THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR

Yesterday, I popped in to see how Keith the builder is going with his renovations on the house next door.

Can you see that he's taken down the small porch where the old couple used to sit?  I wish he would take down the two terrible fly screens too.  In fact I don't know why he just doesn't pull the whole lot down and start again.

I had a lovely chat to Keith who is very excited about his renovations of the house.  Inside he has pulled out everything and is going to add some more on to the house out the back.

Here's a photograph of the inside at the moment.

Still quite a bit of work to be done!

Well, the painters all arrived this morning.  There are three of them.  Chris and his son Sam and another young man called Cody.  They all seem very nice.  Everything is draped with plastic and dust sheets.  They used a  Gladwrap-type of stuff to cover the bookcase so that all the books won't get dusty.

They've been busy sanding and filling up gaps and any bits on the wood that's a bit rough.  I noticed that Chris was busy with a very long pole doing the kitchen ceiling, and from the looks of it, the ceiling in the 'library' has been done too.

Troy Markey the electrician came in today as well to change some sockets that are a bit yucky and old with fresh new ones.  He also brought a new fan for the library.  The one that was there was way too high and Troy couldn't get an extension pole to make it lower.  So a new one it is and it's just lovely.

Papa and I are a bit locked-in, he in his office and side verandah and me in my office.  Sometimes I go into his office and lie down on the couch with my book.  When it gets a bit cooler, we will take ourselves out into the garden with a wee beverage.

I went to the library this morning to see if I could get a few interior design books.  I ended up with heaps on a table in the library, but most were pretty old.  The two I did bring home weren't too bad, but not brilliant.  One was on Scandinavian design which I really like but the book was just full of these strange chairs the Scandinavians are famous for.  So that's one to go back to the library.  The other one was called FINISHING TOUCHES and again not much in it to get me overly excited, so back that one goes too.

I'm reading a great book at the moment called MY BRILLIANT FRIEND by Elena Ferrante an Italian author.  I'm not reading it in Italian though, I'm reading an English translation - just in case you were wondering;)  So, while I was at the library, I ordered the next two as this one that I'm reading at the moment is the first of a trilogy.  Although the librarian said the author actually did a fourth in the series.  I am so enjoying the book.  Perhaps you can tell Mama about it.  She would just love it.

After the library I headed for home and just as I was heading into the lift, out of the corner of my eye I saw the café and quickly rushed in and picked up a couple of sandwiches for lunch.  Daddy was so pleased when I arrived home.  "You brought some lunch!" he exclaimed when I fell out of the car with all my books and purchases.  I was very pleased with myself for remembering we wouldn't be able to get into the kitchen what with the painters an all.

After collecting the sandwiches, I made my way to a sewing shop which wasn't too far away to see if they had any light boxes.  Do you remember I had a light box in Summerfield which I used for tracing shapes on to fabric?  Anyway I managed to get one which is super thin and about the size of an A4 sheet of paper.  It will come in handy not only here but to throw in my bag if I need it at quilting.  So Liliane, I'm really getting ready to knock the Hebridean quilt on the head.

Also popped into Hannas and picked up some new tea-towels.  A good number of my present ones are beginning to look like rags.  Also picked up new oil-cloth material for the kitchen table.  It's in grey and will match the kitchen quite well.  The walls are going to be in the greeny/blue we have in our bedroom so all the 'red' bits are out the window now!

Well I'd better go now.

Love Nanxxxxx