What Happens When A Laundry Addict Loses Her Washing Machine...

Hi Honeys
I am bereft of happiness! Honestly. Inconsolable even! It is now late afternoon and I haven't done a load of laundry today.

So what, right?  It's only laundry.....

That's the thing though honeys, to me it's really not.  Laundry is just one of many coping mechanisms I have to help me get through each day.  My habits, or systems, help me get from morning to night even on less than good days.

I start my day each morning by having my shower, getting dressed and on goes my first load of laundry.  Yaaaaay! Usually I'll have (at least) two loads each morning.  Whatever Hubby wore day before, same for me and our night things as well as two bath towels because we've each had a shower that morning, split into whites and anything else, so as to keep my lovely white towels, and hubby's t shirts, from dulling and losing their bright whiteness.

Sometimes, joy of joys (it's sad I know but I actually do mean that) I have more! I'll maybe have (with Hubby's help) stripped and re-made the bed, or I might be washing our furbaby Jade's wee blankets from her day bed downstairs where she naps and maybe from her actual bed upstairs where every night she's tucked in and snuggled under her blankies with whichever is her current favourite soft toy.

Maybe it's just a sunny day outside and I've decided to pull out a whole shelf (or two) of our linen cupboard to wash and peg out on the line. You know, just because 😃  Of all of the housekeeping tasks needing done, my laundry is the job that gives me most pleasure.

I love laundry.  Seriously love it.  I've had dreams of nothing more than me (and my assistant Jade) doing laundry. True. Of course in my dreams I don't have the aches and pains of arthritis to contend with, just Jade and I, a sunny day and endless pegging out of laundry.  Bliss.  Whether in dreams or in reality. Bliss ❤❤❤

Every time I manage to complete my laundry it's my own personal "take that arthritis! you haven't beat me today!" Even when the rest of the day is spent taking pain meds and hugging Jade on the sofa.  I don't just adore laundry, I always have, even when younger and in good health, I need it.

So, yesterday as always, did laundry.  Had battled extreme pain in my spine for almost two full days (not fun) and so laundry had started to (as near as it ever gets to it around here) pile up.

Four loads of laundry done and on the fifth load my beloved wee washing machine lit up like Blackpool illuminations! All of the lights went on, stayed on then went off and it ceased to be.

The horror! Hubby had a look at it (he's great that way) but all he could do was to empty it. Aaaarrrrgggg!!  It's the modern age's fault.  Everything is electronic these days.  Cars, household items, all made to be used and replaced. All designed to have a "shelf life."  All having some (or lots) of circuit boards designed to frustrate efforts to make do and mend.

I find myself longing for the little twin tub we had in our first tiny flat just after we were married. Back when things would break down and you got them repaired. Back when repairs didn't cost more than replacing the item. We're living in a very wasteful world honeys.  Easier to throw away than to mend.

In years past Hubby would take the washing machine apart and replace a pump, unblock pipes, do whatever was needed to have it up and running again.  Now though, machines turn into a light show and the electronics burn out and we have to replace them.  Leaving behind a small stressed Rosie with a trembling lower lip, nervous tick above her right eye (it's still there!) and battling an anxiety attack.

I know this seems odd, and no doubt to some a huge over reaction, but honeys this morning I had my shower and out of habit wandered through to the kitchen to the washing machine with my nightie and bath towel but.... aaarrrrgggg!

Hubby has ordered me a new washing machine (thank you sweetheart x) but I'll miss my old friend.  It's also an unexpected expense we could well have done without and will hurt for a while.  I'll have a few days laundry to catch up on by the time it's delivered... hang on... I don't mind that bit... although this tick above my eye will be dancing a can can by then and I'll probably be hyper ventilating.... 😃

Till next time dear ones, have a wonderful weekend, smile lots and hug even more, huggles always xx

ps:  For those blessed to still have their washing machine <sobs!> here are 10 (hopefully) useful tips to make laundry day a breeze! Enjoy x

A Little Short Lived Snow & Early Awakening Peonies...

Hi Honeys
How are you today?  Well, I hope, and staying warm & cozy.  I'm still battling a horrible chest/cough thing that just refuses to go away.  Being in the fourth week of this battle and seemingly getting nowhere, I finally relented earlier this week and called our Dr even though I didn't want to.  Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you're ill though Rosie?  Call the Dr?

