Time Flies.

It still amazes me that it is 2022 (or at least it will be tonight!)  I remember so clearly going from 1999 to 2000 when everyone thought all the computers would turn up their toes and die, in fact I have a Disney beanie from that year called Millenium Bug!  Time flies as they say!

My New Year goals have already been tweeked.  My plan had been to get the plasterer in to do the dining room walls, then we'd decorate the room (just painting the walls) then get the carpet, however hubby pointed out a flaw with my plan.  Our kitchen is off the dining room and when doing the kitchen, all the stuff from the cupboards etc, plus the kettle and toaster etc will probably have to move to the dining room for a while plus hubby will need room to build any new base units we need and where better than the dining room!  So, as he said we don't want to be trailing all that over our new carpet.  He's got a point.  The trouble is, I can see the dining room in my minds eye, I've not got there yet with the kitchen so it seemed easier to do the dining room first.  However now thats he's pointed this out to me I've decided to get onto looking at what I want for the kitchen.  We're not changing any layout or anything, just replacing the current worn out stuff. Most of our current units are about 35 years old.  We have one or two that have been replaced for various reasons that are newer so the base units of those won't need replacing but our sink unit is awful.  Because it used to be next to the washing machine and dishwasher and we had occasional leak situations, the base unit is all swollen and looks quite grotty so it is definitely getting replaced.  We need a new worktop for sure.  The one we have is well worn and in fact I was running my hand over it recently and it felt very smooth at the front and nearer the back which doesn't get used as much it is actually quite textured!  It is chipped in places and is generally past its best.  It's done well to last for the past 35 years.  However, as you have no doubt sussed if you've read here for any length of time, I don't change much in the house very often so when it comes to change it takes me a while to get round to what I want and inevitably the stuff I like is likely to be the dearest in the shop!  The kitchen will have to see us out so I need to be careful and make sure I really like it and will like it for years to come!  At the moment I think I'm going to go for blue doors for the floor units, white for the wall ones.  I'm thinking a wooden coloured worktop, not a 'real' wood one as I really can't be bothered with all the oiling etc of those, I want plain white tiles between the worktop and the wall units and a wooden type flooring, again, not real wood, it's too easily damaged and high maintenance. This plan is subject to change!!   Hubby will do all the work and I've no doubt it will drive me to distraction while he's doing it but hopefully it will be nice when it's done and then I can begin to save for a carpet!  We've decided we'll get the plasterer in as soon as he is available to do the dining room.  The man we use is very good and very reasonable and it will give it plenty of time to dry out before we get round to painting it.   In among all this we've no idea yet when we'll be going to Australia.  We had thought February but our daughter and her husband beat us to it and they are going to Texas to visit his brother in February and as they are our dog sitters and we theirs, we can't all be away at the same time so we'll just get on with doing what we can till we decide when to go.   Like I said before, it's going to be an expensive year for us but we'll save where we can and do stuff by stealth!

All the above of course depends on our continuing to have good health.  Things can change very suddenly that we don't expect.  I'm not sure if you'll remember I said my next door neighbour was ill.  I think I even said he was getting better but unfortunately it was short lived and he died on the 27th December.  He had not been expected to die and was in fact in our local rehabilitation unit to get him back on his feet after weeks in hospital.  Thankfully two of his daughters who live abroad came home to see him, I think because he remained so long in hospital they wanted to see what was going on.  One  from USA the other from Australia.  The one from Australia is a doctor herself and came over at the beginning of December and is going back tomorrow.  The fact she left her young children at Christmas to stay here suggests to me she suspected what was going to happen.  I suppose she hoped to be wrong.  She's going home and will miss the funeral as she can't stay any longer and they've been told the funeral won't be until after the 13th January.  His other daughter could only stay for a week and went back home a couple of weeks ago.  He has another daughter who lives in the area and I think this is the first time they've all been in one place together for about as long as I've known them and that's over 20 years!  I was very shocked and upset to lose him.  He and I had many a cheeky, funny, jokey chat over the garden fence, we were good friends.  I love his wife too but Gerry and I just got on so well, we had the same sense of humour and as he was the gardener of the family, he and I got to know each other while out gardening.  So, we never know the minute do we.  However we also can't worry about things that might or might not happen or we'd be very depressed.  I have a load of poppies that were sent to me by a good blog friend that I haven't planted yet and I'm going to plant them in a patch by the fence between us in his memory.  I know he would like that.

Updated to add that so far we've all tested negative for Covid (several times) since our brush on Christmas eve with covid.  My son's partner is still feeling pretty lousy but so far no one else has succumbed.  As we're on the 7th day since she showed symptoms I'm hopeful all is well and will continue to be so.  Fingers crossed.

So I wish everybody a very Happy, Healthy New Year.   See you in 2022.x