Heart felt catch-up

Well, its been an action packed few weeks here. 

After my last post, I had an emergency dash to hospital with some serious cardiac problems. Although I've had a dodgy ticker since birth, and have had two open heart surgeries, this episode seriously scared me. Lots of intravenous drugs and a  few thousand joules later (cardioversion) and I was home feeling better; to then succumb to pneumonia. WTF? 

Add a near fatal car incident too...if the last paragraph doesn't have you agreeing with my cussing...

Anywho... forced bed rest has me now feeling 110%. My cardiologist has remixed my meds. My new car has been returned to the manufacturer for investigation. I have organised my Will, and appointed a Power of Eternity and Enduring Guardian. (W A Y overdue...so a good thing) and been prompted to really contemplate what's important in life!

It's ALL GOOD. 

In perspective. 

I'm still here....

...and I'm counting my blessings. 

Normal house-y post transmissions will resume ASAP!

x  KL

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Bits 'n Bobs AND a progress report

 School holidays have started here (Whoop! Whoop!) and my gorgeous nieces, aka the Glamourzons, nephew and SIL are visiting. YAY!

We're in a mess house wise, but who cares? ! We're planning on an overseas jaunt to Asia with them next year so we'll be dreaming and scheming....

The house progress is continuing. I'll do a YOTH update soon. At this point there's lots of quote gathering and budget balancing. Boring but practical foundations for getting the house finished! 

The carpet has FINALLY been ordered and although the 6-9 week lead time seems excessive, (slow boat from from New Zealand!) the time frame will probably suit us well.

I chose Cavalier Bremworth Inscape (pictured left) for all the upstairs areas and also for the insert piece in the family room, located on entry level. A less dense, shorter napped version called Verve (above, right) will go in the downstairs bedrooms to help us stay within our newly formed budget. It's the same colour (why they look different in the pics is beyond me) and both are solution dyed nylon for colour fastness and durability.

 The main bedroom robe fit out is complete and I'm slowly 'moving' things into it and unpacking stored clothes (many which no longer fit me...*sob*) 8 bags for Vinnies and counting!

I decided on simple white laminate, without drawers, which was cost effective. I added one drawer only to a 'dressing table' area. (The missing bit on the left in the image above is now fitted!) The drawers in our last home's WIR were used mostly for shoes and since we I have a designated shoe cupboard, I thought the open shelves would suffice. And of course we have bedsides and a beautiful bone-inlay chest in the main bedroom too!

I'm considering fitting the dressing table drawer with jewelery trays for ease of access. The pics on the left below, are from the 'Stackers' range available from Howard's Storage World. My inspiration  image is on the right...

 The range from HSW is limited, but an online search revealed a plethora of configurations available from UK and US stockists via Fishpond.com.au. Has anyone bought via them? Comments?

Some artwork has arrived here too in readiness for the project wrap up....(LMFAO!) 

Frustratingly, I think it's wise to not unwrap the African painting (had been on layby for eons..) nor the recently framed Kara Rosenlund print as they're better protected from the persistent dust as they are. 'Gilbert' has been slotted into a cost-effective  Country Road ready-made frame in preparation for J's bedroom.

Calm Before                                                                                 Muhammad Ali Miami 1961

My recent infatuation with Trevor Mein's photographic artwork and our fiscal predicament led me to purchasing 'Calm Before' on a whim (well, not really... I posted about it HERE) and, oops! 

 It's OK, and will fill a spot, but ultimately, I already know it's no substitute. Which leads me to the Powder room art quandary I posted about recently. 

What do you think of the Muhammad Ali underwater, boxing training artwork??? 

Ticks a few boxes....?

We have found a new tiler (Alleluia!) and I am SO excited about him starting in a few weeks. All further progress seems to hinge on him doing his bit - first! 

Renderers are engaged to start in a week and the scaffolding has been erected in preparation, so we are all systems go with finishing the exterior.

And on a family finale...both our nest leavers are on the move again, so we'll be shuffling and storing lots of additional bits 'n pieces. Gotta laugh....

Never a dull moment!

x KL

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Bits & Bobs of my Blogging Hiatus!

It's been super busy around here lately...not so much with house progress unfortunately, but with life!

Poppy Project, Rotary Park GOSFORD

 After the horrendous fortnight of severe storm weather late last month, ANZAC day memorials were fortunately, appropriately spectacular.

Dawn Service with Gallipoli landing re-enactment at TERRIGAL

We went to Sydney in the afternoon to spend the remainder of the ANZAC weekend with Japanese friends who were visiting Sydney for the final few days of their whirlwind trip to Oz.

The last time I saw Nozomi was when she was billeted with us as an exchange student, 12 years ago!

My girls have visited her in Japan several times, so it was nice to be able to reciprocate her always generous hospitality. We met her mother too, who was her traveling companion. She kindly hosted my eldest daughter when she was an exchange student in Japan. Shizuko spoke no English, but we immediately had a strong  connection, and had a really fun weekend!

