January is nearly over!

We’ve suddenly got all crafty at Rhos Hill. Jim decided to make a traditional cottage door. We need a lot of doors; there’s none downstairs and we’ll also need doors in the extension, once it’s finished. He made the door out of fairly narrow, well-planed spruce planks and used black ironmongery to add even more charm. We waxed the door, rather than stain or varnish it, and I’m so delighted with it I go in and out of the lounge just so I can use the quaint little latch. 

Meanwhile, I’ve taken up knitting again. I haven’t knitted since the kids were young. Viv and I used to knit together, side by side, when I lived in Fanshawe Road while Viv’s Adam and my Joe were getting up to  mischief in one of our bedrooms. But I was a terrible knitter; I dropped stitches and got the shape all wrong. I gave away all my patterns and equipment. So I had to go out and buy 2 pairs of needles to get going again. I’d been looking to purchase a pair of wrist warmers – all the rage round here, darling – and realized I could knit them at half the shop price. Since then, I’ve done myself a woolly hat and made Jim a pair of  leg warmers for when he sits down in the evenings. I’m on a scarf now...watch this space.

I went over to Vicky’s house in Brongest (about 2 miles up the road). She runs a book club, which I’m planning to join. But she also runs a knitting club, and was trying to recruit me for that, as well. I did try to explain that my knitting skills were patchy, at best. My enthusiasm might turn out to be patchy, too. But I will report back on both clubs at a later date. Vicky lives on her own in a massive old red house. I loved her home and garden; full of flavours of the East, with a massive Buddha in the front garden. She’s raised four children, all of whom have flown the nest and are doing well. The area is chocked with lovely people - slowly we’re meeting so many of them.

The roof is finally going up on the extension; luckily we’ve had exemplary weather while we wait for this development. The oak windows are being made; we’ve got to leave later to chose the shade of oil coating. We had some hiccoughs with the roofing; our project manager wanted a massive slope that blocked out our landing window. The builder (whom I looooove) told us we could have a much small slope; good for heating and light and the look of the thing, and cost! I thought it was supposed to be the Project Manager who kept an eye on the builder, but in our case its the opposite way round. Can totally recommend Huw Parsons, who’s a great builder.

Can’t wait to sit in our new lounge....hopefully all the readers of this blog will join us at some point to sit there too.