January Accomplishments

Cook the Tagliatelli in plenty of boiled salted water and stir immediately to prevent it sticking together.  In a pan gently melt gorgonzola with milk, butter and cream!  Mix together.  Sprinkle with rocket.

 It was a baker's dozen of ciabbata rolls. The French flour mix created a dough that was not as holey as batter but thinking about the instructions, it did say to beat vigorously for 5 minutes ... so maybe that was the part we skipped. I shall buy another packet whilst they are here and try again.

The border is no 150cm wide so I can't easily leap over it and of course it will take more grass cuttings!

 Long shadows! My four quartered potager is separated by grass which is a mower width. I must not grow too many potatoes as I need to observe a rotational plan. The quarter nearest the photographer will take spuds this year... I am torn between earlies and maincrop!  Unless I risk it and grow some in the opposite diagonal where none grew last year!  The plan was also to surround the potager with wood ... OR to plant box hedging plants... BUT that seems over-fussy. I was also thinking that I would like a standard rose 'monk' on the central cross!

 And this, the new hinged bath screen... but water still sprays too far over the edge of the bath!

 And onto February!

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday was full of rain and cold and drear! I lacked confidence, was full of doubt,  felt responsible for the weather, found myself apologising,  hearing myself say, 'but it's not my fault'.  I was embarrassed by the number of overwhelming tasks / jobs I need help with.  Down, down, down.
(I don't think I was nearly as mature and understanding of the elderly as they are at their age!!!!!!!!)

M. was fine as we settled to sort photos ... and negatives .. remember those? !  A jolt down memory lane to my former English home, which my last partner helped me to renovate, and..., oh my..., look at what we created, and look at what we took apart... and left... I was and am so saddened.

However, if I was still there I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have met the wonderful people I have met nor would I have had, and am having, the amazingly challenging tear-jerking or laughter-making experiences.
What has LIFE been all about when so much of MY LIFE has gone and so little is left? 
Make the most of it while I can and if I am down, down, down,  I have the choice and opportunity to change it for up, up, up.

So,  she and I sorted the photos into a set for HER and a set for HIM, because when I left HIS house, four to five years ago, to come to HER house,  I took the photos of MT house in UK, intending to divide them up!  ... and now, after ten years, I have!!!  What HE does with HIS set is not my business but he will be given them!  More importantly, quite a few of those hard-copy photos reached the rubbish bin!  My set is now in two albums. M. did an excellent job of sorting muddled photos and negatives of that 2/3rds of a Tudor former inn.

After much weeping and wailing which didn't actually last too long, she and I seemed to bond as women, and we managed to laugh through the task.  One fun thing to do was to complete an album from about 1995 (??) when my son and I went to Spain. That was after my father died!   We had backpacks but hired a car to drive from Barcelona to Orihuela and return. It was a great DRIVE... I could have gone allthe way around the edge!  Lovely again to to see my son so young in photos and to remember Elche and Rioja!

I think my down mood on such a grim wet dark day was SAVED by the greeting cards I found welcoming my daughter into the world.  Funny that her 'birth' day was the day before I re-discovered them!!!!!  Such a pleasure to see 1978 style 'BABY GIRL" cards and messages inside from some people I am not in touch with anymore!

I think F. felt frustrated by yesterday's weather, as did we all!  It was so bleak.  First of all he took my new Ikea trolley out of its box and put it together.  He called it the  'vegetable shelves'.  I liked that!   Then he was impressed by the new indoor or exterior lights I bought ages ago which needed to be connected, but I couldn't work out how to make them light up... I am impractical!  Negative destructive thoughts of  'how could I be so dumb' is what I thought!!!!  Evidently, I can buy more and make a longer string!  Ooh... I may just do that. Sod the cost!

Then he volunteered to work outdoors in the rain, to investigate what needs to be done to repair wooden gates at the barn down the lane, and to establish for himself what tools and resources I own and what are owned by my former partner.  All left in my possession.  I have full permission to use what I will!  Eventually, he repaired one screw in the main garden gate... such a little task, but it secures the keep on the latch and is extremely important.  I was so grateful.  He was so wet!!!!! Then, bless him, he wanted to de-nail the timbers in the newly re-roofed attic and was gone for a couple of hours. I must go up and see what he has done!

Throughout the day I battled with being in a gloop of depression, which was really a kind of sadness and eventually an Ibuprofen sorted it as well as some lively music.  It is lovely to have people to feed but takes my time! It is inspirational to have people stay who appreciate food.  The evening meal was delicious - two slices of lambs liver cut into small pieces in a creamy tarragon sauce with cauliflower leaves and florets, julienne carrots and Ciabbata rolls that M. made!  OK, it was a prepared flour mix but she has always let her sister do the cooking.  I made a Pear Meringue Tart and a Hazelnut Torte because egg whites needed to be used.  We were stuffed!  I am eating more than I normally would!

