My Sunday Photo - DIY in lockdown

There are so many jobs that need doing to our family home after 9 years of tenants, for most of them we hired professionals to sort the major work out, however the decorating and cleaning were of a poor standard. I've spent most of lockdown rectifying this.

Cleaning up the mess left behind.

Changing the screws in the door fittings so so there are actually enough for each hinge and handle.

I was supposed to be back in Dubai this month, to organise the shipping of our furniture so I've had more than enough time to not only finish the decorating but to renovate the garden, clean the sheds and get someone in to sort out plumbing, guttering and re felting the one shed.

Much to the delight of the neighbours I've had time to learn some carpentry and fix the squeaky gate.

I've fixed a flexible curtain track for the bay window and hung curtains

I have new carpets being fitted this week (delayed from the start of April)

I've now run out of things to do around the house, other than read books, blog, general gardening and just waiting for things to (very) slowly go back to normal.

One Daily Positive - Week 22 Started the painting downstairs

I've not been sleeping well last week, haven't done anything differently and in fact I had a really good start and end to the week, had a blip in the middle with anxiety levels when food shopping and I've now booked click and collect from Tesco, now I have a vehicle.

On my list this week is:
Learn to crochet (been carrying this forward since pre lockdown).
Family Tree.
Investigate returning to the OU to finish my degree.
Write letters to care homes, family, friends and continue writing letters for our grandchild for when she is older.

So far I've written about finding out we were going to be grandparents, the build up to the birth and future letters planned are meeting for the first time, why grandad didn't meet up for 2 weeks old, how granny and grandad met, raising dad, uncles and aunty, tales of daddy's childhood, family holidays, living abroad, the cat and dog and other family pets, important others in our lives and what life was like before and during lockdown. At only 8 months old, it will be a while before they get read. I've also bought a Grandparents life story book, but I've left it in Dubai. I've realised since my father died I actually have nothing personal written to me from him. I'll be doing this for future grandchildren also.

145 Sunday The tree in the front garden was cut down today, my friend will collect the logs for her open fire in a fortnights time. I hoovered, cleaned windows (I wish I could persuade the cat to stop sitting on the window sills, she presses her nose against the windows and I seem to be cleaning them daily) I baked a cake and cooked a full Sunday roast, I wrote 12 post cards as part of #postcardsofkindness to care homes around  he UK, then took Bob for a long walk, via a post box. The rest of the day was spent on video calls with friends and kids, doing a jigsaw and finishing off some various crafts.

146 Monday Had new electricity and gas meters installed first thing then off to Waitrose to do my food shop as I'd had to give up on Thursday, also popped int Wilko, no queue for either shop and I treated myself to a hydrangea for the garden. Spent the afternoon batch cooking for the rest of the week, wrote letters, ironed, mowed and watered the lawn and garden thoroughly whilst making dinner. Tried my hand at dot painting, not bad, but not something I'll be doing again, too fiddly.

147 Tuesday The plumber originally said he'd be coming on Thursday but messaged last night to say he was coming today, so up early to remove the bath panel, clean underneath and thoroughly clean a pathway to the bathroom. I spent most of the day just hanging around, couldn't get motivated to do anything. I spent the afternoon removing carpets from the bedrooms, landing and stairs and taking them outside after cutting them into manageable sizes. I then thoroughly hoovered and cleaned the floors, the carpets were in the house when we bought it back in 2002 and after 9 years of tenants, they need replacing, which will happen next week. A lovely response from one of the care homes in the UK I write to.

148 Wednesday A very slow start to the day just couldn't get motivated, then I remembered the green waste bin had been emptied, so I cut the fir tree, the neighbours hedge that had grown over into my front garden and did some weeding, wrote letters, tidied up and got back into my routine in the evening and was in bed at 9pm, can't get used to this long evenings. Still light at bedtime.

149 Thursday Slept for 8 hours solid and woke at 5am, feeling much better. I walked Bob to the post office to buy mum her weekly TV guide and post it plus a care package sent to child 4 and a couple of letters. Afternoon was spent putting up a curtain rail in the main bedroom and writing more letters. The evening was spent sitting on the front door step with my friend and neighbour Debbie, drinking wine.

