a little DIY...

Trying to get an old shower tray out , very tricky

New shower fitted

The good news this week is that San has been back to the doctors for the results of all her tests and there is nothing wrong barring the fact that her blood pressure is very high.  They can't find an underlying  cause and just putting the problem down to having to look after me.  Well I always was the worst of her problems!
Anyway with an increase in the strength of her medication the oil pressure is slowly coming down to a more manageable level.  This is great news for me because I was beginning to think I may have to start doing something rather than just sit back and be pampered.

New base and cubical refitted.

Over the weekend the shower in our house gave up the ghost, so as a result we bought a new one and a new and a new shower base to replace the original one which we knew was leaking a little.  So on Monday a set about fitting these.  As usual, when you replace an electric shower the new one will have all the connections in a different place to the original.  This meant that it couldn't be a direct swap and that the plumbing and wiring would have to be rehashed a little but nothing beyond what was anticipated.  The new shower tray on the other hand was a pig or rather getting the old one out without destroying all the tiles etc.  Anyway with a struggle and a couple of days work it's all back in and up and running.  The only problem being the tray was two and a half inches lower than the old one so had to have new tiles put in above it and they have ended up being in a contrasting colour, yes I already had them but it looks fine.

Today it's off to town with Grand daughters in tow, three woman going around shops, could be a long day....

School Hols (anarchy) descends...

My little hideaway.

Just about got most of the jobs around the property under control now so it won't take too much keeping on top of whilst doing the Grand parent type thing for the next millennia or so it seems.  Anyway, we are both finding a little time to rest and recuperate in between doing the chores.

The schools up here seem to have finished a week before anywhere else.  This means we have 7 weeks and four days of (un)organised anarchy.  We have some plans but for a couple of weeks until San's B.P. gets under proper control we'll be just letting the kids play and make their own entertainment, within reason.

Sandra needing some hair attention AGAIN!

 We had a great day with our friends Allen and Jean on Sunday as they are now back in the UK from Cyprus, it's amazing how fast ten hours goes when you haven't seen someone for a while and you just pick up as though it was yesterday when you last saw them, a bit of a paradox really.

Hopefully the weather will continue to remain reasonably settled for the next few weeks while the kids are off and then we will be en-route back to some proper summer weather and you never know maybe a little sail or two!

the pie man cometh...

Pub garden lunch with Mark and Maureen.

We had a fabulous day on Friday with Mark and Maureen who made the trip down the M62 to see us and have lunch.  We went to the Hope and Anchor at Blacktoft situated on the banks of the Ouse where, as it was high tide, ships were coming past only fifty yards from where we were sat.  We had a great lunch and with lots to talk about the afternoon just flew past.  Being a nice sunny day Mark and I had to retreat into the shade for a while as his legs were burning, of course he couldn't feel that they were but his trousers felt hot so we moved as a precaution.  Not a usual occurrence in the UK but it is nice when it happens. Great to see you both looking in fantastic form and we'll see you again before we return to Greece.

Two lovely pies.

On Monday we had our annual and bi-annual Dentist and Opticians Visits, I was disappointed that my NHS exemption certificate doesn't apply to dentist treatment so I had to pay, it did however pay for my sight test although between us it cost me £285 for glasses.  The optician said that Sandra had to go and see her doctor as soon as she could because of pressure behind her eyes.  She got an appointment for Monday night and found her BP to be seriously sky high like 230/120, she's been back every day this week for tests etc. and with the drugs it's now getting lower but still way above normal.  The last thing we want is her having a stroke too but with luck we have caught it in time.

Yesterday Sandra was vacuuming when there was an invasive smell of burning coming from the Dyson.  Into the workshop for a strip down time.  Getting into the real workings of a Dyson is very fiddly but after removing the motor I found the Brushes were sparking like November the fifth.  Taking out the brushes which still had plenty of life left in them revealed that the brushes had no pressure on them, stuck with a bit of muck.  After cleaning the commutators and brushes and re-assembling the whole machine it worked like new.  That's another £200 I've saved myself, I wonder how many people actually throw these things away when there is really nothing wrong with them that a couple of hours and a good clean up won't cure?

