Finally seeing the light...

... at the end of the bathroom tunnel ~ fingers crossed!  Since my last bathroom progress report, where we had got as far as plasterboard on all the walls, things have been moving along albeit at a somewhat sedate pace.  Most of the walls and woodwork have now been painted, the vinyl flooring is down and some of the fixtures and fittings have gone in.  

Although I didn't have a photo, I did mention in my last bathroom update that the water cylinder had been put back.  It's now tucked away in its own little cupboard.  We were very pleased with how well the flooring guys were able to get the vinyl into the cupboard, considering the cylinder was in there!  We've also had a small electric heater put in.  It's only set to 16C but as the room is tiny, that is plenty high enough to keep the chill out.

Shug and his son moved the washing machine and tumble-dryer into the utility room from the kitchen.  It was definitely well worth re-jigging the walls to make this space.

There was just enough space on the wall opposite the washing machine for a 60cm wide base unit, which Shug cut down to 50cm deep to give a little extra room.  The worktop (which is also beneath the tumble-dryer) was leftover from a previous job of Shug's.

The unit is from Howdens and seems very well made ~ we will be using their units for storage in the porch in due course 😊  I have now filled the cupboard with towels, spare toiletries and laundry liquid, etc.

The toilet and basin are now in place.  It's good to have a downstairs loo again!

The heater in the bathroom will only need to used when we are washing or showering.  We've been leaving the door ajar and have found that the warm air from the utility makes its way in.

The cabinet was originally bought for the upstairs bathroom but proved to be too tall for the space we had above the basin.  We hemmed and hawed about what to do between the basin and cabinet, but in the end went with Shug's suggestion of using a piece of the leftover shower wet wall rather than having it tiled.

The shower is ready to be used, hopefully soon now!

I don't think I mentioned in my previous bathroom post that the new window was in fact not what we had ordered.  It didn't have the foil finish to the frame and the fittings were gold rather than the chrome we have in the rest of the house.  A replacement had to be ordered and it has finally got here.  Poor Shug has been really fretting over this, despite us doing our best to try to reassure him that it wasn't his fault at all, but he should be fitting it soon so he will be able to stop worrying 😊

Hooks ready for towels in due course.

 Hopefully Shug will be finished this week, then we can get Callum back to finish the decorating.  There isn't much left to be done now, just the wall and woodwork on the window wall.  The doors have been simply finished with Danish oil, the rest of the woodwork, ceiling and wall above the picture rail have been painted white, and the walls beneath the picture rail are in a shade called Barrow ~ all from Lakeland Paints, their FengShui multi-purpose range.

I'm really pleased with how the bathroom and utility are coming together but I won't lie, I shall be so pleased when it's all finished!

Two years!

It's hard to believe that it's two years since we moved up here.  The days have just flown by ~ all 733 of them!

We've now experienced two and a half winters, along with two springs, summers and autumns.  I confess that I was a little worried about how we might cope with the winters in particular as they can be pretty wild ~ we had heard a few tales of folk moving back south after their first Orkney winter experience!  But we were well aware (mentally at least) of what winter can bring here, as a storm took the roof off the house our daughter was living in during the first year she and the family she was working for moved up!  And whilst not wishing to tempt fate, St Abbs has weathered many winter storms since she was built back in 1903.

So Sharon, I hear you ask, do you have any regrets about making that massive move?  Well, I would be lying if I said we had no regrets ~ we do miss family and friends.  Phone calls and Facebook aren't the same as being nearby.  But there does come a point where you have to make the decision that's right for you, and often you find yourself at a stage where a now-or-never decision has to be made.  On the whole, though, we are very happy living here and are glad that we stepped out of our comfort zone to do what we had dreamed of and talked about for so long.

I truly don't believe that there is an absolutely "perfect" place to live but we have found that the plus points mightily outweigh the handful of negatives.  And if I'm being honest, it would be fairer to describe those so-called negative points more accurately as minor irritations really!  Surprisingly, it has taken a little while to adjust to the pace of life, but I like to think we are now at the stage where we just accept that more often than not life tends to run at a slightly different timescale here LOL

We are looking forward to many more years yet to come living in our new home and community 😊

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Little words of wisdom

Happy New Year!

image from The Graphics Fairy

Happy New Year, my lovlies ~ may 2020 be happy and peaceful for you all xxx