15 boxes of books - less . . .

 As I said, I have had to harden my heart and be RUTHLESS with my books. Tam has helped by saying that other people would be able to enjoy them now, and a charity is benefitting.  It was not my first choice of charity, but hey ho, needs must.  Keith has shed a good boxful too, so we have made good progress.

View across to Black Mountain from a recent walk.

    Of course, we had the news on the expected Welsh Lockdown, which now starts on Friday evening.  I managed to quickly get another Tip run booked, and we will sort out the stuff for that tomorrow.  We also need to phone the charity shop we donated to last week, and confirm it is still OK to bring more stuff this week.  We need to Get Rid!

    Yesterday we picked as many pears as we could reach, and the bird-pecked ones will have to be cooked up.  I shall share a few (more!) with our friend up the lane. I am trying not to look at the ever increasing pile of windfall apples . . .

    So much to organize.  We will have to ask the Removal Company to let us have boxes early as we are packing now and lost 15 good boxes for books today when we dropped them off.  There will have to be some juggling of boxes with Tam's stuff going into bigger boxes and we having the suitable-for-books boxes to utilise.

    I don't know the impact of the Welsh Lockdown on the housing market, eg. searches and the like, but I am sure that viewings won't be allowed and that Estate Agents will close because they are considered non-essential.  We have paid for searches to be done, but hope there is no delay on those due to Council offices being shut - I think many Council employees are still working from home anyway.  Let's hope the Lockdown is sufficient to stop the spread of the virus but Christmas will be looking very iffy.  We have already said it won't really be happening for us as a family - D and G will celebrate together if poss, and us 3 together - hopefully in our new home.

Keep safe everyone.

Shedding "stuff"

 

When you have lived somewhere for nearly half a lifetime (32 years in our case), you accumulate a LOT of "stuff".  Some of mine went to a Charity shop today, as arranged on the phone on Thursday.  Yet when I got there the lady had no knowledge of it and said because of the proposed Lockdown they didn't want to take any more bla bla bla.  So I said, "You want me to take it away then?"  "Oh no . . ." and when I mentioned craft things, she remembered the call and took much of our carful.  I can take more next week.

    After that Tam and I had a lovely walk around Llandeilo, which is a nice little town with a long history.  We included the churchyard of St Teilo's in our perambulation, noting a Chinese headstone beside the path, the first I have seen anywhere, and many plots belonging to the Nicholas family.

    Then I had to go and see our smallholding friend N up the road, and offered her some small books on aspects of country living, plus a pile of old Country Kitchen magazines - they were too good to just chuck.  I also offered her some rubber matting we had for the horses (she has donkeys and sheep) so both of us were pleased when we agreed she would like them!

    After that, we had to load the car for the Tip Run tomorrow.  I will need to book another one or two in for the coming week so that we can get as much away as possible before the likely Lockdown from 26th October.

    Tea was Kedgeree tonight, and whilst that was cooking I carried on going through the (last?) box of paperwork from the Junk Room, finding old Archaeology essays, school reports, notes for a book I once proposed to write, notes and copy of a talk on Edward Thomas which I gave, and old bank statements and auction receipts.  Also the details of a lovely old house in Hatherleigh we once hoped to buy, but it didn't happen as no buyer turned up here at the time. 

    Now I am absolutely shattered, and about to have a bath and collapse in a heap.  Tomorrow, legal paperwork needs to be done for the Solicitor, so we can drop it in on Monday, and  pears need picking and storing before the birds have them all, and then it's more going through the junk room.  We have had the eye-watering quote for our removal, and it is obvious we must do some of it ourselves, and jettison more furniture.  Two linen "cupboards" that were middle daughter's will now be taken apart and can be Freecycled, as they are quite bulky when made up and we had originally intended taking them.  No more. G's bed is also staying with the house, and another couple of big chunks of furniture will be offered to our buyers.

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

If it all goes to plan . . .

 

This would be the view to be enjoyed near our next home.  Let's hope it all pans out . . . but the new Welsh Lockdown could throw a spanner in the works.

    We were there today, measuring up what would fit and where.  Downsizing is a bit of a nightmare, but at least the rooms there are really generous.  As I said, I wanted the same size rooms, but fewer of them . . .

