A moany post

 WARNING - this is a ranting post, so look away now if you don't want to read it!

I know some of you feel I should be glad I've still got a husband who's alive (I know, because a few of you have actually had the nerve to tell me!), but all I can say is that you don't live with him, I do, and I'm very glad that you had such perfect marriages.

Having first popped into town this morning to go to the library and the new vet to sign up Betty there (they seem lovely), we then went for a drive to a village on the outskirts of Exmoor, I'd read about it online.  It's a lovely little very traditional small village, full of very old cottages with gorgeous flower and veg gardens, a rural life museum (which unfortunately is closed on Mondays), a working forge, and an old post office with a beautiful tea garden.  There's a river running down through the village, with a stone bridge across it, and glorious views to the Exmoor hills rising up behind the cottages.  The whole village looks like it's been untouched for 100s of years, the sort of place where our grandparents would have lived.  After having a walk through the village, we went back to the tea garden for a pot of tea and a homemade cheese & chive scone, a huge one that came with a thick slab of Cheddar and a generous pot of homemade chutney.  The lady also brought out some dog biscuits for Betty and made a fuss of her.  Husband has always been a messy eater, I've said before how he frequently drops food all down his front and on the floor, he eats and talks with his mouth open and full of food.  He's always been like it (all his family are the same), I've long since given up trying to teach him table manners.  Well, today he really disgraced himself, I won't go into details but even I was aghast at the mess he was making and his atrocious manners.  He gets worse the older he gets.

Back home he decided to get on with putting back all the contents of his shed, which he'd emptied out into the car port to give him room to fit in the 2 double old kitchen units he'd asked the kitchen fitters to save for him.  I've just been out there to go in the garden to get the washing in, only I couldn't get to the garden, as the car port is even fuller than it was before - either his shed stuff has multiplied overnight, or he's somehow managed to acquire even more junk.  Honestly, I don't know where it all comes from, he's such a hoarder!! 😠  He says he's sorting things out - all he seems to be doing is making more of a mess.

Oh, and while he was out there and I was busy indoors, the housing officer lady came - he spoke to her outside and didn't tell me she was here....I've asked him numerous times to let me speak to her, as he forgets things we need to tell or ask her, gets things wrong, or forgets to pass on any messages to me.  She was supposed to be testing our smoke and lifeline alarms today, but husband told her not to bother, as WE WILL DO IT ourselves from now on.  He didn't discuss this with me first, and when I asked him if he knows how to do it/which button to press (there isn't one which says TEST, although I think I know which one it is) - he admitted he's not sure and assumed I'd know.  So he's now added another job to my list.  He also apparently confirmed to her that we would be home next Monday when she next comes - we won't, as he's got a hospital appointment that day!  😒  Honestly, he cannot be trusted.  I've rung her and left a message on her phone.

We said our marriage vows 41 years ago, and I will honour them and look after him till the day I die (or he does).  But he is not the man I married, that man has gradually disappeared over the last few years and I don't really recognise this one.