Friday, November 24, 2006


Gon out, bak son, Wol.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Hello,

I've had a difficult and testing time of it recently, I think that's why I haven't really been blogging. I've been doing quite a lot of soul searching and that makes me introverted and quiet! (which for those that know me is unusual!). I've just hunkered down and haven't been good at keeping in touch with anyone.

Not only did our house fall through last week, and the one we wanted come back on the market, we were also informed by our landlord that we have to be out by January as he's sold the house. So, we went to see the house we originally wanted last Saturday. It's a lot of money and they have told us they wouldn't take less than a certain amount, which we thought was too much - especially as the market has been falling. On top of that there was water dripping through the roof!!!! An ongoing problem they said that they were having fixed! We made a slightly lower offer on the monday which was rejected. (I don't understand it - we have nothing to sell, that's worth a discount at least - people are so money grabbing!). So, we've left it. We don't want to overstretch ourselves. So, when my friend Nicola phoned to say there was a house opposite hers that's been on the market for a while and why don't I ask if they'd rent it instead (it's empty, the old man had died and his son had put it on the market). Nicola saw the son and his wife emptying the house last week and asked them if they'd be willing to rent it out. They said yes as the house wasn't selling and they would like it lived in for the winter. So, there you go - we have a house for the winter. Here's a picture of it!



It's not beautiful, but it's big and won't cost the earth to heat! (unlike our current one)











The other stuff (and the stuff that's been worrying me) is about my oldest daughter and her life - but more really about the way I deal with things and my parenting skills. I've been given some good advice from friends with older kids, who tell me that the main thing in parent/child relationships is trust. Being ultra strict won't work - they just look for ways to get round your rules and then dishonesty might happen. So actually it's been good that I've been thinking about my parenting skills rather than just drifting along.

I have a friend who is looking for a house and she wanted the 'big and lovely' house and was upset that we got it first! When it came back on the market last week she emailed me to ask why it had fallen through. I told her the reasons (rotten roof, fungus and damp all over). She emailed me back the next day to say that the dirty stinking estate agent has been telling people that we couldn't get the mortgage!!!! WTF! She questioned him closely about the survey and if there were any problems to which he said none that he was aware of and that he hadn't seen the survey! WTF again! I would like to put this estate agent out of business. It's unlikely as they are the biggest estate agent in Essex and Suffolk! But still, I might cause some redundancies in the sales office of Ipswich! I think I have managed to spread the word about how bad they are around the place - news travels fast in a small town like Ipswich. The thing is, how did the agent think that I wouldn't know any one? He is SO STUPID, DISHONEST AND EVIL! (in my opinion, alledgedly!)

I just feel so dull at the moment. I have lost the urge to write blogs. I think I might disappear completely. Except for the fact that I know it's a good way to keep in touch with friends - bit like a round robin letter I suppose! So I will continue with my dullsville blog until I have the head room for more creative writing.

Friday, November 17, 2006

our year at the cemetery

Well, our time is up. We will be out of our pet cemetery in four weeks. Luckily, and thanks to a very useful friend we have found a new house to rent in a part of town that we love and where we will be able to walk to town and school and work - just a stone's throw from the park and cheaper rent than what we are paying now! It's not a gorgeous house - a 1980's detached house. But beggars can't be choosers - and it means we won't be homeless this winter!

But we've enjoyed our year in the cemetery!



Oh no, I feel all sad now! We'll never have a garden THIS big again. Ever!

Sunday, November 12, 2006

WAKE UP CALL.

I'm going on a short blogbatical while I sort my life out (and my family's).

Realised that oldest daughter is not in control of her school work and is unable to self regulate her time spent on MSN/myspace/bebo/piczo and all those other places young people go. I thought that she would be old and mature enough to manage her time but she patently is not. Her life revolves around friends and boys to the detriment of all else. Today, we had words and tears. Mother and father have reasserted their authority when they really shouldn't have let it lapse. This internet is a double edged sword - great but only when some self regulation is exerted. Both Andy and I sit in front of laptops when we get in. I for the past year have been checking property websites, blogging and chatting to friends on MSN. Andy goes on his cycling websites and downloads music. Holly goes on all her websites as soon as she gets in and it's only eight year old Alice still draws and plays. Sad isn't it? Well this is NOW going to stop. So I won't be around much for a while, I'm going to concentrate on family life.

Saturday, November 11, 2006


Well, what a busy couple of days I've had and no mistake.

