Crepey continuum

[Cremolafoam]

Over here!

I had a day at a spa once with a friend. I didn't find it terribly relaxing, as I kept thinking of all of the useful stuff I could be doing instead!

Just spoke to my cousin - my Aunt is dying. She is in terrible pain and my cousin is going to try and get her into a hospice. They don't think she has long left. My mother is going to see her next week.

Oh MrsS

Hi Stopanuary! I love spa's. I love lounging around and being pampered

Oh, MrsS, how awful. Can you make it over to see her?

Ruby, I am so jealous of no mortgage that I would be v reluctant to take one again. But that is not necessarily helpful.

In holiday news, DP has changed dates and gone for the only one of our French choices that was available. So that's Normandy then

And in S&B news I have added to my collection of red lip products with a Revlon balm stain pencil (a dupe of the Clinique chubby sticks) in Romantic, which is fabulously red. Have decided you can't beat Revlon for reds. Well, I can't.

Did not purchase sports bra after trying on a selection and weeping with frustration/discomfort. Like straitjackets.

I am looking at going back possibly next weekend for a day or so. I can't travel at the moment - my temperature has just shot up again. Not thinking about me so much, but if her immune system is really low, which I assume it will be, I don't want it to be flu-riddled me who sees her off. It would have been good if I could have gone over early next week with my Mum (if only to dilute her presence!) but that's not going to happen. Will speak to my cousin tomorrow and see what she thinks would be best.

MrsS sorry to hear about your Aunt.
We had 10 years left on old mortgage, but moving stuck a few more years back on it :( we will never be mortgage free at this rate.
MI hooray - linky!?

Mrs S - what a difficult time for you and your family . Hope you at least feel better soon.

I think we will be mortgage free in five years, although the house will probably have Fallen down by then. It will be in time to pay for DD2's university.

I bought a chubby stick in mega melon - it's brilliant.

MI - have you tried a Shock Absorber Max? I find it v. good and lasts for ages. Also none of that over the head wrestling nonsense to get it on.

MrsS, very sorry to hear about your aunt. I hope your cousin has managed to find a place in a good hospice for her.

Rubes, I second advice about consulting an accountant before committing to new house-buying plan. Otherwise, sounds good!

S&B news: I will not be needing to submit to any eyebrow topiary for a while as I appear to have singed my eyebrows off with a rather over-excitable bonfire.

Garden re-modelling has now started and the dog has also been doing his own bit of renovation by digging out yet another mouse nest. As he is true to his terrier nature and never gives up, I now have a 2-foot deep hole and an unstable washing line pole.

Ruby, your plan should work; you can get a short-term interest-only mortgage, maybe? Don't know about the capital gains, though. But you should try and do both together; you can put the brakes on your sale if you haven't found anything to buy (but I bet something will come up).

We still have 21 years left on our mortgage.

Party in June?! Sounds like a plan....

House buying is soooo stressful. Gird your loins (love that expression) ruby! DH was so determined to buy the house we're in now that he insisted we took out the biggest mortgage in the history of the universe and we exchanged and completed before we had sold our previous property (it was under offer but could have fallen through at any time). When it did sell we paid off a ginormous chunk of mortgage (and nearly fainted with relief). if mortgage is interest only shouldn't be a problem... if you're brave.

Strops, loving your tales of terrier misbehaviour. It always cheers me up no end to hear of someone else's terrier tribulations..
Our Bedlington has just spent the best part of every day for a week standing over the decking in the garden in Suffolk in case a rabbit ventures out in the freezing cold. Her hit rate is usually about 2 a week... but this time no bunny slaughter. She was very despondent when we took her back to London...

Yes Ruby, we did do pretty much what you've outlined... but not with short term mortgage, just with normal term variable rate interest only mortgage that had no penalties for paying off large chunks of capital... so no change of mortgage provider once house sold iyswim.
DH was strangely calm but I was gibbering wreck. The mortgage at it's height was so huge it would have killed us to pay it long term and the house we were selling wasn't easy to sell... so if it had fallen through we could have been well and truly up shit creek... Am very glad we did it though!

Ruby, have you put your plan to DH yet?
We should be mortgage free soon I hope - in time for uni fees, no doubt!

DH has got a roll of loo paper round his big toe - got up in the night because he thought he heard the DC shouting and tripped in the dark and cut his toe. Not a happy bunny. And says he is bored of being on beaches Oh well, I am loving it! Last day here - think I will drag him for a massage, DD wants to get her hair braided, not sure about DS...

BD is it today you go? Looking forward to seeing your holiday snaps on FB!

Am watching DD have her hair braided

No, got three days of work yet! Off Thursday morning at some ungodly hour.... Travelling down to inlaws Wed to drop off dog and collect ds.

Still in sick bed, still have a temperature, although it is going down slowly. I now ache all over and feel like I have gone 10 rounds with Giant Haystacks.

Had some more bad news last night - DFIL's mate (the one who came to us for Christmas, having just lost his wife - the one of the "bloody lovely wine" fame) has lost his house in a fire. Thankfully he is OK. He said the alarm, bizarrely, went off at 4.00 am. He turned over to switch it off, smelled burning, went downstairs and found it on fire. He called the fire brigade and managed to get out, but has lost almost everything. He is staying with DPIL at the moment.

Oh MrsS that is awful....can't imagine how that must feel.

Giant Haystacks - now there's a blast from the past!

Ruby - I am a tad eager yes :)

The cat has just rolled off the bed with a surprised miaow, tried to hang on, and has torn a hole in the sheet. He is really not very good as a cat (he can't jump either). But he is soft and friendly, so we forgive him for being a bit dim.

DD's hair is now done, DH and I have had out massages and DS and DD had a sectacular fight in the sea and DH and DS are now racing each other in the pool.

Those of you with teen DSs (ruby!), could DSs voice be breaking? He only turned 12 2 weeks ago Maybe its just a bad throat?!

MrsS sorry to hear all your bad news - must be truely horrifying to wake up to your house on fire