Clearing the Garage

Whilst we were having the driveway done the spare fridge freezer in the garage decided to blow up. Well it had obviously had enough even though we had only had it about 20 years. They just don't make things to last these days!
Due to the inclement weather we were unable to get rid of it because it means moving stuff. I say "we" because the trailer is a 2 person job. So yesterday I arranged for the Daughter to come round and help as we were having a new second hand one coming.
I started clearing the back of the garage and moved enough stuff to get the old fridge freezer out of its corner and moved the stuff from in front of the trailer so the trailer could be moved. The daughter arrived (with Grandson and 2 dogs who went to watch a video) just in time  to get the trailer moved before the other fridge freezer arrived, which it duly did and was offloaded ontop the driveway.
As the "new" fridge freezer was smaller we decided to moved the cupboard that is in the garage to the corner where the old one was which meant emptying it. I had already emptied the wool stash out of it in the week, because the Mother and I decided if it was in the front room where we knit and watch tv we were more likely to use some of it instead of buying more.......well that is the idea anyway!
OK so after the decision to move the cupboard, the old fridge freezer was shunted onto the driveway and we emptied the rest of the stuff out of the cupboard. We decided to take all the old trichem paints to the tip as they will not paint any more (they have been there for 10 years so it is unlikely they will be used anyway) and we will sort through the rest of the trichem stuff sometime (probably in about another 10 years but there is always hope!) and managed to move the cupboard without it falling apart, and discovered there was another electric point behind it. Hooray we were on a roll. We then moved the "new" fridge freezer into place where the cupboard was and plugged it into the socket we had found and left it to settle before switching in on which will be today now.
All that was left then to do was to put the rest of the stuff back into the garage. So first the trailer which went in tighter to the wall and left more space to get tto the freezer and craft tables, then a decision to have a cuppa which then turned into lunch for all of us. After lunch I said I could manange as the Grandson wanted to do something with the Daughter seeing as the Grandaughter was out with her dad. So they went off and I finished off putting the things back that we are keeping. Stuff went into the car to go to the tip and a load of shelving which will not be used as too small or too big was put back intro the garage to go to the tip in the week when the Daughter can help again as her car boot is longer being an estate.

After a cuppa and a rest I decided the tip was for another day as it was 4ish and the traffic on the road to and from the tip would be horrendous at that time on a saturday, so I did an hour in the garden and planted the black and red currant bushes that I had bought before the snow and filled in the hole that had been dug yet again under my gate having first put another brink in the bottom. I think a fox keeps digging under it but have not seen it although I saw one the other end of the street the other week. Fingers crossed that it is deterred.
I now feel I have achieved something over the easter break apart from knitting and jam making!

Many thanks to the Daughter and to the friends we got the fridge freezer from for delivering it to us.
and today.......back to the jam making, raspberry I think.

Cats

Buddy

Buddy and Leya

This is Buddy, a pic taken a while ago. On Saturday he was put to sleep as he was not eating or drinking. Up until a few months ago he was quite happy and healthy although he was gettin quite old (at least 15). then he had a episode which was either a small stroke or something similar, but he recovered well. He was was the second of my daughters cats (a rescue) but had lived with me for quite a fews years when the daughter lived in accomodation where pets were not allowed. I also had Leya (also a rescue) her other cat who was a bit older than Buddy they came to me together. sadly Leya died before the daughter could have her back but she and the Grandchildren saw them almost daily.      


When I first fostered them I also had 2 cats of my own and they all got on well together. I had 2 long haired cats a black one Sooty who was rescued after being taken to the local vet (my landlord at the time) found after a nasty accident. He was a mess jaw, broken and other things but he recovered and lived to a hearty old age. Tasha was a grey and white  cat chosen by the daughter when she was about 14 and we lived in the same flat, the female kitten of the pet shop's cat. She also lived to a ripe old age before getting ill and being put kindly to sleep. Tasha was the only cat we have had that was not a rescue cat.

Buddy and Leya moved with me when the Mother and I moved here to where we still live and a couple of years ago Leya died one night in her sleep and I found her at the bottom of the stairs in the morning, she was also elderly.

Leya

Buddy missed her a lot, I was at work all day and we were always worried about the Mother tripping over him and he hated her walking stick as she is also elderly so when the daughter was in a place and could have him back she did. the Grandchildren were delighted and he would sleep on the Grandson's bed.

