Dry

We received a call Wednesday to say the BH had been declared dry and that the fans and dehumidifiers where being removed.  A quick decision was made  that we really should go and see what the builders had been up to before they put it all back.  On our journey down to the BH we decided it has been about four weeks since we last saw the BH (six for D).... way way to long without seeing or smelling the sea. 

In receiving the phone call I had mixed emotions to the news ......wonderful that we may get to spend some time there during the summer months after all .....and ..... oh god I really need to get my finger out and get on with sorting stuff (although I currently feel that's all I've been doing of late!).

Mixed emotions again when we entered the bungalow......most of what I saw I had expected but I had not expected to see the bathrooms stripped of the tiles.  The last conversation I had had with the insurance people was no tiles would need to be removed......I completely understand why they have been removed and I had pushed for them to be removed to allow the walls to dry .....but still it came as a bit of a shock!

And this set up gives a whole new meaning to sharing a bathroom......

If you look closely you can see our en suite toilet (grey) through the wall ..... you could really have a proper conversation with the person next door with this new look bathroom.

After a quick (late) tea, I needed to see the sea. So a walk to the beach for me.....pub for the boys.

Much needed time to think (well for about 30 minutes) before I decided I really should have gone to the loo before leaving C & L, and that I really should have put a jumper on! 

L was out on a friends Hen Party and I was sightly worried by the clothing that greeted me Sunday morning..... oh what had she done!!!!

A few hours spent round the BH on Sunday morning, D cutting the lawn and me measuring up for bathroom stuff.  We had always intended to sort the bathrooms out but not for a couple of years - but we decided that it would be silly and not very cost effective, not to take advantage of the stripped bathrooms.

A very lazy afternoon.....chatting, laughing, another walk to the beach....all of us this time. Time to enjoy...if only for a few hours.

No Crack : Day Four

Well...... four days of very hard work by our friendly builders and look - the extension is all better!!!  (Well for the next 10-15 years if we keep our fingers crossed)!!  We now have to wait a few days until it 'goes off' and then it can be sealed and painted.

I have been given a colour chart and told to select a colour for the outside......I had no idea that any colour could be mixed to use outside..... I was expecting a choice of ten (ish)...... it may be another five months for me to decide!

Oh....what will it be......

Crack : Day Three

Oh my goodness cannot believe how good it's all looking......

Crack: Day Two

The building fairy's have had another productive day...

New dining room furniture!!

The Day the Torch Came to Town....

Today the Olympic Torch came to Carshalton.... I have been so very excited about this day and today was the day it finally arrived ..... and I didn't see a bloody thing!!!!!!

I knew a few people would come and see it, well is it the school holidays and the sun was predicted to shine - of course it would make a fab day out!  But the Carshalton and Wallington folks came out in their hundred (if not possibly thousands!).  Much to my surprise people starting arriving about 12ish - in very large numbers.  When I looked out the shop at around 1.45pm I knew I had a problem!! The torch was expected from around 2.15pm onwards.  The rows of people were already four to five deep - even deeper in some places. 

At 2.15pm I heard a shout 'it coming, its coming' - I grabbed my camera, put the answer phone on, and ran out the shop shouting 'short ones at the front, short ones at the front' - my 6ft colleague allowed me through I stepped down onto the pavement and suddenly realised that I wasn't going to see a thing!

The three minute warning bus went past...

I ran back inside and grabbed the step ladder, running back 'short ones with a ladder in the doorway'.  I positioned myself in the doorway of the shop - and put myself as high as I could.  The cheers started getting louder, the flame was coming..........

...... and then the flame was gone.  I didn't get to see even the top of the flames.  That's life!!!!

I managed to steal the following pictures:

I also tried to find it on the BBC Torch Cam - select afternoon and then scroll the time line to 14.28 - we were a bit before that around 14.25 but the pictures have not transmitted but you get the jist!!  Our hero was Lauren Sullivan - and she so look like she just having the best time!!!

Editors Note: It was only when I sat back down and looked through the awful photo's I had of everyone's head that I was asked why I had not gone upstairs to the flat above.  Do you think I could ask them to do it all again!!!

Crack: Day One

I left the house for work this morning,  the builders were coming in at 9am to start work on the crack - luckily I know our builder really well so am happy to leave the keys and let him get on with it.  I know the work is going to be very dirty so there is not much I can do if I stayed at home, so it's off to work I go.. 

I left the house looking like this! Look the crack is still there.....although no bigger than five months ago (my goodness is it really that long that we have been trying to sort.....so much has happened in those five months!!)

We have even made a starting point for them .....

And when I returned home.....

Lunch by the River (IN THE SUN)

A quick trip to Kingston, to finalise the contents list for the BH.  Lunch by the river and a bit of sunshine seems to make it all a bit better!  So much better if fact we ordered a replacement sofa.....we must be staying!!

The afternoon saw the last lot of stuff moved to enable the builders to start tomorrow!

Quilts to Quilt, Tea to Drink and Cake to Eat....

It's that time again.... QQ monthly meeting..... it seems to have come round so very quickly this time.  We had booked this weekend for our Project Linus Weekend - a whole weekend - Friday night until Sunday afternoon - a weekend full of quilting, chat, food and drink and most of all excellent company.  But of course that was cancelled back in June when I had my minor water problem down at the BH! We have turned it into a one day event at CD's again.  We had all decided a few weeks back that we would all use the time to finish existing quilts/projects rather than start new ones.

Saturday came, along with the wonderful sunshine at long last. As soon as I reached CD's, tea and a blueberry muffin (made by HW) was consumed and then a trip round the garden - amazing what a difference a few weeks makes.

Visitors on the pond....

Wonderful bunting left from the street party.....

 

Actual Strawberries - I'll show you mine next week!!!    

Lunch was amazing, as usual - Salmon Quiche - I am hoping the receipe will be posted on QQ.

I am still working on my first pink quilt (yes still!!) Last week I finished the free motion around the hearts...this is the picture I sent to the new owners Mum .... just to tease her!!

I spent today sewing in the ditch around the big squares to anchor the quilt and then around the hearts in the boarder.  I am happy (ish) with the result but am unsure if I like the big stitching.  Just one side left to finish so it will probably stay!!

The builders start work Monday on our crack at WR, so this evening was spent moving the beach house stuff so we can move the WR stuff!!!!  I soooooo fed up with moving stuff!