February

 I know that February is the shortest month but it has gone really fast.  I think part of it is being so busy and counting down to moving out of here, only 22 months to go and so much to do.  Actually, I'm hoping to move earlier.  January is far too cold and that house is colder.  So my idea is to start moving in October 2024.  Still not happy about it but no choice.  Looking for one good thing.  Kids keep telling me that I won't have to pay rent, which is good but I'll have to get a loan to repair everything, so no real change.  Found out yesterday that the bathroom sink will need changing.  It looks like it wasn't installed properly as there is tape connecting it to the wall and the waste pipe is damaged.  Not going to think about that at the moment!

Good things this month.  Hannah got her driver's license.  She passed the driving part last September but failed the written test by one point.  It takes a few hours to do the test so she hasn't had the time or Mikey has been too busy to take her.  Finally got their schedules to mesh up, she went last Friday.  I'm glad that is finished, she can focus on her studies.  The school year finished earlier this month, and she got a 3.2 GPA. 

The cats are freaking out at the moment.  The house next door is being demolished and the noise is bad.  Alan got under the sink for an hour or so.  I've put some boxes for them but they aren't happy at all. 

A few random photos.

Alan is under the sink!

Christopher at work.

Side of the house.

A Little Outing

 I was going to go back to the house yesterday but it was pouring down and very dark.  So David, Christopher, Hannah and I went for a little trip.  Mikey had plans with a friend.

In a town near here is a museum dedicated to the air field in that area. This was a civilian air field that opened in the early 1900's, testing some of the earliest air craft.  During the war it was used as an army base and training school.  Some of the pilots beccame Kamikaze pilots.  The area was heavily bomded by the Americans towards the end of the war.  There were actual planes that has been found and restored and a lot of other items.  One thing I found interesting were the uniforms, they looked very small, especially across the shoulders.  It was a nice morning out.  Few photos.

Back To The House

 And a complete melt down.

Mikey, Christopher and I went back to the house to try and clean things out a bit more.  Mikey and Christopher worked outside, sorting the trash into groups, metal, plastics etc so we can hire somebody to take the stuff away.  I worked inside. Spent half an hour throwing out underware and old socks, there were 7 draws stuffed with underwear and a cabinet full of socks.  I then moved into MIL's bedroom.  She had so many clothes, most she never wore.  When we lived with her, about 15 years ago, I moved her stuff from the larger bedroom.  I noticed all these catalogue boxes, stacked floor ceiling. She had opened the boxes but the clothes were still in the plastic bags, she had left the receipts inside, there was about 6000 pounds worth of clothes.  These clothes were still there, so I started to pack up things to take to the recycle shop.  I opened the window because of the dust and noticed that the rain pipe was held together with tape.

Rain pipe

I lost it. I got so angry.  Here I was surrounded by crap but she couldn't be bothered to fix the rain pipe.  I also noticed that bamboo from the neighbours yard had fallen on the roof, I really hope there is no damage.

I honestly don't want to move there, I would rather seell up and buy something near where I live now.  But nobody wants to live in that area, it's really in the countryside.  I know I could put it up for sale but it would take longer than two years to sell.  Some land in the area has been for sale for about 10 years!

I feel so awful, really depressed about this and trying to find something good isn't happening.  

We took a big box of clothes to the recycle shop and got 2 pounds. dpesn't even cover the gas!

Of Course

 The good things finished and back to the struggle.

Bit of background.  I find it hard to throw out things, I'm really a hoarder.  I know that things are just things but it is difficult to let go of stuff.  I have clothes that are 5 sizes to small but I'm still hanging on to them because you never know!  Because I'm like this with my stuff and household stuff the kids are the same.  Hannah is a bit better but still holding on to things.  

