You would think that we would be happy with the house by now, but there is always something to do, and indeed paint. Sometimes it feels like we are doing the Forth Bridge or Goldengate Bridge because as soon as we get to the end we seem to start again.
Last weekend I changed the colour of the chimney breast in the lounge and the fireplace. The colour on the wall was a soft green, but I got sick of it quite early after painting it. The fireplace was a light fudge colour.
I had started this post 6 days ago, and for some reason got carried away and left it. Anyway, the lounge is finished now, and all the touch ups have been completed. Next is the kitchen, so far stripped of most of the things on the walls. Filling and fixing next, then this coming weekend I should be in a position to start painting it. I am looking for a new ceiling light though as I really hate with a passion the tube lighting we have in it. It is bright, but so 70’s retro. I am looking for an LED light, but we have no real lighting places here. There is one in the village, but it is horrifyingly expensive I would not purchase anything there, also there are a lot of ugly chrome looking items, so just not my style.
There is a lighting place in Liverpool, but last time we went there we were followed about the store as though we were thieves, so will not go back, why give our money to people who look down on two guys shopping for lights. Ikea has some good lighting, but nothing suitable. I like a bright kitchen with backlighting. Currently, we have the striplight and LED backlighting and under cupboard lighting, so when not cooking etc., the lighting is subdued with just the back and under cupboards lights on. I have Hive & Hue lighting about the house, so everything is voice controlled apart from the bathroom, and I want the same in the kitchen, but god forbid, can I find anything suitable? No sir. The closest I can find is a Hue Cher ceiling light (above), but being a pendant puts me off. It is 3000 lumens, so bright as a 200w bulb or a 50w strip light, so should do the job, but as with everything, comes with a hefty price tag, £195. On saying that, there are lovely lighting in John Lewis for £750, so I guess £195 is a little better, but all in all a hard pill to swallow.
This week we painted the garden fencing, got rid of the last of the junk accumulated over the year, installed brushwood screening over the fencing, then erected the gazebo for the BBQ area. We only got a small gazebo, but when it is up it seems quite large, but we can and will live with it. The neighbours are blocked from gawping in now too, which is a bonus. I am sure I have told of my odd and freakish neighbours in the past, but all in all, we would like to be left in peace to enjoy our garden, and not deal with the hillbillies.
One think about taking accumulated rubbish to the dump is that one forgets to check things, and indeed this was the case when I put the parasol in the car with the fittings, that although seemed okay were full of water, stagnant water complete with old seed from the birds and god only knows what. The result was the contents spilling all over the back seats of the car, and giving off an aroma of what can only be described as vomit and rust. We have an industrial carpet cleaner with attachments that do furniture etc., so I had to get that out today and clean the seats within an inch of their lives. I just hope that I have done enough to rid the smell from the car and will know tomorrow when I go out in it. Fingers crossed.
Mr Knitter 