Week 5 The 60th Birthday Edition
Idle thoughts...
“Nothing you love is lost. Not really. Things, people—they always go away, sooner or later. You can’t hold them, any more than you can hold moonlight. But if they’ve touched you, if they’re inside you, then they’re still yours. The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart.”
An eventful week...
I'm not sure why, but we had lots of geese? flying over...I'm always too fumbly to get a decent photo but it really is something to see. I remember reading somewhere that they are 70% more efficient by flying in formation.
On Monday, Tjeerd and I cleared away the dirt from the foundations...I had to put an extra bag of cement and a concrete block on the front of my "little" tractor!
Our first drawing was rejected by the Schoonheids Commissie (The Beauty Commission) of the Friesland regulators - apparently the Commissie is just 3 architects appointed for the task and are replaced by another 3 every 6 months. The next 3 may well have approved...but we'll never know.
So, we had to make another drawing - which was approved - the extension had to be black and made of brick - not the black timber cladding that we had proposed to be the same as Janny's Mum's place on the other side.
This meant that we had 2 drawings and one of the workmen had the old drawing - and put in the wrong colour bricks! It just looked "odd" - so we had to intervene as much for ourselves as to be in accordance with the Commissie.
The old roof line will be extended and will in fact be "fake", but it will look much better - like the old house but with an extension.
This meant that we had to go on another tile hunting expedition - no luck at our previous destination, so we went further to Grootegast - it really felt like going into the back blocks of Friesland - not very attractive in the middle of winter.
We needed left and right corners or edge tiles...and learned something in the process...the left tiles are more expensive than the right tiles - Janny thought the bloke was having a lend of us...but then he explained that the left tiles can blow off easier than the right tiles and so are more in demand. (The last tile on the left doesn't have another tile on top).
It was a very interesting business - sprawling acres of roof tiles and a couple of huge sheds being built... we asked what for? They also have a business of converting or fitting out shipping containers - to be used as student accommodation - we've seen them on our travels to Amsterdam - just like lego block buildings. They will now be able to do the work the year round - under cover.
Enlarging the office
We have our office upstairs - where Ankie, Janny and Bertha used to sleep 55-60 years ago!
It was 2 bedrooms - one used as our office, the other as a walk-in robe. So, after thinking about it for around 20 years, we finally decided to knock out the dividing wall - while the rest of the house is also in a mess!
About 25 years ago, Janny and I had put on glasvezel behang (fibreglass wallpaper) - it turned out to be stronger than the wall itself (almost).
New chimney for the log fire
Installed properly for our own peace of mind...and the insurance. I'm sure this is much better than the first one - which lasted 25 years.
Janny turned 60 on Thursday and - as luck would have it - it was a normal work day for us - the clients had prepared for it in advance...
So, whilst Janny was away to pick up another client...
19 for lunch - we were missing two - but had a couple of "ring-ins" - the builders and Janny's Mum - and Boeke!
...and all the way from Australia
Ben is now in Brazil (almost on his way home)
The Andes
His accommodation in Sao Paulo
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