Still Standing

The house survived a birthday and house warming party weekend, with the total damage only being 1 light bulb, 1 drain cover and a glass.  All in all very good and a BIG thank you to all that made it.

For me some the funny things to come from the weekend.

• There is now a clean and usable dinning room, it has been a store room for a few months.
• All the bedrooms can take guests, oddly the room were described by cities over the weekend ie the Leeds room, the Birmingham room .....

I think one of the strangest things for me and maybe some of the guests, was the party was in my house not next door.  It not easy to explain unless you are used to the houses (both houses) parties my neighbours and I have.

I have a feeling there will be more

Home made sweets

 Pick some berries from the garden, you don't need a lot. Mush them thought a sieve.

Compost the pulp and keep the juice

Add a couple of table spoons of white power 

 After more white power change to a bigger bowl and add more white power.

Give up with table spoon measures and just tip the box in then blob in to portions

 Put in to the freezer for a bit and shape and refreeze.

 Pick your preferred chocolate coating and chill again.

Enjoy

Almost like new

With the rain stopping work outside, I turned my attention to some under cover jobs.  The other weekend I managed to replace the old imperial none standard stop tap in the washhouse with a new 15min one and with  the insulation I rescued from a skip (with permission of the owner). I decided to try and stop the pipes freezing in the winter and to make inside of the washhouse look nicer again.



It was a slow start placing the battens and insulation, one I was started it went well.

Alas I ran out of insulation before I finished the whole wall  

How my Roses grow

These are the 3 roses in my garden and how they are coming on.  I've also added my first strawberry plant that is starting to fruit.

From a good friend  for my birthday several years ago, it is coming along lovely and smell amazing.

 

This one is a cutting I grew from one of next doors roses the petals have red speckling, it is also doing will considering the winters it has been though.  I will cut it back this year to stop it being as spinally.

My Mum bought me this one last year again as birthday gift. It has a lovely light smell and variegated petals.

and last but not least a Strawberry plant given by a friend last year, just need to keep the birds off it.

The Garden Path

I decided to try and tidy the front path last night, mainly because we have a block paving brush thing here are some pictures, not finished by a long way but its a start.

I remembered to do a before and started at the gate end.  The brush did very well in on moss and clearing the gaps but was no use if grass or weeks were growing.  It did have a spike tool but it did not work that well, in the end I just ran a spade over the weeds and then use the brush to clear between the block.

Its not clear from the picture but I did get about a third of the path done, then all was left was to clear up the mess.

I'll update as I go, the bit in front of the house might need some weed killer as well.

Shampooing the carpets weekend

 After and Before a shampooing

With help from Audrey we set to this weekend washing the carpets, with a hired big cleaner thing. I all went very well and brought the Lounge and Dining Room carpets back to life.

The picture to the right is of the dining room, the darker greens and more vibrant colours on the left are after the cleaning vs the unwashed faded pale bit of carpet to the right.

I would have liked to give the Landing and Stairs another wash but ran out of time.  The waste water came out some very nasty colours, I feel good now it all done.  We even managed to wash the Dining room curtains, but due their size it was one at a time in the machine.

Water tight again just before the rain

  

A big thanks to my Brother who came down the other week,  it was such a great week.  Since we both started living in different parts of the UK we don't get to see much of each other.it was such a great week.  Since we both started living in different parts of the UK we don't get to see much of each other.

We got a lot done the slipped tiles were put back and the loose ones secured, then clean the gutters out for the year a head and put cages up to try and reduce the work for next year.  The window a friend rebuilt for me was next I'd reglazed it back in Nov but the weather and it being a two person job stopped me putting back, now the spare front bedroom has a new and opening window, shame the other panel now need work.  The back spare bedroom also had its window fixed no more leaks. Then off the with the old satellite dish and the nasty old plastic wagon wheels before we move our attentions to the inside.

Time to open the doors and scare the world

These are pictures from some of the rooms around the house, as I try and keep a photographic log of how I get  on.

Notice the lovely avocado bathroom and the brown wall kitchen.

Before the Big Bang or in the beginning

In 2008 a friend and I found this great old Victorian house for them to move to and I joked if it was for sale I'd go halves for it and on the 11th Dec 2008 we moved in.  Alas the economy was not in a great state and time became hard, in the Spring of 2011 they went their separate way.  I kept the house for many reasons and in the August of that year all the legal stuff was sorted and it became my home.

With the Coalition government still intent on soul destroying {if not killing off} everyone with less than £4 million to they name and the world banks trading in Monopoly money.  Life became a battle not to let this place fall down, I would have to save just to do little jobs as well as fight the depression and worry of bankruptcy.

In 2012 I contacted the charitable organisation Consumer Credit Counselling Service, I had, had lots of helpful advice from friend but alas it often just helped my mood.  The CCCS gave me some good advice and help in many ways, I'm still on the poverty line for now, however I do not have to worry about losing my home and with their help can start save for the expensive things that need doing.

I hope to keep this blog up to date with both the big and little projects, fail or success as try and make this a true home.