Saturday 15 May 2021

Getting Organised

 8 days after moving in and everything is getting organised.  The first thing I did was to leave messages with 4 different  builders/garden companies listed in the local parish magazines to ask about the concrete base for the greenhouse. One rang back during the day and offered a date in June so that's sorted (as long as he turns up!)
 
 A couple of days after I moved in a window cleaner was cleaning next door so I asked him to do mine when he's next round - every 6 weeks in summer he said and £10 a time as there's no upstairs.
Then last week a young lady was doing some tidying in the front of next door neighbour's and I assumed she was the wife of Avi who I've spoken to a couple of times but she was a gardener so I've got her phone number and will give her a ring when I'm ready to prepare some vegetable beds. She says she likes the No Dig way so I'd better save some cardboard boxes ready to cover the grass where the beds will be although that means not growing anything this year - which might be a good idea anyway as it will give me time to sort out what other things I want to do in the garden.
 
2 new pans have been bought for the Induction hob - it heats up so quickly. What a good job I didn't buy a new frying pan when I planned to - before moving - as it might not have been suitable. Also  got the breadmaker up and running. After a few weeks with supermarket bread it was nice to get back to the real thing again.
 
I've finished emptying all the boxes that were indoors  but the garage still has those marked 'Not Important'.........although I worked out that one is my preserving pan etc and another long box says "Christmas wrapping paper and other long things!" ?? 😕

A Brown Garden Waste Bin has been ordered from the District Council- they cost £57 a year........ never had one before as there was always room for compost bins. Might have a small one here when I get some slabs to stand it on. Also ordered a folding step stool so I can reach the top shelves of the very tall kitchen cupboards and dirt trapper mat for the living room patio doors which will be my back door until I decide what to do about a possible back door out of the kitchen.........I'll live with what's here for a while.
 
The water bill has been paid for all year - I will change to a water meter sometime later as that will cut costs of both water and sewer which round here are paid to two different companies. The Council Tax is a lot less than it was up the lane so I got that paid and out of the way too.

Yesterday I did a Tip Trip with huge bags full of all my packaging paper from the move and rubbish bags left by the previous owners who said they were recycling bags to go out but they looked like rubbish to me! After that I picked up some bags of Multi Purpose compost and a tomato plant to go in a pot on the patio - just one for now- starting small until I have more time.

And finally I've got round to organising a visit to the dentist 15 months after my last appointment. They've shut the small branch in Debenham where I used to go so it's a journey to Ipswich instead. Not what I wanted to do but a filling fell out so it was easier to stick with the same dentists group rather than find a new one nearer who would want a £50 New Patient fee on top of everything else.
 
Phew!......getting it all sorted feels good.
 
This week I'm grateful for 
  • Getting all my books unpacked and shelved
  • Finding all my possessions again
  • A speedy dentist appointment to start sorting out all the problems that have appeared in the year.
Hope you all have a good weekend.
And hopefully next week I'll find some things to blog about apart from unpacking boxes.
 
Back Monday
Sue

45 comments:

  1. Lovely to read you're getting organised, Sue, and how fortunate to find a window cleaner and gardener so soon after moving in. The last move we made, I did label all the boxes - but you soon forget what's in them or what that less than helpful written label means!

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    1. I don't think I'll need a gardener once everything is sorted but need some help to get the veg beds made

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  2. You are like me I got organised straight away no good leaving it you have to do it eventually and of course it feel like home quicker, sounds like you have some nice neighbours.
    Enjoy your weekend Sue.
    Hazel 🌈🌈

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    1. The full boxes sit shouting at me until I unpack them! Luckily they are less obvious out in the garage

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  3. Well done, you have been very organized. We did precis some of the box contents for our move and then recycled those boxes after flatpacking, when we took them back to the removal company - someone will be saying "What?!!" to "heads x 2" which are polystyrene ones used on our stand when displaying military hats.

    We are fortunate to live next door to a window cleaner, t'other side of lane, and I met him for the first time yesterday. You can hardly go and knock on their door to introduce yourself during Lockdown!

    Having had a private water supply and sewage system in this house and the last one, we have never had to pay water rates. One saving, although of course we had to pay to have the septic tank emptied.

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    1. I would go and introduce myself lockdown or not - but all the neighbours have beat me to it, except those over the back - who I will go and say hello to sometime.

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  4. You're getting there. Your window cleaner is cheap as chips! Here it's £25 a month, so I do them myself.

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    1. It was £20 at Clay Cottage with an upstairs. I really hate window cleaning never manage it without leaving smears everywhere but still have to do the insides when the outsides are done to make it worthwhile

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  5. I now realise what a good deal we had with our window cleaner- £13 for a 4 bed house and massive conservatory! We are still in rental. First house purchase fell through and now it looks the 2nd will too. All down to dodgy extensions. You couldn't make it up!Lovely to read your news and glad you're settling in.

