Sunday, August 13, 2023

A rule of the universe.



This morning we pass a young father pushing a baby in a stroller.  Further down the road we see another. It is a rule of the universe that  if you book a family holiday a 2 year old will develop an ear/throat/nose infection .... or possibly all three within forty eight of arrival. It is also a rule of the universe that fathers are forever consigned to walking the pavements at first light in a hope that a gurning infant might finally fall asleep. 


Everything here is progressing well. The kitchen is now just about ready. The Conservatory is waiting for the electric motors that open and shut the roof louvres to arrive from Germany ( they are due on Monday ) and 'The Cabin' is ready for the floors to be laid and the sedum roof to be installed ... or should that be planted ? The electrician has forgotten to replace the old ceiling lights in the kitchen but he'll get round to that on Tuesday.  At the house in town the under floor heating is installed, the ceiling lights have been replaced with  more modern versions and a start has been made on repainting. It's all come together on time and even more surprisingly within hailing distance of budget. 


The new 'invisible' security lights on the outside have been put up. They are low key although not 'invisible'.


Outside the skip and the Portaloo were supposed to be taken away on Friday afternoon but weren't.

The last  3 months have seen the bathrooms ripped out, the kitchen remodelled and a Conservatory and Cabin built . The period of 'upheaval' is coming to an end. We shall soon find out if the radical down sizing from a 800 m2 house to a 'lock up and go'  170m2 house actually works as a life style choice.  A trip to the US is scheduled for the end of September so the lock up and go hypothesis will soon be tested.


 A Scottish retreat :https://www.kabncompany.com/

And a place to visit in England :https://www.suffieldarms.com/

In this mornings inbox an unusual story from America :https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-12-2023




9 comments:

jabblog said...

How right you are about infants and illness. Holidays are the chosen times for disorders to strike.

suej said...

Thank you so much for the photos. I love seeing other people's projects and all of this looks wonderful. Good to hear it all has come together - it sounds remarkably fast compared with French projects. I envy you your "lock up and go". I am having a "why are we living in this great big, scruffy French farmhouse?" moment.

Lisa in France said...

Congratulations on nearing the end of your dual house project - it's been exhausting just reading about it! We have been enjoying a break from moving-related tasks while everyone in France has been on holiday these past few weeks, but it will start again soon, and one of my Sunday tasks is updating the "to do" list. I think I'll need a stiff drink before I begin. And then, once things are finally done, perhaps a visit to Loch Fyne, which appears to be not too far from Glasgow. When I googled it, the first thing that popped up was "Loch Fyne Oysters," so I'm sure my husband will happily agree.

Travel said...

The kitchen looks great, it will be ready for you before you know it. I read the last article, the warehouse that Lovejoy moved the presses to, was owned by a distant grandfather of mine.

Diaday said...

The faith, hope, and love stone is a perfect symbol of your new home. Cheers to moving in on Friday!

Pam in NH said...

What a beautiful reno! I love your new kitchen, etc. I can't believe it's only been three months since the work began. I hope you enjoy every minute you spend there. XXX

rottrover said...

Such beautiful spaces you and the Font have created...

Coppa's girl said...

It's been interesting to follow your renovations - just as we did when you moved from Italy to France. It all looks worth the frustrations along the way.
Speaking from experience of moving to a much smaller house, admittedly 20-odd years ago now, it took time to get used to smaller spaces. Now there's just me and with one dog instead of the three we had for many years, I seem to rattle round.

Stephanie said...

It's all shaping up beautifully. What splendid views you will enjoy from the conservatory. I also learned the word "gurning" this morning.