Back to Getting Stuck in Part One

This week is going to be a busy one.  It will also be a kind of sacrificial week to start with as I will be working away focusing on getting the house sorted and more specifically the kitchen, toilet, bathroom, and starting to sort the back bedroom.  I will also be attempting to get more in control of organising meals and getting them prepared and also implementing a new routine for me.  I am therefore choosing to concentrate all the house dealings in this particular post which will hopefully be published on Sunday evening or first thing on Monday morning.  If I can keep up the momentum it will mean that I can focus and possibly get ahead of where I currently am and also get some other items that I want to get done out of the way with.  It is going to be a concerted effort.  I am just hoping my stamina holds up.

Monday

Not as much done as I had hoped.  Not a good start.

• Cooked breakfast for G and a mug of tea;
• Breakfast for myself and a mug of tea;
• fed the pets;
• Went to Chemist for fresh eye drops.  Also needed some cleaning items and extra large bin liners;
• Popped into charity shop for a quick browse; came out without anything as nothing took my fancy; wasn't I good!
• Went to the supermarket for a few more things for the Pantry;
• Got those said items into the Pantry;
• Cooked tea, Gammon and Pineapple;

Monday Night

Monday night was a bit of a sort out night.  I started in the kitchen and got some more items into the Pantry.  I still need to sort them but they are out of the way for the time being so that I have floor space for starting to sort out the kitchen.

I also started to sort a bit in the back bedroom.  I have sorted some boxes out with Christmas crafting stuff.  I really need a bigger box in which to hold all the items.  They are not sorted or in any particular order, but they are in the same box.  I have more stuff in a separate carrier for the time being, as I cannot get it into the box.

That in turn has freed up a box in the dining room.  I still have a heck of a lot more to sort, but a little bit has been shifted.

Tuesday

I had a load of plans for Tuesday but they went by the way side as we had a rough night with Missy.  We went to sleep when it was time to get up and slept.  Feels as though I am turning into a bit of an Owl up and about at night but not much during the day.  This balance needs addressing.  Missy is okay.  She gets very uncomfy with the arthritis and cannot settle and is in continuous motion.  Not something we can do much about apart from try and get her to settle down. Trouble is she can start barking and we have neighbours with young children to consider, so if we can keep her quiet we do. Eventually she did settle thank goodness.  Does not like me out of her sight either!  If she thinks I am on the way out of the room, the will come and lay down and firmly put her head on my feet to stop me moving or will wrap herself around my legs. I also believe that she has some form of dementia which I do not think is helping the situation.  During the day she is as good as gold!

So we shall therefore try again on Wednesday.  It will be an early morning start for tomorrow.

Wednesday

I was up early, as I had quite a bit to do. Sorted out breakfast and animal feeding and started to do some jobs in the kitchen. I also had to go back to bed as I was not 100% again.  I felt wobbly which is usually an indicator that I need to take things a little easier (as in the past when have got like this it has been an indicator for a fit) and being as it has been some five years or so since the last one, I am erring on the side of caution.  Feel better but am taking it steady. Not easy living with an argumentative body that takes no prisoners.

I have managed to get a little bit done today in the kitchen and cooked tea, but not as much as I had hoped. We have had homemade Hunters Chicken cooked with cheese, bacon and some Barbecue sauce and then served with some boiled/steamed potatoes (to crush down on your plate with y our fork) helps soak up some of that sauce, broccoli and carrots. I have also made a Cottage Pie for tomorrow night's tea.

Wednesday Evening

In the evening do a bit more sorting in the back bedroom.  I am hoping that by doing a bit in the evenings in the back bedroom that I may be able to get quite a bit of stuff sorted out and tidied up in readiness for a delivery of containers later in the week;

Plans for Thursday

Will start in the dining room.  This is the through room and the key room to access all the other rooms.  There are a whole lot of things I need to do here first.

• Cook breakfast for G;
• Get my breakfast and mug of tea;
• Feed the pets;
• Start by clearing in front of the Pantry door.
• Get the washing on;
• Get drying done;
• Get all the washing up done;

Into the dining room and starting to sort boxes out.  Quite a lot of rubbish has been got rid of.  However am likely to be in the dining room all day on Friday as well and maybe over the weekend until this room is all sorted out.

I am awaiting delivery of some containers on Friday in order to organise the back bedroom more.  Initially have been bought in to organise the Christmas decorations and get them all sorted out. Am therefore likely to be in the back bedroom for a couple of days next week at least as I will be sorting out what is in there and replacing boxes as quite a few have seen better days.

Plans for Thursday Evening

We had a sheet pan meal Lamb and Rosemary with broccoli, carrot and potatoes with Mint and Rosemary seasoning.  Delicious went down a treat.

Continued on with the dining room, and washed quite a substantial amount of cooking equipment and got it dried. Also sorted a load of Christmas decorations out for decanting into new containers when they arrive and for going into the back bedroom.  Also did some work in the kitchen. Put the dishwasher on, washed that which did not go in the dishwasher, that eased things up a bit.  