    We also explored the town a bit and got away from the main street and into the hinterland.  Some nice nooks and crannies and a VERY good butcher.

Hard at work and a walk to the Canter Field

 

Ghengis taking advantage of the Autumn sunshine in my craft room - on my old sewing box, bought at one of the first auctions we ever went to (£16 at Cottees, in Dorset).

    I had another busy day, going through the book stash again, and now I have all my archaeology books sorted - two big shelves of them which I am prepared to "let go".  I have a local bookdealer friend coming out to check them and hopefully offer (generously! I wish).  The Abebooks value of some of the first editions is a goodly sum.  I know a profit has to be made but not parting with £50 books for a couple of quid.  That sticks in the craw - being an antiques dealer makes you want to buy cheaply and sell for the best possible price!

    

Then Keith called me to start clearing out the poultry shed, namely the stacks of plant pots which had been breeding out there.  I kept what I deemed useful for our new needs, but  the divided seedling trays of different sizes do not stack . . .  There is easily another load to take to the Tip, and a gigantic corner-broken-off mirror which I really do NOT know how we will be able to shift without taking a hammer to it, nor the rusted cast iron stove which should have gone with the scrap man last time he was here . . . (well put it this way, I was for him taking it and Keith not as he thought he might "do it up" and put it in auction.)  Not worth the effort, believe me . . .

Then I came in to "rest" and sat on the sofa with a big wok-full of windfall cooking apples, peeled and cut them up and stewed them.  Then Tam and I had a lovely walk in the sunshine (it was hot!) up the hill and turn right along the ridge to the Canter Field - which now has a house built on it - and took a few photos.  After that, back to going through books and that was my day done.  Here are the steps to prove it! 21,471 steps!!  I slept well : )

All Change - what a Difference a Day Makes

 

Good morning everyone.  I slept soundly last night and have a little energy today, and have let go of SO MUCH angst and stress in the past 12 hours.  Our house had a visit from an expert of total integrity yesterday, and hopefully our corner has been successfully fought.  We shall see.

    I have begun my working day by tackling the Junk Room of Doom, and anyone who has ever seen it will think, "poor woman"!!  Still, it has cheered me no end to see the ever-increasing pile of stuff to be moved on (local charity shops will benefit) and my stock is being sorted through and repacked with extra bubble wrap for the breakable bits.

    A walk is planned for later as there are blue skies again.  What a difference a day makes . . .

Living in Limbo

A view towards Llanfynydd on a walk on Sunday.

 These are strange times. Without Covid, they would be more bearable, I have to say.  I am still getting bad dreams - all Covid-related.  The other night I was put in a room with lots of people, none of them wearing masks, and I was in such a panic . . .  That's when I CAN sleep though - from Sunday-Monday I went 22 hours without sleep, waking at 4 on Sunday morning, and not able to get off to sleep Sunday night/Monday morning until 2 a.m.  It's like being on Steroids, and I suppose my Cortisol levels must be so high that is exactly what is happening to my body.  Tam and I spend a couple of hours yesterday filling out a form for the next house survey, but at least that gave us a chance to say what had been done to the house, and when.

Walking downhill towards the valley bottom

    Tea last night was leftovers for Tam and I (Keith nearly always eats a different meal because he just likes very basic food, nothing "messed-around"!!)  She had made a wonderful Butternut Squash and Bacon Galette, only using the one (!) Hungarian Blue squash we grew in the garden (wish there'd been more) and substituting Chorizo for the Bacon.  It was delish.  https://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/butternut-squash-bacon-galette/  Tam has a photo on her phone, I will try and transfer it.

We stopped at the bridge over the stream to take a photo and then turn around as another steep hill ahead and we only had time for a short walk.

    I have now found an antidote to being wound up and it isn't wine . . .  Tam got me to try some of the Plum and Clementine Gin I bought her last Christmas.  I had it with lemonade.  I am NOT a spirits drinker and normally don't touch Gin, but I have to say this was really nice (came from Aldi last year).  After two sips I was Very Relaxed! and slept well last night. I think the ratio of Gin to Lemonade was strongly in favour of the Gin . . .

  I came up to bed half way through University Challenge (we record it each week) - two colleges from Oxford and Cambridge were slogging it out and instead of the 12 or so questions I could answer in recent weeks, I only got 5 and there were too many science or maths questions - not my starter for 10!  Bed seemed a welcome option.

