What are you all up to today? - part 3

After 74 days away we arrived home today just before 4.30pm.  Pretty miserable journey up the M6, lots of rain, terrible spray from the lorries, and several idiots driving without any lights on.  Rain eased up once we got over the border, but started again just before we arrived home.  Only a shower, so managed to get the van onto the driveway quite quickly.

Our last 3 nights were spent in Wales, visiting friends, weather not too bad, but this morning we had heavy rain while packing up, so were rather damp by the time we left.  Thank goodness for heated car seats!

Filled tank at Sainsburys in Wrexham, and topped it up at Tesco in Carlisle to be sure we did not run out before getting home.  Stopped for lunch (in the van) at Tebay services, several vans there, an Airstream pulled into the bay next to us.

Garden is a jungle, all the rain has encouraged the weeds, will take several days to sort out. Mail not too bad, DD had sorted it into various piles and recycled the junk.  Have brought in some stuff from the van, but full unpacking will take several days.

3 large spiders dealt with, 1 in the bath and 2 in sinks.  Boilers tested, still seem to be working (they are old) so we have hot water for nice long showers tonight.

DD rang, she will come here tomorrow to bring their 3 budgies for us to look after as she and her husband are off on a belated 3 week honeymoon in USA, will be lovely to see her again after so long.

Lots to do here over the next 2 months, starting tomorrow at 8.30am with meeting the builders at the local Guide Hall, we are supervising renovations to the toilet area, and I will also be laying the new flooring.  There is also paint to order as the outside of the building is being spruced up.

Once the garden has been tamed we need to start on some outside painting here too......windows, doors, fascias, balcony and decking all need attention.  Let's hope we get some dry weather!

KjellNN good luck with the Guide hut renovation.  We did our Scout Hut toilets about 5 years.  Our SIL did our flooring and walls and used a product call Altro which although quite expensive is very quick to install and makes the area waterproof and easy to clean

KjellNN sounds as if your long break was needed to gurd yourselves for what's to come, plus you need to factor in recovery time for afterwards. I hope it all goes smoothly.

That's often the trouble when you come back from holiday. Everything hits you and after a few days you feel in need of another getaway.

Actually got some sunshine today, Off into town, before work, getting a hair cut ready for the holiday, also seem to need lots of bits and pieces, everything in the van seems to run out at the same time, 

Welcome home KjellNN,  hope all goes well with the guide hall renovations and all the other "little jobs"   that need to be done.

Walked into town to get some prints of grandchildren to take to my mum after breast screening this afternoon. No sun but not cold. Generally preping for NZ trip. Going to take three plants in pots to mum for extra TLC, as I don't want to lose them, others can take their chances, we'll have someone popping in but don't want them to have too much watering. Never been away in our summer for this long before, haven't done baskets etc so only the permanent tubs.

Hopefully having a catch up with colleague at lunch time, days off are busier than working ones!!!

Just been asked by daughter if we'd like to have our two grandchildren for an evening a week after we arrive so they can go to works mid winter do. Told her take as read - she said polite to ask, nicely brought up!. Grandma will ensure she'll take her mums milk via bottle before the day haha.

Whoops forgot to say the linden/lime blossom smells wonderful. Poignant memories of my godmother, I remember they smelt better than I'd smelt them for years two years ago and then sat with her until the end.  Bittersweet now. 

Lime tree blossom is lovely, we had one in our school yard when I was small, big enough to play games round the trunk. It has been nice reading everyone's news, you are all so busy doing different things. We are on tenterhooks at the moment as daughter number two has put in an offer on her first house (a tiny cottage that needs some work.) We have to wait til Monday....buying houses is so fraught!! We are also on the count down to our open garden, I have never done so much titivating, ever! 

I was getting a lot of shuddering between first and second gear so I've taken the car in to have it checked. If it's the clutch that's the problem, it's still under warranty. 

Lime tree blossom is lovely, we had one in our school yard when I was small, big enough to play games round the trunk. It has been nice reading everyone's news, you are all so busy doing different things. We are on tenterhooks at the moment as daughter number two has put in an offer on her first house (a tiny cottage that needs some work.) We have to wait til Monday....buying houses is so fraught!! We are also on the count down to our open garden, I have never done so much titivating, ever! 

Write your comments here...Best of luck with the house purchase, Brue. Hope it all goes smoothly!