Order out of Chaos and a happy find.

It's been a busy old day, I woke up full of "get up and go" and did not want to waste a crumb of it. It was glorious and sunny although by the time I had 2 loads of washing pegged out it decided to go black and rain. Oh well the soft water will make it all lovely and soft.
I decided that Today was THE DAY, the day the utility and under the stairs get blitzed.

This little box opens off the kitchen and I used to avert my eyes when washing up. It was a dumping ground and I had a clear path to the washing machine, the rest was full. A trip to Ponty to pick up storage shelving and an hours sweating and swearing and all is nearly well. I just want to put some hooks up to hold the broom, mop and brush and dustpan, and find some little shelves to stand on the deep shelf at the back, all Ben's stuff is there and my cleaning kit and so on. 

(An hour later and the bottom 2 shelves now hold my boxes of jam jars and my stock of new lids for them, they had been hidden right at the back of the understairs cupboard.)

I then took my life in my hands and emptied the cupboard under the stairs, it is deep and narrow. There are some coat hooks on the wall behind the door and my Drizabone will live there with some umbrellas to keep it company, I will need to have some wellies also.

This is where all the clutter went to be sorted, the sewing/dining room, needless to say I have done no sewing today. Also the weather did a U turn and my washing is dry so I have an overflowing ironing basket.

This is the result, all electric tools on shelves, big bits of kit stacked right at the back and I managed to empty 3 suitcases and stow them away, result.

I will not be showing you the sewing room as there is still a pile of things to go through before it is presentable. My ironing will have to be done today, I hate hanging it over to the next day, it seems to take twice as long. 

There is a chicken in the oven that will go nicely with roasties, cabbage, broccoli and some swede and carrot mash. I did not cook dinner yesterday, I just cut some raw veg sticks, opened some cheesy snacky things and made some dips, lovely.

Tomorrow I will make a Lamb Curry for the freezer and huge, as opposed to tiddy, Oggies using some lamb, potato. swede and peas in a minty gravy.

Reasons to be grateful.

1.  A much tidier house.

2.  Room to move in the utility.

3.  Laundry done and dried outside.

4.  As always the Sunshine.

5.  Lots of help of the muscle variety.

There is no way that I could have moved all that stuff by myself. My 2 outside storage units have been assembled, 1 is in its designated place and the other is ready to be sited once the area chosen is ready ( a job for tomorrow maybe)

I have Michael to thank for all this achievement, he has worked hard for 3 days getting everything assembled and in place.

I ordered some storage units for James and Carys from Argos, they were out of stock and I was promised an E mail once they were available......Nada, zilch, a big fat nothing. So I looked on line a little while ago. Oh Yes they are in stock but the price has gone up quite considerably. I had a pootle round on the web but could find nothing else. Then I thought about Ikea. My nearest branch is in Cardiff, a 100 mile round trip which if you count the cost of petrol and time will effect the cost. I am going to have a look at their site later and see if I can get what I want and if they deliver. If the stars are in alignment and with a back wind James may get his storage soon and Michael will be putting yet more stuff together. Fingers crossed everybody.

I have still managed to get Ben out and walked and this afternoon I made a wonderful discovery. Peeping out of an overgrown bank of shrubs and blackberries was a beautiful crab apple tree, it is not laden with fruit but there will be enough for at least 2 batches of blackberry and apple jelly, and the berries will be ready to pick in a couple of days.

I must go and check up on the one and only Elder tree that I have found. I will be extremely peeved if I am beaten to the fruit.

The chicken smells wonderful and the roasties have to go in shortly, all the veg is in the steamer and I am really looking forward to it, I am rumbling.

  I have tea to drink so I will see you all tomorrow.

                          TTFN                                               Pam