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    1. How annoying about the purchases falling through. A dodgy extension would certainly put me off too!

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  6. Now that is organised. I shall try to reach your standard if I can!

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  7. Well today I should just sit down with a good book and put your feet up! x

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    1. I made scones in the new to me electric oven and burned them!

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  8. Nice to hear it's all coming together. You are very organised.

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  9. Sounds like you've got a lot done this week. I found, when we moved, that once girls were at school and I had no distractions I could get a lot of boxes emptied and sorted. It's nice as well to have all your things around you, quickly makes it feel like home.

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    1. Good to be back among my possessions after 9 weeks

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  10. You sound to be getting dug in quickly Sue - I am so pleased that everything is finally working out. I do hope the builder turns up. When I moved in here four years ago I found some tradesmen turned up as promised and some didn't - I now have a list of good, reliable, genuine ones.

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    1. I'm hoping that as they are in the Parish Magazine they will be reliable!

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  11. Being organised is the key to being settled in quickly. Glad your actual moving in was smooth and without a hitch.

    Your unimportant items reminded me of an indispensible knife we had which I bought over 50 years ago when we were engaged. It was a Skyline long with a tapering serrated blade bought in Woolworths for 10/- and it was one of the best things I ever bought. It was one of the last things to be packed, but could we find it when we were unpacking, no. We thought we'd left it behind and searched everywhere for a replacement, but still no luck. Fast forward three years to 1st January last year and I went into the drawer for some baking parchment and would you believe that there laid safe and sound was the knife. I'd obviously put it in there to avoid it damaging other things. So, even if you say they're unimportant check everything.

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    1. Very strange about you missing knife. Yes i will be unpacking everything eventually - especially when I need something

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  12. You have to feel so good about getting things organized, finding new routines and figuring out how to function in your new home and village. Well done, you!

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    1. Nice to have so many things I can walk to after 4 years in the middle of nowhere

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  13. I love that feeling of 'getting 'er done'. I cannot wait to see pictures of your new place.

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    1. It feels good to have things organised - I don't do well in muddles

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  14. So nice to be getting organised. You'll soon have everything sorted and feel like you're "home". xx

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    1. Nice to have my old settee again so I can put my feet up in the evenings

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  15. On your gratitude list you should add that you are fortunate to be so energetic and active! You're amazing!

    I looked up your weird toilet---eeeew. I'd be screaming for a plumber to come install a traditional one. I still don't know what an induction hob is, next on my ''what is this?" list.

    lizzy

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    1. The toilet is at the back of the house away from the sewer drains which is why it has the maceration system so everything can go down a smaller drain pipe. You wouldn't know the difference - there is nothing to see, just an electric pump when flushing

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    2. My parents have the same in the upstairs bathroom; apart from the noise, you really don't notice any difference.

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  16. im glad you're getting sorted, i hope you will be very happy there x

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  17. You have been busy and gotten a lot done! Your new home and neighborhood sound so nice. Enjoy feathering your nest!

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    1. It's a friendly village and I'm looking forward to joining in with things when all the clubs and societies get going again

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  18. I need a 'sit down' to recover after reading of your energetic week! You have achieved such a lot. Well done. Even if you're tired, I'll bet you're feeling very pleased with the results. I couldn't find a couple of sharp knives, and the bread knife (vital!) when we moved - I'd pushed them down the centre of the foil and plastic wrap tubes. Fortunately we discovered them before we impaled ourselves! You've done well if you've moved without a loss.

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    1. I'm pleased with how much has been sorted - I was afraid it was going to take much longer

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  19. Wow, you really are organized! Isn't it lovely when things begin to fall into place too. Bills paid, trades people organised...
    QUOTE: "Christmas wrapping paper and other long things!" ?? 😕
    I love it!! Have a lovely Sunday, Sue. A day of rest? x

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    1. Hmm, why did I spell organised in two different ways???

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    2. I'm imagining an umbrella, a church candle, and a whisk in that box :)

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  20. How exciting to be setting up your new home! All of that waiting and worry inspires you to get settled quickly! Glad it is all working out so well!

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    1. The waiting in holiday lets certainly made it more important to get settled quickly.

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  21. It sounds like it's all coming together nicely.

    A good idea perhaps to get your vegetable beds all prepped and ready for next year, having the beds with a few layers of cardboard and a mix of top soil and compost and then covering them over will give the chance for worms to begin to do their stuff (lob some in when you see them anywhere else in the garden to give the beds a head start) and for you to see how the sun pans over the garden during the day ready for serious vegetable plans for next year.

    It's all exciting stuff isn't it, oh and I love your box labelling - "Christmas wrapping paper and other long things!" :-)

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