On the road again!

After what seems to be a very long winter we made the most of the sunshine today. Jon had to work this morning so when he came home we decided to go for a bike ride. We went to Whitby, then over the moors through Danby, Castleton, Blakey and stopped for a coffee in Hutton - le-Hole. We then went onto Pickering, Thornton-le-Dale then over Pickering Moor to home. We timed it just right - if we had gone any further we would have arrived home in the cold - we JUST pipped it! A chinese takeaway and bottle of wine! A great weekend!

Three things.....big one, expensive one and a small one.

Big one -We have started on the journey of the big DIY adventure (?) here in the Nesbitt household. Yesterday we e-mailed the Planning Department informing them of our idea to change a window for french doors at the front of our house - where we get the sun on an evening. Looking up our drive the window you can see is the one in question, the front kitchen wondow. I had a chat with the voice on the end of the phone, I have her name and direct contact number. This will form part of the building work and this needs to be done first. The other building work involves knocking a doorway from the kitchen to the snug and replacing the kitchen patio door with a door and window - more worktop space under the window.

Expensive one - we have ordered our Aga - it is a brand spanking new one , electric with AIMS fitted. We spent a good time discussing, comparing, deliberating and in the end we went for this option - yes it is cream. We were pleased (as one can be when having ones eyeballs taken out) with the deal we made. Our Aga will return to the big Aga factory in Shropshire where it will be recycled but will come out more stronger and efficient - a bit like a Dr Who moment - I forget what the correct term is - but I know you will understand. To be perfectly honest (am I anything but?) Agas are expensive - we know that but when it came down to it £1,500 was the difference - lots of factors came into the equation but it all boils down to the fact that we got a good price for ours, we bought our new one local (Malton) it has a 5 year warranty! It will be delivered in the summer - I am sure I will let you know when!

Small one - yet very important - I am altering my beloved curtains this weekend and fitting (with the help of my neighbour Anne) these little things - eyelets. I removed the curtain tape from the curtains last night and bought the necessary tape and fittings today. This is my weekend project.! I have never been any good at hanging curtains - so this should be an eye-opener!

Watch this space!

Good fences make good neighbours.

Our neighbour left yesterday, returning back to Essex after being here for a few years.

I would like to think we have been good neighbours. On many an occasion she has asked Jon to fix various things for her, which he did so gladly. Her sit on mower, strimmer, electrical stuff. When she had problems with her water supply we told her to use ours, even running a hosepipe through the paddock and into her drive. I have shopped for her, we phoned her regularly during the bad weather to see she was ok. A keen crafter I often placed orders for her via the internet. I would like to think she knew she knew where we were should she have ever needed anything.

A week or so ago we heard she was returning back down South to be with her family. A few times I was in the paddock tending to the chickens and shouted over to her, the usual greetings or weather observations - you know the normal neighbourly exchanges - but she never said anything about moving.

On Monday we were both walking to the mobile library so I asked her if she was all sorted re moving. "Well there is so much to do ON MY OWN" she emphasised! I asked her when she was planning to move - "Wednesday or Thursday if I get everything done - without ANY HELP!" "It is so difficult when I haven't had any help from anybody!" Fortunately at this point we were at the library van. She banged her books on the counter and announced she could be deleted from the records as she wouldn't be using the library anymore, because she was moving back down south. I made my choice of library books as she left the van, no further words were spoken.

Yesterday, 6.30am the removal truck arrived and after packing and shifting various boxes etc. it left the village, followed by neighbour in car. 

The cottage is rented and we know our new neighbours - a young couple with a young baby. Robbie's family have lived in the village for 3 generations - all farmers. His parents are our neighbouring dairy farmers, his brother works on the farm too. Jon and Robbie get along together - it should be fun.

We get on with all our neighbours knowing them all by name and always exchanging greetings when we pass in the village or at various events - but with departing neighbour? I just don't know.