This week has mainly consisted of tidying and cleaning. It's one thing that I confess gets left until last in our house. Cleaning is so endless and pointless, everything gets dirty again! I pretty much clean the kitchen and bathroom and everything else rarely. There's nothing like the prospect of a house full of guests to open your eyes to the grime around you. In my defence it was mainly untidy, but I really do feel lighter for a clean and tidy house.
I also got through a few things that I'd been meaning to do. I shortened the wee man's curtains, having never put them back up since the room re-vamp. The sewing machine and I are acquaintances more than friends, but we put our differences aside and did a creditable job of the curtains. I found a set of invisible threads in wilkos, one for dark and one for light fabrics. They're amazing, a transparant nylon which blends into the fabric. No more new thread for every project, cheapskates rejoice.
When I was in Lidl getting some party snacks I also came across some vanilla pods at £1.99, so the little man and I made some more vanilla essence. I've had the big pot since our honeymoon, when we did a cookery workshop in New Orleans. It's been re-filled and soon should be making more cakes.
We've gardened like mad this week too and so the day dawned for the party today and the house and garden looked great.
A new tool catalogue came this morning, the boys were looking longingly; like father, like son.
Yesterday we had to say goodbye to Belle our hen. You may remember that a few months ago she was poorly with a broken egg inside her. She'd been laying soft shelled eggs for months and a few times they broke inside her. Maybe a month ago it happened again and I removed the shell and cleaned her as best I could. The vet wouldn't give us antibiotics but her discharge was pretty grim. It gradually got better but she's never been the same, pretty lethargic. The last few weeks she's plodded along, but wasn't right and the last few days she's stayed away from the others and yesterday was in the nest box all day. Whenever she got up she fell over and her crop was empty. When I picked her up she didn't flinch and that's not in her character at all. She was nothing but bones, these last months had taken their toll. I gave her a stroke and said goodbye and James took the pellet gun to the back of her head. She was asleep and it was quick. It was another sad goodbye to a friend though.
On a brighter note, the party went fantastically, we had all our friends in the garden having some beer and cider. Everyone was talking and playing with the kids. It makes us realise what a fantastic group of people we have in our lives and how much our friendship group has changed since we had children. I'm so lucky to have a group of girlfriends who all look out for each others kids and who I can trust to be watching them even when I'm not.
So a mixed start to the bank holiday, loss and joy, pretty reflective of life though right?
Great job on the curtains, unfortunatly chickens do go down hill fairly fast and it often dosent take much, its good that you didnt let it continue, your party in the garden looks like fun I hope you had sunshine :-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of the weekend, your outside looks perfect for a party, so much space.
ReplyDeleteBelle had a wonderful family to live with and you gave her a wonderful life, having animals gives us so much pleasure, but it does hurt at time like this.
Thanks guys, you're both right, I'm just too soft.
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