In exciting news, we’re making some updates to ThePalace(OfLove)!

+ solar! Our roof is not huge, so we can only have a few panels, but excited to cut the bill by even a little. We should break even in 5-6 years. We also get a smart meter which means we can track our usage at a quite granular level and Don can realise his dream of becoming an electricity monitoring tyrant.

+ new air conditioning units (to replace the remaining two very old original ones) – these will be much more efficient and hopefully will replace the need to use heaters entirely in winter.

+ random plumbing bits – repairing a leaking downpipe (mammoth effort as we are over 4 storeys and the leaks are more akin to waterfalls), roof maintenance, upgrading most taps to ceramic washers.

All this in March.

Then we schedule the next tranche of things!

We’ve decided that this is the year we tackle the those maintenance projects we’ve been thinking on. There aren’t any major renovations, just small-medium items that will improve Palace Lyf. Most likely some of the work will carry over to 2024 because there are quite a few tasks.

We’re planning a week of walking** in the Swiss mountains in June (!) and while it is still three months away, it will undoubtedly be upon us in an instant.

So tomorrow I’m going to embark on a lunch time quest to find a couple of shirts for hiking. I suspect this will be no easy mission. I’m picky and bristle a bit at the exorbitant cost of hiking gear.

I also probably need one or two pairs of decent merino socks. I have only one pair, which is a completely amazing pair, but probably insufficient to get me through a week.

excellent socks bought in Munich

And maybe one of those puffy jackets that roll up to essentially nothing. And some binoculars, and maybe a head lamp.

It’s an expensive slippery slope!

♥

** Daily walks from a town, rather than a multi-day hike.

Hello handsome fellow!

He’d come to steal tiny figs from the goblin tree which is in its first real fruiting season.

I love that the once completely arid, desert-like balcony is now feeding the neighbourhood.

♥

In very exciting news, my blood test results are back and my thyroid levels are very good (thanks drugs!).

After 90 days, I feel much more lively and energetic, which is brilliant – and astonishing – I hadn’t quite appreciated just how sluggish and listless I had become.

Nothing doing with the cholesterol levels though – still slightly too high. It doesn’t need medication, but it does probably need exercise. Something I have been avoiding for way too long.

Deep down I’m hoping it is possible to get back into running without breaking myself entirely. This will likely require very, very tiny baby steps and a lot of thought and extreme preparation.

&hearts:

^ The meds require a minimum 30 minute gap after taking before food and/or drink. I have learned considerable patience in this time.

♥

I spontaneously grabbed Don’s (very unloved) point and shoot out of a drawer today to take a photo of NewKitty recharging herself in the sun.

“sweet child’s face” setting

Despite swearing I would not buy another, I continue to be tempted by cameras. Don’s takes very good photos, and has incredible zoom, but it has way too many settings. I appreciate I don’t actually need to use them but they make the interface unnecessarily cluttered and difficult to navigate without wearing reading glasses.

Really all I want to do is shove a camera at a subject and take a snap without needing to worry if I have chosen “Sweet Child’s Face” or “Cute Dessert”.

This is why I would do well to stick to my phone! Perhaps it is time for an upgrade.

♥

$7:00 of treasure from the Sewing Basket for an experiment. If the experiment is not a success, I can easily re-donate what I don’t use.

The challenge of course is to not linger too much in the idea stage – out of my head and into action!

♥

House shapes are showing up everywhere for me at the moment, though it is likely I’m subconsciously looking out for them.

I have no idea why this shape resonates with me so much right now – probably a lot to do with stability, safety and comfort. Those themes recur a lot too. Something to muse on in those morning pages!

Recent sightings:

AGNSW
Idris Khan: Every… Bernd and Hilla Becher Gable Side Houses

☗

AGNSW
Zarina Hashmi: Letters from home (part)

☗

AGNSW
The Aquilizan Studio: Making it Home (teensy tiny part)

☗

Concrete experiments and one from Ikea

☗

I’ve also been digitally hoarding on my Adorbs wee houses Pinterest board

☗

I can’t see this ending any time soon. I am mulling over ideas for more experiments.

☗

I adore these wee vivid yellow house shapes** at Stanmore station.

There’s a bit of construction happening at that station, and they’re obviously protecting/covering something – but I have no idea what.

I’ve not seen this before – but the peaked top is quite ingenious to deter people from placing *things* (rubbish, themselves) atop them.

And that colour! I’m loving that colour in all sorts of things.

♥

** current favourite shape.

I experimented with morning pages for a month late last year on the recommendation of IINRL** Friend Carmen.

To say I was extremely skeptical of any positive impacts from the exercise would be an understatement. A week-and-a-bit in and I was surprised to discover that it wasn’t entirely terrible – possibly even helpful!

I have a lot of thoughts and feelings at the minute (good ones! growth ones!), so I’m planning to give it another crack and, despite having a large number of lovingly crafted handmade blank books available to me, have bought myself a cheap notebook for the occasion.

I have enough pages for 66 days.

Will update on progress.

♥

** Imaginary Internet Now Real Life

I really would benefit from not leaving it until very very late in the evening to write a daily post.

It’s been unpleasantly warm and sticky recently – though as a colleague observed, we’ve not had many days over 32 and certainly no 40+ days, as would be “normal”.

I’ve had quite a lot of trouble getting a decent sleep – which is about typical for late February.

The plants on the upper balcony seem to be enjoying it, even if I am not!

So verdant! We’re exploring getting some cover up there, so hopefully they will thrive further.

♥