Fingers Crossed…
So, I am typing away in the dusty, and as yet untouched, sitting room of our Victorian House in Bexhill. I´ve missed you all and I´m sorry I can´t comment on your blogs. Internet access here is via a dongle and after about 5 days I was told that I had “exceeded my data allowance”. Oh dear, naughty Chica. This may mean that I won´t be able to download some photos I want to show you of what we have been doing.
The kitchen was ripped out.
A damp proof course was put in, the floor was leveled and a quick coat of paint followed, although it will eventually be tiled.
Then Big Man put down some oak flooring. It was meant to be a cheaper floor, but it was a bargain and we couldn´t resist.
Next up is fitting the kitchen, the appliances and tiling. But hopefully more of that next week.
And the dogs? Of course, they still manage to find a quiet spot amid the chaos and are enjoying long walks on the beach when the working day is over.
I´ll stop now as I don´t want the internet police hauling me in for further “excesses”, but I do send you all the best from a wet, grey and rainy Bexhill on Sea (well, it is a Bank Holiday Weekend here in the UK, so it´s to be expected!) and cross your fingers that this works!
Chica Andaluza 
Welcome back – you’ve both been working very hard. Shame about the internet police 😦
Hi Mad Dog, good to “see” you – damn the internet police though 😦
Good to hear that it’s all going well – apart from the internet connection! And I’m glad to see you have your Italian espresso maker on the stove – I never travel far without one of those either! All the best with the next stage. Maybe a rainy weekend is best so that you’re not tempted to spend too much time on the beach!
That coffee maker saves our mornings – we quickly adapt to new routines and the pot of coffee gets us going!
I won’t say that I envy you, but it looks like you’re doing a great job.
It´s hard work Roger, but I have to say we´re actually really enjoying it. Am missing summer and my veggies and chickens though!
Looking good so far (love the flooring!) Sorry to hear the internet police have been active. I noticed the coffee pot too – if I was closer I would invade bringing a cake.
I am very glad that you still have time to exhaust the dogs after work!
Cake invasions would be very welcome…I´d make the coffee!
I think things are looking much better already and I love the fact the the dogs still find a place to just set back and relax!
It´s incredible when I look back at the early photos and see just how much progress has been made!
Looks like you are doing a good job on the house. Typical weather for a Bank Holiday in England. It´s been sweltering here 😉
Yes, it rained most of yesterday but hopefully the sun will show its face today! Am missing summer in Andalucía 😦
You are making great progress…love the nice floor. Your photo of the white cliffs looks great on your header by the way.
Thanks so much Karen, we had such great weather when we crossed over from France, the cliffs looked beautiful!
I love the oak floor! Wonderful progress!!!! Best wishes…
Thank you Natalia, I´m loving the floor too – much nicer than cold, dusty cement!
Cute doggies! Good luck on the continued progress!
Thanks Yummy Chunklet!
Wow, things are coming along so quickly Tanya – I am insanely jealous about those oak floors! Your pups have got napping down to a fine art – precious little fur babies.
🙂 Mandy xo
Those fur babies can nap anywhere…lucky things!
You two have put in an awful lot of work and it shows! Don’t you dare worry about commenting on my blog, Tanya. You’ve got your hands full. If you’ve got some spare time, use it to relax and enjoy Summer. It will be gone before you know it. Glad to hear from you and continued good luck!
Thanks John for being so understanding – at least when the time comes and I can catch up, it will be like sitting down and reading all my favourite books at once!
Wet, cold, grey weekend here too. Wow, what great progress you’re making. You must be getting a lot of muscles into trim.
Re: internet access – is there a local library near you where you can get on free?
Hi Diane, we are both losing weight which is good (and much needed!) And yes, there is a library, not at all far but I only ever seem to find time to go there at about 10pm when it´s definitely not open 😦 Will have to set aside some time!
Love the white cliffs header, Chica. Almost done and you’ll be putting your feet up soon, huh? What else would you want to do on a Bank Hol?
Well, we´re putting our feet up for a day or two, but then it´s back to work!
Oooh Chica! It’s great to see some progress, can’t wait for the updates… Internet excess… eh, happens every time I travel! 🙂
Hi Fati, hopefully more progress reports on the way but it´s frustrating that I can now seem to post but not read 😦
Deep down all’s well with your world, methinks: those pups are mighty relaxed and surely they are the barometers of what is happening 🙂 ! And I have had three ‘frantic’ emails this am saying ‘Eha, please resend, my box was full’! [Thank God for the ‘bottomless’ Oz Telstra!!]
All is indeed well in our world Eha! Glad I am not the only one with technical problems 😉
Fingers, toes AND eyes all crossed for you! We all forgive you for not posting. We are just glad to be watching someone else renovating other than us and are taking the journey with you without the dust, the sore backs, the twitching and the bad tempers that are part and parcel of refits. Looks like its all going great guns. Keep up the good work Spanish maiden and remember full steam ahead with those dogs, they are looking a little “padded” in the middle! 😉
Thanks for all your good wishes! The camera adds pounds you know (at least, the dogs are telling me this) as we have had to tighten their harnesses where they have lost weight. Mind you, they probably could do with a bit more Doggy Boot Camp 😉
I wondered why our labby Amstaff cross hates to get his picture taken! (the vain old sod! 😉 ). Hope that the work is going well and that you are all standing up to the new regime. Give the big man a cuddle from “the world” and tell him that he is doing a stellar job and give yourself a hug as well, great job guys! 🙂
The oak flooring looks fine! I like it a lot! I am glad you are making excellent progress. Keep on the good work! Great job!
Thank you – it´s hard work but we´re enjoying it!
