Sunny Day

Lovely sunny day today, just realised yesterday that there's a lovely view of the sea on the walk to nursery, will have to take a photo of it. Helps to lift spirits everyday to see the sea, even though we're right up the top of a massive hill and I know the penalty of walking down to the beach is tears as the little ones struggle to climb the mountain home. Apparantly locals say you get used to it, perhaps we will be all like an urban variety of Hedi and her goats by the end of the year.

Popped in to see friend around the corner, who (also) has damp. She's going to DIY tackle it this weekend, fantastic if they can do it as itll save an absolute fortune. I'm still a little mystified by damp really, how come it sometimes dries out? And why do some people say you can sort it ourself by injecting walls etc, and others that is takes specialists who you pay thousands for? Basically think this is like my Chemistry GCSE conundrum that I never got passed, why do we say water boils at 100% when it NEVER HAS.

Had really weird dream last night involving Colin and Justin, decorating guru's from the telly - it either means I've been watching too much telly, or that I fancy them. Can't believe the latter although they are very nice people so think its time to turn off the telly. In fact I always imagined we would be more of a hippy family who played board games and piano and did not have a telly. Instead the children can sing adverts to us, and I kind of adore my sky plus.

Jobs for today, unfun ones are cleaning the bathroom, [hoovering, and tidying in advance of this afternoon when we've got a new language school coming over to see us. We hosted students a couple of times in the summer, largely it went well, although the last one was not a success at all.

Then I thought I might get some creative inspiration and try and make a seasonal wreath - with found objects. Apparantly you can whip one up with an old coat hanger, some ivy and adornments. Not sure about the adornments or how to fix without florist wire (where does that come from? do you beg florists for it?), anyway have not got any.

Will take a photo and publish if successful...

Too much to do

Woken up this morning to house of mess, looks like a laundry moved in, and decorated my radiators, and in fact every available hanging space with clothes, then had a party to use all the glasses in the house, cooked some pasta and left the remains stuck to the pan, then emptied out the vacuum cleaner on the living room floor.

Great, that and washing a bucket of smelly cloth nappies is my fun for this morning, oh and of course waiting for the washing machine repair person to make our washing machine quieter (yes it is an actual fault). Course ringing the company and telling them it was too noisy was about as silly as the time I rang the plumber and told him sometimes I thought the kitchen sink smelled a bit.

Make do and use

We've come to a new plan with the house, rather than spending money in DIY shops that we haven't got, and planning projects we need to do (that will involve the spending of money in DIY shops) we are going to use everything we have. There are heaps of projects we need to do, but we can just do the ones we have the things for, or even make up projects that we have the stuff for.

This weekend we decided to do our lounge floor using the new philosophy...rather than hiring a sander, or buying a carpet or in fact decent wood flooring we decided to use what we had...anything would be better than the bare floor boards in different colours we had before!

We used old white emulsion as an undercoat, then a tin of white floor paint we'd bought ages ago over the top. In my mind now it looks quirky East London, (Hoxton rather than Leyton), with a lovely seaside feel. And it so has the wow factor, everyone who has entered says wow, some in an enthusiastic designer y way, others in a wow, you are a bit weird way...

Either way I love it!

Postman

Just embarassed self in front of freakishly good looking postman. Caught him at the front door trying to post an oversized envelope through our letterbox. It clearly did not fit. So I startled him by opening the door, and telling him sorry the letterbox did not work anymore, nearly said it needed batteries (stock line for kids when things don't work). He just gave me a look and went off. Then I remembered he used it everyday, course it worked.

Why do we talk sometimes when we should say nothing. Or is it just me?

Cold cold day

Another cold day in Hastings, heating timer is not working, and will not work again so have to dash to manual switch and turn it on.
Got a bit too much on this week, and starting to feel over whelmed by it, nothing I can really cancel either so just have to try and do it. Had sympathy with man in Eastenders last night who took a tranquiliser to cope (with his mum) although I'd like a sort of week long one really.

Bonfire night tonight, lovely soft bang of fireworks are coming in through the windows, possibly 'cos they are not properly putty 'ed in. Still sounds good, and very autumny. Starting to think about making craft things, and Christmas things, definitely coming to the artistic time in my life I think.

Busy weekend, managed to dig up the front garden. Not sure exactly how though as husband managed to break both the fork and the spade within a hour of using them. Have decided that everytime I do something on the house it makes me happy for at least a day. Then went for lovely walk in town, made even better by avoiding walking home up giant hill by parking the car at the bottom. Just lurked about in town, buying a few things we need from the health food shop, changed the children's night light, and wandered up the beach.

Have decided we, or I need some beauty at least once a week, up here at the top of the hill, we're not appreciating the beach or the sea, or even just the gorgousness of Hastings old town. It's definitely the way to keep sane.

Mind you have woken up this morning quite down, even though have lots planned for this week, think its just hard really.

cold cold winter days

Wanted to have a duvet day today, but son wanted to go to nursery - he has far more energy than me. Good for him though as he will have more fun than lounging about on the sofa!

Bit tough this time of year, or just generally at the moment for me to get motivated. So much we could be doing. Still I think its probably true that your body tells you to slow down when it needs to. What I really need is a long lazy weekend in bed, course what I'll get is a weekend of housework, running round after kids, and attempting some DIY stuff.

Real fire turning in to bit too much of a mission too, means going wood hunting at the weekend, and partner chopping lots of wood. Also apparantly means we need a bigger axe, which just scares me because if we had an accident with it, it would be so much more serious. Probably just bit over paranoia but keep hearing absolutely terrible stories about people nearly cutting their arms off with chainsaws and having to hold their arms on, and walking for miles, and losing lots of blood. Think they must all live in the country so maybe these things don't happen in town.

Halloween Spooky Night

First Halloween in Hastings, loads of fun. We went trick or treating - were going to be very strict and just go to a couple of local friends' houses but it was great. All the neighbourood was very clear about which were happy Halloween houses and which weren't. The happy ones had decorations all over, and some pumpkin clues. My friend in Essex had told me the family clue in her village was to look for a lighted pumkin, here it is much more creative and adventurous than that.

The best house had a lots of do not enter tape on the door, and banged like a monster from inside when we knocked on the door. The second best, but most decorated was great - spooky masks on the door, more do not enter signs. Fantastic.

My kids dressed up as a ghost and a witch, loads of fun making up costumes and mask and hat respectively. We also did a pumpkin, a flying bat, and some scary window pictures. Will definitely be doing similar next year. Although lessons learnt ate quite a few:

- Buy loads more sweets, had three giant multipacks today, not enough!

- Go out earlier with the kids so we can get back to play some spooky music, eat sweets and give out treats ourselves

- Not put out pumpkin until we are back, so can greet fellow trick or treaters rather than rely on husband to do it, and miss the fun!

- Hastings really is great, people love to party, and love to celebrate things.

That's alll for now, off to eat some sweety booty.

slugs slugs

They're in the bathroom now, baby ones seem to live under the bath...not nice. Love the size of this house but never ending problems make it seem less homely than I'd like. Basically think we need to spend an additional twenty grand to get it up to standard, probably exactly the money the house should have been sold for- not such a bargain after all!
Loving the garden though, even with badger holes and slugs. Saw a fox last night, which was great, and just realised have two glimpses of the sea from the bedroom window. Planning a birthday party for me, at the moment, and loving space we have to host it.
Saw the beautiful country park at the weekend, so lovely to be close to something so special, amazing sea views and you can't actually hear traffic which being a Londoner I find amazing. Even my favourite parks in London, like Victoria Park and Wanstead Park had a slight traffic noise, and slight urban view in them.