Wednesday 13 January 2016

Catching Up but Feeling Glum!

It seems ages since I wrote my last post. It is not intentional - it's just that life has gone into fifth gear and there don't seem to be enough minutes in the day. And I seem to be in the middle of the most enormous fit of the 'Glums'.


Those of you who know me will know that we have had our house up for sale now for a bit over a year. It has been very tough going. Mostly due to the fire next door (last January) and the resultant 'tin canopy' that caused our neighbours' house to resemble Ely Cathedral. 

It totally put people off wanting to view our house, and we had very few viewings until it came down last October. Then we were inundated. Sometimes two or three in a day. It has been quite exhausting keeping the house clean and tidy 24/7.

But no-one seemed to want to put in an offer. Until a week before Christmas, would you believe?! A young couple with horses. They adored the house and the land and stabling was just what they were looking for, and the eight minute drive to the station for early morning commuting to London was just what they required. 

And Christmas came in the middle of everything!

So since New Year we have been shuttling back and forth to our new house with boxes and cartons of belongings, plus pictures, small items of furniture, etc.


We have hired a large skip to throw over thirty years of rubbish into, and are feverishly making sorties into the loft in the barn, and outbuildings, to fight our way through years of hoarding.


It is a nightmare of the highest order! We haven't done more than scratch the surface so far!

Just sorting through our closets is so completely horrible that I feel at times that I am going to get sucked in and never find my way out ever again!


At the same time the paperwork is being passed to and fro between our lawyers and the purchasers' lawyers. It must soon be a paper mountain! And still it goes on. Sigh!

We hope to be moved by the end of February at the earliest and by Easter at the latest. So if you wonder at my seeming disinterest and lack of participation - now you know.

So what else?

Dan had good results from his latest PSA test. It had gone down slightly from the previous one, so we are very pleased, but his annual MRI scan is coming up at the London hospital and so that is on our minds, as his operation was only on one side and he was told that there were some very tiny cancers on the other side that they would continue to monitor. Hence the regular blood tests and the MRIs. 

My MIL continues to give us concern. Her walking ability has deteriorated, although she does her best to get around, and once she is in a car she is fine. But she has decided not to undergo the shoulder replacement operation. Maybe at 88 she is right, but as it is the main cause of the pain she is in, we are not sure. She is undergoing pain management, but the doctors are not able to give her any more painkillers than she is at present taking. So Dan and his sister have discussed the future and it is all a bit depressing for my MIL who has always been so independent. However, if her situation gets worse, and she cannot manage, she will move into a lovely little granny annexe at my SIL's and that seems to be the best solution. 

The rest of our family are fine and dandy, thank goodness. We had a lovely family Christmas, and then had friends here for New Year. Lots of work, but it took our minds off moving for a while, and we were able to laugh and joke together. 

We have had one of the mildest winters on record over here in the UK. Mild and wet. 


Too wet. The flooding has been pretty diabolical. The weather forecasters tell us that it is a taste of things to come. I feel so sorry for those poor folk up north who have been flooded out of their homes not once, but two or three times over the holiday period. Places that have never been flooded before, suddenly turned into scenes from Waterworld. It has been devastating. 


This was the centre of York!


This was a lane near us!

Now the weather is turning colder at last. We have had some frost and the mercury is dropping like a stone. Snow is forecast and we are watching to see whether we get just a few flakes, or a more significant amount. Just what we want for moving house....

My computer continues to be on the blink. I mostly use my iPad but find it tiring when writing more than the average email. This week we had a power outage that came completely out of the blue, and my computer was almost dead in its tracks. Luckily I managed to coax it back into life, but I was tearing my hair out, especially as I needed to save lots of stuff on USB drives.


