Quick update

I really miss blogging! I especially miss being part of the daily lives of all my blogging friends. One day I know things will settle down and I will have time again for all of that but in the meantime I'm almost starting to enjoy life on the run! Once your brain gets used to it, it's actually rewarding to be able to do so many things in one day. Every night when I lie in bed before I fall asleep - I try to think of everything that I've accomplished in the day that's gone and try to make a mental list of all I need to do the next day. I'm really starting to enjoy this little "project"!

Now for the update: This are going sort of according to plan. The rain has kept us back a little but when the sun's out the guys really make up for the lost time. We had to vacate one half of the house so that they can literally break out almost every single thing inside. The other half of the house is looking more like a storage site than a house - we hardly have space to sleep. We spend most of the time in the old house now and just pop in to check if everything is built the way we want it - which a lot of the time isn't! Then they need to make corrections and so on.

They will start fitting the new kitchen on 8th December and should complete it by the end of that week. The plan is that all the building and inside finishing must be completed by 19th December. Phase 2 will then start again mid January to complete the outside finishing touches, the swimming pool, paving and the garden.

The other great news is: my old house is sold! It was a rather emotional moment when we had to put up the "for sale" sign at the front gate. When the fist prospective buyers pitched up it was almost like they invaded our privacy. At the same time I was anxious because I was afraid that the house will stay in the market for months / years (like a whole lot of other houses in the neighborhood) and that I would be forced to rent it out in the end. I didn't really want to do that because I've heard so many horror stories about tenants who ruin your house and the rent would only cover about half the installment!

I was blown away when the agent phoned me about an hour after they came to view the house. The couple wanted to buy the house! It's a young newly wed couple and they love my house and wanted to buy it. The very first people who came to view the house! Mixed emotions filled my heart. I was so glad that the house was sold (at the price that I wanted!) but I really feel sentimental about that house! This is the house that I bought after I got divorced. It was the refuge for me and the boys. We made it into the safe and happy home that we all wanted and needed. I realise that now it is time to move on but I know that a couple of tears will flow the day we will have to say goodbye to "our house" permanently! I'm not sure when the move will be. The new owners want to wait for final registration before they move in. Hopefully this will only happen in the new year. At the moment there is just no way that we can move in to the Parys house before the building is completed.

Here are a couple of picture updates of the building in progress. These pics were taken on Wednesday, so they are already outdated but it will give you a general idea of the progress.

My new en-suite bathroom and walk in closet:
The "flat" where the boys will stay:
The patio:
What's left of the old garage on the left and the new garage on the right:The old kitchen after we moved out. By now it's only an empty shell with nothing inside - they broke everything down - even the ceiling!!Gotta run again - on our way to visit some friends for dinner - some kind of French meal with a VERY strange name - can't wait to taste it!

Will try to be back soon!

Buy for now!

I got a surprise in the mail!

I got a note in my mailbox the other day to notify my of a parcel that I have to pick up at the post office - something that is too big for my post box at home. Although I was VERY curios cause I knew that I didn't order anything, I just didn't have time to go there and almost forgot about it. Luckily our post office is inside our grocery store and one day this week when I went to buy groceries I remembered about my note and went to pick up my parcel. What a great surprise! My new blogging friend from Tasmania, Sharmaine Kruijver, sent me a thank-you parcel filled with yummy cookies and sweeties and even more yummy scrappy stuff! (to say thank you for the blog banner that I designed for her - silly girl - it was a RAK - she really didn't have to send me stuff in return but I do appreciate it anyway!)

Thanks so much Sharmaine! You made my day!

It's been three weeks!!

And three weeks of mess and rain and mud and fights and surprises (both good and bad!) it has been! At work things are just as busy. I had to take over additional work from one of my colleagues who's went on maternity leave on Friday. I barely touch ground and I have no time for blogging or even blog reading so please please forgive my absence to your blogs. I know that this all have to settle down some time - just don't know when!

Here are a couple of pics I took this afternoon.

We have a couple of fruit trees in the back yard. While I was busy taking photos I saw the one apricot tree was full of ripe and ready little fruit. There and then I decided that all those yummy fruit cannot go to waste. I called the kids and they helped me to pick the fruit. We managed to get about 15 kg of fruit from that one fairly small tree! We all jumped in - Leon included - and we pitted the apricots. Unfortunately I was too busy to even think about taking pics. Can you believe it! I think I'm loosing my touch!

Anyway - the fruit are now pitted, rinsed, weighed and sugared. Tomorrow afternoon after work the big jam cooking episode will begin - midst all the other chaos.

I guess it's true what they say - the more you do - the more you get done!!

I will try my best to be a better blogger and at least post once a week from now on. In the meantime - keep well and enjoy your Christmas preparations. I feel like I'm going to have to skip Christmas totally this year! Just don't have capacity to even start thinking about that now!

Sleep tight! ;o)