So Much Space

I have been thinking recently about how we view and use our space or more to the point about how I do.  After talking to my husband about putting in another bathroom downstairs we decided against it, the reason being that we manage with the one and we have done so for all this time so is there really a need?  I know there are probably a few wondering how they would do without their second or third bathrooms but it really is just a matter of what you are used to and how you use things.

My sons are now teenagers, the oldest is working and three of us like to shower in the morning and the youngest likes to do so in the evening.  I am first up and out, oldest son goes in straight after me closely followed by the youngest to wash and do his teeth and my husband goes in after that.  It works, we have the occasional shout of hurry up but mostly it is a good system.

But it is not just bathrooms though is it, we seem to be conditioned to believe we need more space when actually we probably spend most of our time in the same areas.  Of course if you have a larger family then you will need more space than a childless couple but sometimes it is about storing stuff.

While out walking yesterday we saw this property for sale and it is also yesterdays picture of the day.

Yes a church that you can live in.

Now I'm not sure if I like the idea, when we got home I looked at the pictures of the interior and as you could see from the outside the building is vast.  Inside while nicely done there is no sense of cosiness, it is just so big.  I would also imagine the upkeep on the exterior would be a money pit but someone will no doubt buy it because they are attracted to the amount of space it offers, which also needs to be heated, cleaned and lit.

We have talked about the possibility that we may move one day when we retire but if we do it would be more about the outlook and the location than the size of the property.  I watched a Ted talk by Graham Hill here where he show off his apartment designs, every item is multifunctional and you make the most of the space you have.  While I wouldn't want such a minimalist look the ideas are super and certainly give us something to think about in our ever expanding population.

So I think I will embrace my one bathroom and be grateful that my sons accept our little rota without complaint and also that I only have the one bathroom to clean.

Sunny days

We have finally had a bit of sunshine this week so I managed to get  a couple of pictures without a grey sky, yesterday and today.  I went out early for dinner with friends last night so  I'm posting that picture now.

This was from a distance so hazy due to zooming in on a non powerful camera,  nice to see the horses in the fields.  There is a field nearby with alpacas so I may have to wander over and take a photo of them one day next week.

This one is from my walk today I was under the cover of trees so it appears darker than it was.

 Other than getting out with the dogs and doing the food shopping I've not been up to much today but I have decided that from this week I will be saving my receipts from my food shop.  Just to get a clearer idea over the course of a year and also because I am fed up of hearing how our food prices are going to go up so I thought I would monitor it myself.

I don't really buy anything in bulk, I wonder how much could be saved this way so I am going to look into that. I keep the food shop pretty reasonable but there is bound to be somewhere I can improve, I don't have a big freezer so it can't be too much frozen stuff but otherwise I'm curious.

Planning a Walk

I have just come back from my walk with the dogs and yet again I have had to carry three dog bags this time for about 2.6 miles before reaching a bin. Ridiculous! Of course I want to tidy up after my pets but  where have all the bins gone? Just about every time I go out I find this and it doesn't matter which route I take, unless I am passing through the park or by the school there are no bins.  The sad thing is in one particular area by the side of the road I saw dog bags on the floor as if people had given up after miles of walking. Obviously they should not be doing this but they have picked it up so my thinking is if there had been any bins around this wouldn't be happening.

The reason I know how far I walked before encountering a bin is this little website I found Plotaroute.com this is really handy because you just drag your route on the map and it tells you how far it is, you can estimate arrival times and so on.  Quite handy I think, I have found that two of my regular walks are just over three miles and thought they were a quick whip around as I walk quite fast.  It is good to know I am covering more ground than I realized and that when we do longer walks it is better still.
Here is my picture for the day, I had to put the dog bags down to take it but be assured I picked them up again and carted them around looking for the elusive bin.

I do hope it is not going to be thirty days of dreary skies although the light in this one is a little better.

There is hope for lighter days to come, there is something growing in this field, the daffodils are all coming up and it has been quite mild today so hopefully the days will be brighter.  I am finding everyone is in need of a rest and the dark days don't help.
 I have been watching an Icelandic drama called 'Case' it was good but a bit dark as most crime dramas are, I watched the last episode of the first series this week but they left it so there can be a second series.  I am finding the  book 'After You' a bit dull otherwise I would have finished it by now.