Overdue update

Things have moved on - as they do every time I lapse in my blogging duties! The main house is finished, bar the decorating and the odd light fitting to be fixed and one or two holes to be plastered over, and some of the roof to be replaced (not until the gite is finished).
One room is now more or less finished. The wisteria balcony room is ready to welcome guests -just as well as my friend Kath is arriving on Thursday, snow permitting. Kath, pack warm clothes! (I will provide a hot water bottle!)

The wisteria balcony room.

 

The other bedrooms and bathrooms are slowly coming together, and will be ready soon.

Fortunately, over the weekend, I ran out of paint (new lot now arrived!) which meant that I could take a (sort of ) break, while Hugh was here. We did manage to saw up loads of logs and pick up some pallets ready for me to make my compost heap, and have a lovely meal at Le Cabri on Saturday evening.

Pallets ready for my compost heap.

The gite is coming along quickly now, changing all the time. Russ and Alex are out there in all weathers, preparing for the roof, which should start to go on tomorrow.

 

All ready for the roof and floors.

While my David was here at Christmas he took some lovely photos, so I'm including some of them here - just because they're lovely!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're very happy with how things are shaping up, and looking forward to welcoming guests soon.

What a week!

It's been quite a week - and even longer since my last report - sorry! Will try to do better.
A week ago I did something very stupid, I went outside, in the dark to close the shutters, very tired after a day of painting. I didn't have the torch with me, and I didn't have a phone in my pocket, which I am under orders to have at all times. The result was to trip over this

A roll of conduit ready for the electrician.

and end up with a badly bruised (not broken, or sprained as I first feared) hand, feeling very silly and frightened about what might have happened. It also meant I couldn't get on with things I wanted to do.

It was much worse than it looks!

So, confession made, I've learned my lesson, never go anywhere without a phone in my pocket, or outside in the dark without a torch!

More interestingly, lots of things have changed over the last week. The electrician, Jeremy, has finished for now. Just a few bits to do when the roof at the back comes off later on, and of course, the gite when that's ready for him. It is going to be very quiet in the house without his radio and singing! We now have lights everywhere, switches in sensible places, hot water, tv, and more sockets than I'm ever going to need. (Not really - give me a socket and I can find something to plug into it! I've almost finished putting French plugs onto all our appliances) Just a little grouting  to do in one bathroom, and two days of plastering to finish off bits here and there. So I'm all on my own now with a paint brush and roller! Acres of white emulsion to be applied, which doesn't show up well in photos. But things are being boxed in and covered up...

the downpipe from ensuite

the same downpipe, neither seen nor heard anymore!

 It will disappear altogether, I hope, once it gets a coat or two of paint.
 
Having finished inside the house though, Russ and Alex have moved outside to the renovation of the gite.
Remember this...?

the 'gite' back in the summer.

 

 

 

This week it has looked like this....

This is how it looks today.

It still looks like this from the back......

so it's not so bad!
So we're on track to be up and running as a business by the spring, providing I manage to avoid any more accidents!