Thursday 4 February 2021

Positives and negatives and the cats explore


It was like a spring day yesterday and we had to have the front door open to remove Tam's old mattress (VERY ancient and desperately in need of replacing).  She had bought a new one - a reconditioned Emma mattress.  They are MUCH cheaper than buying it from brand new - people can buy and use for up to 100 days, and if they are not happy with the mattress, they return them and get their money back.  The mattress is then refurbished, recovered and sold.  Oh my goodness, they are SO comfortable and to cut a long story short, we will order one too (reconditioned) for our new bed.  Then our current mattress can be used with the pine bed we bought recently and which is going into the Guest Bedroom when our new base arrives this month.

    It sounds like we are spending a lot but certain things were left to replace until we moved and we DID have to replace our big Gothic bed.  

    Today we found we found we had more to pay out as the replacement UV glass bulb was NOT the answer to our flashing controller which told us we needed to replace the bulb.  Danger it said!  Turns out that the controller has gone caput, so we have to drive and buy its replacement tomorrow.  That is not the end of the UV problem though as we desperately need to replace the sediment filter, but cannot do it because both the internal and external stop-cocks need replacing as they barely move.  They must have been like this for YEARS so no wonder the sediment filter was so filthy and there was a note on our tap saying "BOIL drinking water!"

 


As you can see from the photos, two of the cats got to explore a bit outdoors yesterday - the bravest ones, Theo (who was very keen to explore) and Alfie.  They loved it out there and would have explored a lot more.  Little Whale decided Outside was Too Much for Him at this moment, and Ghengis just slept all day.  We have bought two cat flaps (for the front door and the door from the hall into the kitchen) so those will get fitted soon - outer one first so if someone escapes they can get back in, and then once we can see they are happy to come and go, we'll fit the middle one.


Above and below: as you can see, my eye-level for the garden from the kitchen is just out of the window and it's lovely.  The house has been dug out all the way round and a wall holds in the lawned area.  No area of the ground touches the house, though you can't see that clearly in the photo.



Soaking up the sun - the living room faces South.


The view across the garden to the pond and Summer House and the fields and hills beyond.  You may just make out the door in the fencing which leads through to a rough triangle of land beyond, which is also ours.


There are four little raised beds like these which need weeding and feeding and probably raising a bit more and then we will grow some salad veg in them.  Current occupants are Marjoram I think.  Something herby anyway.


Above: view from the bathroom window, and below, the view from Tam's side bedroom window.  (She has a dual-aspect room).


    Three Long Tailed Tits on the peanuts.  Lovely to see them in our garden.  They also visit the other feeders too, which are at the front of the house.

    We got lots of small jobs done yesterday.   I found that small areas of damp on internal walls were due to blocked drains (as I thought).    One is an ancient (Georgian?) earthenware soakaway type drain which would have gone under the stable cobbles in a land drain.  'Tis a rare thing. It is still blocked in the land drain area as the seepage bit is very shallow, so I will have to try some caustic soda and see if that works, otherwise it needs a pressure hose used on it.

    I even did a wee bit of gardening, and weeded two big glazed earthenware planters at the rhododendron end of the garden.  The former owner left me all her glazed pots, which is great, but I shall probably rehome 2 of the four big pots of sage as they would be better planted with something floral.  If I could but find my secateurs, I could really make a difference, but have to find the Gardening Box first!

    

24 comments:

  1. Loving the photos and updates on your new home. The mattress deal sounds great. Thanks.

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    1. Glad you are enjoying our adventures here. I think the mattress is a bargain.

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  2. I feel as though I have taken a tour around the lawn and gardens--along with the cats! Little Whale is, I think, your black and white--like my Edward? Edward also finds outside a bit much while his brothers go in and out continually.
    When we bought the first little house in Kentucky [11 years ago!] there were a lot of small things that had to be tinkered with as well as replacing 30 year old appliances and cupboards in the kitchen. It would seem that your seller had let a few things go!
    I don't want to move again--or build another house--or renovate one--but I am greatly enjoying your adventure! Keep the photos coming.

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    1. Ah, better to live vicariously sometimes! Yes, LW is our black and white puss-cat. Back at the old house he was happy to go out - until Big Black Sam arrived on the scene and made life scarier as he was such a bully. It looks like getting a plumber here is going to be difficult . . . Anyway, Keith has been busy with his electric sander and freed up a couple of doors and one of the bedroom shutters.

