Posts Tagged ‘Family’
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 29, 2012
Heartbreak Hotel Restaurant (Photo credit: Thomas Hawk)
Saturday was another very hot and sunny day. I got up early and went for a run on my treadmill. My treadmill is in one of the rooms in the cellar (basement) but so is the hot water and central heating boiler! As it is now warm every day the central heating is inoperative but the boiler still comes on to maintain a hot water supply to our storage tank upstairs. The room gets warm of course but not as warm as it does in the winter months when the boiler is running for many hours in the day. If it gets too hot I can open the door leading to the garden and it becomes much cooler. Anyhow I digress. I did my stint on the treadmill and then went out into the garden and sat on the patio to cool off. After returning indoors and getting dressed I had a late breakfast which doubled as my lunch. I had nothing to do in the afternoon so I raised the canopy over the table in the patio and sat there all afternoon drinking red wine and listening to the radio, switching between Radio 2 and Radio 1, later Classic FM. I don’t much listen to pop music these days but I needed cheering up. I quite enjoyed the old songs they had been playing and they brought back to mind some lovely memories of the days when I first heard them many years ago. I felt really happy and relaxed but at the same time a little lonely. The genre began to change from happy-clappy to romantic love songs and it was then that I found myself crying involuntarily in response to the words. I needed to go indoors to visit the toilet and discovered that E had left the house, probably to visit her mother and that left me alone with no-one else at home. It often happens of course and under normal circumstances it means nothing but at this time when I was feeling so lonely with no-one to talk to it made me feel even more so. A song by Brian Ferry was playing when I returned to the garden, a love song and then more love songs by other artists the names of whom escape me now as I write this on Sunday morning. I was now being reminded of the fact that I was a member of Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a visitor to Heartbreak Hotel, a Lonely Girl (lonely and blue) and all alone in the big wide world. I made a call to one of my friends, Jane, whom I hadn’t seen for a couple of months and who now has moved to another part of the country. I just wanted to know how she was and that all was well with her. She is managing ok it seems which I am so grateful for as she hasn’t had an easy ride lately. It was later in the evening when another friend, Lotte, called to let me know when she will be coming to see me today (Sunday) when we will be driving somewhere for a meal together. We have lots to chat about as we haven’t seen each other for 14 months or so. She had been on an extended tour in the far east for three months and on her return was busy settling in to her old job with some extra responsibilities. She had been busy finding somewhere to live too, thankfully she found somewhere nice. It’s funny how friends and family drift apart sometimes but we all have our lives to live haven’t we? For me, friends are most important and I make every effort to maintain contact with them. Family are a different matter aren’t they? They say you can choose your friends but you cannot choose your family! I love them all though, family and friends alike whether they reciprocate or not. A friend to me is a friend for life, a family member a cherished blood relative I could never reject. As it is though I see very little of any of them and that is why I get lonely sometimes. So here’s to my family and my friends…..I love you all
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
2 bloggers like this post.
Posted in Celebration, Drink, Family, Friendship, Love, Relationships | Tagged: Family, Friendship, Heartbreak Hotel, Love, Music | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on April 17, 2012
It's All Happening (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Many of us who have transitioned will be able to relate to what I am about to write and it isn’t unusual. We speak often about acceptance in our lives, whether others will be offended and thereby avoid us if we step out-of-the-way they perceive us to be, for whatever reason. The problem is that most people, if they were honest with themselves, finding anything out of the stereotypical to be difficult to handle. It is a lack of understanding on their part. People will question what we have done, even directly asking us why we did it as if perhaps we should not have done. They do not realise that transitioning isn’t something that is desired to have to undergo nor is it done on a whim, it is done out of necessity. Transsexual people are born that way. Transsexualism isn’t ‘learned’, it cannot be acquired by association, you either are transsexual or you are not. Being transsexual means being found in the wrong body and having to cope with that. We are expected to live out our lives in the gender others perceive us to be and not the gender we know we are. Often this is a life-long struggle which for some is never resolved, some even taking to suicide to escape the trauma. There are many Internet web sites where information about the condition can be found for those who want to understand. For those more fortunate, their gender issues have been resolved and they are now living in the gender they know is right for them, even to the point of going through gender re-assignment surgery. I prefer to say gender correction surgery for that is what it is. What people do not understand is that the persons themselves