The last few days...

...I've been listening to the tractors trundle up and along the lanes here...doing the tidying and clearing at this time of year.  Several large trees have been cut down and are now waiting to be next years firewood, or to have a more exotic end.  The ditch has been dredged (at last), and hedges trimmed.  Of course, this leaves the rest of us with mud over the road, tip toeing through the debris which never seems to be cleared.  It's been an energetic time for the quiet of January.

In the home we're getting closer to putting paint on walls.  Two years ago..some might remember, we moved a kitchen, leaving us with an old kitchen space.  Since then we haven't really dealt with it, but now we have pulled down a wall, filled an old doorway, laid a wooden floor, put panelling on one wall and built two cupboards for coats and such...tomorrow we put panelling on the other wall, which only leaves me to fill holes, paper and then paint...and make blinds...

Of course, then we move onto the next room...

Another busy...

...and gloriously sunny weekend.

We started by painting the ceiling of our "new" kitchen...and now it's all white, rather than an off white flavoured with an underlay of green shades.

Then off to town(Fakenham) as the monthly Farmer's Market was in full swing, arriving just as some were packing away.  If you're around on the fourth Saturday of a month it's well worth a visit...with stalls as diverse as Norfolk wine, to handmade willow baskets, bread, cakes(the nice lady gave us two slices of each), plants...meat, fish...veggies, handmade shoes, bird seed...etc...  We did pick up some bits we wanted, including a perfect willow basket for the kitchen...then into the church for the Craft Market...there I bought a little box for a forthcoming project, and a "love" cushion for the spare bedroom(I'm making the rest, but couldn't resist the little embroidered butterflies).

Like most towns we have a local department store, here it's Aldiss, and sells things from sofas to towels...and even has a chocolate factory outlet (Kinnertons) in the corner.  Anyway, another bargain was found...and we came away with a knocked about "posh" kitchen trolley, for a fraction of the original price!  Chipped paint after having a bit of sandpaper brushed over it, gives just the right look.

So a successful visit....

On my way into and from town I pass a fellow bloggers home, and as she was having an Open Studio weekend, (also the next two)...we used the excuse and went to visit.  Debbie Osborn Art and Design

is a genius at making things from the unusual, as well as a creative artist...and makes the most sublime and welcomed elderflower cordial...for which I must get her recipe!  Being followed around her garden by Louise, Martha, Miriam and Tildy(I think that's right!), with Katie hiding in the undergrowth having a squawk at us...  I'm sure they were checking Debbie wasn't going too far from sight.  We wish her and Mr O the best with the open weekends. 

And then home to check the ceiling...fine!  Dig...paint...finish plinths...cheer Blackpool...

Now all that's left to finish is to hang the lining paper and paint...plus find a piece of wood!

A special...

...day was Friday.  It was our wedding anniversary, and to say it celebrated a few years would be an understatement.  Not as many as some, but a fair few.  The day was saddened though by the passing of an old family friend.  The day he should've been celebrating his 90th birthday he passed away.  A grand age, but a sad day...

The skies above us have been quiet.  We have some noise from the odd passing fighter jet, but these with commercial airlines have been stopped from flying here...so, if this affects you and your holiday, you have my sympathy...if like my youngest son you live near an airport, you can make the most of these few days of respite.  Commercially damaging I know, but for those who live near them...just a few days of peace.

I'm not sure how many balls I have in the air at present.  Juggling maybe an art, and in reality it's not something I have ever been able to do, but with projects...I can cope.  The kitchen is nearly complete, the taps are on their way and the worktops should be measured this week.  A new (old) cupboard entered our lives on Saturday, when we visited Steptoes in Dereham and fell in love with an old oak four door cupboard, perfect for crockery and linens.  Skirtings went on over the weekend, plumbing in place, so now all I need are three strong men here at the same time and the larder can go upright, rather than laying forlornly on it's side...waiting.  We're getting there.

A downside to the weekend, my team lost...they should've won if the pictures were anything to go by, but the opposing goalkeeper had one of those matches, where everything he touched(and he touched a lot) went away...I knew he'd be our downfall this match, but I guess it makes the locals around here happy...so everyone should be going around with a smile on their face.  Maybe Delia will make a celebratory cake.  An annoying thing about it...those teams around us all dropped points too, so we could've climbed.  Hey ho!!

Have I mentioned...

...the oak refractory table we've got? It belonged to my brother-in-law's father, and they wanted to lose it after it was "renovated", with someone varnishing it with polyurethane; now it's a beautiful pale orange, and very ugly. We know her beauty is under there, it just needs a little persuading to show itself again.

This table will go into the new kitchen, as it's just the right height for me to use for mixing, kneading, rolling, reading, writing, sewing...(you get my idea...), it's going to be the centre and today we found a chair for it, or rather a little settle. Walking through Swaffham from Saturday's market...with fruit pies, hawthorn for hedging, and three primula Victoriana....

...we found a maker in pine of free-standing pieces, and amongst all the new he uses reclaimed floorboards and doors. This is what our "new" settle is...a door and some floorboards! It's dented, has old paint flakes still attached, but it's beautiful, and so much fun.

He delivers it this week...and then you can see...

After that some wax, oil and elbow grease...with a couple of handmade cushions and voila, our first kitchen chair.

Then we came home and I listened to my team's commentary. Another bad day,, and although we didn't lose, we didn't win and listening to it, we found it tough going. This is after it being said it was a "must win" game. To make things worse (if possible), our local rivals can go above us if they win on Monday, when they play second placed Leeds. So, which is worse? A guess a draw would be best...

