Z's kitchen is nearly usable

 I spoke too soon about my resignation from all things educational.  For legal reasons, it'll be simpler if I carry on until the end of the school year.  Of course, it's fine - though now I'll have to do the online training.  I'll look it up today and maybe manage some of it this evening.

The auction went really well and was a delightful occasion.  It was just so good to have enthusiastic, friendly people there - one pleasure has always been that knowledgeable people are very happy to explain details to newcomers - and there were more people in the salesroom (and bidding) than has been the case since before Covid.  Prices are not what they were, but that's great for collectors.  

A the fitter, having said he'd come on Tuesday and then that he'd send D on Tuesday afternoon, finally rocked up at 5.30 on Friday, having had a tart reminder that there were things he needed to do before Ed the Corian fitter turned up on Monday morning.  And then there were a couple of minor jobs he hadn't done, one of which Ed did and another that A came to finish later and told me he'd fixed the Corian in place in that spot.  When Scott the decorator came along, turned out that he hadn't.  He'd done half the job but I'd put spices in the drawer he needed to take out and, for no reason I can think of, he didn't ask me to move them. So I did, Scott fixed the worktop and then carried on painting the kitchen.  Shaun the plumber spent a day here doing both his own job and A's.  The electric socket needs to be put in place and then I can use the dishwasher.  I told Steve the electrician that there was no hurry, whenever he has time.  Now Glen the flooring guy is on his second day doing the floor - it's two rooms plus the lobby. Then A needs to do a few finishing touches and remove all the rubbish that's been building up outside over the last two months - no point in removing some of it, it's not in the way.  Finally, the new water softener will be fixed, I think that's the week after next, but I need to phone and check.  Scott will come back and put up some shelves, when I've decided on their height.  

Taking everything out of the study and putting it wherever there was space has finally confused me completely.  I can't find anything any more.  Everything has been moved too many times.  However, one adapts.  I found orzo when I couldn't find pasta and a sieve when I couldn't find a colander.  I know where the plates are, but I have to just wash and reuse two of them, because there's a chest of drawers in front of the cupboard.  I realise that I don't know where I'm going to keep everyday glasses, so they're in a drawer at present.

Unsurprisingly, the kitchen looks bigger, both because it's lighter and because I've moved the dresser out.  And the fridges.  I can't focus on how I like it all until it's finished, I don't want to think about that yet.  I know I love the doorway through to the ex-study.  I don't know what furniture I'm going to have in there yet and I've a horrid feeling that I don't have the exact table that I want. For now, I'll just use what I already have.  

The family - most of them - will come over on Saturday for supper and quiet fireworks.  We don't think it's fair to make a lot of noise when it isn't Bonfire Night, on 5th November.

I'm still doing the auction accounts.  I pride myself on paying everyone within a week of the auction, but I've slipped this time.  I'll get it done by close of play tomorrow.  

Z zzzzzs

 It's been 7 weeks since the kitchen was started and it hasn't gone well.  That's why I haven't said much.  My lovely sister has borne my frustration - as well as doing my washing up - but talking about it just makes it worse.  However, the worktops are being fitted on Monday, so maybe the end is in the far distance, but in faint sight.

So let's leave that for now.  What I want to talk about is sleep.  It's been a long time since I slept well - in fact, it's always been difficult for me to fall asleep as I've always been a thorough owl.  I came into my own in the evening, even as a child.  My poor sister - yes, saintly Wink - and I shared a room as children and, though I'm 5 years younger, I was still chatting away when she was desperate for sleep.  But when my mother was unwell and incredibly difficult to live with, I started waking in the small hours, head bound tight with worry and this became a habitual problem.  I gradually coped better, but it's normal for a lot of people to wake in the night, as they get older, so wakefulness for several hours became part of my life.  

It was always advised that tv and screentime in general were Bad Things, so I stopped watching television or looking at the computer in the evening, for the most part.  Earlier meals, so I had at least three hours without food before bedtime.  It didn't help.  One or two good nights a week, but nothing better overall.  Recently however, I've been watching television again.  Nothing very engaging, just background words and pictures, on the whole.  I don't have a tv downstairs any more, nor in my bedroom, so I watch on the computer.  Since then, I've slept better than I have done for years.  In short, no one knows everything and what works for one person may not work for another.

The L'toft auction is on Wednesday.  By the end of the month, I'll have no excuse not to blog regularly.  

And we'll pass, and be forgotten with the rest

 1st September 1988 - 8th October 2025

I started as a school governor when I had a phone call from the Rector.  A little surprised, but flattered, I agreed - and then found that being the clerk to the governors came with the job.  That was all right, I could take minutes and touch type and it was a good way to get involved from the start.

