But I Smile Anyway…

Let me just sit back, and put up my aching feet… It’s been another manic one, Peeps!

You ready with your drink?

• If we were having chai I’d remind you that this week, I had planned to be on a mission. Mission Clear Out. And I am happy to report that I have been extremely productive in that respect. As of now, both kids rooms now only have their beds, desk, a hanging rail for clothes, and a set of plastic drawers, for bits and bobs. Should make life easier when moving furniture to paint! The living room is down a couple of bookshelves, and sans CDs, with the consoles not used anymore all packed up, ready to sell. The side board is being emptied, precious dishes wrapped and packed intp boxes. The upstairs bathroom is being prepped for some extra tiles, and regrouting in the existing ones. The downstairs one has been totally ripped out. The builders exposed a leak which has been sorted out. We haave people coming to sort out a guttering issue, quotes rolling in for painters for internal, as well as external walls. The kitchen will be Marie Kondoed again, soon, so what we have is only what we use and need, not what we were gifted because everyone thought we would be using certain things. The next big job is our bedroom, which has become the place to hoard things. I’ve moved a lot of stuff, but there is still plenty to do, which I hope to achieve this week. And the Skip has arrived. So that is two large wardrobes, three book shelves, a small chest of drawers, so far, that I have demolished, ane one shelf that landed on my foot! OUCH! But, I’m okay, don’t worry!

• If we were having chai I’d mention sullenly, that my writing has taken a hit, because of sasid activity around the house. I managed to add 1.2K to the manuscript, and wrote, published/scheduled several blog posts. I did manage to read, though, and got to the end of my ARC list for now, so I am working on the paperbacks by my bedside… (Once read, I can decide if they are worth keeping or passing on – less to pack!)
• f we were having chai I’d tell you that the local Age Concern charity shop has benefitted from two cars full of donations, and there are more to come! Seriously, where did all this stuff come from????
• If we were having chai I’d ask you to cast your mind back a few weeks, when I finished term, and was disappointed because I couldn’t set up my classroom, due to the flooring being done. Well, I got a message on Wednesday to say that the guy who was meant to be doing it, got caught up in the quarantine thing, and so they’ve had to reschedule… Which means I managed to get in to set the furniture up, at least, but also means that I will have to dismantle everything again come October, when they have been rebooked!
• If we were having chai I’d tell you that I am really tired. I’m not sleeping well, knowing that we have so much to do, but also thinking about getting back to school. I am having a few more soaks than usual, to ease my aching body, after days of hefting boxes around. The thought of everything looking sparkly-new is what is keeping me going, though! And the possibility that we could be selling up, and in our forever home sooner rather than later! (I’m dreaming of office spaces/libraries, and a lovely kitchen!)
• If we were having chai I’d say that this week has been a week filled with reflections. That Marie Kondo has something, you know. I am so sentimental, and I keep a LOT of stuff that I never look at, but they are things that, when seen, trigger memories. I have had to think long and hard about whether they are really worth keeping, if the memory is in my head, anyway? It has helped me to let go of a lot of ‘stuff’ that I am keeping for the wrong reasons, and also, my thinking has spurred both my mums on, to start their own sort outs, too! It’s quite freeing, you know!

This week, that dentist appointment that we were meant to have? Got cancelled, so we are going today. They time to school shoe shop… give me strength!

More charity shop drop offs, too, as well as more clearing out to do.

I also am officially back in school come Thursday, so life is gettinng back to some sort of normality…

Oh, and while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!

I’m sorry, where did that week go? It feels like mere moments since we last sat down and had a chat!

(Gotta tell ya, I do miss going out to Costa and grabbing a Chai Latte, but at least I can have one at home with you!)

• If we were having chai I’d excitedly tell you that even though it was short, the time we spent with Pops and Mum was wonderful. We went on walks, and I dicovered parks and places I never realised were so close to their home! And Lil Man found a cricket club too, so he was over the moon. We ate plentifully, as Mum didn’t stop with her cooking, and consumed many calories, talked so much, and just generally made up for the eight months we had missed.

• If we were having chai I’d mention that I was so worried about the drive back, as we had been lucky on Sunday, getting there in record time, considering it was HOT and we had no a/c, but Wednesday’s drive back was good too, phew!
• If we were having chai I’d let you know that it was the week of the Grandparents. We’d been back one night when we went to the in-laws to stay there one night too, as we have managed to meet fleetingly, in gardens, and one evening where we had dinner together, but not spent quiaality time. The kids hada fun watching film after film, and the grandparents were most happy.
• If we were having chai I’d have to tell you, excitedly that I have managed over 10k again on the manuscript, and the word count stands at over 53k, now! I know my output is going to drop drastically now, because life has things planned for me, but if I can keep going, a few words every day, hopefully Ill have a completed first draft before I know it! (I’ve already got a cover, but I’m not showing that off, yet! 😉) Been too busy to post many more pics, but that is one from mid week, before I hit my target, so you can see, I’m getting there!

• If we were having chai I’d have to share my latest lettering project, which I am soooo proud of!

• If we were having chai I’d be able to sigh with relief at the fact that I can finally say I have started that dang clear out! At least two day have passed filled with emptying wardrobes and collapsing the ones that are falling to bits, and sorting out cds, DVDs and books that I an sell, or donate to charity. It breaks my heart to lose books but sometimes you have to do these things. There are certain books I’ll never get rid of, but a lot which I held on to for nostalgia’s sake. However, my childrens books, nope. They ain’t going nowhere! And as you would expect, the kids got imvolved too, including my furry son… Though I’m not sure whether he was more hinderance than help!

• If we were having chai I’d also have to say that reading is still going, too, at least another 3 books read and reviewed this week. I am currently at 106 read this year, and another 4 months to go!

This week, I will be extremely busy. Hubby Dearest has the week off too, so we are on home improvement mission, with clearing out to continue, and some workmen coming to do some bits around the house that we can’t. So much stuff!!! But I am determined to become Mrs Minimalist… (Yeah right, Ritu… we’ll see…)

I will attempt to write some. If I can get another few K written, I will have hit 40K written in four weeks, which was my target, before term starts.

I will still have a few more days before school officially opens, but I need to go in from next Monday, to sort my classroom out. Hopefully the flooring is set by the end of this week, so I can do it! I still have some paperwork to do, too, which my laptop refuses to let me access while I am at home, so that needs sorting out as well. All means less writing time, but I am determined, when I get my mind set.

There is also dentist appointments, and a catch up with friends, too, so yup. Another busy one!

Oh, and while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!