Bonjour mes amis,
How is it almost the end of May already?
I guess I should start by explaining the title. You know how you think you’ll do a 5 minute job? Well…. I decided it was time for the ugly concrete step to go. 
Builder Dave doesn’t need much encouragement to get his hammer and chisel out and start demolishing my house, so quick as a flash the step was gone but we were so busy concentrating on that we didn’t notice this-eeekkk. Queue silent panic as we worked furiously to find stones and make up a lime mortar mix to hold it all up. 2 and half hours later this was how we left it. I’ve always wanted to limbo under a wooden prop to get to the shower, said no-one ever.
And if that wasn’t enough no more than a few days later this happened…. Again, a bit of frantic mixing and stone locating and an hour later you’d never know.
Well as you can probably tell from the photos I have completely failed in my efforts to have upstairs finished by the end of May. All I need to do now is figure out where my summer visitors are going to stay???? I’m deliberately ignoring that fact the first ones arrive in about a week’s time……… And no this is not like all those tv programs that have been on of late, it’s not going to all suddenly come together 2 minutes before they turn up. Although sometimes I will admit a little bit of envy creeps in at all the helpers they have working away in the background while they ‘do it all themselves’!
So when some friends I know through dancing, who have been staying in the area for 3 months, said they were a little bit bored and could they come over and help, it took all my restraint not to reply in half a nano-second with a whole hearted yes of course you can. I waited a few minutes at least.
When at last, the rain stopped, and the sun came out they set to work in my allotment, making a compost heap and clearing an area of land while I searched for some scrap wood in my barn to make raised beds. Those of you who’ve seen my barn will know that it wasn’t a long search.
A full day of work in the sunshine and this was the result.
As you can see from the photo on the left, there is still a lot more to clear. Just saying.
The best bit is that they enjoyed themselves so much they came back for another day and did this:
All that needs to be done now is for that pile of stones to be moved…. Again I’m just saying.
Mick the plasterer has been, and now bedroom 3, which will be mine, is almost ready to paint. But first up I have to stone face around the window in the bathroom and fill in this hole:
While Mick was here did I take some time out? No of course not. I set to work in the front garden.
Mick finished and then Eric (Christine’s husband) arrived to do some painting. And paint he did. 7am starts mostly working through until 7pm 5 days straight. Bedroom and bathroom 2 along with the corridor are all now painted. The end is in sight but there is still a lot to do.
A quick EDF update because I know you are all excited to hear the latest. Well I finally got a refund from them but it was minus €92. When I rang them to find out why I was speechless – yes I know that is hard to imagine.
Me: What’s the €92 for?
EDF: for the work done
Me: but you haven’t done any!
EDF: yes, madame, it was for the preparation of the dossier
Me: what! Two photos and an email
I have decided that I am not going to win and to just let this go. The really irritating thing is a few weeks ago they came and changed my meter to a new smart meter and upped the power for free. Deep breaths………
There’s been a bit of socialising as well. A monthly quiz night in the local bar; and as the single I’m often the floating team member who makes up the numbers but I now have a permanent team and we are doing our best to improve on our 3rdplace achieved at the last two. Unfortunately I will miss the next one as I have a date with Bryan Adams.
The brocantes are back; it’s mostly junk to be fair but always hope that I’ll find a bit of treasure.
This week was the infamous village lunch. We started at 12.30pm and after multiple course and far too much alcohol I got home at 7.30pm. Yet again I declined the duck gizzard salad. I don’t care how much of a prized delicacy it is, even if I did eat meat nothing would entice me to eat it!
And for those of you who may have doubts that I actually do all this myself here a few photos of me working, of course with my able assistant Malbec who has been with me a year now and who is never far from my side.
And at long last a truce or sorts has been reached between Malbec and Merlot.
the house will be lovely when it's finished... 