To sell or not to sell? That is the question (amongst others)

Sunday 12 April 2015

Cloud cover with sunny spells
21 degrees

Read Frederick Forsyth's 'The Afghan' in bed with many cups of tea.  Gripping story and also helps to understand some of the nightmare that is Islamic extremism.  The extremists latest atrocities extend to cultural cleansing and they have just destroyed the ancient city of Nimrud

 A sculpture of a guardian figure in Nimrud. Photograph: Nik Wheeler/Corbis

 Detail of an Assyrian relief from Nimrud showing horses and horsemen of the royal chariot, 725BC. Photograph: Steven Vidler/Eurasia Press/Corbis

Most of the site's relics are safely stored in museums around the world but many of the winged guardian figures had been left in place.  These people are not extremists or fundamentalists.  No religion advocates destruction.  Young girls as running away from the UK to be brides of Islam.  I wonder in what dreadful situations they find themselves.  What torture for their parents.

We take the dog to the river, which is slow flowing and deep agate in colour.  The sky is a deep azure blue and we see salmon and trout idly treading water and then back home and I need another siesta.

I catch up with the NZ ladies finally at the end of the afternoon and tell them the good news about the Villa.  They are cautiously excited and say they are severely jetlagged and we will talk at 1 pm my time tomorrow.  I am concerned that they will not offer enough. Watch Location, Location, Location and pick up a useful phrase used by Phil which will help me to present any offer coming from the ladies, to the owner of the Villa.

I tackle the immense ironing mountain.  The phone rings and it is the Brits who OH told to sod off so I dont answer it.  We have a chat.  Do we really want to sell our house now?  Do we want to sell at all?  I point out that if we were to improve the house - put in central heating and do the bathroom - would we need to move?  There is a fundamental gap of about 200 miles between where I want to live in the UK and where OH wants to live.  He is not yet aware that I have no intention of living anywhere other than the South coast.  What is the point of going back to the UK and being so far from the boys that we never see them?  I also want to live on the coast. He is thinking Lake District or Trough of Bowland or Yorkshire.  OH says our house is a lot of work and he is sick of the rental units.  We decide to withdraw the house from the market and if someone with a lot of money comes along, then we will sell.  He is keen on spending a lot of time in Spain.  I cant say that I am.  Yet another country where he wont be able to get along with the language and it will all be left down to me.

Feel stressed about various sales.  OH makes strange meal of duck breast, cauliflower, roast parsnips and charred onions. To be fair, that was all that was in the fridge.