All the family are upset now he is gone he had been with us for a long while, the grandson is particularly upset as they were very close. Luckily they have the young dog to comfort them and the dogs of a family friend who is there a lot so hopefully they will get over the upset and remember the lovely cat we all had the pleasure of looking after.

Drive, Wall and Path 2

Before

dtain cover

Here to the left is my tatty drive before the work, the wall was falling down and the concrete breaking up.

This on the right is the new drain coever with slabs in to make it part of the path, clever I call it!

I asked if I could have a couple of the off cuts of salb because I have a flat bit by the trellis which has some old slab on where I take the green bin onto the grass when I am gardening and they just said they would sort something and below is the result a sloping and very neat slab to the grass!

sloped slab to grass

And last but not least the completed driveway form the road up to the garage. I am chuffed to bits. Many thanks to http://www.daveygardening.co.uk. I would reccommend them to anyone

completed driveway, wall and path

Drive,Wall and Path 1

As you know, we have been having a new drive, wall and path done. The chaps started last Monday and have been working hard, they pop in for 5 minutes when I make them a cup of tea and then off they go and don't even stop for food, they eat on the go. So the path and wall are finished and looking lovely, the path is slabbed and they have done it so the drain cover is slabbed too and looks like part of the path it is amazing! They have also made a sloped bit onto the grass where I take the green bin onto the grass when I am gardening because I asked if I could use a couple of off cuts to replace the old bit of concretey stuff I had there. The darker edge to the drive is laid and tomorrow they will be doing the drive and may well finish it. http://www.daveygardening.co.uk are the people I have used and I would highly recommend them. I will be taking some pics and putting them on here to show what a good job they have done for us.

Paradise Park Newhaven

Today I went to Paradise Park with the Daughter, Grandson, Grandaughter and family friend and had a lovely day.http://www.visitsoutheastengland.com/things-to-do/Paradise-Park-p61653.  
 It is a lovely place and we wandered round looking at the exhibition of planet earth which seemed to have everything from dinosaurs to shells and to crystals. Inside is a soft play area and outside another play area, a small train, cacti area and all sorts to many to mention. There is also a garden centre and a gift shop and a place for tea and food and we all had a good day.

It is a place we will go to again I expect, I certainly hope so because we all enjoyed the day out

Messy

Another week gone and a very messy garden! we are a week into having a new driveway, wall and path. it will look lovely when it is finished but until then it is a bit of a muddy mess. It has been so wet lately that everywhere is soggy. Still the old drive,wall and path was dismantled and taken away in short order and half the wall is done and some of the edging to the drive and it is going to be really nice. I am a very lucky lady, a new kitchen and a new driveway etc. You will have to pay to speak to me at this rate! Still if the wall hadn't been taken down it would have fallen down as as all the mortar had crumbled with the snow and ice of the last 2-3 years. In fact some of it had and it was placed back lose. In a week it should be finished and I will put up a pic or two.

Weekend

On Saturday it was my birthday so the daughter had arranged to collect me after work Friday evening to go to no 48 http://www.facebook.com/No48Bexhill   as my birthday treat. But before I finished work I had a text from the Mum to say the dishwasher was leaking! It is insured so not a problem really but I had to ring a good frined who is a plumber to go reound and turn the water supply the the machine off as the Mum couldn't. He kindly syphioned the water away so will ring on Monday to have it looked at.
The evening at 48 was really good we went to one of their music and meal nights, "The Exiles" were playing and we go to see them whenever we can. this time they were doing more Blues type stuff but they do allsorts.We were a group of 4, the Daughter and 2 friends and we all had a good time.

On Saturday we began the year at St Barnabus Church Second Saturday Craft Fairs and did reasonably well which was good. It was quite cold though! we didn't see a couple of our regulars so I hope they are ok and not suffering from any dready lurgy of any sort. I had tried a new line of flap ear hats, I made a really thick one which sold (see pic which actually looked better int the flesah so to speak) and some thinner ones which I lined with fleece which also look better in the flesh!
After the fair the Daughter and I had originally planned to go to a friends in Brighton, but it was cold and rainy and the forecastwas for even colder so we decided not to risk the weather so she and our friend of the dogs came round to ours and we all had chinese and watched the Phantom of the Opera 25th annivesary video and a good time was had by all.