Packing Up and Shutting Down

With only three days now until we move the time has come for me to say good bye - well, at least until we are settled into our new home. Later today or tomorrow I will be packing up the computer and then there will be no more blogging - for now.

Telstra has advised us that it will take four days to reconnect our broadband, so I expect that I may be without an internet connection until late next week.

In the meantime, I'm planning to take lots of photos so by the time I'm back on line I'll have lots of house and garden pictures to show you.

While the house has been renovated beautifully there will be things to change - for example, the room my two youngest boys will be sharing is pink - so I'll also be asking for decorating ideas and suggestions.

I am looking forward to sharing the next stage in our red house journey with you.

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Five Days to Go

the new house


I shouldn't be writing this at 11 o'clock at night as what I should be doing is sleeping.

I really do need my beauty sleep, what with the stresses of packing boxes and going to work and caring for my injured son and three family birthdays in the first two weeks of this month and having potential tenants go through this house to decide if they want to rent it. I know that last sentence was too long but that's how every day feels at the moment - crammed full of far too much activity.

The only way I can get through it all is by not stopping, and by working as hard as I can every waking minute. It's amazing how much one can achieve when fueled by adrenaline, coffee and chocolate.

However, my eyes are barely open and my bed is very comfortable, so I'd best be gone.

Sweet dreams until tomorrow.

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A Picture of the New House

This afternoon we went to the new house to learn how to use the security system, heating and cooling (and also, of course, to have a surreptitious look around and think about where we are going to put things.)

I couldn't get any pictures of the inside because the owner was with us the whole time, and, in any case, the house is as full of boxes and half-packed items as ours.

Anyhow, the picture above is of our new front porch. And with only nine days to go we are longing to cross that threshold and move on in.

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Easy Meal Ideas, Please

In a fit of energy at 6 am this morning I cleaned my oven, cooktop and rangehood. This was after discovering yesterday that a cleaner would charge $60 to perform these tasks.

After our arduous week and knowing how heavy our commitments are over the next 10 days, we have decided to employ cleaners when we leave this property. However, there is no way that I am paying $60 just for the oven!

I know doing a final oven clean 10 days before moving house is a trifle premature, but I wanted to see how clean I could get the oven in case a second clean was required. Fortunately, as you can see below, the oven turned out very well.

My pristine oven leaves me with a dilemma, however, as I would prefer not to mess it up again before we move.

What am I going to cook for the next 10 days?

Since our microwave oven died a few months ago we haven't had a microwave, so I can't rely on quick meals that way.

I am feeling very uninspired at the moment, and would value your suggestions.

Can you suggest any good, quick, stovetop, barbecue, griddle, cold, or otherwise easy meals? Do you have any tips for preparing meals during those extra-busy periods in our lives?

Since we will want to cook simply our first few days at the new house, any easy meal ideas are fine - you don't have to limit yourself to microwave and oven-free ideas.

I have put one of those Linky thingies at the bottom of this post. If you haven't used one before, the idea is that you link to a post on your own blog. If you don't have a blog, ordinary comments are fine. Old blog posts with easy meal suggestions are fine, too.

Please link back to my blog when you write your post, so that others can find the complete list of suggestions. Thanks in advance.

If using a MckLinky proves popular I might make it a regular feature here at Our Red House.

Your tips and ideas for easy meals are greatly appreciated!

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What a Week!

This has been one week that I am totally and utterly glad is over. Between the stress and anxiety of Tom's accident and the pressure of preparing to move house in 11 days, this week has been almost unbearable. Add to these the need to keep the house spotless to impress potential new tenants who have visited, and you have a truly horrible week.

However, there have been some good things: the kindness of others after the accident; Tom's small, daily improvements; the fact that every day brings us one day closer to living in our new home.

In addition to the real-world support of family and friends, I have experienced great support from the blogging community. Thank you so much everyone who has left a comment here, who has emailed, or has taken a moment or two to pray for my family. I am honoured to know you.

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The Accident: An Update

Thank you to everyone who left a kind comment after my last post. Now that things have settled down I can tell you what happened.

On Monday my eldest son had a mountain bike accident while on school camp. Amongst other more minor injuries he sustained a significant gash in his upper thigh, where the leg joins the torso. The flesh was torn right through the muscle to the bone and he bled very heavily, soon going into shock. He was taken by car to a small country hospital where they quickly realised that his injuries were too serious to be managed there, so he was sent first by road ambulance and then by air ambulance back to Adelaide.

When we arrived at the hospital we saw a groggy, white-faced boy attached to several machines. He went into surgery at about 10.30 pm and at around midnight the surgeon called to say that the surgery had been successful. He is now home from hospital and mostly resting and he should eventually make a full recovery

We are very thankful for everyone who has helped and supported our family over the past two days. This includes the teachers whose quick actions in a rural location ensured that my son got the medical care he needed, other members of the school community who have offered support, the hospital staff, my boss for willingly giving me time off work, the lady from church who dropped off a meal last night, and everyone else who who has rung or emailed.

I am particularly grateful for the Australian public health system that provided two hospitals, an ambulance, a helicopter and a surgical team without charging us a cent.

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Please Pray for My Son

My eldest son, aged 15, had a nasty accident on his school camp today. He was flown by air ambulance from Goolwa back to Adelaide. He will be fine but is currently in surgery. I have just come home from the hospital and will return in the morning.

We are very thankful for the excellent medical care he is receiving.

I will provide more updates in the next day or two.

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