They wished me to play the piano so had to endure two Chopin Nocturnes plus two pieces from the film 'The Piano' composed by Michael Nyman.  The deal was that they would sing and play Friday evening but then we had a musical soirée.  She has a beautiful voice and he plays guitar well... a couple of 'The Doors' pieces. This was followed by a discussion about something I did not understand, so I showed him a video of the Stroh instruments played by a French theatrical, musical group who I know... then he showed me videos of guitar playing by Bob Brozman.

Today I got up at nine but they didn't get up until ten and started work at 10h30!!!!!! But by then the sun was shining and although they looked reluctant without adequate clothing, for the wind was keen and bitter,  they were bossed about by me.  I laughed heartily, yet severely when I told them I was bossy when necessary!!! They had to wear a hat!! "Choose one of these"... and a gilet and a coat or jacket... "Choose from these" is what I said!!!   "You can shed them as you get warmer."   They did not understand this use of the verb 'to shed'.  So they worked for an hour and I took them coffee and Epiphany cake.   Then they worked another hour and a half and I made them Red kidney bean and Red pepper soup, lemony with sage, served with ciabatta. Pear tart was to follow!

I explained to these two that in January, despite my own rules which I break,  the weather is inclement for starting much before 9 or 10 in the morning. One awaits the sun rising above the village roofs to shine on my garden!
BUT WOW... today they forked over and weeded three sections of my potager AND made the fourth quarter ...  all this in addition to work on Tuesday and Wednesday where they have finished widening the rose and lavender bed! How I love them! In addition, they moved weeds to the trailer (dechetterie trip next week) and moved logs exposed to rain when wind whipped off the bache to the space in the sheltered area where logs have disappeared since October!

POSTSCRIPT TO SUSAN's comment below:
The soil appears to be remarkably friable this year ... most of it only needed a light fork even though it was of course wet with the amount of RAIN we have endured!  Hey ho! My back has been saved and what would have taken four weeks 'potager' digging has been achieved in a few days. I did a few rows of forking over to demonstrate technique!  Last year or the year before I added a lot of 5 year old chicken manure... I also added wood ash from the woodburner, wood shavings and oak bark dust once I have sieved the oak bark.  Waste veg matter is just dug in randomly!  I don't bother to compost!

Meanwhile, whilst monitoring progress in the garden, I discovered my son's school reports plus his photographic accomplishments...so am sorting those into a chronological order and boxing up!!!!!!!!

My Italian helpers went to sleep. I took a fast walk, whereupon at apx six pm, for it is still daylight 'twixt twilight, I became aware of bird song which I have not heard for so long. Then, Blackbird trilled. When I reached ' The American Way' I returned along the road from whence I had travelled. A tawny owl hooted hhhhhhhhhooooooo.  I felt full of the joys of Spring. So happy!!!!!!

Today, the artisan came to instal a shower screen... the para-douche!  I only waited three days.   It was bought at the end of October.  Previously, I never found one that I liked. Now I've completed the action but the glass tiles I think do not have the correct grouting. Hey ho!  BUT ...How glad I am!!!!!!!!  It's another hymn I am remembering!!

Glad that I live am I;
That the sky is blue;
Glad for the country lanes,
And the fall of dew.

After the sun, the rain,
After the rain the sun;
This is the way of life,
Till the work be done.

All that we need to do,
Be we low or high,
Is to see that we grow,
Nearer to God on high.

My fault

On this last day of January,  trying to hang a rustic oval mirror in my bathroom, knowing it was dangerous, a strong expletive emanated forth as I dropped it onto the beautiful white glass sink below.
Thanking the powers that be, only the mirror had broken in two whilst the sink stayed perfectly unblemished!!!!!!!!!  It was mirr-a-culous !

Oh dear God....or any of the most Higher Spiritual Powers of the Human race and all that exists within this Heavenly orb, bless me, my house and please, please have mercy and let it be not not another 7 year unhappiness and woe!!!!!!!!!   What can I do to counteract the forces of evil!!???

Time to enjoy!

Apart from a bath screen and a few minor but important details the bathroom has arrived!
As always, nothing is ever finished and sometimes one learns to live with it as it is.
I ran out of paint of one colour. A little more silicone is required. I am sure that the extractor fan is not powerful enough. I WOULD rather have a stronger fan than one that has to be on 24/7!