150 Friday Woke up to the house being a mess, but rather than worrying about tidying up, I loaded Bob in the car and headed up the Malvern Hills for 2 hours, the rest of the day was spent hanging curtiains, sitting in the garden, tidying up. I filled in all the holes in walls around the downstairs, did some gardening and blogging. After tea, garden watered, everything tidied away, bath and bed.
Bob is getting much better going down the hills, he doesn't pull on the lead as much.

151 Saturday I spent the day cleaning the kitchen, hallway and downstairs loo and prepping it for painting, the woodwork has been finished and I'll paint the walls tomorrow. I took Bob out for a walk. I've a video call lined up with my friend Rosie who we met on twitter over 10 years ago now. My friend Cheryl called from South Africa, plus the usual calls with mum and Peter.

On the blog this week.

My Sunday Photo - Maintaining social distancing whilst shopping and visiting family and friends.

I'm still having down days but in general my anxiety in lockdown has greatly improved and I'm off my meds

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Post Comment Love - 29th-31st May

So I was due to return to the UK on Wednesday from Dubai. I'm supposed to be alternating my time between both our homes, but for now I'm in the UK with the cat and dog. I could return to Dubai as I have a residence visa and my husband can travel to the UK, we'd both have to complete 4 weeks in total in quarantine and we have no idea if we are allowed to pop in and out yet. Also I've got no one to look after the cat and dog.

So many plans for lots of people have been cancelled this year, a friends wedding has been rescheduled till next June, birthdays held in lockdown and isolation, holidays cancelled. I'm not worried about things like that, I'm just waiting until the time comes I can see my husband and visit our children, one is in Australia, so that's a long way off.

My husband was supposed to be moving into an apartment in Dubai at the Marina this month and I was having the rest of our furniture and personal belongings shipped back to the UK. He's stayed put in the villa and we got a great reduction on the rent, it all helps especially as we're now running two homes full time, thankfully no mortgage here and I have a rental income coming in from the flat, but relocation is expensive, I had to buy a new car in the UK, I have a car in Dubai just sitting on the drive.

You'd think my stress levels would have risen and my anxiety had increased, but actually on the whole I'm very relaxed and chilled out and off my medication, I do have bad days, usually when I have to go shopping, but otherwise, I'm enjoying the time on my own.

Stephanie and I would love to know what you've been up to this week.

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Why my anxiety in lockdown is getting better.

I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder GAD and depression in September 2019.

The mental symptoms I have are:

• racing thoughts
• uncontrollable over thinking
• difficulties concentrating
• feelings of dread and panic
• feeling irritable
• heightened alertness
• problems with sleep

The Physical symptoms are:

• heavy and fast breathing
• dry mouth
• fast heartbeat
• extreme tiredness and lack of energy
• dizziness

I am in a state of constant worry and have the inability to relax, switch off.
I have to run every possible scenario through, out loud, to make sense of the situation.

I have to plan for all eventualities.

I can't do anything without thinking about all the possible outcomes.

I do all of this in my head, quietly and silently. If I find myself in a situation I don't like, or it's too busy or I get overwhelmed, I will just walk away and find somewhere quiet to be to get my thoughts straight in my head. I'm not always able to do that when I'm with others, I don't have the ability to explain my thoughts rationally at the time and I just come across as difficult or argumentative and even as having a strop/tantrum as I'm not getting my own way. But that's not what I'm doing, I just need a few minutes headspace, right there and then.

Despite this being a recent diagnosis, I've just assumed this is how life is, I've always been like this.

However since lockdown started my anxieties have almost gone. The only time now I get anxious and the old and familiar feelings return is when I have to go food shopping, but I think that's a very common feeling for almost everyone right now, regardless of any diagnosis or normal patterns of behaviour.

Why have my anxieties gone? Because I'm on my own and I don't have to take part in daily life. I don't have to answer a 101 questions about my plans, where I'm going, how long I'll be, what I'm doing and why.

Obviously my husband and I discuss things, such as finances and we're in the middle of doing up our old family home, we've planned a budget, decided on what I can do, what needs doing and what hubby can do and what can wait until lockdown is over.

In the last two weeks, I've bought a car, had a plumber in, arranged and chosen new carpets to be fitted next week, had the tree in the front garden cut down. Renewed the rental contract in Dubai. I've also painted the upstairs and been working in the garden. I've been stress free throughout.

Why?

