and £25 I didn’t have a week ago.     Additionally, I won £100 on the premium bonds.    This brings my all time winnings on the premium bonds to £125.    It is a spectacularly unimpressive return rate.    It is, however, £100 I did not have last week so we will stick it in the positives pile! As is the way with these things we then got a call from the Builder and he sent photos.    It seems the chimney stack needs a bit more TLC than ju...

Before (it was covered)                                                                                    After Forget the Prime Minister going back to the ‘70s, here we have gone back to the ‘50s.     We now have the magic of water coming out of the ground via an entirely legal hosepipe.     This should alleviate the ridiculous amount of time I am have been spending lugging watering cans around.     It may have been doing wonders for my upper body but   it has been a huge thief of time and hasn’t been particularly effective on the main veg beds.     In other areas there is an exemption for watering vegetables and fruit on allotments or gardens where it is not reasonable to use a watering can.    Not with Anglian Water it has...