oopsie!

Well apologies, apologies it's been over a month since I last posted. At the moment we are in limbo just waiting for the quotes from the builder, plumber, electrician and plasterer which have been promised to arrive this week. I hope they are good quotes otherwise we will have to start all over again and the goalposts will move further. Good news is DD2 has managed to find a flat to rent which is just 7-8 minutes walk from her other sisters, this has given us great comfort knowing they are near each other, she will be moving out mid April which in theory should mean all systems go for us... now the sun is shining a bit more we can hopefully move to our new old girl and rent this one. We are taking DD2 to see the house this week as she has not seen it before. 

I can see clearly now

We went back up to the house on Tuesday, we were going for the record in travelling time but sadly there had been an accident on the M1 involving a lorry and a car which meant leaving a junction before we needed and a detour across country,my thoughts go out to all involved in the accident.
We arrived in sunshine despite it snowing through the night and at last was able to open the front door with ease. On Wednesday morning I thought a spot of cleaning was needed as the house has not been occupied for 2 years. I know we are going to be making a big dusty mess soon but looking out through clean windows and doors over the garden makes life a bit more bearable. I also cleaned the window and floor in the bedroom where we are camped out and managed to open the sash window and let some warm sun and fresh air come into the room.
The builder had arranged for a plumber and electrician to come for a preliminary visit, both are very nice, the plumber even made suggestions which we had never considered which means we can remove the water tank in our en suite and in the attic bathroom freeing up more space for the new layouts.
The electrician is going to install electrically wired smoke detectors and a burglar alarm too, they are all coming again next week to measure and then let us know the price.
The old owner came to collect his mail and showed me some of the plants in the garden we have a large bay tree, magnolia tree and somewhere a peach tree woo hoo it get's better and better.

Miracles do happen

After spending a lovely weekend celebrating a 40th Birthday with friends in Cambridge we proceeded to the house. The initial plan was to go out for a pub lunch but that did not materialise. Our friends arrived with the car load of things that wouldn't fit in our car so we now have a table and chairs to eat on whilst we are up at the house. After they left I started to finish the stripping in the orange room, the paper came off like a dream, glad I remembered the I pod and docking station this time as I could boogie along whilst working. The Mr continued to play with the central heating system and miracle of miracles we have now got heat yaaaay. On Sunday evening we dusted ourselves down to pay a visit next door to our new neighbour the pub. It is a small country pub , no music or slot machines just a cottage sized living room with a log fire and about 7 locals sitting around chatting to each other, think we are going to like visiting there. The landlord is very nice and chatty. The builder came to visit on Monday evening, he asked if the Mr knew what he was buying when he saw the house lol ...we knew it was going to be a challenge but it will be one hell of a house when it's finished. He is coming back next week with a plumber and electrician during the day to see it in daylight. On Tuesday the toilet broke, luckily we were there as an overflowing cistern would have been a major problem. The conservation officer also paid a visit, she saw the spot where we had removed the damp plaster and agreed that we could remove the whole of the front wall hall and dining room's plaster, leave it to dry out and replace with traditional lime plaster. The Mr had brought along a new toy which we hadn't used before its an electric scraper, boy was that fun to use, we were even arguing over whose turn it was lol. On Wednesday we saw sunlight shining through the window so a spot of gardening was in order. We explored the garden discovering a whole bank of raspberry canes, a large fig tree, enormous log pile and a quince tree plus a greenhouse complete with many seed trays and fitted with the staging to put them on, roll on summer can see tomatoes and peppers growing nicely in there!

Fffreeeezing!