First school governor, high school governor, academy trustee, member of multi-academy trust, some jobs overlapping, all voluntary, all taking a lot of time, expertise and dedication.  But last school year, I didn't have the time and wasn't doing the job as it should have been done and I knew I had to step up or bow out.  I chose the second option.  

I sometimes just kept things going, along with the rest and sometimes made a real difference.  I made one poor decision and learned a lot from it.  All forgotten now, it's a long time ago.

 

Z is still an unreliable blogger

 I've just found some comments that needed approval.  Sorry - no idea why they didn't go through automatically.

I now have, supposedly, got back my other blog - the .co.uk one - but I have to do more to be able to get it visible and it's beyond me.  I'm going to have to bother Ronan, which I really hate to do.  But I don't understand anything.  

September has been tricky.  I haven't wanted to talk about it, because I use blogging to be a positive and cheerful Z, for the most part and that wouldn't really be possible.  However, the short holiday was really excellent and I finally did get the catalogue finished - typing on a coach is difficult and a strain on the eyes, but it's possible.  

I really want to whinge, but it'll be much better to write it down when it's all sorted out and I can look back and pretend it wasn't that bad after all.

We did finally find both tortoises.  Wince searched out one while I was away and I found the other when I came home.  They weren't buried very deep, but camouflage is good.  Now, both are in their autumn indoor quarters, but Leo (the tortoise formerly known as Anastasia) is just as determined to go to sleep and  burrows down as far as he can.  Fyodor (ex Natasha) is eating enthusiastically and is active.  I'm not quite sure what to do, it still seems too early for full hibernation.

Scrabble, the oldest bantam, died last month.  She was ten and a half years old and, until the last week or so, had been very well, but I think she had a mild stroke or a seizure, because she seemed confused one evening and didn't know how to eat.  After a couple of days, she managed again, but she kept twitching her head to one side.  I left her in the henhouse, she wasn't distressed and seemed happier with the other chickens, going out every day and then onto the perch at night, but I didn't really expect her to recover.  Eventually, she retreated to a nest box at night - still enjoying mealworms, fed by hand as usual - but for the last couple of days she couldn't even get up there.  I brought her indoors for her last day - which was my birthday, as it happens.  It's par for the course.  Russell died on a grandchild's birthday and Tim died on my son-in-law's.  Rotten timing all round.

Now, I have ten bantams, all 5 or 6 years old.  I need to decide in the next six months whether to get another cockerel or not.  These are all descended from our original flock, dumped in the churchyard more than 35 years ago and, if they die out, I won't necessarily stop having chickens but I won't have chicks.  I honestly don't know.  It's easier without a cockerel - simply because my lovely little girls are such good mothers, they vanish and then turn up 3 weeks later with a brood of chicks.  So, if I don't want chicks, I can't let them free range.  And then there's the problem of surplus cocks.  But they are such dear little hens and I don't want to lose the family.  I suspect I'll regret either decision.

The days grow short, when you reach September, but what about the tortoises?

 The tortoises have been pretty quiet for a few weeks.  But they woke up and were interested in life a few days ago, so I bathed them and fed them - one wasn't interested in the food, but the other ate.  I've looked for them every day since but, other than Fyodor the next day, they've stayed out of sight.  Yesterday, Wince spent the whole morning building them an inside run and I, today, bought a whole lot of topsoil and got it ready for them.  Then went tortoise hunting.  I've found one of them, the top of his shell being 3 inches underground, the other must be close by as the earth is hard or grassed over in the rest of their secure run.  

I'm hesitating.  It might be quite a shock to a sleeping tortoise, to be dug up.  Yet they stopped eating 3 or 4 weeks ago and it's a long time until March, if they hibernate the whole time.  I was hoping to feed them up for a month or six weeks, gradually wind them down for another month and then let them sleep.  I'll decide tomorrow.  Ronan and the children are coming over, so I'll ask him to help me take their cold frame away, so I can get to them more easily, if I want to wake them up.

We had thought of meeting in Norwich, but it's more time efficient for me if they come over here, I'll have an extra hour or so to get on with things.  I've got so much to do before I go away on Sunday.  But there's no point in fussing about it.  I'll do whatever I can and take my laptop with me.  Can one type on a coach?  I'm thinking of squirrelling myself away at the back and working throughout the journey to Cheltenham.

On another subject entirely, I have a nail that starts to split when it grows much beyond the nail bed.  I can't remember ever damaging it, so it's quite odd.  There isn't a visible crack, but it goes at the same place every time.  So annoying.  However, the success story of the summer is my eyelashes.

