ARTIST STEVE

Steve has taken up food art, I guess he thinks he is being funny!!! Just because I used to make faces with their food on their plates when they were little doesnt mean its ok now!!

THERE IS A STORY!!!

The weather suddenly then got cold, not normal cold, absolutely bitter and Lucky was shivering so I caved in and ordered them rain coats...what is happening to me!!!!!.... Luckys came and it was too big so sent it back, so took the dogs to pets world or whatever its called to be fitted for coats, Lucky and Gem were able to get one each little black coats with a reflective band they look like police dogs and gem in particular is very proud of her coat, she really really loves it, unnaturally!!! Shadow was too big so she still hasnt got one. There was one outstanding on a order online for gem that was supposed to be delivered on Saturday, when it didnt come by wednesday I contacted them. They advised me it was delivered to an outbuilding here.... We couldnt find it anywhere.... then suddenly Pete went...OOOHHH NOOOO... I said what have you done??? If its Pete hes done something.... he said when we did the burning on saturday there was a box that hadnt been opened by the back door, he thought oh michelle was clever not opening that to get the stuff out and proceeded to burn the box int he fire pit, instead of checking the box he assumed I had neatly sealed it back up!!!! and he had burnt the ruddy coat!!!!!! what am I going to do with him, I stand no chance!

NICE PICS

After that entry I thought I would update you on some nice pictures I took on our walk to Polkerris last week, when the sun is out you would think its summer! The dogs had a great time and we had a nice lunch, we have found a cafe that does breakfast really cheap too! Snowlands cafe, doesn't look much but great food! There is a beach between par and Polkerris that you have to climb down the cliff to, and its really stunning the dogs love it, we will be having our sausage sizzle here in the winter!

ANOTHER HELICOPTER MOMENT

I really need a break we fall from crisis to crisis at the moment and I am not sure how I am holding up to be honest!... Steve went for his final selection for the Army on Tuesday, after doing really well in all his exams and long interviews, weeks away being assessed and fitness for the Army, its been a long process. He has done really well up to now. I dropped him to the station on Tuesday morning after setting Andy to work on up lifting the concrete base in the shower, pete got the sand for them, then saw Dale the kitchen man, who advised me it was going to be late, had a mad panic call from Steve his zip had broke on his trousers and we had minutes until the train left to Pirbright, sorted that , broke the speed of sound getting to the station. He had a long 6 hour lonely trip on the train and had to call a NCO when he got there to collect him and take him to the base, alot to do at 16!... got back to see to computer man and set kitchen fitters to work, then the kitchen arrived and lorry could nt get to us, so I had to put it all in my truck and bring it up to Buttercup, whilst dealing with computer issues every 10 mins.... finally got sorted. I heard from steve at 11am then no more, so I was a little concerned, He had his medical on the Wednesday and we know a lot of people get deferred for silly reasons. Well didnt think it would happen to steve, but at 5.30 we got a call to say they had found a heart murmur, high blood pressure and they put on the sheet family history of heart disease which is nonsense. SO I now have to prove no history and get him to a hospital to have the murmur checked out if there is one, a fasting lipid profile and a 24 hour monitor all by next friday. I have begged and promised money to all and sundry to help me get these tests done, its been the worst week of my life right now. Havent slept as on the phone constantly trying to arrange everything, he had the blood test this morning, the private hospital are doing a 24 hour on Tuesday and hope to get results back , we are in derriford on wednesday for a heart thing and I have to get the doctor to write a letter, if you know how things work with medical and doctors non of the above are going to go smoothly, I will let you know!... Any way after this phone call at 5.30 at night asking if Steve can have permission to travel home as it was late for a minor to be on a train, I gave my permission as I dont think he could have handled another night up there, I kept in touch on the train to check exactly where he was and which changes he had madde so I knew if something went wrong i could find him.... After being on the internet and then texting where next to change and times and platforms, it was a REALLY relaxing night!... Then the last text i got from him was can i meet him early at bodmin as train running late, I replied but I didnt know if he got it as the phone was dead, so now I had to get in the car and do far faster than a car should go to get to bodmin before the train to grab him before he sailed on by at midnight.... I got to bodmin just as a train was pulling in, so I raced across to it and shouted at the man is this the train from plymouth, he looked at me like I was a martian and pointed to the other platform....my left and right had gone out the window....so then I waited the other side and grabbed steve off the train... I was panicking by then, but all sorted now. So its a bit of a pickle here right now, plus work has problems with some jobs, normal stuff, we have Buttercup ripped out and are trying to renovate it, Xmas is coming and really I could do with a week off!!!!I am sure I will hold up...happy days!

