Housebound

Song of the day: “Crazy” by Patsy Klein. Still a good song.

So…the past few weeks have been heavy for as far as I’m concerned. Doing long days, having very little time for myself, and basically just muddling through the days only to shlog into the evenings waiting to go to bed. Babysitting an invalid dog isn’t easy by any means, and the past couple of weeks proved as much. Seriously, it is a heavy responsibility, which makes my present visit to Spain a welcome relief.

Yep, once again I am writing from a, at the moment, sunny Spain. Yesterday it was a miserable day weather wise. Our mountain was in the clouds, rain came pouring down and everything was dreary. This is much better. I’m sitting outside. Doggies all around me. Just finished cutting bread for their food, and they are content with the bits and pieces they thought to steal from me. Hah.

The flight: Well, it was a near thing. I left at 2:30, which should have given me plenty of time to reach the airport, but then we got into a traffic jam by the tunnel under the river, meaning that I arrived at the airport about thirty minutes before my gate closed. I did a lot of running, which was no fun since I’d been in the car for almost three hours, which aggravates my foot problem. Aaaargh.

Luckily customs went fast, and I arrived at my gate about 1 minute before it closed…which didn’t matter all that much because I had to stand in line to board for a good fifteen minutes, and there even were people behind me, so maybe I didn’t need to worry as much as I did.

The flight was uneventful. I spent the majority of it reading, really. Nothing like a three hour flight to work your way through your book list. Didn’t have a chatty passenger beside me, which was a pity. Always nice to pass the time talking a bit, but these two seemed completely absorbed in each other, if the leg rubbing going on beside me was any indication.

Though the plan had been for little brother to pick me up at the airport, something had gone wrong in the planning, everybody thought I was going to arrive on Wednesday, and when it turned out I was coming Thursday, he was unable to pick me up. So there was some concern as to how I was going to get home. Personally I didn’t much fancy the idea of having to take the train to the city, and then a taxi home around midnight, so I pleaded my case with a friend, who thankfully could come pick me up…am taking her out to dinner tonight as a thank you. We’ve agreed on a huge pizza, preferably eaten outside somewhere because I want to take Knight II along…something she fully understands seeing as she is a dog nut as well.

As to the time before my flight…well, besides the babysitting there was the planting of bamboo, digging ditches (most of it with big brother helping out, mind you) sorting out big machinery, vacuuming, cleaning, washing up, doing laundry cooking and all those pesky things that come with being housebound.

I did get to a little bit of wood work, and managed to restore a rather pretty antique wooden chest that had lost one paw to woodworm. Removed most of the damaged area, replaced it with new oak, then sanded the whole bit, filled up the gaps with wood filler, sanded the lot again, which was when the fun bit came: Painting. Considering that the color wasn’t like the two types of paint I had available, I had to do some fancy footwork to get it to look original, but succeeded, which was very satisfying.
A bit of bad news is that my mum fell a couple of weeks ago and broke her ankle, which was most unfortunate. She spent a couple of days in hospital, a triple break is nothing to sneeze at after all, and is now bed-bound for at least six weeks. Nothing is quite as frustrating as being a few thousand miles away during a family emergency, I tell ya.
But anyway, they all managed, and that is all that matters in the end.

Daxie has improved a lot since I last visit, thankfully. He seems a bit weak in the hips still, but almost his old self again. A big relief that.

As for the other dogs…big brother’s in this case, it’s great to see them again. Got Arthur on the table beside my computer right now, Knight on the floor in the sunshine, and the rest scattered in close proximity. All of them content to snooze in the sun.

Cooking wise I’ve done quite a bit of experimenting...in particular with meat. Yep. I have successfully prepared lamb chops, pork chops, steak, mince meat and bacon, so that’s not too bad. All of it was edible, some even a big success, so that’s good.

Writing wise I’ve done very little. Added maybe half a page to the “Gun” story, for which I have plenty ideas tumbling through my mind, but I need some mental stability and less exhaustion to do that. Maybe soon, I don’t know.

As to everything else, there are daily things I could jammer on about, I guess, just as I could whine and complain at how difficult I find it sometimes to be away from my dogs, and living in someone else’s house where you just never feel quite comfortable, do you. Ah well. Such is life at the moment, and I can either feel bad about it, or accept it.

Well, that’s it for now. I only have a limited amount of time here with my doggies, and I would like to squeeze in some time to clean out my sleeping corner, because, let’s face it, it’s a mess.
Gotta go.

