Slow and Steady Wins the race

Well today I got into the Pantry at long last and work is progressing slowly but nicely.  Thanks to me organising a lot of stuff yesterday it has made things a bit easier although I am not complete as I had hoped to be.  The shelves are certainly looking a lot tidier.  I have been washing everything down thoroughly tackling each shelf as I go.  Also getting stuff out of the boxes outside onto the shelves or their designated containers in the Pantry.  I will therefore be working into the evening again, but Law and Order is starting to be reclaimed in said Pantry.  

I have decided that as I have a lot of baking bits and bobs ingredients included that I am going to have a designated poly box (for baking items only i.e. SR flour, plain flour etc) as well as desiccated coconut, ground almonds, things like that.  I also have a separate smaller box designated for bags of bread flour which are in zip lock bags to prevent any accidents on the flour front as well as my mainstay bread flour in its bucket.  As that is going to be in use pretty regularly I have put that to the front of the pantry on the floor so it is easy for me to get in and out on.  It is also perfect for me to rest a large tray or two of eggs on.

It has been a beautiful day here hot, sultry and in-between trips into the Pantry (and all my pantry stuff which is outside the back door) I have been topping up on my vitamin D as well.  I certainly feel good again at the moment, but I am being careful and stopping when enough is enough.  I have been taking some mini-breaks in between as well.

I have also had the washing machine on and got quite a bit of stuff done. This will be ongoing over the next few days whilst the weather is good. I will have a very big ironing pile by the time that I have finished but as I iron predominantly in the kitchen, I want the kitchen floor done and dusted before I tackle the pile that is ever increasing.   As I have mentioned before, once the kitchen is sorted should be in a position to progress.  It is a lot of hard work but it will be a good thing done.  If G can then do my bathroom and the kitchen flooring that will make my life a lot easier in the long run.  The existing flooring is over 20 years old and the surface is not intact.  I do not want my clean laundry draping on the floor at all and as I have a lot of sheets, duvet covers etc. to iron.  I am appreciating the extra time in each day at the moment to be able to get stuck in.  Especially as now I have to water up of an evening too.

No gardening today, however I might do a little tomorrow just to break things up a little bit.  I still have not got around to sowing any seeds but my plants are starting to thrive in the greenhouse.

Although I am working hard I am in the right frame of mind to tackle things at the moment.  Sometimes that is not the case but at the moment, I am pacing myself and getting there very gradually.  It will be a big achievement to get the Pantry back under control and the kitchen.  After the kitchen it is the bathroom and I will be backwards and forwards between the garden as well.

My aims are in the first instance the following:

1. To get the Pantry washed out, and re-organised so that I can find things easily. I am trying to get everything I have been gathering into the Pantry, although that may not realistically be possible, but I shall do what I can. If needs be any surplus can potentially go under the stairs or eventually in the fireside cupboard. They both need washing and decorating though.
2. Once the Pantry is reclaimed, I then need to gut the kitchen completely and get that back under control. Once that is done then hopefully we can get the floor done.
3. Then onto the bathroom and get that bottomed out. This needs re-painting and the floor also needs replacing in here. There is a lot to do in here.
4. The garden in between doing everything else or doing what I can to ease things along. There is a lot to do in the garden the wilderness needs reclaiming. However a little at a time will certainly help. When I get a few minutes I am doing a little here and there.

Once everything above has been done. Can then set about the dining room. The following needs doing in there:

1. Needs gutting, and re-wallpapering and painting.  At least I have the table for preparing the wallpaper on although I need to get brushes and other decorating bits before I start as I lost all that kind of stuff when the shed went up.  Will need to work out how many rolls of wallpaper will be needed.
2. Flooring also needs replacing in here. 

Back to the Main agenda first though:

I want to try and get all this done by the beginning of June if I can. May be overly ambitious and I may have to stop to go elsewhere in-between everything else. However if I can get all this done I will be very relieved. 

If I can get everything sorted in the kitchen and the bathroom by the end of this week that will give G the space to actually be able to get stuck in and finish off the kitchen and the bathroom both decoratively and with the flooring.  Whilst he is doing that then at least I have plenty of other stuff to do.  Not that I do not in any event never have nothing to do.  Just the way I work. Also after the dining room is sorted it will be into the front room and so on.

I think this is quite a big gamble, but I am going to do my best to achieve it or as much as I can.  My reasoning at the moment is that my time would be better served here sorting things at home which will alleviate the overall workload. The garden in particular needs attention, and the house needs sorting. I have to be realistic. I would like to get down to Cornwall this summer, but at the moment that is not happening until I get the house and the garden addressed.  When I go away I want to be able to relax and concentrate on some crafting etc. as well as enjoying the beautiful countryside.  I do not want to be worrying about having got this or that sorted.   

At the moment I can only see how things go by just sticking with it at the moment.  I don't want to set myself up for a fail and then get all down about it  which I do, do, as I am trying to keep myself on an even keel all around pain permitting.  I want to find the joy again in every new day rather than worrying about things that may or might not ever happen.  The gardening is certainly calming me down and helping me put things into perspective but most of all I really am enjoying it and it is planning for the future where food goes at least.  I will probably set about some seed sowing tomorrow.  Will see how it goes.

Right am off to carry on into the evening.  Hope you all have had a fabulous day and are enjoying this lovely weather we are having at the moment.  Have a lovely evening.  I am going to have a nice glass of Crabbies Ginger Beer this evening when I sit down and G has a glass of Rattler.  Both are chilling in the fridge at the moment.

Have a lovely evening.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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