Today I shall be Mainly...

[Sue]

Nope. It's all part of a grand plan, let's get all the mess over together.
1. New boiler and thermostats on radiators. This system is as old as the house is, 1967. Works well but can never be repaired now.
2. Take out glass screen between lounge and dining room and replace with glass panelled folding doors, so we can open it all up when the family comes. This will necessitate a new carpet but this one will go to France for the master bedroom which is also having work done.
3 remove large brick fireplace in lounge, strip anaglypta of walls replaster ceiling, fire surround and the ceiling of the dining room which needs a repair after a roof leak. ( roof repaired a month ago )
4. Box in washer and drier in the conservatory with a worktop and add matching cupboard to take all gardening and washing stuff. Place plants on new worktop.
5 in searching for number 4 we came across number 5 a new kitchen. The fitters will do it all including the fittings in the conservatory

This all makes the house sound as if it is falling down, no ,just no time for redecoration whilst looking after Dad all those years.

That will bring the front of the house up to the standard of the back which was redecorated and repaired after our flood 18 months ago.

My personal treat is a sewing table/ unit to tidy up my sewing room

This was Nov2015

It's now January 2016 and the list is complete. Plus decorating our bedroom and removing the leylandii hedge in the back garden and replacing with a fence. We didn't have a new carpet. Claire gave us some left over dark wood flooring that matches are furniture and we gave used this to fill in the few gaps where there is no carpet i.e. Round the new fireplace and under the sliding doors

[Wendyf]

That's quite an achievement Sue! The new fireplace looks very smart.

[Sue]

I forgot to mention remove wood chip from ceiling and have plasterer to re plaster part of the ceiling and chimney breast. Bob is painting the window sills as I write. I am sick of dust and dirt so hope that is it for a bit. There are only two rooms We have not decorated now within the last three years, that's the study and my sewing room. Those would be a nightmare so may have to keep their 1990s decor for a bit longer.

[Christian]

Well I were hoping for a nice start this morning, sausages in the oven, dogs out, all going well until..

The youngest picked something up which I instinctively tried to get out of his mouth. I unfortunately pushed it and he clamped down with his teeth and my middle finger between the back ones. Straight to Airedale who have assessed the damage of "There's about half a nail&fingertip left and your bone looks a bit moth eaten, Off to BRI for you" Painkillers every 6 hours, antibiotics every 8, and the usual ibu/paracetamol combination.

So tomorrow will be spent at BRI waiting for them to give it a good tidy up.

Poor little dog has been terrified all day and wont leave me for alone, I think they can sense when somethings wrong. Thankfully it was a complete accident and it wasnt a case of he went for me. Just wrong place at the wrong time!

[Wendyf]

Ouch! Sounds nasty Christian, I hope you can get it "tidied " OK. Poor dog!

[Cathy]

Oh dear, not good. As I was reading it I thought you were referring to one of your grandchildren having bitten you. Haha.
Feel better soon.

[Stanley]

All part of Life's Rich Pattern Christian.... But hard luck, look after it.
It's butcher's and shopping day and a bit of time in the shed.



First part of the work on the flywheel finished..... Back to the engine today!

[Stanley]

I started on the casting that supports the crank. I shall finish that today once I have got some cooking out of the way!

[Sue]

Hmm, I seem to have a free day, what shall I do?

[Wendyf]

Are you OK Sue?

[Sue]

PerfectlyOK Wendy, just worked so hard to clear my back log of sewing etc that I have cleared it. I can't finish Erin's bridesmaid dress for another three weeks just in case she grows too much. Claire's cape is finished, Brionys Cinderella dress is finished posted and delivered. The toile for my new jacket is finished , It's too awful outside to go walking or gardening, the decorating is finished. It looks like a peaceful day knitting Erin's ballet cardigan.

[Christian]

Saw the finger on Friday without the blood. Shocked me a little as its missing more than we thought. Got it redressed and some advice to keep on the antibiotics and pain killers. Apparently there is quite a high risk of infection due to it being a dog bite, if it doesnt heal they will need to "shave" a little off to help it along. Not entirely sure how much a shave is, but I hope to avoid it.

I've stopped taking the dihydrocodeine as it kept wiping me out, paracetamol seem to be doing a decent job.

[plaques]

I once read that finger tips could regenerate providing the wound at the end hadn't been stitched together but left open. A bit from Wiki says the same."There are some human organs and tissues that regenerate rather than simply scar, as a result of injury. These include the liver, fingertips...," Best of luck all the same.

[Stanley]

The same thought struck me Wendy when I read Sue's post!
Christian, I'm puzzled by them suggesting that a dog bite is so infectious, a dog's saliva is about the cleanest and most healing there is. One consolation, a human bite is far more infectious! You do right ditching the codeine, nasty stuff! It can make you constipated as well......



I shall be mounting this on the bedplate and then taking a view on where to go next.....

[Sue]

It's a post Christmas party today with friends who were with their daughter in America at Christmas. The last of the paint will go on the lounge and dining room windowsills so they can dry whilst we are out and we won't have to breathe the fumes. We will shampoo the carpet tomorrow and all will be finished.


I shall spend some time reading through my Australian Convict Ancestors presentation today as I giving the talk again to the Milnow Literary and Scientific Society on Tuesday night. I have one extra confirmed snippet of information to present and a little more on one of my hypotheses.

[Wendyf]

Cleaning out hen & duck houses. I must admit that I have been ignoring the order from on high to keep poultry housed because of the risk from avian flu. The first order was for 30 days which ended on 6th January, but that has now been extended till the end of February. There have been 3 notified cases in England and Wales, the most recent announced yesterday on a smallholding in Settle so I am now toeing the line and keeping my girls shut in their run....which really should be netted over as well to stop wild birds coming in. They don't like it!!

[Stanley]

Watch out for the red mite Wendy! I'd forgotten about that restriction.....



I've reached the stage where I have to do some serious forward planning. I am going to have to build the winch section of the engine before I can do anything else on the engine itself because that's the only way I can get accurate measurements for linking them up. Complicated stuff! It's certainly keeping my few remaining brain cells active!

[Stanley]

Keeping out of the weather and enjoying some proper lathe work in the shed.



I'm starting on making the winch section of the winder. It's getting interesting!
Keeping in touch with Susan in Oz who flies out for home on Wednesday arriving Thursday from 30C to below zero!

[Sue]

Swimming this morning, hospital appointment thus afternoon, and giving my Convict talk tonight in Milnrow, so I will have to read my notes again

[Stanley]

You'll be fine Sue. A bit of apprehension sharpens up the delivery!

[Sue]

No problem delivering Stanley , after years of lecturing, but I have a lot of facts and I don't want to forget the most important!

[Sue]

It went well, timing perfect. Fee donated to charity. Anybody else interested in booking me for the benefit of a charity?

[Stanley]

As if we ever doubted.... I've had a good sleep. Diabetes assessment today at noon but a bit of time with my winch drum first...

[Sue]

Hospital appointment this morning, sewing lesson thus afternoon and provided the snow does not hit, Pilates tonight. After three days of returning to exercise I ache somewhat, it must be doing me good

[Stanley]

"After three days of returning to exercise I ache somewhat, it must be doing me good."
I like that Sue, a good Puritan outlook!
I shall be picking up my piece of plate from Gissings and getting on with my winch drum.....