Grounds for divorce!

 Well, Bank Holiday weekend and it's been hot and sunny.....what a novelty!  Saturday we went to the car boot sale.....wore our masks as it got quite busy there (not surprising, it's a popular one anyway, it's by the sea, it was a sunny day and it's half term holiday).  Lots of others were wearing masks too, although plenty weren't - I'd say probably 50/50.  Still, I didn't kiss or cuddle (or even stand talking to) anyone there so I reckon I'm safe 😉.  We bought another oil filled radiator for the caravan, excellent nearly new condition, for £7.

Yesterday late morning we went to my best friend's house, sat in their garden with cold drinks for a while, their daughter came over with her lovely little spaniel - we've not seen their daughter for over a year so it was nice to catch up.  

We spent the afternoon putting up our new gazebo - we've had gazebos before, our last one had had it hence the new one.  I'd chosen a different one - well, I reckon I must have picked the most complicated one ever.  It took us - well, husband mainly - about 2 hours to put it up, it was more complicated than a caravan awning (those of you with touring caravans will understand why putting up an awning is justification for a divorce 😂😂).  We did it in the end, but not without a lot of swearing and extreme patience and teeth gritting on my part! 😒  Husband being a man, he doesn't look at the instructions, although, to be fair, the instruction sheets that come with just about anything always seem to be translated from a foreign language - very badly and by someone who doesn't actually have any knowledge of English.  So, I was having to decipher the instructions, then try to identify which poles go where, using which nuts etc (turns out they were all the same nuts), then help husband put the bits together, some of which just didn't want to fit without him using mole grips or a hammer, and trying to avoid getting my fingers trapped (by him) or having a pole dropped on my head (both of which were a frequent occurrence when putting up caravan awnings).

A couple of times, when I went indoors to get us cold drinks (well, really just to have a calming break!!), I came back out to find husband had fitted a wrong bit, or was doing something completely arse about face - honestly, can't leave him alone for 2 minutes 😖.  By the time it was finished, I was too tired, hot and stressed to sit under it.

We're going shopping in a minute, want to get it done before the holidaying hordes go in there to empty the shelves for their bbqs/picnics.  As it's another hot one and Bank Holiday Monday, we shan't be going anywhere.....might even sit under our new gazebo 😁

Caravan stuff

 I did some batch cooking yesterday - 5 sort of cottage pies, one for dinner last night, the other 4 for the freezer.  Instead of mash, I did macaroni cheese for the topping, for a change (had an open packet of macaroni that needed using up).  It was lovely.

A few of you have asked about caravan news.....well, there's not actually much to report right now.  We were supposed to be going to view the 2 empty vans on Monday, but the site owner has asked if we can postpone it to Wednesday instead, in view of Monday being Bank Holiday and the site being busy.  That's ok with us, if a little frustrating - more delay!  Never mind, it's only 2 days extra to wait.  Having had another informative chat with him, we now know a bit more about the two vans and are almost sure we'll have one of them - most likely the one that's already on the pitch we prefer with the fenced in garden.  

The van is apparently a good make, well equipped and better quality than the other one, although it does need a thorough deep clean, decorating and some updating.  No problem, we'll enjoy doing it.  The site owner knows a mobile carpet and upholstery cleaner in the nearby village, so we'll probably get him to come and clean the carpets/furnishings.  I've found a company online selling a big range of replacement loose covers for the sofas.  We'll probably have new curtains - if I can get them in appropriate sizes off the peg, so much the better - if not, we'll look at buying material and having them made.  I know there are seamstresses in the village here, I've seen them mentioned on our local FB pages.  

A contractor will have to come in to test and service the utilities/appliances and issue the appropriate certificates - the site owner will take care of that.  We'll do the decorating ourselves - I've chosen paint colours and wallpaper for a feature wall already, I have a clear idea of how I want everything to look.  Husband is leaving the choosing of that side of things to me, he knows I have a good eye for colour and what goes with what.

