Who's been to Sicily?

Ah, so much fun planning what to do on your home! I remember when I bought one when the Daughter was a teenager. The place was a "fixer" although structurally sound. And, apparently, had been something of a frat house before we got it. Almost all the fixes were cosmetic, and we had a great time going through the samples and planning....  It was a nice place.  Enjoy your projects!


Vacation. I'm pretty much on a permanent one, the way it's looking. But the Daughter is slogging away with her studies and paper-writing and says she would really like a short, out-of-town break. I wonder if there is somewhere that someone knows of that is not terribly far (no more than a day's travel) out of Glasgow that we can get to by bus/train that is quiet, but has something to do nearby? A small town within walking distance to maybe look at the shops on an afternoon. Or a place with a spectacular garden that's open this early in the year? I think it's too early to try to go look for Pufflings.

I was thinking of taking us for an overnighter, or maybe two nights and a full day, out to Kilmartin as there's a nice little pub/hotel there that's not very expensive, since the Daughter likes to look at ruins and things. But we've already been there once a few years ago, so perhaps some other ruins, maybe Medieval, might be more of a treat.  We are not looking for anything upscale - plain, decent food, no bedbugs and a good night's sleep is kind of it. Maybe with a lounge or a pub with a nice fire where we could sit in the evening if it's been pouring rain. I've been all over TripAdvisor, and I'd really prefer recommendations from someone who's been. Daughter looks tired, and could use a change of scenery, I think.

Stirling!!

I'm sure NCtami will agree.   

Vacation. I'm pretty much on a permanent one, the way it's looking. But the Daughter is slogging away with her studies and paper-writing and says she would really like a short, out-of-town break. I wonder if there is somewhere that someone knows of that is not terribly far (no more than a day's travel) out of Glasgow that we can get to by bus/train that is quiet, but has something to do nearby? A small town within walking distance to maybe look at the shops on an afternoon. Or a place with a spectacular garden that's open this early in the year? I think it's too early to try to go look for Pufflings.

You could go to Perth and visit Scone Palace to see the snowdrops! 

https://scone-palace.co.uk/whats-on/celebration-snowdrops-0

Branklyn Garden also in Perth is spectacular when the rhododendrons and azaleas are out. Not the right time of year I know but worth a trip when it is!

https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/perth/branklyngarden/index.html

How about Oban to ride one of those inflatable boats and see the dolphins?

Ah, so much fun planning what to do on your home! I remember when I bought one when the Daughter was a teenager. The place was a "fixer" although structurally sound. And, apparently, had been something of a frat house before we got it. Almost all the fixes were cosmetic, and we had a great time going through the samples and planning....  It was a nice place.  Enjoy your projects!

Thanks!  We've yet to peel back the layers to see how structurally sound our house is.  The roof seems alright (dry loft), but when the existing cracked render comes off the walls, we'll see if there's any wall actually left behind it.  It's scary times. 

But the cosmetic stuff will be fun!  And then we'll really start to see massive change for the money. Yay!

The roof seems alright

You are lucky there! I see my roofer so often, he's become a friend! ...I sent him a Christmas card this year! 

You are lucky there! I see my roofer so often, he's become a friend! ...I sent him a Christmas card this year! 

Oh dear.  Is it improving, at least?

Oh dear.  Is it improving, at least?

Let's call it a work in progress!  . 

But yes, we've done a couple of the big jobs in the last year or two that couldn't really be put off any longer. So better definitely! 

You are lucky there! I see my roofer so often, he's become a friend! ...I sent him a Christmas card this year! 

Oh dear is right!

Our house was very much a fixer upper.  We've done quite a bit of upgrading to non-cosmetic stuff (electrics and lighting in particular).  But the cosmetic stuff is very fun.

JF, I'm really interested in underfloor heating when we do our extension.  I shall learn from your building stuff!

Things that are must haves in our new kitchen:
gas burners
double oven
dishwasher
instant hot water spout
garbage disposal
water softener

I'd love a cabinet for garbage and recycling bins.  I REALLY want a pantry.  Our current kitchen has a "corner of doom".  It's like EVERYTHING happens in that one corner.  I do NOT want a corner of doom in the new kitchen...