I start with what I've been up to tonight! I went to see Jools Holland perform with his band. Wow, such a great night. He played for hours and lots of guest singers such as Ruby Turner and Lulu. One of his guitarists lives in Ipswich (I see him at all the gigs I go to) and tonight he was up on stage with Jools. It was such great fun. I think Jools Holland must have the best life! He is 'self actualised' as my brother in law says (my brother in law is David Brent personified).

Yesterday I spent the day in London with Lettuce (and Tanya and Donna) at the Country Living Fair. (more of that another day).

House news?

We no longer have the big and lovely house because it turned out to be a not so lovely house. I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say it had large fungal growths in the roof and needed a new roof. We decided it was an expense too far and so we pulled out.

However, the house we wanted about two months ago, which was large, lovely and in the RIGHT area is back on the market - it came on yesterday and the vendors told the estate agents we could have first refusal at the price we offered. This might be ideal. One might say it is a wish come true. BUT, the market in Ipswich has dropped a bit and a lot of stuff isn't selling. I'm now beginning to think that the high price we offered then isn't something we'll offer again. Oh, how the estate agent will HATE us when we make yet another low offer on a house he KNOWS we want. But not at any price.

I should write more but this is just a small digest of stuff that''s happened to me recently.




Oh yes, one more thing - our landlord has sold this house that we live in now and we HAVE to be out by January! Hmm. I am in a surreal place. Thank goodness for good friends and music.

Update:

We went to see the house again today. The owners are moving to Dubai and would be willing to go by the end of January, which would solve our impending homelessness issue. We love the house, it's a large comfortable family home. But it is very very expensive. Can we afford it? This is the question. We will make an offer on Monday.

Monday, November 06, 2006

My baby is twelve today

Today, my oldest daughter turned 12! (going on 15). I asked her weeks ago what she wanted to do for her birthday. She couldn't decide. She couldn't decide and she couldn't decide. So nothing happened. Then she started saying "Noone's saying anything about my birthday" with a glum face. As we are a small extended family - and the extent of my family quite often forget birthdays, so, me in my wish to prevent my children from being 'disappointed' on their birthdays I decided to arrange a 'surprise' party for her. I printed out some invitations (10) and distributed them to her friends, telling them that if they 'blab' then they won't get pudding! Unbelievably, NOONE blabbed and Holly had absolutely NO idea that there was a party planned for her.

When she got back from school we opened her pressies and had a cup of tea. Then at about half four I said, "Oh let's go and have pizza or something" . We all jumped in the car and drove down town. When I pulled into the cinema multiplex/restaurant area/carpark Holly said "Why are we here? Why aren't we at Pizza Express? I want to go to Pizza Express". I played along and said "Oh, we haven't tried any of these restaurants yet, let's just have a look at them".

As we pulled into a parking space, we saw Holly's friend Eleanor going into the restaurant. Holly looked at her and said "There's Eleanor". I said "Let's go and look at that restaurant she's gone in". We went in, at the back all her friends were ducked down and then jumped up shouting "happy birthday". Holly's face was a picture. She told me afterwards that she actually thought all her friends were out without her and she hadn't been invited. It took a minute for her to register that they were there for her!

That's her on the left with her head above the other's.

I'm very proud of her. She's becoming a lovely young woman.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Have Mother in law, Will discover Suffolk

Hello,

We've been busy with Andy's mum for the last couple of days. Although she's no trouble, no trouble at all. In fact, she's spring cleaned my kettle (!), coffee machine (it needed it), my draining board (!), all the mirrors and all the windows she can reach! I think we'll have her back! Not being a very house proud sort of woman, I don't take offence that she cleans like crazy when she visits - some people might take it that she can't stand to look at the filth but I just sit back and let her.


She has other great uses too. Here's one of them:


Silly hat games with grandchildren!












Yesterday, we went to a beautiful part of Suffolk, called Orford. It was such a lovely day. We walked, we talked, we had lunch in a fantastic pub. Altogether, a real holiday feeling.
















Orford castle.



















Today, we went to Felixtowe to see the biggest ship in the world.




But they'd hidden the biggest ship in the world, we ended up in the biggest traffic jam in the world. EVERYONE had gone to see this ship and everyone then had to turn round and come back along a small road.

Eventually, we made it to a lovely pub for a very very large lunch paid for by the lovely Grandma. (no photos sadly).

I feel like I've been on holiday this weekend. Grandma leaves tomorrow. I'll miss her.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

halloween


All these witches turned up at my house last night - must be because we live in a cemetery!