Friday

It seems that there’s a whole load of deliveries happening today so apparently I need to be up to receive them. The first one to arrive was the 10 tonnes of top soil and digger that Matt has rented for the weekend. I guess we’ll be working on that this weekend rather than the pink bathroom we’d planned to finish. Matt has made a start but we both have two jobs to juggle at the same time so he has lots of calls and I have a workshop to prepare for.

The next delivery was the new sink unit for the Room 1 ensuite. When we got it inside and opened it however we realised that the sink was broken to pieces. This seems to happen every time, at least we opened it quickly this time. I tried to message the driver but seems I accidentally messaged another delivery driver due to come today who was very confused as he hadn’t been to our house yet. Matt therefore needs to arrange the return which is a bit of a pain. At least we know Leroy’s returns process is pretty straight forward, which is something as many companies are a nightmare for aftercare.

A short break in the afternoon so Matt makes little piles while I start to rake it all out. Matt tells me it’s meant to be raining all weekend so hopefully I can get my work done then and make the most of it being dry now as this will be a nightmare if it’s wet and claggy. It’s hard work though, so Matt tells me from the digger, I don’t think he quite appreciates the work I’ve been doing here.

He did let me have a little go on the digger in the middle there though and don’t I look as happy as a pig in muck!

Anyway the final delivery driver has now arrived and we have the shower screen, at least this doesn’t appear to be broken. Back to work and then to the garden and Matt has been to Intermarché to get some food in, including a huge rack of ribs. We’ve done a huge amount of work and the basics are done.

Matt is setting up my new laptop this evening. It’s very impressive and I’m excited to have a new thing of my very own, all my other Macs have been old ones inherited from Matt. I did however also bring him back a new watch and will be getting his old one, not everything changes in one day.

[17 March 2023]

Saturday

Ugh, Matt got me up super early and insisted that I did work because it was going to rain by 10am – 10am?! I messaged everyone I could think of at 8am to show I was up, they were all very confused, that made me feel better.

The next job is to mark out where the marquee is going to go for the wedding so that we can try to get the ground levelled out and agree where we are going to hold the ceremony part of the day.

With the big decisions made I snuck off to go and do my favourite thing, plant more seeds. I’ve got some sunflowers planted and some zinnias but I am really going to need more space so my nursery needs to be finished soon or the garden is going to be looking a bit lack lustre for the wedding.

Just as it started to rain Jonny and Cressida dropped in so we had a quick break for a glass of wine and to share all the progress we’ve been making before heading back to finish the job.

We also however had some sparkles to celebrate our civil partnership anniversary, three years already, technically it was Thursday but obviously I was travelling and it was late when we got home.

Back to finish the last of the raking and Matt has been over with the ride-on lawnmower dragging the board to compact it a bit before we put the seed on. Then to dig out the old peach trees at the front of the house. I hate them. They always get peach curl and we’ve never got any fruit off them, they’re a blight and I’m pleased they’ll be moving but Matt won’t let me bin them, so since there is one already on the edge of the games lawn it makes sense to put them down there.

Finally I was sent inside to go watch the rugby. Thank heavens, I’ve been back for less than two days and I already have huge blisters which are really sore. I was going to make dinner for Matt but I got distracted and so he made it instead. It was all great but his special beans were particularly good.

Oh my, look at my hands, this is what hard work looks like. Time to relax before bed.

[18 March 2023]

Sunday

I was up pretty early, well 11am which is early for a Sunday. It’s meant to rain again later though and so while there is a break in the clouds Matt wanted to get on with the second planter. It was already in ‘kit form’ (as we’d used the full planks and already cut the sides) it was just a matter of drilling and screwing all the bits into place which was in fact a surprisingly quick job with Matt drilling me following with the screws. Looks pretty good.

Next job for me was to get them painted up. This took much longer than than putting them together. The cat also scared me by trying to bring me a bird while I was working on it and I managed to get varnish everywhere, including on my new top. Matt then helped me to line it with plastic, although I’ve not lined the bottom as I want the plants to be able to reach the soil below.

The next job was to start to fill them up. They’re big though so it was a lot of hard work but good to finally use the wood chips that Tonia and I have made over the past couple of years. It’s taken around 5 cubic meters and taken a big chunk out of the chips bay but should give a good base that stores water and releases it over time. It’s obviously going to need a lot more filling up with various levels to provide a really rich grounding before we put the final layer of top soil in but since I have bays for leaf mould, grass clippings and a compost heap we should have most of it already here. Just the final layer of topsoil that we will need to buy in.

Meanwhile, Matt has been working on scraping off some more of the space under the trees to level it out as much as possible and to get everywhere reseeded. The predicted rain however doesn’t appear to be coming so it looks as though he’s going to have to water it.

Matt has also decided that we ought to have a Pétanque pitch so the final job with the digger this weekend is to dig it out. I don’t want to give up any of the games lawn but having moved the peach trees there’s an ideal space behind them for it. He’s done a pretty reasonable job of levelling it out but it’s obviously going to need a lot more work to finish levelling, frame it up, line it and fill it.

We’re exhausted but I still need to make dinner and the kitchen is a mess. Such a long but incredibly short weekend and Matt is leaving tomorrow so feels incredibly short. I made a huge chilli though and the kitchen is in a somewhat better state so time to relax, finish the presentation I didn’t get done on Friday and update the blog.

