Well no idea where all that time went. I reorganised the lounge, reorganised the rats nest of leads on the floor and lost the laptop in the process. Still, nothing is perfect.

Also took advantage of the fresh fish deliveries that have resumed in Oatlands and obtained some prawns, ling and trevalla - beautifully fresh. They now reside in the freezer in the form of fish pie and seafood chowder individual serves. And a cauliflower and cheese soup. This Friday I have to drive to Campbell Town to collect my grazing platter from Grazing Tasmania.

The kitchen remains a work in progress. I have the paint now, but the tiles are still missing in action. I begin to wonder if I would be saving that much since it remains unclear as to how many sheets are required for one square metre, so it's going to be tricky to work it all out. I might just go buy more of the glass mosaic tiles I already have. Though the prospect of installing proper tiles is a bit daunting.

I have had a couple of days of late returning driving trips which have worn me out as well as the clients. And the person filling in for me a the bank is stirring things up a bit. She worked out they were paying her the daytime rate not the night time rate and queried it. They have agreed to pay it for the first fortnight  but have indicated that I clean during day hours. I have now set them straight on that (ie I used to clean during sensible hours, but when they obtained the contract outright and it imposed the 6pm to 6am timetable I have been cleaning during those hours other than weekends when I do it in daylight). Maybe I too am owed money, who knows?

And I will be back on the job on 1 June, so they will no doubt be relieved, haha.

Hall wise, the President remains silent, so I have not mentioned that we are now permitted to have meetings. I am unable to resign quite yet though as we missed out on the Grant but have been invited to resubmit in July, which I guess I will have to stick around for. It seems it's a pretty sure thing if we address the points they have raised, and getting that damn kitchen done has been my goal for at least ten years, haha.

The Railway committee has also requested a letter (I am their Secretary but they rarely meet other than AGMs of which we have had none for the last five years).

So I guess I should get on with that one and print it out for them to submit to Council.

There's only two more kitchen cabinets left in the loungeroom (and some considerable impedimenta), but they are the biggest ones - the pantry cupboards. I removed the remaining upper cupboard which will go to the left of the range hood, and that cleared the way to the coffee table that supported various wifi stuff and was surrounded by a sea of tangled cables. The main reason for the tangle was the 15m cable that runs power to the television in lieu of a more moderate extension cord. I worked out that if I hooked together enough lengths of extension cord, and power boards (it's OK I have not loaded every plug on each of them), I could reach the television and get rid of that trip hazard.

That led to removing the coffee table, clearing the way to a set of drawers in the spare room and swapping those two out. So the wifi is now on top of the drawers, as is the Singer machine and that entire wall has been cleared of debris and swept and generally sorted out.

The drawers will be useful for sewing stuff as the treadle Singer will be placed under the window on that side also. But that's for another day as I am aching all over from the strenuous activites and have my feet up on the sofa (slightly angled to a more convenient position) and contemplating a bedtime panadol. I think I will apply the two missing architraves to the window while I have access to it, and possibly even paint it if I can find the colour in the collection of tins I have.

Last night was not quite as luxurious as the previous one as the local lads were out burning rubber until one in the morning, and him over the road seems to have been rowing with someone too. I gave up and stuck my head under the doona, but sadly did not get much sleep. Up at five thirty as I had had enough.

The cats are perfectly happy to sleep as long as I do, EMW - they have demand feeding and access to the loo etc, so if I am not restless, neither are they. Even Sebastian was quite happy to wait till I woke and never tried to urge me to get up.

Hey Deb, I noted that they were suggesting that those whose surgery was deferred start chasing their surgeon, so you might like to get onto that!

Bed time was so comfortable last night I didn't wake up until 11 am! I haven't done that since I was a teenager! Fortunately there was not much on the agenda so after restocking at Pancakes (which is only open for takeaway  on Friday and Saturday), I headed home, sorted out some more cupboards and generally reorganised stuff. The corner of the kitchen is coming together now and starting to look good. My next job will be the overhead cupboards which will the rearranged (ie the dishrack will be moved to sit between two upper cupboards instead of just being squeezed into the bit of wall that was available when I bought it, and those two cupboards reassigned (one will be glass wear, the other bowls and basins).

