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My blog expresses my views and thoughts and in no way intends to offend however that does not guarantee it wont.

I write in a stream of consciousness and sometimes the odd typo or bad grammar may appear - please excuse these.

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Now For Something A Little Different

It seems my last few posts have been very much about my health, my weight loss and my bariatric surgery, so now for something a little different, cause there are lots of other things that have been happening in my life.

So what's been happening in these parts in 2013?  We can start with my surgery in Jan and then move quickly to the 4th Feb, the first day back at work post op in fact.  Well, on that day some not very nice people decided to break into our home and trash and steal, kick in doors, break windows and generally make themselves at home.  I was the person to arrive home and see the door off our carport swinging in the breeze, and following our burglary last September I kinda knew what that meant.  The neighbours across the road where almost on me before I had a chance to get out of my car, as it seems they came home and disturbed the low-lives (there were 2 of them) who then casually drove off and waved.

Needless to say, it was a little devastating, all my replacement jewellery was gone, my DSLR and point and shoot cameras (and hubby's point and shoot Christmas present as well), my iPad, my iPod and our laptop.  The front door was kicked in, the bedroom window smashed and the carport door damaged as well.   The insurance company was less than useless and it is only this week that we have finally got everything replaced and this was with me having a major meltdown on the phone to them over 2 weeks ago.  Even when we rang them on the day it was going to take them a week to send someone out to  fix the doors and windows, so we had to organise that ourselves and then they quibbled over the price.  Seriously our house was not secure!  On a lighter note, cause there has to be one doesn't there, just to stay sane - we also found that they were very hungry burglars, taking ice creams, bananas, iced coffee, and some diced fruit in natural juice from the pantry.

Then lo and behold 8 days later the crap heads were back to make more mess and take the TV, smash another window and scarily they came in with a key this time.  The whole window smashing was a ruse to cover the fact.  But it was fairly obvious that the window was broken from inside to outside this time, unlike the week before, so all the locks had to be changed - again (had them all done in Sept 12)

So nearly $10,000 later we now have security cameras, a monitored alarm system, security film on the windows, solid core doors with deadbolts on all 4 external doors and 2 new three pin lock security doors.  We live in a prison to keep the crims out, nice world isn't it?

The worst thing of it all though, has been how traumatised Max has been by it all, he still continues to cower if there are any loud noises or races for cover if someone new comes into our house.  This has of course been exacerbated by our renovations.  Yes that's right, all of this has since been followed by a bathroom renovation, a huge new patio constructed out the back, a new built in bookcase and a scrapbooking nook in my study, oh and new floor covering throughout the whole house.  Gluttons for punishment aren't we?

My poor hubby has lost 10kgs in weight, moving all the furniture countless time to paint walls, ceilings, cornices and skirting boards, put it all back only to move it again totally when the carpet and vinyl went down.  He is now down to his pre-wedding weight way back in 1977, I on the other hand have to have major surgery to lose any weight at all, gotta laugh at that.

Today marks the penultimate chore in the bathroom, the roof has been painted, now we just wait for the glass for the shower screen and the mirror and it's all done.  Was supposed to take 2 weeks, and we are up to week 4 or is it 5 with no end date in sight - sigh.  But it is looking good and when it is finished I will post photos.

You may remember I posted about my green cocoon, well it is even more green now, as two of my study walls are a glorious deep limey green, I just love it.

So without further ado, here are some photos of the scrapbooking nook in my study.
Pic on the left shows the desktop away and on the right with it out.  It is a great invention that allows me to work and then pop the desktop back out of the way when I am either not using it or part way through a project.  No more having to put everything away every evening.

Strangely though, I am overwhelmed thinking about which project to start with.  I have so many photos, so many empty albums and so much scrapbooking paraphernalia that it is sort of scary.  My daughter says to choose one small project and start there, so maybe that's what I will do this weekend.

But my newest favourite space in our house is my floor to ceiling built in bookcase.  I love books, I love to read, I love to keep my favourite authors books.  My shelves are still overflowing even though I have given so many books away over the years.  Rows and rows filled with Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, Alex Kava, Dean Koontz, Stephen King and James Patterson to name a few.  My knick knacks have found a home there as well as my gorgeous Enjoy Lighting candles.  Every night they light up on their timers and cast a beautiful glow down the hall, even hubby is loving them.  I wish I could curl up right inside my bookcase but instead I can enjoy looking at it each time I walk down the hall, or lie in bed as it lies just outside our spare bedroom where I seem to spend so many of my nights now (better for my back and mental health than sleeping with hubby and his snoring, sorry honey).