I'm going all girly on you, so apologies and I'll totally understand if you quietly leave at this point.  But it's one of the things, when you get old, that your previously lovely eyelashes stop being lovely, but are short and stubby.  Then I heard about eyelash serum - on the comments page of the Times (I've a feeling I've written about this, have I?) and bought some and, well, it's spectacular.  It took a few weeks, but they are now magnificent.  The other thing is eyebrows, which either get bristly and beetling or else pretty well vanish - mine were somewhere in the middle, but I'd resorted to filling in the gaps.  Friends, eyelash serum works on eyebrows too.  Only problem is that I now need them professionally tidied up as they're so thick. I've actually turned back time.  Three cheers for eyelash serum, which is actually one of the ingredients for a treatment for glaucoma.  I've stopped using it, because I was starting to feel like Dumbo, but with lashes rather than ears.  I'm not sorry that I haven't found a growth serum for ears.  I wouldn't mind having ears that rotated like a hare's, though.  Wouldn't it be great?

I have a lot of eggs, but I also have a small, but tempting cauliflower and a lot of milk.  Cauliflower cheese and a hardboiled egg?  I've also got runner beans.  I don't want to cook because of the difficulty of washing up, but - well, it sounds tasty.  And cooking is what Z does.

November is looking more promising...

 My darling friend Lynn's birthday is a fortnight after mine, so today is the midway spot between the two of us.  I have not yet bought her a present, nor thanked her for mine.  There was an exhibition of spinning and weaving in Yagnub the week before last and I'd hoped I might find her something there - sadly, I didn't make it there until the last day and everything that I thought would have really suited her was already sold.  I suspect I know what I'll send, but it's perishable, so I hope her beloved hasn't whisked her away on holiday.  I must deal with it soon, anyway.

Absolute chaos still at the Zedery.  I'm mightily pissed off with the kitchen fitter, who has been an arse.  Quite simply, because he hasn't kept anyone informed, so the kitchen units turned up the morning after the old kitchen had been stripped and he hadn't told Magnet - who had employed him on my behalf - that he had no intention of coming that morning.  He has been awkward and obstructive and he has one more chance, next week.  And I can't really talk about it because it takes a lot to make me angry and he has and I don't need to fan the flames.  I'd rather calm myself down.

My friends Pam and Peter have moved into a very luxurious nursing home in the town a few miles away.  I went to visit them the other day - I felt very bad, that I hadn't been before, but they're too stressed to want unannounced visitors and they haven't been answering their phone.  Anyway, they have a very nice room, but it absolutely won't do in the long term.  Poor Pam has a bed tucked in a corner, because Peter needs so much care that his has to take centre position, with room for a hoist and a wheelchair too.  I've talked to their daughter about the situation - Pam is woken every night when they come to look after Peter.  She's seriously thinking of going back to their house for a couple of nights, just to get some sleep.  For what they're paying, they should have a bedroom and a sitting room, at the least.  

In the midst of all, I'm working on the auction catalogue.  I've never been so behind, but I'll have to try very hard to spot all mistakes before the catalogue itself is formatted, so that it'll just be tweaking at that stage.  I'm running out of time, however.  I need the first draft ready by Saturday night, but I'm out most of tomorrow, on Friday morning and on Saturday; then I'm going away from Sunday morning to Thursday evening.  I used to be able to do paperwork in the evenings after everyday work all day, but I simply can't now.  Our old friend Dave East kindly came over to help with the photography yesterday, as I'd sounded so distressed on Facebook.  I don't usually show it when I'm that agitated any more, but I'm glad I did, because I appreciated his help and friendship and enjoyed his company.  And today, I didn't cancel my visit to Norwich - which I would have done, back in the day, when I put work first - but then stayed on for lunch (I've learned to like going into a nice restaurant and asking for a table for one) and then bought clothes - nothing interesting, just jeans and sensible shoes for my trip away next week, which will involve a lot of walking.  

I also dealt with some bank admin.  I now need to write a covering letter and post stuff off.  I've also got to book Tim's car's MOT and, before that, get a chip in the windscreen repaired.

In short, I'm coping, but there's a lot to do.  

Z will be back

 Thank you, I'm sorry I've worried you lovely friends.  I'm fine, I'm quite harassed and I'm also very busy.  At one time, I'd still have blogged, even if it had been from my phone at 11.55 pm and I'd been nearly asleep.  It's not a bad thing that I've moved on from that.  

In short, I don't have a kitchen yet, I do have a bathroom and a cloakroom floor, I'm okay, my family is okay, I'll blog as soon as the catalogue for the next auction is under control.  

Z's Scottish holiday 4 I think. Returning home

Honestly, everything was wonderful.  Apart from the minor detail of my phone wanting me to walk in rough grass next to a very busy dual carriageway, which was more than redeemed by a lovely woman turning her car round on a side road, to come and check where I wanted to go and put me right, everything was perfect.  Except leaving my bag in the taxi, having to run - and retrieving it, woo hoo - which gave me two migraines; but that was completely my fault, so doesn't count - it was fabulous.  When I'm not so busy, I might upload some photos, but they'll just be random snapshots, so you won't miss anything if I don't get round to it.

