good and bad

20.12.2011

BUILDING NEWS

So far no one has slowed up for Xmas. Frank’s mob are hooling around on big machinery moving vast quantities of earth at unbelievable speeds. The air pipes are in and the soil is now level with the roof. We tried to order the scoria that goes under the soil on the roof but there is none just now. The big trench behind the house has totally gone and everything looks different. The big pile of soil stored by the road and the pile behind the house are now used up and they are starting on the soil stored below the dam.

In doors I am still grouting, but Tom and helpers have put in the new kitchen. It is made of chunky origan and looks very neat and solid. The wood is a bit pink and we might end up having to tone that down if it looks wrong with the cream stove. I went off to buy handles today and had a lucky find in a bargain store with handles a dollar or less each!

The coloured glass went in to the window tops yesterday and looks great. Most of the other glass is now in but the infill to one door was the wrong size and so are some of the louvers. I guess we will have to wait until after the holidays to get that done now.

OTHER NEWS

Yesterday was draining. I spent the day in Box Hill hospital with Bo whilst Simon went in for surgery. My main function was to make regular trips to our cars and replenish the parking tickets. On the map there was a car park but when I got there it was full of bulldozers and no use to us.

I felt so worried and upset myself that I did not feel as if I could actually be much support to Bo or anyone. Simon was brought back to the ward just before 4pm so we had a very long wait. The operation went well and he is now back home. Sadly he is in a lot of pain but he can talk very quietly. At least it is all over quickly and they do not have to worry about that bit anymore.  India has been helping Bo by looking after her kids whilst she was with Simon, and Wayne has been there too. Everyone is trying to help with delivering beer and the brewery is still churning out produce.

However, none of us are on top of the Xmas work. This is the first year ever that I have not been organised. My main objective is to get the hall floor grouted so that we have somewhere for our party.

The good news this week is that Josh has passed all his exams and is now an audiologist. He still needs to do some work on his research project before he completes his masters qualification. His tutor has still not contacted him about the draft he put in so he is just doing the work as best he can and sending it in at the due date, tomorrow. The other good thing was that when Al came over at the week end we had our first meal in the new house. It was so relaxing! We could all sit round a table in comfort and watch the kids build a raft for the dam. It is only when at last we can do a simple thing like this that we realize how hard the last years have really been.