Once that meets requirements I will move in the two larger tall pantry cupboards to flank the fridge and provide accommodation for pantry goods and cleaning equipment (imagine not having the vacuum cleaner cluttering up the floor!). I will be modifying some of the shelving in these to make things more accessible (you know how the stuff on the top shelf it out of reach without a ladder - a narrower shelf should fix that). 

It was a true autumn day today with a foggy start (probably what made me sleep in) and glorious sunshine followed by a  nice crispy evening.

The Hall will be inheriting a collection of mugs which match but do not feel good to drink out of, and a few spare bowls. A tray of jam jars is being reassigned to a friend who does that sort of thing still, and the loungeroom is beginning to feel larger! It's quite remarkable! I will be able to regulate temperature by moving the sofa into the right position for the conditions!

Starting to feel like a home!

I agree EMW - the downturn will be with us a long time and it is great to have a bit of money available to allow me to replace missing items, and to build up some savings. I might have to keep them in the mattress because with CBA's 26% losses in the quarter I lack confidence in them to be here for the long haul either. Besides, spending it is going to support local businesses (OK, K Mart isn't a local business, but everything else I have spent lately has gone to one). I will however be setting aside a chunk every fortnight to pay for the fences, the installation of the awning and a few other matters like the countertops etc.

Today I got two loads of washing done so tomorrow it will be sheets and doona top and the brand new sheets going on the bed! I love the luxury of new good quality sheets. And since they last so long feel no compunction in buying them (on special). It does however remind me I should get a new doona cover too. I prefer to have three of each so I can have one on the bed, one in the cupboard and the other on the line.

Cooking was confined to two batches of pastici which is the Greek equivalent of lasagne. It involves layers of macaroni and meat sauce and the white sauce has an egg in it. The recipe I have did not mention any herbs but I added some origano as that is a familiar greek flavour (rigani equivalent).

And I applied the sample paint to two areas of wall to see what it looks like. I am liking it a lot actually, so will proceed with what remains of the pot tomorrow.

All this cooking has laid bare the deficiencies of the pantry which have accumulated over the years, so I am starting a list of herbs and spices, etc that require replacement which I can incrementally replace over the next few months. And with the new kitchen installed I will even have a place to put them, haha.

The vet gave me a sachet to be opened on arrival home, which was for worming Poppet. Opened it up today and it was a spot on treatment and the parcel referred me to instructions that were not there. So I googled for instructions and sure enough, spot on worm treatment! Who knew! Definitely saves stitches from trying to shove tablets down reluctant throats.

I had a bit of a cookathon today - basically using the new pressure cooker was a priority so I made hedgehogs. Amazing. All you do is push a button labelled meat, and twenty minutes later you have porcupines! I think I like this newfangled approach to pressure cooking. At present I am waiting for the alarm to go off to let me know to add cheese to the potatoes au gratin and return them to the oven. Not sure the potatoes I used are ideal for it as they are dutch creams, where sebagos would have been better, but I expect i will find out soon enough.

Much washing up and putting away ensued and the kitchen is once again tidy and clean (astonishing I know!).

It started raining this afternoon, after strong winds discouraged doing the laundry this morning, so I am still only part way part through that side of things. But as I am into week two from contact I am being conscientous about not going out, and will have to keep myself amused at home for another seven days. Sigh. I think I will resurrect the coffee maker tomorrow and see if it has stopped leaking when I turn it on.

Work is sorted out and apparently I will be getting the JobKeeper allowance from the next pay, so that will be exciting. I will have to get something on mail order so I can control the fire burning a hole in my pocket haha. I suspect that will be the tiles.

Long break - sorry. I have just got back after a big day out and eaten my dinner (a takeaway baked lamb dinner from one of the local eateries). Poppet is no longer entire (phew, perhaps the house can stop smelling like a litter tray every time she comes in season), has a microchip and is currently stalking around in the ceiling space (apparently introducing her to new people is not acceptable). She has bounced back from the operation so I am pretty sure she is safe up there unless she starts hurling herself after flying birds.

