Lockdown Diary - W/E 6th March

This week began with my deciding to get stuck into some more painting. The linen cupboard on the upstairs landing is the latest project. I had sanded it down several years ago, ready to paint, but never continued with it, so this time around, after having decorated the landing, I was determined to get on and do it, whilst I still have plenty of time on my hands.

Here's a before picture:

I only managed to get the back painted on Sunday, using up the remainder of the paint I'd used inside the vestibule cupboard. I bought another tin last Friday, so I opened it this week and started painting the front and sides. I may then add varnish on top, to make it a more hard wearing finish, I'm not quite sure yet. 

I needed to find a new latch in order to securely close the doors, as the current lock doesn't work and the doors constantly swing open. I found one that I liked on eBay and it came within a couple of days. It cost just £3.24 including postage, which I thought was very reasonable and I think it's really cute. Hopefully it will do the job.

I couldn't remove the old handle, so it will just have to stay in place. I don't think I'm painting the inside, I think I'll leave the bare oak finish in there, as I quite like it. I'll create a post when it's finished, with the results of the makeover.

Monday got off to a strange start. Our neighbours were supposed to be moving out, after 22 years of living next door (only 13 years living next door to us). I could hear the removal men loading up the van outside our bedroom window. Everything was taken away and put into storage and then they got a phone call to say that the sale had been delayed by someone in the chain. As a consequence, they were left in their house for a few days with no furniture. We managed to lend them some mattresses and pillows and some other neighbours lent them some quilts. I think they were very happy to move when they finally came to do so on Thursday.

We weren't particularly close as some neighbours are, but our daughters went to the same schools until recently. It was a strange feeling to see them move out and move on. It's made me feel a little restless, but we don't have any plans to move any time soon. We like living here and there's still quite a lot of work to do to get the house how we would like. Change is exciting though, and I kind of envy them their fresh start in a new to them home, although not the unexpected delay in moving.  

Our new neighbours are a youngish couple with two primary school aged children. It seems like more and more younger families and couples are moving into the street these days, as more longstanding residents gradually move out. It makes me feel a little old, even though we're relative newcomers compared to some households.

Anyway, Tuesday was a very uneventful day. I spent some of it doing some financial paperwork, recording expenditure and savings, etc, which I do at the end of every month. I read for a while too, in order to finish the book I was currently reading, but to be honest, I didn't do much else all day. I received some Tesco vouchers through the post to save £7 and £10 on a £70 spend, which will probably tempt me back to doing some shopping at Tesco in the next couple of weeks as I also have a £4.50 money off voucher to use too. The £10 voucher I won't be able to use, as I did a big shop on Friday last and don't need to spend as much as £70 for a week or so, by which time the voucher will have run out, but I might get to use at least one of the others this month.

Wednesday, was similarly uneventful. I listened to the budget, did a bit of laundry and then I decided to decorate my hula hoop, using the tapes I had bought from eBay, only to find that I didn't have enough of one of them. Who would have known that 4.5m wouldn't be enough to get around a 1m diameter hoop. There's probably some mathematical calculation that I could have done to estimate how much I needed, but I obviously didn't do it, hence running out. Anyway, luckily, I managed to buy another identical roll on eBay to finish the other half of the hoop, but when it arrived, they'd sent the wrong design. I'm tempted to use it anyway, but haven't as yet. I'll post a picture when I eventually do.

Later that same day, I decided to get out my new sewing machine once again and finish off the new peg bag that I'd started the previous week. It was a bit trickier than I anticipated in the end and wasn't perfect by any means, but hopefully it will last a bit longer than the last one I made which had almost immediately ripped. Here's a picture of the finished bag:

One more thing ticked off the to do list, which made it very satisfying. 

I've recently realised that if nothing else, I seem to have become an expert potterer during this Lockdown.  A whole day can pass and I've done very little that is constructive. The days seem to go by so quickly too, all things considered. 

Thursday, our neighbours finally moved. I was pleased for them that everything had finally concluded and they could move on to their new home. I spent most of the afternoon ironing, as a pile had accumulated once again. I had to pop out and buy a few top up bits from the supermarket too.

Friday, was a very lazy day. I spent most of the afternoon reading my latest book. I was quite tired as I'd not slept well the night before. I got a very sad message from a friend later to say her mother had died. It's been a week where very unexpected things have happened really, which has completely thrown me.

The week ended with another lazy day. I spent most of Saturday morning in bed reading. Later I forced myself to start painting the linen cabinet, which now has one coat of paint on the front. It's looking better, but needs another coat and the sides still need painting. I'm such a procrastinator at the moment.  I really need to give myself a boot up the backside this week and get more productive, as before I know it I will be going back to work.

I hope you've had a good week.