Throughout all of this my friends in Blogland have been absolutely wonderful. They send me regular emails and jokes, sometimes on a daily basis. You have no idea how lovely it is to sit and gaze at beautiful pictures on calendars from different parts of the world. It gives me the travel bug with a vengeance, and makes my mouth water with wanderlust. Thank you so much, girls, those calendars are a plain delight! Especially when we have had to cancel our travel plans due to our prospective move. I am threatening that we will fly out and visit some of you when we are relocated. Be warned!

There is one gift I feel compelled to share with you, my friends.

This arrived over the holiday period, with dire warnings to open it in private. Little did we know our son was going to waltz in through the back door just as I had taken it out of its fancy wrapping paper! Sigh! Typical Ami!



Believe me, Dan tried it out at the earliest opportunity. I nearly threw myself off his lap! There is not much to choose between this and the dreaded paddle with holes in it. It looks and feels lightweight, but it is absolutely lethal! Our Rose paddle felt like sheer heaven after trying this little baby out!

Thank you very much for our lovely gifts - you know who you are! My bottom is not quite as sure!

Moving is stressful. I am sure our Katie will back me up on that one. (How is it going, Katie?) 

I am beginning to sense the re-arrival on the scene of 'Bitch Troll'. It's not a good thing to admit. Haven't seen her around for a very long time. In fact, I thought I had said goodbye to her for good. Not the case. Stress is once again taking its toll on my usual sunny nature, and Bitch Troll is doing her utmost to put an end to our peace and harmony. 


I don't understand how it happens. One minute I am fine, then my mood takes a dip and I become a different person. In a way, Dan acts as a catalyst. He is ALWAYS making suggestions. It just drives me up the wall. I hate being 'suggested' to when I am in a bad mood.


Suddenly I become irritated and snappy. I am not a meek person. My temperament is continental to say the least.


This, of course, fans the flames. Dan hates being answered back in an insolent and snarky tone. One thing leads to another...


You get the general gist of it? 

I just wish Dan was the kind of man who would hike me up to our room and flourish the paddle at me. That would cure me of insolence in a hurry! But he tends to cogitate before acting. However, all I can say is that a spanking of gargantuan proportions is brewing, and I will deserve every last swat and swipe of it. It will be totally necessary in order to return to some form of tranquillity.


The only time I feel anything like normal these days is when I am in the garden. It is the best medicine, apart from a good spanking, for lifting my mood. I have been madly pruning the roses. I still have loads to do.


Whilst I am doing that, Dan likes to sweep the leaves. We have several large trees round the garden and as a result of high winds the leaves are everywhere. Dan is very meticulous in his sweeping. He does a brilliant job by firstly sweeping into lines, and then into lots of heaps, before transferring them on to the compost heap. 


We have also been decorating a couple of bedrooms in our new house. I so wanted to do it myself, but Dan disagreed. He is not keen on me climbing ladders these days.  


I didn't mention that I had been balanced on a chair and leaning into the depths of the airing cupboard sorting out the bed linen. Ha! A chair isn't a ladder....

You can see the trouble he has with me.

So I think that brings you all up to date. I promise to do my best to visit Blogland more often. I do enjoy reading all your blogs. Therein lies the problem. Suddenly two or three hours have disappeared!

Please don't forget me!

And thank you so much, you new people who have written me such great emails! I love receiving them!


Any suggestions, of the spanking kind (or other) will be welcomed. We need to get back to this:


So long for now. xxxx





30 comments:

  1. So happy to hear from you Amikins! I take it the lads are back in their house now? Is their rebuild complete? I have only been in this house for going on 18 years and can't imagine having to sort it out to move...I need to but can't imagine it.

    Happy you had a lovely Christmas and New Year...gave you a bit of reprieve before starting up again.

    Ooh...your gift cracks me up! Are you sure the person who sent it to you is actually a friend? LOL What did your son have to say about your 'gift'?

    Ooh woman...you are pushing the limits with Dan aren't you..."a chair is not a ladder"...sounds like something that would come out of my smart mouth! ;)

    Sending lots of positive energy your way.

