It's nearly harvest time!

It's nearly harvest time!!! But, some I will get and some I may not see... Ho hum! I planted the tomato's at the start of the season, just 3... I thought that would be enough for just me! I then thought of what else, so I planted some corn as well! Both of them have really kick on! The corn has started to set its 'ears' and the tomato's are nearing ready to harvest, just starting to blush.

Vege Patch, originally uploaded by AussiePomm.

YUMM Tomato , originally uploaded by AussiePomm.

Today, I also headed on a road trip, up north... This was a hard trip to make as it was a service to farewell little Lewis who died last week, just 11 days old. Whilst it was a sombre service, his parents were incredibly strong throughout, and I was honoured to be there. We (EB girls and I) gave them a standard Rose, Mother's Love, which was very fitting we thought... Fly free little man!

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Back at work, farewell & a busy time ahead!

This week, I am back at work after 4 months off... Both Monday & Tuesday were good (busy)days! However, after an email when I returned, today I was off to an old family friends funeral. It was such a lovely day for it, over on the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney in glorious sunlight. Hek, it was even rather warm! RIP to you my friend... God speed!

I am now going back to work 4 days a week as well, giving me an extra day at home to get things done, stuff that has really needed doing for a little bit, but now I have the time, ability and money to do them! Just yesterday, I booked the house in to be re-pointed. You know what that is right? You scrape out the mortar between the bricks and replace it with new, stronger mortar. It not only sounds like an absolutely HORRID job, but I think it is even noisy as well since a grinder will need to be used! So a dusty, noisy HUGE job, is too big for me, so I have contracted a guy to do it for me! Once that is done, I will then get the painters in, and they can paint the eaves, fascias and windows/doors in the colour scheme I am yet to choose (I have it down to two though!).

I am also looking at gaining my Pilot's licence. This is going to be very exciting for me as it is something I have always wanted to do! Only trouble was that other things took priority over the last couple of years...

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POLL: - Help with colour selection please!

I am about to change the colour scheme of the house... Something I/we wanted to do, and now I think is the time to do it... Also, as the painter suggested, to do it PRIOR to having the brickwork, repointed!

So here is the house now, in the classic Green & Cream scheme (which I detest!)

HOUSE 1, originally uploaded by AussiePomm.

HOUSE 1 Gabel Ends, originally uploaded by AussiePomm.

HOUSE 1 Entrance, originally uploaded by AussiePomm.

Now here I offer you some different combinations of colour schemes, AND I want YOUR comments/suggestions, and to even discuss this amongst yourselves and debate which one I will choose (please?)!

OPTION 1

HOUSE 2, originally uploaded by AussiePomm.

OPTION 2

HOUSE 3, originally uploaded by AussiePomm.

NOTE: Brickwork will NOT be painted, so please refer to window frames, doors, facias etc).

OPTION 3

HOUSE 4, originally uploaded by AussiePomm.

So, what will it be??? Let the discussions begin!!!

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Clipped wings and flights of fancy... (and some other stuff as well...)

Being summer and all, we have been somewhat busy, so sorry for the sporadic posts...
Last week, we finally had our ISP changed over from Virgin Broadband... Now, whilst this is an incredible service, when it is running, it was more often than not, slower than dial up! We tried installing an external antenna (which gave us some respite and additional speed), but then it started to slow down again! It even got to the point where, if on the net and a phone call came in, the modem would go 'on-hold' whilst the phone was in use, and sometimes the phone would even drop out!
Anyway, I digress, we now have a super fast Internet connection and a return to a 'landline'! Happy as a 'pig-in-mud'!
We have also been busy in and around the house as well. I have been asked (and repeatedly asked...) to hang some hooks in the recently renovated bathroom. It is not that I was trying to get out of it, but there were two bits of timber that we had to choose from! I wanted a slightly fancy version, whilst L was looking at a plain piece. The piece that had a bit of trimming about it, was from an old dressing table that the FIL had and I thought that, with a bit of trimming here and there, it could be used. It was!

Bathroom Hooks

Bathroom Hooks

Bathroom Hook

And then today, we were pottering around the house not doing much, went off to get L's car detailed as she gets a new one tomorrow, and she also got a pedi and a manicure! I hung the hooks as mentioned, and then we went into the 2nd bedroom and started hanging some of the pictures. I had to find the staple gun mind you, so we got started. All 'pictures' were hung and it was only left to the plaster wall vent L purchased for an 'art work'! It was a scene of some branches and a couple of birds sitting upon them. After putting some hooks in and then gluing them... they did not want hold tight, so I got another style and glued it on. All hung and it was looking good. Until... the hook came off and the plaster vent shattered! It was agreed that in, the unlikely event of it falling, there would be NO tears, right! So out came the vacuum (again) and mess all cleaned up until a replacement vintage bird was hung... Alas, a broken flight (down to the floor) ended in it being in more than one piece! Luckily enough though, there was a smaller one to be found...

