All trussed up and no place to go

Okay - points to those who recognise the music reference here! The title isn't strictly accurate; I was going to use another title, but that is going to have to wait until a bit later.

The trusses arrived yesterday, along with the crane, and due to not sleeping well and pain in my shoulder going down into my arm, I decided to spend the day at home yesterday - which meant that I got to watch all the exciting things going on at the house. I think that the problem with my shoulder, stems from having a year 10 pupil (male) fall against me in the corridor after assembly on Monday, because it didn't start hurting until about 10.30am - the corridors at school are narrow, and with all the building work going on at school, there is a limit to where pupils can exit and enter the buildings to get to their lessons. So, the corridors were crowded, there was pushing and shoving going on, and as a result, a pupil fell against me, and bruised my left arm. However, it's the right side that is aching - the same side that always aches. Never mind that for now - I'm trying to keep going so that I forget about the discomfort.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome someone to the family - her name is Maisie Grace, and she's my niece! The daughter of Charlotte and Shaun (Charlotte, my stepsister), was born on Wednesday morning, at 11.05am, weighing in at 5lb 11oz - congratulations to the proud parents, the new grandparents, and welcome to Maisie! Of course, there is a quilt in progress for her!

On to the job in hand - updating you with the details of the house. I might try exploring another website later, to upload more photos - to give you a slide show of them, as I took lots yesterday. I was that excited by it all, and Keith had given me orders to give him a full account when he got home yesterday, that I took 90 photos and 5 or 6 movie clips. I was excited when I saw the crane go past the house, and then when I saw the trusses go past the house, when you could see through the roof, when the roof was no more - it was all just too exciting! (I know, I'm sad - but hey - I haven't been able to see much of the school being built, and I am finding the whole process really interesting - both school and house). I made notes of the times as well, what was going on, and some of the photos look exactly the same - it's just that parts of them show the trusses going past the house - and so on.

The photo on the right shows the crane at the back of the house manoeuvring into position. If you enlarge the picture (click on it, and it should enlarge), you can see the trusses going past the house - the gap between our house and the white house on the left. The crane is the red thing, and you can see where the roof is coming off on the right hand side.

The crane arrived at 8.56am, and the roof trusses at 9.01am (I did tell you that I found it all quite exciting, and have become really quite 'sad' - a bit of an anorak in describing it all, taking notes and so on!)

Here you can see the trusses on the lorry - don't they look big! Mind you, they have to be - they are the side of our bedroom and our living room. Also on the lorry is more wood, to be used for attaching trusses up, putting them in the primary positions, so that they are attached and not falling over. Also on the lorry are our velux roof windows.

I took most of the photos from the flat - standing on the balcony. The photo on the right was taken from the car park. I was thinking about sitting in the car park for most of the day, but during the period in which I was sat down there, not alot happened, and it was quite chilly as well. This photo shows the crane well. Nathan was in the church car park from 7am, making sure that no-one parked there, so that the crane and lorry could come in without any problems.

Here on the left, you can see no roof - the roof has come off, so I suppose you can't see the roof. Anyway, you know what I mean. You can also see the outer and inner walls on the left hand side - the men were removing the inner wall during the morning. You have to bear in mind that there are no ceilings upstairs either - there are only the walls in place. It looks like the power line pole is leaning a bit - I'm sure that has nothing to do with Joey scratching it and sharpening his claws on it!

The photo on the right shows the crane in an extended position - it started extending at 9.32am, and this picture shows Graham (our builder) getting a ride on the crane so that he can stand on top of the trusses, to fit the chain onto the trusses, to lift them off the truck. In this photo you can also see that the roof has gone entirely from the right hand side. This photo was taken at about 9.55am, at which time the trusses were moved off the lorry and onto the the car park.

Of course, I know that what you really want to see is how big the crane got - and so the photo on the left shows you. I sat in the clat all day, on a comfortable chair, just watching the events. This photo shows the first truss being listed - that was at 12.09pm. It took a bit of time getting the truss into exactly the right place, but by 1pm that chains were off. At 1.12pm I observed the crane swaying a huge amount - the winds started getting stronger, and it made the job more difficult, but by 6.30pm it was all done. There was a bit of a problem, three of the trusses on the right hand side were put in the wrong way round to start with - it took 45 minutes to get the trusses unattached, moved and then re-attached.

The final photo for today was taken later - at around 6.40pm. If you enlarge the photo, you can see Keith standing up on the roof. All the trusses that had to be made specially have been fitted, and some tarpaulin fitted over the open roof. The winds continued, and got worse during the night.

