STAY OVER

WEDNESDAY - My daughter came with Jenson my grandson they are both  staying over just one night with us .Took Pip and Bailey for a walk up the side of Hade Edge reservoir I had done the walk before it was a warm afternoon with a light breeze its around three miles , Jenson did really well and walked as good as we did .
For tea we fired up the barbecue had garlic chicken kebabs , lamb ribs and burgers and sausages I sat back and let my daughter do the cooking ,Watched David Dobrik on You Tube .

THURSDAY - Tuesday and her son went home in the afternoon it was nice having them stay over hopefully they will both stay over again soon.

FRIDAY - Went over to Wentworth garden centre bought a David Austin rose and a pink hydrangea and a few other plants , had another barbecue this time I cooked a full chicken from the farm shop it was only £4.20 it was well worth it it cooked really well and was moist and tender will have to get the other flavours that they sell .

SATURDAY - Went over to see our friend Sam at upper bank end road where we use to live a few years back we sat in her garden drinking orange juice watching her chickens and ducks play in the water.

DAUGHTER VISIT

All of the early deaths that have sadly occurred world wide from coronavirus makes you wonder why live for tomorrow when living for today is a lot more appropriate  . Another thought that I am having is this  , when we die all that we might leave behind is photos that we post on Instagram  , the things we upload to our facebook page , and the stuff we write on our  blog posts or for those who upload their videos to You Tube , as well as words of wisdom for those who do podcasts its a scary thought this might be the sum of all our parts , but also nice that people will still follow what we have written and photos we have taken for years to come .Even after death we can still influence people with our style thoughts words and deeds .

MONDAY - May Day holiday took Bailey on a new walk was quite nice and the best bit is it is all flat or down hill on the way back which after a long walk is good going the opposite way is all uphill.
Put hasp and staple on to my tool shed and a couple of bolts through each to make it more secure hopefully it will never get broken into .

Emailed my one month sick note to my managers and line managers they won't be happy but I am between a rock and a hard place at this moment in time .

TUESDAY - Tuesday is coming Wednesday with her son they are staying over for a night or two .

Having a roast beef dinner we never had on Sunday which is great because I have horse radish sauce which is best with roast beef .

Bought a teak root wood bowl from the local garden centre and a wooden tray , I also tried a Ruby Magnum ice cream lollie truly nice saying that Helen had a bite and she hated it .

I have order some Japanese Sakura micron pens some Zebra technical drawing pens and two orange notebooks .

BRICKED IN

SATURDAY - Finally bought two sun loungers from B&Q we had to queue for around half an hour as well as two outdoor collapsable chairs on getting the chairs home discovered when we unwrapped them they was meant for children now have to go back to change them which is a pain .Also bought some more charcoal for the barbecue its the type in separate bags and you light the bag rather than having to use firelighters . Some brick effect wallpaper which is for the back wall in the kitchen ,a paste brush paste as well as pre mixed paste and a double socket for the outside .

Someone our street is selling Body Shop products I ordered some coconut shower gel and three bars of coconut soap I love the smell of coconut and it helps someone out in these shitty times .

Cooked a home made lasagne with steak mince did bread cake garlic bread pretty awesome if I say so myself .

SUNDAY - Went back to B&Q to exchange the chairs we got yesterday I also bought some kitchen emulsion and some white gloss I also bought a Stanley Fat Boy three foot level I plan on panelling the wall behind the head board in our bedroom at some stage over the next few weeks I only have a short Stabilia scaffolding level .
Helens friend papered the back wall in the kitchen I can't wallpaper wood chip never mind pattern stuff .we had a wall in the kitchen papered and a wall in the downstairs toilet both walls done for only twenty pounds which is pretty good value .

I think it looks quite effective and breaks up the plainest of each room I thought it might look too much like it was false specially it being paper but it does look good we might go over with some clear varnish just to make wiping down easier .

Bought a joint of beef for Sunday dinner , a box of Haagen Dazs salted caramel ice lollies , strawberries , cloudy apple and strawberry and lime cider and veggies to go with the Sunday lunch , as well as cat and dog food .Only thing is Sunday linch might be Mondays linch it wa slate when the papering got finished then Helen had a reading to complete it was way after eight pm when we was finished .