I'm so far behind the daily blogging that I might have to do a précis.  Now it's Tuesday 2nd September and it's Dilly's birthday.  I sent her a card, but that's all, apart from an affectionate message.  I've asked what she would like and she's told me, which is alarmingly practical, but I'm completely out of imagination,  Son in law Phil's birthday on the 5th and at least I've posted the card today...

The kitchen is no longer there, it's a bare room with an Aga.  So this should also be a kitchen post.  I trust I'll do better tomorrow.  I have got some extras done today, including the first steps to retrieving my other blog.  From now on, all posts will be put on both.  I'll talk to Ronan about the possibility of filling in the gaps here, too.  Belt and braces is the least of it, at the Zedery

Z's Scottish holiday - 3 (having written 2 but not described it as such)

 I hadn't realised quite how huge Loch Lomond was, nor any of the lochs.  Scotland is bigger than it looks on the maps.  The drive to Fort William was uneventful and I received a warm welcome from my very dear friends.  The next day, J was working - though past retirement age, he still works as a doctor at the local hospital, with one day a fortnight dedicated to his really vital research.  C and I drove up towards the port that led to the Isles.  

That would have been uneventful, if an idiot hadn't completely misjudged a series of bends and driven towards us, on our side of the road.  It was sheer luck that he managed to control his car at the last and - C having braked sharply - avoided us.  The roads are well signed to slow down, the moron had no excuse.  A lot of people drive badly and that's that.  Your bad luck if they kill you, but we were lucky that day.

Truly, the time I spent with J,C and their son Ca were wonderful.  I loved everything.  The drive and walk to the waterfall, their delicious food and the visit to Mallaig, with the excellent lunch that C would not let me pay for.  The next morning, I drove back to Glasgow, stopping at the Hill House, designed by Rennie Mackintosh, on the way.  The sadness that he died quite young of cancer, not having any idea how much he would be admired in the future.

I got back to the hotel and had a nap before dinner.  How pleasant it is, to have an afternoon nap - I so rarely do that.  The nice young waiter greeted me and remembered my preferred drink.  After a peculiar pizza a couple of nights earlier (I don't say it wasn't acceptable, but gherkins on a pizza are weird), I decided to have a burger, which was one of the best - I'm no expert and rarely eat it, but that didn't preclude its quality - I've ever eaten.

Today, I drove back to the BWs in Northumberland and arrived quite a lot earlier than I'd thought I would - which was just as well, because rain was forecast and they wanted to take me to their favourite National Trust property; Wallington, about half an hour from their house.  And now it's 9.30 and I'm tired, so more another day.  Tomorrow, I drive home again.

Z takes the high road

 It's been too busy to keep up but, tonight, I've had dinner and it's not yet 9 o'clock, so here we are.

The car has been fine.  I still have no idea what the problem was - on Thursday, I'd driven for 45 minutes before stopping briefly twice, so the battery should have had plenty of charge.  I'm still quite anxious every time I start it, but we're back to the normal vroom, so it seems to have sorted out its problem.

On Friday, I walked to the Kelvingrove, where I was meeting Fiona once she'd finished with her appointments.  My satnav had a slight, bemusing glitch, when it wanted me to walk alongside a freeway, which was clearly not designed for pedestrians.  As I hesitated, a woman did a turn in a side road to come and ask if I needed help.  So kind!  But every Scot I've met has been friendly and kind.  She soon put me right, there was a back road - and the next time, this was what the satnav advised.  Lack of concentration on the part of inanimate objects,  it seems.

The Burrell is fabulous, as ever.  I think there are more pieces on display - although, the last time I was there, I had limited time and there was plenty, on this visit.  I took slight issue with some of the labels - I think that they should give information rather than opinions and, in at least one case, the opinion was factually incorrect.  They also fudged, in a few cases - not that they should have said anything in those instances, but it was hypocritical not to.  But that's nothing to do with the exhibits or the layout, both of which were wonderful.

The next day was Saturday and I took the train to Edinburgh.  With incredible stupidity, I managed to leave a bag in the taxi and, realising immediately,  I started to chase the taxi down the road, waving at it.  Luckily, it was held up by a traffic light, 500 metres down the road.  Z does not run at full pelt for 500m.  But I had to.  I just arrived as the lights changed and was able to stop the driver, fall into the cab and pick up my bag.  I staggered back to the station and leant on a wall for several minutes, panting.  I hope never to run that far or fast again.  It's bad for me.  Later, I developed a migraine, which I walked off for an hour or two, but it came back - I found a Boots and bought some pills, which worked.  