Crafty Wall Hangings

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Cubby rebuild...

Over the last couple of months, the cubby has been getting much more of a lean... It was about to fall over! So, I tried to take the roof off to brace it up a little, but as I touched it, I quickly found out that if I was to try and lift it off, the whole house would simply fall! The previous owner of the house, had a little girl, and I think it may have been a rush job to build it many years ago, as some of the joints were... well... not that good!

So on the weekend Christmas break, we dismantled it, and I built two new side wall frames. The back yard looked as though a cyclone (tornado) had gone through it!

Cubby 30122008

Cubby II 30122008

Cubby III 30122008

We also did a 'new' floor, as the old one was just chipboard on a couple of bricks! Great for ALL sorts of bugs and stuff when kids are inside!!!

Cubby Floor 30122008

Now, yesterday afternoon, frames were finished and the rear cladding was nailed on. Right hand side cladding and window were also installed and then the cubby was placed onto the new floor. Whilst L was off getting dinner (it was too hot to cook anything, and that is a story in it's own right that I will tell you later...) the cladding and window were completed on the left hand side.

Now, as I said, it was rather hot and as I was busy, L said that she will do dinner, But as it was hot, we were busy so she decided to go to Alpacino's Pizza & Pasta house nearby. She left and dodged her way through traffic at a nearby intersection where a motorcyclist had an accident and later died. When she got to Alpacino's, it was closed! She left and then called me and it was decided to go to the local Lebanese bakery, where they have the BEST, woodfired pizza's. Sounds good? NUP, it was closed as well!!!!

By this time, somewhat deflated, she came home and defrosted some stir-fry beef, cracked open a bottle of Vietnamese sauce and cooked some rice. What a disaster! This dinner was so hot (spice), she could barely eat it! I had one bit of the beef and some rice, and I swear that it took off the lining of my mouth!

So, here I am, at work on New Years Eve (NYE). Outside it is a lovely day, where we are expecting a top in the city of around 30 degrees C. Our site is one of (if not THE best) the best sites for the NYE fireworks. Fencing has gone in and will not reopen until 10am. There is already thousands of people out there waiting. These are mainly backpackers (UK and USA to name a couple), and have already started drinking as grog is not allowed inside. It is not even 9am! We will be at home tonight, with family, having a BBQ, enjoying the spa and having a game or two on either the xbox or the PS2.

Your turn: What are your plans to see in 2009? Have you made a resolution yet, and will you?

Have a great night everyone, and stay safe. See you in 2009!

Enjoying the summer after Christmas!

Boy, am I glad that Christmas is over for another year... Since, mind you, we have been sort of 'flat out'! With doing things around the house, and L having a bout of the Summer Flu! We have been enjoying some rather warm weather with afternoon thunderstorms (one now actually, stopping work on the cubby-house). I do not really mind this however, as it allows me to watch the second test, Australia v Sth Africa in the Cricket!!!
But, I just thought I would share some shots of what our Christmas day entailed...

Christmas Table 2008 II

Christmas Table

Rosie, seemed as though she was a little 'confused' as to what was happening, but she did like her Santa's hat:

Santa's lil helper

Both Max and Will got Chef's hat's and Max (being the photogenic person he is by always jumping into a shot...) was willing to show his hat off. But as it was late in the day (a very long day for the boys), Will was a little more camera shy:

The mad chef

I can't remember what Rosie got for her Christmas present, but what ever it was, it must have been good (given both mum and dad have the same facial expression):

WOW

Man, have we been busy!!!

This is a bit of a 'catch-up', so apologies in advance!
Firstly, in news other than homely stuff, 'L' had another cycle, however, this time, it was a negative. Friday, she is going off to have some investigative surgery to have a look at the insides... More on that in another post!
So, what have we been doing? A lot! Tiling the back (and front) verandahs...
Before:

Side

Back

Back Wide

During...

Side During

Back During

Side Finished

Back Finished II

And finished & cleaned off...

Back Cleaned

Also, the second bedroom was still in the colours that were in it when we bought the house 3 1/2 years ago, so a change was in order...

2nd Bedroom

Clearly, the previous owner's little girl had influenced the colour choice...

2nd Bedroom Door

And, as tomorrow is 'L's' birthday and a party will be had on Sunday, we are doing a spot of cleaning!!!

Rug Cleaning

I promise, I will post a photo of the present I have got her tomorrow afternoon!!!

Call the police; somebody stole the weekend!