haven’t changed, they are still the same person they were at birth with all the same feelings and personality. We cannot change who we are inside, the package we come in may be wrong but the essence which is us will never change. If a child is born without a limb every effort is made to change that using prosthetic means. If a child is born with any other deformity the best efforts are made to ease their situation by use of surgery if possible. Transsexuals are no different except that their problem is gender specific and yet they are often looked upon with scorn. Transitioning is a hard thing to have to do but it isn’t the transitioning itself, it is the reaction and attitude of others which make it so. Those we thought loved us before we transitioned we now find that love has gone and we are ostracised. True love would not allow that to happen. People are afraid to support for fear of what others may say and that really is an excuse. The main problem is that people wish to be accepted and consequently allow the dictates of others to influence them to act contrary to their own feelings. Isn’t it better to support those we love despite what others may say? When my eldest son married I wasn’t invited. I know that was a difficult decision on his part and it wasn’t solely due to him or his wife it was the influence others had over them. My heart was broken at the time and other people told me that I should have gone at least to the church anyway, invited or not. Perhaps I should have done so. Now they have a daughter they plan to have her christened in August (something I don’t agree with but that is their decision) and I would like to attend the church service even if I wasn’t made welcome to the following social gathering but I fear that may not happen. I have been told who would resent my being there and it hurts me to know they would act that way. Some will be reacting because they find it unnatural to them, some will be reacting probably because I was expected to stay married whether I was happy or not (although divorce came later anyhow) and some profess to be Christians, how sad is that? How can they not show love and then expect God to condone their behaviour? So I hope my son and his wife defy the mean and hateful attitudes of others and show a love befitting their faith in God. I pray they will but time will tell.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
One blogger likes this post.
Posted in Family, Love, Transsexual | Tagged: Family, Gender, Gender identity, Intersex, Love, Sex, Transgender, Transgendered, Transition, Transsexualism | 7 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 28, 2012
Our granddaughter Isabella was born on New Years Eve and E and I got to see her the next day but we hadn’t the chance of seeing her since then due our circumstances and those of our son and daughter-in-law. Sunday, around noon, they came round to see us. We were supposed to be dining with them on Friday last but Isabella had a chest infection and was taken to see the doctor. It appears she had a cold. She has changed quite a lot over the weeks since her birth and is just beginning to take notice of her surroundings. I couldn’t wait to have her in my arms once more so I was very happy that I could do that knowing that she could see me for the first time. The last time I held her in my arms her eyes were closed. She is beginning to stay awake more often now. During the short stay with us Isabella had her nappy (diaper) changed twice by her dad and I looked on remembering that once he was having his nappy changed by me! I am so looking forward to seeing Isabella more often as she grows and becomes even more aware of things. It will be fun getting to know each other little by little as the months go by. Whilst she was here on Sunday I took her to the window overlooking the back garden and she seemed as fascinated with the view as she was with the bookcases in the same room. Sadly she had to leave with her mom and dad but I know she will be back soon. She’s a little darling. When my son sends me the photos he’s taken I’ll be able to post one or two on here. I suppose I could have taken one or two myself but I simply didn’t think of doing that for some reason.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
2 bloggers like this post.
Posted in Family | Tagged: Diaper, Family, Home, Isabella, Parent | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 1, 2012
E and I went to Preston hospital this afternoon to see our first grandchild. I couldn’t wait to see her and hold her in my arms, in fact I was only there ten minutes when I got the chance. I didn’t want to give her back! So adorable, so tiny, so beautiful. I was reminded of the time my two sons were born and how they looked and how it felt to hold them for the first time. Now my eldest at 29 is a father. How time flies. E got her chance to hold her a minute or so later. We didn’t stay too long, about forty minutes or so but we’ve plenty of time to see them all later. On the way home I asked E if she would like to dine out as we were passing a favourite restaurant of ours. She did and so we dined out for the first time in many months. A pleasant day all round.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Posted in Family, Food, Happiness, Life | Tagged: Drink, Family, Food, Preston | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on December 31, 2011
A few minutes ago I received a phone call from my eldest son informing me of the arrival of his baby daughter. Mother and baby are fine and healthy and all is well. Now I am a grandmother or maybe a great-aunt and it feels great. Somehow I knew it would be a girl but either way would not have made a difference.
