A New Life in Suffolk

I really am running out of ideas for titles for these blogs so will probably end up numbering them, hence the question marks.
Another jam packed week or so. My friend C came to stay ostensibly to help pack up the house. well we finished that pdq & then went out in the garden, she also being a keen gardener. We got loads done,stripped the turf off the new border, planted all the cowslips she had given me & divided the shrubs I had to move in preparation for the new car park.
I have attempted to lay the hedge as the front, it doesn't look bad but bit back at me. It is blackthorn & I got a thorn in my knuckle. I didn't think much of it even though it was sore. The next morning was a different story. My hand had swollen to twice it's normal size. I had to go to the doctors about something else so showed her my hand. She said it was common to get blackthorn poisoning But is the swelling didn't go down in a few days to come back. Luckily it has gone done & stopped being painful.
The builders have started & we now have a fine layer of brick dust all over the house. Something you have to live with during building work.It is all shaping up well. I find it difficult to imagine the changes planned, so it is a great relief to see that they do work. The better half has been working hard, removing radiators, skirting board old carpet & anything else that gets us one step nearer the B&B. I have now moved all my workroom stuff over to the new garage. It looks great with it's smart black & white checked flooring. The laundry room will be amazing, a good light clean space for all those sheets & towels that will need doing.
We have had to cut down a lot of hedging & a couple of small trees to make way for the car park(the chain saw is now in use) so had a surplus or branches etc. We decided to have a bonfire & it was so successful that we had one three nights running & have got rid of all the rubbish that is burnable. It saves taking it to the tip. I must add that I will be planting hedging & trees to replace all we have cut down.
You may remember me talking about a duck who used to come round for bread, well we haven't seen him for a couple of weeks & I was hoping that he had found a lady friend. We were telling J of the cider farm next door about him & he said he had seen a squashed duck on the road, so maybe he has gone to the big pond in the sky. I hope up there he has a mended wing & can fly all he wants. Talking of the wild life, while C & I were gardening, there were a couple of pheasants in the garden. I had dug a hole for a plant & had gone to get some bonemeal for it. When I came back this big pheasant was sitting in the hole! They really are stupid birds.
The septic tank has arrived & is sitting on the lawn like a large grey spaceship. They are going to have to dig a very large hole for it, I'm glad I don't have to. Hopefully it will go in next week & there won't be some pheasant sitting in it!
The saga of the fire doors rumbles on. We now have to have intumescent strips round them, the hinges I bought aren't big enough & the locks aren't big enough so they all have to go back. Will it never end?
The cards & flyers for the B&B are just about finalized & look fantastic. I must now knuckle down & work on wording & pics for the web site. This is all getting very real & I am starting to realize that we may actually have real paying guests staying one day. Very scary!
Tomorrow I am having a day off. C & I are going out to a nursery, then a hotel for lunch & to look at their rooms for inspiration. After lunch we are going to Beth Chatto's garden so I can get ideas for my gravel garden. so really it is a fact finding mission & not a jolly at all!
And then on Saturday we are off to the auction again. Can't wait.
With that I will sign off.

The frocks are gone & thanks to this beautiful weather I am out in my garden & thoroughly enjoying myself. I must say that most of the week has been spent shifting soil; digging out old clay soil & digging in rotted leaf mould & compost, & as yet I haven't planted anything, but even so it is great fun & better than any work out at the gym! I have gone mad & ordered vast amounts of plants for which I don't really have the beds yet but it feels great. My hornbeam hedge for the gravel garden has arrived & will go in tomorrow. The better half has buried the pipes & cables to the work/laundry room & I have painted the fence so once I have dug over the ground I can plant my 1st plants. The weather looks set fair for the week so I can also start on the front garden. In one way this is great but I have to start packing the house in readiness for the builder starting in just over a week. I think I know what most gardeners out there would choose.
I have been having trouble with my arms, & after a couple of visits to the doctor it turns out I have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. I thought it sounded unusual but having mentioned it to a few people it turns out quite a few friends & relatives have had it. A steroid injection later & it is much better, so I shall have one in the left wrist as well & hopefully that will be the end of it.
We had a lovely day at our friends last Saturday. Her daughter has chosen a really lovely dress design & I am looking forward to making it. We had a great meal & it was good to catch up with all the news. This was the better half's 1st visit outside Suffolk(except the odd trip to Norwich) since we moved not that he seems that fussed.
So, coming together, at last we have all our quotes in & although everything is above what I budgeted at least I now know & we can make informed choices about what we do. We have also had approval from the environmental agency to go ahead with the new septic tank. This is very exciting & with the builder starting I can now start to believe that the B&B really will happen. We have also got our email account for the B&B up & running which is another step in the right direction. I have even had an inquiry & request for a brochure. Unfortunately we aren't that ready!
This venture is turning out to be a catalogue of firsts, & today was another. We attended our first auction. My budget for extra furniture is not very big. We have decide to buy all the beds new but hope to get most other bits in sales or auctions. Anyway the better half researched it & there is one in Lowestoft every couple of weeks. So we decided to go today & just have a look & see how it all works. Suffice to say we came away with an estate car full plus the roof rack. What fun, I'm sure it could become addictive. There are real bargains to be had & it is interesting to watch the other punters & see what they bid for. I was positive that we wouldn't get anything & would be out bid but not so. We lost out on a couple of bits but were good & set ourselves a limit on what we would bid & didn't exceed it. Can't wait for the next one.
Our friends P&J have been on holiday in the Carribean but are back now & seem to have a great time. They are coming at Easter to help with decorating. It will be great to see them, as I do miss my friends.
It is now getting late & I have another busy day in the garden tomorrow, so will sign off.
Goodnight.

The outside of the garage is now finished & looks mighty fine. I was very impressed with the speed that H worked. He finished in 5.5 days instead of the 8 he estimated so we are now up for finishing off the inside prior to moving my workroom. I say we but in all honesty I mean the better half as I am busy finishing costumes. He is doing brilliantly & I think is thoroughly enjoying himself.
My week of catering for guests is over & I feel went well. I loved every minute of it which I hope bodes well for when we have paying guests. I seem to be at my happiest when tending others needs which is something that has only happened over the last few years. Maybe it has something to do with getting old!
Our friends C&D stayed overnight & we had a great evening. We have known them since our days in Balham when they lived next door. They are now near Andover so we see each other less often but that makes visits more special. C is very good for me, she is always calming for me when I get stressed & can usually come up with a solution for any problem I might have. D decided to go through our CD collection after dinner(& several single malts!) Now I have to say that my taste in music is not great & I really thought he would take one look & dismiss the lot but he actually found some gems & seemed impressed. I shall have to go through them again sometime though God knows when. There really aren't enough hours in the day.
On Sunday the better half's brother & wife C&L came for lunch. We all get on really well & had a lovely day, eating & chatting. The day just went & it seemed no time til they had to leave. They bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers, roses & lillies. I love flowers in the house & always have some posy or small vase of fresh flowers in the hall. That has stopped since we moved as there is no point during building work, so this was a great treat. L also showed me how to use Excel on the computer. Spreadsheets are a bit of an unknown to me but will be necessary in running the B&B, so this was very useful.
As to building work, suffice to say we are still waiting on quotes & no work has started yet, very frustrating.
We get to go out next weekend, all be it to Essex. I may be making a wedding dress for a friend's daughter & we are going down for a chat. I will tell you more next time.
Time to sign off now as I really must do some work. I long for the sewing to be over so I can get on with my garden. This is coming on well & has stopped looking like a pile of sand & rubble & shows some semblance of being the gravel garden C has designed.
Hopefully next time I write the frocks will be gone!