Muddling through

Song of the day: “We Can’t Stop” by Miley Cyrus with Jimmy Fallon and Roots. Heard it yesterday. It’s completely A Capella. Very cute. Took me by surprise, really.

I know, I’ve been slacking in my blogging duties. But seriously, often when I get to bed I’m too tired to do more than stare at my computer screen, maybe chat a little, and then I basically pass out for the night. The thing is, I can’t even write this thing in one go, been trying to get it done for three days now, so…Anyways…

It doesn’t help that I worry a lot about Dax, who isn’t doing much better, but big brother and grandpa are doing their utmost to keep him from doing more damage. The little bugger is making a nuisance of himself. The moment they turn their backs, he’s trying to get on the tables, cupboards, counters, roof, walls and out into the yard. Apparently he’s a handful…of course.

As for the bad news, a good friend of mine was in hospital last week with a terrible case of shingles. She’s back home now, and hopefully doing a lot better. (Best wishes to you Mags!)

What have I been up to, I hear you wonder…well, for a while it was us again. Big brother was here for a whopping five days, which made work a lot more pleasant. There was a lot to do, including mowing of the lawn, working with the animals, and loads of repairs. Actually wasn’t tired for a day or two there, seeing as the load was divided for a change.

Been doing some woodwork, which kept me semi-sane, for as far as that is possible, anyway. Nothing can quite keep the mind occupied as figuring out how to put a piece of furniture together. It was good…that and starting on an inventory so everyone knows what is where and what we have.

The woodwork was two small pedestals for PCs. They’re identical, they’re stable, so that works. Added to that I’ve made brackets in the shed, where we can store the wood away from any flooding which tends to come into the shed when hard rains come in from the east.

Been having very little time for myself lately, so not a lot of writing got done. I’m hoping that after this blog I’ll be able to do at least something, seeing as today was not a maintenance day, but working with animals instead…including cleaning, but that’s not too bad. It’s a nice change, and at least I’ve been able to give my feet some down time.

The weather is turning, winter rapidly approaching. It’s been raining a lot. And there are lots of clouds. I did see the sun occasionally, which was bliss, but on the overall it is just gray with lots of green that is slowly turning yellow with autumn. I’m not doing too badly, concerning the drop in temperature. I mean, I’m wearing sweaters now, over flannel shirts and tops, but still, I’m not whining too much, and when the cold gets too much for me, I just roll into the bathtub until I feel warm again. *sigh*

Have been doing some reading on my tablet. Jennifer Crusie, mostly, since big brother stocked up on those when he gave it to me. Only two or three more of her to go and then I’ll start on the Amanda Quick’s I think.

Been doing fence work, which was definitely one of the highlights this week.
Big brother was still here, and the rain hadn’t started yet, not much anyway, so we got a nice amount done. About ninety feet of fence, dug into the earth about 1 foot. I liked it. Fencing, for some peculiar reason, always feels very satisfying.

Do have a rather disturbing thing going at the moment. Yesterday, during the night, every time I turned in my sleep I’d wake up dizzy as heck. Have been nauseous ever since, and nothing seems to be helping much, least of all this faint, pounding headache in the front of my skull. Wish I had dried Juniper berries, that at least would take care of the nausea.
Can’t help but wonder what it is, though. Stress? A bug? Whichever the case, it is vastly annoying.

Worked on getting an Aga fired up…wasn’t easy either, but I got it done…thankfully. Haven’t had time to cook on it, though, which should happen soon enough…like tomorrow. Got it on Friday, which was fish and chips day (for me spring roll and chips, but what the hey. LOL) and then today there were veggies that had to be used, while I wasn’t at the main house to cook. *sigh* Wasn’t happy with today’s meal either. The taste wasn’t good enough. Needed a sauce but I didn’t feel like making it.

Been hosing down terraces again, and a wooden pergola, which I’ve got clean about a quarter. Luckily it goes rather well with the high pressure machine. A lot of work, though, not to mention that it is bound to leave the one doing it soaking wet. *sigh*

Trimmed some plants, bound up roses, did loads of walking, which would explain why my feet are killing me again…also, I decided to start drinking a little less wine, and since that has anti-inflammatory properties, that might have something to do with it. I could of course just start again, but seriously, a bottle of wine a day is not a dependency I want to deal with at the moment. Added to that, even though it is nice to be numb in the evening, it does not improve on my state of mind during the course of the day. *sigh*

Don’t have a lot else to talk about. My mind is still an emotional wreck, but that is nothing new, my body apparently as well (duh) so…I guess I’ll just have to muddle on through and see where it’ll all get me, eh?