I haven't had to worry about anyone else. I've done things in my own time, if I've felt stressed I've been able to change what I'm doing and done something else.  I don't have to worry about other people, other than doing my mums online food shop, I can eat what I like, when I like, sleep and bathe at times that suit me.

But this lockdown won't last forever and I'll have to rejoin the real world at some point in time. I've had a well earned break from day to day life and the dramas of others around me. I'm relaxed, I'm off my meds and I'm hopeful of a slower lifestyle, that is chilled and relaxed from now on.

Lockdown is giving me a well needed break.

I will add, I know I'm writing this from a privileged position with not having to worry about home education and finances.

My Sunday Photo - Maintaining Social Distancing

I abandoned a food shop on Thursday in Marks and Spencers due top lack of social distancing. I made it through the chilled aisles and then joined the queue with a joint of beef, cheese and milk.

There was a woman queuing up to purchase 1 mango, with her adult daughter who was buying 1 packet of sweets. There was also no way I could maintain 2ms distance at the tills, there was a rope behind me and I was told to move forward to let people pass behind me.

I made a complaint to the woman at the door on leaving and was told they were following government guidelines and only had 37 of the allowed 40 people in the store, the time I was in there.

I have been going to Waitrose once a fortnight and the local Londis once a week to top up with milk and to buy and post my mum a TV guide and some sweets in between the online food shops I have arranged for her.

I'd opted to go to M&S as I wanted to buy some bits and pieces for care packages and birthday gifts for family members in poundstretcher and poundland and decided to visit the retail park to minimise the amount of time I was out and the number of people I came in contact with.

It seems that a lot of people think if they are wearing a mask and gloves it's ok to literally barge past you, or wear a silly grin and tiptoe. I'm not sure these are proven methods to prevent the virus from spreading.

I also made some outdoor social distance visits to deliver care packages to family and meet with 2 separate friends on 2 separate occasions. We stayed outdoors, maintained more than the 2ms distance requirements and for less than an hour.

It did mean I left my local area and travelled 35 miles to make these visits, sadly I passed very close to the Welsh Border and where my mother lives, but I didn't go and visit her as she is on the vulnerable list due to her age and I'm not allowed to enter Wales. On Friday there were police road blocks between the Forest of Dean and Monmouth.

I did tweet about my trip on Friday, there have been a few sub tweets aimed in my direction. But I was well within the guidelines of what I could and couldn't do.

I certainly felt safer and more at ease not just because I was meeting with people I knew and could trust, but I was meeting with them in an open space, I took my own deckchair, drink and snacks and the gifts were handed over wearing rubber gloves and after I dropped them, I retreated so they could be picked up.

Have you met up with anyone outside your household? How do the meeting go?

One Daily Positive - Week 21 Visiting the family

Most of the comments I get on these posts are about how busy I am, organised and always have something to do. It's the only way I get through the week. I'm on my own 24/7. I've done the parenting raising 5 kids, had a carer, that I may return to one day. But for now and especially during lockdown I need to have a purpose when I get up in the mornings or I just wouldn't get up.

I feel the need to add 'all whilst practising social distancing, I wore gloves to hand over/drop gifts at a distance also'

138 Sunday After a lie in, I mowed the front lawn and weeded the garden and did some more pruning of the fir trees. The garden waste bin is almost full again. I cooked a full roast beef dinner. Foolishly I left the rest of the beef to cool before putting it in the fridge, the cat got to it, I shouted at the cat, she panicked knocking it to the floor and the dog snaffled it up. Sat in the garden writing letters and sorting out birthday gifts.

139 Monday Finished writing letters, dropped a parcel at the post office and chose new carpets to be fitted in the next 2 weeks. I finished off my papier mache chickens and sat and watched TV. After dinner I  met up with Natalie @plutoniumsocks on the common for a beer and a chat, 2ms apart of course. Both our dogs were very well behaved.

140 Tuesday Took Bob up the Malvern Hills again, this time far away from the sheep. Except we bumped into cattle and that scared him even more.Cleaned the windows and did some weeding in the front garden, read a little, watched TV, had a bath and bed.

141 Wednesday I spent the day weeding the front garden, the lawn and re establishing the borders. I had to soak the ground as it was like concrete and lugged rockery stones from the back garden. It took me all day. Checked in with the biscuit tin basher next door as I hadn't seen or even heard her all day, she was fine.