    Lots of Hugs and blessings...Cat

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    1. I like that! Amikins! Suits my moods.

      Yes, they have been back since late October, thank goodness. They have changed the interior of the barn a great deal. Even had a glass staircase put in and the beautiful oak staircase was chopped up for firewood! Such is life.

      I told Dan that I don't intend having to move ever again if possible. It is all too much. Although I suppose that if you move regularly you don't accumulate anywhere near the stuff that we seem to have hoarded over the years.

      That gift nearly cracked me up as well! Good grief! I felt every single swat right down to my bone marrow! Luckily our son didn't say a word, so perhaps he didn't even think about it.

      Well, Cat, a chair is not a ladder! For one thing it has four legs and chairs always seem quite sturdy to me. The thing not to do is to stand right on one edge so it tips. LOL! I won't tell you which part I was standing on in order to reach the very back of a very large airing cupboard.

      Thanks for the positive energy. I most certainly need it.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  2. Oh Ami! I'm happy to hear from you! I am missing in action myself. Life just seems to get busier and harder at times! Sometimes I just get tired thinking about writing a post! Lol!
    I'm glad you are finally moving! You never do anything on a small scale! Decorating and moving?!
    Here's hoping you get a spanking, one you and Dan benefit from..... And soon!

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    1. Minelle, I've had so little action this last couple of weeks that I am beginning to think it was all but a happy dream!

      We had a man in to do most of the decorating in those bedrooms. I just have to finish off one or two little bits, and that incorporates standing on the floor! Not a ladder!

      Dan is going frantic sorting out dusty old possessions for the skip. But he will insist on putting things in it in a certain order; so he can get as much in as possible. It drives me to distraction!

      Hugs
      Ami

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  3. I cannot imagine packing to move - which is the reason I'm never going to do it. But I feel for you and I can only imagine your stress level. I think several small, premptive spankings would be better too, but it seems we don't get to decide such things.

    Nick mom is doing very poorly too. Extreme memory loss and she can hardly walk too. His dad is trying to take care of her, but he's 94 so you see the problem. Of course the kids are helping as they can but everyone works. It's hard for sure.

    I miss you here, but I do understand how busy you are.

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    1. I think, re moving, you are very wise. Moving sucks! Pre-emptive spankings would be good, but as you know, Nick and Dan are very similar in this respect, and I gave up dropping hints years' ago. If he can't put two and two together, I just can't be bothered!

      My MIL is at the Pain Clinic today, so no doubt we will find out soon what she has decided. I am really sad for her. It is awful to be in pain and discomfort all the time. I just wonder why all this came on so quickly. But for your MIL memory loss is a trial and a tribulation for you all. We are so lucky that my MIL is relatively bright as a button and only occasionally repeats herself. But then, we all sometimes do that.

      I will try to be around more often, but there just seems to be so much to do and I am often running around between here and the new house like a headless chicken.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  4. How lovely to 'see' you here Ami.
    Of course moving is high up there on the list of stress causing moments in ones life along with illness and you have that there on your mind for Dan and family too so it's no wonder. The great thing is that you do have access to your new place so you can take bits and pieces over now rather than waiting for one day when everyone moves out and moves in.
    The lane full of water looks like places around here too, so much better than 'up north' but even so, very wet!
    I do agree with PK that a series of small, light pre emptive spankings would probably help, but our men are not usually good at being told how to manage!
    Good luck for the next few months.

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    1. Thanks, Janey!

      Believe me, it is such a blessing that we already bought a house to move to. Although we have plans to do some alterations to it, at least we have been able to start moving our possessions and not leave them all to the last minute. We aren't going to bother getting in a removal company as we shall move everything possible ourselves and then just hire a 'van' (small truck) and get our son and a couple of his employees in to help us to life things like sofas and sideboards etc.