I’ll keep you informed.

Another blog, another week...or two???

Song of the day: “Rude” by Magic, I believe.
Very cute song. It’s on the radio a lot round these parts, and I enjoy it.

So I am feeling decidedly nasty at the moment, so I’m going to completely ignore that, and focus on the positive instead. No sense in maudlin, no matter that there are parts of me that want to. Hah.

First the good news. Well, sweet news, really, is that I got a very nice present involving a short trip home so I can see my doggies. It will be Tuesday, early morning, and three days later I’ll be flying back. But not before I’ve spent two nights between my four-legged ones, which is all that matters.
It is very strange, it is not as if there is so much to go back to. I mean, most of my possessions (I know they’re not supposed to mean much in life, but losing everything except your clothes, does leave an impression) are gone, my cabin, anything about the place that was home, and yet there it is, you miss what is familiar, you yearn for that freedom that allows you to just leave those dishes when you’re in a rush, or not do that one nasty chore that one day. It’s ridiculous really. You have to do the dishes anyway, and the chores need to get done regardless, so why something inside me would make an issue of it, is just strange. I don’t get the way my own mind works sometimes, if you must know. It seems perfectly content to just wreck my day. *sigh*

But anyways, back to being positive.
I made a semi-successful foray into the city this week. Needed to get loads of bits and pieces from the DIY store, went past a local charity shop to look at furniture, only to discover that they had a very nice table, which I loved, but they were located in a part of town where you’re unable to get your car to the storefront to pick up your purchases. Insane! I gotta say that the town is a friggin’ maze. Basically any road is one way, so despite the TomTom it is very confusing, because your course keeps crisscrossing.

Anyway, I did manage to get proper jeans from another charity shop, this one for animals in distress, which looks rather nice. A very nice pair of black jeans that actually fits…looks nicely slimming, in particular since it is not one of those awful models that are way too wide at the waist and hips.
Also got a turtleneck long-sleeved T and a nice turquoise green sweater, so that makes for a successful trip.
Had wanted a body warmer, but alas there were none to my liking. Did find a carry on suitcase, which was necessary because mine is falling apart. Cost me only four bucks, so, yay!
The day I was there, was a wet one, but thankfully the three hours I spent there, it was dry enough to do what needed doing.
There was even a Lidl there, meaning I could get some stuff that’s way cheaper than the local grocery store. Yay.

I do admit to still being in somewhat of a culture shock. Everything is very different here. The country, the towns, the people…not in a bad way, mind you, just different. Like the other day in the city, there was this strange pounding in my head, and I have no idea why. Guess it takes getting used to.

As to the work…I’ve been doing some carpentry, which is always good. I like it when I’m able to keep busy, because if I can’t, then that “bugging me” bit starts again, of course. Also did some serious gardening. Trimmed bushes, took out loads of thistles, and started on a compost heap for real, so yay.

Will need to mow the lawn again, in particular before Tuesday, so I hope that the weather will cooperate and stay dry. I mean, I don’t much like the lawn mowing, except that it looks nice now that I’m getting a hang of it, after several hours I feel very “Forest Gump” and not in a good way. Hah.

As to writing…haven’t gotten around to it much lately, much to my regret. I have had ideas playing in my head lately, but none have come to the proverbial paper…mostly because I am just so friggin’ tired when I get to my room in the evening. Let’s just hope that winter will allow for some writing time…it will, because according to rumors that I am not listening too, claim that it will be dark at four soon. Aaargh.

What else? Well, I’ve been cooking. Cooked my first (successful) lamb chops. I was actually surprised that they worked out the way they did, but my clueless volunteers truly enjoyed it…according to them. Yay! Should I put it in my cooking book, do you suppose?...Nah, it just isn’t my thing, is it? Still, it was nice that it worked out.

As to the other meals. I had a pasta that worked out splendid, and a stew, not to mention a rather nice apple pie.

Actually managed a workout or two. Not full blown but enough to lubricate the muscles.
Also have been chopping wood, meaning that I’m using muscle at the very least…and added to all that, this property is huge, so I get to walk long distances, if for no other reason than me forgetting one thing or other in the work shed while I’m working on the other side of the property half the time. Hah.

