Back Again - and look at the progress!

Here I am, back again, and taking a quick break before I start quilting Caro's quilt. Keith has taken the opportunity to go golfing (no surprise there), which means I have a day to myself, and I thought that it was high time to get the quilt quilted. Injuring my finger on Christmas day did put me a bit behind - you don't want to spoil a piece of work by bleeding all over it. I've now set up the sewing machine, and done some practice pieces to make sure that I've got the tension right, the needle right, and to try the threads as well.

But you don't come to this blog to hear all about the quilting, do you? And those of you who do want to know about the quilting would be only to happy to see another blog, I am sure! So, I'll get back to the task in hand. You can see that I am making up for lost time as far as blogging goes - I spent 6 hours on the internet last night. I'm sitting in front of the television at the moment, transferring programmes from the Sky box to the hard drive, ready to create some DVDs - but I've just remembered that we don't have any blank DVDs here. Looking out to the back of the house, I can see the misty rain driving across - absolutely perfect quilting weather!

The photo on the right shows the men at work today, putting the insulation in. The green tarpaulin is there to keep them dry, and the photo was taken at around 10am this morning. You can also see that they have started bricking up as well, and the photo shows how the brickwork at the bottom matches the existing walls of the house. We have got light coloured bricks for the majority of the front, and the back of the house is being blocked up and then plastered (I assume) - to match what is already there. In my current position I am able to look at the plans of the house, because we put them up at the front of the flat (the front being the end that looks out to sea) to give us a little privacy over the Christmas period. It is nice to be able to check what it is going to look like, and which bit has just been started / completed / worked on.

The photo on the left shows the back of the house, taken from the side by the bakery. I think it's quite exciting to have scaffolding up, as it really gives you the feeling that it is coming on. Keith and Nathan took a tour around the house on Thursday - I could see them from the back of the flat. They came out from the dining room, climbed over the posts and bars that were there, and walked on the planking. They then descended the ladder. Joey accompanied them on their tour, until they got to the ladder - he just stood at the top looking around, trying to work out how he could get down, and then how he could get back up again!

I saw Joey at the house today, he was sniffing around the bags of concrete mix in the dining room. When I tried to get him to come up, we just hissed and growled at me. He doesn't like his routine disturbed, and I think the excitement and changes are all proving to be a bit too much for him. He's got quite a few strangers in the house too, which doesn't help; I suspect he's also a bit cross because his chair seems to have moved. If it has and he can no longer get into it, or it is too unsturdy, then he wouldn't be happy. How many have spotted Joey in the picture with yesterday's post?

The builder is very keen to be noticed - something that you can't fail to do really with the house at the moment. I particularly like the note about unauthorised entry being strictly prohibited. We still have CCTV up, so that will act as a deterrent as well - we hope. Unfortunately, cats take no notice of this notice. Nathan informed us that two other cats made it into the house the other day, he heard an awful sound of cats fighting, and discovered Seffy and Joey frightening off the intruders, running all over the house to do it. It's good that they can work as a team. Joey is getting quite adept at fending for himself. I don't bother buying any of the food in the tinfoil trays, as he knows where it is, and I've come into the kitchen on a couple of occasions to find a tray on the floor with part of the top missing, and some of the food gone too. I have watched him knock over (deliberately) one of the boxes of dry food and put his paw inside to get food out. I think he did a similar thing today, as when I went into the kitchen, there was dry cat food over the floor. It is not something we encourage, I hasten to add, and we do make sure that there is enough food down for them. The other thing I like about the sign is the bit about safety helmets. The only thing is, we don't have one - such is life.

The garage and extended dining room are also starting to take shape. As the back and the garage are being 'blocked' up, it doesn't take as long as bricking up, and also doesn't cost quite so much. It's good to see it coming on quickly. Just think, 6 or 7 weeks ago the former garage was still standing. Now concrete has been laid for the floors, the walls have been started and are growing quite quickly.