142 Thursday Time for the food shop, drove down to the retail park to do it so I could pick up a few extra bits for 2b, 4b and mums birthdays in June. I went to M&S, I got as far as the meat aisle, joined the queue to pay and left. They had 37 of the 40 allowed people in the store, one woman was queuing with her adult daughter for a mango and a packet of percy pig sweets, everyone else ignored the arrows and seemed to think a silly smile and tip toeing past was ok. In poundstretcher a guy bargred past me, I asked him if he could give me chance to get out the way and he told me I was overreacting and he was wearing a mask and gloves. I asked him not top embarrass himself further and he shut up. Came home, super stressed, did nothing all afternoon, until I decided to walk to the corner shop to buy the rest of the stuff I needed for the week, a very pleasant experience at Londis, always has been. My neighbour and 4 month baby (social distance) came round to the garden for a chat and cheered me up, I then fixed the squeaky gate much to the neighbours delight, put up a new clothes line and raked the remaining pebbles out of the lawn. Biscuit tin basher failed to make an appearance, still no sign of her at 11pm when I went to bed.

143 Friday Woke in the morning to message from biscuit tin basher, slightly annoyed she diodn't think to tell me she was going out, especially as she'd been so grateful I'd checked in on her the night before. I took a long drive to the Forest of Dean to drop some gifts with child 2 and family and see our grandchild, it's been 12 weeks. It's also my great nephews 1st birthday in June so I dropped his present off as they live in the same village. The sat in a friends garden and she made me tea. Drove back via the motorway to give the car a good drive and make sure there are no faults detected as I only have 30 days to identify any.

144 Saturday Up at 4am, cat started shouting for food at 5.30am, she attacked dog at 6am so I got up and fed them. Back to bed and sleep till midday, then spending the rest of the day sorting through Dad's papers, watching TV, blogging and walking Bob.

On the blog this week:

My Sunday Photo: The worlds smallest theatre

Feeling vulnerable

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Post Comment Love - 22nd-25th May

I've been feeling a bit vulnerable this week, after falling down the stairs last week. I'm ok and whilst I have a lot of people I talk to online daily, a mother I check in with every day and a husband who I speak with several times a day, I realised if the fall had injured me, I could've lain at the bottom of the stairs for an awful long time before any of my friends and family talked with one another to realise I hadn't spoken to any of them for a while.

My husband and I have a plan in place, my friend and neighbour have spare keys in the event I lock myself out, so he would have a way to raise the alarm. I also have details of a colleague of his I could contact who lives near by and could tell them the location of the spare key, should I not be able to get hold of him.

My husband and I are part of what they call the sandwich generation where we are the ones who are responsible for not only supporting our parents, but our adult children also. As we're both very capable of looking after ourselves and others, it's often forgotten that maybe we need someone to check in with us from time to time. Not a criticism, just a way of life.

I had a relaxed week until yesterday when I did my fortnightly food shop. I've enjoyed gardening and lots of dog walks and time in the garden just chilling out.

Stephanie and I would love to know what you've been up to this week.

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Feeling vulnerable during Covid-19

I'm a 48 year old woman, fit and healthy (ish) not having to worry financially and living in a nice house in a nice town in the UK. My husband is 3000 miles away in Dubai and we're separated for the foreseeable future.
We're used to spending a lot of time apart with his job, travelling and with our family in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Australia. But we always have an end date, a flight home booked and we often meet up up and join one another on our trips.

We think nothing of booking a flight, jumping on a plane, collecting car hire, sorting hotels and travelling at the drop of a hat, on our own or together. We've had a lot of adventures living in South Africa and Dubai and in between. Raising 5 children between us, one with profound disabilities. Managing lives in different countries, maintaining homes and lives simultaneously and dealing with death.

So yes we're capable, together and on our own we are able top look after ourselves and others when needed.

We're also lonely and isolated. Peter is in Dubai on his own, he is working from home.

I'm in the UK in our former family home but on my own (cat and dog don't count when it comes to feeling vulnerable) and this post isn't about being lonely.

Last Friday morning at 6am I fell down the stairs, I banged my head, my shoulder and jarred my neck. I slipped on the last 5 steps.

Peter had conference calls and wasn't due to ring me till 9am UK time. I'm ok now but it got me thinking....what if?

