Have you achieved something today?

[Brian71]

Good Lord Brian. That's a hell of a lot of work you've done there. I'm surprised you have he energy to type. The ld paintbrushes are always a good fall back if your looking for something to occupy you but I would have stretched out a ceiling to two days.

Today I mostly slept but I did manage to rehang the kitchen door. 

Unfortunately it doesn't shut anymore. 

Yes Hubby I surprised myself a little,  but somehow we have to try and keep going.  I'm sure you will get that door sorted in time.
You take care my friend.

[Brian71]

well done Brian for finding your way through two sad days - that's especially tough to have two really important dates next to each other. 

Thank you for your post Angela,  I think I am coping a little better as time goes by.  I received a birthday card for my wife from our daughter who lives in Cornwall, and what she had written made me shed a few tears on Saturday.

I'm so sorry to hear your health has not been good Angela,  I sincerely hope this will improve for you.  Re. Horses...  I've only been on a horse once in my life,   though I believe my wife did ride when she was younger, as her foster parents had a small holding and had lots of animals, ducks, sheep, all sorts, including a couple of ponies.   

Somehow Angela we have to carve a life out of what's left after our partner has passed away, and I know only too well how very hard indeed that is to do....but we have to try....easier said than done..I know.

Good to hear your animals give you much joy Angela,  my son suggested that maybe getting a dog myself would be company for me, and though the idea partly appeals to me,  I think because I like to get away fairly often, including an occasional couple weeks out of the UK,  a dog might prove to be not such a good idea....so I've tended to think...maybe not...but perhaps in the future who knows.
You take care, and I hope your health improves.
 

[Julie Magson]

Well I have put the washing on and touched up a couple of places where paint needs touching up- it's by no means perfect and if Alan is watching me he would call it another 'Blue Peter job' of mine!

The only trouble is when I do jobs like this I see lots of other things that need doing that I didn't realise needed doing! So I'll have a  instead!

[Brian71]

Well I have put the washing on and touched up a couple of places where paint needs touching up- it's by no means perfect and if Alan is watching me he would call it another 'Blue Peter job' of mine!

The only trouble is when I do jobs like this I see lots of other things that need doing that I didn't realise needed doing! So I'll have a  instead!

In some respect's Julie,  it must be worse for the wife after they lose their husband, as the man who did all the home maintenance jobs is no longer there to do those jobs.   I hate DIY,  but obviously it was nearly always I who did all the decorating, though my dear wife would often help too when she could.  I remember my last major DIY job was a bit of a disaster,  I had put up ceiling coving all round in the lounge a couple years ago, and also in our bedroom, but never got around to doing it in the other rooms.

So one day, I decided to also put some coving up in all the other rooms and freshen up the walls with a coat of emulsion etc. and re-gloss the skirting boards.   However, I knocked over a full litre tin of white gloss,  but she came to the rescue with loads of kitchen towelling, and various kitchen cleaners to clean it up.    You've never seen such a mess in your life, I was so angry with myself too for being so clumsy,  between us we did manage to clean it all up, but it took us some time. 
So you see...us men are sometimes not so brilliant when it comes to decorating, especially when we get older...lol 
You're absolutely right though, when you start one job it has the habit of leading to further jobs that need doing.

[Julie Magson]

Oh dear that sounds like a nightmare Brian! 
I never really knew any widowers before, only widows, and I often wondered if the grieving was the same for men (which I now know is a ridiculous thing to have thought). Yes, the maintenance jobs are a big worry but I guess that things like housework and cooking and washing etc. might be equally as difficult for some men. So I think it's all just the same  for us all in the end.

[Brian71]

I can only speak for myself,  but I am coping quite well with everyday house hold chores,  things like the washing, dusting and cleaning,  changing bed sheets weekly,  and my own personal hygiene has not changed in any way,   something that some men can ignore a little after losing their wife...at least that's what a bereavement councillor told me.  However,  my cooking skills need improving...lol...but I'm learning by my mistakes...albeit slowly.   It's surprising what we can do when we have to, like you with maintenance jobs around the home....and of course that's one area that men generally tend to be more adept at...so credit to you for trying Julie.

I'm currently trying to use a lot of the stuff that's still in our freezer, so I can de-frost it sometime,  hopefully before I go to Scotland, so as I type this, I have some tinned potatoes on the cooker, and have thawed out a pork joint my wife had frozen, and I intend to do a cooked meal today, of potatoes, couple slices of pork, carrots, green runner beans and peas, (I opened a tin of mixed veggies...lol) with gravy,  hopefully without any disasters...lol....fingers xxxx.

Hope your day passed without too much upset Julie...take care..
 

[Brian71]

Well tea consumed, and I must say...it was not too bad at all..
There's a photograph of my wife on the wall in our dining room, where she is smiling gorgeously, and while I was having my tea.. I said to her....'Yes..I know...not quite to your standard dear,  but you have to admit...it's not that bad'   I was half expecting the picture to fall off the wall.