I went to the Scottish National Gallery and the museum, then walked until I found myself halfway down Princes Street.  Up or down?  I had a feeling that down would take me to the port of Leith.  Devoted as I am to the wonderful McLevy stories (on the radio, but David Ashton has also written books), I thought that walking down hill had the inevitable consequence of having to walk up again - I've since been told there's a tram - so I went up, towards the castle.  But once I got there, the migraine started again and I eventually headed back to the station.  I was feeling that I'd seen enough galleries for the day, anyway.

By Sunday, I'd bounced back and walked back to the Kelvingrove.  I'd spent a short time in there on Friday, but saw it all on Sunday morning, spending most time with the Scottish Colourists and the Glasgow Boys.  The Dali picture of Christ on the cross is, as I remembered, a remarkable painting.  To think there was controversy at the time it was bought.  Art students thought the money should have been given to - er - art students.  It cost £8,200 (or was it £8,400?) which was an absolute steal, even then.  I hope the ignorant students have learnt something over the decades.

In the afternoon, I drove up to Fort William.  How ignorant I am.  I knew that Loch Lomond was long compared to its width, but I had no idea of its actual size.  It's huge.  24 miles by 5 miles - it doesn't look so big on the map, but there are fewer roads in Scotland and I guess maps aren't given on the same scale as more populated area.  You drive right alongside it.  Driving up to the Highlands is wonderful - all the lochs and mountains are breathtaking.  One has to focus more on the winding roads, however.

I had a wonderful time with my friends and that needs another post.  Possibly tomorrow, but it's not very likely as I'm leaving after breakfast, to return to the BWs, where I'll stay for a final night of my fabulous holiday.  

Z's Scottish holiday - on my way via the North East

 I'm having a wonderful time, though there was a glitch on my way up on Wednesday.  

A few weeks ago, the battery on the BMW was flat, but we restarted it with the portable battery pack and I left the engine running for long enough to build up charge.  Then on Tuesday, I drove over to the tile place in that car, to make sure it would start okay the next day.  I was slightly concerned.  The car usually starts with a vroom and it was rather more politely muted than that.  But it did start and seemed all right.  I meant to fill up with petrol on the way home, but the Co op has had problems with its supply, usually of diesel but this time with high octane petrol.  But the tank was three quarters full, so no problem.  I went to the farm to stock up on Fen Farm presents for my friends and, the next day - amazingly - left home at exactly the time I'd hoped to.  But the car was still more polite than enthusiastic and, although I'd meant to call in at the deli, I decided not to stop and restart the car so soon.  I called in at the big Tesco near Bury instead.  Then I went to its petrol station to fill up.  And it wouldn't start again.  And they wouldn't let me use the battery restarter in case there was a spark by the petrol pump and I had to call out the breakdown people (my insurance covers that).  The nice man turned up within half an hour and promptly started the car and then checked everything and couldn't find a problem.  He suggested that maybe the battery, which was only replaced last year, wasn't holding a charge and that I might need a new one.

When I reached my Wednesday destination - and it was so good to see Blue Witch and her Mr again - I told my tale and Mr BW kindly checked the battery, which was fine.  Next morning it was still fine and the car started with a vroom.  In the meantime, I'd seen round their lovely new home and eaten and drunk a great deal.  And then I drove off and reached Glasgow without incident, having stopped on the way for fuel.  I've no idea what's amiss with the car, but hope it won't happen again.

Fiona and family asked me round for the evening - they live in a beautiful and enormous Edwardian house, which they're still getting to grips with.  It looks wonderful now, but they have more plans.  Again, lots of delicious food and I hope I'll fit in some of my clothes before I return home.

The hotel is comfortable and well equipped, albeit with the heaviest bedroom door I've encountered.  I know they're fire doors, but it helps if you can open them without leaning hard.  

Hotels always have really comfortable beds nowadays, don't they?

Z's kitchen countdown - 10 - done, if not dusted and Zoë is going on holiday

 This morning I went over to talk to Mark, the pottery painter, about what I wanted.  I'd written it all down and printed out photos and he has my phone number if there's anything he wants to discuss.  I explained that I over-explain because, in my experience, not mentioning something makes it the one thing that isn't clear.  I've realised, however, that in asking for a cat, I didn't specify that I like the cat on his tiles.  But whatever he does will be fine.

I'm all ready to leave tomorrow, except for packing and doing a few final jobs here.  When I get back, I have two days to clear the kitchen cupboards.  This is a bigger job than it sounds.  All the same, it's quite doable - or I'd have already done it.  The kitchen units will be delivered on Thursday next week, the day I'm coming home, but Wink is on the case.  There is a whole room clear and ready to receive them.

I also had a phone call from the flooring shop in Yagnub and have a date for the kitchen and cloakroom floors.  

I'm taking work with me, that I didn't have time for, but I've arranged delivery for some of the final pieces for the auction.  I'll try to remember to count how many lots there will be, tomorrow, before I leave.  

