It makes you...

...wonder. I've discovered and heard about our Lady of Norfolk. It seems she's thinking of moving! Yes...you read that correctly...she's seriously looking at moving! Having had this house on the market for four years, and pulling out of several sales, she's now thinking about trying again. She must be very unhappy where she is, or...who knows!
At last I've placed an order for more glass. I didn't think it would happen, but having sorted everything out, I can now start ordering again...and making! My space is basic, but it's there...and with lots of natural light...and the frilly bits will happen soon enough.
I've been looking at colour charts...with only one room that I can think of decorating without any mending or changing, the smaller of our two bedrooms will get a facelift...I can only take ice blue for so long. I bought a beautiful pink mohair throw this week, and that will lead the colour change. I think pretty and feminine. Having sons, and grandsons, I now want pretty and feminine...something for the two young ladies in our family...and my sons lives. Just to keep things from getting too female orientated, I've also bought some polish and wax remover along with some wire wool...the lobby doors are in for a shock...
My team drew today...after having one Sodje sent off for a foul as the last man, his youngest brother scored our equaliser and could have scored again...I hope we have the chance to sign him in January....I think he'd be a good signing. We play Bristol Rovers on Tuesday...we need to keep the momentum going, stay ahead of the gathering pack, and not too far behind Leeds. Also a huge salute to every one of the Charlton fans(1700) who went to Yeovil today. Getting drenched in a stand with no cover, and cheering the team...thank you for flying the flag....

There I was...

...kiln on, torch aglow, glass wrapped...and the post lands on the mat! Okay, a quick pass of glass to kiln and find the post...
A letter from our solicitors with questions from our buyers ones...ones that have already been answered, but turning off the torch...making myself a strong cup of tea, I sat to write out detail by detail all the answers, and draw them a little plan of our plot. Deciding then I might as well stop, go shopping and take the completed letter to town...there went another day!
That was yesterday...today I've had one surveyor here, for the valuation...we wait to see what he decides...our survey report arrived too, and when read is nothing unexpected, you buy something four hundred years old and there's bound to be one or two things to do!
Tomorrow I have Mrs Buyer coming, she wants to measure up and check what's staying or going against the list we've already supplied. Our agent is hoping we might be all moved at the end of May...I think it'll probably be June, but the earlier the better for us.
I think the weekend is free...strangely. We've had some busy ones recently, and another busy one the bank holiday one...a wedding and the last game of the season...
Then, next Tuesday another surveyor visits, this one is the main one...I'm always nervous, I know my house isn't falling down or anything, but I still get nervous!
After that the lady whose house we're buying is off to the Ukraine for a holiday...maybe she'll sign something before she goes................
Sorry, I've just seen a funny...silly...sight...a neighbour who runs...a lot, just passed the front in his tee and shorts, lighting a cigarette...well, such is life...
Which reminds me, anyone running the London marathon this Sunday...good luck...you're a better person than me!

There's got to be....

...some joy somewhere!?

My team lost again this afternoon. A 2 - 5 drubbing at home...I suppose the good side is it wasn't raining, and the Millwall supporter I'd spoken to earlier couldn't even remember who they were playing!

The consequence of the loss...our manager left the club by "mutual consent". That's the official term...he'd said at his press conference after the game, he wasn't resigning, but did fear for his job. Seems he had reason to. Now where does that leave us in getting a new person in position. There are a couple of names being banded about on the boards already, but we haven't got deep pockets, and it'll be a measure of who will come for nothing, and have nothing to spend...

I think it's going to be a long season...please, someone come and help. I promise to keep doing my bit...turning up, and shouting.

Back on the house front, yes, they did like the house, but we're too remote for them. I guess being only forty miles from London, is a bit remote!

So, jewellery...I made a necklace with some of the kyanite...it works beautifully...and will have matching ear-rings soon. I just have to remember to order some more hooks!

My call...

...came on Monday. It seems my viewer decided they liked our house, couldn't say anything against it, location, house was all okay, but they'd decided it didn't have "faerie dust".

So what do you do? Do you do as is supposedly right, and take some of the personal accoutrements out, so they can "see" the house, or leave those touches in? Of course, I'm making the leap that's what they meant, that for them it didn't have that little extra...but, they're buying a house...not my faerie dust, they need to discover their own, their magic...their touch of genius, that makes a house their home. I hope somewhere they find their dust for their daughters...

