buildinggracelands: Sunday 6th

Phew...quite a weekend! It has been spent mainly packing up Stockton. It seems neverending. Aidan and Lester did a dump run which was terrific. I have just started on my study. It took Lester and me, two hours to wrap up my 130 Egyptian Gods. I have always bought cards (with envelopes) from exhibitions, airports etc. but I did not realise how they had accumulated. I have card reproductions from Degas, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Art Deco Exhibitions as well as many archaeological exhibitions and museums I have been through over the last twenty years. There are dozens of them!

I am thrilled too that I found an old envelope with the address of the wonderful teacher/guide who took us through Egypt. We did correspond for several years but it fizzled out, as these things do. However, I have been thinking of her in the light of recent events in Egypt. She was a very progressive woman for her time and place, (we were there in 2002). So, I have decided that I will no go to bed tonight until I have written to her once more.

On Saturday, we went looking for an outdoor table and an umbrella for our "eating box". Of course no-one, anywhere, makes a table 1200 square with an umbrella hole in the centre. Looks like we might have to ask Bobby to make it. This place is going to be totally "bespoke". Well, Kev would approve.

Over the weekend, John came down and worked on the electricals and the painters came on Saturday and did lots of undercoating and applied the third coat upstairs in Porters. It looks deep and rich in colour.

I also picked up my two antique Ansonia closks which have been away having their workings rejuvenated. There is a new face on Ella's one which looks great. I hope Old Mumma's one has stopped chiming fourteen and fifteen, but I won't know until I've moved in and can set them up properly.

I've organised for the delivery of the fridge, and the new table, which will arrive in pieces. Unfortunately, the man who made it has an injury, so we may have to assemble it ourselves. Piece of cake!

Liam, Roni and Kieran were up to see Mossie Belle's debut on the turf. (She met interference and came 5th - but still shows great promise.) They came and had a look around, which was nice. Lester and I went over to Hunter St to see if the surfboards could be stashed in the surgery. It was hilarious trying to fit the mal under the stairs, however, we succeeded. For a while we thought we might have to hang it in the waiting room and pretend it was there for decorative purposes.

Must get back packing. I have one day and then we head off to Port Fairy for the Folk Festival. Then, on our return, we will move. So, there will be a two week GAP in buildinggracelands blog. Greg has been instructed to take photographs every day we are away and I will construct the blog retrospectively. It is so annoying that we will be away at the time when the most dramatic changes will happen. Then again, it will be terrific to come back and the big things will just have magically happened!