...Mail Your Packages Early So The Post Office Can Lose Them In Time For Christmas...

Mermaid Street in Rye, East Sussex

Dave & I have been to Rye, in East Sussex today continuing with our Christmas shopping. I really thought that we'd be shopping in Lincoln or Horncastle and somewhere 'different' this year and visiting Lincolnshire villages and getting a feel for Country Christmas living - but as we aren't moving there until January - that'll have to be next years treat....we did managed to find a really unique gift (a sort of dish made from crushed eggshells on bamboo - sounds awful, doesn't it - but believe me - it's not!!) for Jackie (Steve's girlfriend) and will be posting it to OZ soon with a few sweeties inside :0) - but the whole day wasn't completely wasted because...

...we did buy a total of three gifts, however only one was a Christmas pressie, the other two were for me...

...Arh! Isn't Love Brilliant...?

Steve (Sydney Harbour - Feb '07)

Spoke to Steve from OZ this morning he's still mega happy living there and was on his way to see his girlfriend, Jackie - she's from San Francisco, US and is currently working in Sydney on a 4 years work visa - they started dating around Christmas last year and have been very on/off all year, but since October this year have decided to 'be an item' and date properly - Steve is very, very happy about this - he says that he loves her and she IS THE ONE and she feels the same..I'm so happy for him

...Arh! Isn't Love Brilliant...?

...You Never Know Who Your Real Friends Are Until You're In Trouble...

Dave's seeing his old friend, Ron this morning. Their French fishing friend, Alain is coming over from France for the day - not to fish this time but they're all going to the pub for lunch. Since Ron had a heart attack (Boxing Day '05 & then a stroke during March '06) he's been pretty much house-bound. He can still walk, be it very slowing, but has lost the use of his left arm completely

Ron (Dave's friend)

Dave goes over to see him very regularly and also takes him coarse fishing in his wheelchair when the weather is dry and warm - but now that we are in November this hasn't happened recently - I'm not sure what Ron'll do when we move more than 300 miles away in January as Dave seems to be the only friend willing to take him even though Ron has always been a very popular person and has loads of friends

...You Never Know Who Your Real Friends Are Until You're In Trouble...

...Why Do Today, What You Can Do Tomorrow...?

Dave's working again today - he's doing some decorating and moving a door for a very good friend of ours (who's also our Financial Advisor) and then another friend has a long list of 'odd jobs' for him to do on Wednesday - I'm so pleased that he's busy - Dave is one of those people that hates sitting still (...he's been doing a LOT of that while we've been waiting and waiting to move...) - it drives me mad!! - I just can't understand it......because my motto is......
...Why Do Today, What You Can Do Tomorrow...?

...Bumble Bee Country Holidays...

Dave & I had a really busy day yesterday - well really busy for us - we saw dad in the new care home (he was as happy as Larry (despite the Alzheimer's) and already thinks that he's been there for months, when in actually fact he's only been there for 2 days!), went food shopping (sooo boring but essential, I feel), had a look around town for Christmas ideas (managed to buy only one pressie for Danielle (Tom's girlfriend) who is probably the easiest one we have to buy for!) and then went to Eric (Janet's uncle) & Pat's (his partner) for a meal (roast chicken and ALL the trimmings) and a LOT of booze!!

We took champagne to toast because Pat's just become a grandmother to a bouncing girl, whose going to be called Lola May (I like it) & Dave & I have FINALLY exchanged contracts on the bungalow and we really can start to put our life changing plans into action - starting a self-catering holiday cottage business in glorious Lincolnshire Wolds - we're calling it Bumble Bee Country Holidays or bbc holidays

...Catchy, Hey...

...What An Awful Illness, Alzheimer's Is...

My 80 year old dad who has Alzheimer's was moved yesterday to his third care home in only thirteen months. This time it was because the previous one is closing for a minimum of 12 months for complete refurbishment!! The family had only arranged to have him placed there in May this year and we've had to move him again so soon... I thought that when we found Ingles Court, last time, that he would be able to stay there indefinitely - just goes to show that it was wishful thinking & nothing is permanent - except Alzheimer's of course -

We already know that Admiral House (where he is now) can only 'keep' him until he enters the next Alzheimer's stage and who knows how long that might be! - Dad was diagnosised with this horrible desease in 2001 and is still classed as mild-moderate - so it has been pretty slow in progressing so far - this is due to the medication that he's been on since the beginning. I'm sure that if this was stopped it'll be a completely different story.

He knows who we are when we visit and still has his great sense of humour - he's so happy in his own world.

