Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Chit-chat Wednesday and the Renovation Blues







Hello, hope your week is zipping along nicely. Here is a recent shot of our new floorboards. Aren't they lovely? Daisy has been running up to all and sundry proudly proclaiming, "We have new clean floors like everyone else!" I'm sure people must think we have been living in total squalor.
Tragically, as a result of the floors our new house (freshly painted and spanking clean) is now covered in fine black dirt from the floor job. The pristine white corridor is now a sad shade of grey and the pink bedrooms are covered in not-so-pretty grey dirt.
When I first saw it, I admit, I did sit in a corner and weep and wail and curse a few people and rant my usual, "I hate this house, inner-city, Sydney” rant but I think of the lovely slogan, KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON and slowly started to think about all the people out there with REAL problems and put my laptop and novel away and got the cleaning cloth out.
And so this very hot week in Sydney hasn't been spent editing my mystery novel as much as I would have liked but cleaning the walls of the house we have just painted.
I'm sitting on a stepladder writing this at the moment and from either side of me I can hear the neighbours renovating their terraces over the noise of the traffic outside. I’ve been listening to renovation noises for about a decade now. Life in the inner-city seems to be about attempting to transform our small houses. Some people glorify in the process, but not me!
I long for it all to be over so that I can focus fully on my writing.
I did buy some lovely vintage children's books in King Street today. I hope to find some time to post them later in the week.
Enjoy your week and I hope you are keeping calm, carrying on and being creative no matter what is is in your path.



11 comments:

  1. The floors do look wonderful! It is a shame about the walls and you having to break away from your writing...we spend so much of our life doing mundane chores! Still, it will be worth it once you have finished. xxx

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  2. yes, i hate renovations too. your house is looking lovely though, looks like you are nearly there. and i LOVE that stressed is desserts spelled backwards!!

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  3. Hi Josephine,
    Thank you for your visit. Good to meet you!:)
    I like your new floor, it is a lovely golden colour...
    So you live in Australia. I lived there for a while but sadly I did not visit Sydney. I lived in Brisbane and nearly lived in Melbourne.
    I really like the houses you have over there. I miss the Australian life style, very much. The Sea, the surf, and the great coffee shops.
    Yes...I have visited the Witches Museum, many times at Boscastle. It is magical but also a creepy place to visit.;)
    By the way. I did not really see a ghost in Wells, only a ghostly statue!;)
    Happy Halloween.
    Jo May.x

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  4. The floors look beautiful. It seems I'm the odd one out here because I love renovating things.

    I'm looking forward to your post on the vintage children's books. :)

    - Gypsyscarlett

    p.s. for some reason, an error message keeps popping up when I write in my url, so I'm going to try posting it under "anonymous"

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  5. Ohhhh...LOVE those floorboards AND that hallway. I am thinking Tom Cruise right now....button dress shirt and underwear....running and sliding down the hallway...hahahahaha :D

    Have a good day!

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  6. Ooo, Joesphine~ your floorboards are fantastic, warm and inviting! I wish you the very best through your trials of renovation. Not an easy thing...

    You are sweet to consider others'

    Look forward to future posts from you!
    Calli xx

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  7. oh my, Josephine, it must of been heart breaking about the walls but the floors do look lovely, you were entitled to your tears and rant but it's great you moved on so quickly, I'm sure I would of been shitty for ages, I don't envy you the cleaning though:(

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  8. Your floors are gorgeous... I oftentimes find myself in the same "woe is me" place :) My husband and I live in a beautiful towne home in Santa Monica in an enviable location but sometimes I just wish I had a house with a yard for my dog! Then I remind myself to have an attitude of gratitude and all is better. Meditation helps too :)

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  9. Firstly that "Stressed" poster is hilarious and made me laugh and laugh. Second, your floors look magnificent. There is nothing like polished floorboards in a house.

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  10. Hello darling, I have missed you so much!!! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words and prayers. I am one lucky girl to have you as a friend; you truly are the gem in my teacup. I am now off to stroll around your blog to see what I have missed.

    Love & Hugs
    Duchess

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Thanks ever so for your comment! I love feedback! xx