Uncomfortably hot

It has been a hot humid day and really I have not been able to get on as it has just been too uncomfortable. Instead have been sat, catching up with correspondence, purchasing a few things here and there, starting to formulate plans for setting about things and get things finished.

I have more to do in the garden.  I am afraid I have set myself a bit of a task.  The potager garden is going to have to happen soon as I have ordered plants for a winter veg garden.  So it looks as though I am going to be in the garden a fair bit this week weather permitting.  Fortunately I am only out a couple of times this week for lunch.  So if I get up early and pace myself I should be able to do a bit whilst it is cooler.

OH is on schedule next weekend to do a whole series of jobs and I also have tasks for him during the week so that I can get on with the garden. I need to create order out of chaos.  I have ordered some trellis for the garden for my clematis, roses, honeysuckle etc.  The one that I had seen was the same colour as my shed the seagrass colour but as each panel was some £3 extra I have gone for the uncoloured version and intend to use the stain I already have from the shed to prepare the same myself.

The wood for the beds is behind the greenhouse and I shall get OH to knock up some deep frames for the same as soon as the garden is cleared.  Yet again I intend to stain them before the beds are built up.

I have just watered up and have drenched myself in the process but it has cooled me down just a tad.  The wind has got up and it is starting to cool things a little bit not enough but its getting there.

The cherry tomatoes are starting to colour up and I am now starting to get strawberries off the few plants I have.  They are totally delicious.  Large tomatoes are someway off colouring up but are a decent size.  I have both yellow and red varieties.  I also have figs forming to look forward to.  So only a little but it is giving me the taster for doing far more and indeed as I have said above I have ordered plants for a winter vegetable garden which are likely to arrive sometime this week so I really need to get a wriggle on.  Lets hope I can get stuck in.  I need to clear a blackberry patch in the middle of the garden as well. The blackberries are just going black but there are a lot of green ones.  Before I can do that however I have some clearing where the patio is going to go which is mainly due to a lot of pots in plants being there at the moment.

I need to arrange collection of an old fridge freezer from the garden which is taking up valuable room.  I can then get the growing cages in situ and the water butts connected to new guttering for the shed.

To be ready for next year I need to get some electric propagators so that I can bring seed on myself.  That is where I get the greatest pleasure from in sowing the seeds and actually growing the plants up from scratch.  

Saturday/Sunday is also scheduled for putting in a new sink base and new taps in the kitchen to stop the cats switching the taps on and flooding the kitchen out.  I think I am going to have to have new flooring which he will not be happy about but accidents happen to ensure that it is all clean, and easily cleanable from now on in.  A lot of hard work is going to be needed.  I also have a post box to put on the wall on the front of the house as our letterbox is at the bottom of the door.  I do not use the front door and each time the postie delivers most of it goes straight underneath the settee.

If possible I also need to sort the shed out on Saturday/Sunday and get that all spick and span and sorted.  Just recently we have just been popping things in because have been in a bit of a rush or have not had time to deal with things.  So it really does need sorting to ensure that other stuff can go in and also that I can find what I am after.  I also have different flavoured vodkas in there which need straining and decanting.

Once the kitchen sink unit is sorted then I need to attend to the plaster, fill any dips and smooth it out, and also apply a damp paint to the external wall in preparation for decorating up the kitchen.  I have found the paint that I want to use, but may have to take the tiles off that we have around the units and the backsplash to the cooker.  I would prefer just white ones to make things look nice and clean as I have chosen a limey green to freshen up the kitchen and make it look tidier.  The doors to the kitchen units are pine the units having originally come from B & Q quite a few years ago.  I have been unable to trace any pine doors to match despite looking on ebay so are just going to replace the unit with one from Wickes which is plain white doors.  By the time it has a kitchen skirt over it, it will tie it in with the rest of the kitchen for a country cottage look.

I then need to paint the pantry out all in white to make it look clean and uniform will also be an opportunity to sort out the pantry in readiness for the new items to go in.  Need to put flooring in there as well.

So this is just the kitchen and the pantry.  The bathroom will also need sorting as will the dining room.

Right had better leave things there.  Little bits in little stages which is more achievable.

Needless to say I have an early start tomorrow which I could do without but needs must and all that jazz.

Take care and catch up soon.

Pattypan

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