Tuesday

I've found some more books to declutter so I'll last out the month to complete the challenge. Today's offering will be given to the same person who is now the proud owner of the set of recorder books I decluttered earlier in the month, as I'm sure she can make use of it.

I heard from the cleaning company yesterday who reported that S had 'forgotten/was confused with her timetable' and had mistakenly gone home early. They could have sent her yesterday but I was out when I took the phone call and didn't want her there when I was teaching so I had to refuse, which means she won't be back until her next scheduled date. One of my friends uses a different cleaning company so when she returns from holiday I'll see if she recommends them and if so, and the price is right, I may change over.

In the end I did my shopping in Melksham yesterday as I treated myself to some calligraphy magazines and I had to collect and pay for them.

This is part of one of those weekly/monthly magazine schemes which always work out to be really expensive but the person who advertised them had lost interest and was selling them. The majority of the packs have never been opened and still contain their free gifts (which will fit in the box on the left of the photo) and I can't see that any of it has ever been used so it was a bargain at £10 for the lot. This will enable me to have a proper go at calligraphy and try out some different techniques without spending a fortune on different pens and inks ... that can happen at a later date if I find that I enjoy calligraphy as a hobby.

I also did my shopping in Aldi. I haven't shopped there for years because I got out of the habit when caring for my partner and we started having the food delivered. Based on yesterday's visit I can see that it's definitely possible to reduced my food bill; I already eat quite cheaply but based on the current prices I think I could easily reduce my annual expenditure by at least £300. I'd like to try Lidl as well as it's not possible to get everything in Aldi. It all comes down to taste so if I like the things I've bought, and they don't make me ill, then I'll swap over permanently.

Teaching was fun and the children never cease to amaze me by what they achieve. I'm lucky that they all practice so I don't have to deal with the frustration of lack of progress due to lack of effort.

Today I'm in the kitchen cooking up some chilli and some keema curry for the freezer. In between stirring pots I'll be pottering around in the garden dealing with the few weeds that have dared to show their heads. I have one of those horrible pressure headaches so I am praying that the promised thunderstorm arrives and clears the air. After I've finished in the kitchen and the garden I don't have anything else that I must do, so will have a peaceful afternoon relaxing ready for tonight ... meeting Julie, Lauren and Sue for a meal which will be paid for using the tokens we won on a quiz night.

Monday

It's my teaching day today so whatever I choose to do, I have to be back here by 3 pm at the latest. The forecast is for showers but I'd like to get out and get some fresh air so I'll take myself into town later this morning to do a bit of shopping, pay a couple of bills, and bank some cheques. They are the only 'must do' tasks, after which ... I don't know ... whatever takes my fancy! Maybe a short walk around the park or perhaps a wander round the Shaw Trust garden centre, although that could be expensive! 

Today's book was one I was given but have never used, so I'll pass it on to someone who will appreciate it. I have a few more books to declutter but I'm not sure if there are enough to get to the end of the month, unless I count windband arrangements as books. I'll see how it goes.

The family tree research is frustrating and I didn't make any significant progress yesterday. The tree belonging to this new cousin only records six of her family members and I can't find any of them with any certainty in the Ancestry records so I have decided to make contact and take it from there. A lot of the connections through the DNA testing are only interested in the information relating to their ethnic origins, so I am hoping that this cousin is an exception and is interested in the actual ancestry as well ... or will provide more information to at least get me started.

Sunday

I spent most of yesterday afternoon in front of the laptop. I was asked to write a character reference for Lauren who is hoping to move into rented accommodation in Bath to be nearer her new job. That didn't take long and then I lost all sense of time searching through my family tree.

I had my DNA tested a couple of years ago and from that I have been provided with a continually updating list of potential relatives. I have been struggling to find any details about my dad's ancestry on his father's side but it look like I may have been provided with the means to find the information I need. I've been given the details of a 1st/2nd cousin who, from the information on her tree, doesn't seem to belong on any of the branches I've researched so far and I'm hopeful that this will be the start of sorting out dad's line. 1st cousins will share a grandparent but that doesn't seem the case, so I need to research by expanding each generation to find the common ancestor who may be in the previous generation to the grandparents. When I have a bit more detail I will write to this new 1st/2nd cousin and see if they can provide any answers. It's all very exciting ... well, it is to me anyway!

Some more books to go, and that's another shelf cleared!

One of the Harry Potter films is on TV this afternoon so I will probably watch that, and then the rest of the day will probably be spent on family tree research.

Saturday

Well S didn't turn up to do the cleaning yesterday so I have spoken to one of their admin staff about it and will speak to the manager on Monday. I need someone who is reliable and much as I like S this will be the third time out of a possible nine visits when I've been left without a cleaner.

It's band practice this morning and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone after a quiet few days at home. It's a different sort of practice this morning as our usual conductor is on holiday so the session will be taken by our principal cornet player (adult!). She has said she may be late so I'll take the practice until she arrives.

