[Goosegirl]

Having recently been "bottoming" and re-organising everywhere downstairs ready for St Rudolph's Day and still have areas to do plus lugging loads of top soil and mushroom compost onto the rose hedge at the front, I got a bit worn out with it all so decided to tackle those little jobs that I never seem to get round to doing. I've shortened the legs of my waterproof gardening trousers as they were just held up with rubber bands, put two ties on the ear flaps of my gardening hat so it stays in place then my ears won't get cold, cleaned a little silver and lapis lazuli Celtic knot brooch I bought on holiday, catalogued all my special Lladro and other ornaments, caught up on re-stocking various items such as toothpaste, cleaning stuff etc, put all of my store items in labelled boxes and did same with kitchen stuff such as herbs, spices, sauces, stock pots etc and put some rug grippers under my mats to keep them in place. It doesn't half feel good! 

[Lardman]

Yeah .... but what did you do in the afternoon     

Wish I could say the same, there's so much life laundry I need to get done but I just have absolutely no energy or enthusiasm for it.

[Growster...]

Well done that Lady!

While Mrs Growster was away, I 'spring-cleaned ' the house from top to bottom, and as our dear neighbour had left me some of her favourite items when she moved away, I'd inherited a Singer sewing machine - arm-powered, so I made a new collar for a favourite rugby shirt, and it actually works!

Years ago, when nothing seemed to fit a stripling Growster, I used to buy jeans etc., and alter them on my Mum's machine, because that way I got what I wanted...

The machine I 'inherited' was beautifully set up, and worked like a dream, so I'm now going to make a new suit, some off-the-shoulder plus-fours and an 'Ulster' overcoat!

[Goosegirl]

You'll need a cap to go with it. May I suggest something made of Harris tweed with a peak made from a used plastic milk carton.

[rowlandwells]

you couldn't have put that topic  better Goosegirl yes finally got round to it when we wanted to get the chimney swept so I called our chimney sweep to book a day to come and sweep it to my surprise he said it would be three weeks before he could come so I booked him for the sweep three weeks later

so last week I got the log burner ready for the chimney sweep he came and he swept the chimney so everything's looking good yes or no as i  started to put the fire bricks back  the back fire brick broke into many pieces and couldn't fixed back

so we had to order a new part that left us without log fire for 4 days although we have central heating it was not like our wood burner just couldn't seem to keep warm so today the part came and it was fixed in 5 minuets yippee our log burner is now back and working

so the moral of this is get the chimney sept in the summer  >:(and don't say i finally got round tu it.

[Growster...]

Rowland, I swept our chimney as we have some drainage issues, so when I buy the rods, they send a brush as well, for some reason!

Works OK, maybe a bit more dusting, but the thirty quid stays in my purse!

[rowlandwells]

I know what your saying growster my Dad used to sweep chimneys years ago for a bit of extra pennies after he had finished his day job i can remember him going to sweep chimneys with the rods and brushes strapped on his bike I think he charges about five bob in those days

 when our chimney sweep came in the door he reminded me of my Dad he was black with soot  with two white eyes showing   I can remember when my Dad got a brush stuck up a chimney that was the talk of the village for weeks in the working mans club those  days with much micky taking but it was all good fun and he did managed to get the brush down without any probs you couldn't tell if he was red faced at the time because his face was black

 it was common place in the village to have a chimney  fire if it wasn't swept regularly I can remember the local fire brigade going to a chimney fire and the put the water hose down the wrong chimney I have to say not the best of thing to do on a cold winters night  but all history as they say