Tuesday, March 31, 2009

There is a first time for everything

Deirdre brings in plants



Yes here I am with my Stanley Handcart loaded with plants that Christabel has been looking after for me. I wheeled it to and from her place down the road.

We have ordered a truckload of compost and have already had Kath Irvine in to advise on making a garden.

Still regular visitors who come to have a look at the place.

Now have the office nearly ready for work and Malcolm is still putting books carefully in our four bookcases. We had six and a half at the last place. One of them at the new place is really big so we haven't really got rid of any books.

The fort is the first to go




Malcolm is keen to get a vege garden established and so one of his first priorities was to get rid of this children's climbing structure. He will later make sure that the soil under it is taken out because it will have all the residues from treated timber in it.

Alistair couldn't do it till the school holidays so Rupert kindly stepped in an spent a hard afternoon dismantling the structure. He went home for tea and brought back Alistair with his trailer and it is now gone! Just the sandpit left and a few flax plants.


You can see the gum tree on the left. We are going to build a garage where the car is and so the gum tree, which is always precarious in high winds, will go. That will mean we will get a heap more morning sun in the winter too.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

We moved in last Wednesday 25 March 2009

It's been quite a week and we have made remarkable progress already at settling in to our new home. We feel so good about it and friends have been absolutely wonderful to us.

First Bernadine and Hannah were great in cleaning and helping on moving day, doing the nasty job of clearing out the garage and the big implement shed. Fortunately it was a wonderfully fine day. Leigh and Hamish were moving here and we were moving to their place so the four trucks just shuttled to and fro for most of the morning and we then proceeded to shake down for the afternoon.

The most wonderful thing was that Mig came and helped sort out the kitchen so by dinner time it was workable. It is a super kitchen. I love it and Mig has found good place e.g. cups and glasses in drawers instead of teatowels which are higher. Then Christabel arrived on her bike with dinner and it was enough for three of us, lovely meal too. I was in bed by 8pm and Rupert visited on the way home from Wellington.

On Thursday we drove up to Levin to buy ourselves a new supertub for the laundry, the plumber visited and ordered a small cylinder for the laundry as it only has cold water.

Friday was also busy. Miriam visited, the real estate agent brought a basket of goodies and we sorted bedrooms, started the bathroom, unpacked till we dropped. I had a lovely bath each night. The TV aerial man came to sell us his Freeview box and get it going for the weekend till he puts a better one there on Monday. We shuffled round furniture in the sunroom and can sit in the sun.

Saturday saw us up early to drive to Paraparaumu to buy things for Bryan to put up. A bathroom cabinet to replace the ugly one on the wall, another towel rail, a guest towel holder. Bryan was magnificent, not only doing this work but teaching us all sorts of things re TV, showing us what to use for borer in the bathroom. He also managed to get the Airport and modem beside the piano and be invisible. Now the computer works in both house and office.

Was too tired to take photos, or when I wanted to take one today, I couldn't find the camera.

And today Rhys came to fix locks, cut duplicate keys and organise our locks generally. Nice to get organised.

Tomorrow Rachel and Jamie are coming, Rupert and the wardrobe man from Lower Hutt on his bike ride.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

This is so much fun





Another visit with camera






Deciding which furniture to take and which to get rid of and how...