Beating the Blues

Well things have picked up again in the Wilson household. We took ourselves in hand and decided that we were going to beat those winter blues.

First we went out to lunch at one of our favourite restaurants and did bit of a SWOT analysis on our life.  We decided that we were letting other people affect our mood and that they weren't important enough to let them do that. We also decided that we were being lazy about our projects and using the wet, winter weather as an excuse to be idle so we had a look at what projects would move us forward. We also agreed we were missing some of the people who mean the most to us. Just having set some plans in place while we were enjoying time together with good food and wine was enough to lift our spirits.            

Projects

We started work on a couple of projects. First one to fence the back terrace. It has drop of about 2 metres down to the back parking. Just recently Kevin came in to the salon and said ' Don't want to worry you but I've just had a fall'. He had slipped going out of the back door and right off the end of the terrace. Luckily he hasn't forgotten his rugby training and managed to curl himself into a ball - still he had cuts on his hands, his heads and some mighty bruising. Scary. So we went to buy the fencing and work has commenced ( and stopped as K has gone to the Uk to visit the family)

We also recommenced work on my kitchen dresser. We have finished the bottom half and it's in the kitchen but the top half still has to be stripped and painted - very therapeutic. Pictures were hung in the kitchen and bedroom and that made such a difference to the feel of the rooms.

I've got into the sewing projects and have finished the curtains and soft furnishings for the bedroom. I'm trying to pluck up courage to cut the material for the salon curtains but it's a but daunting as I have masses of cloth and don't want to make a mistake. So today for a little warm up I made a couple of small runners for the dining room table - I like to see the wood so didn't want a big cloth on but we do need to protect the table a bit now we use it so much more.

Pictures up and sewing finished 

Tablecloth for two

Just getting moving again has done us both such a lot of good and got those blues on the run!

People

We are still having problems with the wood burner in the sitting room and haven't been able to light it even though the piping has been redone - it just doesn't draw and the fitter insists it's fine (even though he hasn't been to check it). Meanwhile in the kitchen the Esse wood burning stove is going like a good 'un. Easy to light, no smoke and cooks a treat. Stays in all night and a doddle to relight in the morning. The chimney was fitted by a local french artisan and we are very pleased with it.

It's lovely cooking on the Esse

So we have decided to cut our losses with firm one as it is just too time consuming and stressful and get the local guy to redo the chimney for the salon fire. He has explained to us why the current one isn't working and what he will do to make sure it does. He is also going to look at the whole heating system to iron out some little anomalies (in the main it works well). Just having made this decision took a weight off our shoulders.

The underfloor heating is perfect for Schula after a long,wet walk

We are still dealing with issues arising from the sale of our last house which after two years is a bit tedious - but we agreed it is just that - a niggle we have to deal with but not important enough to affect us if we don't let it.

Of course the best way to beat the blues is to spend time with the people who do make you happy so the last part of our planning session was about organising trips to the UK to see people we love. Kevin is there now visiting our offspring and I will be doing the same in March. I am very excited to be there for my granddaughter's 5th birthday and for the Revolution event at the London velodrome organised by my son - the first event there since the olympics. Then in May we are going together on a little road trip around the UK visiting friends and family  - the people who never bring on the blues!

We had a surprise visit from our friend who used to live here and her daughter Sarah who we looked after when she was a baby - it was good to see them and to remember good times we had shared in this house. It must have been a bitter sweet for Janine to revisit the home she shared with her late husband but she was excited about the changes we had made and we hope they will come to visit us again. Here is Sarah with the magnolia that was planted when she was born.

As tall as her tree

There are celandines in the garden and despite the continuous rain the days are longer and there is a whiff of spring in the air - so we are turning our backs on the winter blues and looking forward to sunny times.

Lovely sunrise seen from the kitchen

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