I think that I may have a problem .........

So - I woke up early to hot sun and got up to let the dogs out ..... then went back to bed for a while!

Finally awake I then set about trying to tie up some loose ends.  First call was to a drain company to sort the drain that the washing machine goes into - despite regular attempts to clear over the years, it quickly blocks up again and then floods.  They promised to be here by 4pm and said it would cost me £65 plus VAT!  However they turned up at 12:30 and cleared the pipe - so it was well worth it!  It would appear that, when the conservatory was built, the builders moved the pipe from the regular drain to a pipe that is actually a soakway.  This was then compounded by the fence post I had fitted round 7 years ago going through the soakaway so minimising the area and allowing debris to build up.  The machine should not flood now but he did warn me that this was not a permanent solution and advised me to investigate whether you could put a machine on the saniflo system - either that or build a new soakaway in the garden / take the conservatory floor up - Noooooooooo!  I would rather pay the £78 every year!!




Next was a call to the Teacher's Pension scheme.  I officially retire on the 4th August so, with just over a month to go, the web site is saying that my application for my pension is 20% complete - slightly worrying me thinks.  The response was - just keep an eye out for any emails that come your way - if they don't then everything is okay - we often don't sort it out until the day before its due - yikes!!


Next was a nice sit down job - finishing a quilt block for my sampler quilt.  It was one of the original challenges but easily done within the hour - its nice to tick a challenge off.

Before

Hoarder?

Then, and I couldn't put it off any longer, it was onto the pantry cupboard.  Now maybe its just me (and I do fear that this blog is becoming somewhat of a confessional) but doesn't everyone have that cupboard that you just prefer to ignore?  For me its the bottom part of the pantry cupboard - where everything just gets stuffed into so periodically its cleared out.  The picture is after I had started and the before and after picture shows what junk there was!  I also appear to have a hoarding issue - why would I buy 2 sets of gardening gloves, 3 large boxes of matches etc - just to store away until I found them again - bizarre!  Needless to say that a trip to the tip is called for tomorrow!

After



Can you beat this for the most out of date item in your cupboard?

The next two shelves - before



 and after

Of course - once you sort one area - then you have to carry on - its like painting the forth bridge.

All out of the cupboard!
Off to the tip tomorrow (well not Millie clearly!)

Once I had had a rest and some light lunch, it was time for a little hand sewing - a hand appliqued Dresden plate for another block - before heading off to slimming world.  Despite my absolute best efforts - refusing cake, chips etc, I have lost a massive 1/2 pound!  However I was expecting that - my second proper week is always low and my challenge is just to continue and be focussed - 4 would be great next week to make the first stone!!  Lets hope that the meat free challenge from Monday helps the efforts.






Then finally it was off to the WI meeting - I think the topic is the Suffragettes.  I will report back tomorrow re the scones!!



PS - have just done a washing machine load - guess what - no overflow!!!!!