December 2020 – More Home than Building Site!

December 2020 – More Home than Building Site!

Hazels – View from the South

Hello everyone! It is Moses here for the final new Hazels blog of 2020.

I do hope you like this stunning picture of the house by a very talented young artist from Witley. (Apparently, the mathematics required were especially challenging!) It was a surprise Christmas gift for Mr Rod and he is absolutely delighted with it. He now wants to find the perfect display spot to show it off to its best advantage.

I am aware that SWhoMBO was not at all sure whether it was appropriate to post anything this month, bearing in mind the increasing challenges of the virus and its new strains. However, Layla, Freddie and I (with a little assistance from Mr Rod) have persuaded her that it is indeed necessary as a ‘thank you’ to the small group of people who have worked so hard in recent weeks to ensure that it was possible to ‘move in for Christmas’.

So, this blog posting is dedicated to Michael (kitchen builder and supervisor of everything coming in and going out); Phil (bathroom fitter and creator of cat ramps); Dan (electrician and magician for creating the cascade light); Carol (determined painter of blue and yet more blue); Dennis (furniture builder and lover of cake); and Robert (turns his hand to anything Mr Rod requires). Thank you all SO much for your loyalty, your attention to detail and for never losing your sense of humour. You are all worth your weight in pot noodles.

And, of course, the three of us felines have been extremely busy in the last month planning our strategy for when we finally move out from the barn and take possession of our new abode. You can see evidence of all this hard work in the photo below:

Please wake us when it is all over!

Building Progress in December

There has been a flurry of activity during in December to transform the building site into something resembling a home. However, it has also been quite stressful too with 18 internal doors being ‘lost in transit’. It’s not complete yet but we are secretly delighted with how it is looking so far.

14 Dec – SWhoMBO is so pleased with the cascade lights 

18 Dec – Kitchen island awaiting overhead lightbulbs

18 Dec – Pantry (with wine racks already filled – Mr Rod always gets his priorities right!)

18 Dec – Pantry open for business! 

18 Dec – Utility (now only need to decipher how appliances work!) 

22 Dec – Cleaning complete and ready to move in

22 Dec – something to frighten the deer!

24 Dec – Ready for the first bath

You may recall that this was a little closer to the bathroom Mr Rod was hoping for, so he may be just a tad disappointed!

24 Dec – Ready to make a splash

24 Dec – Oriental bedroom ready to roll!

24 Dec – After this bed, Mr Rod can tackle any furniture assembly

24 Dec – Scandi bedroom all ready for guests who cannot stay!

24 Dec – Freddie has his eye on that sofa!

24 Dec – Mr Rod is not yet persuaded about the ladder……

24 Dec – Scandi bathroom

24 Dec – Scandi Shower

24 Dec – Kitchen ready for Christmas

24 Dec – Well, the island is ready!

24 Dec – View of kitchen and oriental bathroom from outside

25 Dec – A beautiful sunny day!

25 Dec- The long view of the kitchen

25 Dec – Table set for Christmas lunch

25 Dec – we cats love all the light

Freddie’s December Postbag

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were a number of comments about the kitchen, and especially about the island unit.

Puttenham Pal “I can’t wait for the house opening. I see the kitchen is all prepared with the must have telly!!”

“It really is beginning to look like a fantastic house and we hope you are thrilled with it when you finally moved in. We think the kitchen with its perfectly sized worktop is a triumph. You will remember we are great believers that small(er) is beautiful.” Francophile Friends. They also sent this amusing piece:

“We have started to select my eight discs to take with us if we ever get stranded on that kitchen island.” Pewley Pair

“Oh my goodness Freddie, we just love the comment regarding the Desert Island Discs!
What amazing progress! Your blog is great but could we venture to mention one possible typo?
We refer to the two photos of the pantry, the first featuring his and her wine fridges and the second entitled ‘ready for the ice sink’, we are certain that this should read ’mice sink’ for where else will Mr Rod be able to wash the muddy rodent offerings you bring to him?” The Compton Couple

They also sent this great card, which of course is my favourite one as it features me (…………………ok, and my friends!)

“Oh Freddie, you have managed to paint a very descriptive picture of life at Hazels. It’s been a very emotional month for everyone and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Mr Rod and SWhoMBO finally celebrate their 1st Christmas in the new Hazels. Wouldn’t that be something!” Guildford Girl

Thank you so much for the latest Brick in the Wall – I’m so glad the three of you were able to bring peace between Mr Rod and SwhoMBO and I hope in the planning of their new home they’ve considered that you need easy access to various cosy corners – I seem to remember you had to negotiate a rather precarious ladder to get into the Barn if they were too busy to open the door for you. We all loved the Trump jokes. Now your literary skills are so well honed, we look for more things to cheer us up once the House episodes are complete – do you think it will ever be really finished? Maidstone Mister 

Mikal’s Mate wrote: “Just read the blog and, as a true storyteller, Freddie kept the most important piece of news until the very end – celebrating Christmas in the new home. Wonderful! The kitchen looks very nice and the quartz countertop evidently should be considered exactly the correct size!” She also sent this wonderful photo of an iconic Helsinki building on a dark December evening –

Helsinki City Theatre sings the covid-blues

and also this picture of one of the largest Christmas trees ever seen in Helsinki (20m tall and weighing nearly 5 tons) –

Senate Square

Finally, the Malax Macaroons sent this wonderful photo of their gingerbread house to die for:

and also of this year’s special Christmas mulled wine:

Cat Christmas Humour

SWhoMBO was disappointed this Santa got lost!

We Three Kings from Tier ?

The best laid plans!

Driving Home for ……..????

I wonder what would have happened if SWhoMBO had tried this?

There’s nothing like panto humour!

What a shame we have no doggies to blame!

Layla looks just like that……!!

That’s certainly one way to celebrate…..

Thanks very much to Putney Playmate for the last two.

 

What next?

This is the 33rd posting and we will probably be publishing just one more blog – but only when all the internal work is finished. Thanks very much for all your support and encouragement over the months.

The travel plans for the New Year celebration later tonight are now all sorted – Mr Rod and SWhoMBO cannot wait!

I would just like to wish you all a very happy 2021 with the hope that the next year will be far less challenging than this one has proved to be.

These final pictures provide hope that spring will soon be on its way: 

Thursley Common

Come on you reds!

Great George Street

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