Yesterday I decided that I have to get rid of a lot of stuff.  So I helped Mikey and Christopher go through their clothes and filled a box with old stuff, somethings from junior high school!!  Mikey said that there is a place where old clothes can be dumped to recycle so we decided to go there, it's also near a good supermarket that has better quality meat and cheaper than near here.  So Mikey, Christopher and I went out. Went shopping, got some good bargins on meat. Then went to the recycle place.  They are no longer accepting clothes.  Never mind, we will have to burn them.  Went to another store and then started for home.  As we were driving back a light came on the dashboard, the engine was over heating.  We stopped and opened the hood, smoke starts pouring out, the radiator is completely dry.  We had passed a gas/ service station so we turned round and managed to get there.  The smell from the engine was awful, really burning smell.  Mikey talked to the staff who called the manager back from lunch.  Christopher and I went and had a look around another store.  Hour later Mikey called saying that we can drive home but need a new radiator.  Mikey had already booked the car in for it's MOT this week so they can change out the radiator.  But it's just another expense that we don't need.  I'm trying to save money so we can do things for the house but at this rate we won't be able to do anything!

I'm really fed up.  I had hoped to travel a bit this year but that is now looking like a pipe dream!

Where we broke down!

Good News

 Finally something good!

Went back to the docotor last Wednesday.  The numbers indicating diabetes are down.  I'm not out of the woods as yet but heading in the right direction!  My doctor has given me 40 days of medicine and told me to keep on doing what I'm doing.  I'm hoping that I can stop the medicine next time but that is going to take a lot of work! 

Also I managed to walk to the local supermarket yesterday. It isn't far, maybe 5 minutes walk but for the past few years I haven't tried.  The pain in my knee was too bad and I didn't have confidence I could do even that.  I was happy that I could walk there, shop and walk home again with little pain in my knee, my back was another question.  I've had back problems all my adult life and I've put up with it but now I want to do more and have to do more I think I should get checked out!  More doctors!!

Poor Hannah got sick last week.  Tonsillitiis.  Although miserable isn't dangerous but Hannah gets really high fevers.  Last week was 39.8C.  She got a load of medicine and slept most of the week.  She had tickets for a musical but had to cancel.  never mind, we are going to see Dream Girls next month!

David and Hannah messing with my phone!

Giving the cats a hard time!

February Challenges And The House

 My original plan for February was to get the garden cleaned up and dug over.  I still have to do that but looks like adding other challenges to my month!  So this month I will start on the garden.  I would love to be able to grow some vegetables.  I've tried many times before but never seems to work out.  I want to say that I will go out every day and do a bit but I know that is difficult but at least a few times a week.

The other challenge has to do with the new reality of moving.  I've dedided to challenge myself to find something good about moving there.  Each month I'll try to add one more postive thing so at least I'll have 23 positive things.  But at the moment all I have is negative things,  I am grateful that we have a place to move to as renting another place seems to be impossible because of the cats.  Even rentals that allow pets only allow one or two animals.  

Today I'm not happy.  Spent the morning at the house.  It's a lot worse than I remembered it being.  I honestly don't think my mother in law cleaned.  I know when we moved in with her, about 15 years ago the house was dirty.  Took 10 liters of bleach to clean out the black mold in the kitchen sink.  She never cleaned the extractor fan over the stove and the windows were black.  When we lived there I cleaned all the time.  I know that she was ill before she went into hospital and the old peoples home and cleaning was not high on her list of things to do but she was offered home help, free, from the city but she refused wanting to do it all herself.  Only problem is she couldn't do and so now it's down to me.

Don't eat while looking at these photos.  There's no electrcity so the lighting isn't very good and I only took a few rooms.

Built in stove, how am I suspossed to clean that

View of the stove from the dinning area

Oven, this can be thrown out

There are loads of burnt pots and pans left out.  The draws are full of dead cockroaches and I couldn't get anything from under the sink, just opening it made my stomach turn.

Dinning and kitchen

All the stuff in boxes is stuff that needs to be thrown out.  So much waste.  Some things I can keep, new soup and rice bowls,  some other plates and dishes that have never been used.  

Bathroom

The floor tiles came up just a couple of years after the house was built but she never got them fixed. The edges are sharp and I cut my feet many times when we lived there.

The Japanese style room, again with stuff that needs dumping

Owl outside the front door

I don't know if 2 years is going to be long enough!

The garden is massive and needs cutting down.  The house behind is empty but the bamboo is growing like crazy and could be dangerous in high winds.

All I want to do is curl up and cry but that isn't going to help!