Forever House #50

Wednesday 14th June 2017
Queens birthday weekend and a week away from the Forever House.
I headed off to Melbourne to see my two - and Ronnie had the week off at home to spend with his family.

The weather in Melbourne was gorgeous (which is more than I can say for the Far North Coast of NSW which was threatened with flood again so soon after the devastating flood at the end of March).



I was very comfy in my little Airbnb cabin and small rental car. Neither of my two have cars at the mo and I have done the Melbourne thing enough times now (this is her 5th year and his 3rd) to allow myself and them our own spaces rather than move in to their share houses and be in their faces.

We caught up for dinners and swims, movies and breakfasts, dog walks and glass classes, op shops and gigs. Hung out with some of their friends and all up had a lovely time.

Sitting in on Dan's glass class -
she is making fused glass earrings

Danika is making
a glass lamp shade

I fiddled with some off cuts and hope to see this piece fused
some time in the future

I had my heart set on gathering some old hearth tiles while in Melbourne. I had bought a set of ten back in 2013; but they like so many items intended for the Forever Hous, found their way into the renovation at home. They are in the splash back in the kitchen there.

Danika and I, on an op shopping and soldering iron buying trip to South Melbourne, Googled our way to the same tile shop from 2013 - Steptoe's Renovation Supplies in Collingwood. It turns out they no longer sell the sets of tiles unless they are going with a fire surround also bought there.

So the owner directed me to the odd hearth tiles which was a recipe for financial disaster for this Libran woman who can't be given too many choices. The set of ten, last time, cost $200. This time I bought 30 tiles @ $15 each (they sell between $15-$30 so technically I was saving money at $15 flat rate).

Somehow I made room for the tiles in my suitcase and managed to keep the case within the 32kg excess baggage which cost another $70. I had to wear a lot of jackets home.


I have some ideas how they will be used but as with everything else at the Forever House it will be an organic process and it will be what it will be. Excited am I.

There's a mantel piece I got from somewhere years ago; a brass surround for the front edge; a stash of slate in the shed; and there are river rocks. My friend Suzy gave me a redundant largish firebox that needs blackening. When Ronnie has gone, I will play with the space and the materials.