What a crazy two weeks!!!

The title really does say it all; it's crazy all that has occurred in the last two weeks and we're not out of the woods yet. However, the workmen were back today so I'm going to update everything that has happened, and catch up to today. I'll try and keep it to a sensible length as I'm very tired and want to sleep so I don't get sick again... yes, again...

Anyway...

Rosie taking Louise for a walk

Beautiful autumn evening

Rosie looking at the river from the headland

Running down to the tower

Having fun by the tower

Looking across the valley

By the new gas pipe, lots of echoes!

She loves that trampoline

Thinking back two weeks and Rosie started a wonderful thing, asking to take the puppies for a walk every day and I was very much more than happy to oblige her. We went for multiple really enjoyable walks as the weather was lovely, though we didn't always have lots of time so some were shorter than others. Above is a collection of pictures from these walks culminating in the one ten days ago on Saturday, but more of what happened next a bit later on. We went to various locations, via different routes. She was always wanting to see one of the towers and we headed over to the headland a couple of times. I don't know if you remember last time we were walking she was very wedded to a single route and refused to try something new; this time she was determined to go to new places. Just awesome. Always Rosie was holding Louise and I was holding Thelma. She walked pretty much every step, and kept such good control and patience with Louise. Man we are proud of that girl! The walk on Saturday morning we headed up the hill and went past the new gas pipeline. Rosie shouted "mummy!" into the pipe but got a little bit overwhelmed by how much it echoed. She was very brave but when we walked back past on the way down again she said "shush!" before we got to the pipe and was quiet as we walked past.

Early morning mist through the trees

Autumn flowers bloom

Trees on the turn across the valley

Mist clinging on below us

Linden tree turning gold

A beautiful sunrise - just stunning!

It has very much turned into autumn around here over the past couple of weeks, and while we have had some rainy days and some cold days (I've even had the fire lit in Room 13 multiple times) we have been blessed with some truly glorious weather as well; this weather allowed the walks talked about above but also gave some beautiful sunrises and views. We are truly blessed to live here.

High temperature on being admitted

Yummy sandwiches made by daddy

We escaped to the cafe!

Running through the leaves

Definitely feeling a lot better

Proud on the top rung of the climbing frame

About to go home! YAY!

But what is so crazy about that two weeks, I hear you cry. Well... after our lovely walk on Saturday Rosie started to be a little unwell, she was sick and then got a temperature and on Sunday was quite poorly. On the Monday she rallied and seemed to be getting better (and we thought she had a stomach bug that was going round a few kids near us) however Monday night she was much worse. A trip to the doctors on Tuesday resulted in her being admitted to hospital with serious pneumonia on one lung and this meant that Angela had to stay in with her all week. It was not the most pleasant of experiences at all, however Rosie was getting treated and was recovering very fast. I had to bring them food as their was basically nothing provided in the residential ward and they were not allowed out. Initially I got to see them for ten minutes a visit, three times a day but then they arranged a single hour long visit which was much more lovely. We got to go into the park (rather than sitting in the bleak foyer by the lifts) and run around and Angela got to relax and get half an hour head space while I played with Rosie. Still, the stress and worry and concern on both of us was huge. Finally on Sunday we were able to get her discharged and now we are able to medicate at home but now I was sick yesterday and today Angela is feeling very unwell also. We are sure we picked something up in the hospital and hopefully Angela will recover as quickly as I do.

Crazy!

Such a stunning beautiful start to today

Golden light in the morning

Bekir lifts the spare boiler in

That's why it won't work

Cleaning out the damaged boiler

Putting pegs in to hang shelving uprights off

And so we get to today. The men actually popped past briefly yesterday to try and fix our boiler which stopped making hot water over this most recent weekend (it really has been one of those times) but they couldn't fix it so first thing today they were in to remove the old boiler and replace it with the one we removed from outside Room 13. I should add that they were absent for the entire two weeks because Halil was very unwell and thank goodness he is fully recovered now and looking healthy again. Anyway, they did manage to swap the boiler and then took the broken one apart and found that not only was it full of nasty sediment, the element was actually cracked. Over lunch they headed into town and picked us up a new element then cleaned out all the crud and fitted the new element into the boiler. We still have the slightly smaller boiler fitted but at least we have hot water and they can swap this one back in relatively quickly another day. It started raining a lot over lunch and so rather than go onto the roof terrace I asked them to go back into the games room and put up some more shelf supports, which they did. I now have more black plastic shelves that I can use to really start organising the roof space. When I get time.