It's going to feel very strange to have my very own toilet where it is not necessary to sit eye to eye with spidery creatures or fiddle with a water cistern mechanism to prevent water continually gushing into the pan or use the modern equivalent of a potty, i.e. a bucket, when it is wet, cold or dark outside, or use the natural environment of my garden. However, the latter I intend to continue because it will save water in the closet!  I have urinated in the garden for the last 7 years of living in France.  I lived in a fairly remote area and there were always places to hide!  We also wished to conserve clean water as well as preserve the delicate workings of a fosse septique.  I see nothing wrong with Mother Nature.  Urine when diluted makes an excellent fertiliser and when not diluted makes an excellent weedkiller in the right quantity.  Mine also used to deter moles at one time but we won't go into my health history!

So here she is LA SALLE DE BAIN waiting to be used.  I am immensely proud. Indeed I am more than extremely grateful for the motivation, dedication, commitment, hard work and patience given by my friend in creating the style and ambiance that I hoped for.  It looks like a piece of cake but behind the scenes of this and any worthwhile project, the knowledge, skills, talents, techniques of what we have learned and what we need to learn become apparent.  They are there along with frustrations, mishaps, mistakes, nightmares, laughter, and heavenly moments which are all too soon forgotten!

 THANK YOU TO MY FRIEND FOR KEEPING ME ON TRACK

Time to enjoy when looking back

I promised some bathroom photos

 Sink area is complete apart from light above and mirror. I daren't clean my teeth over this glass bowl!

 It's all so pretty!

The bathroom now has 3 spots but the wrong extractor fan unit!!!!!! My fault! The bath screen will arrive late summer! The suspended wc cannot be seen here. Doors and doorways are finished and final coats of paint on all surfaces are required. Luxury after all chaos can well be appreciated!

The bathroom saga

I feel so sad ..... HE REALLY HAS done his best to work at the plumbing problem (a leak) on the bath tap that also operates the shower! He is by no means incompetent and has years of experience as a builder and as a plumber / electrician and you name it, he can do it, and problem solve and find a way and help those who do not have his skills.  He is a serious builder (in France that means professional). He is a perfectionist and I love him for that even though he accepts he is not perfect and because I am not perfect........ well, we won't go own that road!!!!!!!! He is very conscientious and I do not believe this is his fault but he is very depressed, downhearted, and tired of course.
I can vouchsafe for his work. His workmanship at my previous property was outstanding. I loved it and regret leaving that house but if I had stayed there I would not be here, where I am today...... somewhere very, very special, even it at times it is tough being single .......
He even created his own terrace and verandah using old oak beams for posts and beams, wearing himself out doing so, but he now enjoys he warmth that this conservatory on the front of the house gives to the rest of the idyllic pretty cottage and so does Big Feet, his beautiful poly-pawed cat! Yes, more than the normal amount of claws on each foot and tortoiseshell too.  I love her.
In the bathroom, the tap module needs to be plumbed "traverser le cloissoné", that is, the pipes have to go through the stud work wall, where plumbing pipes to the shower are concealed.  It's such a wonderful idea and normal in luxury hotels.  But French plumbing parts as well as a lot of his own plumbing parts have defeated him... well not quite.   We bought new parts and followed the advice of the LeroyMerlin assistant, even though my friend was confident that what we needed was correct, I wanted it confirmed and so it was!  When he tried to repair the leak.......to cut a long story short.... the rubber washer which was supplied got itself sucked into the connecting brass joint and so there was a different leak and so we tried a red fibre washer which fragmented and also got sucked into the joint. This fact was only discovered after about 4 hours of disconnecting and connecting and turning stop cocks on and off!  Never in his career as he ever seen such events!!!!!!!!  So now he will try to obtain a different joint and try again.  I am past caring about how much it costs... just let me have that bath again!!!!! Looks like I will have to wait a while for the shower party!
Meanwhile, here's a photo of my bathroom ready for the electrician who hopefully will arrive tomorrow for final fix; to fit the extraction fan, 3 spotlights, towel rail, wall switch, shaver socket, wall light.  I have this sneaking suspicion he will not have all of that which I need despite the fact that I have emailed him with photos and details.

It's just to tease you!!! Cardboard to protect the ceramic and glass! Awaiting the  bath screen too!!!!!!

