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Thanks to Val for the latest update. It has been a very busy and eventful few weeks. The weather has improved immensely and Summer is on its way. Warm and sunny one day, chilly the next.  In warm sunshine last week at the market in Cluny with Michael and Mariella and granddaughter, we came across a stand selling great umbrellas and I was able to buy one with horses for a horse loving grandniece, Amelie. Next day it was back to woolly jumpers. The dust continues but to a far lesser extent, the wading pool shower is in its last few days. This partly due to the fact that the plumbers have not been able to install gas hot water and appliances. It transpired that, even though we had received gas bills, we in fact had no gas connection. Explain that?? It seems that it went to the wrong address. Viva la France. This is all set to be rectified this week and so bathroom one should be able to be fitted. At the same time Patrick has come up with a method of replacing wading pool with large shower base so that we just MIGHT have two bathrooms by the end of next week. Just in time for visitors. John, brother from WA, arrives tomorrow, then various Rotary friends over the next few weeks, followed by my brother, Jim at the end of June. So,the tourist season is upon us in a big way. Got to get those bathrooms in. Now on to the good news. We now have a wonderful whiz bang kitchen, complete with brand new top of the range appliances, pots and pans and every utensil known me to man. Michael never does things by half. Kitchen design and fit out was totally at Michael’s direction. We would not have invested so much in it, but we knew it was important to him. But also because we knew he would do a fantastic job. Wise choice; it is just great. Halley Avenue kitchen will seem so small. Once we moved out of the kitchen from centuries past, we did a massive cleanup and took loads of old bits to our favourite charity shop and some to the tip.  The yellow monster was not ours. Phillip is coming again this week to take another load. Such a relief to get rid of some dust ravished crud. We then took another load to our favourite charity shop and, with only 5 minutes before closing time, we did a quick reconnaissance, and I spied a great framed print of Van Gogh’s “Blue Irises” which now proudly hangs in our bedroom. A bargain at €25. The chairs were from a previous visit, but at Euro 40 each, we were really pleased. So, we are getting there. So we haven’t had any adventures. just lots and lots of hard work and progress. Michael and Nick were with us this week so there was lots of scrubbing, painting, planning, eating out and some other jobs allocated by Patrick in between. I do lunches and mopping floors (my permanent occupation these days). . The kitchen cupboards and drawers have been rearranged and the technical stuff sorted. ! We are exhausted. We worked really hard together and achieved heaps. The ground floor is now all set, apart from a few items to be reupholstered and a long couch which will have to wait till the end of the year. Everything has either been purchased at a brocante, charity shop or repurposed furniture that was in the house. So we have been very environmentally responsible … or maybe just cheapskates. As we celebrated last night, we recalled that this time last year it looked like this. So there was much to be pleased about. Our spanking new kitchen is a treat, with a whole tree trunk exposed beam … Instead of the makeshift old kitchen with no hot water, ancient appliances and c..p furniture. I won’t miss it. I just LOVE our new kitchen. Patrick has worked miracles and Michael and Nick have been wonderfully supportive. We have worked so well as a team. We were all willing to bend to meet each other’s needs and wants. But I can’t say I would like to do it again. Thanks Val, those changes look great
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