With Callum going back to the UK and college at the beginning of the week and me almost forgetting what would have been Tony and my 28th wedding anniversary yesterday, it’s no wonder I’ve felt a little out of flux of late. Luckily, the house and garden have kept me busy. I finally got the last of the eye-watering wallpaper off and I think I have the upper hand in the war against the wisteria (no spiders were hurt in the process). Still, there are times when I miss having Tony beside me even if he would probably be telling me I’m doing it all wrong. He would have loved the garden although the heat and insect bites would have had him muttering curses.
Wallpaper and wisteria aside, life is pretty quiet. The dogs are gradually taking over the garden and scaring the life out of any canine passing the gate. I’ve given up trying to keep them quiet as I’m sure the whole village knows them by now. Arry has made sure all his half-eaten footballs and a once waterproof bucket are scattered around the acres. I had hoped his pool would be delivered in the week but I stupidly put the L’Horte address down and no-one was there for the Amazon man so it’s stuck at the post office. Naturally, our post office isn’t open on the weekends so we are pool-less until next week, the one thing I miss about the UK (okay there’s a few things but this is definitely one of them) is the ability to get anything you want or want done almost immediately. I’m still waiting for a reply from my Jeep guy as to when I’ll get my wheels which is a little frustrating but apparently quite normal. However the final estimate from the builder arrived which was surprisingly within budget, hopefully he will be able to start the grand conversion in a couple of months. Meanwhile the colour for the shower tiles and the paint for the bedrooms will be the next shopping trip. It still feels a little strange to be designing and picking everything myself without having to compromise but I’m pretty sure Tony would have approved.
On the plus side, Mumo and I introduced ourselves to the Mairie (Mayor’s office) and got my Attestation or Certificate of Residence. This means that I can now open a bank account here. The French Government have been rather decent in allowing any UK peeps living here to apply for residency from October which of course I will do. Despite my occasional impatience with the lack of urgency given to getting things done, I’m rather loving the pace of life here. One of the best parts of the day is sitting on the balcony as the night draws in, talking to friends back in ol’ Blighty. Before Covid, Zooming or Housepartying would never have crossed my mind so thank you to the tech gods for such inventions. Thankfully, our internet has improved somewhat too so I can sit out under the stars with a glass of wine and great conversation.
I once wrote on this here blog that we should all take a tip from our dogs on life. My woofers don’t think about the past or make future plans (except Yogi, food is always planned), they live life to the full purely in the here and now. It’s taking time but I think I’m getting there a little more every day. I’d still like to know when my car is coming though….
“In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn’t merely try to train him to be semi human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.” (Edward Hoagland)
Widow plus woofs 
I like the second photo for the pool. Effie sends love xc
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