One last look across the landscape.

        So, another day of living in Limbo, tidying up in the garden, going through more books - though today I think I need to go into the Junk Room of Doom and go through boxes of stock - some have "Car Boot Sale" on them and since we won't be doing one of those any time soon, these lesser items will have to find another home.  I daren't let myself think too much about our new home, just in case it all goes pear-shaped . . .  Fate just loves to be tempted.

    

Facing up to reality

 

Yesterday was another rather stressful day on two counts.  Firstly we had complete strangers here to give quotes and although we were all wearing masks, I still feel very uneasy, especially as they were inclined to stay and chat at the end and I just wanted to shove them out of the door soonest!  One even needed to use "the facilities" and that freaked me out.  The shower room has since been bleached within an inch of its life and the window left open/door shut.  

    Then I had to take myself to task to go through my collections of books - rather than just novels, which are a lot easier to part with.  A boxful of the latter had come from the Donation Table in Tesco last year - some I was still waiting to find time to read, but - there will be other books.  Those will be going to a friend next week.  I have now got a much heavier boxful of defunct craft books to go to the charity shop.  I was being practical there and the special craft books - and magazines - have stayed.  I have a pile of craft magazines and booklets that is nearly knee high, plus another pile of Country Kitchen mags to pass on to others who might enjoy them. I would hate to have to put them on the bonfire. This is where the Tesco Donation Table is sorely missed - I got rid of a lot of magazines and books that way last year, looking ahead to "when we might move".  Some charity shops won't take any magazines. The Green Shop in Llandeilo may do, but I don't know if they are open at the moment.  I've e-mailed them, so will find out in due course.

    Anyway, I have been through the first shelf of my archaeology books, and valued the 1st editions etc.  Some quite valuable, though getting their value is a totally different matter.  I will keep a selection to stay with us.

    Then I tackled my Countryside and West Country collections.  With my West Country roots, I have long collected books about Devon.  I had to dig deep to find the strength to be ruthless, but I looked at each and every one and have packed (get me being so organized!) two packing boxes of books to go and the rest to be rehomed.  Memories of those days out in Hay-on-Wye bookshops in pre-Covid times, when I would allow myself the luxury of choosing a book (normally only £3 or £5) for my collection.  

    Then I came upstairs to the bookcase Keith made me from a solid oak wardrobe. This has recently had a door and lovely brass hinges fitted on it and will be our food cupboard when we move.    However, it needed to be emptied first and being deep, had acquired a double layer of books on each of the 4 shelves. These were some overspill books from my Literary collection (these ones are mostly about Thomas Hardy), Victorian Social History, Folklore, a few books about Herefordshire when I thought we would be moving there, and some of my collection of Antiquarian Horse Books.  I have reduced it to 3 shelves of single depth books now and 100 or so are piled on the coffer in the hall.  I will have to get these moved on before I can do much more clearing.  I am going to call a bookseller friend to see what he would take.  He came out years ago when I was thinking of parting with my horse books, but now they really DO have to go, so I hope he can manage a decent offer.  

    I have always loved books, and as money was short when I was growing up, books were what I got from the library or as Christmas presents.  I began collecting Antiquarian Horse Books when I began work aged 16.  I am unashamedly a bibliophile.  I like to have my own Library around me.  I will have to prune back now but know there will be more books in the future . . .

    We now have some tangible proof of works done on the house, as fortunately in going through all our photographs recently, I have found one of Danny in a pushchair, with the front wall clearly drilled for a damp proof course, so we can now prove that was done (though in a house of this construction with walls 3 feet thick and a rubble centre, I don't think it was of any use whatsoever!)  We have also found other photos of when we were turning the totally derelict dairy into a flat for my mum, showing the flagstones up and membrane going down in there and also beneath the new floor in her bedroom.  Plus others which show other improvement work on the house and what it looked like when we moved in - you know, that "we must have been MAD to buy this" sort of decor . . .  Our buyer is here again on Tuesday to meet with his Builder (outbuildings plans), though  I doubt we can sit out on the patio to talk now it's autumn.

    Right, this won't do.  Just gone 6 a.m. and I have been awake since 4 again.  This will be another long day.