      The water has gone down but it is lying on the fields and the ditches are full. The snow, sleet and wind last night must have had some dirt or sand in it as this morning all the windows around the house are very dirty and patchy. Spattered. Luckily the only snow left is lying in the shady areas and is going as the sun hits it. Very cold though.

      I do my best not to try to manage Dan these days. Usually I don't need to, but of late he has been a bit lacking. I think that he has too many other things on his mind, to be fair. But I have known him to suddenly reach his limits and then my bottom feels as if it has been lasered! LOL!

      Hugs
      Ami

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  5. Hi Ami, so lovely to hear from you. Life does sound extremely busy for you at the moment. Hope fully when the move is over you will be able to relax a bit more. I am not expecting snow over here, but all this water s so depressing. The poor souls up North make me so glad I live here, they have all my sympathy. Your mil has my sympathy too, bless her, sounds like sil is about to be invaded!
    Hope all goes well and you get chance to read a few blogs and catch up
    love Jan,xx

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    1. Golly, Jan, this move seems to have suddenly taken us by surprise and over thirty years of possessions take a lot of sifting through. Why we kept some of the stuff is beyond me! We are crazy people.

      I don't think my MIL will be moving just yet, but at least she has somewhere to move to when the time comes that she can no longer manage on her own.

      We must meet up again in the spring. It's been ages!

      Hugs
      Ami

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  6. It is so nice to hear from you. Great news about selling the house! I understand about the packing, I have been trying to slowly declutter here, but some things are hard to say good by to. Hope you get some stress relief soon.
    hugs abby

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    1. I find decluttering exhausting. You feel good afterwards, but during is not so easy. It is making decisions what to throw and what to retain. In the past we have hurled things that we now rather wish we had kept!

      I hope I get some stress relief soon, too!

      Hugs
      Ami

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  7. Oh Ami it was lovely to see you pop up on my blog roll. You certainly have a lot on your plate at the moment. Good news on the house sale and good that you can move things over to your new house in stages. I am sorry to read about your MIL.

    I keep saying to P it's time we moved but then I think no, I couldn't go through with all that sorting and decluttering. I had enought clearing out his mom's house.

    From the sounds of it I don't think it will be too long before you are over Dan's knee:)

    Will be thinking of you over the next few months.

    Love and hugs,
    Ronnie
    xx

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    1. Hi Ronnie, and thanks! It's such chaos round here at the moment that I don't know whether I am coming or going!

      Somehow clearing out other people's houses is not nearly so difficult as clearing out your own!

      I could certainly do with a bit of OTK time, but it doesn't look like I am going to get any unless Dan starts to think about why I am being so 'bratty'. Oh well, here's hoping...

      Hugs
      Ami

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  8. Ami is back! You have been sorely missed in blogland. It is so funny to me that we all start thinking of a good spanking when the world gets to be too much. We could even use the analogy of cleaning out a cluttered attic. A spanking clears out all the clutter in my head and sets me back on course.

    I am sure that the friend who sent you that wooden implement knew that it would come in handy through these moving months.

    Will continue with prayers for Dan's mother. Keep us all posted on that.

    Hugs Across the Pond,
    Ella

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    1. All I think about at the moment is a spanking! It's even taking precedence over what type of coffee I think I might like to drink next. (I just bought some Machu Pichou coffee which it says is strong and robust with dark chocolate undernotes. I will tell you the verdict when I have tried it.

      I certainly need the attic in my head clearing out! Yes, what a handy little implement! Ha!

      Thanks for the prayers for my MIL. She can certainly use them.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  9. Nice to see your name pop up on my roll. Your life is filled with stresses, isn't it? Hope something breaks soon and it is not your new gift across your bottom. Maybe you should pack that away or let it finds its way to the 'skip'.
    Will keep you and yours in my thoughts and prayers.

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    1. Leigh, I most certainly hope it won't be that dratted implement breaking across my bottom! You should just feel the blessed thing! Maybe I'll pack it and send it to you....!

