Ticking along

 Not good news about the crown..it was just a cap..so not enough height of tooth to put a peg in for a new crown....so end of January he will smooth it off and a new tooth will be added to my plate. The root is behaving so it can stay as long as it does!

Apart from that, I found a new café...called Puck....which is the thing that the coffee grounds are pressed into for an espresso machine.  It is where the kitchen shop used to be....a marvellous place, source of kitchen and pottery tools!!

Work at home carries on with sorting and reducing.

I've filled most of the space with books from the living room shelves....and there is a large carrier bag of books to go, some possibly to my daughter.

Half an hour steadily on the turbo trainer..must do this more often!

It wasn't fit to go out for a walk, let alone a bike ride!

I know....we used to ride whatever the weather, almost... shopping, commuting, racing, training...or just for fun! Walking as well....

Now I don't have to.....

I still use the bus as much as possible...the car gets its regulation once a week outing to make sure everything is working ok, and not seizing up!!

As ever the last place you lose any excess weight from....is the first place it arrives!

I do not want to buy any new clothes!!

Good and bad

 Good...got a load of cards written..then went on the bus to Ayr to post them.

I had to buy a stamp for one to France...just over double a first class letter stamp....the rest I already had stamps.

That is practically all of the "family" cards done.

Just after 3.30 pm...

Back on the bus after a cuppa.... mistake... don't get the school commute bus.....not good.

I made a large batch of tomato sauce before supper. Very good!!

Then bad....sitting down to supper one of my porcelain tooth crowns came off....good thing I didn't swallow it!!

Down day

 A down day today to recover from all that socialising!!

It has been cold wet and windy all day...so just pootling around indoors all day. Doing lots of nuffin'!

Card list compiled....I have enough cards made to do two thirds....but I'm marking some to get greetings messages ..others a fb. posting.   Some you want to have a card. Others you know that greetings sent any way will be good.

Tomorrow will be finish card writing, vacuum clean the floors downstairs, and get cards posted.  Plus decluttering some clothes drawers.....

Gatherings

 I checked my work in the Dancing Thistle on the way to French conversation on Friday 

It is rather squashed in with other makers...but she has only just moved in to her new premises and hasn't renovated the whole lot yet.

Then the group meeting in an upstairs meeting room in the library..

Most of the French group were there...and a few of the Italian group..and a couple from the German group.....and plenty of food and drink donations!!  And lots of discussion and fun!!

Today I had gallery duty... mainly family groups coming in, so not many sales...but enough to make it worth it.

Then the local cycling club end of season get together.

Pre meal drinks in an old church turned into a pub...very noisy...which didn't make conversation easy.

Then a good meal in the Indian restaurant next door. Still quite noisy...we were a group of 19!! But quite an enjoyable evening, although not really my "thing"...but it was good to have been invited to join them, as I'm not getting out on the bike much, let alone being fit enough to do that!!

De cluttering

 When did my decluttering start? 

Really 27 years ago when I had to move from north to south Wales to stay in work.

 (Or was it the year before when myself and four children kicked out their father...who was then divorced for mental cruelty?)

Each subsequent move you try and sort a little, but run out of "oomph"..and just box up what's left!

Moving up to Scotland in 2012 , my belongings came in small loads as we visited Wales and returned with stuff...but after  five months we had to move ...from a three bedroom shepherd's cottage to a wee "but and ben"....one bedroom, one living room...and we both each had Stuff from three bedroom properties!!

Much reduction had to happen then...but not enough..we were busy doing gardening as a job, cycling and travelling!....then after a year together Pirate's first cancer diagnosis.

A short lived disastrous move then happened...and the move to this present house almost ten years ago.

Having moved so often, the feeling of security was lacking...things just stayed packed for a long time...just in case!

But eventually we did start gently on the process of sorting and reducing.

Not easy for either of us... everything holds memories....and then with his second cancer diagnosis everything changed.

Now there is still so much needing to be done.   

Some people would just clear everything not needed into a rubbish skip.

However there are many things that could have a useful life elsewhere....some things to give away, some things that need to be sold.

All to give me physical and more importantly mental space to get on with my life.

I'm trying not to be like a rabbit caught in car headlights!!  

Perhaps that is one of the reasons that I travel..apart from the fact that you see and learn interesting things...you go away from the job and return with more energy!

Indoors

 Keeping dry and warm today....and steadily decluttering and sorting.

I listed the TV for sale today, with ariel, dongle, cables and Chromecast widget...I haven't used it since I've been on my own, so no point keeping it. 

I'll be glad to see it gone as it really dominates the room.

Other stuff for sale I've put together in the sewing (Ha!!) /bike room....at least it is all together and not invading my physical and mental living space!!

So the gradual pushing back of clutter continues!!

Back home

 I forgot to add the well lit up sight that I caught from the bus leaving the bus station in Glasgow....

I wonder how they did that?!

Catching up on housework...and starting to send cards....and moving the furniture!

New sofabed is now where sofa was....and sofa is at right angles to it...makes the room quite cosy....I might even not be worried if nobody wants the blue sofa....

The TV and gubbins to go with it have been listed for sale....I haven't used it for over a year and a half. 

Gradually getting the clutter down....