Home Again

Hard to believe we have had this house just two weeks on Monday! 'The cottage' is rapidly becoming a cosy 'home from home' but already we are planning our first trip back to France. The renovations of The French Wreck begin at the end of January and so we must trip back and get that long awaited party started. FINALLY.

I know she will be a fabulous home for someone down the line and we will live in her on and off until sold, of course. Still, I will be glad when that chapter is closed and I can start the search for 'the one'. Our first house in France was definitely a case of 'buy in haste, repent at leisure' and NOT really a love story. No, I wanted land and the old dame is rather lacking in that department. What she lacks in land she makes up for in girth and so she won't be a cheap project. Nevertheless we must crack on and get her all pretty again.

I have heard a few rumours that we won't be returning to France and I can categorically state, NOT TRUE! Being here occasionally is to do with my husbands work and rather suits our situation at the moment. Our hearts are fully committed to France and we are really looking forward to house hunting again late next year. It is what it is but I get rather annoyed when people think they know our plans better than we know them ourselves! For a start off, his business is registered in France! Also, we didn't go through all that nonsense for a CDS just to leave as we finally got sight of it!

The 'Half Life' will certainly be interesting going forward, but for now we have a couple of months here to bed in. We are still surrounded by boxes and awaiting deliveries but slowly, slowly, catchy monkey we are 'getting there'. The Teen arrived home yesterday a little earlier than planned and due to delayed deliveries, she is now fast asleep on a floor mattress as we are sleeping in her bed! I'm hoping our bed arrives soon but deliveries are super slow and lots of excuses as to why.

We've had some fun moving bigger pieces of furniture in! The larger sofa ended up stuck in the hallway for four hours and an island unit delivery meant the removal of an outside door. It should have been easy but the house is old and the hinges had several layers of paint covering them. He used lots of very bad words but we got there in the end. We always do.

The Lurgy is still lingering and I'm so over it! I have a lot of work to do both for the magazine and at home, but I feel utterly vile most of the time! Must soldier on. I really am looking forward to a proper Christmas break. We will have moved house twice this year and last, It's too much! I need to dig deep as the Teen's birthday party won't plan itself! Nor will those presents buy themselves! I know I'm always a terribly late Christmas shopper and I don't intend to change this yea, still I would like to be more organised and less frazzled if that's at all possible?

Since we arrived here a week tomorrow, I have barely been out of the house except to take him to the train station or to pick up groceries! I must change this and start exploring the dog walking routes and soon. The dogs are fine in the garden but I'm sure like me they would very much appreciate stretching their legs. The neighbours are super friendly thus far and I have to say for nomads like us, its a little weird but also nice at the same time.

I do miss the sun of the South West of France. I miss the space and lack of traffic but being here even temporarily is very familiar. Nothing jars. It's easy. It will be nice to see the family over the silly season which we probably wouldn't have done in France. Covid keeps on coming doesn't it? I will have my booster and hope that one day we get on top of this pesky virus, life and travel really does need to return and stay normal! I do hope Christmas isn't cancelled again but if it is, we will just have to suck it up, keep calm and carry on eh!

D x