Have been experiencing loads of rain here lately, and last night a proper storm. Yikes it was blowing hard! On the overall the temps are still comfortable enough that I can manage. Have had some serious beefs being cold in the evenings, so I took several baths, which is very helpful when I’m cold, I must admit. It is just that at the end of the evening my engine stops, and I don’t have any choice but to suffer through that. *sigh* I’ll have to get used to that, I guess.

Had some scares with the Knight. He had a fever again, didn’t eat, and the wounded foot he’d been walking around on for several weeks, swelled up a little again, despite the wound on it being tiny. So he’s back to two socks, the silly boy. Added to that, he had an inflamed muscle in his neck, for some peculiar reason, so that had him off his feed too. Poor baby.

Now tonight I heard that Dax isn’t feeling well. He’s listless. Shivering. Keeping his head down. They can’t figure it out, and I can’t do anything from here. Let’s hope he feels a little better tomorrow.

Well, that’s it for me for now. It’s almost midnight, and I need to get up on time tomorrow morning. Got dogs to walk, stuff to do. Ya know…

Late

Song of the day: “Rotterdam” by the Beautiful South. It’s been in my head off and on several times during the course of the past week, or so.

Sorry to have taken so long, but I find it very hard to find a balance to write this thing. Hoping that once winter comes I'll get a little more time.

Emotionally things haven’t been easy. I mean, on the days that I am REALLY busy, I manage well enough, I suppose, but on the days that things are a little less hectic, as is prone to happen at some point (can’t get around that) I’ll be a complete and utter mess at the end of the day.

But it hasn’t been all bad. I’m learning, which is vital, of course. Getting a hang of the mowing bit. The lawns are actually looking nice and smooth now although, there are quite a few yellow patches. It has been rather dry here in the UK lately, so that might explain part of it.

Big brother arrived the day before yesterday, so we’ve been nicely busy, having the dogs with us, seeing as our colleague had time off. Was nice, the dogs, big brother, had me relax a little, unwind from the stress of the past week or two. Very difficult, this being on my own. I think I should try to look at it like a learning experience. Learning to be on my own, because…well, because everyone should be able to, really. I do have to say that so far these past couple of months have shown me that in all likelihood I am not cut out for this sort of work. I mean, it is not that I can’t do the work, it is just that I think I’ll be better off in the future either published (duh), or having our own freelance kind of work. Not a boss. It doesn’t matter that the boss is nice, or reasonable, it just means that the necessity of having a certain freedom is vital.

Doing that from Spain isn’t possible, however. Not from where I’m standing. For me Spain is still over. The only question is, where are we going to start over…I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

What else has been going on? We have been nicely busy, partly scavenging the future bonfire in the back yard…added to that, I burnt a rather huge amount of cartons, because I was getting sick and tired of them taking up half the shed…which is huge, only you wouldn’t believe the amount of boxes were in there.

Please don’t mind my typos. I am trying to write this blog late at night…well, two nights, actually, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of strange sentences I had to remove from last night because I was falling asleep while writing.

This was big brother’s last day here, which is sad, but we all gotta do what we all gotta do, right? We got some serious stuff done, including burning down the mess of plant refuse. It was a massive bonfire, which was nicely warm during the miserly rain that wrecked most of the day.
Well, it didn’t wreck it. It just kept the day rather nippy. Also fixed fences, which is a never ending thing, isn’t it?

Did make use of Big brother being here by finishing this rather cute shelf for computer stuff. It took forever to make, but I finished putting it together today, varnished it, and only have to attach hooks on the back now.

Not a lot of writing lately. Let’s face it, at the end of the day I can barely keep my eyes open, and I am lucky to be coherent, which is iffy at the best of times.
Cooking is still part the day, of course. I gotta eat, and since more folks need to, I usually volunteer. Did my first cooking of lamb chops today, which were a big success, much to my surprise. I didn’t like he smell at all, and yet, no complaints. Even got some serious compliments. Nice. Added to that, I made a rather nice apple tart, served with a rather splendid dollop of fresh cream on top. Darn that was good. Ate way too much, of course. Hah.

Did meet some of the locals this week, which was nice. Friendly folks. Good thing. Neighbors should always be friendly, otherwise you have a problem.

Am having three dogs in my room tonight, which helps a lot with the homesickness…but I’m worried still. Knighty boy has been having some trouble lately again. He got a fever several times, despite his feet not looking bad at all, and missed quite a few meals during the course of the last few days, poor baby.

Well, I’m starting to fall asleep again. Not good, so I’m going to leave it at this. I gotta be up at six thirty to say goodbye to big brother after all. Short night.
Gotta go.