Bed time story with an audience

And there it is. It is SO good to have Angela and Rosie home, it was so horrible again on my own and the hugest relief is Rosie recovering so now we have to hope for the same for Angela. This last picture was last night, bed time story where Louise snuggled up and me while I read, Thelma demanded to be played with (as usual) and Rosie was loving making me give different names to the characters in her books so I have to remember that they aren't called what it says in the book, but something else. This is family; this is what matter. Thank you, Angela, for taking the picture!!! It's so good to be back together.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Hopefully back tomorrow with a more "normal" update.

No workers Friday, the weekend, and now Monday

 Here we are again, after a longer weekend than expected as the men weren't in on Friday due to college calling Halil and he having to leg it over to see them.

Rosie riding the trolly, sat on the shelves

Tiles for the roof terrace, waiting to be unloaded

Rosie sweeping up in the lounge

Jumping in puddles and getting soaked

Helping mummy with the noodles

Saturday was a cracking Daddy Saturday. First thing we went out shopping to buy more shelves (you can NEVER have too many shelves!) and collect tiles for the roof terrace. Rosie was most impressed with the fork lift truck that put the pallet into Thomas. When we got back it was TV time while I unloaded the tiles, then talking to Grandma and Auntie Nods then play time them nap time (and everyone slept) before a fun jump in muddy puddles session. After THAT Rosie helped mummy prepare dinner. And then she slept while I had a really enjoyable paint and chat session with a good friend in the UK.

Fog in the valley, clouds in the sky but no rain

Rosie bouncing high in the air

We all had to enjoy the sunshine

Rosie's fairies and their house

Walking the puppies

Moon and stars

Sunday was a cracking Mummy Sunday. We woke to the rain finally stopped though it was still cloudy first thing. I got to spend time with Rosie on the trampoline first thing before she went out with Angela to do a few more bits and pieces shopping in town and I did some hobby and my vlog and other things. At the end of the day we did a little play in the garden then Rosie asked to take the dogs for a walk and so we did. We went up through the village, down the hill and a bit further than our usual round eventually making our way back up by one of the new tracks that have been put in to assist the electricity workers. Rosie walked every step of the way and held the lead for Louise all the way as well. She was awesome. Sunday night we saw the moon for the first time for what feels like weeks as well.

Finishing up for now in the games room

Going up the ladder

Taking good tiles off now

Louise finds a sunny spot

All the tiles are lifted

And so we get to today and the workmen were in on time and finishing up the tasks from Thursday, such as fitting the last of the shelf supports that I have (more are on their way) and then finishing the wiring and putting bulbs in the lights on the balcony. After that and after some discussion we decided to do the entire roof terrace now, much as it upsets me to be pulling up good tiles now. They made good progress on this and the early fog burned off until it was a lovely day. Unfortunately Halil headed off early as he wasn't feeling well and now we're set with no tiles at all down up there and the potential for more time off from the workmen. It's feeling less and less likely that we'll get everything done before the weather really closes in now.

Heading down the hill for another walk

A beautiful autumn view

Dark clouds on the horizon

Rosie saying "cheese!"

Thelma, Louise and Rosie run

Amazing colours

Rosie moves the chair back where it "should" be

Once again after school Rosie asked to take the puppies for a walk, as our walk on Sunday had started late so we hadn't been able to go as far as she wanted. We got ourselves set and headed out, going through the village again and down the hill but this time we made our way all the way to the bottom of the hill by the sheep farm and then climbed back up the long way towards the new pylon. It was a glorious walk, with beautiful views across the valley to the changing trees. We saw a few people on the way, and some cows, and then when we got to the headland the puppies (and Rosie) were off their leash and went for a run. We ended up right at the end of the headland looking down on the river before heading back for dinner. It was a lovely walk and when we reached home Rosie saw that one of the chairs was no longer in its right place so she moved it.

And there you have it. I don't know if we'll have the workmen tomorrow so we shall see. Thanks for reading.

Bits and pieces

 Today has been a super busy day for me, and a day of bits and pieces for the men.

