The irritations of lockdown

Being together is supposed to be better than being by yourself. Not as lonely. But when you live in a small house it’s not that simple. A narrow galley kitchen means you struggle to pass each other. One persons shooing is the others dislike. You bought four huge pork pies? The potato salad is full of sugar? Why can’t you put waste food in the bin, instead of letting it float in the sink….. Then there is TV. We don’t have Netflix or anything like that, so we watch terrestrial TV. But do there have to be so many steam train programmes? Tools is another thing. Yes he has a shed, but this time of year he takes over the kitchen, there are batteries, middle boats, cable ties, screwdrivers… The list is endless, all over the place. He doesn’t like shopping and washing up. So the food is weird and the water splashes everywhere. My new cupboard door is loosing it’s surface because its always wet… So I do things myself. The most irritating? When I buy things for both of us and he eats it all first.

If I asked him to write his irritations, he too would have a long list. He would be right! Living together isn’t easy.

Interesting statistic. Married men I’ve five years longer than single men on average, whilst married women live five years less than single ones!

Huge wasp!

Ooo dear, suddenly buzzing round the front door was a huge wasp, it must have snuck in when I put the milk bottles out. It was big. A queen? I don’t know, perhaps my fear made it seem larger. Boy cat, in his cone of shame, was bouncing up and down by the door, reaching up to the letterbox. He looked very comical in his buster collar, but I was worried the wasp would get scooped up by it!

Then I saw it. It was up on the glass above the door. But I couldn’t reach it! My hubby took the glass I was holding and got a bit of paper, quickly covered the wasp and I opened the front door. Off it flew.

I can’t tell you what species of wasp it was. All I know is it seemed to have a large stinger. I hope it finds somewhere to go, but not in my home.

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Keys

She was searching for the keys for the back door…

She had let herself in the front door with a key she had found in the street. It had just been there, in the gutter. Perhaps fallen from a pocket? The address was stuck to it with a bit of sellotape. She wondered why and pondered if the person it belonged to was forgetful….

She decided to try and find the house or flat it was from, so she looked it up on her phone. Success, only two streets away. She would go round and drop it off.

A few minutes later she was outside a large, smart house. Set back in a large corner plot. Bushes and trees and a neatly trimmed lawn. She walked up the gravel drive, her feet crunching so loudly she was certain any occupent would hear her coming.

She knocked on the big blue door. And gazed through the frosted glass to see if she could see movement. But nothing but silence greeted her.

She knocked again, should she post the key through the brass letterbox, or wrap it in some paper from her bag and leave a message?

There was no reply so she pulled the key out of her bag. But she looked at the door lock. Why not? She knew she was being nosey but…. She lifted the key and unlocked the door. ‘Hello’ she called loudly. ‘Anyone home?’ No reply again…. She walked further in, looking around. A marble floor, beautiful paintings on the wall. Swag curtains on the windows, made of blue and green velvet. That was just the hall! Gradually she explored the downstairs area, reception rooms, beautifully decorated and furnished. A dining table set in a plush dining room. Each more luxurious than the last. She passed admiring glances over the fully fitted kitchen. An island! How did people afford such luxury?

Suddenly she heard the front door slam… She hadn’t locked it, whoever was there would have noticed that. ‘Who’s here?’ came a loud male voice. She stood still and silent, the shout came again, louder now, exploring. Heavy footsteps running upstairs. Now was her chance. She ran into the utility room where she had seen the back door. Keys hung on a board together with a Swiss army knife. Scrambling she tried to find the key to the back door. Keys fell, crashing loudly to the floor. ‘Who is there? ‘ Louder, closer, feet rushing. I’ve got to get out, anywhere, maybe I can hide in the back garden or find a side gate? She thought in a panic…..

Outside, running. Towards the gate. Feet running after her, he grabbed her wrist. Thrust the knife blade towards her throat. ‘Who the hell are you?’ he screamed in her face…..

Where have you been?

Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
Closed
Friday
Closed
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Where the sky

looks like sea

and houses float,

where the light is reflected

and you move by boat,

skulling around

and into the air,

following tides

no one knew was there,

washing the sky

with electric blue,

enjoying the world

with a higher view.

A dream like world,

a better place.

A planet in

a different place.

A brand new universe,

To explore in space.

And no WordPress I don’t want to display opening times why won’t you let me delete my mistake?

Band of sketchers challenge

Yes I know its not a building, it’s INSIDE the building. I’m our living room. It’s still bricks and mortar. Anyway it’s the corner with the DVDs and Videos, an old hi-fi system and a lot of books and stuff. Amazing how media and technology changes so much. But not everyone is able to afford replacements. So it’s a case of watching things till they wear out. Anyway that’s the corner of the building I drew. Black ink on cartridge paper.

The cold is seeping in….

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This is the first day of spring, but it feels like mid winter. Our house isn’t that well insulated and if it gets cold it stays cold, high ceilings means that the heat rises and warms the upper part of the room before it gets to us down here on the floor. The wind is gusting from the north and whistling through the gap round the seal in the front window and kitchen. We had new windows put in, but I guess they were cheap, all we could afford. The front door slams when you go through it because they measured it wrongly, so the top sticks out more than the bottom, giving it a very strange cant.

The North Wind cools the house, rubs the heat away as it pushes past the walls. Out kitchen bathroom extention only has thin walls. It really needs an insulating layer outside, but instead ivy is taking over and a wisteria has been planted at the end. Plants don’t keep us warm, but the blackbirds like to nest in it.

Now I’m cooking our evening meal, the heat from the oven adds a little to the warmth. I could microwave the food, but the gas cooker gives a bit of extra heat.

One day it will be warm outside, the leaves will grow, and we shall have spring and summer. X

Tree time

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This tree is going to have to come out. This was taken a couple of years ago. Since then we have had a lot of the branches cut back. Basically because it is too near the house and we are concerned the roots may affect the walls!

So we have spoken to the local wood turning group and they are happy to take the logs to turn into artistic objects.

I have already see birds carrying twigs around the garden so it needs doing soon.

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