Only half a Day's Work Left

Back in October 2023 we embarked on a total rebuild of our Bathroom.  

So when ordering Plaster we decided to order some extra to 

"Do the Powder Room" (ie: Spare Loo).

Sick of the Outdated attempt at Art Deco an awful Handbasin and cold wall tiles I decided it was time to get that plaster out of the garage and hope it was still usable.

Demolition is usually the easy part but we are not removing all the plaster, just the tiles so we needed to be careful. 

Fortunately the original tiles ended below the join.

Replastering was made easier with the help of a wonderful friend, who gave up some of her 'It's my Birthday so I'm having the week off' holiday to help us cut and wrangle the 3.6 mt lengths of plasterboard into a very small room.

DH helped sand back the join (several times) until we were both happy with the finish

Helping the budget, 

We decide to use paint we had left from another room and ....

There was enough - Just!

Classed as a 'Wet Area' we can have skirting as long as it is hardwood. 

New Tasmanian Oak Hardwood Skirting board - such a shame to have to paint it.

I wasn't planning on painting the ceiling but having to make a square hole round for the new Ceiling Light/Exhaust meant more patching and painting.

So New Loo is in, everything is ready - 

it is time to put things back.

A Beautiful new Handbasin sitting on a Polished Merbau bench.

Just have to drill the holes for the Tap and Waste outlet. 

Too wide to use the Drill Press, we set everything up safely with clamps (even made a jig for the hole saw) so nothing would slide and... 

a split second after this photo was taken The hole saw jammed.

DH was unable to release the power switch until the drill rotated, breaking his 4th Metacarpal bone in the process.

We only had Half a Day's Work to Finish the Project (Tiling excluded)...

And with a Party planned for the next weekend, 

I had to make the bench supports safe for guests and provide non water based hand washing options.

...We still have "Just Half a Day's work" left. 

It is just going to take months before I will even let him touch a drill!

(Operation to insert a K-Wire, 6 weeks in plaster then Hand Therapy.)

Not a Hasty Decision ...

The sign in the Estate Agents window said "Not a Cent to Spend", so we went and had a look at what was to become our 'Forever Home'.

As I look at this photo, I see all the things that have been changed in the ensuing years. 

From the front footpath to the Garage doors and beyond.

But,  as we walked up the front steps that first time, note book in hand for the 'For and Against' list, we both declared

Well, THAT has to Go!

The light on the Front Porch was, truly terrible. 

Neither of us liked it and agreed it would be the first thing to change.

As I said, a lot of things in that photo have changed over the years each becoming much more important to a Light, that was 

- after all still working.

So finally in 2019 we bought a new light!

And even asked an electrician to install it for us.

He took one look at the wiring behind our 'Ugly Light' and declared it was a much bigger job for today and he'd come back. 

We never saw him again...

Exactly Seven Years later, 

That 'new' light was no longer fashionable

So we bought another New Light - one that was in keeping to the Era of House.

With a List of Electrical work

 

A new Electrician who wasn't frightened by an unearthed wire and 45 and a Half years after that first encounter...

We have Finally replaced that Porch Light!

I wonder how long it will take the family to notice?

We went to the Zoo

Melbourne Zoo is just 30 min by Public Transport (Door to Door) from our place.  So, with a Beautiful Day and a Friend to catch up with - it was a good choice for an outing.

Going in the back door - from Royal Park Train Station:

First stop - The Big Cats

We are fortunate to have a family of Six Snow Leopards with four cubs born in January.

All of the Cubs were out and Playing, and we also caught a glimpse of Mum.

(Here is a link to the Snow Leopard Keeper Talk and how they keep their cool)

Our Orangutang conceded to put in an appearance and was was clearly unimpressed.

All the Giraffes were enjoying the sunshine and a snack  

including Our "Little One" who was soon to take his own 3,332 km road trip across The Nullarbor to Perth.

Shot of the Day belongs to

! Tiger Tiger !

We spent a lot of time with these beauties, and were fortunate to see both Hutan and Indrah out and about. Tigers are solitary animals and are kept separate to replicate their natural behaviour.
(They are also siblings, born at Melbourne Zoo in 2010)

It was an awesome day that ended too soon but they close the doors at 5:00pm.  

We missed the last direct bus home and had another adventure working out an alternate route!

