Decisions are being made and changed with our window/door situation. Because we have to have bronze flyscreens on all doors and windows (due to our fire danger level: moderate), we are reconsidering the amount of French doors in the home. This is because we couldn’t leave doors open anyway. Flies, wind, cold temperatures and fly screen just won’t enable us to. I am having to make decisions about what I want most: french doors or window seats. My dream home has always had big bay windows with big window seats; I love the idea of sitting on the north side of the house, with a knitting magazine, on a big window seat. But for the french doors – I am yet to decide on what I want most! We may opt for a normal door in the kitchen, going outside to the outdoor kitchen. What would you do?

We’ve had a good weekend with good weather. Our Australia Day was spent with a BBQ with friends. Monte and Ady milled some timber in the morning, and got all but one of the house posts finished! It is so exciting to have the posts for the house done and ready – with a saving of 90%! It was a great day. We even had a visit from the Brines and Craige and Kristina in the evening. We were just sitting down to BBQd salmon with silverbeet and salad from our own garden, and they all arrived. I felt bad not having more food to share around, but it was nice to see our friends. Despite how lonely I feel sometimes, we are all so busy it’s hard to find time to catch up with people!

We have just spoken to our concreter, who is coming to look at our site today. Monte has completed the preparations for the concrete, and we are so thankful to Jamahl, who came immediately when Monte called to ask for help moving the last of those sheets of reo mesh! We have such great friends! The concreter is coming today to check out the work; Bryce is hopefully coming to dig the holes for the pergolas, and we’ll call the council to do their inspection. If all goes according to plan, the concrete should be poured early next week. It won’t be done by the end of January, which we had hoped – but what’s a few days?

More business on the house-front (it seems like it’s all happening; perhaps I’ll get a house afterall!?) is that Wally will probably be coming in a few days to dig trenches for the septic system. We opted for a traditional septic system, rather than biolytics or other alternative measures because we wanted something that is easily approved and easily managed because it is traditional and well-known. We’ve also opted for flushing toilets in the house, which we did not decide until six months ago. We want to save water, but we are not keen on the composting method (the temperature here is too low for composting toilets, IMO*).

All exciting stuff!

On a personal level, a stuff-up with the local childcare service has Matty without care and I am now having to decide whether to do my Masters and work, or just work. I am really disappointed with the standard of childcare here, as well as how the system is run. Continuous admin and care problems actually has me irate, and very much missing the wonderful childcare we had back in Adelaide. Monte assures me that he can ‘mind’ Matty if I am called to work but Monte is not supportive of me studying because we have so much on (work, building, business and family!).

Lots is happening at Fangorn, but it’s my family and friends who make me happy. It has been very difficult for the past few weeks as I have re-adjusted to living here (the cabin, rural Tasmania). Slowly I am finding extreme happiness again, as I look to the forest over the fields. The grass is so long but we are getting cows in soon (apparently) and will not be cutting hay as we had thought. My children are giving me the biggest happiness of all and I love spending all my time with them (as long as I get a decent rest sometimes!). Georgia starts school in two weeks, and this brings, for me, a few different emotions.

It’s going to be hot today (30 – a heat wave).

ttfn **

*IMO – In my opinion
**ttfn – ta ta for now