A better day of progress on the building work as we feel that a corner has been turned and another busy day supervising Daniel’s school work but both daughters go to bed sick tonight as the death toll rises in the Columbian earthquake with rivers of mud and debris obliterating a town
Awake to my morning tea on a much milder morning. No frost today and it had been raining for a good deal of the night, and again as I draw the curtains. My exercises before breakfast and I am getting quite proficient at them now, after a diffident beginning. Down to the lounge where I start to take Daniel through his prep for checking. It takes a long time and much longer still because of Daniel’s incessant arguing and so, in the end, I have to shout at him, which upsets the whole family as a start to the day. Well after 8.00am by this time and I quickly shower, wash my hair, shave and dress in a vain attempt to be ready to see the head builder. In the meantime Diana raises with him the question of the door from the kitchen to the hall being an outside door rather than the inside door that we had imagined. At last ready and so to start work in Debbie’s new bedroom, drilling the wall to take curtain rails. We decide against going to Bedford so that we can get on and so I spend a little more time feeding the doves and ducks and reviewing the builder’s work. Today they start felting and battening the roof and the glazier calls to glaze the kitchen door and Daniel’s balcony door. This makes us much more weather proof and the enlarged house starts to take shape. The decorator also spends the day here painting ceilings whilst he can and the electrician places all the utility room socket channels against the wall.
Lunch of more sandwiches and a couple of pears for refreshment and then, this afternoon, I tackle the guest room curtain rails and fit them to take the old curtains from our existing bedroom. Tea of sausages and yet more sandwiches and then another session with Daniel and his school work. This time I put him away from all distraction in our new sitting room, using the dining table and chairs for his convenience. I work upstairs reversing the two bedside cabinets in the guest room (I have given up on Anglia Interiors to do it) and ended up by doing a magnificent job, if I say so myself. Diana starts doing some housework tonight, tidying up the temporary kitchen and scraping the floor clear of debris. I think we have turned the corner on the house conversion and things will get better from now on. Main news story today is of the resignation of Tory Treasury Minister, Ian Gow, over the new Anglo/Irish pact which was signed by Thatcher and Fitzgerald in the Republic today at Hillsborough Castle. The agreement includes a say for the south in the policies and executive of the Northern Ireland government. The Unionists are also doggedly opposed to the agreement and will fight it tooth and nail. They will cease their co-operation with government ministers and resign their seats in the House of Commons to force a vote on the issue. The other main story is of the rising death toll of the Colombian volcano eruption. Mud is 15ft deep in places and up to 50,000 are feared dead and 25,000 are left instantly homeless. Survivors cling to trees as the mountain ice caps melted, sending a 60mph river of mud cascading through their region. They flounder on the surface, not able to stand for fear of sinking. More speculation on the talks next week at Geneva with Star Wars vs Star Peace posturing, competing for TV coverage and Reagan and Gorbachev maneuvering for advantage. Following coach crashes on motorways, all must now be fitted with 70mph speed governors. UK inflation is down a bit, but no good news on unemployment. Weather forecast is for clear skies tonight and perhaps some patchy frost. As we were about to go to bed tonight both Debbie and then Della woke crying with fits of sickness. Perhaps it was something that they ate.