...it's such a shame that he has no idea what's happening in his head...

...Champagne Cork Is Well & Truly Popped...

... U N B E L I E V A B L E ...

We have ACTUALLY exchanged contracts today and will complete on 25 January - I know that this another mind-numbing 9 weeks but at least we now know that everyone in the chain IS committed and it will happen!!

And the important thing is that I can now concentrate on the important issues, such as bedroom colours and the style of the kitchen cabinets :0)

- What a difference a phone call can make -

....Champagne's Back On Ice...

There is ANOTHER rumour that we'll be exchanging contracts soon, possibly even today - I know, I know - heard it all before... but at least we've had confirmation this morning that our buyer still wants to proceed - with all these hold-ups, we'd started to wonder if she's got 'cold feet' - but she hasn't

...her feet are nice & toasty - Thank God...!

...Families Are About Love Overcoming Emotional Torture...

I've been so 'teary' today because Steve (our eldest) should have been coming back from Australia today - he left on 20 Nov '06 on a years work permit and I've been counting the days for months waiting for his return. However, last month he secured sponsorship with an investment bank for up to four years...four bloody years...so he'll be staying there. I want him to be happy & I know that him being in OZ is making him extremely happy but for me there's no happiness - just this sense of loss!

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THOUGH FOR TODAY
...Families Are About Love Overcoming Emotional Torture...

Our Last Photo with Steve
18.11.06

...I’m Not A Complete Idiot, Some Parts Are Missing...

- Good News and Not So Good News on the property front -

Good news is that the Lincolnshire property will wait for completion on 25 Jan '08 - YIPPEE! - Not so good news is that we're STILL waiting for our buyer to exchange contracts on this property!! OMG, what is going on? Ken (solicitor) & Karen (estate agent) keeps telling us that it's just her inept solicitor not doing the job properly, but Dave & I are concerned that something else is going on like.....Her Changing Her Mind..... and of course, the longer the delay the longer we've got to think about it -

...Please, Please Let It Be Over Soon...

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...I’m Not A Complete Idiot, Some Parts Are Missing...

ME :0)

...Happy Birthday, Mum...

..It would have been my mum's 77th birthday today (she was only 49 when she died in 1980)
- Happy Birthday, Mum -

I knew that I'd spoken too soon about dad not having an adverse reaction to being told about Jackie's death on Friday - yesterday, Dave & I had to rush over to the home because he was so upset and keep asking 'Where is she?' but didn't know why!! I was so upset to see dad like that and so angry with Tony for making the situation happen in the first place... But I'm pleased to report that when we left him last night he was sitting up in bed laughing and joking. I've spoken to the home today and he's been fine and two of my brothers have been in to see him today and have reported that he was chatty and in good spirits

...hopefully, that'll be it - problem with Alzheimer's is that you just never know what (if anything) is going on in his head...

ME ;0)

...This Would Be Funny If It Wasn’t Happening To Me...

Tony (my second youngest brother)

OOPS! I forgot to blog yesterday - but in my defense I do have a good excuse...

We were on tender hooks all day AGAIN regarding the pending exchange/completion of the 'dreaded' property sale (which DIDN'T happen, by the way) & Tony (younger brother) was telling dad about the death of our sister, Jackie - I was really concerned that he would react badly about the news because of the Alzheimer's - I don't expect that dad'll even remember that Tony's been in and told him but I was worried that he'd be upset and frustrated and not know why - but so far there's been no adverse reaction

...just goes to show what a truly horrible illness Alzheimer's is - when you just forget news like that...

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...this would be funny if it wasn’t happening to me...

ME ;0)

...You Have To Kiss A Lot Of Frogs...

Royal Military Canal on a November morning

Dave & I went out today to get away from the 'silent phone' - we went for a glorious walk along the Royal Military Canal at West Hythe, Kent for a couple of hours (Dave's fishing there on Sunday in a competition - so he had a hidden agenda!!)- it was so sunny and quite warm especially in the sunshine - hardly saw anyone on our walk - it was great to be on our own, mulling over our options if the house chain collapses again!!

...BOY, What A Nightmare House Buying Is...

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...in order to get the handsome prince, you have to kiss a lot of toads...

ME;0)

...Some People Are Alive Only Because It’s Illegal To Kill Them...

STORMY, STORMY WEATHER AHEAD!!