[19 March 2023]

Monday

Working all day and my final meeting isn’t till 4:30. Matt wants to leave at 5pm so hopefully we can keep to time and get off when he wants. The chap arrived to collect the digger and pleased that we will only be charged for 1 day as they had been too busy to come and collect it so that was a bonus. I’ll need to work hard while Matt is away to pay for it.

Meetings finished and it’s time to head up to Toulouse with a quick stop in to look at some more wallpapers, tiles etc before we go to the airport.

I message Matt of course to let him know that I’m home safe and sound. Annoyingly it seems that his flight has been delayed but not by too long hopefully. He finally took off just before 10pm so hopefully should be ok at the other end to get back into London. Thankfully it was and he managed to get the last direct train back into London, thank heavens for that.

My first job while Matt is away is to start getting some of the coving we bought painted up so that it is ready for us to mount once he’s back. With that done it’s time for dinner – chilli on toast!

[20 March 2023]

Tuesday

Matt’s first job back in London was to go and see Alfie, the jeweller making my engagement ring. He seems a little unsure but I’m confident leaving the finer details in his hands and I’m certain that he will make the right choice. There ought to be some amount of surprise after all. Apparently it should be made by mid April – Exciting!!

I’m busy working all day anyway but made time for a bit of a wander around the garden. There’s a lot to be done and spring is definitely on it’s way, along with a huge amount to do.

Time for a quick pop to the shops before I set about doing some more sanding up in Room 2 and make some dinner.

[21 March 2023]

Wednesday

Working in the morning and then time to take a break as my buddy has kindly come over to help me with some bits and pieces in the garden.

Meanwhile Rick has been putting up some coving and the new ceiling rose in the pink bathroom. Once he’s done and left I’m back off to finish some more sanding.

[22 March 2023]

Thursday

A bit more clearing done and it’s starting to look a bit better out there. I’ll wait till Matt gets back to clear it all away though so he can appreciate how much we’ve done. Rick has a hand from Jodie which is just what’s needed as they’re moving the bath. Still a few bits to do though as I start to paint the window frame and finally finished the sanding in Room 2.

[23 March 2023]

Friday

Matt is on his way home today so I’m trying out the green paint that he picked up to do the window frames. I’m not entirely convinced this is the right colour but we will see..

Nope, it looked ok in daylight but looks a very hospital green with the LED lighting. This is going to have to be changed at some point but going to have to be later on now and press on with more important jobs. With the downstairs bathroom now very much a shell once Matt is back we crack on with the mural and finish plumbing in the fittings.

A bit of work and ‘help’ from the cat. Time for a bit of a clean up before they get back so we have Rooms 1 and 2 fit for habitation again.

Now into that annoying time where you sit and wait to leave for the airport, along with the standard updates and delays of course. Matt has however picked up another traveller on his way and taken her to the airport.. she wasn’t looking too worried about the delays, until they left the lounge!

Finally at the airport and then back home. Good to have mum here again.

[24 March 2023]

Saturday

The pellet hopper for the heating system is incredibly low so the first job of the day is to chuck the last few bags of pellets into it. We don’t have a huge amount but at least there is now enough to keep it going for a bit and ensure that we have hot water.

My next job is to ensure that the bathroom is clean as we are finally going to put up the mural in the ensuite. I say clean, obviously there are levels of clean but so long as it’s clean enough that that anything that does go on it doesn’t prevent it sticking to the wall we should be good. Mum is on photography duty while we get stuck in. It wasn’t the most simple of things to do but it was a lot quicker and easier than tiling. I have to say I’m really pleased with it and it came out possibly better than I’d expected.

Quick wander round the garden and the cat is playing in the cloud tree.

Finally time for dinner and since it’s mum’s first proper night here we’re off down to Lou Castou to make the most of it.

[25 March 2023]

Sunday

Quick trip up the mountain for some lunch. Since we’re up here I may as well grab a couple of runs but conditions aren’t amazing though so we were soon back on the road.

Next stop Luchon. Seems that the photographer for the wedding is closed so we won’t be seeing him today but time to check out the progress on the gondola – which still isn’t looking too close – and to stop for a quick refreshment.

Back at home and it’s back to work. Mum’s helping me with the gardening, it’s funny, she has a gardener at home to do it for her but seems quite happy helping me – I guess I’m a very lucky girl!

With the floor clean again it’s time to start laying the flooring in the bathroom. First up is the underlay, then working out how to run the underfloor heating. Next step will be the vinyl, but that’s enough for one day.

Time for dinner.

[26 March 2023]

Monday

It was crazy windy overnight. I was working all morning but then went outside around lunchtime to find that somehow our glass top table has been sent flying and there is shatter resistant glass absolutely everywhere. It’s across the pool cover, all round the pool, scattered through the grass, everywhere! Time for mum and I to tidy it all up. We also need to throw Lionel in to pick up any glass that may have gone through the holes in the top of the pool cover. What a nightmare.

Back to work. We’ve very kindly been invited over to Ed’s this evening for dinner and meet a couple of other friends of his over from the UK, one of them has a place round the corner apparently.

[27 March 2023]

Tuesday

Quick lunchtime job to trim back one of the smaller bushes. It’s pretty dead on one side but the south side is looking pretty healthy so hopefully this will help. Doesn’t look like much but quite a lot of dead wood pulled out of it.

After work and we’re off to one of mum’s favourite haunts, it’s not quite the same since the fire last year but good to see that they have opened the bar again. It’s pretty busy with locals coming in and out supporting its first day of opening but good to see and very pleased they are back.

Back home and time for dinner.

[28 March 2023]