I have also sampled crepes from the Pancake and Crepe shop. It's a good idea, you get a pair of crepes which you zap for one minute before arranging to receiving the filling. The filling is cooked for 2 minutes and there is a generous side salad to arrange alongside. The sauce lets it down and I think he uses cornflour and it does not travel well. But a garlic prawn crepe and a chicken and mushroom one last night. Tonight's baked lamb was surprisingly succulent for all it was well done.

Filling in 8 hours while socially isolated can be tedious, so I just took extra care to remain a couple of aisles away from people when I went to Harris Scarfe and touched nothing till I found the cotton sateen sheets I wanted. I also wanted a cast iron casserole dish, but they had sold out. My kitchen knives spent that time with the nice Italian man, so they are now razor sharp once more. Then off to KMart to see if they had cast iron casseroles (no) but I found a pressure cooker/come slow cooker for sale which was only $59.00, so that came home with me. I accidently blew out the bottom of the last pressure cooker (not literally, but it developed an alarming dome on the base), so have been denied the joys of porcupines for some time. And with that in mind I had the butcher sell me a kilo of mince and a kilo of topside (all in one lump at present). So no prizes for guessing what I will be doing tomorrow.

Grabbed some lunch from a takeaway the parked down by the river at Bridgewater in an empty park. I did get a bit of a start when the police cruised past twice but I smiled nicely and they kept going.

Then off to collect the patient who was surprisingly perky for all that she had spent the day in the company of a room full of total strangers. She was pleased to get home, and has now polished off two dinners to compensate for the one she didn't get this morning. I have also been given a few devoted snuggles and now she has gone off to explore. Early night tonight as I was up late last night and early this morning.

You'll (hopefully) be pleased to know the results came back negative. I rang the local GP and pointed out that my potential contact had been only 2 days previously, and he agreed I should remain below the parapet for a fortnight monitoring symptoms. So I have two whole weeks off for uninterrupted fun!

I do have to drop the cat for her operation on Monday and then find ways to fill in my time, but I am used to spending endless time in Hobart not actually doing anything so that should be OK.

Having established I am certified covid-free I popped into the supermarket and replaced the empty weetbix box, bought some wine and a nice triple brie for when I get the munchies, and returned home to my cocoon and did nothing. The fire is nice at present and I am full of cassoulet and yoghurt so starting to feel a bit dozy.

Tomorrow I will be in for a meal from Pancakes (they are doing takeaway crepe kits which include a crepe, the fillings and a salad that you put together yourself when you are ready to eat) and Sunday will be a quick trip to pick up a roast dinner at another eatery. So not exactly in hibernation but close enough for the next few days. After that I will be rather more conscientious.

Hope you are all well and having fun

There's nothing like starting the day with a cotton bud on steroids shoved down your throat and up your nose, but it's done now, and I have to sit at home and wait for the results. I am not unduly concerned, just being overcautious due to the vulnerability of some of my patients (Friday's is recovering from a transplant so it now going with someone else).

It is many a long year since I had my nostrils cauterised to stop nosebleeds, but it feels just like I still have the cauterising agent up there - I expect it will be fine tomorrow.

The trip down and back was uneventful, quite a nice sunny day, then driving through the ghost-town that is Salamanca Place to a series of tents, barriers, guards, stop points, people in PPE like you see on telly and a line up of vehicles approaching each group of staff to be subjected to pain.

Then home. And frankly that was all I have done all day. Yesterday was not terribly much more productive but did at least involve getting a bit more progress in the kitchen.

EMW the fireplace in the front room will eventually be sorted out, probably best to do that before I invest in any heating options - no point having it disappear up the chimney. It's also not that noticeable as I had a heavy curtain over the doorway. The main problem is the spare room off the lounge as the cats can open the door to it, and that leaves drafts from an unsealed window and the other side of the same chimney - that can be a bit wearing. Being able to close the laundry door makes a huge difference, and having a heater also makes a difference I discovered last winter. Blinds over the kitchen windows would be helpful too along with some of those sealing strips you plan to use. It all takes time, and I am used to the peccadillos of the house and relieved to be making progress once more.

