Monday Mania

Hi Dear Folk,

I started at 6:30 am and haven't stopped since, well maybe a very short break mid day after taking a shower and laying on the bed in the AC.

If one could have two hundred percent humidity then it would be that.  It's only 84F but the humidity is terrible it's like living in the Amazon Jungle.  Today almost every half hour the weather has alternated between, sun, wind and squally showers.

Mr. B. and I have been working our little touches off in the garage, you would think we would be done, but no there is much more to do.  Mice may be cute, but not up in the rafters with their nests.

I started off my day in the basement, let me preface that 1920's basement.  Cleaned up under the old double sink, scrubbed the floor in that area and washed the rugs, dried them and put them back down.

I emptied the dehumidifier and cranked that up to the highest setting hoping to get a little coolness down there.  The catch basin fills up in about eight hours.

Out to the garage with Mr. B. power washed two trash cans and cleaned them out, after I emptied out all the wood and leaves The Boy put in them from a bough he cut off the apple tree.  I added these to the ever growing kindling pile which now is as tall as me.  We have decided to cut the apple tree down altogether, the squirrels eat every apple off the tree before they ever ripen.  In over ten years I have yet to eat an apple off the tree.  It's in a corner by the garage car door and we need the area really to put the trash cans on, so we do not have to leave them in the garage.  We may pave this over, and leave a strip near the fence to plant sunflowers, one they are tall, and two it is a very sunny area there and I think they would do well.  Rob says he will cut the rest of the tree down.  Apple wood is good to burn, although it's not a huge tree.

Our next yard sale will be a clear out of the basement and I'm hoping to do that in October, we will see.

Ran to the shop to buy a couple of things I need for my trip.  I have two suitcases laying open in my sitting room, with things in them, just staging everything ready to pack.  When The Boy was at college I used his room but can't now.

Yesterday I got the ironing board out, got a dress and a top washed and ironed ready to go.  Of course everything is everywhere in that room and it's driving me crazy.  I guess my previous trips were for two weeks and not two months, so it was a little easier.

I have one suitcase with four wheels on, but went back to my older suitcases for the second one, with only the two wheels on.  I decided to use the medium one, I didn't fancy hefting around the larger one, along with the one I already have.  The two I'm taking are of a similar size.  I am able to take two suitcases because I upgraded my seating, I think it's one inch wider and a little more legroom, but the second suitcase will come in handy.

I just hope I don't meet the same bus driver I ran into a couple of years ago, who was I will just say from central Europe and a nasty bully.  I catch the bus from Heathrow to Cambridge and then the local bus to my sister's town.  Most of the bus drivers have been very nice.

After going to the shops, back to the garage to sort out old records, all Mr. B's dads.  Now that we do have a record player and I have more time, I do really want to keep some.  A couple got sold off in the yard sale and one was an old 45rpm I really wanted to keep, Troglodyte Cave Man, it was a fun record, such is life.

Here is the handbag I bought, Italian leather. The smell is heavenly, love the smell of good leather and I like the bright, summer flowers.  Trying to take a bag that goes with everything would be hopeless, so taking a bag that is bright and fun and goes with nothing is fine.

As you can see I love Italian leather, and had a few other items already.

Cosmetic case with hummingbirds on, such a flighty design.  Also two cases in more autumnal colours, which I have packed away here with my journals, pens, pencils and paints.

I bought the canvas bag at Harbor Freight, $10.00 great for holding all these items.

It was cooler over the weekend, well kind of up and down with torrential rain, showers and the humidity.  I did get those two jackets and a coat that I bought at the thrift on sale, all put away and the repairs all done.  The navy blue cashmere jacket needed a military style gold button, I found an odd one in my button tin and it suits quite well.

I also hand stitched all the lining around the sleeve ends on the swing jacket.  This is homemade, in a hounds tooth black and white check, really well made, but the hand stitching was terrible, so undid that and hand stitched it all over again, nice neat job now.

Another hand made item, a sixties black swing cape, in a faux black lamb, cannot remember the name, astrakhan, just came to me, also needed a repair around the attached scarf and that is done.  It's that true sixties style with the slit openings for your arms, three buttons and an attached scarf.  Bought that at a thrift for $6.00 but did need sending to the cleaners to get rid of the cigarette smell, but is great now.

Time to catch up on my journal, it is at least a week behind, but my blog may help me a bit.

Christine