We had a lovely Mother's Day here, with our nest leavers visiting and spoiling me with a beautiful lunch. We took the opportunity to celebrate my daughter's boyfriends birthdays too, a 21st and 25th!
Love the photo below of the boys and Davo having a wee 'nanna nap' after the effort of making lunch!

It was disappointing to miss seeing my own mother as she (along with my father!) was isolated in hospital with pneumonia. They have both been so very sick, but are on the mend now, thank God!

Me dispensing lots of TLC to poor Mum!

 My son has become a teenager too (Eeeek!) so the birthday celebrations continued!
13! Where has that time gone!!!!?

Three 13th Birthday Celebrations...two to go!!!

Would never had foreseen that my baby (seen below playing PS1 with his sister) would be building his own customised PC for his thirteenth birthday!

And David's birthday is this Saturday. May's a very busy birthday month!

I've been back to hospital for some minor surgery which seems to have been unsuccessful. 

Hopefully I wont now need major surgery, but that's looking like a distinct possibility. Bugger.
Can still laugh at getting older though:

 

Progress on the house front is slow, as usual. One day a week is just not enough time for David to get any consistent work done, so we're considering employing some subcontractors to help. We have previously viewed this as a waste of our capitol (paying someone else to do what David can do for free) but we're both impatient to get the house finished. To this end we are obtaining quotes for the remaining work....

Carpet options. Decisions, decisions!

Hopefully, the second half of the year will be full of progress (YOTH15!) and frequent 'pretty pics' on the blog front as we complete areas.

Fingers and toes!!!!!

x KL

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well, that was wild...

 Today the sun is shining and it is a perfect Autumn day. 

Such a dramatic change from a few days ago when the Central Coast, along with Sydney, the Hunter and Illawarra areas were struck by a ferocious storm. Cyclonic winds downed trees and power poles, sparking mass blackouts, with some areas still without power.

Torrential rain and gusts of up to 135km/h whipped up massive seas that smashed yachts into matchwood whilst widespread flooding closed roads and schools. 

My son had one day back at school after the Easter holiday before the storm hit on Monday evening. The pictures above are of his school which only re-opened today. 

 The Central Coast is surrounded by magnificent waterways where many moor their boats. They called the winds Cyclone Category Two and they ripped  many vessels from their moorings causing extensive damage.

 Whilst we are very exposed to the weather at La Hacienda, being situated at the top of an ocean cliff, we survived well. Three days without power was challenging for a gaming obsessed boy though so we went and purchased a Generator. I have never seen so much joy from reconnecting with the T.V. and the net!

And in typical 'Murphy's Law' style, our power was restored the next day! LOL!

Storm Troopers on clean-up duty. He he.

x KL

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progress, presents and procrastination

Some more PROGRESS to report!

The top balcony off the dining room has its eave soffit lining complete! 

I begged Davey to use lining boards but never won the argument....he thought they would look at odds with the contemporary exterior.  Pffft.  

Anywho, plain and simple they now are. Next up is to waterproof that deck so the last and largest area underneath can be sheeted too.

Our tiler came back to work yesterday and laid the screed in our en suite. My happy dance was short lived though when he informed me of another job he has committed himself to, starting today. Then Davey will occupy him for two weeks and....well, I'm not holding my breath expecting an imminent return...Damn!

 Being holidays here, the pace for J and I has been  s l o w . You know; lazy mornings, no set bed time, mid-day movies and pj days just mooching. School is on the horizon though; high school no less and it's probably time we got back into a better routine. Dave must have thought so too as he surprised me with a 'present' today: Ducted vacuum hose, fittings and motor / barrel.  

Subtle and thoughtful. LOL.

Daughter No. 2 recently turned 23! She loves dinosaurs ( ! ? ) and i think still harbours a quiet dream of being a paleontologist. My eldest daughter organised a surprise family excursion to Taronga Zoo to celebrate coinciding with their Dinosaurs In the Wild exhibition...and Sydney kindly turned on a heatwave for us! It was a wonderful but exhausting day!

The time has come for us to replace my car too. I've been driving a Ford Territory AWD Gia and it has been a wonderful vehicle. Accommodating us all, plus friends with the seven seats when required and a sturdy and spacious 'work horse' for me collecting building and interior supplies. But the girls now live away from home and with access to a Ute and 3 tonne truck as work vehicles, J and I can scoot around in something smaller.

Top to Bottom: Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30

The final three contenders are the Mazda 3 Touring, Honda Civic and Hyundai i30 SE.

On moi must-have list is a hatch for rear conversion as a work vehicle. Leather seats too...it's hard to downgrade some features! 5 star safety rating, blue-tooth connectivity, maximum leg room for J when he's a rear seat passenger, rear ventilation, usb or power outlets and enough head room for Davey and J when driving as they're tall. (Yes J too as, in just over four years he'll be a driver and we are buying with the forethought of giving him the car at his first vehicle!)
I'd like SAT nav if possible (own a TomTom so not essential) and don't want heated seats or a sunroof.

