loft conversion update

It's getting quite exciting,really.  The cork underlay has been stuck down with PVA glue to stop it slipping.  I bought a couple of rolls of cork, and it's so much thinner and more fragile than the cork tiles I've handled previously!  It tears more easily than paper - hence the need for an adhesive.  Without any it would have torn to shreds as we walked on it to lay the floor!

The reclaimed oak tiles presented more of a problem than we had anticipated - no surprise there, then!  There are about 5 different sizes/thicknesses, not to mention the blocks which were trimmed to fit the factory floor.  But we like a challenge, oh yes, we do:-)

We discussed various styles of laying them; initially I had thought I would have a simple "brickwork" style, nice and simple, I thought.  No, not with all the differences it wasn't.

Eventually I decided that a simple block pattern of 3 x 3 would probably be best, so that's what we did.  However, there were insufficient blocks in any one size to complete the whole floor area - of course!

Necessity being the mother of invention, so they say, David suggested laying a border of the longest blocks around the patterned area.  How sensible!  And it looks good, too.

The oak blocks had been painted when they covered the factory floor, so now the really messy part was due.  We looked on the internet to see if we could buy a second hand floor sander at a reasonable price, but, as is sometimes the case, nobody was selling just what we wanted at a price that seemed reasonable.  So - David decided to try using the hand sanders to see if they would do the trick.  We have a couple of belt sanders and also those shaped like an iron, the detail sanders.

The dust!!!!!!!!  Oh, the dust!  All my lovely magnolia paitwork is begrimed with the stuff, and those ultra expensive Velux windows are shrouded in it.  I can't bear to think of how I'm going to clean it all:(  Hoovering the floor is easy, but the walls, ceiling and windows, it's not a pretty thought!

But aren't they looking wonderful?  Such a warm, glowing shade:-)  And, fortunately, the hand sanders are coping with it - though poor David's back would rather it was all over with, I'm sure.


Along the back wall, under the fire-escape window, we're running a bank of simple cupboard doors, which I picked up for 50p each from a bankrupt sale warehouse about three years ago.  They're not fixed as yet, but you can see what they will look like - ish!  I think  they're stunning, but then I would, wouldn't I?

where does the time go?

Where does the time go?  Who steals it away in the night, never to replace it?

I'm approaching the end of my three years as a mature student at UCLAN in Preston.  I am so very glad that I took my courage in both hands, phoned them up and attended two interviews to persuade the two heads of department that, at my advanced age, I was capable of returning to a learning situation.

Once my place was confirmed, I tendered my resignation from the post of Bursar in a school where I'd worked for nearly sixteen years.  I began working there on my daughter's ninth birthday.  The hours were perfect, not starting 'til nine thirty, which meant I could still drive her to school, and finishing at quarter past three, giving me a quarter of an hour to drive across to collect her from school at three thirty.  Only two days a week initially, but soon increasing to three days a week as the dreaded computerised system entered the education office!

So, another era comes to an end.  I've enjoyed telling people that I'm an undergraduate student when they've asked what I did - some people find it hard to believe that anybody would want to take early retirement to return to school!!

If you're thinking of doing it yourself - go for it - it's great fun.

I've always loved reading books of all sorts, but especially fantasy and long, involved series of books.  Now I have learned to read in a manner I hated whilst at school - trying to read between the words that are printed on the page, reading what is NOT written, as well as what is.

Working through this degree course has enriched my life, and given me a great deal of satisfaction. 

Had I not been attending my seminars, I would probably never have gathered the courage to send off a couple of stories to the local newspaper for publication.  Then I would never have experienced that unimaginable emotion that floods through when the message comes through that a story has been accepted - and then the other one as well.

Yes - it's enriched my life, and I shall miss it.  But hey, I've an exam to pass yet, and results to wait for, then the Graduation ceremony in July.  It's not over yet, so I'll enjoy it for a little longer :-)

the flooring is going down in the loft!!

Finally, finally, finally, we have started to lay the flooring in the loft conversion.

You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to know the right way to go about things when you've never done it before!

We decided it was better to insulate the remainder of the loft, and board that out before we installed the floor.  Seems more sensible than laying and polishing the oak flooring then trailing all the rubbish etc through the room!

So, I bought zillions of rescued oak floor sections on eBay.  David has manfully cleared all the bitumen from the backs of them - there really are zillions!  He got very black and sticky at times, I'm so lucky to have him to help me:)

We ummed and ahhed, as you do, about the best underlay, and finally opted for 2mm thick cork, which I bought on two long rolls.

We smeared PVA glue on the chipboard base, and laid the cork at the weekend.  We used the oak blocks as weights to hold it down, as you can see.

Maybe next weekend we'll lay some oak.  Who knows?

spare the time to look at this amazing clock!

Soneone sent me this link, so I clicked on it, like you do if you trust the person who sent it to you.

It really is an amazing time-piece.  It re-sets to your time zone, and you read it from the top in seconds, down through minutes, hours, etc.

Have a look.  Do you know how it works?  I don't, but it's fascinating: :-)

http://home.tiscali.nl/annejan/swf/timeline.swf

Valentine's Day look at the garden

Happy Valenitne's Day :-)

We tend to ignore the day itself, as it is over-commercialised to such an extent. Hence David is busy removing the manhole cover which broke my wrist a couple of weeks ago, to send it for re-training reduce its height so that when we lay the gravel on the patio it won't be jutting up too much.

He thoughtfully arranged with nature's gardener to have a couple of snowdrops show their shy heads for me, in lieu of a bunch of flowers.  So  much nicer!

The blossom will soon be out on the Skimmia, too.  Lovely white flowers, currently protected by reddish-pink sepals in sweet little bunches.

The forsythia won't be too far behind - the buds are swelling, and soon those brown twigs will be covered in glorious sunny blooms.  So pretty because the leaves follow the flowers, so don't obscure them.

Enjoy your Valetine's Day, whatever you do :-)

Avoid lily pollen stains

I love lilies.  I hate the way the pollen stains everything it touches!

I've worked out a way to avoid the pollen becoming a problem.  It's quick and very simple: here's what  you do ...

Keep a close eye on the flower buds.  As they are just starting to open you'll be able to see the stamens lurking within.

Sneak up to the bloom, moving as stealthily as you can.  (This doesn't affect the outcome at all, but will cause your neighbours to wonder what on earth you're up to!)

Gently open up the petals just a little, so that you can slip a couple of fingers in to grasp the long knobbly bits that hold the pollen - the anthers (no, not antlers, anthers, you see, this is why I called them knobbly bits, far less confusion that way).

You'll find that if you hold them firmly, without crushing them, that you'll be able to simply slip them away from their stalks, and dispose of them in your compost bin.  The pollen doesn't actually become "live", so to speak, until the flower actually opens, so you've pre-empted it.

No pollen, no staining.  Magic!

leftovers!

Just a quickie!!


I made a sandwich with a left over burger from yesterday.  It was wonderful:-)  I ate it cold, so it was reminiscent of pate, really.  The kick of the chilli was more apparent today - a contrast to the cold temperature of the actual food.

This confirms that they would be great for luches.  I shall try the mixture made in a loaf tin, and perhaps small portions wrapped in some sort of pastry, like a "sausage" roll.  I suspect it will prove to be a versatile sort of mix:)  Let me know if you try them, and any variations you use!