Leading you up the garden path to a purple patch

Its back - spring purple patches all over our garden. Well I call it a garden but really it's just a hotch potch of whatever survives. It seems that purple survives very well in our jungle. In the front we have lavender, wisteria and blue bells (that really are purple). Neither of us have green thumbs. 

These photos were taken on my iPhone as I left for work this morning.

A Melbourne Spring Morning

Lavender is poking out of the soil and cracks in the garden path.

Wisteria is now climbing our walls after being savagely cut back by our gardner son, Mitchy.

Why call them blue-bells if they are purple or did I get that wrong?

How about a bit of Purple Haze by the 2 Cellos

SHADOWS on the WALLS

A milestone completed - the Bedroom Renovation is one step further along.

The whole room is now undercoated and the ceiling has its final coat of paint. There are some minor imperfections. Well after all the house is 84 years old. That's obviously young by European standards but in Melbourne many houses in the Bayside area this old have been pulled to make way for more modern homes to suit the needs of the modern family.

So here I am painting and the spring sun shines through the bedroom window and started to make patterns on the walls and ceiling.

The spring sunshine casts a shadow on the ceiling with the impression of the bedroom lead light window.

And who is this? The painting man.

Our house still has the original light fittings - they add that charm of the era.
Being only the "really" only second owners of the house, many of the original  features remain.

If memory serves me correctly, this would have to be the bedroom's 3rd incarnation in the 30 years we've been here - it will be the definitely the last. The carpet layer comes next week to measure up by which time I hope to complete painting the walls and woodwork. By the end of September we'll be back in the bedroom.

The room is now ready to add paint to the walls before the carpet arrives.

Sue decided on new knobs for the built in robes. Should go well with the French theme.

I think the next room will be the study/fourth bedroom in time for my father's visit in December.

Weekend Renovations

I call my girlfriend Hinges because she's something to adore. Bad humour I know but I'm tired after the week's work and now its back to the bedroom renovation.
I've now undercoated and have to top coat before we have new carpet laid in two weeks.
Sue is helping with preparing the doors and then painting them - great job Sue.
Somewhere in my sub-concious this song by Steve and the Board came to mind with the work Sue was doing and I have to say that she really is someone to adore.

It's going to be a busy weekend.

Let's do Italy on Wednesday

The Church

in Monticchiello.

(2006)

We'd just returned 

from Firenze

where we delivered our son Andrew

to catch a plane to Moscow.

Sue lit a candle

in the church

for our son not yet 21

to symbolise

a safe journey.

Spring comes to Mentone

End of August - the start of September and Spring - life is good.

The sun is shining - our first BBQ and possums in the garden.

Actually no pedal pushing this weekend - spending time with my daughter.
Doesn't the jasmine look great and the perfume - spring is here.

My lovely daughter is down from Queensland to visit for a long weekend and Sue's brother joined us for the BBQ. 20+ degrees. just perfect. It's good to be in Melbourne today.

The garden is starting to bloom, not to mention the weeds.

Limes are growing - a sure sign of spring.
Maybe the Jacaranda will start adding purple to the back yard soon.
Lavender and Wisteria are showing their colours in the front garden.

Just outside the bedroom window - red hits us in the face.

Just a quiet family BBQ with Sue, daughter Carly and the Bro-in law, John.

The possums came to join us for a spring evening BBQ.

Mum and baby possum. Taken by bro in-law John.

We did get a few hours in on both days to continue with the bedroom renovation.
This one is for a retired Blogger Craig who said he'd pop in from time to time.
Not as intensive as the bathroom saga but it does take up relaxation time on weekends.
Back to work tomorrow.

How was your weekend?