STRANDED!!!!

Sorry no pics this time. I am stranded in Bundaberg, due to some flooding that we have not experienced in years. Last week I took the long way home, Friday I detoured around 5 roads to get to Murgon and back. I travelled to Bundaberg for work, watched the rain radar and somehow I knew this would happen. I packed extra clothes for a change. What is a girl to do when they are short staffed at work and I am stuck in Bundy but volunteer for an extra shift, so instead of driving home tonight then back 2 days later for another shift , I will just do 2 in a row.
At least the shops were open this morning so I got a lot of Christmas food shopping finished. Now for the perishables on Tuesday after work and I will be nearly ready. In all of this ABSOLUTELY NO SEWING has been done. Hope your weekend was better.

Electrician's visit

He may have been 5 days late in arriving, but he certainly got in and finished numerous small tasks for me. The small light above the sink has been installed. He pulled a 6 foot snake skin down from the ceiling cavity after installing the light. We knew the skin was there since 2007 so no panic buttons were pushed. This is the view from the floor looking upwards.


Here is a view of the kitchen area with the hot plate pulled out and for a temporary fix, I have a board from an old cupboard filling in the space. The microwave is now sitting on top of that. 2 new sets of power points at the end above the tiles means no more leads and power boards running across benches. The different amperage power point for the hot plate was moved over to the stove area. So guess what, MY STOVE IS FUNCTIONING albeit without the GAS.
I have temporarily moved the hot plate over nearby so we can use either the oven or the electric hot plate. I am off to BBQ's galore to source a regulator to fit so we can maybe use a small gas bottle if the switching over of the hot plate/oven annoys us. We are waiting to get the plumber/gasfitter when we install the shower.

Just to show you it is indeed on and working, I am cooking afternoon tea. Care to join me for some oven baked goodies ( the first out of this kitchen in 3.5 years) . Alas now I have to go shopping for some Christmas Baking stuff.

I think we are now nearly ready for Archie's return. But first there is some mustering for Craig to do and some paid work for me. It took me a little longer to get home last Sunday morning, but I was pleased I left Bundaberg at 7am. Mind you I was pretty darned tired when I did eventually get home. I had to try 3 different ways to get past 1 flooded causeway near Hivesville. Belinda got through it in the X Trail but my car was just too low and I certainly didn't want to flood it.

Archie's Visit

Sounds good doesn't it. Archie is actually a cabinet maker who suggested he be allowed to do our cupboards for us.He paid us another visit as we had a problem with matching the existing laminate. So I seized the opportunity and while he was here remeasuring, we removed the half finished cabinet for a wall oven and moved the freestanding bench along to decrease the space as the stove will slide in there now. The splashback and rangehood will go above. In the background you can see the newly painted white wall of the dining area. By the state of the existing green boards one can assume that area was previously the wash up area. The large hole in the floorboards was also a giveaway to its previous function.We have now selected a different bench top colour and these will be recycled to the downstairs laundry area. A few hours later, I painted the recess with 2 undercoats, and moved in the stove. If you have lived without an oven for nearly a year, one can appreciate how excited we will be when the electrician comes and installs the power point. Then we wait to get the gas fitter so the top half will work. In the mean time we can use the existing hot plates until Archie comes back. The matter of the deleted laminex colour has probably been a blessing as we had a dilemma as to how to fill in the hole when we pulled out the hot plate. Since we now have new bench tops coming we don't have to worry.

Painting Progress

This job is certainly beginning to feel like running a marathon, does the finish line ever appear?
Here is the tall wall in the dining area of the kitchen section of the house. I have brushed one top coat of paint onto the old boards. Will attempt a second coat after I attack the kitchen side as the level of paint in the tin is dropping fast. I might need more than 15 litres for this part. At least the yellow has been covered. The dark line you can see is my appeasement to Bryan as he was complaining he needs coloured trims in the room. I have tried a sample pot of Taubman's Deep Water on the sill, actually looks ok but I thought I'd wait until the cupboards are in before deciding for a permanent solution.
Here is the view of the tall wall. I just managed to reach the top with a long handled brush. Didn't have to perch my ladder on a table either.


