red front door

Project 366 2020 Week 33

Project 366 2020 Week 33 Day 222 – 228   Another week of getting used to the new normal – the week we finally got our double glazing installed and a new front door.

Sunday 9th August – Day 222

Sunflower

We spent more time sorting things in the house and my son helped me water the neighbour’s plants.  Looking around our garden and it looks like our sunflowers will be out soon.  Once again though it appears we’ve got really small headed ones.  Not quite what we wanted.

Monday 10th August – Day 223

Project 366 2020 Week 33

A scorching hot day and the start of the house transformation.  Was strange to drive around the corner from work and see white windows.  The guys did a cracking job and got everything done today except the front and patio doors.

Brewster took the noise in his stride but Paddington was scared to death.

Tuesday 11th August – Day 224

red front door

Day two of the house transformation, another scorcher and it’s complete albeit with a little glitch.  We’ve got a little bit of touch up painting to do, but generally, that’s in areas we need to redecorate anywhere.  The front door is just wonderful, we are so pleased with it, and we have so much light in our hallway now I keep thinking I’ve left the front door open.

There is a manufacturing issue with the patio doors and they need to be reordered and replaced with the ones in situ now.  But we can open and close them and really, as long as the issue is fixed, it really doesn’t seem that important when I look over at my neighbour’s house knowing what she’s dealing with right now.

Fireworks at 10.30 pm woke my son up and that was us set for a very unsettled night.

Wednesday 12th August – Day 225

Project 366 2020 Week 33

With two torrential downpours during the night, no one got much sleep here.  The seals on the windows seemed to be ok though, so that was a positive.  Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for the patio doors which kept me on my toes trying to stop the carpet from being totally sodden.

It was over 40 degrees against our garden wall when I got home from work – stifling and no breeze at all.  We’re all tired and a tad grumpy.

Thursday 13th August – Day 226

Upton House

I’d booked tickets for Upton House for this morning so the OH dealt with the double glazing team when they came round to look at the issue with the patio doors.  Some sort of missing drainage hole apparently.  It poured with rain again today at home and all remained dry so hopefully, that’s all sorted now, just waiting for the replacement doors to be manufactured now.

The weather forecast said it wouldn’t rain until this afternoon.  It lied.  We were wearing our waterproof coats but just after this photo was taken it absolutely hammered down.  We tried to wait it out when we found some cover, but we were soaked and the rain didn’t look like stopping any time soon.  So for the first time, I can ever remember we abandoned our plans for the rest of the day and headed back home to dry out.  Obviously it was then dry all afternoon.

Friday 14th August – Day 227

Project 366 2020 Week 33

More rain.  British summer is back then.

The cat that got the bird.  The downside to having cats is that they are natural hunters.  We often find the remains of field mice in the garden and feathers, lots of feathers.  Today I got to see first hand, Paddington at his worst.  He actually does wear a collar and it has a bell on it.  The bell doesn’t scare birds away. A collared dove wasn’t quick enough, and there was no way Paddington was going to let me save the bird from his clutches.  Not a proud Mummy moment 🙁

Saturday 15th August – Day 228

Sunflower

Six years ago today my son and I were enjoying a day out at The Vyne with Tina from The Soup Dragon Says, and her son.  We were having a lovely time when we were messaged with some awful news.  Elspeth, the daughter of our friend Jenny from The Brick Castle had taken her own life.  Just a tragedy.  Sunflowers have been a symbol of Elspeth ever since and it seems apt that mine came into full bloom today.  Today we are remembering Elspeth, thinking of Jenny and her family and also thinking of other family friends coping with the grief of losing their son/brother so very recently.  It’s a day for reflection.

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32 thoughts on “Project 366 2020 Week 33

  1. Such a shame your day was ruined by the rain and that your new patio doors leak. Fingers crossed they get fixed quickly. Bet its lovely to have new windows

  2. The sunflower is looking great and the windows and door too. Poor Paddington. I hope he has got over it now.
    We were the same here, we didn’t sleep much on Tuesday night and on Wednesday were a little grumpy too. That is a shame about the patio door leaking.
    Good jobs you had your waterproofs on with that rain.
    Oh my goodness. I didn’t realise it was 6 years since Elspeth had taken her own life. It is so sad. x

  3. Your new front door looks brilliant, but that must have been a worry with all the rain getting through the patio door. I think we were the only people who escaped the extremes of the weather – being in Cornwall for the week. It wasn’t very hot and we didn’t get the storms either.
    How lovely to remember Elspeth with the sunflower. I can’t believe that much time has passed already.

  4. The house looks great and I love a red front door. Hope the patio doors are sorted soon. Can’t believe it’s 6 years since Elspeth died.

  5. Lovely to see the sunflowers, especially with the special meaning for Elspeth. The new windows and doors look great – really clean and bright. Hope you get the patio doors sorted very quickly – or at least that it stops raining !

  6. The sunflower looks great, sending hugs to Elspeth family on the anniversary.
    Oh dear at leaky new doors.
    Has been to warm to sleep.
    We had a small dog that use to chase rabbits and managed to kill more than one, and would then proudly drag them across the park, they were often bigger than her as well. Had to stop taking her where the rabbits played.

  7. Exciting having new windows and doors. Ours need doing as let water in when it rains too much in one direction. Of course the OH would say they’re fine! Shame your Upton visit was rained off.

  8. The rain must’ve been bad for you to abandon a day out. Shame the doors weren’t straight forward, but glad they’re sorted now, did the carpets get wet? Have they dried. Beautiful sunflower and lovely memory to have. Don’t talk to me about it being hot right now, I’m melting lol

  9. Love the new front door and so nice that the new windows have given you more light in your hallway too. What a shame the rain spoiled your afternoon at Upton House and typical that it was then dry after you headed home. How appropriate that your sunflower came into bloom on that date. It’s a beautiful way to remember Elspeth. I was thinking of Jenny and her family too. So sorry that your friends are also grieving the loss of their son/brother too. #project366

  10. Your front doors look very smart! Glad to hear the new windows give you more light. I remember the news about Elspeth. Hard to believe it’s been 6 years.
    Love the image of an unopen sunflower, it’s such a scrunched up elegance.
    As for the cats and prey, at least, it’s your own cats. We get dead birds/rats left in our garden, half-eaten, or with feathers scattered all around the lawn, and we don’t have a cat.

  11. I really like your front door, we need to get a new one, it either needs painting or replacing so I am just waiting till I have enough money to replace it with a wood effect one that doesn’t require so much maintenance. Hope your patio door gets sorted soon but good you can use it in the meantime. 6 years really, has it been that long? bless them it must be especially hard each anniversary x

  12. Lovely sunflower – I remember hearing about it 6 years ago. Can’t believe its been 6 years! Must be so hard at this time each year.

    Love the new front door….looks great!

  13. We are still trying to decide if we are in our forever home or not and planning to move or get an extension with new windows and doors as we’ve done nothing on our house since moving in 5 years ago. My friend’s son committed suicide a year ago and he loved sunflowers, such a beautiful symbol of hope #project366

  14. The white paint does bring out the windows and door. Its been raining a lot here. Woah Paddington is quite the hunter, my cats wouldn’t leave the house. Oh God, that’s horrible! May her family have patience to deal with her loss.

  15. We have a red front door too! Sorry to hear about the patio doors hopefully they are all fixed now. Thats quite a catch for young paddington, I don’t think our car has ever managed something quite so big. I do remember the time he got a Jenny Wren though I was devastated. How awful for your friend, I couldn’t even begin to understand how they must feel even six years on, I can’t believe it ever leaves them x

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