It all started late last year when I took some extended leave. Initially it was to get some yard work done and to have my old deck, which was about to collapse, replaced and made bigger. But then………. I also had my side fences replaced, the neighbours contributed to that cost. I needed to have work done on my gutters as every time it rained I had a water fall at the back of the house onto the stairs from the deck and at the front of the house onto a garden bed which then resulted in runoff that went under the house 🙁

Next I decided to replace my old electric cook top, which only had 2 hot plates working, with a nice big 5 burner gas cooktop. I also decided to install a small dishwasher (to replace Stefan as he decided to move back to his Dad’s).

Next the barge boards at each end of the roof needed replacing..I replaced them with painted metal ones. Meanwhile the hotwater heater blew up. Well, it split it’s seam and leaked everywhere and I had no alternative but to replace it.

And all the while, after Stefan moved out, I embarked on my protracted house painting adventure! 🙂 After 4 months I have 1 wall in the lounge room to paint….I had to wait for help to move furniture and that happened yesterday…woohoo!!……. all the little bits in the family room and kitchen, like the fridge recess and under the kitchen bench and the built in book case. Then all that is left is my bedroom!

I donated the old white (grey) vinyl Family room lounge suite to one of the organisations I do work for and decided to replace it with a sofa bed for guests. This was fast tracked when I invited a friend to visit. I set out thinking I would just buy a cheap one..ha ha…but pooh brown or lime green was not going to work for me and a thin foam mattress and wonky frames wasn’t either. I persevered and found the perfect fit at a not so  perfect price. But the store said they could order  more of same material as the sofa bed for me, which I want to recover my dining chairs with…another job..Doh!!

So, what’s next? I’ve been told I better replace my car port. It is a bit of a worry. It does have a tendency to move/wobble if you push on the uprights and I really don’t want it to collapse on my car!! And I still want to get to Italy later in the year…..wish me luck!!