An unsettled week

Well Saturday went well and the new lino (whoops I meant vinyl ) flooring was all laid nicely and finished in a couple of hours. The chap who fitted it lives a few doors away so is a neighbour. He is a fully trained carpet and flooring fitter, and works for a carpet shop full time, so we use him for ourselves and family members - and get a great job done for a good price. Moving all the furniture back in place and sorting all the rubbish is still ongoing a week later lol. Oh the cobwebs behind the furniture - it was horrendous!! On a positive note I have thrown away the hallway curtains and bought new (well second hand ) from eBay. The old ones were lined velvet but from 1976 and were already here when we bought this house in 1999. They were thick with dust and went straight in the bin. Really need the hallway, stairs and landing decorated soon as the paper is peeling off the walls (with some help from the toddler and dog ) and the paint is flaking off. Might get someone in to give me a quote next week while nobody is here - and break it gently to OH if it is a good price.

Wednesday this week I went to the cemetery with my sisters and nieces to attend the burial of my brother's ashes into my mum and stepdad's grave. This is what my sisters wanted so I went along with it. To be honest I would have just scattered the ashes on the 'garden of remembrance' at the crematorium, as it was quite expensive to open the grave and have the undertaker attend. Afterwards we went to the local pub for a drink and I went on to Mel's home for an hour or so as she didn't look very good. Her OH (my BIL ) had to return to work so it was nice to keep her company. My OH didn't attend but he did come to the actual funeral and cremation, a few months ago.

Today, Friday, started off early with the toddler (Ava) waking at 7.30am. I looked after her from 8am until 1.15pm and we had quite a good morning. My niece visited with her 3 year old (Liam) and then my other niece called in with her 2 year old (Rosa) This went down very well with Ava as she had other children to play with. Liam's mum comes most Fridays as she doesn't work on that day and just has the little boy so it's quite a regular playdate. Toddler is developing some unsociable habits though as she greeted me this morning with her PJ bottoms in one hand and her wet nappy in the other saying "I been wee I need a new nappy" lol. Happy days - where's the sellotape lol.

When daughter came in from work I left to pay a second visit to Mark (youngest son) in his new flat. He has everything sorted nicely there now as the white goods have arrived, the washing was all finished, everything was clean and tidy and he has painted the bathroom. Very houseproud is Mark and he likes everything neat, clean and tidy, This time I took the motorway and it was much easier. Coming home was much more straightforward and quicker but I don't really like driving in the dark. At least I didn't get lost or stuck in traffic this time as last week was awful. So peaceful there to sit and drink coffee, looking out of the window at the sea. Next week Mark will visit us as I have said it is his turn lol. Daughter was quite put out because I left while she was still trying on clothes she had bought.  I couldn't wait to go out tbh as I am not in the best of moods with her due to quite a few 'angry exchanges' this week mostly about the toddler. Let's just say that her ways and ideas of childcare are not at all similar to mine, so there is a lot of conflict as I am quite an outspoken person. When I got home OH was looking after the toddler and daughter had left to go to her boyfriend's father's birthday party. She is coming home tomorrow morning. Toddler had eaten all her tea which is a first for a few weeks now as she has been unwell with a bad cough and cold.

I am tired tonight because although I went to bed at 1am (which is earlier than a few months ago) I had a bad coughing fit until 1.30am. Daughter then started coughing until 2am. Really hope we are all better soon as it has been a long time now. I am aiming to get to bed before 12 midnight eventually but atm it is between 1am and 1.30am which is a good start. I do have a sleep problem but I am working on it so hopefully it will be better soon. My normal sleep pattern is to go to bed at 2.30 am and then get up at 10am which is not great really, especially when I have to get up Thursday and Friday to look after Ava at 8am.

Bye for now All the best x

Out and About Visiting Week

Well I am still not well and the weeks are going on and on. If the cough doesn't give up by next week I think it will be back to the GP. This week I have almost stopped feeling dizzy when I walk around so I have made the most of it and started going out more. Was starting to feel like I was developing agoraphobia where I have been so housebound for so many weeks now. I'm also catching up slowly on the housework and washing although nothing is up to scratch yet - it is kind of difficult to do cleaning when you keep falling sideways lolol. Anyway, enough moaning about my health (or rather the lack of it lol) and on to where I have been this week.