I have 5 of the big plastic storage boxes with lids, all full of kitchen and bathroom stuff, cleaning materials and decorating brushes etc, and a holdall full of towels and bedding, everything is under the beds or stacked on the bedroom floor at the moment.  So we're actually more or less ready to go, as soon as the contract is signed.

We're off to a car boot sale this afternoon, to see if we can pick up a few last bits we need.  

Lovely day with lovely friends

 The pub we met our friends at was lovely, it had a huge garden which was full of beautifully tended flower beds, with plants climbing up pergolas, interesting statues (including one of a gorilla sat on a tree trunk), life size wicker deer, and an enclosed fully equipped play area for children (there were only 2 kids yesterday).  And being on the bank of the River Exe, it had really pretty views too.  I didn't take many photos, I tend to forget!  But here's a couple:-

There were good Covid precautions in place and the tables were well spaced apart.  Inside the pub was just as lovely - we only went in to use the loos though.  We sat outside to eat as it was such a lovely day, and Betty is happier in more open spaces.  The bar staff were all so nice, really friendly and cheerful.

The men both had cod and chips - absolutely huge pieces of fish, and they both said the fish was really moist and tasty, with gorgeous batter.  My friend had scampi, which she enjoyed, I had Hunters Chicken which was delicious - moist chicken (sometimes it can be a bit dry and overcooked, not so here) with lots of bacon and cheese, and a really tasty bbq sauce.  We all had mounds of chips and salad, I don't think any of us finished the large portions.  Betty did have a couple of my chips, and a piece of chicken wiped clean of sauce, which she wolfed down.

Afterwards, we went for a walk - it's a very picturesque area, with a big hill in the distance (which we all quickly agreed we weren't going to attempt to walk up after a big lunch!).  Betty had a good run around in a buttercup covered field, whilst us 4 adults slowly strolled around the edge, watching ducks on the river and the fly fishermen by a lake just beyond the river.  It was warm and sunny, with next to no breeze, and we had a lovely natter catching up on all our news.  And we all had a cuddle! (it's been around 18 months since we last saw them).  We've known C & D for 13 or 14 years, we originally met through a caravanning forum (we both had touring caravans at the time) hit it off straight away, and went on lots of caravan hols with them, until we both sold our vans around the same time a few years ago.  They live by the Kent coast, the other side of the country to us, but come down here on holidays once or twice every year (not last year though!), so we see them every time they come down.  It's a pity we don't live nearer each other, we'd see a lot of them if we did, they're a lovely couple and we get on really well, we have the same interests and sense of humour and are all Londoners....although we're from west London, C & D from the east London area.

We went back to the pub after our walk, for more coffees and drinks (lovely coffee), before finally parting ways late in the afternoon.  It was a wonderful day, and I'm sunburnt!  Not too bad, it's not really painful, thankfully.  

Happy anniversary to husband

 It's our 38th wedding anniversary, it's a bright sunny day, and we're off to meet up with good friends for lunch in a lovely pub on a river bank.  Taking Betty and we'll have a stroll along the river afterwards to walk off the lunch!  Had some beautiful cards and presents, including a Happy Anniversary cream coloured rose bush.

Really looking forward to the day.  Husband has his first physio session on his foot at 08.30 though, hoping he won't be in pain after.  He's dropping me off in town on his way to the hospital so I can do a quick bit of shopping (well, more browsing than shopping) by myself - a rare treat.

Disappointment (and secret relief)

 Firstly, thank you so much for the comments on my previous post concerning the caravan - I'm relieved that the site owner seems to have come round.  Can't wait to go and actually inspect both caravans.  HH - so glad you've had a few days (finally!) with your family, how lovely.  And Scarlet, nice to see you again, hope you're all keeping well.  Thanks everyone also for the kind comments on my drawings.