We have a plan, we've never had to implement it. If I can't get hold of Peter throughout a working day or when he's travelling he will message me in response to my calls to say he's in meetings, he will then phone at the earliest opportunity. When I'm travelling I will send him messages throughout the day, notifying him of my current location and when I'm due to be back at the house or my next destination.

There have been times of minor worries such as when I've taken a 24 hour trip and haven't had access to the internet, but we've still been able to make quick short and expensive telephone calls to say we're ok.

My mum messages or facebooks me everyday, so I know she's OK, if I couldn't get hold of her my niece and her husband live in the town. I've also got a car now so I could drive down. My MIL lives near her daughter and grandchildren, so they are around to check in on her.

The rest of our family and friends live with their partner or have older children at home, or like my husband and youngest child who are working daily and their absence would be noticed.

My next door neighbour and I have joked that the Thursday night clap for key workers has turned into a roll call for the street, but even she has her sister and a nephew dropping off her shopping. I see different neighbours daily, who ask if I need anything and hear them in their gardens and I know they hear me when I'm calling the dog or the cat.

Friends are checking in with me, my friends who I have regular contact with are either abroad or don't know one another. I'm not asking for anyone to take responsibility for me. I'm not vulnerable due to health, but I'm feeling vulnerable after falling down the stairs and realising I could have lain there for about 12 hours before Peter would've put the plan into action.

Just try to remember we're all struggling with this lockdown, whether it's financially, emotionally with home schooling and our health or physically going out to as a key worker everyday that we're all feeling vulnerable right now and that includes those of us who don't have financial or physical problems, children to teach or key worker jobs, we're just going through it differently.

I often feel isolated and lonely, this is the first time I've really felt vulnerable.

My Sunday Photo - The Worlds Smallest Theatre

Google the 'Worlds Smallest Theatre' and you'll discover The Theatre of Small Convenience

It gets its name from the fact it was once a Victorian Gentleman's Lavatory

I've taken the youngest child there quite a few times to see various puppet shows, when he was younger, but I'd forgotten all about it until moving back to Malvern earlier this year, I walk past it when I do my fortnightly food shop in Waitrose.

Malvern is renowned for many things. Charles Darwins daughter is buried here. Elgar was born here. Radar was invented in the town. They hand make Morgan Motor Cars here, it has the theatre, the hills, Malvern Priory with stained glass windows dating from the 15th Century, the home of the 3 Counties Show ground, springs and well dressing. CS Lewis was a student at Malvern College and wrote about the gas lamps in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. WH Auden was an English teacher at the Downs School who are also the owners of the world's oldest private miniature railway. 

There's so much history here, things to do, see and explore. No where is open at the moment, but I will be putting a list together of all the things you can do here ready to explore all over again.

One Daily Positive - Week 20

I start every week writing down what I want to do each day and try to stick to it, that way I don't over do it and I try to get the balance right, this week, rather than writing tasks for each day, I'm just writing a list of things I want to do now I've finished the painting upstairs. I can't start painting downstairs as I've run out of paint again.

I won't be doing everything on my list and obviously some things like gardening, reading and crafts will roll over week to week.

These are the things I didn't get round to.
Learn to crochet.
Finish my papier mache chickens.
Weed and mow front garden.
Investigate returning to the OU to finish my degree.
Scan Dad's football photo's, match day programmes and newspaper articles to Barry Town FC.
Work on family tree.


131 Sunday The day dragged then all of a sudden it was 4pm. Usual daily dog walk, meal times, phone calls with family and friends. I started my felting kit, painted papier mache balloons, sorted out upcoming birthdays with a list of what to do/buy/post. Wrote a couple of letters, read some of my book, updated food shop order which I thought arrived Monday, but isn't due till Tuesday so had to buy more milk on the dog walk. Touched up some paint around the house, I'd missed and spent the evening sending out email enquires for new carpets, getting a window fixed and 2 panels of glass replaced, buying a car, removing a tree, guttering, facias and shed repairs, the bath resealed, new panel, replace broken floor tile and grouting.

132 Monday No motivation at all today, just couldn't get going, went back to bed at 10am for an hour out of boredom. Started a new book, walked the dog and watched TV whilst sewing pom poms to make a rug for our grandchild 2b. Went to bed at 8.30pm.

