Front Porch & More!

This Friday's visit to the Hardwicke House was a first time visit for Bill & Nicholas & it was a WOW for them! And me too.
Our neighbours, Donny (not the eldest son)  & Jocelyne, from Eel River have been joining in on the Friday photo shoots. Donny is retired from working on construction & enjoys watching this unique project come to life.


First the garden beauty that is happening now...

 The Calla Lilies look beautiful! I just put the pots, that were stored in the basement from last fall, into the dug out ground. I then covered that pot with new organic soil, then some black mulch.
Mother Nature took over from there & the bulbs came back to life this spring & flowered into a full bloom this week!

 They look so surreal - just like faux rubber plants, they're just so perfect!

 And the colouring of them...

 I may just have to find a rug hooking pattern or design one to hook.

 Thank you Ross for introducing me to these beauties that you dropped off for me last year!

 The hen had chicks!!! This is from the top of the hen & chicks after it fell from the weight of its height.

The Phantom Hydrangea

The Annabelle Hydrangea

Some sewing was done this week too.

 About a decade ago, Paulette gave me 4" x 4" charm pack & after seeing the Susie's Scraps blog on pinwheels, I played with the technique. That technique was to put the same size square to the back of the pinwheel square & sew a 1/4" seam all around it. After that is done, you cut the square corner to corner - to form an X cut on the square & voila!! You now have four 1/2 square triangles for your pinwheel!   Sew Easy!!! And two of these blocks are not like the others...

There were two blocks that had cats in them & I couldn't cut them apart, so they're in the design,

Now this weeks progress~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was finished with my exercise class on Tuesday when Francis the contractor walked into the gymnasium...
Remember last week when the front of the house had to be rebuilt & I was in Rexton at Bonar Law?! Well, I was having a wee panic attack when I first saw him.
He must have seen the horror look on my face as he smiled & said 'It's OK, the plumber just has a few questions & is at the construction site waiting for you.'
Vanity & sink questions & those would arrive on Friday with Bill...no worries. :-)

I had not seen the Hardwicke House for the rest of the week.

Friday was a wonderful surprise!!

 The windows were reinstalled & the porch,  pantry window was put in too1! Bill & Nick are thrilled with the construction that has not been viewed for a month. First viewing for Nicholas!

 Bill admiring the roof line at the front.

 I laughed watching the two of them go into the garage, one in each door. lol

 

                                            My car patiently awaits it time to be in that garage!

 The front entry system has arrived. I changed out the design of the 3/4 glass door. I remembered trying to train Boris, the Boston Terrier, to get off the door when he heard someone driving up the lane. Hindsight for the next Boston Terrier, it will just stand & look out. lol

 Jocelyne & I checking out the inside of the house. We're at the end of the hall, behind us is the master bedroom door opening.

 The Hardwicke House is beginning to look like the Breaker Wall's drawing from 2015.

 The foyer with the sewing room door frame.

 Bill on the 2nd story that overlooks the front foyer. It's to be glass railing & polished pewter rails, to be installed, oh so bright & airy!

The kitchen/dining area, now the view is visible! 

The wall that use to be my sewing room is gone & just a memory. 

                                   Bill's office is going to be tranquil, over looking the Miramichi Bay.

                                    The screened in front porch is coming along too!

 Bill & I, in an embrace, as we talk about the future in our newly renovated home...in the making.

We stayed put in the garage,  till the thunderstorm passed. Nicholas was on the front porch, with my camera. Thanks for the photos you took, on our Friday trip to the Hardwicke House. XO

I was at Epcot in Disneyland in 1986 & the motto there was 'If you can dream it, you can do it!'
That saying has always stuck with me & I've quoted that Epcot saying to many people since. Or I ask, 'Have you been to Epcot?'

Back in 2000, I had gone to my 1st & only clairvoyant reading. As I listen later,  to the tape that was made years & years later,  how true his prediction to me. He asks, ' Does New Brunswick have a deep meaning to you?'  And not knowing one soul or relative here, it is here I've made our home to retire to & coming here because of the Miramichi Dragway!

Yes indeed, New Brunswick does have great meaning to me!
It's my home & the family & the friends, nearest to me, feel it too!

Living The Dream.

Thank you for your visit, see you next Friday!

Have a safe & happy Civic Holiday on August 1st!

Productive Week Construction & Fun With Finds & Bonar Law

This week at the Hardwicke House, it was productive & as more of the construction from the new windows & siding of a couple of years ago revealed...no headers in the door nor windows!!!
I feel like I'm on a Mike Holmes show of things that should never have happened!
The contractor stays focused & makes things right, documenting all the no-no's.

But first some fun pics of those Tuxedo Cats!

 On the staircase at Carroll Cottage, don't they look like the Mr & Mrs Tuxedo?! lol

                   They just love it when I bring in the flower box of lemon grass & cat mint.

The way those two mow down the greens,  I really think they were sheep in their first life! lol

Rexton is bored of the front door & gets down.

Notice how Mr. Boots holds his tail under the stool? 

