Forever House #53

Monday 10th July 2023

Well hello. It's been a good long while... July 2017 in fact since my last post here. Sounds like confession. I apologise for not explaining my absence sooner when so many of you were committed and supportive of my Forever House project... It was largely the interest and encouragement from people reading my blog that motivated me a lot of the time.

Hence my reason for starting it up again - I am about to move into the house and complete the final touches. I believe writing this blog will again motivate me to keep at the work - I do believe this is the final final push.

Following on from the last blog July 2017, I had Ronnie lined up to come back in Nov 2017 to continue the last push of the Forever House. He was attached to the project and willing to come back and help me to fruition.

Me at the time of my diagnosis
Aug 2017 - looking pretty healthy

And then...in the August 2017 I learned that I had Oropharyngeal (throat) cancer. The only symptom, a lump in my left neck. And that put paid to Ronnie and me doing the next stage. I was thinking, after what Jeffie had been through with his brain cancer, that I would just exit gracefully and not go through all the things. But I was told by my tissue pathologist friend that if I had to have cancer then this was the one to have. It was 85-90% curable. He said if I just did what the doctors said then I would be okay. And six years later, I'm testament to him being right. I'm very conscious of how short life can be and am living to the full.

There was another push at the end of 2021 that got the house to lock up. In January 2022 a huge removalist truck took all the furniture I had been storing out to the Forever House and placed it inside. All cleaned up, and with floor rugs and furniture in place - it was amazing to behold. I stayed there on weekends getting it ever more sorted until mid 2022 when I arranged for a couple to caretaker/move in and keep the rats, catsclaw and lantana out while I set off travelling around Australia... 

The final push - thanks to Pete,
and also Hannah, Shayne and Danika xx

Furniture arrives - January 2022

Until now. 

I'm excited that I am about to move out to the locked up and largely livable Forever House in the next week. I get to make the final touches while actually living in the house - which so far is twenty years in the making. I'm looking forward to a balance between work, sitting around fires or tables with folks, walking, swimming, painting, writing and reading.

Of recent times I read my way though this Forever House Blog - #1 through #52. I have to say that, without meaning to blow my own trumpet, I am a little in awe of myself - the drive and energy that I kept up and the amount of physical and creative work I got done is almost manic! I do feel proud to have kept on keeping on and to be at this junction currently. And again so much kudos for those who have helped me along the way - I definitely would not be here if it was up to me alone.

I'm reasonably fit still but will definitely have to work up to being able to work like I was doing then. The nice thing is, the hardest work is well and truly done - now is time for mosaicing the hearth, cleaning and sealing the remaining mud walls that I haven't yet got to, sealing the remaining floors, painting the ceiling. Stuff like that. I think I will follow through on my vision for the bathroom /laundry too. No more digging dirt, or carting large amounts of water by bucket, or laying mud row upon row upon row, up and down Jerri built scaffolding. Thank God. I think that may be a step too far for this 64yo bod. So grateful to my body for keeping up with my busy head all these years. I have certainly expected a lot from it. I will look after it during the next push so as not to do anything to muck up the twilight zone of my life...if I am lucky enough to have one. I have learned that if you get to be an old person and have had a wonderful life - you are a lucky person. Not everybody gets that - we can't take it for granted. We can't put off till tomorrow what we could do today.

So much has happened in the intervening years... Suffice to say there have been moments in between then and now when I may have sold the Forever House if there'd been someone around offering to buy it. I believed I had bitten off more than I could chew; and the dream of the Forever House was dragging on my energy and resources. But I'm happy to say I did not sell; and I get to complete - which means a lot to me. I feel like this house has unwittingly become my life's work. Completion is in my grasp.

windows in the main bedroom

A few dates of note:
23 Aug 2017. The last time I was out at the house before I got sick. I installed most of the panes of glass in the bedroom windows. These windows were originally from an old homestead just down from my house - a bit of Currawinya history.

20 Sept 2017 - Peg inserted in my stomach ready for treatment to start the following week. 

24 Jan 2018 - I completed this mosaic in the cottage where I lived at Tucki Tucki. Lots of friends and family came and did a patch - I love it. Looking forward to doing more mosaic in the Forever House around the new fireplace being installed, and in the bathroom.

