Best Laid Plans

Our moving-in day went pretty well and we are fairly straight although there are still a few packing boxes to be gone through. My plan was to get all that done at a reasonably leisurely pace and then begin preparing for our first Christmas here.

However, combined with the stresses of the move etc we have had a cry for help from family in Australia so later today I will be heading for Heathrow Airport to catch a flight bound for Adelaide. OH has a few commitments over the next couple of weeks but will be joining me and we will fly home together, arriving back in UK on 10 December. So I will be back in touch again sometime after that.

I will be attempting to show some pictures of the view from our windows but amongst all the upheaval our computer decided enough was enough and "died" on us. I have been trying to get to grips with new one but have not yet worked out how to deal with photos for the blog and now I haven't time! Such is life - sigh!

We're finally moving in!

In early May, about the 7th, we accepted an offer on our house, which had been for sale for about 15 months. We were given to understand that a completion date of 19 June was expected. Rather quick we thought but it's fine - we can do that! Time went on. It soon became obvious that it was not going to happen that quickly and then we were told that the first couple in our very small "chain" needed 4 weeks from exchange of contracts to completion as they were in rented accommodation and were required to give that amount of notice. A completion date of 10 September was suggested. We thought - that's fine, that will give us time to order a new kitchen and find some temporary accommodation whilst the renovations and decorations were carried out on our new home.

On 22 August we exchanged contracts, the completion date still being 10 September. We ordered our new kitchen the next day. "Delivery will be 4 to 6 weeks" the man said! OK, well that was a little longer than we had anticipated but if it comes in 4 weeks it won't be so bad. Our kitchen fitter man was on holiday but was due back on 21 September and there was plenty to be getting on with until then. We contacted the plumber to arrange all the necessary (he had been on "stand-by" from the start) and chose our new bathroom fixtures and fittings.

We had a little trouble finding some temporary accommodation. Relatives and friends had said "come and stay with us". Fortunately, we thanked them but declined their very kind offer! We live by the sea, a holiday destination. By 10 September, we thought, the children will be back to school and there will be plenty of holiday homes to choose from. Not so. Once the school holidays are over our more mature citizens take advantage of the "offers" that are made to take a late holiday. However, because OH has a lot to do with tourism in this area we were offered the use of a luxury caravan on one of the local holiday parks - "for as long as you need it, no charge". Fantastic!

We had a week's holiday on the Isle of Wight with our daughter and grand-daughter, arriving back home on 5 September. The weather had not been brilliant but on about 7 September the sun came out and stayed out. The weather was hot and sunny when we moved out of our house on 10 September and I was pleased that the new owners would have the chance to enjoy their new home and garden in such conditions (they were so excited about coming to live there). Also, for us in a caravan, it was a bonus, like being on holiday again!

The work began on our new home, stripping out the old kitchen and bathroom, removing the old heaters, replacing doors etc. The painting and decoration began. The kitchen finally arrived after nearly 8 weeks and as I have aleady posted our kitchen fitter had taken himself off to another job and although we had told him it was due to be delivered on 15 October and he had marked it in his diary, he was not able to begin the job until 21 October.

Our furniture was stored for us by the removal firm and we had to give them 5 days' notice when we wanted it returned. We rang giving them about 10 days' notice. "Could you bring our furniture on 2 November please"? "Sorry" came the reply "first available date is 5 November"! So today is the day!

We have been so lucky in having a real "Indian Summer" here, the weather has been fabulous. "You wait until the day we move in" I said to OH, "it will blow an absolute hooley". I was right! The rain has been torrential although as I write it is dry. Oh, did I mention that we have moved into a first floor apartment on the sea front. Wonderful views and an ever changing scene and we are thrilled with it, but there is absolutely no protection from the elements. Of course the removal men could drive round to the back but then they would have to negotiate two flights of stairs! Oh well, I'll just keep the tea and biscuits coming to help them keep their strength up.

Wish us luck!

A post from the past (or how I got my name)

During this period when I have little time to spare for blogging I thought I would re-run one or two of my older posts. I began back in July 2008 and my second post explained how I got the name "Strawberry Jam Anne". So for those of you who haven't already read it, here it is again.


"Ladies who Lunch (occasionally)"

Today I had lunch with two of my closest friends (emotionally, not geographically). We are all 60 something and have known each other for more than 30 years. We have, over time, had many lunches, suppers, days out etc, laughed a lot and lent shoulders and cried on many and varied occasions. I believe today was the first time we have all been together socially for at least 2 years. I have seen them both separately and two of us visited our mutual friend when she was in hospital for several weeks last summer. In spite of the infrequent meetings, we find, as with all good friendships, that we just pick up where we left off. Just natter away and catch up on family and mutual friends' news.