For good reason too, Rexton thinks of it as a play toy.

                                      The side screen door is  Rexton's favourite lookout spot.

This pic reminds me of her bear pose.

Their favourite morning dish of pate...yuck I really don't like the smell of wet cat food.

Rexton will eat whatever is left in either dish!

 Thirft Store Finds

Heather & I were in one of our thrift stores & this is what I found at the Sally Ann.

                                                    A very sweet linen tea towel set for $2!

 And miniatures for my fairy garden, I think the shelf will go into the Ann of Green Gables dollhouse.

 Rug Hookers Meeting at Bonar Law Historical Site

Elizabeth, Marva, Shelia & I headed off to our annual hook-in with the Kent Hookers. First we met up with fellow rug hookers at a restaurant for lunch. The regular restaurant that we would go to burnt to the ground last winter, so this was a new experience for the dozen of us!

 Marg was delighted with her hamburger deluxe. I wanted to see how she was going to tackle it!

                  It was a two handed whopper for sure & she handled it beautifully! lol

                               We were spread around the room in different booths & seats.

                                                      Everyone came with smiles & appetites!

The restaurant filled with our chatter & laughter...until the food came. Mmmmmm

 Left-Right - Shelia, Marva, & Elizabeth. These three took me through the Bay Du Vin Road to the highway. Oh my... I know why the signage said 'Road Closed' this trio just said "No, that sign is just for the big trucks" ...Really?!!! Oh my goodness that short cut of a road was bumpy & very rusty. We were dirt road riding for sure! I love pavement, such a city girl, with those simple common roads. lol
We came back on the paved highway. ;-)

 After lunch, off to Bonar Law for some hooking & knitting in the kitchen.

And the some of chatter & laughter begins again. A wonderful way to spend a day.

I left for the barn to see the kittens but there was only one wee precious one.

                             It just wanted to be pet & loved. It purred & pawed at me.

                     Its wee paw would come out to encourage more affection from me.

                                          Oh kitty, I already have three grown kittens.

  

           Elizabeth is behind me saying 'It's the wrong colour, yours are black & white.'

                Oh... I am partial to gingers too...I hope it gets a loving, forever home.

                    The Miramichi Rug Hookers at The Bonar Law. It was such a fun day for all of us!

                                          Thank you Dawn for taking our group shots!

                                                Then it was time to leave & go back home.

Trip To Lucy's ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucy's is located in a old white church in Kouchibougac & it's one of those 'hit & miss' places.

                        She has quilts for sale, fabrics, notions, yarns, china & much more!

 

                                     It's just a fun visit, even if you leave empty handed.

 

                              Its outside just beckons you in for a more adventurous look!

 This vertical hanging is made of heavy plastic, painted to like like a hand quilted quilt!

 I did not leave empty handed though! I purchased these lovely china pieces. Hello Bill, I forgot to tell you of my finds & purchases that day! lol China is such an addiction for me.

                        It is fine porcelain & I've had several servings of tea with the tea pot.

The detailing & soft colour caught my eye. No one else saw these pieces & were surprised when I was packing all those pieces up for $25.00!! Oh the thrill of the find!

Construction On The Hardware House

 I was surprised to see the front of the house gone, do to the last contractor that put no headers above the three windows nor the door & side light. Some leaking was happening through the siding that was also installed by the same contractor & the wall had swollen & lost its integrity.
Oh my goodness, I really feel like I'm the victim in one of those Mike Holmes Shows, when nothing is done to a building code & short cuts are taken with time & materials.

 I'm terrified that that huge window has no header...in time it will bow if it has no header.

 

                                       The upstairs is starting to take a framing shape
.

 

                                                   This is the view from upstairs.

 The open window will be removed & installed over - the new attaches to the old here.

 On the left, you can see the wall that will separate the guest room from the studio room.

 Elizabeth talking to her husband Jay, telling him of the view. He knew as he was on site earlier.
My neighbours see more of the construction than I do, it is exciting to see it evolve! lol

                                             The upstairs 'Craft Room' as per the drawings.

 

         I know I'm going to like working here with such a beautiful tranquil view!

     

                                                Oh my it does look closed up~!

                                    These photos were the beginning of the week...

                                                 Another beginning of the week photo...

 This is the mezzanine view, the 2 x 4's will be glass & polished chrome, the opening is the window over the front foyer.

                                             The view through the upstairs window.

                                          Another angle of the upstairs mezzanine view.

                                The studio structure is getting ready to join the old house.

                                   The views from all those windows will be beautiful!

      

                                   The office at the front & the master bedroom behind it.

 It sure was a productive week for the construction workers at the Hardwicke House!

 Right now, with the hot humid days,  it's the construction site with the breezy view, on the second floor.

          And what a view it is,  I miss not seeing the sun set over the Miramichi Bay.

 What a beautiful, forever home to retire to. Thank you Bill for all your love & believing in me!

The best is yet to come!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit. One day there's going to be a gazebo out near the shore & I'll show you some of those lovely dishes & the story of each set.

Till then - Life is beautiful ~ Enjoy it while you can!