The continuing...

...saga....

A call from our solicitor, confirmed some thoughts. The guy at the top of the chain won't change...which we expected as he'd wanted the move in August, and had been quite verbal about things at the beginning, by all accounts, and...our lady is on holiday, travelling down a canal in France. She's due home later this week...after a fortnight away.

Strange how a fortnight rings a bell somehow!

That leaves us with neither of us agreeing to the delay, and not knowing how she'll react until she gets back.

My team are off to Colchester tonight, and again I won't be going to cheer them on...I'd love to be, but time is slipping by. It's a tough week for them, meeting Leeds(current league leaders) at Elland Road on Saturday...that game will be tense. Tonight I'll be watching the England v New Zealand cricket match...see if we can make it four in a row, with the Charlton commentary hooked into the ear-phones!

Yesterday I had a wonderful time...wandering around the V and A...one of my favourite museums, in and out all the fashions, and remembering some of them! Standing in awe at the delicacy and intense colour of the needlework, even after hundreds of years. One carpet, laid out, is over a thousand years old! It leaves you gasping... There were some items I could easily have sneaked out...except they're very securely behind glass... And if the textiles left me gasping, so did the ingenuity of some locks...secure locks, with little counting dials telling the owner if they'd been opened without his knowledge...now those sound useful, to me!

My visit was completed with a terrific meal in a Mexican restaurant...relaxed and fun...simple but good...and (I am told)...daiquiris to die for!

You know you've...

...got issues, when you're greeted by two solicitors!

That's what happened to us yesterday. We had an appointment to talk over our impending predicament, and were greeted by two solicitors.

Best case scenario...we move on the 16th and no hassle, the worst...we will be homeless on the 16th...and no way of getting any money back off her. And we probably won't know until the day...

Ah well...best foot forward...as they say...the family are coming today to cook me dinner, and have a last gathering at this house. Have a good weekend...it's only my birthday...and it's a house move, not worse...

I just...

...can't settle. All my enthusiasm has left, and I can't settle to anything. I just want to vegetate...except the brain won't switch off... I could go for a walk, but I'm expecting a call...and, I've lost interest...I could go and spend some money, but I can't look at anything without it being attached to the move, even if money allowed.

I am going to France for a day in November though, so if you see a red mini with English number plates...and three females in it, just wave... It's Mum's eightieth and she wants to go through the tunnel, and we know a beautiful restaurant just along the coast... I also want to get to the Country Living Christmas Fair. It's the same week...I just need to spread myself thin...and those two weeks are pushing my dates...

Is it me, or are there a lot of "wants" in there!

Why should...

...I be surprised! We have another chapter to our extended house purchase saga. It's getting nearly as long as one of the northman sagas, and if it continues, it might have the added addition of blood too!

Now, we have been asked if we'll push back our move for two weeks. The lady from the house we're buying, or trying to...had a minor operation six weeks ago, and now appears (after exchanging over three weeks ago), to be requiring more time! My concern is how the people she's buying from will react, they didn't like the late date in October anyway, and wanted September! And our buyers started to let people know immediately on exchange, as some letters we've received warning of our accounts being closed already show. We started last week...the removal men are booked...etc.

We see our solicitor Friday to "chat" it through...

A new...

gallery is in full view on my website.

Wayward Rose is showing the colour range of spacers available...(though it will grow), once my move is done. The colours are there for people to ponder over. If anyone is smitten, just contact me via the site.

I need to pack all my glass away, dismantle my bench and shut up the bead making from this weekend. My Etsy shops should be remaining open until the 13 October. I also won't have access to the internet for at least a couple of weeks after our move, so plenty of time to set myself up at our destination.

One regret...

...I have about moving to Norfolk, is I'll be further away from one of my favourite shops.

Warm tides wash over you as you enter Lottie Muttons, with all those little pieces that make the world go around.

Her window display entices you into this little shop on two floors, the lower ground being the interior design studio, or was the studio...she has expanded, with her design studio moving to a separate space. Set around four rooms, her new shop is lined with sumptuous fabrics. Silk curtains and beautiful wallpapers abound...the visual art wafts the senses...

I'm eager to see what they do with the original shop...hopefully expand their collection of "must haves".

My move won't stop me visiting completely...I have the excuse of family in the town...

Next time I visit, I'll remember to take my camera...

Don't do...

...unto others as they do unto you!

Did I mention the problem with my car? The leak through the replaced windscreen, which dripping onto the dashboard below, made the electronics and control boxes seem like Blackpool illuminations. I had warning lights flashing, telling me all sorts of things were happening. A quick call to the glass company...the insurance approved one, and the next morning(Sunday) I had another replacement screen, and confirmation that their workmanship had led to the leak. The Monday they agreed to pay the cost of the repair, but it had to be a mainline dealer...and duly the car was taken away, and a hire car stood in its place.

Three weeks later I am still without my car. Last week I was advised that the bill had been paid(the repair garage), though there was a bit of investigating on their part to find that out. After chasing them, I was told it was ready to collect yesterday, and having arranged my lift there...I went to collect it....to be told...

I couldn't have my car! The bill hadn't been paid!!

I was very good, though seething, I didn't lose my temper, it wasn't the fault of the lady who had to tell me this. But somewhere, someone has been lying to me...

There's more, but...well, I'm still too angry to write coherently.

Suffice to say, I have two cars, because the hire car was supposed to be collected yesterday and it's still here, and having told the garage I had no way of getting home, the lady arranged a courtesy car for me, and when out of the office, thanked me for not shouting at her...(I find that a sad reflection on our intolerance today).

From home I left a message on the designated number, with the glass company...and I had to phone again this morning, because they hadn't found my message!

They are both now investigating...and who's caught between the two organisations?! Only the innocent party...

One week...

...ago today, we had just exchanged contracts on the Tuesday, and two items came to our door. The first was a copy of our estate agents bill...less than twenty four hours from the said exchange, and the other...these...





From the estate agent in Norfolk...for "hanging on in there"! I know which I expected, and I know which I prefer...

What a beautiful thought.

One...

...wardrobe down and the rest to follow.

All things became a reality this morning, as one piece of furniture was taken away. With no space for wardrobes in our new house, we had to find homes for the two we have, and this morning our youngest son came and collected the smaller one...hopefully he'll find a temporary home for the larger one...he has five weeks!

It feels strange to see items of furniture disappearing...though, I better get used to it! The house in Norfolk has completely different room space to our present one.

And brilliant Charlton news, Jonjo Shelvey has signed an extension to his contract. It keeps him at the Valley until 2012, at least. This is a terrific fillip before the game in...less than an hour, against Brentford...as rumours abounded during the summer of his imminent departure.

Phew...

...whatta day!! I'm exhausted....

But, we've EXCHANGED!!! It nearly didn't happen, as our Norfolk lady came back from her weekend away having second thoughts...again, but...we exchanged contracts late this morning. Now, we've just got to get through the next six weeks, and then we'll be in Norfolk, with all the excitement of sorting out a new home.

I see Charlton made some signings today too...an experienced forward in Leon McKenzie, a young winger Luke Holden...from Rhyl, on loan at present with a view to signing permanently in January, and an old face at the Valley...defender Sam Sodje, a freebie after Reading released him last season. Two went out on loan too...with Stuart Fleetwood returning to Exeter on a years loan and Moots going to Motherwell for six months. It's great to see those players being mentioned in papers as having "followers", are staying with us...for that I say thanks, and long may we continue together.

And the beads...all cleaned and sparkling...