Nice floors! It is great to have a peek at how things are going. It must be very satisfying to see the change in the house already. And I love those white cliffs
It´s great to look back and see how the house was when we started and how it´s looking now!
Looking good so far!
Thanks Jed!
Consider me impressed!
Aw, shucks…thanks!
I got so excited to see your post pop up in my email! It’s coming along!! Lots of hard work for you both…and those sweet pups, all tired and relaxing 🙂 I found it interesting how quickly my dogs settled in to new places, they helped me feel that anywhere family is together it’s home!
Hi Linda and thanks for your kind words! Yes, having the pups here does make it feel like home…the family is together!
Oh dear Chica, your dogs seem so lovely, Blessing them. I know, I can guess how is your day, in these days… But at the end will be so nice, think of this! Good Luck, have a nice and enjoyable days, love, nia
Thank you Nia…our days are good. Happy but tired!
Looks like an exciting project, and I love that picture of the dogs, how ridiculously cute them spooning eachother like that 🙂 I got the same thing about data allowance on my phone the other day after switching tariffs, it was most alarming indeed meaning that I could no longer endlessly check emails, watch youtube tutorials on how to crochet and use my map to work out where I was! 🙂
Hope you got your data allowance thing sorted! And yes, ridiculously cute dogs 😉
I love your new floor, looks great. Those two little dogs looks so cute and pretend to be tiered as if they did all the work! 🙂
Well, the dogs run around a lot and watch what we are doing…so they are showing plenty of interest in the work!
Bank holiday weekends are always rainy! I think its a law. 😉 This is coming together at a great pace. I’m planning to replace my tiled floors with wood as I think they are warmer and won’t crack. Great minds…..looking good.
I thought a law had been passed to ensure rain on Bank Holidays, glad you´ve confirmed it! I had a wood floor in my last UK home and it was wonderful – easy to clean and things tend to bounce rather than break if you are as clumsy as me 😉
I’m probably more clumsy…and I have small children. Another tile was cracked today. Wood it’s going to be!
Well here in Spain we miss rain! But we do NOT, definitely do not miss the cold! Enjoy your time in England…….. and come back to the heat, soon!
I hear you are having very hot weather – it´s definitely chilly here which I am not enjoying 😦 Thanks for all your lovely comments. Will visit you as soon as my internet access allows me to!
It works! So are you two by the looks of things. Well done. We are hoping to be in our new house by end of Oct. Good thing is its relatively new..minus is no workable garden just a large courtyard. It might be nice to have a break! New blog on the way! Keep up the good work. It’s looking great;-)
Fantastic to hear from you Trevor! So glad things are working out for you on the home front. Currently I can post and reply to comments but can´t access other blogs, so can´t check out your new blog yet 😦 Keep me posted though on progress!
It feels strange you being over there in the rain! It’s still blistering over here, the green figs are cheap and rotting on the trees and the tomatoes are red, warm and eaten with a drizzle of olive oil & a sprinkling of salt so as not to turn on the oven. The pomegranates are nearly ripe, the birds have pecked most of them open already though and the moscatel grapes are turning into raisins on the vine. The first pumpkins are starting to grow out of the tendrils shooting through the fences at the side the road and the quince are getting their furry coats ready for Autumn. Postcard from Andalucia over and out, besitos!
Hi Natalie – loved your postcard, it conjured up so many beautiful images for us (I translated it for Big Man). Feeling a bit homesick right now 😦 Do hope you´re safe where you are and away from the fires. Un abrazo!
Our favourite hill where we walk with the dog had been affected on one side and the valley all the way down to the coast is blackened, it’ so sad! Still can’t believe that someone would do this on purpose but that’ s the rumour because of it being the first windy night for months…Send some of that rain our way please x
Oh how sad, and it´s so awful that someone would deliberately do this and cause so much damage and risk lives. Glad you are safe. Packaging up the rain and cool weather for you!
Hola Tanya!
La casa parece estar cogiendo forma. Me recuerdas un programa al que me he enganchado en este verano, bueno, son dos: Los asalta casas y la casa de mis sueños. Me encantan y ves cómo hacen estas reformas increíbles, dentro de un presupuesto y en un tiempo límite, es genial!
Buena suerte con la obra y no te preocupes por no poder comentar, por lo menos tu tienes la excusa de Internet, la mía es simplemente falta de ánimos para remover a mis hijas de mi ordenador (prefiero evitar el conflicto y así por lo menos están en silencio…) 😉
Gracias Giovanna – las cosas van bien y estamos aprendiendo mucho. Jajá, tus hijas y el ordenador – creo que para esto hay poca solución aparte de orto ordenador 😉
You are all having such an adventure….I’m a bit jealous to be honest. Give a hug to the little ones for me. They are working hard as well I see.
Hi Denise – it certainly is an adventure, and it does have it´s scary moments too (fitting a kitchen ranking high in that category)!
Wow, you’re rattling through the work! I hope you and yours are safe in Spain, I’m not sure where the fires are, the news is being vague and saying between Marbella and Málaga. 🙂
We´re working hard! The fires are nearer Marbella – horrible, and so sad for all those affected, but all our loved ones are safe, thank you for thinking of us!
WE miss you!! When are you coming home, darlink.. c
Ah, thank you. It´s going to be a while yet but in about 10 days (fingers crossed) I should have a decent internet connection!
I’m so glad you enough internet to share your adventures!! I’m really fascinated with the improvements your renovations have made so far! Please keep posting.. you can catch up on reading later:D xx Smidge
Hopefully I´ll be able to post more regularly soon as I am trying to get a decent connection. I miss you all and I miss your blogs!