Showcase and Showing Off

SHOWCASE 2026

I didn't Volunteer to do White Glove at Showcase this year, as I didn't know if I had a free day that I could commit.  Turns out I did - so for the first time in as long as I can remember I went as a Visitor.

I had lengthy conversations with wonderful people about lots of things, and wandered the Quilts getting Inspiration for Fabric I have in my Stash, and still had things to see when they started the 'Time to Go' music.

SHOWING OFF

I am Totally sure that Our Barista is trying to get me to give up Coffee.  

Just HOW am I supposed to drink this?

Although, DD showed the photo to GD#1 who was mid 'I don't want to go to School meltdown', she was so impressed with the Catachino that she forgot to throw the Tantrum!  (I call that a WIN.)

Mum

I do not write about my Mother. 

Sadly, there is actually nothing to write about.

As I scrolled through 15 years of Blog posts looking for a photo, it saddened me to recall just how disinterested she is with anything.

I am not sure when the Dementia started creeping in but once we lost Dad, she was alone and with nothing to engage her, she has gotten worse until mild eccentricity turned into alarming paranoia.

Her Doctor said to me  ".. she needs a team of people 24/7 to look after her now" and with that we started the process of placing her into care.

Whether it was by Divine Intervention or just plain Good Luck, we moved her 4 weeks later, out of the home Dad & Mum built 73 years ago. 

She is not happy about being moved, and definitely NOT happy with having someone else in charge, but 6 weeks on and she is looking so much better and is even holding sensible conversations.

Oh -and the Paranoia? It is still lurking

but we did discover that there actually was "someone living in the roof."

What happened in August?

August's calendar is crowded with Birthdays 7 in total.

Fortunately most only require a Text sending greetings and best wishes and the promise to 'Catch up Later'

But when Someone is turning SIX

Grandma is back making Cake Decorations.

This Time it was a request for a Magic Faraway Tree Cake.

A favourite bedtime story for DD and introduced to GD#1 via the new Movie.

I was sent a photo - Sorry I can't attribute this awesome cake, but it gave me the help I needed to make the decorations.

I made dozens of Rose Leaves, 

in several Fondant colours and dusting them in various shades.

As well as an assortment of Butterflies and Bugs.

Making hundreds of decorated Lollypops at the Whittlesea Show over the years was a good foundation to make the Cast of Characters.

Silky the Fairy and Moon-face were challenging as was Saucepan Man.

But I was delighted with Dame Wash-a-lot and her Soap Bubble Hair doo. Which happened by accident when a Butterfly Wing broke, leading me to adapting  other moulds to save time and frustration.

After making a Plaque in the shape of the Cloud at the Top of the Tree,

 

I packed everything up and handed over to DD & DGD#1 to make and decorate the Cupcakes for the small (new friends only) after school Party.

* * *

The Cake Decorator in me wanted this to be perfect. 

It was close enough to the Inspiration Photo but,

after all it is not about perfection it is about making a little girl happy.

And she was VERY Happy!

 

Catching up with June and July

Now that I have caught up with our Anniversary trip in May,

Lets do a Photo dump to skip through the the months that I have missed.

June:

At Cake Decorating we moved into the new Community room at Watsonia Library and had a fun time learning to make ..

Fondant Cake Toppers for a Newborn or Christening Cake

There were plenty of expressions to master but the crying ones proved to be the hardest to manage!

DH received another Certificate (with accompanying Handshake and Brunetti Cheesecake for afternoon Tea) for his 550th Blood donation.

We watched as a disaster of a local backstreet roundabout got the makeover it so badly needed.

And in July ...

I made a Mermaid!

100% Fondant and she took me weeks to get right!

And at the 11th hour did a run to *Lulu and Stone for other Sea Themed decoration moulds for DGD#4's 3rd Birthday Cake.

Then it was a school celebration I wasn't familiar with.  

Marking GD#1's first 100 Days of Primary school where everyone had to dress as Old People...... 

Little Miss A wasn't sure about that so went as a Red Hat Lady!

Note:  Unfortunately in Todays Online climate I have had to make the decision to no longer show my Beautiful Grand daughters adorable Smiles on my Blog.

*Thank you Lulu and Stone so much for filling my order at the last minute!

Lulu and Stone Cookie Stamps and Cutters