Why, Oh Y?

 I had all these plans for the week just gone

• Monday - do nothing, just recover from the busy coronation weekend
• Tuesday - morning at Craft Group, afternoon visiting a friend, evening putting away coronation stuff. And Bob would put up the new bedroom blinds.
• Wednesday - making two memory bears, sorting out packing
• Thursday - generally getting the house straight, ready to leave - and maybe going into Norwich when Bob went to the Hospice, to choose more library books.
• Friday - off to Scotland after an early breakfast

This did not work out quite as planned.

Monday - late, lazy breakfast, and as the sun was shining I washed the coronation robes, and got them [plus a second washload] outside to dry. Then we heard from Bob's sister- she and her husband were in Norfolk visiting her MIL, could we meet up. That was lovely - we drove across the county and had a great time, tea, cakes and family catch up. It was a great way of relaxing. But the blinds did not get put up.

Tuesday - the old vertical blind had come down the week before, and made very successful crowns. But we felt a bit exposed when we opened the curtains and everyone could see straight into the bedroom. Just before the weekend I'd blu-tacked a spare flag across the large window. It was translucent, so we got the light but also privacy. But I had to take that down after the celebrations. Bob was not feeling brilliant, and spent the day resting. Covid test negative. While I was out, he realised the mat in the Futility Room was rather wet. The dishwasher and washing machine were moved out from under the worktop. The wall was really wet - but we could not see where the leak was coming from. We turned everything off.

Wednesday -  Bob shone a torch into the damp space - and saw the tiniest jet of water was coming from the top of the Y-connector which supplies water to the the two machines whenever either was switched on. He dismantled everything and removed the Y-piece. There was a hole, but it was microscopic - but when the water was under pressure, it squirted up the wall and then over the floor. The extra laundry and dishwashing had meant there was more water than usual. Everything had to be moved, and dried off, and the Y-piece replaced [a metal one this time!].The bears got cut out, but not sewn up. 

Thursday -  Other urgent household tasks cropped up needing immediate attention. The mobile library van came at 10.10 and I dashed up the road to change books, encountering a very chatty friend.  I didn't sit down at the sewing machine till 11am. By 5pm I had finished my sewing tasks, the bears are ready to go with us [and be delivered to Steph in Manchester to pass on to her friend]   Bob had cancelled his Hospice visit and spent most of the day on admin. I fetched the cases from the loft - and at 8pm I finally started packing. 

Why Oh Why is it so often like this? I get to midnight the night before the holiday and wonder if it is worth it! But I am grateful for an opportunity to get away, rest and recharge. 

The King and Queen have come up to Norfolk for some R&R at Sandringham this week. I hope the weather improves for them. We've had a lot of flooding round here. .....

However I typed all that on Thursday night. It is now 7pm Friday and we are settling in at our beautiful cottage after a long and interesting journey. We passed a field of camels 🐪 near Penrith

We had lunch in The Ancient Unicorn at Bowes. This is where Dickens stayed whilst writing Nicholas Nickleby.

I am hesitant to give a negative review, but let us just say our dining experience was very disappointing on many counts! 

But this hideaway is fabulous, very "country living" in style. I feel rather spoilt... Thankyou all for the brilliant suggestions for places to go. I may just stay in the cottage with my knitting!!