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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Day 7 - Roof



By Friday the builders had the roof frames up, and left the big tarp over the top for the weekend.
This photo is taken from the backyard, near the clothesline.  We can look up and see right into the rooms!  So exciting to see it coming together.

Now (Day 9) they've progressed even further, but I haven't been able to take many photos 
... either the tarp is on, or a carpenter is in the way ...


Meanwhile, the inside continues to look mostly like this:



and this:


since we've been having rain and the occasional leak dripping suddenly from nowhere ... 

Today we heard that they aim to be at lock-up by the end of next week!
Woohoo!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Day 6 - Walls!


This morning we woke to drizzling rain, after a rainy night.
I thought perhaps the builders might not work, but they did.

And this is what I saw when I stepped out the front door!

After months of waiting,

to finally see the extension taking shape

is so exciting!

New bedrooms on this side

On this side the computer nook and stairs.

And they even started on the roof!

All happening so fast at the moment!


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A Trailride for Laura


On Saturday, as part of her birthday celebration

and because of a long-ago promise ...

Laura and her friend Bronnie went for a trailride.


Laura's horse was called Boots
And Bronnie's was Lulu.

(Or perhaps it was the other way around?)



Poor Laura, she loves horses but hasn't ridden one for two years!

If only it wasn't so expensive ...


So, after that long, long wait ....


... she loved every minute.

And I enjoyed some peace and quiet in the beautiful surrounds

- an oasis after the noise of our building.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Building Progress - Day 4


As we were promised,

our extension is going up in leaps and bounds

now that it's finally begun!

With MUCH noise, most of the roof has been taken off

to make way for the new level,

and today the floor is going down.

Pretty good for just 4 days.


A few minutes ago the frames arrived, so I guess we'll be seeing

walls go up in the next few days!

So exciting.


And not too much of this.

Just a little.

And it's not too bad ...


(I tell myself) 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Here at the Circus


Nothing but a striped tarp between our 
old ceilings and the November rains!

Our builder was called out 8 times two nights ago
after the thunderstorm,
dealing with water coming in at other sites.
Which makes me a little nervous!


But oh, the sound of the angle grinder 
cutting into our roof was music to my ears 
after about 6 months of waiting for this day!

Glad that it's begun at last, 
and hoping for only light rains!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Progress at Last!


Our long-awaited building project is finally beginning!

Today the scaffolding was erected

and a portaloo delivered.


Please observe that I matched the portaloo colour 
to the house colour.

On purpose.

No, not really, it just turned out that 
the company with the cheaper loos
happened to have loos in that colour.

But it does sort of blend in.

Better than the one which was arrived this afternoon, 
despite my having cancelled that order!
One portaloo in the garden more than enough!
That one was sent back.

12 Years Old


So grown up,
and yet so young!

A busy Tuesday as usual for Laura with 
band, cheerleading and flute lesson.

Then a disappointment as Daddy was not able to get 
home in time to go out for dinner, 
due to thunderstorms.

So we'll go out tonight, instead.

Then on Saturday Laura and a friend will go on a trail ride,
something I promised last year
and we are finally doing.

Which will make in total 8 days 
from the first celebration of her birthday 
to the last.

Well and truly celebrated, 
with our love.


Friday, November 4, 2011

Sheep Birthday Cake


For Laura's 12th Birthday Party today 


I made a sheep cake!

I divided my normal butter cake recipe into two flat round tins.  
One of these became the body and then I cut a sheep face shape out of the second cake.
The body is iced in white and then covered with popcorn,
and the face iced with chocolate icing.
Eyes: white chocolate melts
end of black jelly bean
Nostrils & mouth, Grass : cut from a Sour Strap lolly
Legs: Chocolate Rollettes


When I finished the cake I realised there was no good place to fit 12 candles!
So I popped the cake on a tray and made a fence out of lamingtons 
that I had bought to serve anyway.

This was one of the easier cakes that I've made, 
I love how the popcorn looked woolly
(and also helped covered any little mistakes)

And most of all ...
Laura loved it!