I Need a List

Autumn and everywhere you look there are tractors ploughing or cultivating, this is right beside the house

Last year I made a list of ideas for getting through my first  Autumn and Winter alone. I got lots of the things sorted and got through OK. Some dark days but I managed.
For some reason I feel very worried about the coming 6 months, last year was a new experience but now I have to get through all over again and just to make me feel really unsettled I'm wondering if I should stay here much longer after all,  there are so many things that might need fixing...........

When the chimney sweep came last year he said there were cracks in the fire bricks in the wood-burner,  he said if I got new bricks before this year he would fit them in. He gave me the measurements and I wrote everything down on a bit of paper which then sat in my purse forgotten until it was time for the chimney to be swept again. Then I discovered that the local wood burning place didn't supply firebricks for my stove so I ordered some online, now they are here they don't look anything like whats inside the wood-burner. The sweep isn't coming  until early October........ So that's Problem #1 will they fit, if not why did he give me those measurements? Can I use the woodburner?

Problem #2 is the boiler which is really old and seems to be OK but I'm worried that when they come to service it next week they will find something wrong and a new boiler can't be put in the same place because of new rules, which would be a big upheaval with pipework.

 Of course I might be worrying about nothing and no one to tell me I'm worrying about nothing just makes it more difficult.

I need a list to keep me going.......... or perhaps two lists...........

List 1 had better be things to help me get through the autumn and winter again and List 2 the pros and cons of moving somewhere easier to look after.

Right.............Things to do get through my second winter alone, half of these are the same as last year.

• Clear the garden 
• Clear the greenhouse and wash down
• Wash all the used pots 
• Clear the patio pots of summer stuff and then
• Plant up some pots for winter colour
• Keep swimming
• Make Limoncello for the Christmas Hampers 
• Think of more things for  hampers.
• Visit more churches in Suffolk further afield
• Go back to helping at the Home Start charity shop for the winter but in Eye rather than Stowmarket? 
• Read (goes without saying!)
• Sort all the big folder of paperwork that came with the house and chuck things like out of date guarantees.
• Sort boxes of old papers and stuff regarding the smallholding and self employment.
• Sort more craft stuff, clear out things I know I will never get round to doing. I have a phone number of a lady who might buy it, she gave me her number after I sold her some bits at the boot-sale I did.
• Finish a cross stitch card started a year ago
• Go through books again to see if there are any to send to Ziffit
• Take some books to charity shop
• Do more sorting and clearing in the workshop
• Get some paint to do the skirting boards in the kitchen, waiting to be done since the kitchen man finished last December.
• Chop kindling and pick up twigs for fire lighting.

By the time all that list was written I couldn't be bothered to work out the pros and cons for moving or staying! and anyway I'm just about to have some gates put up to stop everyone driving in and round and out again - and to make it safer for grandchildren, so I'd better stay and get the benefit of them......the gates, not the grandchildren although they make me happy too.

This week I'm grateful for.............
Good weather to begin the veg garden autumn clearance
More raspberries from the garden

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. It's Heritage Open Days weekend, the chance to visit a place not usually open to the public and the weather forecast is good, although I've felt shattered this week so may not go anywhere.....I'll see .

Back Monday
Sue