8th Mar 2018 - A visit to Currawinya with my son and his friend for the day. I'd got pretty skinny but was doing okay by then.

15 Mar 2018 - (my late husband J's bday) I got my first all clear from the North Coast Cancer Institute 6 months after treatment started. 

Feb 2019 - Following my cancer, 2019 became a year of celebrating life - I went on four trips. Firstly, my Bollywood teacher, some class mates and I went to India on a Bollywood Dancing excursion

 

 

 

 

 

Mar 2019 - I moved in to my recently purchased house at Patchs Beach. Some of the items I had bought for the Forever House found their way into this renovation - the tiles under the firebox, which had been made for the shower floor at the mud house. And beautiful vintage tiles I bought in Melbourne for the mud house hearth ended up behind the stove in Patchs Beach kitchen.

Patchs Beach kitchen using vintage hearth tiles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 Aug 2019 - the second trip was a fund raising walk for Shelterbox to Larapinta in the centre of Australia. We walked 100kms in the most amazing ancient country and raised almost $70k for this great cause. 

Painting workshop in Cornwall

In Sept 2019 - The third trip - I flew to Cornwall in England to do a painting workshop facilitated by an expressionist artist, Paul Wadsworth, who I had met in India. This painting workshop inspired me to continue to paint ever since. I am working on turning my art into an income stream going forward. I believe the expressionist genre was a great way to start loose and the learning has helped me to paint freely and quickly en plein air with oils for the most part. I had an exhibition when I returned from that trip - to help me put together the funds for the fourth trip early the following year. I was scratching for bucks by this time understandably with such a big year of travel. I also rented out my house at Patchs to help me financially.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 Dec 2019 - there was a fire through Currawinya, which was devastating for all concerned. Many of the shareholders lost their homes, and those who didn't had to fight hard to save theirs. I was one of those blessed to find my Forever House still standing - with the evidence the fire had burned right up to the edges of it. I do know that there were people at my share clearing low bush away as a preventative measure - thank you to those who did that for me in my absence. I lost my shed, and in it all the mosaics made by family friends and myself, including my since departed Mum and Dad. Also lost a chunk of the solar system - the panels were safe and the 4 x 6v batteries (which died anyway due to being left unused for too many years); but the board with the inverter and other solar connection bits and pieces were in that shed that burned. 

Barque Europa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17 Feb - 22 Mar 2020 - The fourth trip - I sailed on a tall ship to Antarctica as a life affirming belated 60th birthday gift to myself. I wrote three blogs speaking to the lead up to this trip but as yet have not written the blogs that speak of the trip itself. Suffice to say it was the most amazing trip and I am so glad I bit that bullet. Having sailed in my past and had a sailing dream since that time - this trip definitely inspired me further to do more sailing before my body and desire cannot. You'll hear more about this in time as I am following that dream very soon.

Home safe after Covid hit

 

 

Mar 2020 - Covid hit. I was so lucky to make it home from sailing to Antarctica - straight into isolation and as we all know, life was severely impacted from then on for a good couple of years or more. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Main bedroom

Later that year I reconnected with a fellow I'd known as a 20year old and we became an item. Pete, a retired builder, kindly helped me get the Mud House to lock up over summer of 2021. He also encouraged me to get some earthworks and clearing done which provided a grassy front lawn and a view down to the Cataract River at the foot of the block.

Living/dining/kitchen

Mid Sept 2022 - I left work (retired early), and put caretakers into the Mud House as it was no longer a worksite and needed someone to look after it, preventing rats and bush from taking it over. Pete and I headed off around Australia for an unspecified amount of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 Jan 2023 - My family lost our lovely Jude - Mum/Grandma/Aunty/friend at 89yo - she lived a long happy life. 

26 Apr 2023 - I returned from our travel after having a wonderful trip, mainly in Tasmania, but drawn to return to the Far North Coast of NSW to spend my energy on my own dreams, my children and family - time, it seems, to just do me. 

