… my musings on, er, "stuff"
Pic of the week 11/12/16
Christmas is coming! Still seems some time away to me, but is a mere two weeks away.
The house is in a very different state from this time last year, looking forward to our first proper Christmas in #79.
Pic of the week 13/11/16
So the sofas have arrived, pictures put up, … now its time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the completed sitting room.
Looks good!
Pics of the week 6/11/16
Last week the clocks went back and the second half of term began, always a significant milepost in any year, marking the shift into the dark, dreary days of late autumn and winter.
But its been a busy week, hence a gallery of the week rather than just one pic. Sophie’s 17th birthday, so the L Plates are out and she’s learning to drive.
My refereeing certificate and badge from the FA arrived through the post, confirming my appointment as a fully qualified level 7 ref. I am rather proud of this achievement. (Ref-ed today: Somerton Utd U13s v Stoke Wolves. The wolves ran out as 5-2 victors)
The tree in the back garden has turned the most vibrant shade of flame red – really rather striking. To be fair, the weather has been pretty good (read: dry) although in the last few days it has turned cold – and not just a little chilly, proper, sub 10 degrees, with wind to go with it, cold.
And so as the weather turns and the nights lengthen, it’ll mean more time spent indoors, so its a good job the sitting room is finished, to await the arrival of the sofas on Friday.
And it was this week last year that it all began – the builders arrived and knocked the garage down. It was exciting, and I’m pleased we did it, but I’m glad its finished!
Pic of the week 30/10/16
So the sitting room is finished – floor laid & painted, fireplace hearth tiled & grouted (by me!). Have to say it looks good, I’m proud of what we have achieved. (Sophie helped out by sewing the curtains – Sam contributed by keeping out of the way(!)). Couple of weeks to wait until the sofas arrive, but the before and above photo of the fireplace tells a story of a thousand words (many of them expletives when things didn’t go quite according to plan.)
Pic of the week 23/10/16
So half term has arrived and I spent the first couple of days finishing laying the floor in the sitting room – more pics in the gallery below – and now Becky has started painting it.
Am pleased with my handy work, it went down well, no real hints or tips to mention, just measure, cut, lay, measure, cut, lay, measure, cut, lay … you get the idea, until the whole floor space was filled.
Looked good as “bare” wood, but looks even better now its painted white – the room looks fab, and that’s without any furniture added.
I think I will enjoy sitting in it, with one eye on the TV, but one eye glancing down at the floor (and fireplace) and thinking “I made that”.
Pic of the week 9/10/16
Have been laying a new floor in the sitting room. Ordered the wood from eBay which arrived on the INSET friday before I started back at school. Last week I cut and laid the first few planks, this weekend I did the fiddly bits either side of the fireplace.
Now it all needs to come up and be glued along the tongue (the floor itself will be free- floating) and then I’ll do all the rest, gluing as I go. Aim is to get it finished in the first few days of half term so it can then be painted.
So, sadly, the summer hols draw to a close. Its been a great summer holiday, I’ve really enjoyed it despite not going away.
Some of my highlights, in roughly chronological order:
Alas, tomorrow its back to school. ‘Til next year …
With the new shed built, the time came to demolish the summerhouse.
Started on Saturday morning, done by Sunday afternoon (although still at least a couple more trips to the tip to dispose of what’s left.)
The new shed arrived at about 2pm on Thursday 2nd June. Before the day was done it was built!
Pick of the week 5/6/16
What a manly half term:
I built a new shed:
I knocked down the summerhouse, fixed the car when it wouldn’t start, ran 6k twice, swam 2K twice, a mile once and totaled 288 lengths of the pool, chopped down the tops of two hefty trees in the hedge … and all of this in one week.
I’ve got 4 weeks back at school now, before the long eight week summer holiday – not sure how I’ll survive it, I’ll be a physical wreck come September!
The rain stayed away most of the time and sun shone on occasion, a great, fulfilling and productive week.