I didn't want to call for two very good reasons honeys.  First and most important being that I knew our surgery would be completely overwhelmed with this chest thing going around, seriously everyone seems to have it right now, and I didn't want to add to their workload.

Secondly, being a spoonie every day I have to take so many pills and potions already that I can't bear the idea of adding to it even a little bit so I tend to put off calling the Dr until, as now, I've tried the resting, drinking lots of fluids and praying it'll go away thing.

My horrid cough though has turned as it usually does into my yearly chest infection.  Yuk.  It's really irritating honeys, I have so many things I'd like to be getting on with and instead I'm stuck on the sofa, wrapped in a throw and hugging a hot water bottle and our furbaby Jade.  I don't mind that last bit actually, Jade is a very huggy furbaby and adores hugs as much as her Mum does :)
 

Its not all bad though, during the early part of last week we had some snow.  I even went to the back door to try to catch a quick photo of it falling for you...

It was so pretty it was even (sort of) worth the coughing fit it set off by my standing at the open back door even though I wasn't there very long and went straight back to our living room and watched it from the window with Jade.  She seemed fascinated with the snow falling outside bless her.

It did make our tiny front garden look pretty...

I 💙 Ikea! 7 Of My Favourite Products & How We've Used them In Our Home...

Disclaimer: I haven't been paid to promote any products, I just needed cheering up and thought I'd share some homemaking smiles 😊

Hi Honeys
Back again 😄  Today, in an effort to cheer myself up from the never-seemingly-wants-to-go-away cough I thought I'd chat about some of my favourite things from one of my favourite places..... Ikea and how we've used them to create some kind of order in our home.

I decided to limit myself to just a handful of my favourite products (not easy!) so here are seven of my Ikea favourites and how we've put them to wonderful use....

Why Is It Socially Unacceptable To Be A Non Alcohol Drinker?

Hi Honeys
How is your week going so far?  I'm still hugging our furbaby Jade on the sofa and coughing a lot. I'm now in week three of this cough & chest thing and to say it's annoying is an understatement.

Oddly enough I'm mostly OK in a warm room such as in our living room where there is a constant (warm) temperature.  Sudden changes though, such as Hubby stopping at the (held open) living room door on his way to the kitchen because he's remembered something he wanted to tell me about <rolls eyes> bless him, I adore him but sometimes... 😊  Well any differences in temperature seem to bring on the most terrible hacking and spluttering.

I should have been at the Doctors on Tuesday morning to have my blood pressure checked but it was so cold outside and since even opening the back door a little to let our furbaby Jade out causes my body to try to cough up a lung, I called and explained to the receptionist who said I should call back and make another appointment when I'm feeling a bit better.  Wise advice I think.

At work I've had so many people advise me to make a "hot toddy" when I get home and while I know they mean well, seeing the same expression on so many faces when I say I don't drink always gets me.

When did the world have a meeting and decide that it was socially unacceptable to not drink alcohol? It must have been a good while ago, this meeting, because I've faced this same incredulous expression from people most of my adult life.

At college I was lucky enough to make a group of friends who also adored hot chocolate with mini marshmallows ☕ Alcohol wasn't barred it just wasn't a major "thing" so there was never any pushing, prodding or "oh go on.... a little drink won't hurt, it'll get you in the party mood.."

I mean absolutely no offence to anyone dear ones but does my not drinking alcohol really make me queen of all the killjoys?  How does what's in my glass affect others so profoundly that it forces them to make my drinking a glass of wine, or a hot toddy,  a personal quest?

I've worked for my current employer for over ten years and have never been to a works night out, in spite of having lots of  lovely friends there. The reason?  I really don't want to be "that person" the one others feel the need to "persuade" because "well, she can't be having a good time if all she's drinking is orange juice!"

Well, yes I can enjoy myself whilst powered only by fruit juice, a can of soda/fizzy drink, a nice cup of tea or even by my beloved hot chocolate with mini marshmallows!

I don't dislike alcohol, nor others enjoyment of it.  I'm not on a quest to make the world a tee total place.  I just don't drink alcohol and would really like to be able to say so without using a hushed tone or having to see so many different versions of the same "poor you!" face looking back at me.