CREAM TEA!

Nothing can stop us having a cream tea on our weekend walk not even the pouring rain...well maybe next time it will, cream in the rain isn't the best and the rain drops were splashing our tea out of the cup!! But we had it, looked like a couple of nutters but nothing new there eh

FINALLY A CAMERA

I have been waiting for a VERY long time, years in fact to get a decent camera and we finally got it this week its an Olympus EM5, I am trying to get the time to read the manual before I get some time to use it, the idea being that I understand it enough to tae shots of our work???!!! OMG it is so complicated but I am sure I will get the hang of it. I love it, just got to figure it out now! Oh and Steve bought me a mini gorilla stand for it, its a tripod with really bendy legs, it can hang or go anywhere....Need a case now!

SUMMERHOUSE

We had a brief interlude and had some time to put some shelves in the summerhouse etc, it looks really cute in there now, Pete looks the part in his rocking chair with tool box and lucky at his feet, he just needs a drink now!....It will be so great when we get to use this, It is a little quieter now but we are still working long hours, but seemingly fitting in some bits of time, although we do have to go extra fast the other times!

PUPPIES!

Ah, that had you worried didnt it...not ours, but Abby who clips the dogs her Shitzu , poppy had puppies last week, they look a little like guinea pigs right now, but really cute, I tried to take a picture but Poppy stuck her tongue out! two black and white one brown and one tri coloured, I have been told I DO NOT WANT ONE!

BEEN BUSY

After software issues after software issues, and about 130 hours of sorting it, life has been hectic! The office has been down and my head has been overloaded, but we are getting there now just very behind....We have a really busy week this week, with the bathroom and kitchen being taken out of Buttercup cottage, the people left at 9am and I had it all out by 12! mum and dad popped over for what they thought a brief visit, but I had them roped in on dropping steve and shadow while I go others sorted.....sorry!!, so waiting on a plumber and electrician to disconnect me and then I can paint where the new kitchen is going as it is arriving early just to make sure I am on my toes, its also Vat return time, and the wardrobes that we have been waiting for are being installed on the top floor today and tomorrow, which means I have to clear both those rooms to get the wood in to build them. The dogs have had their haircuts this week oh and to just make sure it is super busy, Laura popped home from uni for a couple of days as we needed to get a full length black dress for her concert to perform her flute in, I worked all sunday so I could take monday morning off, zoomed to truro and trawled the shops, by that I mean we ran in each one and asked if they did full length black dresses and waited for the reply and quickly moved on. Finally found the only one in the town in a very expensive shop (would be wouldnt it!) but couldnt afford not to get it as they are few and far between. It looked great but was a little long, so I rang a dress maker from the shop and flew back to her place to get the dress fitted and made her feel sorry for us that we really needed it NOW...she really kindly agreed to do it that night for laura to take back the next day, oh we picked up a pair of high shoes on the way through too,..I missed my calling in life, I should have been a helicopter...oh no the kids think I am one....result!

MONDAYS!