The whole question of heating supplements in mine are at issue too EMW. I have inadvertently created a spot where a wall heater can go in the kitchen and it backs onto a power point in the neighbouring room so that's OK. But the craft room is perpetually cold in winter (due to an open chimney) and the cast iron grate, even if installed, is unlikely to provide satisfactory warmth, so perhaps another panel heater? Hard to know. A new reverse cycle air conditioner would be nice, but that might have to wait a while.

It was a transportation day today which did not start till noon, so I did a bit of wall and window washing before heading into the fray. My passenger is a former councillor who stood down the election I ran for. She was definitely in the opposition camp at the time but we have become friends since then.

I asked her how she was getting on with isolation and she started the 'oh I wish it would end' but reduced me to tears of laughter when she continued. "It's been terrible, my huband has gone completely mad!" Me poised to offer the phone number for abused partners " He came in just yesterday and announced he's bought another farm!!!".

So that was all right then. Half way down she admitted to having seen the doctor the day before for a renewal of antibiotics. I expressed concern and she mentioned she had had a cold for some time. I was relatively unconcerned until she was refused treatment on arrival due to an elevated temperature. Sigh. So I will call the Public Health in the morning and see if I should be in serious isolation for a fortnight.

At least I have plenty to keep me busy.

And then the bank to clean tonight as they still don't seem to have made any progress regarding my replacement.

I will be quite pleased to get to bed tonight for all that it has not been a terribly arduous day.

It's hard to know. I know it doesn't live on one side of me, and it seems to run through the fence to the other side when frightened. So it could easily be living under one of the many outbuildings there, or being fed and called a 'pet' or just living wild. Only way to find out would be to trap it, keep it for a month in case someone came enquiring, or take it to the vet for a microchip check (not that any of the locals would bother with that anyway). On the plus side if it lived with me, its whereabouts would be unknown as it would be indoors at all times, haha. Fortunately the trap is at someone else's house at the moment so not much chance of trapping it. I will also have to wait till Poppet is fixed just in case it's a boy.

It's been raining most of today - breaks long enough to scuttle out and get firewood in, but otherwise quite damp. And cold. The fire is chugging away but seems to be less than enthusiastic about warming things up.

I hung the door to the laundry today and did a bit of wall washing, but have yet to break out the sugar soap which I will be needing as I get further up the wall. It's nice to be able to shut the door it, but it will have to come off it's hinges once more for a further trim on the bottom. I will leave it in place till it has a chance to get a little rub on the paint on the bottom to see what's happening. It will also need a cat flap installed so the door can be closed but they can reach their litter tray.

Then the sausages were turned into a made up cassoulet that involved beans, chicken and dried mushrooms as additions. I got a bit carried away with the stock so it is a bit soupy rather than gluggy, but still tasty. I will freeze the rest for 'ron.

I will try to wash some walls tomorrow. I really can't install the tall cupboards until that's done and I would really like to get them out of the loungeroom so I can start in here. Meanwhile I will just potter around I think.

Deep fog greeted the morning today - and lingered for some time. Fortunately it cleared by lunchtime so I got to the tip, got rid of more stuff, came home and played with the door. It is now trimmed (hopefully far enough to clear the floor) and primed and just needs to be hung. It would be nice to be able to paint it first, but since none of my paint seems to be where I thought I put it, that will not happen soon.

I also spotted the little cloudy tabby that I spot from time to time. I suspect it must be the same litter as Poppet as it is petite like here, has her eyes, body form and even hair distribution (she has little tuffets of hair in unexpected places like this one). It is very cautious so I have not ever been able to get outdoors to say hello. I did at least get a photo of her this time (I assume it's she - it could of course be he).

The door is occupying rather more of the floor space in the kitchen, but provided a useful table surface for me to sort through more of the impedimenta that seems to accumulate whenever I turn my back. And tonight it will be tortellini due to lack of culinary adventures on my part.