Surprise, surprise we're still waiting to exchange contracts on the place - Our estate agent that has been told that the bottom of the chain is now ready but guess what - NOTHING HAS HAPPENED! - Dave & I just don't know what to do, we feel like we're being taken for a ride.... but feel that we really don't have a choice. If we get the 'hump' and pull out because of all the uncertainty - where does that leave us?? Right back at the beginning having to remarket the place and find another buyer with who knows what sort of chain they might be in!! And we know that it's not an ideal time being so close to Christmas and the press talking down the current housing market situation and the knock-on effect from US with all their current problems

...there really has to be an easier way to sell a property - Answers On A Postcard Please...

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...some people are alive only because it’s illegal to kill them...

ME ;0)

...If I Start Screaming - I Won't Be Able To Stop - EVER...

I'm SO fed up today - I've spoken to our estate agent and solicitor about our pending move to Lincolnshire - we were suppose to exchange yesterday to complete on 25 Jan '08 - and surprise, surprise it didn't happen!!! There's now another hold-up lower in the chain and it's not expected to be resolved until later this week at the earliest - I'm so frustrated I could scream

...but I worried that if I start screaming - I won't be able to stop - EVER...

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

...imagine how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges...

ME ;0)

..If Only You Didn't Have To Get Old...

Dave & I have been to two care homes today looking for another place for my dad who is currently in care because of Alzheimer's but has to be moved because they are closing the home he's in after Christmas for at least a year for full refurbishment. This was a complete shock for the family as it came out of the blue & dad's only been in this home since May this year...It's so upsetting...we went to one that I didn't feel was suitable for him, there's just something that doesn't 'sit right' if you know what I mean! The other was much better, it's actually the second visit that we've had there - there was a bit of an issue, last week, with the smell of the place. When I mentioned this to them they said that they'd had trouble with a couple of residents having a urine infections so we returned unannounced this afternoon and I'm pleased report that the horrible pee smell wasn't there so I've said yes to dad going there...

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

..If Only You Didn't Have To Get Old...

ME ;0)

...Is That Normal Behaviour For A Drunken Italian ~ Probably...?

We met up with Dave's old boss (who he'd worked with for 17 years) and his partner yesterday for an Italian meal in town, it was lovely to catch up with the latest gossip and the evening was a great success. The owner, Luciano is a friend of David & Jenny's.
He was a very loud Italian having been an ex-referee for high profile clubs and has also worked at The Savoy in London for many years. By the end of the evening he had drunk many glasses of wine and he spoke with a very broken accent at a hundred miles an hour, while consistently kissing my hand and shaking Dave's. When we finally left the restaurant, well after 1am, he was still following us down the road to our car consistently saying, 'It's early stay, stay'.

...Is That Normal Behaviour For A Drunken Italian ~ Probably...?

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

..should vegetarians eat animal crackers...?

ME;0)

...Door Slammers, Who Needs Them...?

If I had doors like this - I really could make an impact!

We live next door to door slammers and boy it winds me up constantly. It starts at around 7am every morning and continues throughout the day until 11ish at night - last night there was a loud slam at around 4am - luckily I was already up as I couldn't sleep!!

...but it still made me want to slam my doors over and over and over and over again....

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...sometimes I wake up grumpy; other times I let him sleep...

ME ;0)

...FOR SALE: Memory Mattress Topper...

We recently bought a foam memory mattress topper, you know like the Tempur ones that they are always advertising on TV, because Dave suffers with prolapsed discs. We thought it might help to reduce some of the backache that he gets all the time...and it did...he thought it was great... Only problem was that by the third night of sleeping on it, I had developed such backache I could hardly move and I hated the way it 'sucked' me in, that I had to sleep in another room on the spare bed

...needless, to say that's been a total waste of money...

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...you don't stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop laughing...

ME ;0)

...You Can't Have Everything, Where Would You Put It...?

Steve & Jackie - Oct '07 (Halloween Party)

Spoke to Steve (our eldest) this morning from OZ. He's still loving his life out there and why shouldn't he? He went last Nov - 20th to be exact, flew from Heathrow at 21.30 - Am I counting the days since I've seen him?? Probably!!

He originally went on a years working visa but has fallen in love with the place and an American called Jackie so had decided to stay. He's managed to get sponsorship from an investment bank for 4 years and then will go back to US with Jackie - she comes from San Francisco and is currently in her 2nd year of a 4 year work contract out there - or apply for Australia citizenship

...I want him to be happy, it goes without saying, but why does it have to be across the other side of the world...?

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...you can't have everything, where would you put it...

ME ;0)

...I Used To Have A Sister...