THE BEANSTALK

Painted the side of the shed Helen had done the front a few days ago but has the shed needed emptying of its contents  and then  pulling out to so we could get to both sides that she had left , so I did it in afternoon it took me a few hours to apply a few coats of paint to both sides the back goes up to the fence so we left it just brown  to be honest I just wanted it done , we also cut the grass not the biggest lawn on the block there was enough cuttings to fill the cuttings collection  box  once only  .

WEDNESDAY - Helen did a video our of the house filming it on her iPad from the top to the bottom inside and out as here parents have not seen it and they don't have internet access or decent phones to face time . so we are going over to see her mother and father since it was her mothers birthday in January we set of to Acaster Malbis near York  just after dinner time I stopped of at the farm shop and got a hot pulled pork sandwich for me  , Helen had a ham and cheese baguette .

Arriving at her mothers static home we just sat in the garden and talked  it was a very  hot day with a gentle breeze we only stayed a few hours and we all went for a short walk around the site before heading back home .

THURSDAY  - Went to Hampson's garden centre bought some more white rocks which weighed a ton and some other pots of flowers to plant bought some hardware bits and pieces a hasp and staple and some galvanised wire clips . Had our fourth barbecue did not over do the food bought to massive pork chops and som pork sausages and that was it I had a baked potato and Helen just had a bread cake the food was perfect cooked over white hot coals .

FRIDAY - High winds and gales I fixed the pergola back to the stone work using some corner brackets and screws  I was going to do before to secure it for when we had bad winds further down the road  but today I though better safe than sorry I was out just after nine drilling  the brackets and fixing them into place it now should be ok .

Went back to Hampson's garden centre Helen wanted a wisteria plant eight foot tall it is currently residing in our dining area it looks quite good pity it is not an indoor plant .

RUSTY FLOWERS AND HAIRCUT

SATURDAY - Drove over the moors to Dobcross the other side of Saddleworth to the garden centre it also had re-opened I bought a lovely planter of a pixie women's head it was the only one for sale I was impelled to buy it it was £35 and is very heavy ,we bought more plants and a wicker planter basket .

We also went to a garden centre at Crofton Wakefield  which is totally  the other side  to where we live bought two new large plant pots for one for each side of the front door they was quite expensive .

I also bought a new bird bath to replace the one I broke and three bags of compost  to fill them , Helen liked two rusty steel flowers so I bought them for her , all and all I spent over £350 I also spent over a hundred pounds the other day for things for the garden so that is it no more money to spend on the garden until another year .

SUNDAY - Washed the car it has been a while gave it a good clean also used the waterless wax and vacuumed the interior another highlight was Sunday dinner I went out in the morning to flowery fields butcher and bought a joint of pork was very nice washed down with two cans of cloudy cider .

MONDAY - Drove over to my daughters house she lives a hours drive from our home , since I have not been to work at the hospital and she has not been seeing anyone we both felt it was safe enough for us to go into her house for her to cut mine and Helen's hair I had grade one blade might be a while till I get it cut again , Helen had hers coloured and highlighted .My dai=ughter had been decorating she had done a decent job she is also learning to play the guitar she can already play a intro to one of the RHCP songs which I recognised .

OUT SHOPPING

FRIDAY - Today went shopping with Helen to the local Co-Op  we both wore masks . I bought coffee pods , cloudy cider and Haagen  Daz salted caramel ice cream lollies like Magnums but better  I got 2 boxes they are that good I swear try a box and you will get them again .also bought some Mexican chicken to oven cook will have it for tea .We wore our face mask whilst inside the store even though it was quite empty .

We also went to the local green grocer at Holmfirth and bought a punnet of brilliant bright red strawberries and a carton of  pouring cream Helen also bought some more potted plants including another two lavender  plants , from there we went over the road to the bakers and bought two freshly made pork pies , bread cakes and vanilla slices before heading for home we was out just one ninety minutes .

Helen has made a flowery reef for the garden shed door she is also making one for the front door when she gets some more materials and flowers .

We also went to the Range store we bought another large mirror for the wall above the sofa which makes them room look a lot bigger we had a print there which is now at the bottom of the stairs .

