I realise I’ve taken too much on, but too late to regret that. I’m scooping up things before deadlines all over the place. Luckily, Wink deals with the admin for most of our visits to London, so I don’t have to worry about that.
I’ve got three areas of focus for the next week. One is the choice and booking of lecturers for next year’s arts society (still correctly known as NADFAS, but that’s another matter), one that I’ll simply put as meetings, because there are several of them, all of which on widely different groups and the third is the blog party. That’s the one I am actually looking forward to, of course. But there’s a lot of preparation to be done, one matter being the sanding down of the cloakroom door.
When I got back from St Lucia and water leaked from the bathtub drain into the cloakroom, I belatedly realised that the problem had been building up for a while. I had leaks all over the place and I thought that one of the other matters was the cause of this one. The fact is, the door doesn’t now shut completely. I’ve left it for weeks, hoping it will dry out, but it’s in no hurry. All I can do is sand down the top where it sticks, but it’s quite a big job. There’s only a couple of inches between the top of the door and the ceiling, so I can’t use an electric sander and I have to stand on a step to reach and I’m not very strong in the arm nowadays. I had a good go the other day, it’s getting better but the door still won’t shut. Wince didn’t come today because it was raining, otherwise I’d have asked him. I had to stop when I did, because my hand was tingling. I’ll have another go tomorrow, once I’m home from my next appointment.
Anyway, I don’t suppose anyone who reads this rather than Facebook is likely to come to the blog party but, of course, you’re welcome if you are able to drop in. Open house as always, I just need to know any dietary issues. I’ve lost count of how many years – of course, no party in 2020 because of lockdown, but I can work it out. The first was in 2011, because Tim came to the second and it was the year he was 70. So this must be the 13th?
I’ve been concerned at the number of things you were taking on again…
It’s the old adage isn’t it, if you want something done, you ask a busy person.
But do take care of yourself, won’t you?
One day we’ll make it down for the blog party, it would be lovely to see you again and catch up properly.
Well, though I’m still on the multi-academy trust board, it doesn’t take up the time that being a governor did. And I don’t have a husband or family to look after now and I don’t grow vegetables. It’s good to be useful, I still am and that’s satisfying. My children – two of them anyway – would like me to live in a much smaller, sensible house and not do so much, but they don’t understand how depressed and lacklustre I’d be without stimulation. The things that cause me stress are things that happen to me, not what I take on. Some of the things I do are for my sister’s sake, I cherish her and we have fun together.
I’d thought I might make it up to Scotland this year and drop in on you, but I really can’t fit it in, not before November at any rate. I’d love to see you and hope we can catch up next year.
Any time, we’d love to see you!
I’ve never thought you could live in a smaller house, and when you were thinking about moving/’downsizing’ all I could think of was how it would not be the right thing for you. And, in the longer term… you can buy an awful lot of care at home for what a care home would cost – and there are two of you, eventually, and hopefully in the long-distant future… £100K+ per year (nursing home costs) would buy 24 hour live-in nursing care (or even more hours of carer care). Yeah, I’ve already done the sums and have a plan, just in case 🙂
Thank you, you’re very thoughtful and kind. When I was looking – only at Rightmove, I wasn’t viewing houses – I only liked big places. Wink and I have talked about the distant possibility of moving and we’d still need something big. We’d each want our own space.
I’d certainly rather opt for care if I needed it rather than a care home. What has to be taken into account, however, that one would still have all the expenses of living here, which are fairly high.
But – offset those expenses against the costs (financial and emotional) of moving, and then the costs of getting any new house how you want it (both 3 or 4 times what you think they will be – and good trades are hard to come by in any area you are unfamilar with) and you will be much much better off staying where you are. Don’t underestimate the stress and inconvenience of any part of that process, particularly as you will be reliant on others to do most of the work required.
You know (pretty much) all the potential problems (and fixes) in your current house. You won’t have a clue about those in any new house (and don’t think a full structural survey will find most of them either – and that survey itself will cost the better part of two grand) and you currently have a good local network of trades and helpers, plus lots of local contacts and friends, and the ‘respect’ of your community. Those are priceless.
Honestly, you are much much better off staying put.
I reckon you’d probably be looking at a minimum of £100K (estate agents 1%+, stamp duty around 5%, solicitor 1%+ to buy and sell, before you start on removals, renovations and redecorating and refurnishing a new house. Divide that by the number of years you think you have left… Plus, if you eventually qualify as disabled you can potentially lower your council tax by one band.
No, don’t do it to yourselves.
I’ve no plans to move at present. It’ll be 100 years since my inlaws bought this house in August 2028, so I might as well hang on until then, anyway. That will also be the year of my 75th birthday and my sister’s 80th, so plenty of reasons to celebrate. I can’t look further forward than that, for now, but that’s a cheerful aim, at any rate.