The first lime from the little lime tree, a warm nor’ west day and the first mojito for the season.
Not quite celebrating the finishing of the bathroom however. One more day has turned into a few more days after delays with the last of the painting and tiling.
The electrical work is finished. We have lights, fan, heated towel rail, heater, and…underfloor heating. This morning the wall cabinet went in. I’m getting used to the new look, particularly when I noticed that Felix matches the colour scheme!
Tomorrow, there’s the last of the tiling and sealing to be done and the last coat of paint. Then, will life go back to normal? What’s normal? I’ve forgotten.
I am not sure how many trades people will turn up today and I’ve made another batch of Anzac biscuits to supplement the rhubarb muffins, just in case.
The recipe says, in bold type: ‘Makes 18’ but somehow I always get 21. It’s a good idea to run a knife under the biscuits soon after removing them from the oven otherwise they stick to the tray. They are delicious while still warm…now there are only 19.
It’s 25 days since the bathroom renovation began. Today, we have an operational toilet and the painting has been completed.
For some reason (I seem to have lost the ability to hold details in my mind) the rimu door and roof access architraves could not be reused and were replaced with pine. The painter and I decided, on the hoof, to paint them the same colour as the walls and ceiling rather than staining them to look like rimu. I’m happy with that choice – and there is an example of it in the kitchen.
The door and the ceiling access cover will be the original rimu.
Mum and I are at home for one night, but at least we have a toilet! The hotel was fully booked when I tried to extend our stay – maybe people are in town for the Word Festival. Then we will be back at the hotel for a few days, after which, if everything goes to plan, the bathroom will be ready.
It’s a good day to stay inside, away from the draining hot nor’ west wind. I was blown backwards and sideways on my bike going to and from singing this morning, and after fitful sleep (I wake and feel the fell of dark), the lyrics of the songs we sang seemed weighted with strange significance.
Goin’ faster than a roller coaster…
Imagine all the people, sharing all the world… (Yeah, right.)
I see friends shaking hands, saying, ‘how do you do’, they’re really saying, ‘I love you’…
Look at me now, will I ever learn…
You’re still glowin’, you’re still crowin’, you’re still goin’ strong…
Take this sinking ship and point it home…
Only you know how much I have lost…
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket…
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky…
Soon you’ll be sailing far across the sea…
Hit the road, Jack, and don’t you come back…
Hoki mai ra…
There’s the sound of Tane the tiler’s saw in the driveway and the occasional sharp clatter of tiles from the bathroom. Slow but steady progress; Mum and I have booked another week in the hotel.
Out in the garden, the peach tree continues to blossom and the wind has eased.
After two warm days this weekend and feeling inspired to get out into the garden at last, I think it might be Spring. The tiny daffodils are out, the clematis is turning green, the camelias are in full bloom, the roses are sprouting, the viburnum flowers are beginning to show – and the tiny peach tree has the cutest little pink flowers.
There’s also a fine coating of pollen on the car and on the outdoor furniture. Achoo! Bless you.
On this cold, frosty morning, the tiler arrived and installed the underfloor heating. Everyone tells me I will not regret having this little bit of luxury!
The tiling begins at the end of the week. In the photo below is the combination we have, collectively, chosen. Thank you to bathroom advisor el supremo (you know who you are!) for collecting up paint cards to choose from.
A week ago today, the builders began work on the bathroom. A well-coordinated team of plumbers and electricians have visited when required. Today, the builders finished lining the walls ready for the plasterers tomorrow.
In the meantime, Mum and I are enjoying the large accessible bathroom (i.e. for a wheelchair) at our hotel. We prefer to be at home during the day despite being ‘inconvenienced’ there. The BP conveniences were out of order today, but Baileys Pub across the road was obliging. It’s good to make a fuss of Felix while we’re home, and I’ve enjoyed feeding the workers with Anzac biscuits, savouries, minestrone, scones and bacon and egg pie.
This morning there was a view from our hotel window across the Salvation Army Citadel to the snowy Southern Alps.
I loved this book and, since I’ve finished reading it, I find I’m missing the characters. They seemed so real I’d like to know what they’re up to now. I don’t remember having that experience with any other book I’ve read – except where it’s part of a series and then you just wait for the next book to come out. The two main characters named in the title are brother and sister sharing an apartment in Auckland.
The family gatherings in the book were often funny and revealed aspects of the people and relationships which you weren’t expecting. It was good to have a list of characters at the front to refer to and sort out how everyone was connected and who was who, especially where nicknames were used. I like the names – and their origins add another layer to the story.
I thought this book was a fantastic achievement particularly for a first novel. The young author uses colloquial language appropriate to the age group of the main characters and that added realism and charm. I borrowed the book from the library, but if my book shelves weren’t so full I’d be tempted to buy my own copy.
The bathroom renovation began yesterday. Now the room is a shell of its former self, but like a museum piece with its lathe and plaster walls. The rotting floor joists have been replaced. The discard pile is increasing – even all that rimu panelling which it isn’t practical to save, sadly.
Meantime, Felix is pretty much unperturbed by the noise made by the builders.
Here’s a nostalgic look at what the bathroom looked like.
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