On Tuesday we had our first sleepover at the new house. We planned to leave early so that we would have time to attempt boiler starting once again during daylight hours. The journey up was just over 2 hours but we were driving through heavy rain towards the end and as we arrived it started to sleet. The Mr had to give the door a shove to open it but it is seeming easier each time as he shaves a bit of door off every visit we are there (hope there's some door left come the summer lol). We set up our bedroom in the cleanest, least needing to be decorated room, which just happens to be DD2's bedroom switched on the little oil filled radiator we bought last week and left it to warm up. We tried to light our log fire, hmmmm think we need a bit of practice at that as it doesn't seem to be roaring like you see on telly. We enjoyed our first meal in front of the fire which was lovely, then to bed. Freezing does not describe how cold it was despite us being huddled under our new duck and feather duvet, eiderdown and wearing woolly socks. The heating just will not start, but on a plus note we have hot water. We managed to strip the room which is to be our bedroom plus the downstairs hallway and squeezed in a visit to the council to tell them we are the new owners so progress of sorts. This is the bedroom we stripped which looks considerably brighter now the old blue paper is off.

New Year

Well that's it Christmas over and done with for another year, it seemed so long in the lead up with the present buying and preparations then poof it's now a distant memory on the horizon. New Years Eve was spent with good friends at their BBQ!! I took our sole item of decoration, a solitary string of fairy lights down on New Years Day. As you will learn in time this house does Christmas in a big way... it just seemed very silly this year to unpack decorations just for a few weeks especially as house is filled with packing boxes but never mind the Mr has promised me a very, very large tree next year to compensate!!!
 Today we have collected a new to us fridge from a good friend who I worked with. Along with the little oil filled radiator we purchased on Monday once both of these are taken to the new house we can stay for our very first sleepover, so exciting. It's only now I realise how far we will be moving as everything has to be planned strategically for visits as if we left anything behind it's a long journey back to get it. Oh well lets hope we remember everything. 

I must have been very, very good this year!

This was the first year darling daughter number 1 (DD1) did not spend Christmas with us, she got engaged in July and she asked if we minded if she spent Christmas day with her in laws to be. I felt it a bit strange without her, we had a lovely day with remaining 2 daughters, adopted daughter no 4 and darling daughter no 2's  (DD2) boyfriend. We chose to make Boxing Day our Christmas celebration this year, after all it's not the day but the people that you spend it with that make it special. The girls and my FSIL clubbed together to buy me something I have always wanted!!! I have always passed through the major department stores and stopped, wished and drooled longingly over the Kitchen Aids but could never afford to buy one, but I HAVE GOT ONE NOW it is my Christmas and Birthday present (very special birthday coming in January). I will display it and use it in my new kitchen when I get one, thankyou, thankyou my girlies and FSIL I love it.

Our Menu this year was

Canapes

Croustades filled with Smoked Salmon Mousse topped with Caviar

Large Prawns coated with Cashew and Panko breadcrumbs served with Aioli

Prunes stuffed with Stilton cheese and wrapped in Pancetta

Toasted Brioche squares topped with Smoked Duck Pate and a spoon of Fig Jam

Starter

Duck Carpaccio served on a Rocket, Fennel and Orange Salad drizzled with an Orange Juice and Passion fruit dressing, sprinkled with a few Toasted Pine Nuts.

Main Course

Beef Wellington with Dauphinois Potatoes, glazed Chanterey Carrots, Fine Green Beans and Red Wine Jus

Dessert

Tarte au Citron, Panacotta with Raspberry Coulis and Oreo Cheesecake. 

My new toy!!!

A van load gone

Well the Monday before Christmas we decided to take a van load of boxes up to the house to make room for us to be able to spend the festivities with our daughters and future son in law (FSIL). Thank goodness the Mr is such a great packer (I think its all the practice he's had taking the girls to and fro to uni, he used to pack that car to the rafters lol)The van was full, we arrived safely but the door is still a problem to get in and out of. It took 45 minutes to unpack the boxes into the living room but that has made a huge difference to our living room here, I can see carpet again yaaay. The FSIL liked the house but seems to think it will take a long time and lots of money to repair.....we are in no hurry. The journey back took just 2 1/2 hours which was pretty amazing as we thought we would encounter Christmas traffic. On our way out of town we picked up a sack of potatoes for Christmas, £6 for 25 kilo's seems like a good bargain to me.