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Writer's pictureDonna Jones Holland

Banishing the negativity!

taking back control of the narative, one day at a time.....



It's a new dawn at the renovation and I'm so, so relieved.


Sometimes change is as good as a rest, so we are saying NO to the endless negativity, topped with utter BS gossip surrounding us and this renovation! We've said this before and I will say it again, sometimes the situation takes a while to reveal itself, doesn't it? Like slow boiling water in a rather scaly old pot, we finally got to the frothy surface, realising something continued not to feel right, we were right and it is time to clear the decks, start again and all that jazz?


I honestly don't think we have had a choice, it feels like a good opportunity though to press restart.


Phil and I both want happy vibes here, always did!


Now we have almost the' full story', we can move on without anymore drama and I honestly don't think there will be any going forward! The thought of a calmer renovation at this late stage, is making me want to pop a cork on something fizzy and very, very expensive.


You know, it really is time we were able to celebrate turning this wreck, into what will be a very beautiful home for someone. We really need a moment to enjoy some of the amazing work that has been done here to date. Thus far it's been too easy to get bogged down in what we still have left to do and all shit Shire gossip spun. We just need a minute to appreciate how far we have come!


This renovation was a wolf in sheep's clothing anyway! Now it is morphing, just like magic into something rather grandiose and important again. I think the family that built and owned it since 1989 would be very proud.


Put simply, we don't have any time left now to waste on idle gossip or time wasting, which has been the dark cloud enveloping us from the start. Now we are here, we can crack on with those pesky jobs holding up other trades. It's been super stressful, but you all know that, as I've shared it all here to the chagrin of some.


At no stage was this renovation ever supposed to be this tough and nor should it be about the people that worked for us. Now Philip and I can gift it wings to fly and give it a much happier, positive and light filled ending.


I really, really worried about taking the decision to be right in the thick of it again, but actually, it was absolutely the right decision, no scrap that..... the only decision, that made any sense! It was the perfect move, because we can now see for ourselves, what's going on and what needs to be done. Better to rely on ourselves than people that rarely, if ever had our backs.


We've been especially narked by the vicious rumour that we don't pay. Invoice and we pay. It's always been that simple. Don't and we won't polish off the crystal ball to make it up! I think out of all the BS behind the scenes, this was the one that hurt the most and actually made no sense at all. If anything we've paid over the odds sometimes and for poor workmanship, especially in the begining.


Enough already! Time to put all the nonsense behind us and forge forward positively.


Eeeeeeee, feels so good to move forward with new energy and a bucket of that gumption I love to talk about. About time eh?


This morning, I've been talking with the decorator about paint, wallpaper and tiles and it's so refreshing to have her around. It's also really nice to inject some of my character into the property, finally. Such a lovely talented lady, the decorator I mean and no you can't have her contact details. LOL. Also, really nice to have some female hormones in here as it's been very male dominated to date.


Watson? He is just a complete pain in the bum right now. He is gardening on a scale of ridiculousness. I may have to send him on a course on how to tidy up after himself! Can dogs be recognised for their de landscaping skills? Bless him. He's heading to 7 months old and turning out to be a loving, but very strong willed character indeed. He's on the high ADHD scale of constantly super confused, but busy that it's such a relief when he settles down for the night!


Fizzy, meanwhile has been quite settled, just getting on with it and seems to have moved on from her grief. I was just talking about Bertie as I went to get the mail and hey ho, I've just received a reminder from the vets to get Berties vaccinations updated. I guess I need to get round to de registering him here in France? Sad times.


I'm also a one arm bandit right now. Tendonitis. It's very frustrating being strapped up but the pain has been immense. I'm quite lucky in that I appear to be able to use my left hand for most jobs, but I can't lift and P really needs lifting help. Somehow we manage together and this renovation has certainly pushed our buttons on more than one occasion. He and I have been through it and for what? Hopefully, not just to be discussed at supper tables in the area! Anyway, no one died and no one got physically hurt, so I guess we are all good?


Many people have asked me lately if we would renovate again? I'd say no, but doesn't every French home need a full upgrade? I know there's a difference between a cosmetic upgrade and a full deep dive renovation, of course I do. I think at the very least the next place would have to be livable. I will never love anyone elses kitchen, thats true, so that will always be something we will have to tackle and even though we've rolled with some unnecessary punches here, we have learnt a lot, enough to understand how not to approach renovation, I guess!


The beat goes on! Phil is currently knee deep in a 100 years of pigeon poop and other unsavouries. He's in the coach house loft, frustratingly doing a job we'd already paid someone to do, which is clearing out the top floor of the old ramshackle coach house.


I'm not doing too much at the moment due to the tendonitis situation, unless of course shopping online counts? We will be welcoming the arrival of a new dishwasher, cooker and microwave very soon!


You know for every successful renovation story, tales abound of people struggling and being ripped off. Some of the stories sent to me make me feel rather lucky. We have not lost hundreds of thousands thank goodness. It's a fallacy that everyone is super happy with work done, the people doing the work and have no complaints, they just don't share the realities. Thats fine, you do you, but I will always tell it like it is!


This ain't no fairy tale folks.


Love and gumption in equal measure!



D x













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