133 Tuesday Woke at 5.15am apart from making a cup of tea, I stayed in bed till 7am before giving into the cat and dogs demands for their breakfast and spent the rest of day sorting paperwork, changing passwords and starting the tax return. Having trouble paying the rent in Dubai, but did manage to pay the water bill and sort out banking. Replied to emails. In between I read, did some more felting, finished sewing my pom pom rug, walked the dog and watched TV, until the food shop arrived. I washed and put everything away.

134 Wednesday A slow and cold day. Did some washing, started cutting back the fir trees, walked Bob, posted some letters, sorted mums online food order, had an early bath, watched TV, responded to some emails and went to bed early to read.

135 Thursday Shopping for gluten free foods, cat biscuits and items easily obtained in supermarket for small gifts for posting for birthdays in June. Posted mum her TV guide and some sweets and picked up a few goodies for child 1 through the post also. Whilst I sat outside Waitrose sorting my parcels a guy stopped to ask if I was ok, he thought I looked sad, I was just concentrating. Went to bed late as I spent an hour on the door step with a neighbour after Clap for Key workers.

136 Friday Not a good start to the day, woke the same time as normal, despite less sleep and missed my footing on the last 5 stairs, back to bed for the morning, nursing aches and bumps. Felt really vulnerable as hubby not due to phone till 11am and then maybe another 4-5 hours before he called in the troops to check on my whereabouts. Pottered around the house waiting for my new car to be delivered, a thorough covid-19 clean given then loaded up Bob and drove to the opposite end of the hills for a walk. Bob saw sheep for the first time, he was more worried about them than they were of him. Spent the evening on a zoom call with my friends in South Africa.

137 Saturday I've managed to get all the jobs booked and bills paid, this week, apart from new carpets as they haven't yet returned to work, they're keen to do so as I've only got one bed and one wardrobe to move, the carpet fitter can work in isolation however it requires 2 people to deliver and remove the old carpets. Lazy day planned, might mow the lawn, might bake, might read. For now I'm sitting in the garden drinking coffee, blogging and writing letters.

On the blog this week:

My Sunday Photo - Bob the dogs journey from South Africa to the UK via Dubai

Crafting during lockdown. Some of the Things I've been doing to keep myself busy.

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Post Comment Love 15-17th May

I've certainly been keeping myself busy during lockdown. So far I've landscaped the garden and redecorated the house. I cook and walk the dog daily, although I'm keeping shopping trips to the bare minimum.

I do miss my husband, it's been over 7 weeks since we've seen one another. We are however used to spending long periods of time apart, but normally, if I'm in the UK, I'm usually running around visiting family and Peter will be working, meeting people and travelling himself. Peter is now back in the office in Dubai, however I'm almost isolated other than 2 friends who live in the same town, that I've seen briefly.

I have my down days, when it's difficult to get myself motivated, but mostly I'm entertaining myself, reading, jigsaw puzzles, letter writing and having a go at some crafts.

What have you been doing to keep yourself busy?


Stephanie and I would love to hear what you've been up to this week.

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What I've been doing during lockdown - Crafting

Last week I blogged about the gardening, this week it's all the craft activities I've been doing around the house.

I've got so many bits and pieces on the go, I'm starting to wonder if lockdown will be long enough to allow me to finish, especially as I'm also redecorating our family home after 9 years of tenants.

All the items I've made will be kindly donated/offloaded onto the Things, my great nephew, our grandchild and a friends twins.

I've turned child 5's old bedroom into a craft room

Used milk bottle cartoons to make Elephants

Used up old tins of paint in the shed, toilet rolls and sticks from the garden to make giraffes

Washed and painted stones from the garden

Recycled cans into plant holders to brighten up the garden

Made pom poms to turn into a rug for our grandchild

Attempted a jigsaw puzzle with help from the cat

Hung bunting up around the house I made a few years ago

Hatched a flamingo, that a friend gave me last year

Had a complete fail with papier mache

Had a felting kit gifted to me from a friend that I'm having fun with

Every week I post magazines and sweets to my mum, with a large stamped address envelope, so she can fill it with crafting items such as wool and ribbons and all she has to do is post it in the letter box near her home.

Have you been doing any crafts? I have limited abilities and limited resources, but I've had a lot of fun and it's amazing what you can do/make with things you have lying around the house.

I wish I had my sewing machine and over locker with me in the UK and my stash of material to make some more bunting, a new bed for the dog and get the curtains ready for when our furniture arrives at some point in the future.