Blue Witch and Mr Blue Witch have kindly invited me to stay with them tomorrow night, which I'm looking forward to, very much.  I haven't seen them for six years, since they moved northwards.  Next day, off I go to Glasgow.  I finally booked a hotel yesterday evening, having left it rather late and there wasn't a huge amount of choice, particularly of places with parking in the city centre.  But the hotel looks good.  

I expect I'll blog while I'm away.

Z's kitchen countdown 9 - a day on the tiles

 Saturday was the blog party, where the guests were as lovely as ever and, impressively, those who stayed overnight succeeded in drinking me, if not under the table, upstairs for an early night.  Sarah stayed for a couple more nights and I took her to the railway station this morning.  Since then, I've been looking up and printing photos of the things I want for the kitchen tiles.  I don't think I put up an example, because I hadn't downloaded it on to the computer, but I have now.

I mislaid the tile yesterday - that is, I hadn't seen it for several days and thought that I knew where it was, but I was wrong.  As happens in these cases, I searched - everyone searched - for hours and then I just found it, where it had slipped behind a cushion.

Here is the sample tile that Mark made for me.  I should have cropped it.  

You can't really see from these two examples, but the ones they'd got on their wall are a truer blue - the one of the cottage is a grey/green/blue, which goes better with the door fronts on the kitchen units.

I've had a lot of fun thinking about the images I'd like him to paint and have made a list to go with the photos.  I've phoned and arranged to go over tomorrow morning.  Then on Wednesday, I'm off on my delayed trip to Scotland.  I'm not leaving Wink home alone as friends are coming to stay - it's a pity I'll miss them, as I'll leave shortly before they arrive, but she'll have company and one of the three will be staying in my house, as Wink only has one spare bedroom.

I will need curtains for the (up to now) study, but I think I now have everything I had to choose for the kitchen.  Sir Bruin and Indigo kindly took the emptied chest freezer outside so, when I buy my new fridge, I can get that taken away.  It's still in working order, but it's very old and I couldn't even give it away. in case it conked out shortly afterwards - I'm not sure, but I think it's the one we brought from our last house, in 1986, in which case it's nearly 50 years old.  And now I feel a bit disloyal, scrapping it.  

Today is Zerlina's 17th birthday.  Tomorrow is her parents' 20th wedding anniversary and the day after that is Gus's 14th birthday.  Today, Eloise cat is 11 years old.  Also this week is the 11th anniversary of Russell's death, so it's just as well that I won't be here.  I remember bad anniversaries, but I don't mark them.

Z feels slightly anxious, but here's the good side

 I don't think I mentioned that the taps in the cloakroom have been replaced.  It's an Edwardian washbasin and it's beautiful - not originally in this house, but some people where we used to live bought an old house and promptly ripped out the original features.  So Russell bought the sink.  A few years ago, the cold tap - which had always been stiff - started dripping badly and the plumber couldn't stop it, so he simply sealed up the inlet and we've managed with one tap since, while he tried to source a replacement.  Finally, he has.  He hadn't managed to get a replacement old tap, but has got some lovely new ones, in the same period style as the sink.  I'm very pleased.

Not so pleased with my inability to complete the weekend's paperwork, so I'm going for a walk round the village and I'll see if I feel able to do some of it after that.  I've missed two deadlines already - self-imposed, but it's not good, all the same.

Z's kitchen countdown - 8

 More ticks on the to-do list.  The skip has been filled - the receptionist at the company hadn't booked it in to be picked up, so it was as well that the delivery driver advised me to phone and check.  I expect that a lot of people find that they need it over the weekend too, so she leaves it open. 

The new kitchen window has been installed today.  It looks lovely.  The wood stain will be put on next Monday - the first coat, at least, when Scott is coming back to finish papering the bathroom.  The sample tile is ready and I'll go and fetch it tomorrow, after the flooring people have been to measure the bathroom and cloakroom.  

The biggest job was emptying the passage freezer, which wasn't half as bad as I expected.  And I was fairly ruthless too, so there is still space in the other freezer.  I'm just wondering how I'm going to get it outside and who's going to help me.  But I'm a resourceful Z and I will work it out.

Zerlina and Gus came to help with the skip - I was slightly surprised to find myself cooking breakfast, when I'd rather expected we'd just have toast.  But no matter.  We went out for dinner last night, which was a very good idea as we were all pretty tired and hungry and, having done most of the job already, made a leisurely start this morning and were still finished by lunchtime.

