Things are really starting to move at the brick beauty. The kitchen cupboards are moved downstairs (thanks for the muscle Dan), the ceiling painstakingly sealed over the kitchen area, and the internal stairs being demolished.  Or as Peter describes it, he’s been ‘down pit’ and creating a dust storm throughout the entire house.

What else can a girl do than escape to Patong Beach, Phuket, with her sister?! 🛫🏖😇

After the heat wave over the summer we can see there’s been some good in having a break from the work.  Peter’s been pulling out all the stops to get the shoulder ready for the March 1 start date on the reno – with regular physio, acupuncture, pilates, and massage.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our favourite people – amazing how a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home can somehow manage to be comfortable with many adults, children, babies and dogs – poor big boi (Megs cat) really had a hard time finding a quiet, safe place!  We had to call in a favour from the talented Sam to make the pool fencing up to safety standards, but he was happy to do that for his 2 beautiful nieces.

Already in the week and a half on the job (part-time still) the back railing is finished, the work around the pool filter pump and under veranda gates finished, the stain glass window carefully taken out ready for louvres to be installed, the piano moved upstairs, an external hood designed and ordered for over the new kitchen window,  and right now Peter’s scaring the back door neighbour dog as he uses the demolition hammer to take out the brick window sill on the soon to be kitchen window.  The place is really looking and feeling like a work site these days.

Strangely that is making us both feel quite good!

The new platform ladder is working out perfectly in the space and has the approval of the now self-appointed ladder-safety officer.  That vaulted ceiling needs to be sanded and painted before the kitchen can be moved into the area and with Peter’s arm not to go above his shoulder, that’s going to be Marg’s job.  Nothing like learning a new skill set and developing new sets of muscles too.

… though definitely not at the pace first planned.  We are channeling the wise tortoise and taking it slow.  For now.

Peter continues to heal (slowly, like the wise tortoise), and will be totally back on deck in Feb 2018.  Marg is painting her way around the areas she can safely reach.  Our household has a phobia about ladder safety lol.

Today we had air conditioning installed in the main bedroom and lounge room.  Trialing it today, we are confident this will reach all the living areas upstairs and down.  (Just a shame about the ugly box above the barge board over the garage.)

We are aiming to get the house as functional as we can for Christmas gatherings – so the lights on the back deck have been done, and the fence splitting the back yard from the pool area is on it’s way to being finished.

Confucious say… ‘It does not matter how slow you go, as long as you do not stop.’

Should have planned on getting the new ladder before doing that little bit of work on the underside of the new roof, not straight after I finished.
Result; dislocated shoulder with fracture.
Apparently I made some inhuman blood curdling utterance!! Just ask my very supportive Margaret xx.
Suspect it’s time for us to a rejig the work plan 🤔

(That’s not my X-ray either. Mine’s a better fracture!)