Returning to the quilting theme again, I shall be quite glad to get back to the house - when it's all finished of course. I've had a few ideas about quilts and I'd like to be able to work on them, but as the Spot the Cat photo shows, all my fabrics are way out of reach in the living room (the boxes underneath the speaker on the wall on the right hand side are my fabric boxes, from floor level up to the speaker. I'm only thinking about small projects, but it is a little tiring that I can't get to the fabric. It just gives me the perfect excuse to buy some more. And as for my thread rack - well, that is also unreachable now; luckily I have a thread box in which to store threads to take them to workshops, so I have some in there, and I also put the ones I wanted to use for Caro's quilt to one side. My initial thoughts about sewing and the flat were that I would get some quilting done, rather than piecing. This would give me the chance to finish some projects I'd already started. I've been able to do a bit of hand quilting, and I hope to baste some more quilts as well.

The last picture for today was taken from the back garden. How did I manage to get into the back garden? No, I didn't go through the hole in the dining room and down the ladder. Part of the fence has been taken down at the back to get the equipment in and out - blocks and diggers and so on. I made my way carefully through the fence, trying not to slip. You can see the progress that has been made, and the state of the garden. That is just about it for today - quilting to be done you know! I shall make the last couple of photos pictures of the cats in their more comfortable days. Seffy is on the left, and Joey is on the right. Yes, I know what some of you are going to say / think when you see these two - "Daft animals" - and I'd have to agree when looking at these pictures!

It's here - and welcome back!

I hope that this post finds you all well. I would have created this post 3 hours ago, but I had 81 emails in one account and 31 in my hotmail inbox - and I thought that I should get those sorted first.

Of course, what you really want to see are some photos to see how the house is doing, so I'll get them for you!

The first picture is called 'Spot the cat' - except that hs name is Joey. Your task is to find where Joey is - he is a big black fluffy cat for those of you who have not yet met him, and for those of you who would rather forget him! Post your answers as to where he is in the comments section, and I'll let you know in a couple of days where he is. This photo also shows the living room as it is at the moment - filled with all the stuff from the dining room, things from the living room, from our bedroom, from Mat's room and from Nathan's room too.

The photo on the left shows the footings have been put down, and the blocks are in place ready for the building. You can also see the bay window of the dining room. That is a sight to be relished, as it has now changed forever.

The photo on the right shows that the building has started, and also shows the amount of disruption the garden has faced. It is rather a state, and will need a lot of TLC once we get back into the house. The photo on the right also shows that the bay window has gone. By night it is covered with a green tarpaulin.

The photo on the left was taken from the kitchen window, and you can see what I mean about the window. The panes of glass have been put somewhere safe - perhaps the plan is to use them again.

The builders have been very busy - you will have to wait until tomorrow for the next post and see how far they have got. They have been very good - over the new year period - and since they have worked at the weekend - Saturday and Sunday. I think that I shall have to call it a night for now - I'm tired, and there are other things to do as well. Norma has asked me about the quilting, and I do plan to set up a blog for my quilting too. Once I've done it, I shall put the address on this site - I'll include a link to it! It probably won't be updated as often as this blog because the quilting takes a little longer to complete - or even a lot longer in some cases. Also, the wind is really howling here, and I can feel the floor shaking underneath me. Until tomorrow.

Broadband is on its way (we hope)!

Well - here it is - another post. Still no photos at the moment as I'm typing this from my desk at school. We should have the broadband tomorrow, so tomorrow night I may be online the whole time. I do have loads of work to do for school, and staying in school gives me a chance to get it done, rather than doing it at home.

Scaffolding has gone up at the back of the house now - Keith tells me that the builders are waiting for dry weather to do the bricking up (using bricks), and so during the wet weather are working on the blocking up - the inner walls. I've got piles and piles of books to mark, and I don't think that I'm going to get through many of them this evening - but I'll do my best.

Norma has asked me how the quilt-making is coming along - well, rather than put details of that on here, I may just start another blog with details and pictures of pieces I've worked on. That won't be for a week or two though - far too many other things to do.