Also the club sadly announced the death of an old player. Bob Curtis played in the late 60s and early 70s. One of the players I can remember cheering. He had been ill for sometime, but still an unhappy event.

Our new...

...kitchen floor is nearly complete. Large slate slabs are being laid to make our two rooms one. Just a few edging ones to do then sealing, grouting and then sealing again to bring them to their full glory. At present they're dusty, dull and waiting... Our floor was a lovely mismatch of levels, and now only slopes gently, well we are talking old cottage... Totally reliant on the two men who've been laying it. A young man and his father-in-law, who have worked hard...in amongst the copious cups of tea and coffee I've made. Then next week a couple of cupboards are due to be delivered... Slowly we're getting there

I've been searching out old...or handmade bolts and latches ready for repainted doors, as those in place are those DIY store versions. It's a shame at some stage all the original pieces have disappeared and now the cottage is owed a little respect and dignity...

Whilst the floor is being laid I've been fighting the garden. Old shrubs have been attacked with vigour, trimmed and when needed, dug out. Grass has been taken from old flower beds, and little sprouts from bulbs now show. I made a small wattle fence, not your full hazel or willow one, but with the cuts from the shrubs(waste not want not), and this has plugged a hole in our hedge where a large bushy tree was cut down, before we moved in, and I must say I'm quite proud of myself. I've also been fighting rabbits. We have burrows in the garden, it might be a whole warren, but the little dears eat anything remotely green and within reach. So yesterday I started the fight back, closing all holes in the garden, leaving them the main one in the outside bank. This morning most of the holes were back...so, fork in hand they were closed again. Tomorrow I'm guessing they'll be back...and the fight for my garden will go on. I want to plant flowers...I like flowers, but if they're nibbled back...it'll be a waste of time and energy. So the rabbits have to go...humanely. They have large fields next door if they want house room, and all the grass they could want to nibble.

I refuse to say anything about last Saturday and football...apart from...*sigh*

A slow...

...process, but this is how our "new" kitchen looks at present.

The dark door is the old bakers oven, which now houses the boiler. The radiator is going...

The old doors and missing wall...

And now it's one....

The quarry tiles are on the same(or nearly) level as the concrete, so hopefully can be tiled over.

At least I've got a kitchen I can still use...

And the wall...

...came tumbling down.

Over the weekend we knocked nails out, cut holes in plasterboards, pulled wood apart, dismantling the stud wall between the old utility room and the small sitting room, and removing the frames and doors to the two rooms. Now I stand in delight at the light which pours through the stained glass french doors, and leaded light windows to a much nicer space.

Now we have to decide, do we replace a door, or do we leave it open to the little hallway which leads to it.

Next step...rebuild a small piece of wall, and remove a radiator!

Exciting...isn't it!?

And the football goes on.

I'm wondering what makes one club any different to another!?

Portsmouth (who are losing to Coventry as I type) owe several millions to other clubs, HMRC, have been late in paying their players several times this season...and had until 5pm today to pay some of the money to the clubs owed for transfers already completed(at present they're not allowed into the transfer market)...they didn't make it, so now the Premier League are deciding how to divvy up the £7m television money owed to Portsmouth between those clubs who they owe. Portsmouth have asked for the money to be given to them...as a loan? Now what makes this club any different in their debt to that of a local Norfolk club which disappeared just before Christmas, as King's Lynn were wound up. The size of debt is hugely more, both have fans...players and a long history...so, is it just because one is a league club and the other a non-league club?

It's a cold, tough world out there, and unless you can find yourself a sugar daddy with true and deep pockets..who also understands and loves football, it'll get tougher for more clubs. The above is just that little visible tip of the iceberg...with the Titanic sailing steadily towards it.

The moving...

...of rooms has started. Our present kitchen is small, dark and not very nice, and one thing we decided on when buying our cottage was to move it.

We have two rooms that have light pouring into them all day, and have a view of the garden...rather than the churchyard opposite. The water is already there, as one is a tiny utility room, and with a thin partition wall between that and a small sitting room, which we'll never use as one...we can take it down with ease, and open this space up.

Well, we've ordered ourselves some units...just a couple for the sink and a larder cupboard. The kitchen is my one extravagance, I've been saving for it. I had an AGA previously, and that's it...the man comes in a weeks time for the survey. Oh, to get back to one...I can't wait!

We have a large hand built oak table, which needs some work, but will be beautiful once the orange modern varnish is removed...we were lucky in acquiring it. That will be the main surface in the kitchen, and over time we'll find ourselves an old cupboard for crockery, odd dining chairs...and the bits and pieces that gradually makes it mine....

My minds eye has a picture, now I just need to make it happen.

Seems my team's Saturday match is in doubt. After the pre-Christmas big freeze and snow, we now have the next. Though we've only had a sprinkling here so far, further south is suffering...my brother in law did not make it home from work tonight... My team is in South East London...and that's quite white, and though the ground staff team have worked hard, it will be decided before the weekend, but it looks as though a postponement is more than a possibility. This comes hard on last weekends postponement, which saw Norwich catching...and over-taking us on goal difference. Do we need this match to keep us sharp, or the postponement to get some of our injured players back?! Do we need Norwich to get a points difference too? They've signed two players this week too...we've extended a defenders loan spell until the end of January...

Some additional pieces of jewellery were added to my Etsy jewellery shop tonight...some simple "Little Misses" bracelets, and adults bracelets and necklaces...

All finished...

...and here they are.

Beautiful!! The wall colours of cream and blue are changing...