Born on the last day of the year is a first in our family. I can’t wait to see her for the first time and hold her in my arms. What a lovely way to end a year.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Posted in Family, Information | Tagged: Baby, Family | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on December 9, 2011
I had been under the impression that my son and daughter-in-law were going to become parents for the first time on or around about the 20th of this month but a few days ago my son told me that the expected date was actually the 25th. That should be interesting. I hope everything goes well for them and I am looking forward to seeing my first grandchild. None of us know the gender of the child because my son and daughter-in-law didn’t want to know before the birth. They simply want a healthy baby, as we all do. They don’t know it yet but their lives are going to change dramatically when the baby arrives, something all of us who have had children know only too well. It only seems like yesterday when my son was born and I have fond memories of those times and a couple of years later when my other son was born. Both of my sons were a joy to myself and their mom and were no real trouble to bring up. They had their moments of course, as all children do but they were no problem to us. I hope my grandchild grows up in the same way and I feel sure that will be the case. So in a little more than two weeks from now we may have an addition to our family but who knows? It may happen sooner!
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
One blogger likes this post.
Posted in Family, Life | Tagged: Children, Family, Life, Parent | 6 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on December 4, 2011
Image via Wikipedia
It was around this time ten years ago that I decided to go for full transition. I had been out for three years to all my new friends and some others but not to my family although by this time they were aware of my dressing. I started the ball rolling by making an appointment with a laser clinic in Liverpool and the first session I think was on 19th December that year, 2001. I had much more to do and to make decisions about and all of that is recorded in one of my pages above so I won’t go into detail here. As soon as the Christmas and New year celebrations were over I set about doing what I had to do and I then had the daunting task of telling my wife and family. That too is detailed in my page above. I am in my tenth year now as a fully transitioned female and although many things have changed about me I remain just the same inside. The real me, my spirit, the person writing down all of this is the same one that used to play in the street with other children sixty years ago, who went to school, who was bullied, who made something of a life, got married had children, got divorced and is still plodding along as best she can. Yes, nothing has changed inside for me over the last ten years or even over the last sixty-six years but the outside has changed dramatically. I live my life differently in some respects than I did ten years ago but the basics remain the same. I sit here reflecting on what has happened in my life and I wonder if I could have made a difference to the way things turned out. Probably yes, I could have but would it have made any real difference to me, the person inside? To the outside world we change, we fit in or we adjust so that we are happy with life. With me, ten years ago I had to make another of those changes so that I could remain happy. In doing that though made changes to other things, not least of all relationships. Not my marriage, that had died five or six years earlier and for other reasons but relationships with others did change in some cases. I never had many friends throughout my life. When I was young I had one friend but I moved house and we lost contact. He tried to re-establish that friendship some seven years or so later but I wasn’t interested, I had become very anti-social. From that point onward I never had friends by my own choice until I got married when we both shared the new friends we had made during the previous two years. Again, we moved on and lost those friends due to the pressures of life. When we divorced I had no friends apart from the one girl I had met in Spring of 1999 whilst out socialising as Shirley Anne. We have remained friends ever since but we don’t see much of each other now. Other friends either live too far away or have dropped off the radar. My family is dispersed and for the most part out of contact. I wrote a letter to one of my sisters some weeks ago but she couldn’t be bothered to write back. My children have flown the nest and I get to see them quite often but fleetingly. Basically I have nobody at all except my ex who for the moment is not very close at all. Am I better off now than when I was ten years ago? In some ways absolutely! In other ways no! That’s life and try as I may to change things it doesn’t always mean that it will improve. A happy and sad Shirley Anne at the same time.
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
One blogger likes this post.