Logs and Bathroom progress

LOGS
With a lot of help from a friend we moved one trailer, in France it is called a remorque, of one metre logs that are cut into thirds.  Five stères, that is 5 cubic metres are waiting for collection.  I do this because they are a) a good price b) the supplier is known c) the logs are always three years old d) it gives me more exercise as if I don't have enough to do, and e) because I have not yet spoken to a supplier nearer to me.  It will take about 6 journeys but even with petrol costs it is cheaper than some suppliers of oak logs. Anyway the car makes that daily journey. They are being stacked with the 1.75 stères remaining from last winter. Stacking takes time.
N.B. Looking back at Mathematics that means I have burnt 8¼ steres during the last winter months.

BATHROOM
Very soon, we will complete the bathroom renovation.
Today, cleaned tiling, repeated jointing powder where it had not pushed into spaces, began to fix  floor skirting tiles, sanded doors.


The whereabouts of the electrician is unknown and now I will step up contact. The bathroom is flooded with light for most of the day  so I can always like candles at night. I think the positioning of the door into the bedroom will have to wait.

It has been a difficult project and every day my friend starts with huge motivation and energy, even telephoning an alarm call every day. Two rings. I shall miss those!  I know it has taken a long time but there have been very difficult plumbing, drainage and other matters.  In addition, the client, that is me, had ideas in her head, drawings on paper, but did not know how to do the behind-the-scenes technical stuff which has all taken time.

There was

• the three layered window.....installed to overcome the existing unattractive window which overlooks a neighbour.  Now they cannot see in nor hear. Nor can we see or hear them.
• the preparation and insulation of walls and floor ensuring a flat surface.
• floor tiling
• The connection of hot and cold water to existing pipes but altering position.
• Plumbing of water supply and waste water to and from shower, bath and sink, including installation of taps and shower head.
• Measuring....... oh my ....... so much had to be measured on a constant basis.
• Sometimes two heads were better than one as we would talk through how something would be done.
• Wall tiling/Bath panel tiling/ Sink shelf tiling.  I chose two different types of tiles. Firstly my design required a small amount of black and white mini tiles to go with the very large white tiles.  They were on display on the shop where I measured against the measurements  in the bathroom and worked out how many I needed, checked with the sales person. However, white tiles are ceramic and mini tiles are glass and they need different glue, different thickness of glue, different jointing technique and polishing afterwards. We have been round with a stanley blade trimming the jointing powder where it would not fit neatly between the tiles!!!!
• Eventually the plan changed ... new ideas are set to try us! :) .. and I had to purchase a LOT more mini-tiles and return a case of 15 white tiles. So up went the budget!  When you see the design you may understand how much time I spent assessing how many 12 x 12  tiles I required. I had cut them into lengths of 4 x 12 tiles and 3 x 12 tiles and we even used the leftover tiles to form strips! Another challenge was cutting the glass mini tiles when we realised that where they butt together they needed to be halved!  The mathematical process was time consuming and challenging!  I have no regrets and I know that my friend is really pleased with the result.
• Just purchasing what goes into a bathroom: window glass bricks and a double glazed unit, a bath, suspended toilet, shower, sink, tap units, floor tiles, wall tiles, lighting, switches, electric towel rail, and then paint, and plumbing fittings, wood, plasterboard, screws, washers, etc, etc, etc and this involved several shopping trips where it is a 60 mile round trip and takes most of a day!!!!!!
• We've worked through the warmth and cold of winter and despite days off my friend has by and large worked 4 days a week for about 5 to 6 hours each day. We've eaten well and had regular coffee and tea breaks with home-made cakes, bread, tarts, pies, lunches. 

Making progress

It's almost 6pm on May 2nd.  I vacuumed various rooms, did domestic duties, provided lunch, sanded the new door, put more wood sealant on it, then undercoat.  I was not painting it quickly enough so help arrived as the door was in the sunshine and drying quickly. Then a speed walk to find a better photo of the Purple Toothwort. I climbed La Tranche Anglais and then the next set of steps to the High Town, even attempting to run up them! yyyy?  Then I realised I have more grass to mow, so off I go after a blogging interlude! Here is a sneak preview of the door lintel / step,  put in place today after more tiling was achieved.  It's a reclaimed piece of oak from the property woodpile......and yes, you can't yet see it in situ!

 

But here is a taster of the sink shelf and tap. I love it!!!!!!

When Life gives Lemons

When Life gives Lemons.........

