Day One:
Took two heavy, double glazed units, broken on delivery two years ago, to the dechetterie.
Acquired from the skip 6 rubber backed, blue carpet squares. My friend wanted two. I have 4. I don't know why except that two will be very good under the feet on a cold kitchen tiled floor whilst dining for breakfast or lunch. I vacuumed them, scrubbed with carpet shampoo, a bottle of which I found in this house when I bought it and they now are a lovely, bright blue.
Yesterday woodburner would not create much heat. Today, developed a better technique. Tip: Use a firelighter as well as kindling wood. Overlap the unfinished oak log with another log so that a pocket of air is between and under the logs.
Retrieved clean washing from the line and hung out the washed dirty clothing.
Picked the last of his grapes, removed from stalks, ensured no tiny slugs fell into those we needed, washed several times. He'll whizz them into juice using the 20 year old Kenwood mixer that I gifted.
Assisted with preparing worktable and tools, responded to requests, cleared up at end of day.
My friend removed one French door, removed old glazing and prepared it for receiving the new double glazed unit.
Lunch: Chicken and Potato pie in Flaky Pastry. It contained onions, carrots and flageolet beans.
Created Lemony Apple crumble with crême anglaise which I now have to perfection!
Day Two: Erased by depression. Slept 36 hours in darkened room,cosy and comfortable and without a fire it was a pleasant 16 degrees in the room. Not hungry or thirsty.
Day Three: Normality resumed by the end of the day. I started taking the tablets! Today was a two bath day since the nice new thermodynamique has not enough hot water since Friday. Calcaire is the monster. I await the electrician. I must remember to turn off the red mallet to stop the machine wasting water. It's just like the wonderful French toilet cisterns when they get stuck! I must remember to flick the switch on the electricity feed as I don't want the boiler heating water all day!
Door two is being prepared. Door one is being sanded. Slow progress, but progress. Measured and neatly packed apx 6 square metres prefinished (brushed and oiled) oak flooring, either for sale or to my son's boat. Lunch was too much with Carrot, garlic and ginger soup made with chicken stock, leftover pie and apple crumble. That was me for the day apart from liquorice root tea.
Day Four: Awoken by the distant sound of the doorbell. Yikes!!!!!! We both worked at cleaning my chimney because I had been worried that there does not seem to be much draw. I haven't been that warm in the evenings. In fact, the chimney was not very sooty! However, now I will not worry and took photos with date stamp to prove that ramonage had been tackled!
As the weather looked glorious my friend decided that we would tackle the temporary repair of the valley between the two roofs until such time as I have decided who will replace one roof and when!
With his head out the rafters we took some good shots of rooftops around my house. Then the 3 cans of SprayFoam (mousse) did not work. In haste I drove several miles to return the two cans we bought last week. The entire stock in the shop (all the same batch) was useless and behind the counter two other cans had been returned. Re-imbursed, I bought 3 smaller cans.
TIP: Always shake the cans to check they are healthy.
NOTE New lesson: Some aerosols are used UPSIDE-DOWN and others used at 360 degrees.
Job done, roof tiles returned on new rafters with several broken - old and crumbly, like me! Fortunately, we had spare tiles. My concern is that the former barn roof also needs attention but maybe not in my life time. I can't afford to repair two roofs!!!!!!!! I would love also to convert both attics to living accommodation but that would be serious money!
Lunch was goats cheese on toast with beetroot in walnut oil followed by apricot coconut cake from last week which is now beautifully moist and yummy! I just love store-cupboard cakes because they always improve!
Day Five: (Day 4 of toil) My friend scraped off the dried, bulging yellow foam, neatening the view. We further propped up the beam with stones. The test will be when it rains but it JUST HAS to have improved. I am so pleased for this gift for now I will feel less anxiety about the beam rotting further from water ingress. Then he moved onto sanding the doors even more and are ready for primer / undercoat. Lunch was a very thin slice of rumpsteak, sweet potato slivers, steamed carrots and broccoli, leftover apple crumble and yoghurt.