A few things have developed faults and I decided it was time to try and sort them out.
My husband could mend almost anything and I have a bedroom in the loft that resembles The Repair Shop.
He indulged every one of my requests, no matter how ridiculous. One of them was colour-changing strip lights over my kitchen worktops. For the last few days one section has been out of sync with the others and it has been driving me nuts. I just can’t find where the hell they plug in. I have emptied cupboards, stood on the worktops, scrabbled under the sink, all to no avail. I got so cross, I thumped a cupboard door. They are now perfectly synchronised, fading through all the colours of the rainbow. I still need to find out where they are plugged in and then I will have to check the connection. Or I could just summon my electrician nephew.
By this time I was on a roll, so I decided to have a go at the non-functioning tv in the spare bedroom. It kept saying ‘no signal’ but the aerial was plugged in at both ends. I went upstairs to the Room of Mystery to look for a spare aerial cable. I found boxes and boxes of stuff I didn’t need. Then a box of cables, hooray! But none of them were aerials. But I did find a television, so I connected that one up and it worked first time.
I think I have got the hand of this electrickery, anyone need a Sparky?
By tomorrow I might be a Chippy.
See I have even mastered the lingo.
What else is there? Grease Monkey, Brickie, Navvy, W/Banker………
They all sound much more fun than being a widow.
Onwards and upwards.
Xx
Thank you for sharing this with the community I just wanted to wish you the best of luck with the rest of your projects. Please let us know how you get on.
I am a great believer in if you need to do it you find a way. I must admit a good thump can fix a lot of things. Plus eases frustration. Not tv or computers these days now valves are no more. A circuit board doesn’t react to a thump. I must admit when things go wrong my first call is to neighbour Bob. With 2 widows and 1 divorcee in our little village de sac of 5 he is in great demand and his wife doesn’t mind. I have a nephew who is an electrician. Unfortunately he lives in Essex and me in Somerset.
I need a Bob!
You can get a man in to do electrics, car problems, plumbing, etc. But how do you search for people to fix a standing frame to a wooden floor with concrete underneath or fix a recalcitrant filing cabinet?
I am lucky that I actually have a multi-talented nephew, he used to be a mechanic, then a diamond driller, now manages a team constructing railways. He has tools and equipment for everything and is willing to help me out whenever I ask him. But I don’t like being a pain in the bum, his wife is very poorly. So, unless it is really important and beyond my limited skills I try to do it myself. And colour-changing lights are not imperative in the great scheme of things,
But any budding entrepreneurs out there should start a service called “Weird One-off Jobs Willingly Worked for Widows”.
Xx
Do you have a time bank in your area? You can earn time by doing anything for the community even as small as calling someone on the phone, meeting for a coffee or collecting a prescription. You can then ask if anyone is willing to earn their time points by doing the jobs you can’t. It’s the new form of bartering.
I am lucky that I can also call on the masons as a Masonic widow. One has already fixed an electrical problem for me.
Thought we were going to lose Bob. He and Sue were going to move. They found a house and had an offer on theirs then decided to stay.
We also have village agents who will try and find people for you. They tried to find me a gardener in the end I found my own on facebook.
I really do have a strong support network.
It works the other way around for us widowers.
How do I shorten trousers?
How did she make such wonderful Yorkshire puddings (she was a Yorkshire lass, so it might be in the genes)
What size underpants do I need to buy?
What do I use to clean windows?
Well, I am a Yorkshire lass, and I would gladly make Yorkshire puddings for you. But I am doing missionary work down south now, so they might be a bit sad by the time they get to you.
The mysteries of your underpants sizing is your own affair.
I don’t care how many points I would earn taking measurements.
Xx
Window cleaning - a tablespoonful of washing up liquid, a tablespoonful of vinegar in. Litre of warm water, and a chamois leather. Better still, think of the planet and recycle your old underpants.
Everyone’s a winner.
Xx
There are still jobs I try to tackle but know I shouldnt, as a 76year old bloke.
I woke up in bed last week, soaking wet. My first reaction was that I had suddenly become incontinent in a big way!!
Thankfully, the truth slowly dawned - my water bed had sprung a leak!! So I had to bucket out all the water quickly! There must have been 50 large buckets to fill and empty. I was totally wasted by the time I’d finished. Ive ordered a new traditional bed.
Thanks for all the window tips, they need doing soon!
Its now all in bits in the garden.
Something else will happen, so Ive established contact with a couple of handymen!
Any tips on what to do for Christmas dinner for one? I was lucky last year. Was going to have pizza from dominos. My neighbour asked and offered a full Christmas dinner. She had a lot of family round. When she served up she brought me a plate. Goose, lamb, roast pots, chipolatas , Yorkshire pudding lots of veg. Then she brought me pavlova for desert.
I am considering fillet steak if I don’t ruin it. I really don’t cook.
Xx
Sandra
We have a very cosmopolitan population here and there are takeaways of almost every category, many of whom do not close for Christmas. I would choose my favourite and over-indulge. Or look at M & S offerings.
Traditional Christmas dinner was always a part of our life. Truth be told, I don’t particularly like turkey, Christmas Pudding or mince pies.
My son is vegetarian anyway. I will probably do all the traditional vegetables followed by fresh strawberries dipped in the darkest melted chocolate I can find.
X
Yum. Sounds lovely but can’t eat strawberries. Allergic. Spotty allergic not dangerous allergic.
Unfortunately not that many takeaways who deliver here as I can’t get out and have no transport. We have 2 Chinese. Neither deliver and 1 doesn’t take credit cards only cash. 2 chippies. 1 delivers over set amount. 1 Indian only delivers over a set amount and Dominos. Oops forgot kebab house. Problem is delivery level is usually way too much for 1 person. Even Dominos. Usually warm up left over pizza for next day. Think we are too small for the demand to be there for them to open at Christmas. No. I think it will be fillet steak cooked very carefully, chips and peas.
I don’t like turkey or Christmas pudding either. Or custard.
I love prawns and used to eat them regularly. One night we met friends at a very nice restaurant and I had prawns. All was well until we got home. I was sick all night. I have not been able to eat them since. I still love them, but they don’t love me. So, I avoid them like the plague now.
Treat yourself to a M & S delivery, you could indulge all week. Xx
I just wanted to wish you the best of luck with the rest of your projects. Please let us know how you get on.