Friday 18th Friday - whirligig day...

 The extension team are nearing the end (apart from the big window, still waiting for the sill). They are just finishing off putting the lead on the roof.

Now we have to choose the colour for the external rendering... decisions, decisions...

And the plumber came and moved the down pipe from beside the door to the corner of what will be the kitchen. That neant out loo was unusable for about 4 hours... we had to make a quick dash to the nearby nature reserve, just 5 mins away by car, to sneakily use their their loos. Very conveniently for us they are in the courtyard area just outside the café! Nice and clean too! When we got back barely 20 minutes layer everything was reconnected again. Phew.

....

Having missed a couple of days of ten-minute-journalism it was a bit of an effort to get going again;

I made a pot of tea, got out my art basket 

and set too...

We had fish pie for lunch yesterday and there was a bit leftover. So I had an excellent breakfast of a dollop of fish pie, fried in a pan with an egg and some tomatoes. Coffee, toast and marmalade to follow as well! A real treat.

Wednesday 16th September

By the time we started the car to drive to Winkworth Arboretum to meet the family for lunch, I think we both felt a bit as though we had been buffeted and tossed about with one thing and another. 

The building control inspector arrive as we were leaving,  but we just abandoned him! 

But, what a lovely, lovely time we had! We just walked round the easy flat route at the top of the valley, passing a bench made from reclaimed signposts;

Do zoom in and read the words

And another bench with carved ends

A couple our age had just sat down, but I asked if they would mind me taking a photograph of one end. They didn't need to move, but, all smiles got up for me to take the picture and settled back down. 

There were lots of benches along the path so that you could take advantage of the fantastic views across the valley;

We, BB and I, have been missing seeing into the distance, looking 'over the hills and far away'.

All the time we were catching up on each other's news,  even though it was only a week or so since we were last together. 

More chatting about this and that over lunch (pasties), a quick prowl in the shop (I had a number of cards to buy) and then it was time for me to go home. I think the others might have stayed to explore the rest of the site - we left them deciding what to do.

.....

The hup! installers said the building inspector was quite happy... good news.

And it may be that the missing window is delivered tomorrow... we shall see!

Tuesday 15th September - I am sooo tired

 From the effort....

....of staying calm... but I think I managed it for most of today...

The hup! installers did manage to get all the glass panels into the roof. No word yet on the likely delivery and installation of the remaining window, the huge triangular pane of fire-resistant opaque safety glass that has to come from France... it will be worth it, I say to myself (it had jolly well better be worth it, I mutter to myself!)

Finalising the kitchen and arranging delivery at the showroom this afternoon wasn't as easy as it might have been... but having come home and remeasured everything I think I'm confident we can go ahead on Monday...  and breathe...

I drew the journal while having my coffee this morning, and restored some calm with tea and biscuits when we got back from the kitchen showroom this afternoon. 

And the presents are wrapped to hand over tomorrow...

Now I'm sogging in front of the tv; the plan is to watch Sewing Bee (the final!), Celebrity  Masterchef, and then 'off to Bedfordshire' I'll go!

Saturday/Sunday 12th and 13th September

I was awake at half past four in the morning on Saturday,  which did not please me, but then I noticed the stars in the sky, and, could that possibly be a planet? I found my glasses and opened a curtain and twisted my head up to stare at Orion's belt and other stars until I became too uncomfortable and went back to bed. It's rare to be able to see the stars here, but the streetlight outside the window goes off at about 1am and there was no moon. 

I left the curtain open, although I couldn't see any stars when I was lying down. It was just nice to know they were there.

A thought that has come back to me today, a day of clouds and drizzle. We were very late going to bed because we watched the totally brilliant Last Night of the Proms right to the very end, and I've felt tired and bleh all day. 

We haven't been able to go out as I don't have any full oxygen cylinders left until after the delivery on Monday, so I have to stay home and use the mains powered oxygen supply. Otherwise a change of scene might have helped... but there's always the scenery in tv programmes, especially Paul Murton's gentle meanderings around Scotland. 

That's a good thought though about the sun and moon and stars always being there even when you can't see them. 

Like God, always there, no, I should say he's always here...

Thursday 10th September - it's quiet around here today

 We've no builders here today... no pots of tea to make...

BB had a trip to the dentist (prep work for a crown) and I taught two piano lessons, with lovely pieces as well.

His appointment was for 1145, which meant leaving at 1045 and not getting back until after 230... that meant a very late lunch. Luckily I had a COOK lamb tagine lurking in the freezer, which would microwave from frozen. I guess it was gone 3pm before we had lunch, both very hungry!

Do you remember when the illustrations in children's books often only had 2 colours? Like this!

Minimalist journalling today. 

Next-door's cat is very sad to find he is shut out of the new extension now that the doors and windows have all got glass in them.

I've been un-knitting and reknitting the square I finished yesterday.  I found a Serious Error in the final pattern row. Luckily this wasn't too far down, so it's finished again now. 

It's a good job I like knitting. And reading, which is also filling quite a lot of the day...

Wednesday 9th September - too much...

1Well, too many contractors, too many questions, too many decisions, too many unsatisfactory answers...

Our usual two hup! installers arrived, and continued doing whatever they were doing. I hadn't understood that the wrong size glass was delivered for two remaining glazed roof panels, so now we wait for delivery of the correct items, promised for Monday... 

They removed two fence panels so that they could finish the cladding on that side. They have replaced them with temporary screws as they will have to be removed at least twice more. I would have thought it might have been better to leave them out, but hey... they've gone back in now.

Now they've done all they can until the roof glass arrives so that's that until Monday. More delays...

Meanwhile the builder in charge of the next phase rolled up with a plumber to sort out underfloor pipes to connect a new radiator and the new sink in due course. Plus the new shower room...

Much perusal and head scratching over the plans... I want a shower that I could be wheeled into, if it comes to that as my lung function decreases, which does complicate things. There's time to sort this out.

At one point I was wondering out loud if it this was all a great mistake, but James-the-builder gave me a big grin and assured me that come Christmas I'd be thinking it was a really really good idea. 

Well, that's some kind of an end date to aim for...

More chocolate needed...

I had three, yes THREE separate knitted squares for the collaboration with Ang lying forlornly waiting for their partners. Today I finished knitting the twin for one of them, so that's a win...

And I'm trying to finish one of the several books I am reading before getting stuck into another Tim Sullivan (but I have started it, so that resolution has rather gone by the bye!)