This Weekend

This weekend has been all about getting back to normal and getting caught up on all the jobs that I had got behind on during my sister's visit, the main one being the laundry and ironing.

I started off on Saturday morning by gathering a load of washing together and changing the bedding on LB's bed so that she could move properly back into her room.  Later in the afternoon, I managed to work my way through a fair bit of the ironing pile, but there is still a long way to go before I get on top of it all.

The last couple of days has also been about getting back to my regular classes at the gym, which I have definitely missed, although it is good to take a break from them now and again.

I attended one on both Saturday and Sunday and I am back at my usual classes again today. It feels good to get moving again, although I did catch a couple of classes when we were in Yorkshire. I've had a cold this week though, so I'm taking it a little easier than I normally would.

In addition, I've been trying to complete arrangements for the handover of my new smaller plot at the allotment. I needed to get my new tenancy agreement witnessed and signed by one of the plot reps, before I can get a key to the site and start work on the new plot. I didn't manage to arrange to meet either of the reps over the weekend, but one rep did arrange to call round to my house tonight, to take care of this formality and this should help to move things forward.

In view of the above, I also needed to clear my tools and compost bin from the old plot and leave it as clear as possible for the incoming plot holder. OH came down to the plot with me and helped me to do this on Sunday afternoon, and I was able to hand my key over to one of the reps who was there for a clear up day.

It's a little sad to leave the site, but it is time to move on, consolidate my efforts and not spread myself too thinly when it comes to my hobbies, especially if I hope to get a paid job in the coming year, which I would ideally like to do.

OH also managed to get up on the roof this weekend and clear the chimney pot of a creeper that had grown over it.  We had our chimneys swept the other week and the sweep told him that he needed to do this job before we could use the wood burner.

In the process of clearing the chimney pot, OH also tidied up the roof, cleared the guttering and cut back the honeysuckle hedge and other foliage down the side of the house. It now looks a lot tidier and lets much more light into the kitchen which is good in these dark winter days.

This is where our new side return extension will hopefully be built next year.  The planning permission has now been granted and a quote received from the builders, so it looks like it will be going ahead, if we can raise the funds necessary and the neighbours still want to proceed. It is both exciting and terrifying in equal measures.

Finally, I've also been trying to get up to scratch with my finances this weekend and make sure that everything I spent in the past few weeks has been accounted for.  I am really looking forward to spending as little money as possible in November, save for what I need to spend on Christmas gifts and food for us to eat throughout the month. It's definitely going to be a stripped back month for us, which will be both a challenge and good for us with the excess of Christmas so imminent.

I'm really hoping that I won't need to go shopping hardly at all in December and will take care of most of the Christmas shopping this month. I really don't relish being out amongst the hoards of shoppers in the lead up to Christmas. I also find that many of the gifts in the shops are over packaged, overpriced and far too easy to buy, requiring very little thought or effort.

Next weekend, I'm hoping to get started on putting the garden to bed for the winter, as well as sowing some broad bean and other seeds into one of the raised beds. I haven't touched the garden for weeks now and it definitely needs some TLC and a good tidy up before the cold weather sets in.

How was your weekend?