After practice I'm hoping to call in to the library as they are advertising board games sessions every Saturday afternoon. I won't stay today as I'd need to work out how and where to have lunch, but I'd like to see if others are interested, which games are being played, and whether I think it will work for me. It's advertised as something for adults with children being welcome as well, so it all depends on the ratio of adults to children. I'll drive home via the Bradford on Avon library as they are advertising the same type of event so I have a choice of two venues if I decide to give it a try.

Once I'm back home I don't plan on going out for the rest of the weekend, except for a stroll along the canal or the village if the weather stays fine.

I've added some more of my partner's books to the 'sell' pile ...

Friday

I don't really have much to write about today. I did very little yesterday and today will be more of the same ... maybe a bit of pottering about indoors, but nothing too strenuous.

I feel much better today but have my sensible head on so will take the rest of the week at a leisurely pace. Apart from band tomorrow morning there is nothing else in the diary so I can please myself and do whatever I feel like doing ... if that is doing nothing, then so be it!

I've found some more of my late partner's books which had been put out of the way and forgotten. I have no wish to keep these so will advertise them for sale.

S will be here later this morning to clean through the house so I'll have a quick tidy round before she get's here (as I want her to clean, not tidy up). I'm usually good at keeping the place tidy but have let things slip over the past couple of days so that'll be my next task after finishing this post. 

Thursday

This is a possible for the SPSH No 2, Single and Pretty. 

And this is my little pile of books to be decluttered today ... all of them belonged to my late partner but you can probably guess that from the titles!

I've received a letter advising that the doctor wants to see me to discuss the results of my recent blood tests. I've been asked to make a 'routine' appointment so I'm taking that as an indication that there is nothing seriously wrong or maybe a confirmation that there is nothing wrong at all and he needs to decide what to do next. I phoned for an appointment this morning but he is fully booked this week and is then away on holiday so the earliest I will get to see him is July 8th ... another indication that the results aren't a cause for concern.

I'm having another easy at-home day, probably just reading and sleeping. The joint pain is back under control today but I had a disturbed night and kept waking because I couldn't find a comfortable sleeping position, so I'm catching up with a few Zzzzzs while I can.

Wednesday

I haven't finished sorting though the music theory books yet but I seem to have moved on to some of my late partner's books which were set aside to be sold. I've been putting off dealing with these for too long and it's time to get on with it. This is one of many Meccano books I have stacked on the bottom shelf of a cupboard in my playroom, all of which are sought by collectors so selling them should be an easy and profitable exercise.

It's a day at home today, doing very little I think. Every joint is painful and moving is an ordeal so I need a few days to rest and hopefully improve the situation. I have plenty to read so won't be bored and if I do summon up the energy to do some work, there is plenty of band admin to do ... working on the laptop should be manageable.

Tuesday

The book group was good fun last night and we stayed out much later than we should have done considering that the others had to get up for work this morning. I'm meeting the same friends tonight to see Men In Black International at the Odeon so that'll be today's joyful activity.

I'm hoping to divide my time between the garden and continuing the sorting of the cupboards in the playroom. The forecast is for rain but I'm optimistic that I can get out in the garden at some stage, at least long enough to tie back all the new growth on the climbers.

Today's book looks very tatty but I have every confidence it will sell for a good price. It's a maintenance manual for an early model MG and I was surprised and pleased by the amount the previous one I sold realised in the sale. 

Monday

A few more music theory books to add to yesterday's pile.

Yesterday turned out to be a day of dreadful news with a friend contacting me to say she is being treated for breast cancer, and then hearing that the father of a young child in the band has passed away. They say that bad news comes in threes but I'm truly hoping that is not the case this time.

It's my teaching day, starting at 3:30 pm, so the rest of the day leading up to then will be spent looking through one of the cupboards in the playroom to see if I want to get rid of anything. I haven't yet managed to get the three cupboards in that room organised properly so I think that will be my focus this week.

My joyful activity will be to check out the photos of all the participants of the SPSH. It's the Sci-Fi book group tonight so that will be my second joyful activity of the day.

Sunday

Following on from yesterday's decluttering of books, I'm sorting through a pile of reference books I was given. The books in this photo, together with a massive pile of other similar ones, were a generous gift from a friend of my late partner. He'd studied music throughout his entire life and thought they'd be of interest to me but now I've made the decision that I won't be continuing any higher level studying in music theory I've decided to pass these books on to someone who will use them as intended. At the time of writing this I haven't settled on the best way to do this so although they are marked for disposal, they may not be leaving the house just yet!

I didn't have the relaxing afternoon I'd planned for yesterday as I suddenly became Miss Popular and was tied to the phone most of the time, catching up with friends who'd all, for some unknown reason, decided to phone me. After the last phone call had finished I turned on the TV and was delighted to see that the live action Jungle Book film was just starting so I watched and enjoyed that, and then ... more phone calls, this time arranging to meet during the school holidays in August.

It's Sunday today so my fun activity will be to watch the fourth Harry Potter film this afternoon. The rest of today will be spent pottering about the house, and maybe the garden. I have the bedding to wash and dry, and want to tidy up in the music room ready for tomorrow's lessons, but that's all that needs to be done. Apart from the HP film the rest of the day will probably be spent reading, playing the piano, and writing letters to a couple of friends.