Halil measuring for a fill-in piece

This section of the roof is completed

Putting up the curtain rail in the library

Fitting new lights in the balcony

More shelf supports going up

My dad's drill still being used

The first thing the men did when they arrived was go on up to the attic and finish the plasterboarding. That area is now so much nicer it's really awesome to have it done. Next week the weather will change and they can get back to the outside tasks but I'm very tempted if they have to come inside again to get them to complete the "entrance area" and even put the walls up to separate the two zones in the attic. Very exciting indeed. Anyway, with the finished the next tasks were to put up the curtain rail in the library and then fit the new lights in the balcony. It was very funny to find that the lights were only fittings and we didn't have any LED strips to go in them. Oh well. They will have to be purchased tomorrow. With that job done the final task at the end of the day was to start putting some more shelves up in the Games Room. I am also considering taking the black plastic shelves down and replacing them all with the flexible shelving and I may get them to just stay in there tomorrow and do this. It was very awesome to see my Dad's old drill still going strong and being used for this job.

Rosie "working" at mummy's computer

After school there was play time with Rosie and Peppa Pig as well. She also wanted to "work" on mummy's computer and she now has a file that she is typing into. During today Angela cleaned and tidied and put together an entire new set of bedding for Rosie who was VERY pleased with her unicorn bedding. She's a joy (mostly).

So there you are; thanks for reading, as always.

No power... again...

 Today has been a very frustrating day without power and with a broken generator, however life goes on and progress with the building has continued at least.

Playing our game

Fog starts to roll in from the valley

Plaster board goes on the roof

Taking a look at the generator

Last night Angela and I got our game played and we had a really fun time :) She beat me, of course, but there was lots of laughter and it was just a good fun time. I slept in this morning as the recent early starts were really catching up with me. When I did finally wake up the fog in the valley was gathering and shortly it was around the house. I got stuck in to work and the men arrived and went straight to the roof to keep on with the plaster boarding and then at 9.30 the power went off. No trouble, I thought, and started the generator, ran the extension up, and still had no power. After some investigation (plugging the hoover directly into the output on the generator) I discovered that it was not pushing any power. We took it apart at home but couldn't see anything obviously wrong. Angela had picked me up some more fuel for it as well so it was pretty heavy however into the back of Thomas it went and I drove over to our normal garage. Unfortunately they weren't interested at all and initially started taking a plug socket off a wall because they thought it was just the socket broken. I almost choked and pointed out it was probably a broken alternator (like on a car). After a long wait and not much happening I left with the generator still not fixed. And not very happy at the service.

Men working and telling me to stop

One side of the corridor complete

Getting close to finishing the other side

Rosie and the puddle

On the way home I was delayed slightly by the people working on the power. They are returning the overhead line and hopefully this means these power disruptions will stop soon. After lunch Halil and I went into the big town to find a shop to fix the generator. The third place we reached took it and hopefully in a few days I'll have it back and working. All that matters now is the power does NOT go off tomorrow. Up in the roof Bekir had made huge progress while we were gone and they carried on and are now only a couple of sections from complete. Tomorrow they should complete that and then get a few of the other tasks done. Also today Angela ordered new tiles for the roof terrace. Sadly our lovely blue sky tiles are no longer available and the tiles that were removed were not salvagable. She's found so lovely ones and we'll be getting them tomorrow so when it is nicer weather next week the roof terrace can be finished off but with new tiles. After school Rosie and I went out into the rain to jump in puddles and she had a great time!

So there you are; here's to reliable power tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Rain rain go away

 Well, what I can say. It's rained. A lot. And that's about it...

The puppies aren't impressed

Even I lit the fire

Rosie jumping in a puddle

Louise hiding in the duvet

... but you don't get off that lightly so here's the update. I worked all day Saturday pretty much (having been woken at 3.30am by Rosie who heard the rain and woke and wouldn't go back to sleep) so Angela and I swapped Daddy Day to Sunday. It was cold enough that I even lit the fire while I was in Room 13. On Sunday it was still raining most of the day but we did get to town and then a bit later I got to go with a walk with Rosie to jump in puddles; we found some on the land but the most fun was had on the lane. It really was cold and miserable and yesterday the men called in that they weren't coming to work. At the time I was disappointed but I really couldn't blame them at all.

Cloudy start and more rain

Bouncing before school

Roofing and insulating

Ready for a game

This morning there was an epic thunderstorm that woke me at 3am again and this time I couldn't get back to sleep (Rosie wasn't bothered) so I got my work day done early. The men were in and they spent all day up in the roofspace lining the ceiling with insulation and plasterboard. At the end of the day they were about to start doing the lowest down sections and they'll probably continue that tomorrow. The forecast is for more rain all week and then from next week to dry up. Here's hoping. We've set up a gaming table in the lounge this evening to play a game on for the first time for ages so that's going to be fun.

So there you are. There's the update. Thanks for reading.