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This is the BEFORE shot - showing a few holes about the bathroom window. I have circled them for you to see clearly - although I miscircled a couple. And here is my AFTER shot to prove I was more or less sucessful, before I relate the tale of how it happened...

I managed to fix the ladder to the correct height and lean it in the correct angle, according to the instructions on the ladder edge. I positioned it to perfection and began to ease my way up - with a spoonful of mortar. By the time I had taken 1-2 rungs, I could grab the door overhang 'just in case' - as I am not that used to workmen-style ladders, only little step ladders.

I did 3-4 small lower area holes, but when going up to do one of the 3-4 higher holes chickened out. My friend had warned me not to go up without someone holding the ladder, but I had been out when she brought it around the day before and my son had not answered when I called out 'Are you awake still?'... I did not feel too safe going to the very high holes without a ladder-holder, so climbed down and worked on lower holes for a while.

I was just about ready to talk myself into trying again, when I decided on a loo break first - only to find my son shuffling about upstairs, so I asked for his help. With far more confidence, I managed to go up 2-3 times and fill the holes - all except 1-2 over to the far right of the photo, which alas I could not reach due to a camellia bush being where the ladder would have to go.

However, I proceded to complete the ground floor fillings - albeit somewhat unprofessionally.

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Today, let me show you that I was actually COMPLETELY caught up with laundry - for a few hours, until I stripped my bed that is. But the sight of 3 empty laundry baskets in a row is quite rare for me in this country!

Onwards with the saga of palace-making from my father's dump... My friend L loaned me her ladder for the purpose of filling in some holes in the area about the bathroom window on the exterior of the house. The following picture shows you the result of one of the lower holes that also needed to be filled; luckily the bathroom holes have yet to result in any such damage as the patch of damp in the spare room.

One bright and sunny Sunday morn I spent 2 hours and twenty minutes applying mortar mixed in this tub to the exterior of my home. I found yet another old mop handle lying about the yard, stuck in the pond accessories netting on the wall to use as a stirring stick and 2 old spoons and my gloved fingers acted as the application tools!

I managed to take out a coffee jarfull of dry mix 'just in case', but preceded to mix up the remainder in the tub - stir, stir, stir, scrape, stir, stir, stir...

...and I was ready to climb up my friend's ladder and apply the mortar!

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My friend who helped me take junk to the tip also offered to wash the curtains in her machine. They were ready to go in the photo... (Currently they are awaiting the wall-work and painting to be completed, as I have been informed that they have been washed, dried and ironed!!) 

This shot shows more wall-stuff, all of which had to be removed prior to the next stage of re-decorating. Much as it is a pretty picture and I like how it shines in the light, I do not want it hanging on the wall - nor the thermometer. Both are now gone. The picture into the trash and the thermometer into the kitchen.

Next I began to play around with the clock from my spare room - formerly my father's bed-sit, and prior to that the lounge. I tried it at the top of the stairs, where it did look fairly good - but...

...so did the wall-dish that I had placed near the phone. I preferred the latter, and it is now in its semi-permanent position at the top of the stairs. Unlike the giant framed print my parents had there, I feel the smaller color-matched item fits much better. The clock is now where the wall-plate was, near the phone in the lower hallway - much more useful than in the spare room.

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The above shots are of the two smaller windows in the spare room. Previously, they were blocked by 'family photographs' rather than curtains, but I did not want to have out of date photos of myself and son lying around the spare room - while we are alive right now and living in this home for REAL!

This lump with a hole in is where the TV aeriel comes thru into the house, as this room was formerly the lounge, or 'sitting room' as my parents called it during my childhood. Dad having been a TVaholic, moved into this room when unable to handle the stairs and the room still had the TV in situ until his death.

I do not watch TV at all - and have only watched a few movies on TV since the 2007 Superbowl, when I officially gave up TV. My son did watch TV - mostly movies and soccer - but as he was to be the only user and did not wish to pay for a TV licence, I gave the TV and set top box away and our household has NO TV!

Therefore this lump on the sill - and the lead coming thru the window that replaced the original aeriel socket at some stage were useless. I hacked off the cable, but have yet to remove the hooks that held it in place or the lump. Here is a shot after the net curtains were replaced - and of the remaining items in the spare room. As you can see - not enough stuff left to prevent me from tackling the decorating any longer!

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Here is close up of the muck and dust gathered over 62 years INSIDE the settee - and more evidence of why it is far better taken to the tip than kept any longer. I personally prefer to sit on the floor or laze on a bed than veg on a lounge, though I will indulge in purchasing a small, modern, two-seater, clean lounge for the coffee room to allow me to dispose of the two ugly green garden chairs.

Above is a shot of the indoor junk that had to be taken to the tip. I am happy to report that my friend L had enough spare time to not only rid the garden path but the spare room of junk, clearing nearly all the left over hoardings my parents left behind them.

Here is the windowsill without junk to be sold/donated/tipped. Yes, still work to be done, at this stage - but I am pleased to report that I have already wiped over the sills, cleaned the net curtains, washed the windows AND bagged the burgundy curtains ready for washing, since this photo was taken 2 weeks ago. Below you can see the result while the net curtains were on the washing line.

Alas, the spiders have moved in on my stairs - here you can see their favored patch - and NINE spiders! So much for my spring-cleaning the hallways and stairway of all UNINHABITED cobwebs - not that many got cleared.

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As August drew to a close, and my first major cropping of apple trees resulted in so many apples that I HAD to dump a sack on E's doorstep, hoping she wants one this year, as well as last, when she did. I next have the passionfruits to look forward to - they do not last long once cropped! This year, the first picked was bitter, however.

This is a shot to update you on how the plants my friend gave me are going - they are growing well, and two are flowering. It is nice to see a small pinky-purply dot thru the kitchen window as much of the color is now gone for the time being as the seasons change.

September brings fall, and out came another burst of color - in the form of baby cyclamen plants. We have both white and pink. September made me commence a second batch of cider - this lot to be dry, the former sweet. I then aim to decide which I prefer and play with the apple/water ratio until perfected - if perfection does not arise this year. Below you can see the second batch in the sink being washed over. I additionally managed to persaude L to take a bag and B to take a pair of apples...

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Before tackling the lounge, I removed family pictures from the windowsills. As you can see by the muck behind them, they had been in situ for several years - though I had cleaned behind them at least twice during the years I moved back in and became my Dad's carer.

I took the covering off the old settee and got to work one Friday, somewhat reluctantly as the task of sawing up a sofa was not exactly exciting. You can see how it looked when I was a child in the above photo - before it was recovered by a cheap sofa cover. We used to have a pet cat as I grew up - and it used the sofa as a scratching post - hence the ratty arm edge.

I began by turning it upside down and rescuing 3-4 fat-bellied black spiders. I caught these in a sugar bowl and tossed them into the yard sadly. They may only be bugs, but I felt upset having to throw them out of their home.

I managed to saw part of an arm off - but then hit a problem. It sounded and felt like something metal in there. The saw was borrowed from a friend, and so not wanting to risk damaging it, I stopped. After a moment's thought, I decided to pay my son a bottle of beer to help me out. He agreed to smash the sofa into pieces in exchange for a bottle of Brooklyn.

Saturday arrived, and he pushed, pulled, smashed, whacked, and tugged - while I trod and sawed. The result being...

...success! (& my friend's saw was not damaged!!)