And now there's so much

OK, I've now got so much to say I'll have to list it:

1. My tenants were a pain, they have caused all sorts of problems in the house and it needs a total redecoration. It was decorated throughout last August. The tenants will shortly be histiry for afresaid reasons. The house is now For Sale.

2. This hosue is a hive activity, as I write the utility is being plastered, we have a new cloakroom, the porch is being built and the last 3 'extra' kitchen cupboards are in place.

3. Because of note 2 I am daily running out of milk, sugar and tea.

4. Also because of note 2 I have retreated to various county records offices and to meeting with geanealogy friends in coffee shops in order to avoid the noise and dust.

5. I now provide a daily meals on wheels service for Mother in Law. I am rapidly running out of ideas for old fashioned home cooked stodge. Already WH is craving curries and stir fries, if I give in then I have to cook 2 separate meals a day.

6. Our grandkids suddenly want to sleep over, come for meals and spend even more time here. It's no big deal but it requires even more cooking, supervising school projects and keeping tabs on the numerous friends who come to call.

7. I can hardly believe I am writing this but the weather has been gorgeous. Sitting out on the south facing patio has become a must. It's sheltered, sunny and you could almost believe you were by the Med if you didn't have to open your eyes and survey the building site which STILL occupies the back garden. The fig tree is growing leaves though.

8. The majority of my plants are still in pots and tubs so daily watering is imperative in the month long dry spell we ahve had. I have to fight the builders for use of the hosepipe though and I don't always win.

9. An elderly friend is in hospital in the midlands. We have been visiting and it looks like he is in for the long haul. The car is getting used to the weekly treck up the M5 once again.

10. It's only 5 weeks until we go back to Kalamos. The work here should be finished then, just the garden left for our return. It will be wonderful, almost 3 weeks of utter peace. Can't wait.

Snatches of conversations

"Nanny, can I have a oghurt and semonade to drink?"

"All the little houses are getting bigger and bigger through this window"

"Is that a shark or a sardine?"

"I've turned some stones over there, I looked under some here as well, and do you know what Nanny? There aren't ANY pigging crabs"

" Ugh, it's all antsies and they're carrying their Magnix all over"....."Yes I know they look like eggs, I just said, they've got their Magnix"

"Well he can just put that big lobster down and show someone else, I don't want to see it."

"Of course I tried some new food, I had 4 sorts of hotdogs and funny bread, so that's five."

"Do you know, Denmark and Germany get all their electricity from windchimes."

"I'm so brave I'm going to jump in that stream and catch a turtle right now. Oh no I don't think I will, it's all slimy"

"I'm going to live here for ever, well if I can bring my own bed and a tv"

"Aunty, you can just get straight back in that pool and come out the proper way. BY THE STEPS, right."

The holiday is over, now the memories start.

Some good things happened this week

1. I had a lovely card for Mother's Day from youngest step-daughter. That will be the 18th year running I got something from her. Usually hand made but sometimes like this one a really lovely 'bought' one with lovely words.

2. Took Grandaughter aged 4 into the village shop and she was asked what she had been doing at Play School. 'Oh I don't go there any more' she said 'I've got the Chicky Spots' and proceded to pull up her jumper to show everyone.

3. The first flowers are out on my Akebia. Spring is definitely just around the corner even though we had a blizzard on Monday, for 10 minutes.

4. Went to the dentist and for the first time ever, I didn't have to have anything done. The Lyme treatment has improved my horrid teeth too.

5. The dentist thought I looked a lot fitter too and said so.

6. Was promised some (free) tickets for Chelsea Flower Show again from one of our suppliers. Thank You so much.

7. I have now lost almost 2 stones in weight since mid-December. My GP prefers kgs but somehow I know where I am with pounds and stones. Either way it's good.

A chip off the old block

As well as it being Worst Half's birthday this weekend, today middle grandson is 7. His birthday present list read like a catalogue for a tool store. In pole position was a generator because Mummy said he couldn't have any electricity in his shed. After that was an air compressor, by accident really, he thought it was a DIFFERENT generator; a camping light, also for his shed; an electric drill because Grandad wouldn't let him take one of his home; and some screwdrivers to add to his already quite impressive collection.

What he actually got from us was the camping light but in the shape of a rechargeable lead-light so Mummy isn't spending a fortune on batteries for the next 5 years; a reflective work jacket, just like a real builder's; an assortment of bird feeders and bird seed to feed his other passion of bird watching; some garden wildlife books so he can identify the numerous bugs which turn up in the shed and finally the best thing of all in his 7 year old eyes, a freebie mug and pen from a local builder's merchant, only of couse he didn't KNOW it was free.

This little 7 year old, and he is quite little, has the look of his Grandad at the same age. He passionately wants to be a builder just like Grandad and had a real moment of triumph a couple of weeks back when he helped to put the garage door on our new garage. He put the final 5 inch screws in, holding the drill with Grandad like a real pro, only this little builder was standing on an upturned rubbish bucket in order to reach. He has helped redo all the skirting board in the new house and is eagerly waiting for the first fix in the new extension. At parent's evening he entertained his headmistress with a word perfect description of how to scribe a joint. 'My Grandad showed me."

This is the boy who hates being indoors and complains that when the weather is nice his teacher won't allow him to take his work outside, so unlike his older brother who is academically gifted but prefers to sit inside most of the time, his nose in a book or on the pc. They both play football but perversely it is older brother who is the real Beckham, top scorer in his local team. I have memories of the younger boy, outside the back door on a freezing cold day, aged 3, no jumper and taking his shoes off and struggling with a bucket of cold, dirty water, cleaning his bike.

The summer's coming, a house move in the offing and the promise of a huge garden and a better site for his shed, well away from the house. We can only speculate the projects to be undertaken this year. Now 50-year-old Grandad dreams of an early retirement but somehow he's going to have to postpone it for a few years until the apprentice leaves school. Meanwhile the lead light will come in handy for carrying out spying operations when he's not working with Grandad.

Mud, Mud, Glorious mud

After weeks of nothing much very visible happening on the new house, today saw the start of the groundworks. The crew were due at 9am. They arrived at 11 and had a tea break, six phone calls and a big conflab. After another few phone calls they decided they needed more equipment so off went the tractor and trailer to fetch some. Another truck appeared. Some more digger parts appeared. They had another cup of tea.

About 2pm they started and cleared the whole back-garden in about 40 minutes. I fetched 6 year-old grandson to watch after school." It's boring," he said, "they wont let me do anything, I'm going home." I watched fascinated.

All that is left is a pile of rubble to be removed in the morning, a pile of bushes to be replanted and a wide expanse of flat clear space where the lawn will be. No dead trees, no stumps, no little twee brick walls, no giant weeds.

I love it.

Just got to dig the foundations tomorrow then we will be really motoring on.

It's a boy.

He finally arrived by c-section at 1pm on Friday, after 5 failed inductions and 4 days in hospital. Mum and babe doing well when we saw them yesterday. You forget how tiny these little ones are.