Conversation With A Daddy Longlegs

Never thought it would happen, but it just has. I have had a conversation...albeit one sided with a daddy longlegs. It came about as I was painting our ensuite toilet ceiling just now. The tiny body had taken up residence in one of the corners. Normally I would have swept it down without a second thought, however there were several fly like creatures annoyingly pitching on the ceiling where I wanted to paint. I didn't have the heart to cast him aside. It is very cold up there as we are open to the elements. The poor thing is just trying to catch his next meal. I jiggled the brush around near to him and he wisely decided to descend the wall. It is so cold here right now that Wilbur sat on the Aga this morning. Yep that cold! I have rung...again...about our windows. Apparently the person at the window manufacture dealing with them is not answering his calls or emails at the moment. Pester power here we come! I have also rung again to ask where our slates are...they were due in August. Sadly no one knows an exact date for them either. It could be a very cold Autumn/Winter for us I fear. Water has been entering down the unprotected roof ridge and when we lit the woodburner the other evening the stone started to sweat it out. Glam living here right now!!

Just spoken to a very 'happy' hubby...he is at long last sorting out some boarding for the window openings...the weather is beyond silage sheet now. I have lit the woodburner, and the sun has just decided to rather shyly show it's face. 

 

Both Kitty and Wilbur have found warm blankets to settle on. How I adore these two monkeys. Granted they have scratched some of our wood in places, however the love they show us far outweighs the damage their claws have inflicted...for now anyway!

I am doubting my sanity having agreed to yet another shift at work this afternoon. I keep telling myself we need the money right now, and it's true we do. However after today I really won't be going in until Monday...except for my Covid booster on Friday.

Rather too open plan to be a kitchen right now. Nothing a lick of paint won't cure though...oh and some windows...and plasterboard and plaster. Apparently two of our builders are on their way...thank goodness...we didn't have anyone last week and hardly anyone the week before. A bit like pulling teeth really as the build is held up by the missing vital components. All shall be well in the end though.

Blessings J. x

A Return

Some days I have really doubted that I should return to writing on this space. Life seems so removed from what it once was. Chaos reigns, and if you're at all precious about your clothing our cottage really is not the place to be. We have suffered one or two setbacks during the build. Firstly as soon as they removed the roof the weather changed and we were bombarded with storms. Rain entered the house in many ways, leaving it's mark in each place. We also have had a nightmare scenario with our windows. Seven windows were installed in the two cottages...each and every one was damaged...I kid you not. But worse was to come. When the boss arrived to take a look he realised that our upstairs ones were not building regulations compliant...I had queried this with them previously and was told they couldn't see anything to worry about. Well there has been plenty to worry about since! We have silage sheet draped at each opening...the weather is getting chillier, and my mood also!

So far our ensuite toilet has been plastered along with the bathroom. I have just about finished painting said bathroom, and today have wash coated the toilet. I had been holding off hoping that this week would see our bedroom getting plastered, but no such luck.

The roof still needs some attention. There has been a delay in the arrival of the slates. Humph!

That being said, hubby and son in law have worked each evening at various tasks, electrics, plumbing, and generally taking down ceilings and drilling holes everywhere.

I'm over this though...unless it is a build that I don't have to live in we will never be repeating this experience thank you. I mean....what woman would stand for trying to cook a roast beef tea whilst her husband drilled a hole through the ceiling right above the Aga?! 

I know that one day we quite likely will look back on this time and smile...thinking how and why did we do it all. Today is not that time though! I am struggling with the darkness brought about from having the black silage sheets up where windows should be. 

I never thought it would be possible to lose track of the number of parcels we have waiting to come...really though it is rather easy to. The toilet, basin, lights, more lights, radiators, towel rail, shower tray and many others have landed here one way and another lately.

Life is far from all doom and gloom though. Young Henry turned three and has started preschool, and Oscar has enjoyed having his mummy all to himself for a while.

We have been given a few slates to finish one patch of roof tomorrow, so daughters side will be complete and hopefully ours won't be so long a wait now. Windows, well lets not even think about such luxuries shall we. The kitchen is due the second week in October. The cupboards arrive already made. The kitchen needs to be ready to receive them!

I had a really bad time at work. Getting attacked from behind, which left me really not coping well. The said resident has now left...hopefully long term and I have stopped doing late evenings I'm finding a regular bedtime routine helpful in getting a better nights sleep. I have actually mixed up what I do at work. So I go in the kitchen, do laundry, as well as caring. A change is as good as a rest and I have managed to fit in many more hours as a result. This is possibly one of the reasons I have been a very bad blog reader of late! I am slowly catching back up though. We are indeed living in very strange times. Today I have entered in my diary my covid booster and flu jab dates.

Well I must away to the top of the garden and see if I can glean some remaining runner beans. We are having fish in a parsley sauce for tea, and they will be a greatful addition to our plates I'm sure.

Blessings, J. x