This morning, just as Don and I were remarking to one another over our porridge that no workers had appeared, along came the crew from the scaffolding rental place in Perth to take away most of our scaffolding. The only bit that is still needed is that for the sitting room extension, as that roof still needs to be put on and then the chimney wall will have to be faced with stone. They have been hard at it all morning and said they thought they'd be here for most of the day.
Sometime between noon and 6:30 today, our cupboard units and the worktops for the utility room (as well as new worktops for the kitchen) will be delivered. Sadly, the utility room still isn't ready to receive them so they'll have to be stored in the garage. The cupboards will come flatpacked anyway so the storage shouldn't be a problem. We're waiting for our busy plumber and electrician (the "sparky") to get over here to put in pipes and drains and electrical wiring so that the joiners can finish the utility room so that it's ready for the furnishings.
But all this time living with the scaffolding has been a bit depressing. It darkened each of the rooms, severely hampered access all around the house (except the back wall), and we were forever looking at the world through metal bars! Today is a nice sunny day and fairly warm (it's to get up to 46) so this is the perfect day to let as much of the light in as possible.
We thought you might like to see what we're going to all this trouble to achieve. Today's photo is of the front elevation from the architect's drawing of The Rowans' renovations. On the left is the new front entryway with a covered stoop (allowing for a new cloak closet and the addition of a shower in the adjacent powder room); the center shows the 10 x 15-foot sitting room extension with the natural stone fireplace wall, chimney, and low front wall; to the right of that is the covered verandah that will be accessed from the sitting room through new French doors--all to provide access to the bricked-in terrace; and finally the 3-foot extension to the existing kitchen plus the new utility room (where the old conservatory used to be but a bit larger than the old conservatory). The dotted line between the kitchen and the utility room is where the original house proper used to end. If you look at the roof over this area, you will see a second roofline in the back. From the dotted line leftward is the 5.5 x 15-foot studio extension.
Yesterday we took the first shipment from the studio over to our friends' house where they'll store it for us. About two-thirds of the studio remains to be packed up, although about half of that are my personal items (clothing, toiletries, shoes, papers). I have said before that the studio is also my dressing room but I should add that it also serves as my "office." A portion of the new utility room has been designed so I can relocate my desk to that room.
Don got back to the golf course yesterday and he's back out there today. What a wonderful morning to be out there too! Tomorrow's forecast calls for sleet and a high of 41 but you can't always believe what they predict, so unless it is sleeting, he'll be back on the golf course both tomorrow morning and Saturday morning. Saturday is supposed to be sunny and 48.
Yesterday afternoon we journeyed to Perth to select the plinth for our new fireplace and to get the fireplace ordered. To that end, the company will send their engineer/installer out tomorrow afternoon to do the last set of measurements so that when we comes out next month to install the plinth, fire, surround, and mantel, he will find no "unhappy surprises." While we were in Perth, it began to snow and it kept on snowing until shortly after we returned home. It snowed pretty heavily but very little of it stuck, fortunately, and we had no trouble driving.
Last night we met up with Jackie and Eric MacEwan for dinner at The Gallery Restaurant in Crieff. What a pleasant atmosphere, and the menu was so interesting that it took the four of us forever to decide what to order. We all thoroughly enjoyed everything we had and were pleased with the quite reasonable bill as well. It was a wonderful visit with Jackie and Eric. Their goods have now been picked up and they will soon be on their way to their new life in New Zealand. We have one more date set with them (lunch next Wednesday) and will reluctantly say goodbye.
There will be no entry for tomorrow as I'll be away all day to Glasgow for the annual Country Living Fair. All the local area quilters/sewers have hired a coach to take us there in the morning and bring us back in the afternoon. This will be my first one of these fairs but the other women try to go each year and say it is a most enjoyable outing.
In the evening tomorrow, we'll get on yet another coach with others from both Comrie and Crieff to travel to Perth for another gathering of the Friends of Cognac. This event is a wine tasting (hence, the coach).
It is now time, though, for me to roll up my sleeves and get back into the studio and fill up more boxes. Anyone care to help me?
Reunited at Prestwick Airport
Upon my return from Aix-en-Provence
About Me
- Lynn
- In September 2003, my husband, Donald, and I moved from Bethesda, Maryland, to the Highland village of Comrie in Perthshire. It was the fulfillment of a dream that we have nurtured since our first trip to Scotland in 1986. Beginning with October 1, 2003, each month I have written the Highland Line to family, friends, former colleagues, and acquaintances who were interested in following our adventure. Donald is a consultant/teacher in distance education and an avid golfer, although he hadn't played until he began taking lessons in 2003. I am a quilter, specializing in smaller art quilts rather than traditional bed-sized quilts, although I sometimes make one of those as well. We have four daughters back in the States and 6 grandchildren. We make two trips to the States each year to visit with them and as many friends and relatives as we can manage to squeeze in. Welcome to our dream come true.
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