Am I being unreasonable honeys?  Should I just quickly change the subject whenever anyone raises the topic? 

Over to you then honeys, what are your thoughts?  How is your week going so far?  Is anything bugging you lately? Hopefully not this dreadful cough.  Till next time then, be safe, stay warm, wear extra layers till this cold snap lets us out of its grip.  Mostly though, smile lots and hug even more dear ones, 😃 huggles always xx

Happy New Year!

Hi Honeys
Happy New Year! I know, I'm almost a week late but I've been battling the mother of all chest infections for the last few weeks.   I'm afraid I'm still at it's mercy too.  It simply doesn't want to give up its grip of my poor beleaguered lungs. This horrible cough means I'm not sleeping either so I didn't want to be a "moanie minnie" here.

Of course this has happened when we're at our busiest at work during the Christmas and New Year festivities.  I'm so happy that I haven't missed work, nor have I made any co-workers ill, thank God.  I usually use anti bacterial hand gel as if it's my job anyway, but during these past couple of weeks I've gone through it by almost a bottle a shift.

Whenever I've coughed it's been into a used-once-then-binned tissue before immediately soaking my hands in the gel and replacing the tissue with a fresh one which is stored in my sleeve.  Should I have been at work? My Doctor would have said no, had I consulted him, which will annoy him that I didn't call.  I know though that the one place as busy as any retail unit at this time of year is a Doctor's surgery!  

Don't worry honeys, I have an appointment this Tuesday morning, for my BP check and I'll mention it then. He'll tell me off for not calling straight away, born with damaged lungs, battling asthma etc, but my Doctor has never worked retail during the busiest time of the year with even one co-worker missing.  Chaos.  We are overstretched on a normal day but at this time of year... oh my 😞

Of course there are other reasons I wouldn't, and indeed couldn't, miss work honeys.  First I was very lucky this year in that, due to the way the rotas fell, I wasn't required to work any more than my normal days.  This actually helped a lot even though I have arguably the busiest shifts, weekend, which run through into late nights.

Secondly we just simply can't afford for me to skip shifts.  We have bills that need paying and even though I don't earn much, retail is right on minimum wage after all, as a famous competitor says in their ads "every little helps."

So, dear ones, we've managed to get past the holidays and now what lies ahead is the best part of the year!  Spring will arrive soon and the garden will start to wake up from its long winter nap.  I've been boring everyone at work with my weekly countdown 😃 I've even thought about making a little badge "ask me when Spring arrives.."  For the record we have eleven weeks from tomorrow evening till the clocks go forward an hour.  This will welcome the start of what is laughably known to anyone familiar with our weather, as British Summer Time 😃

We have all sorts of plans ahead for the Spring, and I'll share them as they happen here honeys. Hubby still has to finish the very last part of the back garden fencing as well as to make a new garden gate, possibly two since we still don't have a new gate for the front garden yet.

In addition we still have our planned little seating area to organize on the patio, under the kitchen windows.  Do you remember the beautiful bench Hubby bought for me with the wrought iron roses on the back rest?

Whatever our little seating area in the garden ends up looking like honeys you can bet this beautiful bench will be at the heart of it 💓❤  I so can't wait to create our little calm space.  I'm hoping to go shopping for more lavender soon too.  Our calming, settle-down-with-a-good-book-while-laundry-dries-on-the-washing-lines space definitely needs the gorgeous scent of lavender in the air.

Laundry! Other than watching the garden go through it's year of growth and change my absolutely favourite thing about the spring and summer months is that I can peg laundry outside. Such joy!

Had I lived a hundred years ago honeys, I'd have happily been a wee "washer woman" who would take in others laundry to wash, dry and iron for them and I would have sung as I worked dear ones 😍 I really do adore doing laundry more than any other household task.  Always have, always will 😍

Among other plans for this year, we're hoping to get back to our great household clear out, de-clutter and organization project.  We had started quite well during last year but my health has repeatedly knocked us off course, I'm absolutely determined to get back to it this year though, even if it is just one drawer or cupboard at a time.

What are you most looking forward to in the new year honeys?  Do you have any plans made already?  Are you, like me, happily counting down to spring?

Till next time dear ones, we still have a few weeks of winter ahead so stay warm and snuggly, add an extra layer when outside, smile lots and hug even more 😃  Huggles always dear ones xx