Just Humans Being...

We have cleaned 12 properties in the last week & occasionally have worked into the evening. We seem to have been out lots too & so we ended up shelving No Impact Week because we really didn't have time to think about it - let alone do it! So as well as clean... We visited St Ives Guildhall... And saw  Mark Thomas Who was a brilliant storyteller... We ran the home education meeting & fought off a church cafe - who had taken over our space during the Summer & who announced that the kids were no longer allowed to play in the music room. The place is a teenage centre which we get to use during the day, we use it because it is perfect for teenagers - a fully equipped music studio in the attic, a kitchen - where we can support the kids to dish up some lunch & it also has a basement for chilling out in. So a battle began... Sime & the kids decided to continue with their usual racket & yesterday, we heard that the church group want to swap their day - phew!

One day soon , we'll have time to do so much more... Like do a post about Shugborough Hall, think about the No Impact experiment, finish off our living room, make the house look presentable, have friends round for meals & grow things... This is our one & only vegetable this year - grown accidentally from our own compost! It had fallen from the plant when we arrived home from work & it was delicious! We are now off out to St Ives to see Mark Thomas - looking forward to it, but we'll suffer for it tomorrow... We'll be running the teens home ed group & will no doubt be a bit tired! Nevermind, it's all good fun! Kay :)

We got back in the early hours of yesterday, worked & we're working again until Wednesday. When we'll have a day off to be volunteers at Hugo's home education group...  We had a very productive time in Stoke, got lots sorted again around Bebe & had great fun with her during a meal out... We also saw Grandad Gerry & Nana Footstep (Sime's Dad & Step-Mum), which is always lovely! I had a tooth out - the tooth I had filled a couple of months ago...  Apparently, the filling had been put directly on to the nerve of the tooth, so no wonder I'd been suffering (my jaw has had a dull ache for a while & my tooth was very sensitive to cold drinks & food). The filling hadn't set underneath, so this dentist said he wasn't surprised that I'd had a metallic taste in my mouth. The guy was lovely, he was very patient with my stupid behaviour & Sime was with me throughout holding my trembling hand! We had a bit of free time too - saw a film &

I hate uniforms, always have done. When I was at high school, I did all I could to put my own stamp on it - especially in the last two years & was always getting into trouble for wearing my red socks or a t-shirt instead of the school blouse & my extra large men's chunky sweaters, instead of the grey v-neck... A year before moving to Cornwall, I changed my job & worked for a housing association as a community visitor - which unfortunately, had a hideous navy & grey uniform. I thought it looked great with my red baseball boots & it actually thrilled the old folks I visited! When I started work down here for Social Services, I was back to wearing my own rags. Then one day I had a phone call from the boss of my department, she said she had seen me out & about with a client & she was horrified at my clothes! She said that I should be wearing slacks & a smart top & not the "left-wing, socialist, hippy outfit" she saw me in & that she had

I'm starting to feel better, my heart is slowing down (a little), but at least it's in the right direction... I've even been able to iron work bed linen - without breaking into a sweat...  We've cleaned a large house today & for the first time ever - Sime was hotter than me! An over active thyroid is difficult to live with. And even harder is to see what my pig-headedness does to Sime. He gets all ate up when I refuse help & I have watched him become exhausted with the extra pressure of holding me together. A few days ago, I started taking the anti-thyroid drug - Carbimazole. I hate giving in & I hate taking it, but if it makes Sime feel better - I have to do it. The good thing is (in my opinion) - it takes between 6 to 8 weeks to kick in, but I'm already improving! Which means my herbal mixture of tinctures must be working... I'm taking mainly bugleweed with small doses of lemon balm & motherwort. I've also just started taking l

We have just booked another holiday for next year... The owners of the holiday homes we take care of are not going to be happy! But it's been a long time since we've had a Summer holiday, so we will be camping in France for a couple of weeks & we're already excited! We've also heard from our lovely friends who live in Switzerland & we're hoping to visit them for the Winter Solstice...  Our not going abroad idea didn't last very long - time to update the passports!!! Kay & Sime xx

How did we get here? 24 years of marriage today! We had no intention of getting married... So there was no engagement & Sime's proposal came out of the blue - on a pub car park, after a day at Alton Towers  & a bit of argument! We married in secret... We decided just to make the day our own. No grand ceremony, no flashy new clothes & just a few quid spent! All we bought was a special license because we were marrying within two weeks & our rings. We just told two friends who came along to be our witnesses. And we had the most perfect time. Our Mums were not happy when we returned from our honeymoon, but we didn't care... We had already decided to have a party a couple of weeks after, Sime's band performed & everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  We thought it was a good idea to get really drunk before the party to help us get through the constant introductions, so just ended up giggling all night! Neither of us wanted to marry in front of lots of peopl