At around 3am this morning, Mathew phoned - he'd just woken up, up at the house, and saw that there was water coming in to the kitchen. He came back to the flat a little later. The winds continued to give us a restless night. This morning, Keith went to get some bread and some hot cross buns, and looked in on the house as well - the water that had come into the kitchen wasn't so bad. There have been chaps up at the house today, but they can't do very much due to the wind. Keith has heard that there were a couple of other mishaps yesterday - such as one of the beams (or was it a truss?), going down into the bath, as a result of the wind. We have heard that they will continue the work over the weekend, which is just as well. Apparently, we're going to be receiving our eviction notice soon - we have about 2 months of the lease left, and we really need the house to be finished. Next update - when there is something to update you with!

During the Storm

I'm not really one to be easily scared. The wind last night woke me up due to the clanging metal - I woke whenever there was a loud gust of wind. So, I didn't really sleep very well, but I didn't think that the storm had been that bad. I drove to school this morning, and it was strange seeing how high the water was in Bideford - it reached the top of the arches of the old bridge.

Coming home this evening has been a bit of a different matter. I knew that there was a bit of wind - but the rain was stronger, and the wind didn't seem so strong. That all changed as I drove along the link road - before the turn-off to Westward Ho! - the back road, I could feel that the wind had picked up. I had BBC Radio Devon on, and heard that the new Barnstaple down stream bridge had been closed due to the high winds. As I drove down the hill, I saw the massive waves. I got into the flat and decided that I had to take a photo:

We have heard that the wind is going to continue, and there has been a severe (?) flood warning issued for the North Devon coast including Westward Ho!, due to the high winds together with the spring tides.

At this moment in time, I would rather be up in the house than here in the flat. I can see very grey skies behind the house at the moment - and I know that we can't be living up at the house at the moment - the ceilings have come down upstairs, and there is no carpet in our room, or in Nathan's room. Therefore, Nathan is coming to live in the flat for the moment. I have spent a little bit of time clearing the spare bedroom so that Nathan has somewhere to stay.

The biggest problem here at the moment is the high winds. It is really quite scary here at the moment, the high winds are shaking the flat - I have seen the windows vibrating, and even the green roof of the flat shaking. You can feel the flat shaking - whilst sitting on the sofa the wind can be felt shaking the whole place. I really don't like it - I didn't like it when it happened back in December, and I like it even less now. I would much rather be in our house, but Keith tells me it is worse up there.

I suppose I shouldn't complain - we do live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. It's funny - I remember strong winds and gales when sailing - remember Dartmouth Dad?, and then when I was on the Sir Winston Churchill, we left Alderney in force 8 winds. It all seemed fairly safe then - you expect boats to be moving about on the water, pitching and rolling and the wind whistling in the rigging, but not on dry land.

I shall now post the blog and finish my beer - and try to keep myself warm and calm.

Preparing for the Storm

It's been a while since the last post, and there have been changes. Yesterday saw the builders battening down the hatches - well, the roof actually. The intention was to take the roof off tomorrow (Monday 10th), and put the trusses on the roof. Due to the high winds, it has been decided that this will not happen now, so they had to make the roof secure.

The picture on the left here shows them working, and it actually shows Nathan on the roof as well - he's the figure you can see on the right hand side of the roof - and you can see him quite clearly without having to enlarge the image at all.

We did have a bit of a shock yesterday. It turns out that in order to put the new roof on, the builders have to take down the ceilings upstairs. This meant that Nathan had to clear his room yesterday. Luckily we had sorted out our bedroom last weekend, and boxed everything up. Our current bedroom is having the least amount of work being done to it, but Nathan's is having lots of work done to it. The drum kit has now moved into the living room where the rest of the things have been stored, and you can still get in the door, but you can't move around the living room at all. I think the cats quite enjoy having somewhere to hide and explore.

I have spent the morning at the house clearing the office. That was quite a feat - trying to find places to put the things left in there. I've had to tidy it, sort out dozens of leads. We need to bring the chair and the desk down here to the flat. This means that I had to dismantle them both, as they were too big to bring out through the door. The pieces then needed to be taken downstairs, so they can be brought down to the flat.

Last weekend we went to clear our bedroom, and went up on the scaffolding again. The height of the scaffolding at this stage, is the height of the second floor - so the pictures give us a very accurate idea of what the view will be. It was a lovely day, and the ladder is now situated at the front of the house, which makes it a bit easier to climb up.

