Big chunks of time have gone by and my posts have been non existant, but our build is progressing well and we are currently installing plasterboard to the walls and ceilings.
The deterioration of my sight has continued and I can best describe it as living in a vaseline jar. Everything is blury, I can no longer drive and have had a couple of tumbles through not seeing clearly.
BUT
On Tuesday I undergo surgery for the removal of the offending eye lense and the fitting of a genuine artificial plastic prosthesis.
I confess that the thought is rather confronting of someone coming near your eye with something sharp, but it can't be any worse than a root canal right?
So by Wednesday I should have clear sharp vision back in my left eye.
Wish me luck.
Upsides & Downsides
The universe has certainly tested us in the sector of 'nest building' namely in the process of getting building materials to site.
The council has been working on the bridge over our local creek that was damaged in the floods 12 months ago. This years flood had 20 metres of water roaring down the creek over the bridge and the earthmoving equipment, storage containers and smoko shed and apart from the excavator, everything else was washed away.
This resulted in the load limit of the bridge initially being lowered to 5 ton, then eventually raised to 15 ton. Naturally the last load of building materials plus delivery vehicle was waaay more than 15 ton, but with some local assistance in the form of a smaller crane truck, EVENTUALLY got everything in.
The result is this - all the cladding finished!!
The downside at present is that no, nil nothing in the way of jewelry has been made.
My eyesight has deteriorated to the extent that I struggle to work with fine detail. All is not lost as the upside is I am waiting for an appointment with a eye surgeon, Can't wait!
The council has been working on the bridge over our local creek that was damaged in the floods 12 months ago. This years flood had 20 metres of water roaring down the creek over the bridge and the earthmoving equipment, storage containers and smoko shed and apart from the excavator, everything else was washed away.
This resulted in the load limit of the bridge initially being lowered to 5 ton, then eventually raised to 15 ton. Naturally the last load of building materials plus delivery vehicle was waaay more than 15 ton, but with some local assistance in the form of a smaller crane truck, EVENTUALLY got everything in.
The result is this - all the cladding finished!!
My eyesight has deteriorated to the extent that I struggle to work with fine detail. All is not lost as the upside is I am waiting for an appointment with a eye surgeon, Can't wait!
Neglectful
I have of late, been a neglectful woman.
The construction of the house has consumed me utterly. This combined with weeks of extreme temperatures has sucked out all creative inspiration. My 'grunge studio' is in a state of chaos with proto projects in forgotten piles and leaves scattered on the bench from the hot dry winds and I have no motivation to even clean up.
Christmas and a family wedding have drawn me away and this week events consisted of deja vu in the form of catastrophic flooding in Queensland and New South Wales, again for the second time. We had 90% of our annual rainfall in 72 hours and apart from a few leaks, one over my side of the bed (naturally) we have only had to wait until our local creek was passable.
My hear aches for all the people affected by the floods and hope they have the courage to dig deep and rebuild their lives again.
I have been neglectful of my blog and worst of all, I have been neglectful of my online friends. I am slowly working my way through everyone's posts and hope I am forgiven for not commenting.
The construction of the house has consumed me utterly. This combined with weeks of extreme temperatures has sucked out all creative inspiration. My 'grunge studio' is in a state of chaos with proto projects in forgotten piles and leaves scattered on the bench from the hot dry winds and I have no motivation to even clean up.
Christmas and a family wedding have drawn me away and this week events consisted of deja vu in the form of catastrophic flooding in Queensland and New South Wales, again for the second time. We had 90% of our annual rainfall in 72 hours and apart from a few leaks, one over my side of the bed (naturally) we have only had to wait until our local creek was passable.
My hear aches for all the people affected by the floods and hope they have the courage to dig deep and rebuild their lives again.
I have been neglectful of my blog and worst of all, I have been neglectful of my online friends. I am slowly working my way through everyone's posts and hope I am forgiven for not commenting.
Op Shop Lament
Opportunity Shops, or Op Shops as they are called here, sure have changed.
They used to be run by a local charity or church and were places of wonderous treasures, but times have changed.
We now have the giant ' charity chain stores' in the form of Lifeline and St Vinnies. Now I am not begrudging the great organisational effort of these charities in becoming the largest op shops in Oz, but I lament that treasures are no longer to be found. Anything remotely antique or vintage is whisked off and sold to dealers. We have a Lifeline in our local town Gin Gin and occasionally a little treasure slip through.
The last time I went into the big smoke I made a list of op shops to visit in Bundaberg. The big two had basically nothing. The Red Cross yielded an old book. The Guide Dog shop had nothing much.
The last one I visited, the Brolga shop run for the benefit of local aboriginal people is what an op shop should be. What is donated to the shop stays in the shop.I scored 2 silver plated filigree bonbon dishes, a patterned aluminium container, a peach anodised aluminium lid, an old tin and they gave me some old broken costume jewelry.
These are from the bonbon dishes with some of the bits from the costume jewelery.