      Thanks for the prayers and kind thoughts!

      Hugs
      Ami

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  10. Ami,
    Welcome back! I have missed you. You and Dan will get things all sorted out. Everything gets accomplished in its own time.
    I hear about your computer problems and know that your sequel book must not be ready for me to tuck away for our vacation.
    Glad to see you here, dear friend.
    Meredith

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    1. Hi Mere! It's nice being missed. But I have 'headless chicken syndrome' at the moment. Golly, if I survive this I can survive anything. Never again!

      The book is all finished but waiting for me to write a 'blurb' to accompany it to the publisher. I keep putting it off because it is such a tiring thing to do. Don't know why. It's just the thought of trying to encapsulate a whole book into a few lines. Sigh.

      Hope you have a lovely vacation. We don't know when we will get to go away this year. Much later on I should imagine. I hate having to put plans on hold, but we have waited a long time to move and it is the priority in both our minds.

      I will try to visit blogland more often, but sometimes the best laid plans and all that...

      Hugs
      Ami

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  11. So lovely to see a post from you. You've been missed and I was about to email you when this appeared
    Selling a house, so stressful. I can understand the gloomy outlook. Hope the rest of your move goes well.
    Love the piccies.
    take care, hugs, DF

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    1. Very stressful! But we need to get moved and I think the whole decluttering exercise will ultimately do us good. Just difficult at the time.

      Keep in touch!

      Hugs
      Ami

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  12. It's good to hear from you Ami, sorry you've been having such a stressful time. With a house sale, Christmas and New Year all coming on top of each other, it's no wonder you're feeling glum. I hope you get the stress relief you need soon but maybe you should hide that 'gift' for the time being.
    Rosie xx

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    1. I am almost giggling with hysterical laughter. But at least spring is ahead of us, and today the snow has gone and the sun is shining.

      The 'gift' has gone into the drawer with all the other implements of ass destruction. I tried hiding something once and it was the one thing that Dan decided he wanted, and I ended up getting extra. So never again. Naturally, he now tends to use the same implement over and over again. In more ways than one! LOL!

      Hugs
      Ami

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  13. So glad to see you back on!
    Hope you get your feeling of relief and calming soon. I always look forward to my "reset" of sorts.

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    1. Hi Rachel!

      Yes, a reset would be good about now. But there are so many things occupying Dan's mind that I am not going to live in too much hope.

      I will do my best to pop in and out of blogland more often though, as I miss it and all my friends very much.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  14. Hi Ami,
    I am sorry that you are feeling the glums at the moment. I think when you have as much going on as you do it is natural to feel a little frazzled. I understand and feel the same and yet for me i have no excuse as life is calm and I have little to complain about. I hope that you both get to reconnect soon to help you get over this bump and be smooth sailing forward. Hugs to you. It is always great to hear how you are doing. :-)

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  15. Hi Terps!

    It just creeps up on you, doesn't it? And I hate bumps in the road!

    Hugs
    Ami

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  16. Hi Ami, I'm sorry I am so late in commenting. I have been awol from blogland again and am just now catching up with some blogs.

    It's so good to see you post. Gosh, you have had so much going on with selling the house and Christmas and New Year all happening at once. Wonderful news on the sale and Dan's test results.

    Sorry you are feeling the glums. Moving is so stressful and I feel for you. It's great that you can slowly move stuff into the new house. I have been busy cleaning and decluttering over the holiday.

    Sending positive thoughts and prayers for your MIL and hope you get some stress relief soon.

    Hugs
    Roz

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  17. Hi Roz! I hope everything is okay with you? Missed you!

    We are so tired of sorting and sifting through years and years of stored "things"! How people move house on a regular basis, I just don't know.

    I will be so glad when we are moved and back to normal once more.

    Thanks very much for the thoughts and prayers. We are taking my MIL to hospital again tomorrow for yet another procedure.

    Hugs
    Ami

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