The picture on the left is another view. The roof has no tiles, and no chimneys. I'm glad that we're in the flat at the moment - you can see where rain has come in to our bedroom down the chimney. Also, with the high winds expected, I don't relish being in the house. At the same time, I'm not looking forward to experiencing the winds here either - I'll be able to feel the place shaking, and we'll both have trouble sleeping. Having spent time clearing this morning, I shall be glad to get back into the house, and not have the entire place looking and feeling dirty, and cluttered. The last photo I shall leave you with, is a view of the garden - I'll give you a warning - it's not good to look at it if you're afraid of heights! As you can see, the garden is a mess, and really just a building site. Still, at least I'll get a chance to design the garden as I want it to be!

Well - that's it for now - if I get a chance to take photos of the trusses going on the roof, I'll do another post. I'll also try to take some photos of the rooms without ceilings. What is a bit strange, is that we've contacted Torridge District Council about a rebate for council tax. We could only get a part rebate as the house is partly furnished. As the ceilings will be coming down before the new roof goes on, I'd have thought that we could claim more, as we really can't live in it, in that state - neither can anyone else - although Nathan has threatened to live in the kitchen.

Quick Update

Just a quick note so that you can keep up to date. I've just created my quilting blog, and that can be found by looking at the section on the right hand side, called My Favourite Links - there is a link to it in there. There is more on the quilting blog than I've included in this one - little fun things. Do take the time to have a look at it. I have a couple of bugs to iron out, such as adding pictures in - for some reason I've been unable to upload photos to the quilting, but I'll get it working to my satisfaction at some point soon.

Anyway - that isn't the only reason for adding to this blog is that more work is being done to the house as I type. The tiles are being taken from the roof - the builder is able to use them on the job that Nathan is working on, so we will have new slates on the roof, and at a subsidised price, because we are selling the old slates to the builder / roofer. The sun is shining here, and it's about time that I took a trip up to the house to check on the post and get some fresh air. It helps me to assess how the shingles is going as well.

Until next time...

Progress

Greetings to you all. I haven't posted for a while, as there hasn't really been much to see, but I've got some good pictures for you now! It's a lovely sunny day here today, and the flat is far too warm - it's 25 degrees in the flat, and much cooler outside. The result of this warmth is that I can't do to much to Caro's quilt as I end up boiling underneath it. At least I know that it will keep her warm and cosy!

This first picture shows the progress at the front of the house. When you look at the house from the left of this picture (by the bakery for those of you who are acquainted with Westward Ho!), the house really looks quite big. Well, actually, it looks like a mansion! It's one thing that helps me to sleep really well at the moment, thinking about the place when it's finished - especially my sewing room.

The picture on the left shows the view that we will have - or the view that I will have from my sewing room! As you may be able to tell, I'm really quite looking forward to having a room where I can sit and sew, and look out on the view. You may be wondering how I got this picture. We took the advantage of the fine weather to have a really good look at the progress further up. Keith and Nathan have already been up on the scaffolding, and so I took the trip up there today. This shows the view from the first floor, so our new lounge will be higher up still. I may just leave taking another photo of the view until I can take it from inside.

The next few photos were also taken up on the roof; Keith and Nathan decided that they had to climb about the place, so I let them - well, I say I let them, but I was issuing warnings and pleading with Keith not to be so daft - did they listen? Of course not, but they got back down the ladder alright, so I can't moan too much. And of course, the antics provide some good photos too.

The building on the far right of this picture is the latest block of flats to be built, and they rather give the impression of a Spanish holiday resort.

The photo on the left was taken through one window of my sewing room, with me looking through the other window.

The photo on the right shows the hardy explorers getting up on the roof. Nathan is quite used to the climbing thing, as he has now been taken on full time by Graham. He's not working on our house, he's working over at East the Water. He was quite happy to get climbing on the scaffolding, and then Keith decided that he also had to do it too. It gave a better idea of the view that we would have from the second floor. I didn't venture that far - climbing the ladder seemed to be quite enough for me, and I didn't really take to the scaffolding wobbling either.

Nathan is quite pleased to be working - he's got his steel toe capped boots, which still look quite clean. He's been to get a few tools as well for the job. Now, as fortune would have it, a hardware and masonry shop has just started up on the corner at the end of the road, just opposite the fishing shop and the corner grocery. It seems to be very fortuitious that a shop of this kind has opened when Nathan is starting work.

Well, that really is about it for now. I'm still a bit under the weather from the shingles - it seems to be the case that some of the spots are lingering / coming back again, with the odd twinge of pain / itching from time to time. At this moment in time I'm thinking of indulging in a little afternoon nap - I find that the heat and sunlight make me sleepy as well. I don't have any problem sleeping at all, just in staying awake !

Watch out for the next installment - I'm planning on starting my patchwork and quilting blog very shortly, and I'll put the link to it on this blog.