Yesterday we were supposed to go and meet up with our lovely friends from Kent, who are down here on holiday, for a pub lunch.  However, Monday night I came down with some sort of diarrhoea and sickness bug, was up most of the night....well, I'll spare you the details.  Suffice it to say there was no way we could go, so had to postpone it, we're now planning on meeting up with them tomorrow.  I also had to cancel my dentist appointment for this morning - I'm actually feeling more or less alright now, but not really wise to go so soon after a bug (and I don't really feel up to it....plus there's quite a big element of not actually wanting to go anyway!  Hence the secret relief).  It's postponed for a couple of weeks.

By early afternoon yesterday, I was feeling like I could eat something, so husband did me a bowl of tomato soup and a slice of spelt bread.  I enjoyed it, but within half an hour had griping gut pains again, so maybe it was too early to eat.  Come the evening, I had an omelette and felt ok afterwards, so whatever the bug was, it was only a shortlived thing.  I do feel much better now, having slept well.... although up early.

Yesterday afternoon I did a couple more drawings:-

I'm planning on doing some more pencil drawings like the dandelion one, probably of more flowers and trees, but colouring in one element of each - so they're monochrome drawings but with a splash of a single colour in them.

That's more like it!

 Putting my foot down and telling the caravan site owner that we're not prepared to play games or get into some sort of bidding war with a (possibly fictional, although I didn't say that to him) second customer seems to have worked.  He's sent another communication saying the owner of both vans is coming down next weekend to finish clearing them out, and we can go to view the two vans on Bank Holiday Monday.  He said if we choose to have one, he'll offer the other to the second customer.....yet in his previous communication, he was trying to say that this person had precedence over us.

Whatever, at least things are moving in the right direction now.  It's not exactly been the best of starts, but we do really like the site and I guess the site owner is in business after all, so he was probably pushing it a bit to see if we'd bite.  Well, I'm not a pushover and I think he knows that now.

Pictures and plans

 Betty was as good as gold last night on my bed, she took a little while to settle initially, but after that she slept with hardly a stir (and no snoring!!).  She woke up when I did at 6 and we had a little cuddle - she's not actually a very cuddly dog, she's a bit aloof most of the time (that's the SharPei half of her).  I think she's missing her dad (I can't say that I am 😂😂 - it's certainly much quieter without him), she's been a bit subdued.  She's been eating well though, so can't be missing him that much lol.  He'll be back home late this afternoon, he's had a good time by the sound of things.

Here's a couple of drawings I've done:-

I don't like the watercolour background, it was an experiment and I shan't be doing it again.

I did both of these on canvas, using pencils on canvas is very different to drawing with pencils on art paper.  I think canvas is much more suitable for paints, I definitely prefer using pencils on art paper.  I'm fairly happy with these birch trees though, I like the splash of colour from the leaves.

And here's a quick preliminary sketch of a dandelion:-

I like the way it looks, I'll do a bigger and slightly different version later.  For a first go I'm quite pleased with it.

I am liking doing just pencil drawings - at the moment, I've only got one type of pencil, not even sure what type/grade of lead it is, just a cheap pack of pencils from Smiths!  Must get some different ones to try out.  Will get husband to drop me off in town tomorrow when he goes to the dentist.  

Busy week coming up....husband has the dentist tomorrow as mentioned, to replace a cap that fell out.  Tuesday we're going to meet up with our lovely friends from Kent who are down here on holiday, we're having lunch out in a pub - a first for over a year!  Wednesday I have the dentist - I'm having a tooth out and some gum treatment, which I'm dreading - last time I had the gum treatment, my mouth was terribly sore for several days, and parts of my face and nose were numb for days also - it seems to take ages for the anaesthetic to wear off.  So I'll be eating sloppy meals for a while...*note to self, make some cottage and fish pies for the freezer.

Thursday husband has to go for his first physiotherapy session on his foot, and it's our wedding anniversary - 38 years!  I think we're more or less the longest married couple we know! 😲😁 (other than my uncle and aunt, who've been married since the year dot).  It's a good job we're going out for lunch Tuesday, as I wouldn't be able to on Thursday, with my mouth potentially being so sore.