And so, I find myself moving out to the mud house for the next, say, six months, to enjoy the house after twenty years of building it. And, to do the enjoyable finishing touches. And then, to sell it to some lucky people while I go sailing for a fistful of years! Thanks for following along with the next chapter. x

Forever House #52

Hahaha this is pretty funny I reckon - reduced version of the drone footage created by my friend Pete out at Currawinya. He forgot the Forever House name and called it Long Time House which is almost a better name... and his production makes me laugh each time I watch it - hope you enjoy. There's a lot of the roof and surrounds - I can't wait till he is good enough to fly his drone through the house! Thanks heaps Pete. x

Mum opening the gate - dear love

Wednesday 5th July, 2017
Today was earmarked to go back out to the Forever House and collect the camper trailer now that Ronnie has finished with it for the time being. He is actually taking the camper trailer.

Mum came with me for the drive, and we met Ronnie and mate out there. Ronnie had to collect all his left behind tools, scaffolding and planks and his trusty camp chair. I towed the trailer back to his place

Metal finished apart from cnrs which will happen next time

As you can see from the pics, the last of the metal has been put up and most of the doors and windows have been hung and had lockable handles put on them (although I had to climb through a window to get in cause the keys were inside haha.)

Sliding doors washed and in although
weirdly one of them was 100ml narrower than the others.
I worked out - when Peter Mac took the excess over
to his and Quan's share many moons ago
he must have taken one of these by accident.
Ronnie has filled the gap with timber for now and
I will have to have a cover made later to fix permanently.

It is fab having the sliding doors on the big opening at the front - I bought those windows in 2004 and they have been laying in waiting all this time. One of them is not quite wide enough which was a bit confusing at first until I remembered I had given some windows, excess to my needs, to another Currawinyan way back in the day. He must have taken one of this set by accident as he picked through the pile. Nevermind - we will fill the gap with same coloured aluminium cover when Ronnie returns in November - for now it has timber filling it.

Sliding doors at long last - so good

Front door has a lockable handle on it now.
For completion it needs timber added to to the bottom
and stained glass panels installed

A number of things will wait for next time Ronnie is here - like the frame for the glass walls above the mud walls, and some of the doors and windows are fixed in place still to be hung and given handles. As I have said many times, I have so much to get on with, this is not an issue. I am very happy with the job Ronnie has done and where the house is up to.

panes of glass and coats of paint still needed but largely done

I will be getting on with stained glass while at home and cutting panels for the remaining glassless windows out at the farm. When we were there the other day it was apparent how confused the swallows have become with so many of their entry points closed off. I hope they work it out sooner than later because they will be damaging themselves on those large glass doors.

inside view

compare this view with the timeline pic at the top of this blog
to see the difference this push has made

view from mud room thru
kitchen
into dining and lounge

lockable mud room door

I have given myself July to catch up with myself at home after going out to the farm consistently for nine weeks. Managed to get a fireplace installed at home to see me through these cool evenings. It sits where my Jeff's desk and chair were in what was his workshop - where he spent all day most days - a fitting place from where to draw my warmth now. Got back into the surf and it was a relief to know I can still do it and love it as much as ever. Definitely wet suit weather. Catching up with a few more family and friends. And hopefully getting on top of some admin. Got to spray for bindies before it gets too late and my whole lawn becomes a pain in the feet.



I also hope to complete the mosaic floor I started in the bathroom late last year but which has been on the back burner for a while.

Forever House #51

Monday 19th June 2017
Ahh ... finally in my caravan bed, candles alight and head torch on, ready for sleep after this update. I'm only here for less than 24hrs this week but better than nothing. My goal by the end of next week is to have all six of the bedroom windows sanded and painted and ready for installation. I've come out with all the replacement glass cut, ready to add to the many re-usable panes to re-glaze the windows - but sanding and painting is the most important at this stage - glazing can follow, post Ronnie.

It was pretty exciting arriving this eve about 5.45pm to find the villaboard walls installed inside the house above the block walls. Ronnie decided he needed to do that first, and there's a timber picture rail to sit above the blocks to tie it all together. Then by the end of the week all the insulation will be pushed into the cavities from the outside and the corrugated iron up around the outside. Next week the windows and doors and voila - luck up!

