I almost forgot...

It's an easy anniversary to remember, and yet I almost forgot. In addition to remembering the sacrifice of those who have fought for Australia, today is my Blogiversary.

Three years today, in fact.

And I don't have anything particularly profound to say.

Except that it often seems to rain on Anzac day.

Renovation Diary #5 - a hint of what's to come, Part 2

This asbestos shed will go.

This junk room will become ... a library, with a bay window and ... window seat (oh my god, can't wait)

This lovely 1960s bathroom will be increased in size and be re-fitted with actual working modern fittings and will have a toilet seat that is (a) not made of wood and (b) hasn't split in two.

This classic 1992 bathroom will gain a bay window and a shower that fits an actual adult-sized human. The new bay will have new leadlight windows based on arts and crafts designs, yet with a modern touch.

We haven't found a space for the current leadlights and they won't fit into the new windows. We would love to find a home for the. They are not original but still quite lovely. The whole window, in fact, is potentially up for grabs.

Renovation Diary #4 - a hint of what's to come, part 1

See this outside area? Imagine an 8ft wide verandah. Also imagine an Arts and Crafts style bay window above the verandah.

Imagine an 8ft verandah here too.

The back half of this room will become a decent-sized laundry. Walls will be demolished to allow for a new kitchen out of sight of this picture.

This craptastic laundry (which is in the space once occupied by a toilet) will be piled into a skip.

You never forget your first doctor

Most of us here at Chez EasternMax are getting a little bit excited. Tonight we will meet the 11th Doctor. Oh, we could've gathered around the computer monitor for an advanced screening but nothing beats watching the earth being 20 seconds from destruction on the big screen in HD.

One member of our family, however, says she will boycott the show. A Dr Who without David Tennant? She can't get her head around it. She won't listen to the sage advice of those in the family who have been through nine doctors and survived.

I saw this t-shirt online at www.thinkgeek.com - I think it sums up Blossom's feelings well.

Renovation Diary #3 - Exterior Colour Inspiration

Our house is an early example (1912) of the Arts and Crafts Movement here in Sydney, although more federation in influence than many of the examples we see overseas.

The exterior colours we have at the moment are cacky, and they scream heritage paint fashion circa 1992; think Indian Red, Brunswick Green and Clotted Cream.

On Sunday Firegazer and I surveyed local examples of the style for colour hints (see pics above). I definitely want the darker accents but not sure whether to go the 'putty' stucco or introduce mossy green elements as our architect suggests. The pale grey is intriguing but I'd introduce white windows and darker accents somewhere. The trend around here is towards the darker greys but, oh I don't know, I think they'll just scream 2010.

How can this be so hard?

Blanket Update

This blanket began back in the last week of February and is now about 1.3m long. Being a 'recession' blanket it is being crocheted from all the leftover yarn from other projects. Of course a true recession blanket would be made from yarn unravelled from jumpers the family has grown out of. But no.

I'm quite pleased with how it is turning out and particularly love the occasional shot of fire introduced with this left over Noro Silk Garden yarn. I have one more ball of that colour to introduce somewhere. Meanwhile I have several more balls of yarn of other colours to introduce so I will continue until they are all gone, or the blanket is at a ridiculous length.

The blanket is at that lovely stage of being able to be used to warm my feet and legs as I crochet. Last night Firegazer and I were fighting over it. Clearly, as the worker bee I should get the lions share.

Next time I should crochet one in a double-width.

Discrimination in a Tea Cup

I don't drink coffee. I don't have anything against coffee. I love the smell of coffee, but unfortunately it makes me feel ill.

So when friends want to meet up for coffee I have a couple of choices - hot chocolate, or tea. Ordering tea at a coffee shop fills me with dread. First I look at other tea drinkers - is the tea served in thick cups or thin china? Is it tea bag or leaf? Is the tea prepared first because it's easy and left to stew while the barrista lovingly creates the perfect coffee complete with leaf insignia in the foam?

On Sunday we stopped over at a posh coffee shop with capable barristas. I looked at other tea drinkers who were being served tea in lovely pots and thought I'd be brave and order a tea, only to become increasingly frustrated as the barrista fills the tea pot first because its easy and, phew, that one's out of the way then proceeds to slowly make a cappuccino and two chocolate milkshakes. By the time I received my pot of tea it was so over-stewed as to be undrinkable.