Now for the lovely green section.
Here is the before view , the green is definately not my favourite colour, it was probably quite a pleasant shade when new, but after years of grime and dirt and teamed with chocolate brown trimmings, it had to go. Luckily I don't have to paint the entire wall as the cupboards will cover the rest. The old sideboard and overheard cupboards are also departing.

Have not taken the after pic yet as I have only brushed one coat. Tomorrow will be the next coat with the roller.

I'm quite certain I enjoy sewing more than this but one has to take care of their environment also. Will be glad when I can move onto the downstairs rooms. They only have 7 foot ceilings.

Some progress

Back again with some photos of my progress on my triad. This is 4 strata units. I have since pulled off the yellow/red strips attached to the purple set. My adviser said he quite liked the yellow orange but I felt it had to go. I wish the unsewing would happen as easily as the sewing. Would help if I could find the quick un pick.


Here it is with the 5th strata set added. In this photo I still have not replaced the yellow/orange strips. I think I have also moved the blue line over one row to draw the eye in a different direction since this pic was taken. Might make one more set yet and have put it aside until next week for patchwork day. I have also decided I don't really like the watermelon strip set so it might only be used as a fill in on the edges yet.


Here's where I've got to. Back to the veranda. This is the first panel on the right hand side of the front steps. I finished sanding it ready for painting. I will now start on the longer posts and cross beams at the top. Used the angle grinder dics, the heat gun and the sander to shift some of the stubborn stuff.

This is the last panel on the RHS of the steps. Look closesly at the top rail and you can see how much of the rail was rotted. This one will eventually be replaced as it is far too whoopy to keep.
Hopefully after the beginning of December all this side will be painted. Have not decided on a colour for the top rail yet. In the background you can see where Craig has thinned the tree line a bit.

Off to wash a few more walls inside as it has to be finished painting before a cabinet maker revisits us in December also. Then I may finally be able to store some stuff that currently is homeless and a sewing area may happen.

Back at Work, Sewing and Tutoring

I must be thankful for the varied life I lead. In the past week I have been working at the day job, a tourist travelling on the new roadwork parts of the Bruce Highway, an Anatomy tutor for the uni student, back to reality doing some housework and laundry, an accounts keeper for the grazier, bull dozing supervisor ( really just a sightseer) did help plant some pangola pasture, and back to work though this time being the night shift person for 2 nights. In amongst all of that I also did manage to draw some patterns for the workshop in EQ7 ( that was certainly a STEEP learning curve but pleased I took the time to play) and have started sewing some more samples. They are along the lines of strips n curves but using a 60 triangle, quite interesting. Not sure where it will lead though. here is a basic hexagon formed from 3 strata sets.

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The only thing housey I achieved this week was to replenish my supplies of sanding discs and paint brushes and paint. All is looking good for 2 weeks of cleaning and sanding soon when I take a bit of rec leave from work. Then hopefully the painter friend turns up ready and able to spend 2 days working hard. Must head off to work soon for another night of urgent routine work. I really wonder sometime why the public patients of Bundaberg get their pathology work done so prompt when sometimes private patients can't even be seen by their private doctor for sometimes quite lengthy delays. Of course I have to deal with traumas but thank goodness they don't happen all of the time.Catch you next time.

Sewing Again BUT still painting

Doesn't this look different. One coat of undercoat that took 2 hrs to paint after a few DAYS of sanding. Good news today before the rain was supposed to start I managed to get these 2 panels topcoated with one coat. I even got the top half of the stairs done before I decided not to push my luck with the rain too far.

The other good news is I am off to Coolwaters to teach kaleidoscopes and hollow boxes in January. So out of necessity I have sewed something. I went to patchwork in Mt Perry yesterday and caught up with the girls and actually sewed these three boxes. I have even finished the draft of the requirements list for the convenor and sent it off to her. The wonders of modern technology , I feel sorry for the generation who missed out on learning to use these things. Mind you my dad is giving it a very good go, but it certainly raises his frustration levels at times and involves some long phone conversations to me to try to make his computer work.

Think I might make a collection of these in blue to make a table topper for our dining table in its new blue/white abode. Am off to Sunshine Coast next week to be a cook and washer upper for the Uni student. Maybe when she is busy studying I can hit the shops. Hopefully her knowledge of anatomy and physiology will surpass mine by the end of the week. She starts prac at the end of November so please don't require an ambulance near Buderim as I certainly don't want her to see you there.