Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Home Improvements - They Never End




When I bought this colourful vase from an op shop I thought it would look good in Autumn with some zinnias in it.  Autumn is officially here now but a drought has been declared, so it is just as well that resilient zinnias were the preferred blossoms - nothing much else is thriving in the garden and watering restrictions are in place.  The zinnias flower on undeterred though and are offering a great return on the price of a packet of seeds.

One other thing which is doing frighteningly well is the ever increasing jungle of Jerusalem artichokes.  Despite warnings about their tendency to become invasive I put some in last season, and when I harvested them congratulated myself that I had removed all the tubers that I could find, thinking that if any had escaped detection I would have a crop the next season.  The number of plants this year is much greater, but of even more concern is the fact that they are romping skywards (Jack's beanstalk had nothing on these giants) and as the flower buds are only forming now it seems that they might reach four metres.  They are well over three metres already.


Mr Shoestring has carried on manfully with his home improvement projects this week.  It has to be said that he is somewhat inclined to rush off in all directions, starting new projects as the mood takes him.  This week he was so pleased with the new front door knob and lock that he impulsively decided to line the front porch and do away with this lining.



He is recovering it with this instead, which will be much easier to keep clean (once it is painted) and I have to admit it will be a great improvement.  And when I said to Mr Peaceable that I was a bit worried about Mr Shoestring's propensity to start projects before finishing the ones he had already started, Mr Peaceable pointed out to me that a person with a sewing room which looked like mine should not make such observations.  Fair point, fair point.  (Though I do think that boys tend to stick together, wouldn't you agree?)

As well as working on lining the front porch Mr Shoestring has drained his new pond and fitted a light.  I was somewhat mystified by this, but somebody made a passing remark that it would be nice to have a light in the water and before you could say "hey presto" Mr Shoestring dashed off and bought a light, drained the pond and installed it.  I foolishly made a joke by asking him, "Does the light change colour?  That would be nice!" Of course he replied, "No it doesn't change colour but I could find a way to make it change colour."  I really must take more care or we are never going to come to the end of the pool improvements.  He has mentioned that he has another light to install in the pool and that it could be arranged to shine up through the water at the lion's head.  My lips are sealed henceforth on the subject of pool accessories.  


When we were in Napier for art deco weekend Mr Shoestring was thrilled to find these postcards of our town in years past.  The view has hardly changed almost all the old buildings are still there.  Next time we get a chance we will take some views from the same spots so that we can compare.




But for now we are fully occupied because our oldest daughter and her fiance are visiting from London and we have been socializing and generally showing ourselves a wonderful time.  



1 comment:

  1. Always busy at Shoestring Cottage! I love your bright zinnias, one of my favorite flowers, in your new vase! Have a grand time with your daughter.

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