Painting and Pruning

A Renovation Jornal

Finally, January is over. It seems to have been 100 days long. I haven’t been feeling 100%, too many headaches and migraines, but I’ve managed to keep going and we’ve been busy as usual. It hasn’t helped my mood though; I’ve been unusually grumpy! This past week has been a little better but today I have that tickle in my throat that usually heralds the onset of a cold. Something to look forward to!

Monday

I started with a bit of pruning down in the fruit cage. I’ve been thinking about getting rid of the fruit cage and moving everything over to the vegetable garden which is on the other side of the house. But, it’s so lovely down there. It’s a really sheltered spot and on a windy day it’s a lovely place to escape too. I always enjoy spending time there so I’ve decided to keep it and I’m just going to have to go to war with the brambles and bindweed!

I spent most of the day in the Old Estate Office bedroom. I’m just sanding and caulking all the cupboard doors, ready for painting. There are 16 of them, so it’s a bit of a slow job, but I’m getting there. It’s a nice indoor job, and I can listen to my audiobook while I work. I’m enjoying Onyx Storm at the moment!

Tuesday

A horrible windy and wet day so I was glad to stay indoors. I sowed some sweet peas on the windowsill inside and then got back to work in the bedroom. I’m sanding and caulking the skirting and cupboards again. The problem with DIY and a lack of experience is that I often find myself doing things twice. I’ll put a first coat on and then decide that it needs more prep, or that I’ve missed a bit. Hopefully, I will get better at this with practice and then things will take less time.

Wednesday

I’m back to painting now. The first coat is going on the doors and I put the second coat on the skirting. I need to touch up the wall but I’m pleased with how the skirting looks.

Thursday

Last week I finished cutting all the glass for the greenhouse repairs. I’m gradually replacing all the broken panes now. The roof is quite tricky but I’m getting there.

A bit more painting and a bit more sanding in the bedroom.

Friday

It's gardening day! Kate, the gardener, and I decided to tackle the enormous yew hedge between the top garden and the vegetable garden. It’s grown really wide and is shading out the flower bed and taking up half the top path in the vegetable garden. Kate set about it with the chainsaw, and we thinned it right back. Yew will regrow right from the base, so it can take a good rejuvenation like this. It’s quite drastic though and I’m glad Kate was there as I don’t think I’d have had the guts to go at it quite this hard!

Saturday

We’re back in the gym today cleaning the brickwork. When the scaffolding was in here, we did the top half, but now we just need to finish the bottom. We’ve been waiting for the screed floor to dry, and it’s almost there. Then, we can finish the skirting and fit rubber matting for the floor.

Sunday

I finally finished replacing all the glass in the greenhouse. There were about 20 panes to cut and replace so it was quite a bit of work. I’m thrilled to have it done and I can’t wait to start growing in here. Next, I need to have a big tidy-up and cleaning session.

---

As we move into February I’m looking forward to the longer days. The afternoons always feel rushed to me when it gets dark so early. Wishing you all a lovely week :-)