Tradies have been working through the week, although from the photos there doesn’t appear to have been a huge amount of work done. Mostly the pantry has now been fitted out (although the sparky tells me they will need to take some cupboards out so he can wire!), the wiring all but done (save for that darned pantry), and the plumbing is all in (gas and water). The plasterers have also been back to finish their work, and a joiner/carpenter has been in to architrave out the new pantry door and one of the windows.

If you are interested in seeing the full and evolving series of shots of the kitchen reno, apart from chasing them down here, you *should* be able to see them on this page. (Let me know if this doesn’t work for you.)

This series of photos will also show the temporary kitchen, which is mostly in the central hall of the house - washing facilities and kettle in the laundry. I will be very glad to have a kitchen back.

Garden going well but as I am under the weather I am not able to do much apart from water - friends have been stopping in to do a bit of weeding for which I am very grateful. But very frustrating for me.

Just a couple of photos. Walls patched and cornice added, floors almost finished - just need final coat of sealant. In the second photo you can see how grimy the walls are by the line of clean paintwork under the cornice where the plasterers have washed it. Also, that ceiling is supposed to be white! All the grime is from dirt and dust from the wood stove (now gone). I can’t wait for walls and cornice and ceiling to be painted - man, what a difference that will make.

Not much visual progress - maybe next week?????

I will update with photos on the weekend.

Not much visible progress this week although lots of work done. Only four days work accomplished because of public holiday in middle of week.

Mostly work has concentrated on repairing the old girl’s face - her plaster work and her floors. Plasterers have been here three days - repairing all cracks and crumbly bits in the walls, filling in holes, and popping up a lovely deep cornice in both kitchen and pantry. They have done a fabulous job, and even spent an hour cleaning up after themselves (always a big tick in my book).

Today the floor sanders have been back and have final sanded the floor and are applying coats of sealer/lacquer. The house stinks. Because of that I can’t get out there right now to take photos … so they will come later.

Well, progress has been made, if only of the demolition kind. Everything stripped out, new door into pantry made (at least opened up), floors rough sanded. A neighbour took the old kitchen for their shack (good luck putting it back together again!), and after I yelled at the builders several times they now (hopefully) KNOW the gas is still connected and it isn’t a good idea to pull the pipe out as it may result in an explosion. To be sure, gas pipe line now has a big BE CAREFUL NOTICE on it. Here are a few snaps of the kitchen as it is now, waiting for plaster work to be done next week, as well the final sanding and polishing of floors. Then, pray God, they can start rebuilding.

It is good not having the cats here although I miss them horribly. At least I don’t have to worry about them escaping, or falling down the holes in the walls and floors the builders have made. A few nights ago one of them, probably Janey who cares and likes to check that I am still alive, visited me via ?astral travel in the middle of the night. I woke up as a cat jumped up on the bed and padded about … I didn’t dare open my eyes for a look … but it was lovely.

The floors have not been sanded in these photos, but they have been now. What a MESS!

The builder has a hangover and is not here.

But never fear. He said he’d be around later with a builder who doesn’t have a hangover.

The kitchen is completely empty. It is so strange, I keep going round opening cupboards and drawers just to amaze at the emptiness.