Spring is Here time to fertilize

We have had a few weeks break  of  working in the  back yard what with birthdays and lots of rain but it is time to get back into it as Spring is here

Our  list includes

• More dirt is needed in the backyard  as the filled in areas of last year  have sunk . But we have a new puppy, Piper  who loves to dig and  chew especially my flowers .With all the rain we are having muddy puppy paws might not be much fun 

• we need to decide if we are putting a vegetable garden in  along the  back fence ,the cost and  the puppy issue  are factors against this 

• we would like  to extend the back patio out so we have a more usable family  area 

• putting a  barbecue area like the one below is sort of the idea I want to do 

We  just need the  rain to stop  and  we can get into it . Also we need to get a concrete guy to actually come  to quote.So maybe it might be a couple of weeks before we start

Backyard makeover

So we have been in our new house nearly a year .

 We have achieved nearly all we set out to do .
The sewage  man hold covers( the black things )  were raised by water board free of charge .
Next  a fence contractor came  in to  straighten the fence  and  built a retaining wall
Approx  20 ton of  free rubble was delivered by trucks to  fill in the back yard ; then 8 ton of top soil was delivered .
We then layed the grass . This all sounds quite easy but it wasnt ,we were exhausted by the end

Gardens have been finished , plants put in  pictures hang  & garage cleaned out.
The lists just never seemed to stop  but we are done .
 All done in time for our granddaughters first birthday party.
The back yard needs more top soil to level it out but I think a small trip away in the caravan is needed  first

Ongoing work on our House & yard

As you can see, our front entrance is rather boring. So first we purchased a chair on Ebay and repainted it the colour of the guttering. We potted a fern in a pot that the old owners had left and  we also hung up one of our favorite plants. There is more to come but it is looking better.

The next area which we are tackling is a lot larger project - is our back yard.

First we moved the clothes line around to the side fence: a better drying position for the washing & closer to the laundry.

The backhoe came in next to start leveling of the ground and  digging out an area to pave. Our granddaughter loved watching him work.

 



We have planted geraniums  that we hope  will grow, spilling over and covering the ugly wall.

Next, we started the hard work of first trying to level the area. We shoveled 2 trailer loads of top soiling over the area that the dug-out dirt had been dumped. Then we started laying the turf that we got from Bunnings. So far we have done 2 lots of turf  and  another will be done this weekend. The first lot took well but the second lot is taking longer as it gets a lot more sun so the area is needing a lot more water.

We are sick of the mud and  watering but the end is in sight.

 

We wanted to plant a tree as there are no trees in our yard and  also to give us shade in summer.
 There is a tree on the side fence in our neighbour's yard (you can see it in the picture). We like the way it looses it's pretty leaves in winter to give us the light in to our living area, but also the shade in warmer months, so we brought one and  the family planted it.
 It is starting to look and  feel like home.
 

We had to have a few days off to rest as I ended up in hospital from over doing the shoveling, but now we are  back on track.

My husband said to me yesterday that we have been in our new house 4 months and we realized how much we have accomplished.

We are very happy.

Our New Home

So we have finally moved & after a month we  have nearly finished unpacking the  boxes.
I have delayed  starting to write this as we had a  extremely terrible move.
Our real estate was great & helped us with all the dramas.. I would highly  recommend them,

We are extremely happy in our new house but it needs some work especially on the yard which we have started on  with many wheel barrows of dirt moved.

We have empty enough boxes that one car can get into the garage

 My husband & son put together this cubby house for our grand children it was suppose to take 4 hours , it took 2 days  but the girls love it

I would  like to thank my children , extended family & very special friends for not only their help in the move but also their  support in a very difficult move.

House is sold

And so the house sold .It was  very exciting but  yet so scary. We now had to find a house to buy that fitted all our needs in a short time . We had lucky been looking  for a couple of months and  have decided on a house that fits most of our needs but is a lot smaller and  no storage room  so decluttering  has had to start.
There has been several large items sold on eBay , 5-6 loads to local salvos store , similar loads to tip and metal recycling . We are up to 75 packed boxes  with only bedroom cupboards and  kitchen to go.
We have certainly collected a lot of crap in 23 years  but also a lot of memories.
We are looking forward to living in a newer house with a smaller backyard and  no gates to open
Hope the rest of the packing and moving go quickly  so we settle in well

Selling our House

So the house is finally going on the market  but the list of jobs are huge to get the place ready so I have created a Project List involving photos of areas needed to attack
1: Front appeal
 We need to trim of cut back major bushes so we have started on this and ; next week will be the veranda

I will gradually take more so you can see the front veranda . By doing this blog  I hope to encourage progress Wish us luck

Lily Noah Arc Quilt

Lily new quilt

Well it's finally finished, Lily has her "Noah's Ark" quilt! It was  designed by  Kookabuura Cottage in Australia
It is hand pieced, appliqued  and  a very simple hand quilted in clear thread.

It turned out a lot bigger than I originally thought but love the end result.
It features 2 hearts made from my  Dads favorite tartan shirt.
The background fabric for each square was purchased from Big W. The rest was from a great fabric shop in The Remnant Warehouse in Botany Bay. They sell remnants and  very good  priced patchwork fabrics.

This quilt maybe not the best quilt made but it has been made with a lot of love and sore fingers.

Happy sleeping Lily from Granny!