I'd love a cabinet for garbage and recycling bins. 

Oh YES! THIS! So tired of looking at the recycling! 

I need a new kitchen too but I cannot in any way justify it because I literally cook a proper meal, three times a year! So I am thinking about just having the countertops replaced and perhaps painting the cabinets... I would pay someone to hide the garbage/recycling somewhere though! 

Let's call it a work in progress!  . 

But yes, we've done a couple of the big jobs in the last year or two that couldn't really be put off any longer. So better definitely! 

Yay for improvement!  I don't need my house to ever be completely perfect and finished (need something to keep striving for, right?), but I will be glad when some of these major projects are out of the way so we can get to the fun stuff.

Oh dear is right!

Our house was very much a fixer upper.  We've done quite a bit of upgrading to non-cosmetic stuff (electrics and lighting in particular).  But the cosmetic stuff is very fun.

JF, I'm really interested in underfloor heating when we do our extension.  I shall learn from your building stuff!

Things that are must haves in our new kitchen:
gas burners
double oven
dishwasher
instant hot water spout
garbage disposal
water softener

I'd love a cabinet for garbage and recycling bins.  I REALLY want a pantry.  Our current kitchen has a "corner of doom".  It's like EVERYTHING happens in that one corner.  I do NOT want a corner of doom in the new kitchen...

My husband and I were right there with you on the gas burners (electric oven), but in the last few weeks we started thinking about induction (not halogen, which is very slow... proper induction, which is remarkably fast and powerful, though you do have to use ferrous metal cookware).  We're going to replace our electric camp stove with a single induction burner to try the technology out.  If we like it, we'll go with that instead of gas.  We don't live in an area where we can get mains gas, so we'd have to convert our stove to run on LPG and we'd have a 'bottle' in the garden and then we'd have to worry about running out.  We'd just rather not.  Plus, it's our understanding that gas is being phased out.  Anyway, our thinking on our stove is a 90cm cooker... induction top, double electric oven.

Dishwasher is a must!  And we'll probably have an instant hot water spout because we won't have a boiler, so we'll have in-line water heaters in the kitchen and bathroom.

I don't think I'm going to convince my husband that a garbage disposal is a necessary thing.  But my council collect food waste with every weekly collection, and I like the idea that it's all going to compost.  I've lived without one for 5+ years.  I have adjusted.

I keep our rubbish and recycling bins in the old kitchen (which is just a shell of a room with the loft ladder permanently in place)... I don't know where I'm going to put them when the kitchen is actually the kitchen.  Probably the utility room. 

Speaking of utility room... that's our corner of doom!

We've got a bigish kitchen but there is one corner where all the work has to happen .  If anyone is standing there, no one else can get to the trash, sink or microwave.

I say OK for induction.

We've got a bigish kitchen but there is one corner where all the work has to happen .  If anyone is standing there, no one else can get to the trash, sink or microwave.

I say OK for induction.

Can the microwave be moved, or is it built in?  You should break up your corner of doom so I can stand in front of the microwave and watch my food spin while it's cooking.  I don't know if I like to do that, but I tend to do that.

No room for the microwave anywhere else.  At least I know how to keep you occupied should you ever drop by the house.

Did you celebrate Pi day?  My boy remembered in the middle of dinner and it was too late to get pie so we ate Oreos. Cause they are round

We've got a bigish kitchen but there is one corner where all the work has to happen .  If anyone is standing there, no one else can get to the trash, sink or microwave.

I say OK for induction.

My corner of doom has the power outlets, so anything on the counter that is being steamed, etc., is there in the corner.  The counter is the only real workable bit for cutting things and it's where the cutting boards live.  The drawers have the silverware.  The cabinets above are the plates and glasses, the cabinet underneath does not tend to be an issue.

Old picture from not long after we moved in (so doesn't look homely and this was midway tiling the backsplash to jazz it up a bit).

Look at that giant corner calling out for a bread machine.