My sister, Jackie died yesterday - she's only 43, an alcoholic and from the age of 14 has been anorexic. We never got on as children and certainly not as adults and haven't had contact or spoken to each other for more than 15 years. I knew that she was going to die (the rest of the family have kept me informed as she deteriorated) - the body can only put up with so much after all - but when my brother phoned yesterday and told me I've been much more upset then I ever expected to be by it....
I've no regrets about not 'being friends' with her - things happen throughout life that make you say 'enough is enough' and I made this decision in my early 30's

...but it's such a waste and I won't ever again be able to say I've got a sister...

...Why Is There Always Puddles...?

Lovely Sunny Day today - quite nippy but dry - our windows were very wet this morning when we got up. Can anyone tell me why this happens, even in the rooms where no-one sleeps, when we have double glazing throughout?

...It's so annoying when we've just finished decorating and there's puddles of water on the sills every morning...

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...no one is perfect until you fall in love with them...

ME ;0)

...I'm Not Holding My Breathe....

Happy Guy Fawkes

A complete nightmare, that's how I would described this house sale ~ spoken to our solicitor and estate agent again today about the first seller holding us all to ransom over the completion date!! Still waiting for a phone call regarding whether or not the Lincolnshire sellers will agree to a completion date 12 weeks away ~

...I'm not holding my breathe....

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...the older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for...

ME ;0)

....Please, Just Let Me Sleep Through It All...?

...Pretty Much How I'm Currently Feeling...

Lincolnshire, lovely Lincolnshire ~ will we ever move there? - I'm beginning to think not!

When we first made the decision, last year, to move there it all seemed so simple. We'd finish doing this place up, put it on the market, we'd spend some time in Lincolnshire looking for the ideal next project and once we'd actually moved in, we'd start looking for our first holiday let straight away. It all seemed so easy and it should be - shouldn't it?
We put the place on the market on 3 March '07 had a firm 'complete' chain within 3 weeks and went in search for 'Project 5' - found the ideal candidate on our first visit and agreed a price with the seller. Eight weeks later, the seller decided that he didn't want to move in with his daughter after all and that sell fell through. So back we went to Lincolnshire and found another possibility - an even nicer property in a great village location (this is the one we are still hoping to buy!!) - but then things really started to go wrong - the first time buyer in our selling chain couldn't get a mortgage and the original chain collapsed - GREAT!!
We took the decision to remarket and again found another buyer with a complete chain within a fortnight - but since then it's just been one delay after another and now the latest is having to wait until NEXT YEAR - boy that's a long way away, whichever way you look at it - until we complete and move...

....Please, Just Let Me Sleep Through It All...?

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...if you lend someone £20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it...

ME ;0)

...Things Are Going To Get A Lot Worse Before They Get Worse...

HELL - I FEEL LIKE I'M THERE ALREADY!

Well, there's good news and of course bad news on the moving saga...

The good news is that our buyer now has all her paperwork in place and the whole chain is ready to exchange (YIPPEE!). The devastatingly bad news is that the seller at the bottom of the chain WON'T complete until 25 January - NEXT YEAR - that's another time-wasting 12, yes twelve weeks - problem is, he's holding the whole chain (6 of us) to ransom - what can we do?

If we say NO we won't wait and remarket the bungalow, it could easily take 12 weeks or longer to find another buyer and get back to the same stage that we're at now - and who knows what sort of chain problems they might have? So disgruntling we'll have to go along with it.

Our solicitor still has to inform the Lincolnshire end of the latest - I've no idea if they'll wait....

OMG! What have we done to deserve this...?

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse...

ME ;0)

...Never Pass Up An Opportunity To Pee...

Anyone Like Puzzles?

Dave's fishing with his good friend, Ron today, unfortunately, Ron had a heart attack on Boxing Day 2005 and then a stroke during March '06 and has never fully recovered from either of them. He can still get about indoors but has very little movement on his left side and finds walking any distance and steps a major problem so Dave takes him (in a wheelchair) fishing every now and again to get him out. Needless to say his confidence has taken a complete knock!!

...on the moving front - we are still waiting for news...

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...never pass up an opportunity to pee...

ME ;0)

...I Don't Want To Move Anymore...

Another dull, miserable day - just like my mood - we're still waiting for confirmation on whether or not there's a problem with a buyer lowing in the chain and their finances!! It's like Chinese whispers, all sorts of rumours are running around as to whether or not he's having problems....our solicitors told me he is - our agent's been told that he has a bridging loan in place but his estate agent doesn't have proof of either!

...and to cap it all, apparently he's a complete arrogant pig to deal with - great, just what we need.....

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it...

ME ;0)