Plans for Friday

Waiting for a delivery of 6 x 100litre boxes.  Arrived bright and early just what was needed.  Ordered another 6 last night as well as I want to make sure that I have enough storage and if need to order more will do so although I suspect some smaller boxes will be needed as well. Those received today are excellent quality and I am going to be filling those boxes over the next few weeks.

Will be carrying on with the kitchen today as I want to get this room turfed out. Not that I want to be tackling it as I would rather get the dining room sorted, however there is a lot of kitchen stuff in the dining room that needs to come out, so might as well clean the kitchen and get everything back together and in its place.  Makes more sense for me to do it this way rather than move it around twice. Will then go back into the dining room.  Now I have the boxes - I can at least get some of my baking pans tucked away in one of them on top of the freezer.  Well that is the plan in any event.  It is quite a big clearance project I have on my hands at the moment but it is needed.  I am determined to get stuck in this year all the way around.  Once the kitchen is all lovely and clean again, I will be able to set too and do more cooking.  

Started off with preparing breakfast for ourselves and for the animals.  Quite a procedure but there we are.

Slowly stripping the kitchen out to give it a major declean.  Diary note to myself will give another major strip out at the beginning of March. Been tackling pipework and the tiles that you cannot always access so easily.  Found a new cleaner well it is a Flash one, a Lavender scented French Soap.  Still getting rid of the remnants of grout from the initial finish.  Gradually getting rid of it.  Must say it is bringing up the paintwork and the tiles really well which I am pleased about.  Progressing down the window side of the kitchen, windows, dishwasher and washing machine will be tackled in due course.  I have already sorted the under-sink cupboard.  Just to wash the fronts down now and then onto the microwave and electric cooker alcove.  Floor has been scrubbed and paintwork washed down.

We have had a discussion or should I say I have asked if I manage to get the kitchen and the bathroom all sorted out and washed out if we can put new flooring down.  It needs it as the previous laminate floors we put down over 20 years ago and they are past their best.  Will look a lot better and feel cleaner from my perspective if we can do this.  Therefore going to be slogging into things for at least a couple of days.  I have the thick part of the kitchen to tackle yet, but once that has been sorted it should then be quite quick to get completed.  

Then it will be on to the bathroom. Hopefully G will then be able to put flooring in here as well.  Attempting to get both rooms done so that he can do continuous flooring.

Plans for Saturday

I have another delivery of boxes due today - another 6.  That should do for now and will give me a good start at sorting out the back bedroom.

Back into the kitchen today. It is slow old work, but it is getting a good going over.  Might once it is scrubbed out give it another lick of paint in areas where there is a lot of traffic.  Not that it needs it, I just think it will look better touched up a bit more.  That is the beauty of white or cream paint you can just touch up here and there if necessary.

Jobs on the cards for today:

• Breakfast and cup of tea for us and the animals to be fed and watered as usual.

Then:

• Clear the sink area and under-sink cupboard;
• Get G to open some jars with stuck lids for me;
• Get them into the dishwasher;
• Get them into storage boxes
• Sort out the area near the washing machine;

• Sort out the area next to the Microwave and small Electric cooker;
• Sort out the top of the cupboards by washing down and re-organising the top;
• Sort out the worktop;
• Tidy up the underneath cupboards;
• Get everything put away;

Plans for Saturday Evening

Carry on with sorting the back bedroom.  This is going to be relatively slow to start with, but it needs doing.  I want Christmas decorated this Christmas 2025 and I need to be able to find everything to decorate with. Whilst some work has been accomplished here - not much at the moment.  I really need to get stuck in here full time, but cannot at the moment.  As I use each new box and - sort out older boxes I intend to make a schedule of the contents of each box together with photos so that I know what I have and where it is.  I have done this before, when I had a lot of items stored off site, but needs re-doing.  That way should stand a fighting chance of finding stuff.

Plans for Sunday

Up nice and early.  Been slogging in all day.  Everything is getting washed and sorted out.  Going to take another couple of days at least as I am also bottoming out cupboards and contents.  There are also items in the bathroom and in the dining room to go back in.  The usual performance, but then everything should be lovely and clean and the prospect of new flooring is spurring me on.  Have waited a long time for this.

Still have the following to do:

• Clean and gut the cooker; needs G assistance because the glass needs to come out of the oven doors.  Want all this done as I plan on making some more bread in the next few days;
• Sort out and clean top two cupboards with baking tins in;
• Sort out the smallest wall cupboard and get Sterilising tabs, winemaking bits and bobs and 
• Finish off sorting out the condiments cupboard;
• Scrub the floor;
• Close the door;

Did not get too therefore will start with this list first thing tomorrow.

Plans for Sunday Evening

Decided to put my feet up and watch a little TV before getting stuck in again early tomorrow.  It is going to be a very busy few weeks.

Completely shattered and of course I have it all to look forward to again tomorrow.  That should keep me out of mischief.  Hopefully will get the bulk of the work done in the kitchen tomorrow even if I have to work into the evening tomorrow.

Oh well it will take as long as it takes.

Have a good evening.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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