This evening, another visit to Snape for a concert.  They've all been lovely this year, as always.  There have been a few changes - August used to be Prom season, where the front centre seats were removed so that people could sit on cushions on the floor, for very cheaply priced tickets.  I suppose they finally accepted that much more money could be made for seated tickets, so it's just called Summer at Snape now and not the Proms.  The atmosphere has changed though, as a result.  Also, in the bar/dining area, they've gone from a system where you queued up to buy your food from a counter and then found seats at long tables, to ordering at the bar and it being brought by a waiter.  This is all right, but they've also hiked the prices quite a lot.  The previous system, the details of which changed fairly regularly, didn't work particularly well.  Tim and I used to sit watching, saying how inefficient it was and what we'd do to improve it.  Now, they've lessened the number eating and drinking by simply putting up the prices.  Last week, a chicken Caesar salad and medium glass of (English, good) wine each cost £60.  And the menu doesn't change from one evening to the next, it's clearly the same for the whole month.  It's a good thing that we're only going twice more.  I'm not sure that it'll pay off, because it's the bar takings that matter most and, if you buy a meal, you will have something to drink.  Years ago, they had it right, but then new caterers came in and it was changed and never been as good since.  I suppose they outsource the catering, so it doesn't matter to the venue.  The other minor change is that they no longer print a programme - I've got them going back years, the whole month's concerts in one big programme.  But now the small booking programme has all the concerts and which orchestra or performer is playing, but nothing about the artists or composers or details of the pieces being played.  This is an odd decision for a world famous music venue.

Z's Kitchen Countdown - 7 - slow and steady

 I'm making progress with the List.  Today, I bought the new kitchen tap - it's got three controls, for hot, cold and filtered water.  That's the last thing on that list, apart from the tiles to go behind the Aga and on the windowsills each side.  The third windowsill behind the sink will have Corian.  The sample tile should be ready by the end of the week.  

I've chosen the flooring for the bathroom and cloakroom and they're coming on Saturday to measure up.  They expect to fit it in early September - the same time as the bathroom fitter is here, but that doesn't matter.  

The decorator has done as much as he can for now, though he had underestimated the rolls of paper he'd need for the bathroom and I've ordered more.  Hoping it arrives by Thursday, so that he can finish off on Friday, but it's okay anyway, it's got the lining paper so is clean and tidy.

The job I've been putting off is emptying the big chest freezer in the lobby at the back.  However, at last I've finished emptying the other chest freezer into the new upright freezer and I've defrosted it and switched it on again.  So tomorrow is absolutely the day for the full chest freezer.  I dread it, but I'll have to be ruthless with anything that's clearly been there too long.  I chucked out some elderly vegetable dishes from the bottom of the one in the porch and I'll be so glad to have the second one done that it'll be worth the awfulness.

We went to London for a couple of days at the weekend and had a really wonderful time.  We saw three exhibitions, at the Royal Academy and the National Gallery and two plays, at the Barbican and the Bridge Theatre.  We walked a lot. On the Saturday, from Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square, then down to the Embankment until we crossed the river and kept going to the theatre.  Afterwards, across Tower Bridge and up to the railway station.  I was very happy and even managed to relax somewhat and forget about everything there is to do.

I will say, however, that the Transport for London route finder is awful.  The website used to be pretty good.  You put in where you wanted to go and it gave various options, by bus and tube.  Now I have the app too and it's useless.  It gives a circuitous route that's not even the same as the website does - the latter only gives one or two options instead of the whole range.  We wanted to get from Piccadilly to the Barbican and the app wanted us to take a bus, then the underground, then another bus.  The website was slightly better, but wanted us to go to Baker Street (which is the wrong way) and then to the Barbican.  I looked on the Tube map - it's very simple.  Piccadilly line to Kings Cross and then two stops east to the Barbican.  To add to that, they always start by trying to persuade you to go by bike, which is just silly.  

It doesn't detract from my love of London, however.  There are a lot of tourists there, looking happy, which is lovely.  A good many American accents, including a very nice couple we chatted to while we were sharing their table for a drink at the Barbican bar.  They live in Idaho, which you wouldn't think of as the most cosmopolitan state, but they have visited 70 other countries, which is a lot more than I have.

Z ponders

 Russell took an odd pleasure in not finishing a job.  I never did understand it and, since he died, I've wondered how it was that I coped with it at all, because I'm a finisher.  I can take ages to start something because, once I do, I carry on to the end and it's the finishing that gives me satisfaction.  It wasn't just that Russell lost interest, but that he actively wanted almost everything to need a small job done that he never had the least intention of carrying out.  He'd stop a workman from finishing, telling him that he'd do it himself.  He made sure I didn't do it or get someone else and undermine all my efforts - not throughout, just at the last.  

The kitchen had two new oak windows put in, one each side of the Aga on the east wall.  The only other window in the room was on the north wall, behind the sink and faces the laundry room, which is between my house and the annexe and is used by both houses.  It was one of only two windows in the house that was not replaced when the house was refurbished, 40 years ago.  It wasn't in poor condition, so I suppose I understand that, but the odder thing was that, when the deep windowsill was tiled - it must be about 50cm front to back - it ended up about three inches higher than the bottom of the window and there was a small gap at the back.  And a few of the tiles were not grouted into place.  Nor were the tiles on the left windowsill on the Aga wall.  The ones on the right were.  I was discouraged from doing it myself and that was that.