Until tomorrow - of course - if you check tomorrow evening I might not have got round to a post, but if there is no post on Saturday, you'll know that there has been a problem with the broadband (no post on this blog that is, not that the postman hasn't visited your house - that would be quite something if I could arrange messages like that - no postman means Christine still hasn't got broadband!). We won't be holding our breath for it; it's not that we think it won't be here tomorrow, it's just that we have learned not to expect things to happen that we've been told WILL happen - how many times have we been told that, only to be let down?

Cheerio for now - look out for more over the weekend!

Can you live without the internet?

This may sound like a bit of a strange title, given the subject of my blog - however, at the moment I feel that I need to have a bit of a rant, and let you all know what is going on.

Keith and I are suffering a bit at the moment, as we still have no internet access at home (although I may find that this issue has been resolved when I get home this evening). It's been a long old struggle, and despite getting in touch with the Chief Executive of BT 10 days ago and having had a message left from someone in the Chairman's Office saying that she would be ordering the broadband for us last Monday, when I phoned to find out the status of things on Friday, I was not told that someone had already ordered the broadband for us. In addition, it seems like we are paying more for a package, as we can't have our previous package, and so we are paying for the inconvenience of it all - no-one has mentioned compensation for the loss of internet access (we have managed to get some for the lack of telephone, and having to wait in for 5 hours when no-one turned up - and didn't bother letting us know).

So, the question - can you live without the internet - and what about without a microwave? Well, those are questions that I am now in a position to answer. I don't feel that I can live without the internet - as this blog demonstrates! I'm also unable to do any internet shopping, check bank balances, see if I've been lucky on the premium bonds, produce more daily powerpoint presentations - on this day in history - for my tutor group (it's a little bit of fun that I've used to try and get them involved - and because I love trivia!), I'm limited with my lesson planning, as things that I would want to check, and pictures that I'd want to use - I often look for them on the internet.

I have been able to do a bit more sewing - some quilting, which is great, and I'm still trying desperately to catch up with all my marking, and I shall endeavour to make a real dent in it tonight. So that is a bonus of not having the laptop on my lap the whole time.

As for the microwave - well, how many people can be bothered to steam the Christmas pudding on the stove if they can just put it in the microwave? How many ready meals need to be cooked in a microwave and not in the oven? The microwave we can live without, and have done so quite happily, but it is nice to have one again - it makes life a little easier.

Anyway - that's enough ranting. As for the house - well, it's coming along nicely - I shall go and have a look at the progress in about half an hour, but as it's raining here and I don't have the camera - and the fact that it will be dark by the time I get there, I shan't be taking any photos. They may have to wait until the weekend.

I may try to add a post tomorrow - let's see how busy I am first; if I do update tomorrow, we shall be playing a little game - it's called 'Spot the Cat' - except his name is Joey! Do add your comments - when you click on the add comments link, you can type in your comment, but then make sure you also type in the password that is shown on box on the right hand side - type the exact characters that are shown in that box - don't put your own personal password in! The website just wants to check that you are a real person adding a comment, and so you need to copy the characters exactly. I look forward to seeing more comments!

What A Kerfuffle!

The wonders of technology. I've just spent I don't know how long trying to find the photos that I transfered to the computer earlier. Then I couldn't remember which pictures I'd already posted (none of them as it turns out, as I'd transferred all those pictures to my laptop), and so then lost the original start to this post.

Still - I'm up at the house, with a list of things to do - washing, drying, moving boxes, finding things, checking emails, collecting the Christmas tree and decorations, and of course, updating the blog. I'm hoping I might find the time to wrap presents, buy some presents, baste some quilts - there's always the weekend!