Today was one of those rare occasions... When one meets a stranger & instantly hits it off... Well for us - 2 strangers, who are staying in an apartment we look after. What lovely people. One minute we are just asking if they are having a good week & the next thing we know... We'd been sitting, chatting & laughing non-stop for a couple of hours, drinking tea, eating biscuits & cake! A great way to break up our day & we finished off our work feeling rejuvenated. I have a feeling that we will see these folks again & hopefully, we've persuaded them to come back - maybe even to live in Cornwall! Sometimes a chance meeting like that can make a difference to peoples' lives... It was good fun for us & we've ended the day on a high! All the guests this week are lovely & it's an absolute pleasure doing this job when we feel appreciated! Tired, but happy! Kay & Sime xx

It is finally becoming quieter in this part of Cornwall. The families have headed home to prepare for getting back to school... The crowds have gone & it is wonderful! We've nearly got the lane back to ourselves. We have had 3 good lie-ins, spent several hours in  Waterstones  & visited Sal & Ryan in Falmouth - which has been lovely. We've eaten out at Archie Brown's in Truro. And just spent some nice time together. Hugo sporting his new glasses. Back to work tomorrow. It's going to be fine - easy & straightforward... My thyroid is continuing to misbehave & to be honest - I feel pretty awful...  But I'm happy & I know that as soon as we go away & properly unwind, I'm going to feel so much better. I just need lots of rest & to eat well... I've been so tired that I've not even cooked or baked for ages & poor Sime is having to do so much more...  He's such a fantastic, hard-working chap & he never complai

At last work is slowing down... We have 3 days off this week - which is fantastic! This morning we slept in without setting the alarm - Woohoo!!! In two weeks time, we are going back up to Stoke for a few days & then in just over 4 weeks - we'll be going on holiday. Two whole weeks in Wales... We're going to be renting a caravan on a farm at the foot of Mount Snowdon. Photograph From Here We used to go to Wales a lot many years ago. When Sal & Rose were 5 & 3 - we walked up & down Snowdon... It was an amazing, uplifting experience & the girls were fantastic walkers back then. Everyone we met on that journey - stopped to say how impressed they were with our little girls! Even when we managed to stray from the path & ended up climbing over a large crevice with a drop of probably thousands of feet - they remained calm & continued climbing with ease... Unlike me - I went into panic mode as soon as Sime said don't look down! I froze, crie

We have been asked to take part in the  The No Impact Experiment  again. It's good to remind ourselves of how lightly we wish to live & to feel encouraged to do so. Work tends to make us lazy & we find ourselves talking about living simpler as a future event... It's crazy, because both of us are passionate about living with no or very little impact. We continue to dream of life being simple - living off-grid, no mains electricity or running water. Having land to grow our own food & generate our own power. We want to live as far away from other people as possible, to be somewhere very remote. A place away from disrespectful tourists & silly neighbours... To be in control of our lives, support ourselves & be truly happy, fit & healthy would be wonderful! Our journey to simplicity begins on Sunday September 18th.  It would be great if you would come along too! Click here to register:  No Impact Week Registration   And Join our group "Just Humans Be

My thyroid has become over active again! Found out today that my T4 is 74 - it should be between 11 & 22... I've known for a few weeks that things weren't right, but I was hoping it would all just disappear & leave me alone... Not a chance, it's here to stick around & I've got to deal with it yet again. I think my body doesn't cope well with stress & exhaustion, so it's time to make some changes. I know I will recover again - once we slow down & we have now made the decision that the crazy changeovers will have to go...  This Saturday will be our last full day of cleaning & then we can take it a bit easier. I am really hating work at the moment, probably because I am struggling physically - my muscles are weak, my heart is pounding at around 100 bpm, I am breathless, always hungry & losing weight. The doctor has prescribed carbimazole again, but I really don't want to take it.  Luckily, I have some herbal tincture left from l

Last Sunday night, we set off to visit Sime's parents in Stoke... We had to work during the day, so we didn't leave until the evening & stayed overnight in Tewkesbury. The only photo we took in Tewkesbury - this car is an Alvis... We arrived there quite late & left straight after breakfast. Our main purpose was to assist Sime's Mum, Bebe with a couple of appointments. We also went out for a meal with Grandad Gerry... And Nana Footstep... Diets start tomorrow... A sadly closed traditional Potter's eatery... We would have loved to have gone in... Eating out with Bebe... A place mat which advertises a fantastic sounding tonic stout... Unfortunately, it no longer exists. Sime's piled up plate... Staffordshire Oatcakes! Outside the oatcake shop... Next door is interesting - Sime put a box of oatcakes down on the step on a recent visit (thinking it was an empty shop).  Within minutes a scantly clad woman of dubious character swung open the door &