Firstly, I decided that I couldn't be infectious any longer so went to see my sister Mel. She is on dialysis for kidney failure so I didn't want to give her my cough and cold. Have not seen her for around 7 weeks so we had a lot of catching up to do and had a good old chat. It was so nice to be out and about again rather than stuck in the house. Really feel for elderly who never get out it must be so depressing looking at the same 4 walls year in year out. Anyway, stayed until half past 5 and then decided not to go straight home but to go on to visit Amy (my other sister.) Stayed at Amy's for just over an hour which was really nice. Amy now has 4 jobs - she has always been the 'super active' one in the family. She works in a corner shop for a few hours a day monitoring the school kids who tend to rush in en mass and grab everything (as kids do) So the shopkeeper finds it cheaper to pay her than to loose stock at an alarming rate lolol. I suppose you would call it security guard! Second job is at a Chinese chip shop, delivering orders and serving when needed 3 nights a week. This suits her as her partner is a lorry driver working 4 nights a week so it's company for her. Third job is delivering parcels for a courier firm 6 mornings a week, and lastly she sells on eBay - and very successfully too. On the way home I saw a large fox stood in the middle of the road, so I stopped and flashed the lights a few times. It looked at me and slowly strolled back onto the pavement. Such a beautiful animal but they are so destructive and kill for fun not just for food. My granny lost over 100 chickens to 3 foxes when we went out for the day once, and only 4 were taken by them for food.

OK I will move out of the road lol

Today I went to visit my youngest son in his new flat. It is lovely with oak flooring, and leather settees really nice, and it overlooks the sea. He is very minimalist and very fussy with the cleaning. He had to stay in today for the white goods delivery and the TV installation people, so it was nice to have a chat. You wouldn't know he only moved 10 days ago as he's all unpacked and set up nicely. On the way there the sat nav packed up as I didn't have the battery charger plugged in properly. Luckily I was right by a shopping centre so could park easily to sort it out. So glad it didn't happen on the motorway! Then, I stopped behind a small lorry at temporary traffic lights and when they turned green and we moved forward the oncoming traffic was coming towards us on the same side of the road! The lights were obviously both green at the same time!! So dangerous!! On the way home it was a nightmare too, as I had to pass a shopping mall that had an event on (Christmas lights being turned on) so all roads were blocked solid including the motorway. It took me an hour and a half to get home from a half hour trip. I did like going there though and he's said to come again next week - I

can't wait it's so peaceful there.

I arrived home to total chaos as we are having vinyl flooring fitted in the back room and hallway on Saturday. OH had started ripping up the hallway carpet and moving the furniture into the front room. It was a very good carpet (Axminster pure wool) but at least 15 years old (here when we bought the house) so a bit threadbare now lol. The carpet shampooer broke 6 months ago, and really I couldn't keep up with the mess from the dog covered in mud and OH's dirty boots anyway. Daughter, toddler and the boyfriend were on the way out for a meal as I arrived so it was peaceful for a while. I think tomorrow I shall go and visit Jane (my other sister) as I am feeling a bit better - so going out while I can in case the dizzy spells get worse again. I still have it but not as bad as it was. I feel fine sitting down so I'm safe to drive. The toddler is not well either. She has a bad cough and cold and is not eating properly. GP checked her over and it is just a virus atm.

 My once tidy front room!!

My hallway without carpet!!

Bye for now All the best x

Time for Changes

Well last time I wrote I was ill so I ended up at the Dr who prescribed steroids and antibiotics. In all fairness they did improve the cough but I am still ill and it is nearly a month now!! Unbelievable but true! I do still have the cough and slight cold but for the last week I have felt dizzy when I walk around or bend down and my ear is popping so it is a blocked ear causing it. I don't feel too bad as I got chatting to a shop assistant who has had this virus for 3 1/2 weeks herself so it is long lasting and not just me in poor health. Hoping I will be well soon and it all clears up. It was my first time on steroids but I was fine with them despite reading all about the side effects lol. The only difference I noticed was when eating a meal normally I never finish it as I find the portions too big, but with the steroids I found that I could eat much more and not feel full. Perhaps this is why some people put on weight when taking them idk.

We made our last trip to North Devon a couple of weeks ago staying the weekend. We have brought the caravan home with us for the winter - it just about fitted on our driveway with the hook thing at the front pushed into the garage. OH has boarded around it so nobody can get in the garage and there it stays until we are off to sunny South Devon next year. I am slowly clearing it out and bringing all the clothes and cleaning stuff etc into the house - just doing a bit every day as my balance is not too good atm.

Yesterday we had a Halloween party for the children in the family which went very well. I was serving hot dogs and burgers, daughter went out with all the kids and their parents and then organised games back here. We started at 5 and were finished by 8.30 which was nice and early. Daughter sorted out Apple Bobbing, Pass the Parcel, Wrap your Daddy and turn him into a Mummy, Hit the Pinata and the Grand sweet sharing - see the pics below!!

My middle son stayed the night and is moving to his own place tomorrow.He has moved into a 1 bedroom flat about 15 minutes drive from his workplace. He had to move as he wanted his own place and he was taking up son and DIL's front room so they were a bit cramped in the back room with the 2 grandchildren. I think my DIL will miss him as he was always ready with the G & T when she came home from work and is a very good cook lol. OH helped him move with his cousin helping too. Can't wait to visit as it looks very nice in the pic he sent. 

Well that's all for now as I haven't been out and about or done anything interesting really due to being so ill. Bye for now All the best x