Diary day 1

Having spent a good part of the day yesterday putting together a chest of drawers from Argos it now stands almost complete, this putting things together is because you cannot get them up the stairs, the cottage is a good example with its narrow twisted stairs it is one of its failings, or not. We had the same problem in the old house, everyone loved the attic, but my son took it over and everything had to be built up there.

The journey down was pretty good, the sleet/snow swirled around on the motorway surface making pretty patterns.  The moors were bleak but I love late afternoon sun on its brown surface, and the clouds were magnificent, you could see the dark weather clouds spiralling the sleet over different parts.

Last night we went over to the family for a takeaway, little Lillie had put her party dress on with gold slippers, she loves dressing up for an occasion.  The children have their jobs, hers is to lay the table, so a few glasses in a jumble, knives and forks back to front, and a lot of chatting is her contribution.  Matilda clears the plates efficiently, occasionally you may not have finished, then the floor has to be swept.  Matilda also gets paid for the occasional lapses of the old cat, but makes such a song and dance about this chore that her mother does it in exasperation.

Then we had to drive home through frightening blizzards, not very far but everyone was driving very slowly up and down the roads, we drove along the West Cliff, the sea so dark and mysterious, but the ice-cold savage winds must be whipping up the waves.

More jobs today, and a visit from the VisitEngland lady, wish I had never started this letting the cottage fiasco, and my Scottish next door male neighbour to face, who has offered to clean the cottage after people, but I'm not happy about this.  Think he would like to house the woman who sadly lost her home in the landslip (so that she could look after him) ;), but I am not prepared to lose this place to a long let - problems, problems......