Here IsThe Kitchen

By popular demand, well one person actually, here some photos of my new kitchen and informal dining area.

 

A view of the main work area.

 

The new oven cabinet with the new pantry door in the background.

 

Margaret's pride and joy.  Both bought about 1975.  I sit here when things are cooking.  Normally the rocker is closer to the side board so that I can keep my glass of wine out of Louis way.

 

Across the room is my own private dining area and morning TV viewing area.

 

Finally, for Helen a picture of our friend, Betty, and her little dog, Bella.  Now that's one bad tempered old bitch (the dog of course).

A Time of Reflection

This has been a few days of reflection on the last couple of years.  The 20th of September would have been Margaret and my fifty fourth wedding anniversary and the 26th, Margaret's seventy fifth birthday.  The fact that I am changing things around the house without her input is a sobering thought as she had the style and I had the muscle, albeit small.  At least I can now look back without just giving up.

I have stopped painting for the time being but have moved out into the garden.

But first a few photos.

This a view in my hall way looking in to the main bedroom showing the new floor and the newly painted walls and wood work.

 

I am in the room to the left which is my study/ computer room where Louis is keeping an eye on me.

Louis has left the room but this is where I do most of my computer work except web browsing which I do on my little net-book in the lounge with my feet up.

The lounge with the furniture back in place.  The net-book is to the left of my chair.

 

The view from the other way.

 

That little bugger, Louis, has crept  into my bedroom and messed up my freshly changed bed

The start of my new veggie garden.  I started growing vegetables back in 1998 when we moved to Queensland from South Australia but gave up when I broke my leg in 2000.  Nearly four years on crutches followed by Margaret's illness meant that it was all left to grow wild. I an now going to grow salad greens and herbs in two raised beds in front of the old garden bed and larger veggies in the old bed behind them.  Each of the new beds will require 300Kg of soil, most of which will be transferred from a garden bed outside the front door which is going to be converted into a little courtyard as it get the morning sun. It will be a great place to have morning tea.

 

Another view of the new beds.  I have removed most of a tree just to the right and cut back the lemon tree in the foreground and the forest tree by the shade house.  I had a full trailer load to take to the council recycling plant.  I have poisoned off the grass in the new beds and the soil will be added next week.

As you can see I an still keeping busy and with MOW, cycling and my computer club not to mention walking Louis twice a day don't have any time to feel sorry for myself but do sit back on my past life at times.

A Busy Couple of Weeks

Last time I left off in the middle of decorating my kitchen which, I am  pleased to say, has come up very well.  I have finished off a few things lesf in an unsatisfactory condition by the installer.  The company has ignored my e-mails and I haven't the heart to to get into a fight.  I just let all my friends know that the actual kitchen installation went OK but they better make sure that there are no loose ends before making the final payment if they intend to use them.

I decided to have a break from decorating and tidied op the garden instead.  My friends have been commenting that Louis has developed into a long haired, scruffy and even dirty little dog.

I explained that he hadn't been bathed since his leg operation and anyway it has been much to cold to bath him in winter.  We have days when the maximum doesn't exceed 15 degrees centigrade!

 Last week was the first day of spring and I had run out of excuses and much to his disgust dumped him in the bath and gave him a good wash.  After he was dry I gave him a clip.  Now I am of the school that believes the only difference between a good and a bad haircut is two weeks and Louis never complains anyway.

Over the last few weeks I have also been roped in to make additional Meals On Wheels deliveries and also made a couple of additional mid week bicycle rides so have been quite busy but as we had a public holiday on Friday I started on the lounge.  First I had to empty the china and glass cabinet of it contents and pile them on the dining table.  I also moved the sideboard in to the little family room which I now use solely as a dining area.  The main dining area in the lounge hasn't been used for some time.

I moved everything into the middle of the lounge and washed the walls.  I am at present taking a break as the first coat of gloss dries on the door, window frame and skirting boards.  It is a vinyl based paint and so I will be able to finish the second coat after lunch.

The present view of the lounge from the kitchen.

From the other way.  Louis and I sit here among the rubble to watch TV.  It should be back to normal on Wednesday.

We have had the most beautiful weather for the last four or five weeks and I have been out every Saturday with my cycling club and as I said before even made a few rides over the hills to Cooroy for a coffee stop and back along the main road home.  It is about 35Km, very hilly and scenic so I get a pleasant work out.

Oh well - back to painting