The silver plating was not in good condition so a dunk in the patina improved the colour no end.
They kind remind me of an Edwardian high tea. All starched white linen, bone china and elegant Edwardian ladies in soft pale lace.
The only piece I have made in ages, but have managed this . . . .
A ROOF!
They used to be run by a local charity or church and were places of wonderous treasures, but times have changed.
We now have the giant ' charity chain stores' in the form of Lifeline and St Vinnies. Now I am not begrudging the great organisational effort of these charities in becoming the largest op shops in Oz, but I lament that treasures are no longer to be found. Anything remotely antique or vintage is whisked off and sold to dealers. We have a Lifeline in our local town Gin Gin and occasionally a little treasure slip through.
The last time I went into the big smoke I made a list of op shops to visit in Bundaberg. The big two had basically nothing. The Red Cross yielded an old book. The Guide Dog shop had nothing much.
The last one I visited, the Brolga shop run for the benefit of local aboriginal people is what an op shop should be. What is donated to the shop stays in the shop.I scored 2 silver plated filigree bonbon dishes, a patterned aluminium container, a peach anodised aluminium lid, an old tin and they gave me some old broken costume jewelry.
These are from the bonbon dishes with some of the bits from the costume jewelery.
The silver plating was not in good condition so a dunk in the patina improved the colour no end.
They kind remind me of an Edwardian high tea. All starched white linen, bone china and elegant Edwardian ladies in soft pale lace.
A ROOF!
Pooped
Home and pooped, that's me..
A week of school holidays kept me on my toes. Masses of towels from swimming, a small cluster of cyclones that opened all to doors and spread toys, pencils and other debris from one end of the house to the other. Ravenous pantry/fridge raids, fun, stories, squabbles over the use of the computer, walks through the local parkland, then all too quickly . . School.
Getting them up, fed and dressed, lunches packed, bags packed. Dropping 2 off at two separate schools and one to kindy, then doing it all over again in the afternoon.
I have walked and driven miles, cooked lots, tidied up continuously, washed, vacuumed and found 'lost' things.
Phew! I don't remember caring for billy-lids being so much hard work when I was younger.
A week of school holidays kept me on my toes. Masses of towels from swimming, a small cluster of cyclones that opened all to doors and spread toys, pencils and other debris from one end of the house to the other. Ravenous pantry/fridge raids, fun, stories, squabbles over the use of the computer, walks through the local parkland, then all too quickly . . School.
Getting them up, fed and dressed, lunches packed, bags packed. Dropping 2 off at two separate schools and one to kindy, then doing it all over again in the afternoon.
I have walked and driven miles, cooked lots, tidied up continuously, washed, vacuumed and found 'lost' things.
Phew! I don't remember caring for billy-lids being so much hard work when I was younger.
Vanishing Point
Ok I have been, more or less, vanished for quite a few weeks now so, your'e probably asking yourself how she could possibly vanish further. We I can.
Tomorrow morning I board a bus with members of various art groups in the district, for a trip to the Sunshine Coast for a long weekend of arty goodness visiting various galleries and studios. Really looking forward to this!
Then I go on to Brisbane for a grandma baby sitting session for 2 weeks while my son and daughter-in-law take a very belated honeymoon.
He surprised her on her birthday with air tickets to Italy and France. How romantic is that!
I will be left in charge of (or under the collective thumbs of) a 12yo, and a rambunctious 7 yo and a 3yo, and it's school holidays
Have mercy!
I fully intend to undermine all forms of discipline.
Making chocolate crackles, and puddings and cakes, lots of red cordial (just before they get back) Cubbies under the dining room table, running with scissors, drawing and painting, digging in the dirt, jumping on beds, singing at the top of our voices, and dressups.
I can do this stuff because no one will ever spank Grandma.
See you in a couple-a-weeks
Tomorrow morning I board a bus with members of various art groups in the district, for a trip to the Sunshine Coast for a long weekend of arty goodness visiting various galleries and studios. Really looking forward to this!
Then I go on to Brisbane for a grandma baby sitting session for 2 weeks while my son and daughter-in-law take a very belated honeymoon.
He surprised her on her birthday with air tickets to Italy and France. How romantic is that!
I will be left in charge of (or under the collective thumbs of) a 12yo, and a rambunctious 7 yo and a 3yo, and it's school holidays
Have mercy!
I fully intend to undermine all forms of discipline.
Making chocolate crackles, and puddings and cakes, lots of red cordial (just before they get back) Cubbies under the dining room table, running with scissors, drawing and painting, digging in the dirt, jumping on beds, singing at the top of our voices, and dressups.
I can do this stuff because no one will ever spank Grandma.
See you in a couple-a-weeks
In the Last 2 Weeks
I have managed to make this.
And our house now looks like this and my back aches and my knees creak - steel is sooo heavy.
And our house now looks like this and my back aches and my knees creak - steel is sooo heavy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)