Scraps, layers, bits and pieces

A little miscellany on a Thursday...

Firstly, thank you for all your lovely comments on my previous post. It was interesting (and funny) to read your stories of house moves; seems our experience struck a chord with many people. I actually saved the worst photos for the solicitors. Whether we'll get anything back, who knows? If it covers the £126 for the hire of a skip we'll be happy.

I've been working on my art whenever time allows, and going out with Joe finding little flowers, leaves and seed heads to bring home and study is always good fun. 

This morning a lovely old man came out to see what I was photographing at the edge of his garden. I explained, and it turns out his wife was an artist. We went into his house and he showed us her paintings. She painted flowers too. Joe was very interested in the grandfather clock.

We've done evening walks with grandparents and lunchtime ambles with flasks and sandwiches. The weather continues to be overcast and windy with sharp showers. My uniform of late consists of jeans and Nordic-style knitted jumpers. I've also pulled on woolly tights in the mornings - quite a combination when worn with a nightie and cardigan. I probably look a bit 'bewildered', as my mum used to say.

Speaking of my mum, my stepdad found some envelopes with seeds she'd collected. Nigella seeds, dill. They're labelled 2013 so I'll see whether they germinate or not. I have her lemon-scented geranium cuttings she gave me and although they're doing OK they could do with a boost. Any advice would be most welcome.

We're very excited about the new garden. Jay's been up there clearing some of the straggly shrubs and taking a couple of trees down. There's plenty to keep too and it's good to see things surfacing as the layers are peeled back. The same goes for indoors. The builders have already ripped out the fitted wardrobes, kitchen, carpets and flooring and in the evenings we find little pieces of the house's history: the plans for the kitchen extension from 1987, a very grimy framed print of a kitsch but (in my opinion) quite sweet floral display. I took it out of the frame as the glass was broken and gave it a wipe down. Not bad.

I also cleaned up the drawing equipment and gave it a bit of beeswax. And the layers of wallpaper - I'm really enjoying seeing them appear as bits of plaster and cladding are removed. It's all very fragile but I do intend to keep these little scraps and maybe put them in a frame. Last night I glimpsed some really lovely paper but it was way out of reach - for now.

We have a big First coming up this weekend: Joe's staying overnight with his grandparents. It'll be our first night without him in very nearly three years. It's not so much the desperate need for a lie-in as that we want to be up and gardening on Saturday. Trips to the new place with him are quite fraught, what with sharp nails and electricals and dirt everywhere. We can get several hours' hard graft in before we go and collect him.

And several hours' hard graft should definitely justify fish and chips afterwards. And beer too.

P.S. To those who suggested it: the builders changed the locks at the new place so we're feeling a lot happier about that.