Thank the Lord! I've finished building wardrobes and painting! (for now)!
Three wardrobes consisting of two singles and a double, a shoe rack and a bedside table and a desk.
Painting the sitting room took two coverings and two radiators were also given a couple of licks to make them look like new!
All look good but I'm afraid I got zero satisfaction out of doing any of it!
However to readdress the balance I have started my pickling campaign!
I managed to get a rather large jar of shallots peeled and pickled the other evening. Today I bought more pickling vinegar, shallots and 24 eggs, all ready to be done over the next 48 hrs.
Christmas should be good this year with home made pickled onions and eggs - Now that is satisfaction!
The can of foster's give's a sense of scale to the size of the jar. The bits you can see is chilli flakes to give the onions a bit of a bite!
We now also have a date for the cabin to be delivered and constructed then 10 days later the extension/conservatory will be started!
It's all happening, but it will be all done before the summer is over which is good.
Kiera and the kids are still away holidaying in Spain, they get back this Thursday. It's been quiet here without everyone.
So, on with my pickling!
Till later............................
With two weeks off I find myself knee deep in IKEA flat packed furniture and emulsion.
I had intended to get a week away on my trusty old Honda C90 "Lucille" but have had a change of mind and decided with so much to do that I would continue with the building of furniture and start and hopefully complete the living room, and possibly another bedroom.
But at the moment we are still on the building of furniture, or rather I would be but for a flaw in the furniture which requires me to drill a hole.
No problems, but, both my drill battery packs are flat as a pancake.
Currently building wardrobes with soft closing doors and automatic lights. IKEA furniture is well thought out and to be honest relatively easy to put together. Sometimes it would be better if there were two of you to hold things but other than that, not bad.
Certainly things have come along way since my first experience of flat pack back in the 90's. Nothing lined up and the fixings were dodgy to say the least. Making for a rather unsteady and rocky shelving unit which in the end collapsed after only a couple of months!
The last time I did any painting was just before I left Shaston, and I had to get the house back to it's original colours.
This time it is all being painted white, even the radiators will be having a repaint!
Then the whole of the downstairs will be refloored. This will be done once the conservatory is completed.
Still waiting for the cabin to arrive and be erected, this should be done soon. Without this being done we cannot empty the garage, which has a knock on effect all the way through the house.
The conservatory is due to start being done in the middle of August, before they start, some grubbing out of bushes has to be completed. Thankfully the roots are being dug out by the contractors but the bushes themselves have to be cut down.
So still all go.
Haven't had time to look at campers, just not enough hours in the day.
Well best get back to it and check to see if the batteries are charged!
Till later.............................
Well, things change quickly sometimes, and to be honest on reflection feel that it was definitely the right thing to do.
To cut a long story short, "M" is now in possession of the caravan, lock stock the lot!
Even the cadac!
I have walked away from all of it completely, a shame that things had to end this way, but that is the way it is sometimes when you are backed into a corner.
So what is next? For a long time I have fancied a camper van.
This makes a lot more sense for us, not a big camper but a T4/T5 VW camper which is small enough to be used as an every day car as and when required.
We would also get a lot more use out of it for those on the spur, one night away somewhere moments.
You just cannot do that with a big twin axle, as much as you think you would, you just wouldn't!
So the hunt is on, last weekend we went and had a look at a few to give us an idea of layout etc. But these started at £30,000 and went upwards which was way over budget.
£20,000 is a rough guide, so we should be able to pick up something half decent for that sort of money.
We want a pop up roof, so the kids can sleep up there, and swivel front seats. I would also like it to have a diesel heater and underslung water tanks but trying to find one without galactic mileage is not easy.
The hunt continues....
Other than that bricks and mortar is fine. Busy painting at the moment, this being a slow process due to having no time off and having to do a bit here and there.
In just over a week's time I'm off so I can crack on with it then. Once that is done and wardrobes purchased we can unpack boxes and get gear stowed away. At the moment it's still living out of boxes and temporary clothes rails.
It will all come together in the end I'm sure!
Outside the old shed has been taken apart, the ground cleared for the new massive cabin taking it's place and the fence has been renewed.
A conservatory is going to be going up soon on the back of the house to provide us with more kitchen/dining space.
Once this has all been done we can empty the garage, then the contents of my "Pajero" can be emptied and got ready for sale. Yep, the old girl is being sold!
I'm going to be putting the money towards my bike licence, and then a bike. I'll keep "Lucille" how could I get rid of her? But a bigger bike is required!
The weather in this part of the world is glorious at the moment with loads of sunshine. Great when your relaxing but not good driving a double decker bus with no air con!
But apart form readjusting to living a "normal" life everything is good.
Till later....................
