We are moving again. For the next few weeks the woofers and I will be tucked away in the main house whilst the builders move into our home to give it a much needed makeover. Every part of the design has been chosen by me and I can’t wait to see the outcome. Finally I will be able to take a shower in an actual shower instead of an ancient blue bathtub and the wall between the kitchen and lounge is coming down to make an open living space. Thankfully there isn’t much to pack up as most of my stuff is still boxed in the garage and apart from the sofas, there isn’t much furniture to move.
The renovations have come at the perfect time. Over the last week the temperature has started to drop and I have no heating in the house apart from a couple of fan heaters which I move from room to room. I hate getting out of my fur-filled bed in the morning, the dogs know how to keep their Mum warm and cosy and having a shower surrounded by bright blue tiling doesn’t exactly make one feel sunny first thing. Running from the bathroom into the bedroom to get dressed has become part of my fitness routine which the dogs find very amusing. I never get tired of the view from the sitting room though, coffee overlooking the garden is the best way of lifting the mood.
Having only moved from London three months ago (seems like so much longer), the woofers have surprised me with their laid-backed attitude to being shifted again. It will be a bit of an adventure as they aren’t normally allowed in the main house, adding 9 dogs to the resident 2 would be too much dog for anyone to deal with. We are moving to the ground floor and into what will eventually be the family room. There is a bathroom but it’s not blue you will be pleased to read. Camping out for two weeks in a warm room doesn’t sound too bad.
Since it doesn’t take more than half a day to move my meagre belongings and with the garden heading towards hibernation, I need ways to keep busy. My accountant will fall of his chair tomorrow morning when he finds my tax returns in his inbox – before Christmas is unheard of. I still try and get over to L’Horte as often as possible to check on the old house and take Arry for a swim, a bracing dip is only for the tough at heart. As the seasons change, the house seems to fade a little more each visit. The ivy has started to crawl through the upstairs windows and grass has covered gravelled pathways. I took Denis the gardener over there on Friday, even he saw the beauty in the old stone walls and neglected landscape. As the work begins on renovating Rouffiac, it’s sad to see L’Horte slowly slip into the past. I’m determined to bring as much of there to here though, trees and various flowers have been dug up and replanted and hopefully, the tractors will soon be rehoused in the old chicken shed. I’m really looking forward to the radiators reappearing in my new home too…..
“Great buildings that move the spirit have always been rare. In every case they are unique, poetic, products of the heart” (Arthur Erickson)
Widow plus woofs 