Tuesday, my car had to go to the garage for an "adjustment", something minor could fail and could I bring it in. Duly it was delivered and I took the time to walk into the nearest town, Bishop's Stortford, something I don't do, as it's ten miles from my home. I looked at all the Christmas decorations filling shelves of the beautiful home shops the town has, and imagined where they'd go, but at present I feel as though I'm in limbo, not quite here or there...oh, I know I'll be here for Christmas now, but I want to be making another house my home...Don't get me wrong, I do love my present home...but, it's run its course, and having decided to move, I've been letting go emotionally to it, and am now set ready to go. When I left work, they made me a gift of some book tokens, and on visiting the local chain store, I found a beautifully illustrated and written childrens book, but I'd forgotten my tokens...I'll have to go back...I'd also forgotten to put my little notebook in my bag, so now I have no idea who the books author and illustrator is...but, I know exactly where on the shelf the copies were... And I really must walk around my village more...I used to...but, it's changed.

Wednesday...yesterday, it was Mum's birthday, and I went to visit. She lives on the edge of London, and Kent. A borough which is neither one thing or the other, and during the summer I'd told her of a Lavender Farm, and their open day, which my sister took her too, as I was in Northumberland. As I'd never been, we decided to go...I was a little disappointed, but did buy some Lavender shortbread...my, but they're strong! We found a local hostelry for lunch...and if you're ever in Ightham, then I can recommend the food and service in the George and Dragon. Both are excellent. While out, I had a call from our agents, they'd got someone who'd been let down with their purchase at the last moment, and were exchanging on their sale next week. They were moving from Sussex, to be closer to their daughter who had moved into town...Saffron Walden. They had seen our details and wanted very much to view...was I home that afternoon or Thursday morning. Being seventy odd miles from home, I said this morning would be best. Ten minutes later I had another call...the prospective viewer had looked on a map and we're not in the right place, being eight miles from "town". Now please work that out before I get all excited....my emotions can't take this up and down... I keep telling myself it's only a house move, and not a death or worse...but, as I've said...it's limbo... Oh! And I've picked the paint out to renew the kitchen...you do have to keep living.

Today...this morning...I'm mixing the Christmas puds...best go!!

Enjoy your days...

Sitting on hands...

that's what it feels as though I'm doing, or having to do.

It all started quite excitedly just over a week ago, and for those who don't know...we're trying to sell our house, yes...in this market...and no, not because we have to. So...a call from the agents and our first viewers want to return, this is a couple of months after their first and second visits...the call was on that Thursday. On the Friday, after spik and spanning for the afternoon, I sat down with a cuppa to watch some news, trying to keep abreast of the financial cyclone we're all enduring, and I decided I'd watch some sport news instead...there's only so much monetary implosions you can take in a week. There, before my eyes the news reader was talking about my team, and...yes...the prospect of money being available, via new owners. I couldn't quite work out which I was more excited about...our viewers, or Charlton being wealthy!! Both were a heady mix.

Saturday came, as did our viewers...and deciding there were things they wanted to check with our local planning department, they left. As for Charlton...it was an international weekend, so no match...*phew*, my pulse couldn't have taken that! Monday came, and all was quiet until lunchtime, when our agent phoned, to confirm that our viewers were indeed checking things out...still all quiet from Charlton though, and it remained quiet all week...be patient...don't think about it! Sit on your hands...make yourself busy...though how you do that at the same time, I'm not sure!! A call Friday from the agents, and they're still checking...though I know the office told them they could see no reason why they couldn't do what they wanted.

So here I am in the next week...it's still quiet...and I'm waiting...with trepidation for the phone to ring, or the radio to tell me that Charlton are still home owned, another game poorer...and further down the league...tomorrow, there must be a tomorrow!! Ah yes....we play Bristol City....

One foot before the other...

This looks like the result of a promise...I promised I was going to move my blog to a more comfortable environment, and this is the result. I'm sure as I gather knowledge of what moves, and how this goes together, things will change, and grow. I think a blog is a very organic thing.

I'm sure over time there will be many views on....whatevers. Be they work, art...in its many varied forms, my team...with its complexity of emotions...and the meaning of life, mine anyway....you need to check your own for yourselves.

I have placed some blogs I read regularly at the side, along with the start of links to those places I love...and whose work I could sit and stare at for hours...I'm sure this will change and grow over time.

Please don't vanish if I get a little...self indulgent at times. Trying to move at this present time in the financial....flip, is not the most constructive thing in the world. You just have to keep thinking of the positives...those things that are close to you.

So, welcome to this world of mine...enter its doors...and partake of a world of opposites.