Posted in Family, Friendship, Life, Philosophy, Relationships, Time, Transsexual, Values | Tagged: Christmas, Family, Holiday, Liverpool, New Year, People, Relationships | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 20, 2011
Image by Paolo Margari via Flickr
Sometimes I feel closer to you. Yes you dear reader! I get quite lonely sometimes. My family is spread afar, my sisters live in another country, my brothers live reasonably close but I only see one of them and that only occasionally. The other brother might as well be on another planet as he has pretty much alienated himself from the rest of us. Both my parents died years ago. My sons, well one lives with his wife, naturally, the other has taken it upon himself to leave recently to live in his mate’s house. My ex and I are not on speaking terms right now and the only friends I have either live outside of this country or too far to be regular visitors. I am not looking for sympathy here by the way, no but I just point to the fact that those I’ve ‘met’ through blogging give me more of their time than those supposedly closer to me! One way of looking at it, a philosophical approach would be to say things will improve or I’ll die first! I am not taking bets on this one….LOL I remain as ever cheerful and never do I get depressed. I am a strong person in that respect but I also have a ‘live-in helper’. I think you know what I mean by that but if you don’t then look at my ‘religious’ posts. I have a lot of time on my hands these days, not much work to do in a professional capacity and the domestic situation is on hold untill I feel inclined to move on it. I could be tempted to fall into bad habits but I fight against it all of the time, my trips to the pub have taken a back seat but that is more to do with my lack of interest than anything else. Another aspect of my personality that you may not be aware of is that I have always been what people call ‘a loner’. I’ve never enjoyed being one of the crowd, going with the flow, doing what others do sort of person but I do nevertheless enjoy conversation and mixing socially. I suppose in these situations I feel more in control, having the choice of walking away rather than feeling obliged. It may have resulted me in not having a lot of ‘mates’ but then I was never ’one of the boys’ now was I?
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
2 bloggers like this post.
Posted in Friendship, Life, Lifestyle, Philosophy, Relationships | Tagged: Family, Friendship, Happiness, Philosophy, Relationship | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 5, 2011
Image via Wikipedia
Regular readers of these pages will know that I have broached this subject in one form or another in the past. Looking at todays society and in particular the decline in moral standards and behaviour makes me wonder how and why things are they way they are. Probably many of us would be unaware of most of the things that go on around us if it were not for the news broadcasts or programs about police activities which have become somewhat popular lately. There are many reasons why our children and youth get into a life of crime and it is easy to blame them for their unruly behaviour and lack of morals. So if it isn’t a simple question of blaming them then who do we blame? Knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong, what is acceptable and what isn’t is not necessarily why a life of crime is embarked upon however many youths don’t think that their behaviour is wrong. They may feel that it is their right to do as they please and react violently when apprehended. Lessons are sometimes learned but many return to their old ways after receiving and working out their punishment. There is a hard core of persistent re-offenders who it seems never learn from their mistakes. When I see these people being arrested I feel so sorry for them that they should waste their lives in this way. Of course I feel much simpathy for those whose lives have been affected by criminal activity. We have all done wrong things in our lives but it didn’t become a way of life as it is for some. So who is to blame? Is it bad parenting, being in a low-income family, living in underprivileged areas, poor housing conditions, peer pressure or lack of job prospects? Can we place blame on any of these things or is it a more fundamental problem concerning a persons natural inclination to do wrong?
Shirley Anne
0.000000
0.000000
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Posted in Behaviour, Community, Crime, Lifestyle, Morality, Values | Tagged: Behavior, Blame, Crime, Family, Home, Parent, Peer pressure, Poverty | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 18, 2011
Image via Wikipedia
Friday morning
After breakfast I was looking for something to do. I had no electrical jobs and as the weather promised to be wet and windy I decided to fetch my toolbox from my van and set about removing the fittings from the downstairs toilet/cloakroom. Before long I had removed everything that had been fixed to the walls, except the mirror over the wash basin. Next, I removed, demolished would be a better word, the cupboard standing in the corner then proceeded to strip off wallpaper and wall tiles. In a matter of an hour the room was left with bare floorboards with only the wash basin and toilet suite still standing! I shan’t be moving them out until after next weekend as it will most probably be needed for my guests at the barbecue we hope to have. It will save them having to traipse up the stairs to the bathroom! No doubt our new decor will be a subject of discussion! The week following will see everything taken out of the room ready for a complete refurbishment. We are transforming the room into a ‘wet room’ and that is going to take us a while to do but there is no hurry. Now that our eldest son’s wife is expecting a baby in December they may decide to move back here sooner rather than they would otherwise have planned. It just means their own house will become empty until they get a buyer. What it means for us is the need to redecorate a bedroom and a lounge, both of which are not presently in use except for storage of furniture and other things. This means that we have to find alternative places to store what is in these rooms too. You might think that a seven bedroom house with plenty of rooms in the (clean) cellar would give us the space we need but many of those rooms are already filled with possessions. It is going to require some clever manoeuvering to get everything stored. You have to remember that our children’s furniture will perhaps be here only temporarily.