The picture looks ok at the bottom of the stairs  we bought the picture on the way back from the Lake District a few years ago we went there with my daughter to the Beatrix Potter exhibition and we stopped on the way back at an outlet and bought this picture it is suppose to represent Helen on me on a bench years down the road .

FISHY

YESTERDAY - We went to Compo's fish and chip shop , the restaurant part still remains closed but the take away section was open it is the first time we have had our fish from there since we moved at the end of February as it was closed for lockdown .
 I got us both  a fish in a breadcake sandwich and a carton of Chinese curry sauce which was excellent it is the little things that you want or that miss when you can't get them it was worth the wait .

THURSDAY - Went to the local waste tip at Meltham we was told that we might have up to  a forty five minute wait before we could get rid of our waste , as  I had around ten black bags in the car which was soil and turf and a couple of general waste we waited we final got to the front after twenty minutes and got rid of all the bags that we had  piled up over the last couple of weeks which was a great relief .

After our trip to the tip  we went to Totties garden centre which is sort of our local gardening outlet ,  the cafe and  Bistro was still closed due to Covid -19 lock down , we spent well over a hundred pounds on various plants . there was a few people queuing to get in after we had left but it was not the busy .

I have bought Helen some water colour paints some paint brushes and a artist paint pad , should get them this week or early next week she does not know , She said  she wants to paint some flower pictures see if  she is any good she saw someone on You Tube paint some pictures and is convinced she can do the same , we will see , hopefully we can frame them and hang them in our home or take them to the tip .

HARRASMENT

finished the wooden storage shed was going to be for bins but it is now staying in. the garden next to the shed that is currently getting stained a sage green blue colour looks like a beach hut at the seaside but I do like it the plastic bin storage is going to the front of  the house on our drive to store the black and green bins so we don't have them in the rear garden .
 Trouble is the plastic bin won't come apart and it is too wide took the gate off and it went through ok just getting down the ginnel was ok until we hit the gas and electrical metre boxes wouldn't go through so near yet so far .

TUESDAY  -The other option is to take it over our next door neighbours fence and over his gate which would be easier enough if he says no I could cut the plastic base using a jigsaw the back panel I have taken off I would cut it on the double door line so it is in half and rejoin it sitting it on some 4x1 and screwing through the base in to the wood this would hold it together and get it through the ginnel the side panels and doors are locked in  place and won't come apart the lid and back panel both are able to unscrew and take off  .so that's what I did I cut it smack in the middle and I found some metal flat brackets to hold and join both halves together it worked .The paving to the front of the house slopes so under one edge I had to put some 4x3 under the middle some 3x1 I also screwed down into both pieces to hold it together the bins are in and it looks ok of course you can't see the cut as it is inside.

Work phoned me asking to consider to go back to work they would give me 48 hours to adjust to the idea I refused point blank I have a sick note I said I will consider what to do when my sick note runs out not before as if they also asked if I would take it as annual leave doubt it lol your a joke .

WEDNESDAY  - Fresh pasta sheets we bought yeaterday we have the mince beef and the sauces for a home made lasagne ,
Today I am making a bench for under the kitchen window now we have the plastic storage for the bins moved to the front of the house it is a very basic design why complicate things ,

Had another phone call from work which totally ignored it it was 18.40 I was cooking tea , I sent them a copy of my sick note via works email this morning and got a email back saying thank you  so they have checked it was ok it was so why phone me , your harassing me go away our better still fuck off .

WAY TOO MANY

Bought a wooden bin shed which I though would be a lot better than what it was attention to detail not brilliant but I assembled it ok and are adapting it so it can House my tools and other items I fitted a shelve inside to put car wash , oil paint on , power tools etc . Then reuse the plastic shed to house the bins at the front of the house hopefully not to much of on eye sore.

Managed another barbecue it was threatening  to rain but  the rain stayed away fresh meat done on top of red hot  coals taste better than anything cooked in a conventional oven sat out in the sun drinking cloudy cider listen to music on Alexa takes the worry of coronavirus and all the shit happening for a lot of people out of your head which is a major blessing .

