Good morning...

...another week after a beautiful weekend.

I must admit I'm still nervous, but am trying to clear plans for the move. Think positive...

A couple of jobs around the house were done on Saturday, like the piece of skirting that needed replacing...it was tucked behind a cupboard and forgotten...out of sight, out of... Cleaning out the woodburner of all remnants of ash and debris... The continuing of mowing the lawns, and tidying the garden...

Yesterday dawned another bright day, and we both felt a restlessness, a what to do sort of day...we've been living in limbo for too long now, and just want the move complete... We took ourselves to Elveden, it's a small village between Newmarket and Thetford, and the estate there have converted their barns and stables into a range of shops and cafe... The shops sell most kitchen wares, house gifts...books, gardening items and plants, plus a good array of home produce, fresh meat, local cheeses...plus the more exotic, and handmade chocolates. We came away with a small cold meat pie, a piece of Suffolk Gold cheese...locally made marmalade and High Dumpsie Dearie jam (plum, apple and pear). I also found a cushion for my new sitting room...cool linen with a small flowery heart on...all soft colours. I now know what I have to do, get myself a new sewing machine, mine died several years ago, and has never been replaced. I used to make so much, but not for too many years now, and I did pick up some beautiful remnants in January, also some of my tapestries need some tlc to renew their life, and some rummage pieces from a friends aunts bits bag will all go together...

Our survey came through last week too. You have to look through it with the thought that the main part of the house is four hundred years old, and as long as it isn't falling down, then you're onto a winner. It has some damp in the lower walls, this caused as the original rendering is below the garden level, and has been used as a conduit to seep up, but once that is treated and the new rendering finished above the garden level, it'll be no further problem....we also knew a pair of very old French doors would need replacing, as they have stained glass windows in them and to the sides...they will have to be made and treated with care, and although some of the roofing tiles look as though someone played with them, they don't leak at present...

We have discovered there were five periods of building...the original house built 1600's, was two rooms downstairs and a loft, this was then extended to give a third room downstairs, a bedroom upstairs and the loft was converted into living space too. A little after this a lean-to affair was put onto the back of the extension, and then about fifty or so years ago a larger single storey extension put onto the back of that incorporating it, finally about twenty five years ago another single storey was built, this is the second sitting room, with big windows and french doors looking up and through the garden...

We also discovered the village is within a tithe hundred to Chancel...but you can now take out an insurance, just in case they call on it.

Have we been put off or daunted by all...never! Just excited and nervous with the wait...I have so many ideas spinning around...