Black currents fruit picked, pruning pending.

This morning Sandra and I picked all the big juicy black currents from our bushes and she has made a couple of cracking deep pies out of them, that's puddings taken care of for a few days and all for the price of a little flour.  I have left all the small fruits on the bushes for the birds and then in a couple of weeks I'll prune them so they'll get enough growth on them for next years crop.  It's no good pruning them in spring because they fruit on one year old wood so pruning in spring would mean no fruit in summer.

Out great friends Allen and Jean arrived back in the UK from their other home in Cyprus this week, we are really looking forward to seeing them soon especially as we have not seen them since our latest health scares.

Oh well time to sit in the sun with the guitar for an hour maybe.

Good grief it's Thursday again!...

Our first BBQ of the summer.

 Not much to say this week.  The weather has cooled off somewhat since last week but never the less we managed to have a BBQ on Sunday.  However the wind turned decided chilly and we had to put up the old windbreak in order to make it bearable to frazzle some animal parts for our supper.

It's the only time I ever get to be in charge of the cooking so it would have been rather churlish to have resorted to the cooker and handed the tongs over to Sandra.

But it turned a tad chilly and we got the windbreak out.

We still managed to have a super supper and the meat was all cooked to perfection.

We have been watching the financial developments in Greece with baited breath waiting and hoping for some deal to come along and rescue our adopted country.  As I write this, they are still formulating an acceptable solution for all parties concerned.  I do hope something turns up soon as I would hate to see any more suffering heaped on the ordinary people of Greece.  For anyone who reads this blog who may be considering a holiday in Greece, please just do it, there are no real problems on the Islands and resorts in fact any protest are only likely to be witnessed in the major cities like Athens.  Reports from Lefkas, Corfu and many other holiday destinations from friends suggest that there is absolutely no problems at all using plastic to get money from ATM's or food in supermarkets.  All of the taverna's are open for business with full menu availability and greatest of all the Greek people are still as friendly and welcoming as they have always been.  So get one of those bargain deals for Greece which are now being advertised by the travels agents and treat yourself to a couple of weeks sun and help them to work their selves into a recovery.   Please don't believe all that the media prints or transmits just ask people who are there and on the ground, they know!

Home from home...

Al fresco dining UK style.

 Well the weather, even up here in Yorkshire is a treat in fact yesterday it broke the July record temperature.  We got to 32 degrees here although I know it was hotter in some parts of the country.

Being the UK it was also very hot and sweaty and in parts of the west riding it sparked off some very violent thunder storms of the type which we normally associate with Mediterranean countries.

Hail in Keighley last night

As can be seen from the picture taking in Keighley, West Yorkshire, the hail was pretty impressive as well.

Much of the rest of the week has been spent pottering in the garden removing some tremendously big ivy from the house which had started to obscure the house next doors windows, opps, and also clearing the honey suckle, passion flower, and jasmine from the side of the workshop and the arbour in the paddock.

The elder and cow parsley are in full bloom.

It's great being able to get into the arbour again as I use it for a nice sheltered place to play my guitar which is far enough from San for her not to complain (too much!).  All around the paddock there is a profusion of white with the nettles, cow parsley and elder trees giving the best show we have seen for many a year from them.  We will pay when the berries come onto the elder though as all the birds will be shitting purple poo everwhere.

you can now see the workshop side!

 

Climbing roses in full bloom.

Today has been a day of rest for San and I who have been for ride right up the coast from Hornsea via Bridlington to Flamborough.  We had a great day out and fish and chips for lunch at Sullivan's in Hornsea, which if I'm honest were good but not as good as they used to be. Now as I write this the heavens have opened again and once more we are subject to a Mediterranean deluge.

Oh well, better get the zips fastened on the awning as turn the place into a sweat box again.