My day was as calm and collected as ever, I thought I would just share it with you, as it will probably be much like yours I guess, if its not can you let me know where I am going wrong! It started at 6am with a rude wake up call from my alarm, which has the most hideous ring tone, which is only surpassed by the patter of tiny feet, 16 of them to be precise, two cats and two mice, running around our house like lunatics, so barely awake, we set about rescuing the mice and falling back into bed with a much needed cuppa, as I am supposed to get up gently and calmly in the morning to protect the sugar rush and dizziness, so got that right...NOT...so after having a quick cuppa we got up properly at 6.40am to feed the animals, packed lunch for Steve and Pete, washing in, drying out, cats fed, emails De brief and made sure server is ok for days work, then to breakfast at 7.15am...yeah we can do all that in 35 mins, you have to be on your toes but it can be done!... sat down to breakfast and Geoff our 72 year old friend/helper that comes for a few hours a week to help me with the garden arrives at 7.40am in time for his briefing and a cuppa before he starts. Pete changed and collect all the drawings for a meeting in Saunton left at 8am. I then started with Geoff, sorted the dogs out, just about to go through the days work with tim in the office and our guests reported brown water in the tap.... so panic starts, rang south west water who were about as helpful as a chocolate teapot and told me to run the tap until it cleared...bearing in mind we are on a water meter and she said it could take hours and ring back after a couple of hours if not cleared and promptly asked if there was anything else she could help me with...at which point I swallowed the unkind words my brain was yelling at me to say and smiled sweetly.....cough cough... Then after we saw the tap was running clear the water was ok to make the little baby staying with us his much deserved bottles....

I then went through the work with Tim, whilst sorting Steve out for a late start at college as he was doing a few jobs for me before hand, then our guests reported a broken loo seat, so ran from house to Travis to get another one, ringing Andy on the way to see if he could change it for me when he got here as Pete is away today....forgot to get train ticket so went back out to get the train ticket for college, got back, got Andy to sort loo seat, made Geoff a cuppa, rendezvous with Tim to update on work...and forgot to get Geoff's money so back out in truck to bank to get money, meanwhile Steve ran over in jobs and needed a lift to the station,,, got back straight out again to the station...emailed a urgent list for a job to client, forgot dog food.....ahhh back to baileys to get dog and cat food and a chicken for tea tonight, forgetting that we actually had a meeting tonight and couldn't cook so had to go out again for pasties to leave for steve for tea....its now 1pm,,,, you with me so far... so went through more drawings with Tim before Pete got back to try to get ahead of work, as I was clearly of no use in the office today!!!!....Then just completed that was thinking of lunch but NO...mum rang and said uncle Chris and Shamus (a cousin from new zealand) that I have never met was about to turn up in 20 ins..... I was having a nightmare, my hair looked like it was scared of my head, I was covered in muck, my house hadn't been cleaned and prepared for such a guest and he was coming in 20 mins, so rushed up to the house, chucked everything lying about in drawers and holes, I don't think i will be finding them anytime soon,.... they arrived a little early, I had to present myself in a calm and collected way... I did look down and had odd flip flops on, so careful and discretely slipped them off, so not to appear to crazy woman.... had a nice chat and look around at my calm life.... they left at 3 as I had a meeting to get to..... I was about to shower when the client turned up at the office, I was still in a mess, and Andy was fixing the office floor so I had to bring them up to the house, by which time Pete was here to take over... By this time both my flip flops had disappeared so I was shoe less walking over the gravel, they said oohh doesnt that hurt, and with my best voice said oh no its ok I am used to it, (whilst bearing and gritting my teeth as the points of the gravel stuck well into my feet!!). They left at 4.40 and we still had 1140 pages of a document to read before 6pm meeting...NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.... quickly changed outer clothes and stuck hair to head in a bid to look at least sort of normal.. Steve rang, he needed collecting from the station and feeding before the meeting...Just about to go out of the door when our guests, (who are really lovely ) said they love it here and can they book for next year, which we would love....so whilst trying to appear all calm, it got the better of me and I had to admit, I was under a little pressure, I had lost my phone and potentially my marbles to day and really needed to get Steve from the station and feed him before the meeting which we hadn't prepared for, so slipped on my two unmatching shoes and left for the station and I will see them tomorrow when my life has regained some calmness???!!... Got Steve, found phone, text back Laura, fed Pete and Steve and jumped in car to meeting, which was filled with words, that made my brain scramble. I felt like I was in a weird kind of place where all around me were talking in riddles, so a quick talk to myself regained composure,, and I think we just about pulled it off...I thought I would just update you before I have a much needed bath... How was your day???