Getting There...

I find myself writing today, to the very welcome dulcet tones of banging, crashing and drilling! Yeah, the carpenter is here and building us some much needed storage this side of the channel. After that, it's the bathroom make overs and so on. Back in France, he arrived safely in his little red lorry and the kitchen is in the house, not fitted but waiting for the final act. The carpenter has been to see what he needs to do to fit and adapt the kitchen and my hubby is planning the full project spec. He's under a lot of pressure from 'yours truly' now as I'm sick of it, sick of it I tell you! The wreck is five years ours in June and it's time to get it done. He's dutifully set up office at the wreck and is both working his normal job and co-ordinating getting the renovation done. Not easy I know, but we need certain things done by the end of June, as renting holiday lets during the summer months would be a waste of money really. If we go on holiday, I'd like it to be somewhere we want to go frankly.

His Gite hosts are fab, they welcomed him with a Sunday dinner and a lot of wine, although he said he'd only had one! I don't think so sunshine, you were a proper Mr Slurry!

There are nice people in Expat land, I know but in my experience they are hard to find.

Anyway, I'm a few weeks into not being in the community groups and whilst I do miss the company, I don't miss the emotional drain. I got so tired of people being my best friend until I tried to make a change or said no. I just couldn't risk it anymore. So I now have time back in the bank to do what I need to, which I'm so grateful for. Also, since we made the magazine bi - monthly, things are more relaxed in many ways. A lot more relaxed actually. We have time now to build a solid business and ensure the quality is top notch and a lovely loyal bunch of writers making sure the beat goes on.

I'm still livid about all the drama that went before and still don't understand why we still don't have the original company stripe account and email account back. We do feel held to ransom and for what? Ridiculous, but we have our old colleague playing all innocent and I'm not convinced, not one bit. We will get it all sorted in the end, even if I have to resort to legal help! It is what it is. I've heard complaints from via stealth malingerers on my personal facebook, but I care not. The mess Tia and I had to clean up was quite unbelievable really and so I don't agree that everything done was to help us, not at all and if we wanted help surely we would have asked? It's all bullshit! Work with people you know well and trust folks or don't bother I say. All of this has cost us valuable time and money and I will be glad when that chapter is permanently closed. Tia and work really well together and its easy!

In other news, I've been feeling so ropey for way too long since arriving back in Canada actually and that's over two years now. The other day, I just decided I needed something to help and so I ordered tailored supplements which are gluten free and I'm hoping I feel a change very soon.

I'm off to France on Sunday for a couple of weeks and I'm quite looking forward to being there as the renovation finally kicks off. I'm particularly excited about the large ground floor window renovations and seeing what they look like once done! They are massive and in a bit of a state, so we keep the security shutters down, which makes the rooms look really dark and dingy. It will be interesting to see how much light floods in to the new kitchen! The only thing I have bought so far is the kitchen chandelier! She's pretty though!

I am a little excited about decorating, but of course I won't go wild as we want to sell the place! I'm also keen to realise the value once it's complete! We aren't cutting corners and we are making sure that the renovation is a forever fix, leaving whomever buys it to decide what to do with the out buildings. The house is still on the market but we will have it revalued as soon as the major works are done. We've always had a lot of interest in the house but the interest has been as a project not as a complete house, so it will be really cool to get the photo's of it renovated online by June. Even in this buoyant market, someone will bag a lot of house for less than a terraced 2 bed in Market Harborough!

I will hang out with him for a few weeks and we will go shopping for all those non build bits, bathrooms, tiles, lights, log burners and anything else needed. I will get huge batches of paint mixed so as each room is ready the decorator can get spraying! At least I get a say in the decor!

The weather in middle England is horrific at the moment! This morning post storm there was a smidge of sun, but five minutes later there was a sleet storm with more to come apparently! Yuck. I don't know about you but I'm longing to say 'goodbye' to winter and 'why hello there' to spring! It can't come soon enough! I always remember an old friend of mine telling me she needed sun for her bones etc and I being a bit younger, totally believed I was a winter person! I get it now....age and cold damp climates do not go well together!

Don't blow away!

D x