I met Ronnie at 10.30am at Bunnings car park today to collect a few bits. He then went to collect additional mouldings from Metroll and angle from GJames. I went to the servo with a couple of gerry cans to fill up - he headed west and I went to work.

He's using up heaps of the timber that has been laying around for window surrounds etc. During the ten days he's been away the weather has been foul and the camper trailer needed some attention first up for him today. All I did on arrival was clean up the swallow shit on the kitchen bench, heat up frozen curry and naan bread, and sit by the fire with a wine.

Tomorrow up at 6.30am and on with the day - Night for now...







Tuesday 20th June 2017
Rose to a relatively mild morning; porridge and coffee; and daylight view of the progress Ronnie made last time he was here.



It's always exciting to see the changes - but this time in particular because he's closed up the gaps above the block walls and all of a sudden the true dimensions and look of the room are known. No longer imagined.


The light, the framed views through windows are there. Of course I gush and carry on a bit excited - it's remarkable. The photos tell the tale.

Ronnie continued to work on the picture rail and window surrounds. I worked on the 2nd and 3rd sets of windows for the main bedroom. Sanding, scraping and undercoating.
I had to scarper and leave Ronnie working alone for the remainder of the week. He hoped to have the iron up by the end of the week.

Tuesday 27th June 2017Instead of doing iron over the remainder of last week, Ronnie decided his priority was to get the timber trim on above the rock wall and around the windows inside. It took time getting it perfect, and as usual he has done a beautiful job. He used up lots of the old hardwood lying around - bringing it back to look fresh and new. The villaboard that will eventually cover the internal block work, when next Ronnie comes back to the Forever House to help finish the interal fit out, will slot into grooves he has routed in undersides of that timber trim. The finish will be awesome.

When we were at Richmond Sand and Gravel getting the sand and gravel for the cement a couple of weeks back we saw some samples of stone panelling that we thought might be a nice alternative to the render I had thought would be the finish on the outside of the block walls. They let me take a sample out to the Forever House this week to see what it looked like and to see what needed to be done to allow for it to be attached under the metal flashings.

This is the latest painting I have done - Currawinya Sunrise looking east in the early morning from the front of the Forever House towards Gab and Dave's House. 

Tuesday and Wednesday this week Ronnie did the trim work for the external corrugated iron, and then inserted the iron. Fiddly around the bird windows and getting easier along the western wall.

He had done all but the wall above the front door when I left on Wednesday afternoon.

I put up the insulation in between working on the windows.

Ronnie was using turps to wipe down the corrugated iron walls and the smell took me back to so many memories - mainly of my \Dad who used to tinker around building boats and painting oil paintings. A very nostalgic smell is turps. I think I have said that I was Dad's helper when I was young and I'm sure my building streak is an ode to him as much as anything else.

We had lots of visits from interested shareholders. Dave, who had done so much work on the Forever House previously, arrived back on the property and was pretty excited to see the work being done. Everybody comments on the quality of the work Ronnie is doing.

We were invited to dinner at Gab and Dave's house with Pete and some new shareholders Pam and John. They too are interested in building in cob and came to check my place out on Wednesday.

Dave, Gab, Pete and they were off on an adventure looking at possible sites for their share - Ronnie and I had to stay and keep our heads down and bums up. It seems I have been doing that for many years - working on the house every time I am out there and not adventuring around the countryside like I will when I can. My time is coming. I am excited for when the house is done and I can immerse myself in that magnificent landscape with no more work to do!!

Yay the windows are largely ready to install

The final push to lock up was on this week and Ronnie was trying to get it all done by Friday. Windows hung and door handles on and maybe even one of the frames above the mud walls for the glass to sit in...









I have yet to go out and see how far he got - that will happen on Wednesday (not tomorrow but the next day) when we go out to collect the Camper trailer which has been up for almost ten weeks now, and anything Ronnie couldn't fit on his ute when he left.  Will post the final lock up pics soon.  

Au revoir Ronnie after 8 weeks of amazing work
and easy company. Thank you so much.
I will miss having company as I continue to
progress the Forever House in the next months.