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  3. Gorgeous views.

    I think I was like your cats, lazing in front of the big south facing windows here on the couch soaking up the sun. I think I might even have purred.

    God bless.

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    1. I am still pinching myself over the views Jackie. I was envious of those cats, as things are still SO busy here and I don't get to sit down from breakfast time until after tea. I did envy them!

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  4. You have certainly found a lovely place to live and the garden and that raised pond look interesting.

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    1. Yes, there is a big niggle over the water at the moment - try getting a plumber when you need one! but we will get there. The pond needs the beech leaves removing - a job for a sunny day.

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  5. It's all so beautiful! You are so busy at the moment but it's that kind of new, fun busy which is the best kind in my opinion.

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    1. Isn't it? We love it. A good kind of busy, but goodness, exhausted every evening at present.

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  6. What beautiful views. I must look into these reconditioned Emma mattress's, they sound like a bargain. Glad you are able to get outside and potter in the garden, it is blowing a hoolie here. A great picture of those beautiful cats lazing in the sun.

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    1. https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/emma_sleep?fbclid=IwAR0CsY1ljIVze59YePlKr5f4zyqninrnYzI_LQY5Yr7uKoU3jUYDSLoE1Pc

      There's a link MM - we got ours for 2/3of the brand new price! I hope you aren't too battered by Storm Darcy - it's another Beast from the East type of storm, but seems to be focused on the East Coast (although they say "Scotland" generally, so perhaps it will reach you too.) Keep safe and warm.

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  7. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!! ~Andrea xoxo

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    1. Isn't it?! You'll love the photos of the Brecon Beacons I've just posted too.

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  8. I would love to know where you can get a reconditioned Emma mattress as we are looking for one.

    Lovely photos and all good wishes for your new home

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    1. The eBay site for the refurbished mattresses is emma_sleep Here's a link: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/emma_sleep?fbclid=IwAR0CsY1ljIVze59YePlKr5f4zyqninrnYzI_LQY5Yr7uKoU3jUYDSLoE1Pc

      Thanks for the good wishes Annie - we LOVE it here.

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  9. Along with everyone else, I am admiring your lovely views. So wonderful to be able to step out of the house, take a deep breath and then gaze on the distant hills. Pure bliss. Glad you had such a nice day to take stock of things outside the house. Seems like the cats will be well pleased with their new surroundings, too.

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    1. You have summed it up perfectly Mary. The views are just so uplifting, especially in such worrying times.

      No plans to garden today as it is cold and drizzling and Storm Darcy is threatened to make life difficult for the folk along the East coast. I'm glad we are West!

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  10. It all looks such an exciting project for the next few years.

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    1. Hoping to have the rewiring done as soon as Lockdown is lifted, the new bathroom fitted this summer, kitchen to follow and redecorating in several rooms. The orchard and veg plot will keep us busy too.

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  11. So very nice! Some day I hope to have a n organized garden area. Some day...

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    1. I had no garden at all in my last house and not much money to establish one either so I ended up with gifted garden "thugs" which I divided and planted about the place. Glad to leave the tyranny of them spreading and having lots of leaves which needed cutting back.

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  12. Well you don't have to worry about getting fed up during lockdown do you, there's SO much for you to do. I guess I 've got all this to come but on a much smaller scale. It's looking good though and I love hearing all your plans, I hope it all goes well for you.

    And I would LOVE to rescue that poor little neglected cottage, Alan has in mind doing something like that in the near future when we sell our little Welsh 'retirement plan' flat. Using the money to buy and sell other properties hopefully for a small profit.

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  13. Exciting times Sue. We are so happy here and it is SUCH a relief after our the expense of running and maintaining our huge old farmhouse. At least we have drinkable water now! Very helpful plumber yesterday, and he is booked in to fit the new bathroom after Lockdown.

    Having done up a very neglected farmhouse (had we known quite how bad it was we'd have thought twice) I know what a money pit they can be. I wouldn't buy property to do up in Wales as the market is so different to England. It took us 10 years to sell ours - having overpriced it at the beginning and then that is a curse which lingers as people think, "that's been on a long time, there must be something wrong with it."

    Good luck with all your plans anyway and keep in touch.

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