Sorry about the quality, is is grainy as I had to have the flash off to get the glow effect, I just love these candles.
left is looking up the hall and right is looking down toward the backyard and our new security door
Some of the shelves, knick knacks and all
Hubby and I have also just sent off to renew our passports so we can be part of the wedding celebrations in Seattle as my daughter marries the love of her life, can't wait to meet Kam and her daughter Kiera and Kam's parents.  Going to be a few emotional and fantastic days in September.  USA, here we come.

So all in all, a busy and somewhat stressful start to 2013 and we are only just of a quarter of the way through the year.  Still I can only see good things ahead, some time relaxing in our new patio, having a wonderful new bathroom and scrapbooking and reading to my hearts content.

Thanks for popping by xxx

19 comments:

  1. Oxygen thieves. May they rot.

    I love the look of your renovations - and lust after that bookcase. Our (my) books are stacked two and three deep in most of the bookcases, and I am reluctant to give them up.

    I also love that you are looking forward to only good things for the rest of the year. And how wonderful to have a wedding to enjoy - wonderful news.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks EC, a young guy got caught with my camera and some of my jewellery about a month or so after the theft, but they could only ping him with having stolen goods, he got 40 hours of community service. I got the jewellery and camera back. The jewellery I still haven't been able to bring myself to wear. The camera has pictures of the young man and someone else - rather creepy.

      I am so looking forward to our trip, to the wedding and to the future, think we have had our run of bad luck for the next 20 or so years.

      Hope you and SP are keeping well. Thanks for stopping by xxx

      Delete
  2. It is all looking really good but I still can't fathom out how that desk top works. You will have to show me next time I am at your place. Incidentally, with moving all our books into the bookshelves I inherited from you I definitely do not have any of your James Patterson books. Could one of your girls have borrowed them perhaps?
    If you happen to see those wonderful candles on special please do let me know or buy some for me and I'll reimburse you. We can't use ordinary candles because of the smoke alarms and also I never feel completely safe with a naked flame anywhere.
    Plain sailing ahead for you till 31 December and beyond is my wish for you and your other half. xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did I not show you when you where up here at Easter? I thought I had, well next time remind me and I will. Do you want ivory or coloured candles? They come in all sorts of colours although some are scented, which might not suit you, the scent is rather mild on the vanilla ones I have on the hall stand near the carport entry.

      Thanks for checking on my missing books, I don't think the girls like James Patterson so unlikely they have borrowed any, but I will check.

      Thanks for stopping by xxx

      Delete
  3. I'm very sorry to hear about the break ins. How awful.
    I love your bookshelves. I wish my books were that organised. Congrats to you and your family on the upcoming wedding.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks E for stopping by. It was a crappy way to start the year, but hopefully if they come back they won't be able to get in. I am so looking forward to the wedding. xxx

      Delete
  4. It was a rough start with the break ins but hopefully you've done enough now to deter future incidents. Your built ins look fabulous. I'm coveting them so I am. And I love love love the green.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Delores, they are certainly covet worthy, I just wish I had room for more, I would love a house full of book cases full of my favourite books. With those I have given away through the years, I am sure I could have filled this space 3 times over.

      Thanks for stopping by xxx

      Delete
    2. Oh, and I love that you love my green, I think I smile every time I walk into the room.

      Delete
  5. First day back reading blogs in a month. Have thought of you though. xxxx
    The books! All of those books! {do you know - your book collection is somehow not what I expected. I'm not sure what it is that I had expected, but it wasn't that}. <3 <3 <3 <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lissa, hope you didn't think I was into chick lit, I have done that a long time ago, but crime, horror and mystery will always be my mainstay of reading. I think that surprises a lot of people. I also don't mind some teen lit if it is well written. I would love to know what you might have thought you would find on my bookshelves. Thanks for popping by and reading xxx

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  12. I love your bookcase! Where can I find those gorgeous candles? Online? I'll do a little googling, see if I can find some.
    Your author selection is much like mine, although my Stephen King and Dean Koontz have been replaced by Lee Child and Nora Roberts.

    I'm so sad that you've been broken in to, more than once. I hope everything is secure now, but it's sad that we have to lock ourselves up just to keep safe. I'm glad that I have a small hidden safe where I stash my cameras and laptop etc when I leave the house.

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