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My Works in Progress

Tuesday 19 February 2008

Spending the kids inheritance

Been splashing out this week on interesting things rather than skips, concrete and timber.

At long, long last the extension is at the decorating and furnishing stage. Thirty-three years I've waited to have a nice house like wot other people have got. We were very nearly there when we were hit by the optimism bug and decided to build a double garage in place of the single one and then put two more bedrooms and an en-suite on top. Oh, and then, just for good measure, we extended the kitchen and built a utility room and downstairs loo on the back as an afterthought. What the hell possessed us? Our family was shrinking, for goodness sake, not growing! We needed a smaller house, not a bigger one.

"A year," he said. "Or perhaps eighteen months at the most."

Huhh. Fibber. He knew it was going to take four years.

The extension gobbled up our money like a hungry lion. We ended up having to have a complete new roof - because the original roof was not quite gone, but would've been in the next few years. On a whim one boring Saturday afternoon we knocked out the downstairs cloakroom to make a bigger hall and moved the front door (yes - we had to have a new front door too!)

It disrupted the rest of the house and turned me into even more of a disinterested housewife than I was before. Why bother cleaning up, when you know it won't make any difference whatsoever?

Dust. Ohmigod. The dust and muck. Garden? what's that?

As I type, hubby is upstairs, decorating. Technoson moved into his new room yesterday. It's very smart with a large squidgy cream leather sofa for him to lounge on while he watches his new tv on the wall. He doesn't appreciate it, though. He wasn't the slightest bit interested in choosing the wallpaper or new carpet. All he was interested in was the location of his Playstation. I caught him earlier this evening with blu-tac and posters just in time. His dad would have had an absolute fit if he'd stuck posters on the brand new wallpaper!

So - here we are, hubby and I, rattling around in this huge great house with just one son whose hardly ever here anyway and one doleful-eyed labrador (the other one moved out with Garry).

Anyway, yesterday I had the afternoon off work because I had an evening meeting. I went out and bought a lovely marble fireplace and new fire - oh and a new leather sofa and chairs for the living room. I don't know whether our old sofa and chairs will last out till the middle of May, when we get the new ones.

I suspect not.

7 comments:

DAB said...

Annieye, I know it's so great once the building work and decorating is finally finished. Put your feet up on the new sofa and enjoy! TFX

HelenMWalters said...

It all sounds like great fun! But what bliss when it's all over!

Anonymous said...

Hope you enjoy it all! sounds very busy at your place.

Denise said...

4 years, you're a brave woman Annie. I almost lost my mind in a couple of months of chaos for a new kitchen! Have fun choosing the new stuff.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

It all sounds wonderful now that everthing is in place. I know how you feel, dh and I decided to redecorate this house over two years - it took four - but was well worth the hard work now that we can enjoy it.

I also know what you mean about sons/daughters being only concerned about tvs, playstations etc

Lane Mathias said...

ooh lovely. You can never have too much space. Glad it's all coming together at last. You've waited a long time.
I hope you managed to build a 'writing room' into the plans:-)

FPDuck said...

The inspiration always happens when you don't need it any more.

Like when you search for a washer, or pen. They always turn up just after you've bought a new one.

Great post.

Cheers,
Mike