My download has been slowed and will remain so for the next three days - terribly frustrating!

Things are not going smoothly in relation to the sale of the house. My doctor's refusal to provide his passport number means his forms are unacceptable, but fortunately I remembered my best friend's daughter not only has a passport but also is one of the acceptable professions - phew. So I have emailed the forms to her to sign and fill in and send back to me. Meanwhile the tenant delayed providing access to the property for three weeks, then presented it in a messy state and gave the photographer grief while he was working there. Now she has emailed saying she has found somewhere else and wants to waive the 'notice' period. In the circumstances I am probably going to agree with conditions regarding access and condition of the house in the mean time (and also after checking with the letting agents to see if her rent is up to date). I feel I have been more than fair to her, but she is not reciprocating - but I will be glad to have her out when they start showing the place as a hostile tenant is hardly conducive to feeling at home in the place. Since it is midwinter I will have to ask them to leave the central heating on low to keep the chill out of the place and reduce the risk of mildew forming - sigh.

Two cottages to clean today but both in reasonable condition - I will be putting out the rubbish tonight when I call in to clean the bank. I will also be dropping off some removal cartons to a friend who is moving house as she will need as many as she can lay her hands on - being even more cluttered than I am!

Then on to sewing where not much sewing was done but we had several nice chats - and my shopping arrived from the cooking demonstration - I am now the proud owner of a rather nice knife and some Australian Dukkah which is seasoned with various native plants.

I also found a nice pair of cords at the Bargain Centre and a particularly beautiful scarf which I bought less for wearing than for draping elegantly when the bedroom is finished and decorated.

Some nice men in a large truck parked out the front with the most amazing bit of kit on the back - it is basically a long fibreglass pole with a circular saw on the end for trimming high branches. I rushed out to get a quote from them to get rid of the overhanging branches from the neighbours' pine trees (which are across the lane and overhanging my guttering at this stage). Unfortunately they do not do private work, being under contract to Aurora, but they gave me the card of another company that might be able to help. I had no idea such things existed and had expected to have to hire a cherry picker and a bloke with a chainsaw to deal with the branches so I am rather thrilled!