We've test driven...talked and slept on 'it'. 

Tomorrow's decision day!

Get in quick with opinions!!!!

x KL

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You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback!

Christmas

Some years, I am bursting with enthusiasm about the upcoming festivities and enthusiastically prepare to celebrate with gusto. Others, I approach the season with a bit of a Ho - Hum attitude. 

Unfortunately, this year is unfolding as the latter.

It may be because this will be the first year, in 25 years of motherhood, that there are no Santa believers in my household. J, newly 12, realised the truth at Easter and sobbing, also lost the Tooth Fairy and Santa in one painful moment of realisation .

It could be that my life has been recently touched by friends grief. The loss of a Grandmother, the sudden departure of a young Mum, a long battle lost by a child. And the sad memories of losing of my Father-in-law and Aunt rekindled.

Or the stress of a looming client deadline - with them immigrating from overseas and anticipating a completed home for Christmas. The tile supplier informing me this week that their tiles (ordered in August) are quite literally on a slow boat from China...W.T!

Perhaps, as my adult children establish their own lives, and extended family grow, the coordinating efforts to celebrate together has become such a drudgery, that the event has lost its lustre.

Maybe I'm just tired.... The Table Debacle was resolved only yesterday.

The top floor bathrooms show no further progress because our tiler became unavailable.

Mattress gate concluded a fortnight ago.

Or perhaps it's the heat. It's hot! I'm hot. And honestly, just not bothered!

 Trying to look on the positive side, with less than 5 weeks before Christmas, I am very relieved to have purchased 98% of our gifts.

The wrap is really to go and my 2014 theme decided; metallic + white, 

(which is rather unoriginal as Christmas 2013 was bedecked similarly)

I might try and action the tree this weekend. It can only end one of two ways....

The Christmas spirit will either be created or drunk...

x KL

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3 weeks lost

 Losing three weeks of my life to sickness has been frustrating...most of all the inability to 'do' anything, go anywhere and feeling confined. I was pretty zonked on painkillers and one can only peruse so many magazines! Headaches made any indulgence in real literature impossible.

So, I shopped. 

Online of course...

....just a little....

Here's the deets....

My love of Camilla saw this long kaftan (which was on sale!) pop into my cart. Even though I'm a curvy girl, the style swamps me so I'm going to get it reworked into a sleeved dress.

New season Country Road tempted...and fed my continuing pastel pink obsession with these summer jeans and vase. 

The shoe height on these CR mules are just right for this ol' gal but I think I'll return them for the white colourway which is everywhere this season!

Ordered two of these light fixtures from Beacon Lighting for over the dining table. David picked them up and HATES them. . . Beacon have a great return policy but I'm going to try to 'sell' them to hubby first!

J is growing like no tomorrow. At 12, he is now as tall as me. He seems to have outgrown every wardrobe item in the past three weeks! New CR jeans (he hates the button fly) and a new Tee are a stop-gap till I can take him shopping. 

Whilst I was buying from CR I also grabbed this black smock which will hide my puffed up belly. I think it will look sweet over the pink jeans. The detailing is gorgeous!

My hospital admission was so hurried that I was admitted with only the clothes I was wearing! Mum grabbed these men's flannies for me from Lowes. Super sloppy, soft and warm. Perfect post surgery. Thanks Mummy!!!!

Harold's always has something I 'need'. Cough. A handful of porcupine quills and an emu egg have now been added to my collection of curiosities!

 There is one more thing that I bought from my hospital bed...

It's a biggie and I am very excited about it! I think it deserves its own post though, so stay tuned!

Here's a teaser...

x KL

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F*#%, what a R I D E !

 If I know you personally or if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then you'll know that my life hit an unexpected road block a few weeks ago...

An intimate look at my gizzards during surgery # 1.

After suffering from acute upper abdominal pain on and off for three years, a week of back-to-back episodes saw me take action and go to hospital. 

Long story short, after three hospital admissions, one each of transesophageal echocardiogram, X-ray and ERCP, two MRIs, Ultrasounds and Surgeries, four ECGs and days without any food or water, 5 cannula's and my own body weight in analgesics (including narcotics) being administered via injection, intravenously or ingested - I am one gall bladder and one very problematic gall stone lighter. 

(and I've put on a kilogram....W.T.F.! Go figure!)

I received some beautiful flowers...and have ploughed my way through some great mags

I have to say that the paramedic, nursing and medical staff that I encountered in the emergency department (public hospital) and wards during the surgery procedures (private hospital) were absolutely wonderful. I feel so grateful to have been looked after by such professional, dedicated and caring individuals.

This was the westerly view at sunset from one of our top balconies tonight. Stunning.

Am soooo glad to be home.

I am allowed to drive again on Wednesday (Hooray!)

Thank you to those who have kindly wished me well throughout this ordeal!
 

Am glad to say all is again well in my world!

x KL

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 You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback!