Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone!

It seems an eternity since posting last and plenty has been happening. We're still struggling to get internet.

Telstra has given some fairly contradictory advice along the way as to whether or not we'll ever be able to get it short of satellite (!). Their latest advice is that it looks OK and we should be online on the 9th. I'm keeping everything crossed. Rundown houses I can do but deny me Internet and I really struggle!

I have so many pictures showing our progress to upload when I do get back online properly. We've been working incredibly long days just cleaning and trying to get the place functioning as a home - albeit one with plenty of temporary fittings.

My man loves to clean.  #theoldpostoffice

This room is about to get scrubbed and furnished. Painting comes later.
Shower curtains have proved invaluable to block off the dodgy internal cladding off the walls, at least until we can put in a more permanent fixture.

Dodgy shower curtain cladding. Temporary solution on the way. #theoldpostoffice

Mostly though, the last week or so has been about learning to love our new home.

And, we do. We love the house and all its quirks and cobwebs and tumbling down bits.

Every day is an adventure in this house. Nothing is easy, nothing is taken for granted. When I walk into a room and don't encounter a huge spider, I feel elated. When I turn on the shower and hot water actually comes out, I'm over the moon.

We even like how the lack of insulation pushes us out to under the tree in the afternoons, filling Lucinda's paddling pool for her daily bubble bath.

href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maisieandmore/8339368289/" title="Bathtime. by WeekendIsland, on Flickr">Bathtime.

It's incredibly hard work, living in a house like this. All the tradies we need are still on holidays so we just make do for now.

Even washing the dishes every night takes considerable planning. I start boiling kettles in the morning and filling a basin to make sure I have enough clean, warm water at night to clean everything down.

Soon, the tanks will be flushed clean and we won't have to worry.

For now though, our life is glorified camping and - at least until the novelty wears off - we're having a ball.

Our next job cleaning up the master bedroom enough to move in.

Beyond that, we need to get our veranda and bathroom clad.

Then, we need to move out into the yard to get the weeds under control before we can start seriously looking at getting some animals agisted on our land.

So much work. But so much reward, too.

8 comments:

  1. Happy new year to you and your family too!
    So glad to hear you are loving the new life, you will really enjoy looking back at the early pics as you complete an area.
    Cheers Judy xx

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  2. It's looking so much better already- just by cleaning it out!

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  3. So much progress already. Such large rooms, that mint green is growing on me too. The pic of Lucinda out on the grass is gorgeous. And the best bit is you don't have to stress about your floors. Get that girl a fast ride on and let her go for it. We just sold our last ride ons and it is the end of an era, it has been great to let the kids zoom all over the house and not be precious about the floors. mel x

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  4. I so admire you. These images are already showing such an amazing improvement. Fingers crossed for you on the internet front. We/I get so use to technology, when we cannot have it we feel stripped bare. Or maybe that is just me. (Jarvis trew my phone into his kiddie pool and Optus tells me it will be three weeks for a replacement. With no home phone I know I am going to miss my mobile)

    http://iliska-dreams.blogspot.com.au/

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  5. Love the progress you have already made. The photos tell the story.

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  6. What an exciting year ahead, can't wait for the story to unfold. Best wishes for the New Year.

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  7. Happy New Year in the new house Edwina! All starting to shape up and show your effort. You will be really firing along by the time the weather cools down. Great that you are able to document it all, hopefully your internet will be up and running by the 9th. You will love looking back on these posts in a couple of years time!! Any progress on the Jack Russells? cheers Wendy

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  8. what a wonderful post. i remember when my parents were finishing off their new house; at one point, we had a microwave only and it was in the bathroom, for some reason. glorified camping indeed. at least it is summer time for you - it would be worse i'm sure if it was cold! what energy you have to take on such a massive job - i'm completely in awe of your passion and determination.

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