I’ve spent the last two days looking for a hook to hang this week’s blog on, but I’ve just had no space in my head to think in a straight line. I’m starting this at 3pm on a Friday afternoon. We’ve had workmen in the house all week. Again. So, I thought that should be the hook. Yet another week of noise and a house full of workies.
Today should have seen the electrician just nipping in this morning to affix the LED lighting around two of the spaces I’ve had built for shelving, and the joiner just finishing off the skirting board around the top half of the kitchen. They’re still here at 3pm, which tells you that things haven’t gone quite according to plan. I am so appreciative of their efforts I just had to pop to the village shop to buy them some beer for their efforts.
The aluminium conduit we bought to house the LED strip had no attachment holes, so poor Keith had to drill holes in the pieces he had already mitred before Neil could fix them up. Then Neil needed a transformer he’d not bargained for so drove into town and back. Once it was all fixed into place, they had to move the heavy fridge freezer to access the wires he’d left hanging down at the back specifically for that purpose. And then, just as he thought it was all a done deal and he just needed to flick a switch, one of the LED strips has a dead spot, right in the top corner. Great. The right white is now out of stock so he has ordered another roll before he can make it right. At least Keith can finally measure up for the mirrors that sit inside the LED strips, and the glass shelves to sit in front of them, so they should be with us sometime next week. The results should be amazing.
Thank goodness it is Friday, so we have a weekend without noise and sawdust everywhere. I can’t celebrate the no more workmen thing too much though because on Monday, the decorators begin. I reckon there’ll be 3 or 4 of them. They’ll be decorating the kitchen, obvs, but also the dining room, the pantry and the porch. A huge space, and I have no idea how many days they expect it to take. I’ve not asked, because, being in week 5 of our 3-week build, I’d rather not plan for the finish until the finish arrives. And again, it means that next week, and perhaps more, we’ll be consigned to the living room or upstairs every day, with the telly on loud enough to muffle at least some of the noise for the dogs, and definitely too loud for me.
And every time I think ‘That’s it – we’re finished!’ I remember another thing. And then another thing. Because once the decorators have finished, the electrician needs to come back to re-attach all of the light fittings he took down at the very start. At the same time as us FINALLY being able to put things back! For the shelving to go back in the pantry, so we can see what still needs to be on the shelves in the pantry, or what can now live in the kitchen in our super-duper new cupboards. And I’m sure there’s more but I’m not thinking about that too much right now.
My not inconsiderable collection of booze can go back on their cabinet, which I’m sure you know is no quick job, and I can find places for all of my cocktail glasses on my new illuminated shelving. We can move certain things from the shed into the pantry that are better placed there, like power tools or walking boots. And before long, everything should have a forever home and my shed might have space. And in that space, I will be able to sit, with the door open and a glass of wine, when it is raining and listen to the rain on the shed roof. It’s not entirely why we just spent way too much money on a new kitchen, but it is definitely in the end game.
I’m not sure how many weeks we’ve had a house full of workies, a lot, for sure, but I SO cannot wait for them all to be gone. There’s one more big job to decorate the outside of the house, but they’ll be outside. Yes, there will be noise. Lots of noise. And probably scaffolding which will affect the satellite signal. But it won’t require any of our furniture or belongings to be misplaced in totally the wrong rooms. And, and I think this is a real biggie, I can clean a room, and it might just stay clean. The only mess might be our own mess. And I won’t have a clean room that is suddenly piled high with a three-piece suite from another room. Just for now. And then stays like that for weeks. That stuff is quite literally doing my head in.
So it really is no wonder that my head is so full of stuff that leaves no room for anything creative. But I keep reminding myself that the end is nigh.
Right now, Mr CQ is away at his folks, back tomorrow, bringing my dad with him. It’ll be snug having the three of us here while the decorators are here at the same time, but I have a plan that features lunch out and a mini adventure every single day. And then after dropping Dad off home next Monday, I’ve booked myself into an apartment in Liverpool City Centre for 2 nights while I get my head into some kind of shape to tackle whatever lies ahead when I get home.
And then, I think I can start planning my ‘Come say Hello to my kitchen’ cocktail party some time in July. And it will be fabulous.
But for now, I’m cocktailing for one, still from my emergency cocktail bar, but miracle of miracles, today I found a small and unexpected bottle of pineapple rum, and a small bottle of chocolate rum in the same box! I think I might just stay low key and make a Daiquiri. Or in fact two different Daiquiri; one each of the pineapple and the chocolate variety. Although I think I know which I’m likely to prefer, you know I’m happy to take one for you guys and report back.
Before then though, I’m going to leave you with a lovely photo of some lovely roses.
One of the first things I did in this garden was start work on a border of roses for people I love. I started buying roses in remembrance when my brother died in 2005. It hit us hard, because you’re not supposed to die in your 30s, so I wanted us all to have something that made us think of Simon each time it bloomed or needed pruning. I did a whole pile of research, and eventually found the perfect rose. Simon was definitely a free spirit, who loved the outdoors. He was also a short arse, comparatively. So when I found the Spirit of Freedom, that was described as a ‘short, hardy climber’ I just knew it was the right one.
A little later, we were each gifted a McCartney rose in memoriam of Linda, and it just felt right that Linda, who converted Simon to be a vegetarian all those years ago, and Simon shared a rose bed. Joining Simon and Linda, is the Dainty Bess, for our beautiful Queen Bessie dog, who died aged 18 years old a couple of years ago. And then when we left Warrington to live here permanently, we were gifted two beautiful roses: Perfect Harmony as a leaving gift from my choir, and Liverpool Hope from our lovely neighbours Beryl & Nigel. It felt right to plant them all together. And then recently, I added Carol for my mum, obvs. Finishing off the border, so far, is a Nye Bevan (who we named our dog Nye after), a Bring Me Sunshine, a Russelliana and an Iceberg climber.
I have loved watching them establish themselves into a bed that no longer looks newly planted, and yesterday, I was able to cut some roses from many of them to brighten up the house. This bunch, that smells divine, features the Spirit of Freedom, McCartney, Carol, Bring me Sunshine and the Russelliana.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I am.
Cocktail Queen 