The problem with doing all these very complex fancy exquisite dishes, where your using  2 or 3 saucepans, is all the washing up afterwards.

Nonetheless, it was a great success.....eat your heart out Gordon Ramsay. 

Now to see if my 'pièce de résistance is set'...  A strawberry Jelly I made in a half pint drinking glass...I like my jellies strong, and I figure being tapered it will pop out when I warm the side of the glass up...hmmmm...yummy.

[Julie Magson]

Well done Brian! It certainly sounded delicious! I had spaghetti and meatballs and then it all went in the dishwasher!

[Brian71]

Well done Brian! It certainly sounded delicious! I had spaghetti and meatballs and then it all went in the dishwasher!

"Dishwasher"....you mean that kitchen gadget I call the ultimate idle machine..    my sons all have them,  but I'll stick with washing the dishes by hand.  By the time the dishes are put in the dishwasher...I've washed them up...  and put away in the cupboard.

[Julie Magson]

 

[Brian71]

Good to see you still have your humour Julie...lol... Quiet a busy day for me,  car had to go in for a service at 8.30 so a early start, followed by a eyetest at specsavers.   I'm also trying to lose a few pounds I gained lately due to junk food,  so thought I'd kickstart the diet off by not bothering with lunch or tea, so just 1 warburtons crumpet for breakfast for me today....I have to eat something due to taking Meds, as it plays havoc with the tummy if I don't.

Hope your day was a good one.
 

[Karena]

Missing meals won't help Brian,your body will store fat if it believes its being starved best way is to eat as often but smaller less calorific meals.(if only I could follow my own advice I,d be a size 10 again  )
Julie you will find you get better at Diy stuff with practice.I was very pleased with myself last winter when I dismantled and inblocked the kitchen sink.

The only things I wont attempt to touch now is gas and electric or cleaning gutters,I don't do heights,my next house might have to be a bungalow.
Sometimes I can just imagine Keith putting his hands over his eyes in despair though as I have made a few mistakes.Standing on the back of a setee to put a curtain rail up wasn't the best plan  :whistle.  .
The worst disaster was felling a large branch from a tree.I googled it,found a helpful video and sawed it all the right way but I didn't consider the balance,and the top end was too heavy it fell the right way,away from me as planned but the bottom flipped up and took two teeth out for me.Not my most intelligent move,and not what happened on utube. :rofl:last night I picked all the plums there wer hundreds of them bottled two huge jars before work,and tonight .Gave four bags away,and destoned and froze another 8 bags.I might defrost some and make chutney,Can't abide it myself but there's only so many crumbles a girl can eat,and there's rhubarb to get through as well.Chutney can be given away.
Also bought some swimming leggings for kayaking next week,although the weather forecast suggests it might not have been necessary,and a cheap waterproof camera,which the forecast suggests might be useful without necessarily going on the water.

[Brian71]

Good advice karena,  but one day won't matter,  I shall start counting the calories from tomorrow, or should I say today....looking at the clock,    I can lose weight quite quickly,  well the 1st half stone anyway, and 1 stone is all I'm trying to lose,  it doesn't suit me if I drop too low,   my daughter reckons I don't need to lose any at all,  but I have been eating a little too much stodge lately, so dropping a few pounds won't do any harm, and it does mean I can indulge myself a little when I go on holiday shortly, as I do enjoy eating out quite a lot, even more so since my wife passed away.

Luckily I own a bungalow,  and bungalows AYS have advantages when it comes to maintenance,  only snag is I have is quite a bit of garden to maintain which include 3 lawns which always seem to need cutting.  There's also a very long hedge between 10 and 12ft high,  but I get professional gardeners in to cut that back twice a year,  it would likely kill me if I attempted that job.

[Julie Magson]

Good grief Karena and Brian- you put me to shame! Your days sound very full compared to mine. I did mange to dispose of my broken rotary drier and buy another thanks to my sister driving me to the tip and back.
You dismantled and unblocked a SINK Karena!!! Good grief! 

[Karena]

I have to admit I did the classic.dismantled it drained it into a bowl,then tipped the bowl back into the sink.

Managed to get grass cut mostly before work but finished it after.Its not exactly pristine,I use a battery strimmer so never over short either I was going to get a push mower but most of the ground is sloping and bumpy so I figured it won't help .At the old house Keith did the grass cutting with a big petrol mower,but I couldn't even start it,The village didn't have any services so public bits were mowed on rota by residents.the village mower was in a bad way so I gave them ours.Most of it wasn't mowed though,we had beautiful verges full of wild flowers.Here everything is killed off with weed killer which really winds me up.

I don't envy you your hedge Brian,sounds like a mammoth task.I have a much shorter edible hedge,mostly currents and rasberrys plus a hazel hedge further down,once harvested they're easy to prune.

Also got campervan emptied and everything stashed.Fingers crossed I make it to repair place tomorrow night without losing anny more bits. Then its a night on daughters couch and an early train
A bit more packing and a pile of washing up to do in the morning then I,m all set.