They've done quite a lot of work. Today I've discovered the pitfalls of being here. Every so often there is bang and the house shakes. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, just them banging into the house with the digger. We've also discovered the pitfalls of having all this done. The flat has these daft round holed sockets which ordinary plugs don't fit into, and which are turned on and off by a switch on the wall - there are no ceiling lights in any of the bedrooms. So we have to use the other sockets to plug in lights, but we don't have that many standard lamps, and you then have to stumble through an unlit room to turn the light on. We should have our telephone transferred to the flat on 28th December - the landlord is paying the £130 (okay, so its probably only £124.98) for the initial connection charge - as there has not been a phone there yet. However, the broadband won't be transferred until 7 working days after that, so any time I want to use the internet, I now have to come up to the house. It's a bit odd trying to get used to the fact that I can't check my emails whenever I want, that I can't do any internet shopping from the laptop, and that the holiday has to be carefully planned so that I get everything done that I want to get done, when I'm in the right place.

I found out last night that we have underfloor heating on the top floor; the only problem is that we don't know how to turn it on. The controls for it are at the top of the stairs, behind the television, but there are no clear instructions, just some very dodgy looking diagrams that seem to be impossible to decipher.

It's been quite cold down here - the car thermometer told me it was -5 on the way to school on Monday - it was only that briefly. It was -3 most of the way.

In this photo you can see (sort of) that the wall has come down at the back. The cats are doing well - Seffy seems to be taking it all in her stride, whilst Joey seems to spend most time in the house. I suppose the weather is getting a bit too cold and windy for him, but he doesn't like the noise either. He wouldn't have liked being the house this morning when it got bashed!

Anyway - it's time for me to get on and do other things. The washing machine is bleeping at me, so it must be time. Feel free to add comments - I think the comments section is there for you to add your comments - thus, if you don't add comments, you won't be able to see any!

Snow in Westward Ho!

I've got a fair bit to update you all with. So first of all - reaching new depths / heights that I wrote about last week - and here it is on the left.

Sorry the photo isn't very clear - it was taken at 7.30am, when it was raining, so the light wasn't good, and I was rushing to get to work.

There may be some people wondering what they are looking at here - and it's more a case of what's gone - the porch at the back and the steps! You can no longer get into the back garden from the kitchen, as there are no steps down, and it's a big drop!

What else has been going on? They have dug a hole at the front of the house, so that the gas meter can be moved, but the gas people have to do that. The garage has gone entirely, and the area has been dug up - the concrete has all gone. In this picture on the right you can just about make out our new home for the next 6 months. The good thing about the flat is that it is light and airy upstairs.

Yesterday a digger moved in to where there garage used to be, and I understand that there is also a dumper truck there too - well, that's what Keith called it.

Of course, I know that you really want to know about the snow we had - so I'll show you!

I took this picture on Sunday evening, after we came back from our Christmas dinner at the golf club. Okay, so it's not really snow, but it looks a bit like it. This is the flume from the sea, where the wind has whipped it up into a froth, and then blown the froth on the land. It really was quite something to see it covering pavements, and flying over the top of roofs as well!

I showed the pupils in school, and they didn't believe it was snow - there's just no fun for some! What I have found that I could do with is a joke book - my tutor group is sharing jokes with me, and not really enjoying the ones I tell them. Any help with this would be much appreciated - perhaps you could add them in the comments section of the blog!

Moved!

Well, we've moved. It didn't go too badly at the weekend, only one casualty - a wine flute, so that wasn't so bad. The boys helped to move boxes in to the flat, and we had the flat to ourselves on Saturday night which was great! We've discovered what terrestrial television is like, and having packed all the DVDs into boxes to stay in the house, we realised we needed at least one box to keep us sane. Still, maybe we'll end up getting more done because there is nothing worth watching.

I'm at school now writing this, as we don't have a telephone line in the flat at the moment, so we are incommunicado - as Marillion put it. We keep discovering things that we need, that we hadn't packed, so I'll take a trip back to the house this evening to pick up the extras. The flat is looking quite homely now - no, that doesn't mean that it's a total mess, although there are boxes around the place.

Sorry - no pictures with this post, it's just a quick update so that you know we are safe and sound. One interesting thing last night - I'm sure you won't have heard it anywhere else; we had snow in Westward Ho!, and it was really quite deep! I'll post the photos that I took later in the week, and explain the situation!