I have a sick note for a fortnight work was getting on top of me sending people to covid infected areas to do shit no one else wants to do was getting to me , I am a supervisor and don't get paid enough to have the worry that someone I have told to do something will end up getting infected , no health staff in Germany have been infected and died yet in the U.K it stands at 150 which is way , way too many .I am fucking feed up of people saying we are in this together we have freedom of choice and we are not all in this together some of us are well out of it if you have money you can ride the storm most people out there need a wage or so we are lead to believe .

FURST BARBIE IN NEW HOME

Can not believe there has been over 30,000 deaths due to coronavirus  in the U.K its  a disaster a total fuck up by our government , we have been let down big time they have got it so wrong from day one and the people dying every day are the ones paying the ultimate price it is way too sad the deaths throughout the world it does seem like that we are on the Eve of destruction .

I work for the Nhs and I feel front line staff and other staff have been missed lead over the ppe and I feel workers have died to being given inadequate or out of date ppe I owe the Nhs a lot they have paid me a wage over the years so i owe them , but I don't owe them my life .

 Bought another ten solar lights to hang down from the pagoda also bought load more compost must have put 1600 litres on to the garden and borders . I assembled the barbecue we bought the other week  it is quite good made with solid materials not tinny metal like some previous barbecues we have bought over the years I took a around forty minute to put together was pretty straight forward I order a cover for it online .

Went to the local farm shop and bought some piri piri  chicken pieces , chicken kebabs , beef kebabs with garlic  , spare ribs , tonight we will try out the new out door cooking machine ie barbie .
The Haagen Daz salted caramel ice cream lollies the best ever I bought my first pack of three lethal , I also bought some more cloudy cider and other bits and pieces I also bought a another jar of coffee it was half price as well as some cat and dog food and other essential items .

Hopefully thr good weather will continue throughout the week although it is a bank holiday so nothing is more certain to bring forth rain .

NEED MORE SOLAR

SUNDAY  - Watching "Gangs Of London " a tv series set in modern times its very violent from the first episode I have watched and very gory but gripping not for the squeamish nine episodes in total should keep me occupied .

Bought another turkey joint for £3 , a joint of park and some steak for frying all from the Flower fields farm shop I was there just after right in the morning the shop was empty as I was leaving three cars turned up obviously had the same idea as me get there early avoid the crowds avoid queuing .

Put some solar lights on to the pagoda two strips of ten lights could do with more but 20 bulbs is enough I guess we can always add more if needed .Hopefully summer nights will soon be upon us sit out with a can of cider and the barbecue cooking a selection of meats whilst listening to the sheep in the nearby fields bleating away bliss .

GARDENING AGAIN

Went to the garden centre pickedd up  some plants we phoned the order in and collected in the afternoon  , Helen picked up her meds from the doctors pharmacy  which was just down the road. We then went over to see my daughter's which was about a thirty minute drive she stood in her doorway we stayed in the garden well away , she looked well I took her some strawberry and kiwi cider and some cloudy apple cider , bless her seeing her was great not hugging her hard , but we stayed apart just in case , one day hopefully we will hug again roll on that day .

Ordered a electric chain saw of eBay it came today  , I have a few 250 x 125 timbers to cut they are going to border the garden edges next to the fence panels  to form raised beds , simple enough I just need the correct tools to do the job my hand saw not good enough to cross cut these timbers  hopefully problem solved .

THURSDAY - Helen bought six bags of top soils and four bags of compost from the garden centre second trip in two days , whilst we was out I manage to get some more food for the dogs and some pasta strips to do a oven baked lasagne .

Bought a 1800 vegetable trug for Helen along with a canopy and liner and cover.

FRIDAY - Went to B&Q bought some hand basin and bath taps we bought some earlier in the year but never got them for throughout the house now we have enough taps to change every tap in the home , also bought a new hand saw that rips instead of cross cut  and two tape measures a 8m and a 5m  , I also bought a new Hozelock extendable swivel hose arm  , and a square shaped barbecue I also bought two boxes of  fire lighters and a large bag of charcoal we also tried to get two garden loungers but  all was sold out .for the front and back of the hose we bought two gothic style  black carriage lanterns we have nothing at the moment the electric bulbs for them was £9 each , scandalous.

SATURDAY - Back to the garden centre picked up another six bags of 100 litres of compost and some more out door solar bulbs to go on the pergola I have hung two hanging baskets on to the front .