Recent Entries

• Three Months

  August 26, 2019

  Three months. The average gestation period of a leopard or a puma. The average waiting time for a US visa appointment.  The amount of time it takes a turnip to grow from seed to harvest.  An acceptable amount of time in which to rewatch all ten seasons of Friends without binging (I'm kidding - wh...

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• Pernicious Beasties

  August 26, 2019

  I’m not one for anthropomorphism (the process of ascribing human characteristics to an inanimate object – cool word, huh?).  However, if I were, I would have to say that this house is being a jerk. Dean prefers zoomorphism (the process of ascribing animal characteristics to an inanimate object). ...

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• Absurd Self-Assurance and other DIY Stories (part 2)

  August 11, 2019

  In hindsight, I’m so glad that we decided to paint and paper the cupboard doors first.  They came out so well and looked so great that we were able to draw on our elation at this early success to get us through the mid-project quagmire that threatened to overwhelm us later. Dean and I got…

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• The Wallpaper Deviation

  August 11, 2019

  I’ve always loved the idea of wallpaper.  It’s so interesting and sophisticated!  It calls to mind a bygone age of ladies drawing rooms in manor houses, overlooking pretty country gardens and courtyard fountains.  Wallpaper is not something we commonly do in South Africa.  The most creative my fa...

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• Absurd Self-Assurance and other DIY Stories (part 1)

  August 11, 2019

  As anyone who has ever attempted a major DIY renovation project will tell you, there are two things  you need before you can get started: An absurd level of blissful ignorance about how much time it will take, what it will cost and how difficult it will be, and Lots and lots of inspirations pictu...

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• Forewarned….

  July 14, 2019

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• A Vision in Orange Laminate

  July 14, 2019

  Three weeks?!?  Where does the time go?  Where were we? Ah, yes.  The caravan.  Did I mention the caravan?  No? We bought a caravan.  On purpose.  A grant old lady (almost as old as I am), lovingly maintained with original finishes by her careful owner for over 35 years.  And by ‘original finishe...

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• The New Normal

  June 25, 2019

  I shouldn’t be writing this entry.  I should be working.  I have work to do – loads.  But I have to write, because this morning I was struck by how different everything suddenly is. Six weeks ago, I was so miserable.  Starting each morning with a handful of ReliCalm™ and counting the days between...

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• The Nature of Things

  June 23, 2019

  I really thought the books would make it much harder. The process of down-scaling isn’t just motivated by the fact that our living space will be extremely reduced for a while.  Yes, it helps to have ‘will this fit into the caravan’ as a constant mental refrain whilst paring down one’s worldly goo...

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