Over the last weekend, an unusually warm one at that, we had a major attack of the 'lazy's', that is, not much was done! Well, not quite, there was a fair bit done, just nothing that really needed to be done! We did however, catch up on a lot of the videos stacked up to the side of the TV from mid-week shows that doubled up, shows that were on whilst we were busy and that sort of thing...
Saturday, which was meant to be 27 degrees (C), actually turned out to be 32 degrees, so after a quick jaunt to a sale (photo's and a separate post all to itself is warranted here...) where we L spent more than our recently instigated daily budget. After heading home and getting some house and garden work done, L went off to work, yes, on a Saturday afternoon!
I managed to get a bit of washing done, and although I was supposed to get the citrus sprayed (stick bugs on the Lemon) and the weeds sprayed as well (Onion weed in amongst the Roses), these were not able to get done due to it being really gusty! So I just had a spa instead...
Sunday, was a very lazy day... L went back to bed (headache, and feeling overly nauseous) and did not take to long to go back to sleep... I went upstairs to work on the new computer, and went down to see if she would like a cuppa. She was actually sound asleep! After she awoke, we decided that we will go to the shops for a bit of 'therapy' and some lunch before coming home to catch-up on those videos. During this, we both fell back to sleep, and when we woke-up, L went upstairs to continue with the report upstairs, whilst I got dinner sorted.
When she eventually came down, this is the site we saw on our bed...

Jasmine on tapestry

Jasmin on tapestry

Now L has been working on this tapestry for a little while now, and of ALL the bed she could have picked to sleep, she HAD to sleep on it!

Things come in threes... Hope not!!

OK, so why is it that SOME things, come in threes? Well, I hope that this will not be the case for now!

You see, this time last week, the dishwasher had started to 'pack it in', and we were shopping for a new one. L looked out the Choice website to see what was the most Water & Energy efficient, whilst I looked for these at special prices on the net.

The recommendation (from Choice) was the ASKO, but at a list price of $1800, I was horrified! So, I went to task to see what/where I could grab a bargain. The best we could find was for $1399, and I was almost on my way to go and make the purchase. I had sent l an SMS of this, but this went without being answered. I then made a call to 2nds World (forever hopeful) and low and behold, they had it listed at $1149! Again, an SMS was sent, and as it was nearing the stores closing time, headed off to make the purchase. With about 15-20 mins to spare, I got the call to BUY, BUY BUY!!! Got it home, and installation was a breeze and we could not be happier with a nice new, stainless steel dishwasher...

But, then it came, the computer in the upstairs study, decided that it did not want to start up anymore... It boots up, but then simply hangs with a black screen... I mean, it is fairly old, so it was off to see if the previous weeks special at ALDI was there and managed to get one...

So, there is TWO problems we have had this past week, lets hope there is not a third...

Here it is, the SPA!

OK, so as you know, we have been kinda busy with Chinese Teachers on Home-stay (first a week with two, followed by a week of three) and with the house painting. We now have only two bedrooms to go, so that will be done in a couple of weeks as one bedroom in particular, will have major work to be done with regards to the rendering...

But, as in previous posts, we did say that we would be getting a spa. First there was the purchase, buying the Gazebo (now a Pavilion), pouring of the slab, construction of the Pavilion and finally delivery of the spa. It was a very tight 'squeeze through the Garage (you could here the bubble wrap 'popping' as it went through...) and then up onto the slab. It was no mean feat in getting it there with one of the tyres on the trolley 'popping' and going flat!

When the B.I.L and Co were building the Pavilion, I got L to go to Bunnings to get some electrical cable for some lighting I was intending to do; one externally that the F.I.L found for us, and the other to be above the spa itself for some additional light. This one, a Chandelier, we actually got from IKEA!

Now these photos were taken at around 5pm last night, and was when the sun was going down and the light was low... It was also after a storm we had that left some parts of Sydney with 'Soft Hail' or a rare event of 'Snow'! (Read and see a video here)

Spa in Pavilion

Spa in Pavilion

For now, it's done!!!

Whilst over the last two weeks we have had some Chinese teachers staying with us, we are now on a 12 day break before we get another couple of teachers. In a separate post in a couple of days, I will tell you all about the latest lot of teachers. So, without having to prepare additional dinners etc, we can now move back onto 'normal' blogging!

After just over three years, we have finally (and almost all) painted the interior of the house. Not that it was all that bad a colour, but its amazing how just a wall vent almost falling off in one bedroom led to the whole house being painted!

Painted lounge room!!

1. Kitchen, 2. Kitchen 250708, 3. Laundry & Kitchen, 4. Lounge Room 250708, 5. Lounge Room: - Courtyard, 6. Lounge Room 250708

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

For now, we're done, but with two bedrooms to go, we are approaching the finishing line. After this, and we have already started looking at pricing, we will be replacing the bench top in the kitchen to a granite one!

Who said that the painting was over???

Just when we thought it was all over (for now), I came up with this brilliant idea (not) to paint the lounge room & kitchen on my way home from dropping off the new set of Chinese teachers. Oh what a fool am I!

So, here are a few 'before' shots just to show you what we had. Apologies for the mess as we had started to move things first, THEN decieded to take some photos!

Lounge Room: - Courtyard

Lounge Room: - Courtyard

Lounge Room: - Backyard

Laundry & Kitchen

Kitchen

All things being fair and good, it should all be finished tomorrow (fingers crossed... It is approx, 45-50m sq!)