Late Friday afternoon
I’m playing guitar and drinking red wine………….my hammer has been put away…….for now
Shirley Anne
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Posted in Activity, Family, House and Home | Tagged: Activity, Family, Furniture, Home, Room, Sink | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 16, 2011
This evening our eldest son and his wife paid us a fleeting visit. They were en-route to dine with her parents who live three miles away. They had news for us, E and myself. They are expecting a child in December! Later, when our youngest son arrived home we gave him the good news. He was very pleased to hear that he is due to become an uncle and when we told him the expected date of the child’s arrival, 25th December, he immediately (and jokingly) asked if they were going to name the child Jesus. Ha-ha. Now then if he is going to be an uncle and E is going to be a grandmother, what does that make me? I suppose I could be a third grandmother, which would be ridiculous but better a Great Aunt don’t you think?
Shirley Anne
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Posted in Family | Tagged: Family | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 14, 2011
Image via Wikipedia
During the last few days we received delivery of the three windows for the garage and some bits and pieces to fit them. I had taken a look at what we had and was not quite sure about a couple of things regarding their fitment. E suggested she telephone her youngest nephew who is a builder by trade and who has fitted these type of windows before. She asked him if he had a couple of minutes to spare to call around and set me straight on how to fit them myself, which was always my intention since the firm who supplied them wanted £317 to fit them! They cost a little less than £200 to buy! Within a few minutes he arrived and soon told me what I wanted to know. However, E came to the garage and started to chat with him and then said to me, ‘Did you ask him how much he would charge for installing them’? He looked at me with a little look of expectancy and said straight out, ‘I will do the job for £100′. I looked to E and said, ‘Thanks a bundle, I was going to fit them myself’. He looked back to me and said, seemingly reluctantly, ‘If you want to do it yourself that’s fine with me’. Well the price was a tad too much to ask for the time he should take doing the job but as he is family and is in need of work I decided to let him do it for the price he asked. At least I know he will do it properly and promptly, not like his brother who is the one doing the paving for us. He did not turn up on Friday after starting the job on Thursday and now he tells us he won’t be back until next Monday and Tuesday to finish the job. I know for a fact that he won’t finish both the rear garden and be able to complete the front garden in just two days, there is too much work involved. Well thanks a bundle again! The jobs should have been completed weeks ago! Some people simply cannot keep appointments. On a job I was on early last week I had loaned some Allen keys to the young joiner who was supposed to be bringing them back to me on Saturday morning but he never showed. I telephoned him again yesterday and he promised he would bring them around in the evening. I had to call him a couple of times as he kept forgetting my address. So he said. Eventually he did call around at 7.30 in the evening with a brand new set of keys! Evidently his uncle had taken my set to another town and probably won’t be bringing them back for some time. The new set didn’t cost much to buy and consist of 25 keys, more than my own set! I thanked him that he took the time to buy them for me. He refused any payment, which is probably fair, considering the run-around he gave me trying to get my set back!
Shirley Anne
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Posted in Family, People | Tagged: Family, People | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 27, 2011
Image via Wikipedia
Today, late this afternoon, I have another appointment with the dentist. This time it is to replace a filling that popped out on Wednesday evening. I don’t mind visiting the dentist in the least, the only problem is that my dentist is more than twenty miles away in Liverpool so it means driving there and back. I could take public transport if I choose and it wouldn’t cost me a penny if I travelled outside peak times because people of my age are given passes and can travel free of charge. The drawback is journeying by public transport would take far longer. At least with my own transport I can travel door-to-door.
Yesterday it was raining in the morning but it brightened up in the afternoon. I need to do some work in the garage, to be precise move the outside water tap (faucet) to a new position which requires drilling through the house wall into the cellar from the garage. We had large amounts of plywood and other timber stored in the area so all that had to be moved as did a huge pile of bricks (about three hundred of them). This took me until lunchtime after which I had to go out to do an electrical job. When I returned home E had gone shopping and our youngest son had come home for the weekend. After next weekend he will be here permanently or at least until he finds a place of his own. He had to give up his apartment because his boss cut his salary in half! He is now also looking for another job. Whilst he has been coming home for the weekends he has been working for a friend who owns a nightclub. He works Friday and Saturday nights and comes home early in the morning. Hopefully, he says, it is only a stop-gap measure but for now the extra cash will come in handy. We moved some furniture together ready for his return home after next week.
