Category Archives: Where and how to live

why what’s mine is yours though maybe for a very small fee

Posted on August 15, 2011 by

This morning we went to a car boot sale where people were selling much loved possessions for a pittance.  This was a good thing but personal items aside, I’m having increasingly strong feelings about possessions in general, especially the rarely … Continue reading →

Posted in Crisis management, Living safely and sustainably | Leave a comment

Could we clarify ‘wow’ as in factor before someone thumps the next estate agent who says it?

Posted on July 5, 2011 by

It was a stupid phrase to begin with and it remains not only stupid but meaningless.  Maybe  once  (about a hundred years ago) it was used to describe a property that was genuinely, jaw-droppingly attractive compared to similar houses in … Continue reading →

Posted in Moving house | Leave a comment

what to do about staying warm if you don’t have central heating

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

Although I’ve spent more winters in  the UK, I’ve never been as cold there as I have been in Australia.   When I was growing up,  some winter mornings were so bitter  you couldn’t hold a toothbrush.  My parents, like many … Continue reading →

Posted in Household maintenance, Looking after yourself, The happy household | Leave a comment

Getting rid of mice

Posted on June 3, 2011 by

The problem with the mouse is that it’s as cute looking as it is unwanted in the average household so getting rid of it poses the problem of how to do it without feeling like a murderer. The feeling, of … Continue reading →

Posted in Getting the place straight, Household maintenance, The happy household | 1 Comment

Putting an end to shed dread

Posted on May 19, 2011 by

My husband had come to hate the shed he once craved. He’s a man who hates mess of any sort but the shed, which had been purchased to house  stuff that couldn’t fit into the tool cupboard in the laundry … Continue reading →

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we’ve killed one innocent olive tree -how do we spare the second?

Posted on May 11, 2011 by

Part of our grand plan when designing  a  minimalist garden  for our rural residence was a line of olive trees up the drive and we duly planted 24; 22 up the straight  and two around the bend  where the drive … Continue reading →

Posted in Getting the place straight, Household maintenance | Leave a comment

Too much painting too much washing

Posted on May 10, 2011 by

Shortly before he died my father remarked that there was far too much painting in the world and even though I laughed my head off in an unkind way, I  knew what he meant. His house was being painted and … Continue reading →

Posted in Household chores, Household maintenance | 2 Comments

arranging a perfect vase of flowers

Posted on April 21, 2011 by

A friend of mine was once given  a  day long flower arranging course  as a  birthday present  from her husband. I can’t remember whether she requested it but in any case she was kind enough to ask me along and … Continue reading →

Posted in Getting the place straight, Household chores, The happy household | 1 Comment

how to lift heavy furniture without breaking your back

Posted on April 19, 2011 by

Or your foot. In my husband’s case his foot which is very small in relation to his upper body strength, he reckons.  His shoe size is nine, his chest size is 45in. He has powerful muscles in quite short legs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Getting the place straight, Looking after yourself, Moving house | Leave a comment

what to do if you’re married to a pyromaniac

Posted on April 15, 2011 by

I say pyromaniac he says very proficient stump burner and maybe he is but you watch a man tend a fire and you  pretty soon gauge the extent of his madness.  We currently have a fire in our backyard which … Continue reading →

Posted in Crises of all sorts, Living safely and sustainably, The happy household, What to do about everyone | Leave a comment