Today, I started removing the tiles behind the sink and, when I cleared enough to be able to lift the whole lot out, I discovered that there was wood and then chipboard and the old Formica surface that had been there previously was still in place.  It looks so much better now that the whole window is exposed and makes the kitchen much lighter.  I have no idea.  None at all.  I had a small baby and two other children to look after and didn't keep my eye on all the details and, when I asked, I was assured that it had been necessary.

I wish I had been the nagging sort.  I despise nagging and Russell wouldn't have liked it at all, but it would have got results.  

Anyway, though it is a lot of work and can be quite worrying, having to take responsibility for everything, at least it gets done as I want it.  And if I make a mistake or leave anything unfinished, that's up to me.

I've ordered the skip for next Thursday and Friday.

Bright College Days

Z's Kitchen Countdown - 6 - Z feels efficient

 It's all gone well in the last couple of days.  Toasted cheese didn't give me any problems at all and I got up early and did a lot more clearing in the kitchen, before spending a few more hours on lunch preparations.  I know perfectly well that everyone would have been happy with more easily prepared barbecue food but, the busier I am, the more enthusiastic I tend to get.  Anyway, there is a lot more stuff stashed away, out of the kitchen and I feel calmer for it.  The mess was starting to get to me.

I really wish I'd thought of moving the broom cupboard contents to the larder years ago.  It's so much better.  Getting to the cupboard under the stairs via a door at the end meant that most of the stuff was only accessible if I took everything at the front out and then, inevitably, I didn't bother to haul it all out again to put the stuff back, so I had to do a tedious clear out quite regularly.  The three bins fit side by side and, on a shelf, I've got the cat's food and I've various other things on the rest of the shelves. I'll put a piece of leftover flooring down, to help keep it all clean.

All the family are on good form and, luckily, we'd come indoors before the heavens opened.  It rained torrentially for a long time.  I'm so sorry for holidaymakers - having grown up in a seaside holiday town, I'm always very sympathetic to them, when the weather is bad.

Tomorrow, I absolutely must do paperwork.  Next week, the forecast tells us of rain again, so I guess Scott will carry on indoors, for the most part.  I've still got plenty for him to do, though he's a very quick worker.  The joiner called round, to check the window latches to order.  The window is made and he just needs to add the glass, which he will order on Monday.  So, the week after, it will be fitted - hopefully, when the skip is here, so that the old one can go in that.

I didn't tell you about the skip, I don't think.  There's a sizeable Dutch barn, which Russell kept adding to and the additions are gradually falling down.  We need to remove some of it and go back to its original size, but there's a lot of Lord-knows-what that will have to be taken away.  I asked for any teenagers to volunteer for hard work for a couple of days, and Zerlina and Gus offered.  They will come and stay for a couple of nights and Stephen and I somehow have to be ready for them.  I don't really need another job, but I want it done, so I'll just have to manage.  It's possible.  I am wildly overconfident.

Z's kitchen countdown 5

 It's been a productive day.  Wink and I went back to the tile place and showed my Lowestoft mug to the owner, who was so helpful.  He is going to do a sample tile next week, so that I can go and see if it is the right colour - I still don't know how much these tiles cost and suspect it's a lot, but I'm not too bothered about that.  Honestly, with all I'm spending this year, a couple of hundred pounds over standard price on tiles is not an issue.

As the weather had improved, Scott has been working outside much of the day, but he finished the first coat in the study.  Thomas, poor lad, took up all the cork tiles and it was a painstaking job.  They were stuck down hard.  I cleared the cloakroom cupboards except for the bottom level, where things will stay, and have started to shift kitchen stuff in there.  I've also moved the bins into the former broom cupboard, now the bin cupboard and am managing to remember not to go to the former place, so far.  I've moved enough stuff out of sight to feel more tranquil.  All the clutter and mess was starting to make me anxious.

It was Ro's birthday yesterday and the whole family, except for Squiffany, will be coming over for lunch.  I spent the evening making marinades and preparing food, having said I will go to no trouble at all.  I'm an idiot.  Finally, sometime after 8.30, I turned my attention to dinner, being very hungry.  I made toasted cheese.  And then, taking it to the dining room, I managed to tip the plate and it shot onto the carpet.  I'm happy to report that butter side down didn't apply, it did a neat flip and landed cheese side up.  I picked it up and ate it.  No visible fluff, it was fine.  There was absolutely no question that I'd do it all again.  I trust that toasted cheese at 9pm will give me neither nightmares nor indigestion.