We won't be having shingles on the roof

What, have they got that far already? No, they haven't got quite that far, but it is coming on nicely. The reason I've put that as the title, is because I've got shingles (as some of you may know already). It started last Thursday or Friday with painful skin, and I had a few little spots on Sunday. Over the weekend I couldn't bear leaning back against anything, or even having the duvet brush against me. The word 'shingles' just came to me on Sunday night, and after a bit of research on the internet, it seemed to me that the symptoms were all there. Keith didn't think so. When I went to see the doctor on Tuesday, she confirmed my suspicions. I've slept quite a bit recently - most of yesterday in fact. I've got codeine tablets to help with the pain in addition to ibuprofen. The pain is worst in the morning (when the painkillers have worn off). It's on my left side, which doesn't help - being left-handed. I'm glad that I can't remember having chicken pox - this is most unpleasant. So that is the reason we won't be having shingles on the roof! Not that we were going to have shingles on the roof anyway.

So - progress on the house. The back is really coming along quickly - you can really see it in this picture on the right. The window frame that they are building around on the right as you look at the picture is my sewing room! I'm quite excited about it all - thinking how I'll decorate it, what furniture I want in there, and how much more sewing I'll be able to do! (I know that this will NOT be the case, but it is a nice thought, and we will be spending future holidays in this country, which will give Keith more time for golf, and me more time for quilting!

The photo on the left shows the work at the back, taken from the front of the house. The dark grey blocks in the middle of the picture show were the downstairs toilet will be. The picture was taken earlier in the week - on Wednesday to be precise, and the photo above was taken today, whilst writing this blog. The photo on the left shows the work has just started on building over the dining room windows - the bottom windows in the picture above are the dining room windows. They are progressing quite quickly - it's great being able to see them at it. Keith tells me that he went out on the scaffolding yesterday to have a look.

The photo on the right shows the progress from the side, and you can see the wall for the dining room toilet, and the blocks ready for building the first floor. The doorway looking through to the dining room is going to be a patio area.

The photo on the left here is the view from the dining room into the extension. I like to spend a little time looking at this, I start thinking about the size of the dining room. It's funny how an empty room can seem smaller than a furnished room - and vice versa - although the vice versa is just common sense I suppose.

The front of the house is coming on too. The photo on the right shows how the brickwork is coming on up the side, and the photo below shows the same area, but looking from the window in the kitchen. This room is going to be the study, and each time I look at it, I wonder if it's going to be big enough. At least one of the walls will be filled with books - so I suppose we could call it the library, or the reading room! It will be a fine size for Keith and I to work in, which is all we need. Some of you may be asking why we need a study when we'll have a large dining room, a music room and I'll have a sewing room. WELL, having lugged bags of books up the stairs in this flat, I don't intend doing it again. It will be much better to come in the front door, put the bags and books in the study, and have somewhere that we can retreat to, to get urgent work done. It will also give me room to do my examining in peace and quiet.

That is it for the post at the moment. I've got to get on and quilt Caro's quilt - I'm hoping that there is a package for me at the house - I've had to order some more thread, as I'm not sure that the reel I'm using will last the whole quilt - I'm using the same thread in the bobbin as I am on the quilt top. Keith has taken a couple of photos of me quilting the thing, so once Caro has got her present, the rest of you will be able to see it! I've also finished quilting the other piece I was working on. I just need to bind it and add a label. The other quilts I have ready for quilting are all intended to be machine quilted - with the exception of two; however, the two which I want to hand quilt need to be basted, and I need a large clear space to do that. The large clear space I used for Caro's quilt is where I'm quilting at the moment, and so I won't be moving the table and paraphernalia to baste two other quilts. I could be binding the quilt I've just done, except that I don't have any fabric here to bind the quilt with. Oh dear - what a shame - that means that I will have to go shopping for some fabric! And, oh, next Saturday I have a workshop at Step-by-Step called Stitched Herbaceous Borders - creating a picture using threads. I've looked at my 'ingredients' list - I'm going to have to buy quite a bit of it there, as I can't get to to my fabric, and the threads are a bit precarious as well!

Oh - and before I forget - the last photo shows where Joey is in the photo! He's sitting in the wicker chair which is balanced on top of the piano. You can just see his ears here. If you click on the original photo, it should become larger, and you should be able to make him out. Just behind him you can see my patchwork and quilting boxes. They are stacked from the floor up - which shows why I'm having difficulty finding some stitching to do in the evenings. Even my embroidery threads are not particularly accessible, which is a problem for making labels for quilts.

That really is it for this post now - I really need to make the most of the natural light we have got here - including sunshine and blue skies! - and get on with some sewing. Don't forget to add your comments!

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!