It never ends...

Well as you can see we are at it again...This is the retaining wall being built with the blocks that we purchased one week before our handover for the house. So let's make a quick calculation shall we? So there would be Daughters birthday gone then Christmas gone, the Boxing day bash (quite successful too I might add, 72 people aaarrggghhh!) then next Daughters birthday gone, my birthday gone, husband's birthday gone, then daughter's birthday gone again mmmm so according to my tweety bird watch that would be about a year and a half ago that we purchased these blocks. Not bad hey? Yep pretty damn quick.

So the plumbers (real ones) have started and with copious packets of Tim Tams (I think that is the only reason they agreed, I buy in bulk when they are on special in Coles for this particular reason) and coffee, it is underway. The "pit", the second one, is in the ground. The downpour we had last week was a real test. There seemed to be flooding as per normal but I feel it would have been much worse without it?

I have already half planned the feature wall that will be going onto those timber posts. I stipulated that it should be easy for me to paint myself when I should so desire to change the colour. Which I will, so be warned. I think I will have a sitting Balinese statue sitting in the middle and maybe Bromeliads or something else either side. I will decide when it's done and not a minute before. It will be lovely, I hope. I had already purchased 2 gorgeous Balinese statures that are now standing in the entryway and making a statement. I do love them inside and I don't think they will be moving. Oh no, guess I will just have to get some more...damn...double damn...

A nice place to sit

The garden has evolved and grown lovely and lush. Here is a pic of the afternoon sun shining on this glorious place to sit. Not that I ever have, but should ever want to it will be lovely, I'm sure.

The timber screen is on the top of the great wall and the foliage looks superb against it. Mmmmm luuurve my bamboooooo.......

12 months on

Has it really been 12 months? Yep, we have been officially residing here in our new house for a year now. So I thought it would be interesting to do a catch up on what we like and what we don't like quite so much after having really lived in the house.

Ok so,

Love the look and the feel of the porcelain tiles under my feet, so smooth and comfy.

Love that we were able to double our Al Fresco size. Great space.

Love the plan of the house, it works so well with the way we live.

Love our appliances and how they work.

Love the Moon River walls all through out the house. It's a soft peaceful colour that goes with everything.

Love that we chose to render the house.

Love the carpet. The colour and the style.

Love the laundry being off the kitchen and it having it's own door to the outside.

Love that we were able to put the clothes line right outside the laundry door. (Well actually there was nowhere else for it to go as personally I didn't want the clothes line in the backyard.)

Don't love the fact that we have abundant storage in the bathrooms and the cupboards are half empty.

Don't love the fact that we could not afford to extend the height of the wardrobe doors to the cornice. It limits the use of that top shelf when you look in and see that the cavity goes all the way to the roof.

Don't love climbing the stairs all the time, and no I have not seen any evidence of body weight reduction.

Don't love the noise of the water pipes when the showers are running but getting used to it.

SO all in all, that's off the top of my head but I guess there would be more either side. In conclusion I think that list is not so bad.

We have so much more to do but it's all money, money ,money, as ABBA said, and boy didn't they know they would make heaps from that song!

Be gone Colourbond fence, be gone...

Damn you fence, damn you. Mental note...hide that damn fence.

Who's been playing in the water bowl? Where has all the water gone?

Bug City

No, not that Bugs.

We have just paid a few hundred dollars for the Termite Warranty Inspection and a pest spray.

We have recently had the pleasure of finding the biggest Whitetail spider I have ever seen in Miss C's bedroom on the wall while she sat statue still in shock horror on the bed. We have also had a few too many of the weirdest moths I have ever seen, a few cockroaches, flies, mozzies and other nameless spiders. SO I ask you, what was the few hundred dollars for? Huh?

Hence my next paragraph. We will very soon be investing in fly screens. Now, I know they look a bit daggy, but after awhile I guess you don't really notice them. Do you? (she asks hopefully and hopefully again you will give the right answer). After all, we do live in a country where our fly salute is a birthright. I've quite often seen little babies with their fists curled tight waving their hands back and forth. It's in the genes. Really it is. So therefore one would think that in this great country of ours that flyscreens would be in Vogue, so to speak. Anyway now the dilemma is (as far as funds go) blinds or fly screens? Our temporary paper blinds have done us well. They are now looking very worse for wear, but then again aren't we all? Yes yes I know, speak for yourself, ho hum.

STOP PRESS...

One deep breathe and PUSH...*pop* ...now it's triplets!!!

OMG!! It's TWINS!

Yes TWINS!! My beautiful Neoregelia has had twins, you can see them either side of their mum here. Mind you she is looking smashing and blushing with her pink hue lipstick. This is actually quite a large plant, it does not look like it though from this photo.

The garden has really taken off as late, thank goodness for the water tanks. I cursed the Council (and I still do) for the cost we endure for those bloomin damn tanks. I guess we have had benefit from them though. Especially when the kids were given that Slip n Slide for Christmas. It was great but we warned them not to swallow any water as the tank had it's own multicutural population explosion going on inside. Yuk.

Dodonaea hedge

Dodonaea viscosa "Purpurea". It turns from this gorgeous lime colour to a lovely burgundy colour. I love the way the leaves point are shaped. I have clipped these very regularly to keep them bushy. I also have one out the back but it is a single specimen and it generally grows into a tear drop shape. I think they are looking great and are nice and thick. I'll let then grow up to make a nice screen. I think they are doing well also because the soil was so poor there as it became a bit of a dumping round from the build. I have improved it a lot with compost, cow poo and peastraw and sugar cane. Have also used a bit of molasses and Powerfeed.

You can see in the bottom left hand of the garden bed my rogue tomato plant. Not sure where ut came from but it is growing like crazy and producing about 30 little toms a day. They are sooooooo yummy, that real deal tomato taste. I'm just going to let it run along the driveway until it's done. May as well, free food!!

Yes that is till our old mailbox, that's so the postman didn't get too confused all at once. We had to keep that little part of the old fence to keep the mailbox. Not sure what type of mailbox we will have because we are not sure what type of front fence we will have. So I guess that mailbox will be staying for some time yet.