Going my own way

It has been a year of trying new things and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Some things have worked brilliantly, some things have gone OK and others have gone spectacularly wrong but I realise, looking back that I needed all the experiences, the good and the bad to arrive where I am now with an increasing awareness of the things that make me happy, the things I am happy with and the things I wish to learn and develop.
I have become much more appreciative of the small things in life - the things that I now realise are really the big things and the quality of my life is improving daily as I appreciate how lucky I am to be living my life my way.

recycling

I enjoy giving away and selling cheaply the things I no longer need. Yesterday my sofa went for 99p on eBay. This means I do not have to pay someone to tip it and another person is happy with their bargain. I also like sites like Free-cycle and also furniture companies that run as charities that collect your items free and sell them at low cost to people on a low income. It is a shame when  people just tip their items but at least around 60% of what turns up at the local tip is able to be recycled later.
A few years ago there was a reality TV show where the participants volunteered for an experience not knowing where they were going. They were blindfolded and driven to a land fill tip where they had to survive for a while. It was pretty interesting  to see how they coped and also what they found on the tip that they could use to make life easier for them.
It takes a bit of thought and time to find a new home for our unwanted items but it really is worth taking that time to see if there is a way someone else can benefit from our cast-offs.

holidays

I have woken up to the sun streaming in my window knowing that the summer holiday is well and truly here! I am looking forward to meeting up with friends and family as well as spending time in my lovely caravan. I will also be clearing my house little by little and am hopeful that it will be on the market very soon now. It is so exciting to me moving on to a new chapter....

Clearing the way

Today I went to school for the day to print off the first terms lesson plans and help prepare the classroom. It is good to get this out of the way. Tomorrow morning the bidding closes on my items I am selling and I am hopeful some of the larger pieces of furniture will find a home and help me towards the next step in clearing the house in readiness for sale.
I heard from the valuer and the market price is good. Now seems like a good time- the right time for me to sell!
Tomorrow I will take photo's to be included in the marketing.
This is really happening!

Hettie's check up

Hettie is going in for a check up. I am hoping that the mechanics can fix the heater which is stuck on 'on.' They are going to put a tricky bulb in  my side light and investigate a squeak ( possibly a wheel-bearing?)    I am optimistic that she will be easily fixed and believe she is a good  car. It is a shame Hattie came to such a sad end but Hettie does appear to be a fine replacement.

I love Greenwich Park!

It was lovely on Saturday. Graham and I took Ollie, Rufus and Burt to the park where they proceeded to cause mayhem as per usual. Actually Rufus and Burt were Ok but Ollie managed to steal a slice of Salami from a picknicking couple!          
We all love the park. Ollie particularly enjoys it because he is surrounded by smaller dogs which feeds his ego as he believes himself to be a large dog!
The food at Greenwich market is delicious. We love the vegan cakes and the Ethiopian food.
What a lovely day out!

Yesterday was hard work but....

Yesterday was hard work but it was worth it. I have just about completed a terms worth of planning for my English students in September so now I can focus on what I need to do in my personal life The house valuer came   ( keeping his cards close to his chest) and the boiler man came and serviced the boiler. I have already cleared out a lot of junk, sold sellable stuff at boot-fairs, been to the charity shop, the tip you name it and while there is still clearing to be done ( the shed in particular!!!!)  I am well on the way.

Today I listed items I don't need on 'ebay' and hopefully they will sell. I have them listen for 5 days. other stuff will be listed on 'freecycle' as I get closer to not needing the items. I am taking my prized possessions  with me and am having a dramatic clear out of the rest and it feels good!

Here's to selling the house and moving on.
I am so excited!