I waved cheerio to OH and went off to pick up friend D who lives just down the road and drove the 10 miles to the next town to collect friend H and then on to our chosen venue. And 3 hours later did it all in reverse and came back home to OH. All very simple but extremely pleasant and enjoyable. We should do it more often.

Before I retired I worked with a "girl" (she is 20 years my junior) who has also become a very close friend, we have said on many occasions that we are more like sisters. We have known each other for 26 years and we too have had our share of laughter and tears. At work it was mostly laughter and she was probably the reason why I didn't retire sooner. She was the first person I told of my decision to finish work and I wept with her on my last day. I didn't have to promise to "keep in touch" with her, (nor with any of my close ex-colleagues as we had such fun together - a great privilege for me) we both knew that we would, and now, about once a fortnight, I contact her and we "do lunch". It is only for 45 minutes as that is her lunch break but it gives us some time to share some laughs once again. Once in a while I join the "pay day Friday curry night" which has been going for the last 4 or 5 years, though sometimes now it falls on a Wednesday or Thursday!

Another friend - also an ex-colleague - I have known for 20 years and when I first got to know her, she worked part time as she had two small daughters. She is a lovely girl with a beautiful face and smile and in all the time I have known her I have never heard her say a harsh word about anyone. She also is a friend with whom I have laughed lots and shed tears.

About 15 years ago, at a time when my mother happened to be staying with us, one Tuesday when I arrived home from work my mother told me that "a very strange thing happened today"! She had been sitting quietly after lunch when she heard the front door bell. On the door step she was confronted by two small girls who asked for me. "I'm afraid she's still at work" said my mother, "can I help you"? "Please have you got any strawberry jam" enquired the girls and my mother, very perplexed, went immediately to look. Unfortunately the cupboard was bare of any jam that day, strawberry or otherwise, she returned to report the same to them and off they went.

"I've no idea who they were" said Mum, "but they did ask for you". Well I didn't exactly have a sleepless night over it as I had an inkling as to who this pair might be. On arriving at work next day all was revealed. My friend (with the two daughters) came in laughing and between us we relived the events of the previous afternoon. She had been making a sponge cake and suddenly realised that she had no jam for it. She dispatched her girls off to the local shop to buy some but as it was a Tuesday afternoon it was early closing. The elder of the girls remembered that I lived just up the road and knew that I made cakes so decided I was the next best bet. Sadly they were unlucky at mine but their mummy saved the day and drove to the supermarket, so all ended well. Ever since then, when my friend has mentioned the name "Anne" the girls ask "do you mean Strawberry Jam Anne"? (my friend has a sister Anne). I love it and decided on it for my blog name.

The two little girls are now grown up of course, one has a law degree and the other is a qualified midwife and they are both as lovely as their mother. Last year when the eldest graduated I sent a text via my friend saying "congratulations, well done, with love from Strawberry Jam Anne", which made them laugh and cry!


I first posted this on 19 July 2008.

Is Patience a Virtue?

All is quiet here! I'm all alone as OH has gone off for a few days on the golf course. Most of the work on our new home is now done and I am sitting here, patiently awaiting delivery of our new kitchen, promised for today. Our kitchen fitter has said it will take him a week to complete but when I rang yesterday he informed me that he is not too sure when he can start as the job he is on is taking longer than anticipated! He has had at least 2 weeks' notice of the delivery date so I am none too pleased and I shall be having words with him later! We were hoping to be moving in here in about 10 days' time but it looks as though that will have to be put back again.

However, on a more positive side, I have finally found time to visit a few blogs and find out what has been going on over the past weeks.

So please keep watching this space. I will, hopefully, be giving more regular updates from now on!

Just Popping in

Just a very quick post to say hello.

We are not living in our new home yet as it needs a fair bit of renovation and decoration and we are a bit of a building site at the moment. We have had broadband connection for about a week now but it's very difficult trying to concentrate on anything with so much noise and dust around so I'm just checking emails and managing to get a quick peek at Blogland from time to time.

The good news is that our present, temporary, accommodation is ours for as long as we need it but the bad news is that our new kitchen, promised for next week, will not be delivered for a further 2 weeks so it looks as though we won't actually be moving in until towards the end of October! However, that will be the final part before our carpets are laid and we are really looking forward to living here.

I am going to atttempt to look in on my blogging friends as I am now beginning to miss you all.