What is so bloody hard about leaving the tea to the last minute so that I can choose how long it damn well stews when it gets to the table? Do I have to order a hot chocolate every time I meet friends for coffee? Sheesh. I say tea drinkers unite and demand equal rights with coffee drinkers for a decent drink (without having to go to a chintz-filled tea house with side order of scones).

Firegazer, noticing my irate demeanor, said "So, I bet you'll blog about this now" (with, may I add, a slight roll of the eyes).

Duh, of course.

*image courtesy of google images

Renovation Diary #2 - keeping solar drying on the plans

Hello, my name is M and it has been 15 months since I last used a tumble-dryer.

It all started in June 2008 when I decided to see if I could last 21 days in the middle of winter without a dryer. I did. Easily. Then that Christmas my tumble-dryer got the huff and broke down. I haven't bothered to fix it.

There are some days I wish I could pop a couple of items in the dryer, but we've more than got by. I am so much more aware of the weather now - one whiff of a fine sunny day and I'm madly washing. Which I guess is as it should be. I thought my resolve would falter when I went back to paid work but the habit of solar drying has become so ingrained it is now just part of my week.

So you will understand that a well-placed clothesline is high on my priority list with our renovation. My current line (above) is in a great drying location with both a north and west aspect and open to warm westerly winds.

My neighbour also has a well located line open to prevailing winds, and close to the house where it is useful.

Useful however is not always popular with designers.

Oh, they claim to value function as well as form. But methinks form far outweighs function unless your designer is a specialist in environmental architecture or some such. Our current architect speaks all the right words about valuing the proper placement of a clothesline. As did the architect we used on our last house in Victoria. But actually getting.the.line.on.paper is like pulling teeth.

And there lies a fundamental difference. My architect agrees that the line is necessary but ugly. I think clotheslines are lovely. To me they symbolise the very essence of a home. With the sheer volume of laundry done by the average family we are better off acknowledging the role of a clothesline rather than trying to hide it away.

I would really like a metal Hills Hoist. I'd powder coat it in a fabulous colour.

However we've come to a compromise - I'm getting a large fold-out line like I have now - and the architect has designed a wooden retractable screen to hide it away when we have guests.

I wouldn't have compromised but I know Firegazer will side with the Architect on this one.

Easter Show, Monday 5 April

12.41pm MotoX Finale at the Royal Easter Show

Wolf Hall

Just finished. Loved it.

What's not to love about the dastardly Tudors? I've been quite fascinated by the Tudors ever since I saw The Six Wives of Henry VIII on the ABC all.those.years.ago. Hard to believe it first aired in 1970...

I haven't read The Other Boleyn Girl but I did watch the movie the other day. It made me mad. Mainly because I found that version of the Boleyn Girls not at all believable. As a result I don't want to read the other books, or that one, in fact.

History, they say, is written by the victors so we may never know what really went on except what we can interpret from diaries that have survived and stories written after the fact. However, I found that Hillary Mantel's version painted a sumptuous picture of Tudor times that made me want to believe her story over the other stories.

Ms Mantel questioned the general view of the main characters in the Tudor drama: How could a man who rose from being a Blacksmith's son to the right hand of Henry VIII and who could just as make a pair of fairy wings for his daughter as draft legislation for parliament be all bad (Thomas Cromwell)? And how could a man who put to the fire, the block and the rack men and women who believed the bible should be able to be read by the average Englishman or woman be all good (Thomas More)?

Wolf Hall is a fictional treatment of Henry VIII's separation from Rome, divorce from Katherine of Aragon and marriage to Anne Boleyn from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell a commoner who rose to be the second most powerful man in England after the King.

This is not a book to read when tired. It is important to read every word and the character guide at the beginning is a helpful addition. Half the time it is difficult to dissect who is talking. Ms Mantel writes sparsely but not at all neatly. A style which, in fact, helps to convey the complexity of the times.

I read this accompanied by my A-Z of London Streets. Some sort of encyclopedia of British Royalty would also have helped.

I am very much looking forward to the next installment.