What can you achieve in 9 months? (Don’t answer that!) Anyway, it depends on how fit you are, how hard you work, and how much help you have, I suppose.

This was the garage at 141 after the removal, and as it is now:

 

 

This was the shed at the end of September, and now:

 

 

And the small bedroom:

 

So progress is being made, we might say, mainly with the help of Chris who is here once or twice most weeks, moving stuff and emptying boxes. Some things get taken to Oxfam (they have a big shop and depot between here and Chris’s house). Some items have been given away using ‘Freecycle’ and some have been sold via ‘Shpock’. And some have been taken to the tip, which, unfortunately was the fate of the big chair from Meltham …

Chris’s visits are combined with Franky doing the school runs on those days, while Harry goes to Sharlston (Wakefield) once a week, usually, so that I can babysit while Rachel goes out. Then I spend the night in Harry – it’s good for him to have a regular run out and back.

Of course, there’s been the little matter of the second hip replacement, and I’m pleased to report another successful outcome. Chasing children around, playing tennis and walking fells again are becoming realistic expectations! (It’s been five years of restricted movement, including all the time in France. Now I don’t use a stick any more. Up the NHS, that’s what I say. They seem to have cured my cancer as well, though you never know …)

Getting the living room curtains from Garth View (and Sunejo) shortened was a    moving-in present from Cathy ‘Bird’, and Sean came over the day before Fathers’ Day to put up the curtain rail and hang them. I took a couple of photos of that, but they seem to have disappeared, temporarily or not, with my mobile phone which has just stopped working. EE have lent me a replacement. But here are the curtains in situ anyway:

(Yes, one tie-back is ‘not yet to hand’; either it will turn up, or I’ll get new ones.)

Sean then took me back to Sharlston where I spent the night (in a bed in a room!) so that I could enjoy a Fathers’ Day lunch, and what goes with, without having to drive back. Rachel drove me back, with Shannon as well, and we enjoyed that ongoing tradition, the Boyle Degg. Thanks for all that.

I chose to spend Christmas on a ‘Solos’ break at an hotel near Leeds. The Boxing Day Gala dinner-dance was ‘formal’, so one made an effort:

But that wasn’t our usual dining space. Unfortunately our alcove off the everyday dining room was uncomforably overheated, impossible to reduce the heat and no chance to ventilate it. I’m sure that’s where I caught the chest infection which, if the NHS hadn’t been in crisis, would have postponed my hip op by several weeks, which is what happened anyway. So it was pushed back from January 10th to March 15th.

I was planning a visit to Grasmere before I became immobile and unable to drive for six weeks, but the day I was due to travel this happened:

 

 

I decided I wasn’t going to drive ‘over the hill’ in THAT! (the Beast from the East) But I did get to Grasmere for a ‘in memory’ visit at the end of May – more later.

The snow nearly delayed my leaving hospital after the hip op; the physiotherapist who had to make sure I could get in and out of bed unaided, and manage the stairs, couldn’t get to Halifax that Sunday morning from wherever she lived (in the hills), but another one came in in the afternoon, and although I had difficulty with the in and out of bed thing, once she had shown me how to do it using a dressing gown cord or a belt as a sling (which was useful for some time) I managed it and she discharged me to Rachel’s care.

I stayed with Rachel, Sean and Shannon  for two weeks then when I came home it was the season to put a bunch of daffodils on the window sill – from my own garden!

(I like that pic but it’s too big! Any suggestions?)

I really like my little garden! It’s small enough to be manageable, but big enough for children to play in:

I’ve spent money on it already, and more will need to be spent before it’s how I want it, but, of course, this long, hot, dry spell has let us enjoy it as it is with meals al fresco, including barbecues, and evenings with the fire basket which I bought in anticipation before leaving Meltham.

Back to Grasmere (I keep going back to …). This was half-term week at the end of May. Happily, Chris, Michelle and the children were able to join me (and Harry) at Grasmere on Monday 28th, and the weather was fine, so we did the full works:

Barbecue:

 

Boat, both children went out twice: (and took to it like ducks to water …)

 

And swim:

From Cumbria I went across country to join Rachel, Sean, Shannon and Becky on ‘their’ caravan park in Filey, and although we erected Harry’s new awning – which I’m supposed to be able to do on my own now – and we had a good day on the beach, I didn’t take any photos, so nothing to show for that.

Another picture of Grasmere, then:

R.I.P.

XX