No, I'm not going to make lemonade although several weeks ago when Spring brought promise of Summer only to jet us into Winter, I did think real lemonade would be rather nice.
Today, any lemony thought makes me suck in the cheeks to give that expression that I was often accused of when I hadn't approved of something, and which also someone else I knew demonstrated on a daily basis.
I'm sure the Lemons will turn into something sweeter as Time progresses.
I need to identify goals with zest, which are achievable but not put them all into one basket, like eggs!
Lemons and Goals in Life are sometimes overwhelmingly bitter unless taken with a drop of Gin.
Not only Lemons, but setbacks can be annoyingly, depressingly frustrating, causing a need to throw the Lemons through the air!
But I do like a slice of lemon in my Earl Grey tea, home-made Lemon Meringue Pie, Pickled lemons with Moroccan lamb, Marmalade and many other lemony-flavoured foods ... so maybe gather the lemons that arrive on my doorstep and get cracking... oh..that's eggs... and I definitely must not put them all into one basket!

The Bathroom

Q: How am I getting along with bathroom renovations? 
A:  Yes, it's two months since I blogged about a bath and having a laugh.
Yes, since then work stopped for 2 weeks whilst I went to UK.
Yes, since then, wall tiles have been grouted.
The walls have been painted but may need further coats as I did not get quite the colours I envisaged.
Plumbing of waste water is more or less done.
Other plumbing is all installed but has to be tested after the connection is made with the pipes that come from the chauffeau thermodynamique (posh water heater that absorbs heat from the room!)
The sink shelf had a set back in that my choice of sink was wrong.... although it was the correct size for the table top.  Somehow, it always did have a question mark about it and yet I didn't want to give up on it. However, the deciding factor WAS that the through route was thought to be too narrow between the corners of the sink and the bath.   A corner sink was suggested but a more dramatic look was required by me.  I have little energy but after a mad 4 hour round trip, I found a sink, not of the correct dimensions, but something I thought would work and it cost too much!  Hey ho!!!!! I'm looking forward to cleaning my teeth as I look into it and it is made of glass!!!!!
The bath is in situ, insulated with sheets of fibre-glass wadding with the bath panel being built.  Tricky to get measurements exact so that the tiling fits neatly on. But my friend is doing well despite whatever he thinks.
So far, so good.
I hope to report a more finished room ... SOON!!!!!!!
We are very tired.
Four short days is all we can do. If I ache, then so must he.
I think mine must be the fibromyalgia again!!!! 

Water of Life - drought and death - In Memoriam

My water pump was returned so that I could extract rainwater from my cistern to flood the young hedging plants that have died or almost died as a result of frost/ice/snow burning the leaves.  There has been a drought after the snow melt.  My mimosa is a sorry sight to behold, now that I have removed the plant frost protection wrapping  Most of the leaves have fallen and near the base are just a few showing signs of green.  It was expensive and should have been in flower (it later died completely).

The lawns have been mowed with the ailing mower.... and I have had to push it all the way as the traction has gone and when it was collected this morning I was told that it cannot be repaired!!!!! OUCH, it is as I feared.   So now I have to purchase a new one. I definitely cannot push it for the large amount of grass that needs to be cut.  Last year it required cutting every 3 weeks.

It's been a  beautiful warm and sunny day - a joy to feel alive.  Sweaty and dirty having not had a shower / bath for 8 days I risked an outdoor shower using the hosepipe.  Last year, it was a wonderful outdoor experience... and really no one can see!!!!!!   Last summer the water was warm/hot for about 3 minutes. Today it was hardly warm but not yet cold. The jet, fierce and invigorating, made me laugh to get the shower finished, knowing that a friend was painting a wall and would not espy me!  My brain feels so much better now!

Yesterday brought very sad news. 

I learned that Lesley had died on March 6th from terminal lung cancer.   She had battled valiantly and so too had her courageous adult children for about a year.   I cried and cried.
I also learned that another friend from my village had a heart bypass on the same day and that her former husband died the day after.  It was a tearful yesterday.

Having a laugh

having a bath!

Update on the bathroom

 

                 A space becomes a room when the concrete floor is tiled and grouted. 

It even feels like a room as one treads carefully, feeling the splendour of potential, visualising the warmth of water! 

In the far left corner the frame for the toilet water cistern is now screwed firmly to the floor. 

Each step has to be thoroughly thought about... the diagrams for installation have to be studied, yet again, measurements must be made, drilling 6 holes for the long bolt fixation screws through the tiles into the concrete floor must be accurately executed as there is no millimetre allowance for error.  

The waste connection pipe was being a beast to connect and seemed impossible,  but then after both kneeling and manoeuvring it,  trying to understand the conundrum of why there was insufficient space to angle the white tube into the grey waste pipe, whilst listening to some choice words, I just did it!!!!!! Twist it away from the target then another twist and hey voila!  Maybe a plumber I could be!  As he said it takes a woman!  Then it was tea time treats!