When we had finished that I prepared the evening meal and made myself a rhubarb crumble. I say ‘myself ‘ because nobody else eats it! A woman’s work is never done they say.
Shirley Anne
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Posted in Cooking, Family, House and Home, Work | Tagged: Dentist, Family, Liverpool, Tooth | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on April 20, 2011
Tuesday turned out to be quite a busy day which at first I thought I couldn’t handle but as it turned out all was well. I’d had a really good night’s sleep on Monday having been so tired after Sunday’s work and again on Monday. It was like I had aches and pains where I didn’t know I had parts! Anyway my first job yesterday was not until 9.30 so I didn’t rush to get out of bed. The job was relatively easy but a little time-consuming. My second job at 1.30 was extremely easy. I was back home for 2.00. I’d had my lunch at home after the first job was completed. So I had the afternoon and the rest of the day to myself. I made myself busy relaxing, playing guitar in the warm sunshine and generally pottering about. E went out in the afternoon and didn’t get home until after 5.00. I had a visit from our youngest son who told me his job was under threat and he would be losing half his salary at the very least. He works for his friend who pays his salary but it is his friend’s father who is cutting back on expenditure by paying his son less. He is in property management and is a multi-millionaire. Why he wants to do that to his son (and subsequently our son too) is anyone’s guess. Both my son and his friend actually make money for his business! I suspect it is just greed. Even his wife has pleaded with him not to do what he is doing. My son has a lot of debt to control, his apartment, car, telephone and television contracts aside from general living expenses and to top all of that, his university loan. He may have to return to live with us if things get too difficult. It’s such a shame when he’s just beginning to get on top of things. Even his older brother and his wife are considering a move back home with us if they can sell their property. Their present house is too small and is losing them money. I am only happy to help my children and I am fortunate in that I am in a position to accommodate them should they come back home. Well the house is certainly big enough!
Today I have two more jobs to do. It looks as if things are picking up a bit for me after a recent dry spell. I am being careful though, I am not taking on too much work at once so that I can find more time to myself. If I could just work every other day or perhaps mornings only I would be happy with that. Assuming I get the opportunity of course!
Shirley Anne
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Posted in Activity, Family, Life, Money, People, Values | Tagged: Business, Business and Economy, Employment, Family, Property management, Property manager, Youngest son | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on April 5, 2011
Yesterday E and I went to see our eldest son to help him with weeding the garden and painting part of the exterior of his house. We left our house around ten-thirty in the morning but it started raining. Nevertheless we continued and arrived there an hour later after stopping to buy some milk. He had popped out to the shops and we had to wait for his return. Our daughter-in-law was at work. He was annoyed that the rain was stopping the work being done because as a policeman he gets little time off work and his working day varies from week to week. There might not be another chance for some time and he and his wife are keen to get the house up for sale. There was little we could do but wait. About one-thirty the rain eased off so we decided to start the work. My job was simply to foot the ladder and be a general dog’s body. E decided not to weed out the garden because the ground was too wet! It was bitterly cold in the wind and the first job was to clean the gutter and paint the woodwork to the roofline at the side of the house. There was little enough space to erect the ladder and make it safe so we placed two ladders side by side and strung them together making a wide platform from which to work safely. The wind was quite strong between the houses and it made the low temperature of 10C seem even colder. I had to stand on the ladder whilst my son did the work 6 metres above me where I am sure was even colder! We managed successfully to finish that part and then decided to paint the barge-boards at the back of the house which rose to the apex a further 2 metres higher. The house formed a barrier to the wind at the rear but it was still cold and draughty at the base of the ladder. We finally went indoors around five-thirty by which time we were both feeling the cold. Our daughter-in-law arrived home shortly after 5 o’clock. E and I stayed for a take-away dinner before coming home at 9 o’clock. I hope it is warmer today. Part of my work is outdoors!
Shirley Anne
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Posted in Family, House and Home, Maintenance | Tagged: Family, House and home, Ladder, Rain | Leave a Comment »
