Wishing you a pleasant evening and a great night's rest. xx
Diary of a (retired) teacher
Wednesday 24 April 2024
Wednesday evening, 24-04-24
Wishing you a pleasant evening and a great night's rest. xx
Wednesday morning (should be Tuesday evening), 24-04-24
Monday 22 April 2024
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
Sunday 21 April 2024
Sunday evening, 21-04-24
My chair is old and the seat part is shedding bits of plastic all over the place. Beth has just acquired a new chair (funded by her workplace), she has given me her 'old' chair which is actually pretty new, and I am buying a new chair for Alex because Beth's old chair isn't really his thing and he needs one.
Does that all make sense?
Saturday 20 April 2024
Saturday evening, 20-04-24
Have a lovely evening and sleep well. xx
Friday 19 April 2024
Friday evening, 19-04-24
Good evening, everyone.
I had a really good journey home and I didn't get lost ONCE - by that, I mean I didn't take a wrong turning - you're never actually proper lost with a sat nav, are you?
The only momentary ooops was in Sudbury when, suddenly, there was a sign saying 'Road Closed Ahead'. I hate it when that happens because it never says WHICH road is closed. It could be the road you're on or it could be a side road. Why can't it say 'this road' or 'side road'?
Fortunately, it was the latter so that was OK.
I was lucky with the weather too - I went through plenty of places that had had recent rain but never got caught in a shower myself.
Once home, it didn't take long to turn the hot water back on, turn on the central heating for a short time (it felt a bit chilly) get unloaded, make coffee (I have priorities), unpack, get the first load of washing on and do a fruit and veg shop.
Later on, I had finished all the washing which is now drying on the rack because it has been very showery here today and I've just finished making a couple of loaves of bread for the freezer - the house is smelling awesome and homey.
And I got my finances up to date. Normally, I like to check it all regularly and keep my spreadsheet up to date which, obviously, I couldn't do this week.
I think I'm all set up now.
The garden is still looking OK.
The bluebells at the front are lovelyand the lily of the valleys (or is it lilies of the valley?) are looking good too . . .
while, round the back, the strawberries are also looking promising.
Just as long as we don't get any frosts . . .
While I was away, I got an email from EON that cheered me up. The last bill for electricity was around the £50 mark and the new one, payable at the beginning of May, is around £28. That's quite a drop and I'm guessing that not only are the days longer so I am not turning the lights on so much but also, with the longer days and higher sun, the solar panels are producing more power. Whatever the reason, it was very cheering.
Tomorrow, I'm out for a walk with some Slimming World friends in the morning and I also need to get the ironing finished off and do my meal plan for the coming week.
What are your plans for the weekend?
Sleep well, everyone, and stay warm. xx
Thursday evening, 18-04-24
I managed to access Lindsey's class; it did keep freezing but only briefly each time. No good for conversations but fine for a fitness class.