Dinner at the table at last

The last few weeks have been spent in doing the internals on the dining room. James has wired and plumbed and plastered. We spent one weekend fitting the oak floor in the dining room and through to the new sitting room and future kitchen.

We used self-levelling compound first, which went off incredibly quickly in the warm spiring air. We came back after cleaning out the buckets and there were chicken prints on the floor. The culprit had long since fled, we couldn't quite work out how she'd got in!

The oak went down with very little hassle over the course of the following weekend and I oiled the boards with an oil that gives the look of raw oak, so far they're holding up well with the kids trailing trikes and toys through.

I've painted the walls, although I confess that the skirting all needs a top coat that I've been very slow to get started. The dining room table that's been stored the last few years is in and the chairs I bought in a sale two years past are finally getting sat on. Although the poor kids are having to sit on the old chairs, they're a messy pair.

It's so peaceful to sit in the dining room and look over the garden with the hens pecking, I am so pleased with the end result. Our new sitting room is bright and airy and I think it's contributed to too many hours sat on the sofa reading.

We have been at work in the garden trimming the trees to make it easier to mow and I've worked this weekend on taking the dead canes from the raspberry bed. James is making a hinged lid for the strawberry beds. Between the chickens and mice and late snow last year we had a very poor harvest. Hopefully once they're complete we may have a harvest good enough for some puddings this summer.

We even managed a lunch in the garden with all the warm weather, here's to more sunny days together.