Calm before Change

Since the CCC I have been cleaning and gardening.
WELL ... I never realised that such a small amount of dusty debris could necessitate a deep clean as IF guests were going to be in the Chambre d'Hôte. I have to vacate my room if I let it!   I last did EVERY surface of these two rooms in early March!  Down came the mosquito net and that was soaked in the bath. It does look better now!  It was a bit of a balancing act to have the step ladder balanced on the bed whilst I proceeded up two steps to reach the loop onto the cup hook in the beam! 
All high beams and ceilings in between were vacced....56m2 of ceiling including the stairwell.  I had to actively climb on chairs, stretch to reach the beams and ceiling with the vac brush. I couldn't just sweep the cobwebs down because that would mean the almost transparent spiders would rush alongst the floor before I caught them, and heavens knows where they would go if not caught.   Like the insects in 'James and the Giant Peach' anything could happen. Not worth the risk. Every inch of wall, ceiling and floor is as clean as I can get it! It makes me feel so much better!
All bedlinen has been cleaned and ironed plus duvets aired in the sunshine. They were all dry cleaned last September.
The one bedroom wall attached to my neighbours (it is the end of the original barn) had an almost indiscernible bloom of grey when I was up close with my cleaning cloths and with light streaming into the room. I hadn't ever had that problem... but I think this winter I was less willing to periodically open the door to outside. There are no windows.. only doors!!!!! Weird! Very French!  I always felt that this wall was the coldest and wish we had put another layer of plasterboard on it! 
Friday I ached but had to spend three hours mowing the lawns ... that's a lot of walking and emptying the grass collection box! Plus two hours speaking to my daughter on the phone (catch up) and an hour on the phone to my mother.
The weekend - another slow start but the last of the cleaning has been done...and how annoying, I am convinced that mouse is still in the laundry room where I store dry foods... so it is poison time. The door is securely locked against Big Feet my cat!  A friend popped round to gove me some beautiful scented roses so that was time to sit and enjoy the minor spots of rain in the garden. I have tried to get my blog postings prepared in advance. I have tried to clear surfaces, rearrange furniture and generally look as if I am a neat and tidy person!
A bit more attic re-organisation and admin stuff was achieved. I am feeling much better and ready for who knows what!
I have been on Countdown!!! Someone is arriving to begin the renovation of my kitchen!!!!!!!!  There is a lot of prep - one door and one window frame ( the only proper window in the house) have to be taken out and glass replaced with double glazed units, a temporary kitchen area is to be created, sink and cupboards must be installed into the laundry / larder room ... and the rest!
There had better not be ANY dust getting into my freshly spring-cleaned rooms!
BUT I shall be grateful when it is completed and it will be good to work as a skivvy again!