First Door IN

As I mentioned in my Monday post, I painted the frame of the backdoor whilst waiting for the delivery truck!

So 

on Tuesday afternoon (20/12) we actually fitted the door!

Do not know if any of you remembered the BIG HOLE after we took out the midget size backdoor.

 In the meantime Olivier built up the sides again and on Sunday went with a friend to put the stone lintel on top! 

not quite Kimberley but...

Sides built up by my favourite mason

(Every now and then I refuse with the big big stuff pretending to be a fragile woman!)

Well, tonight the door is in (not totally sealed yet) but there!! And I am so proud of my husband and all he can do! To think when we met he was a graphic designer behind his computers 16 hours a day! And now a builder of fame!!

And I'll be back in 2012 to show the pics of the incredible adventure of the beams - Olivier and 2 friends has been working on it this week and as I have to do the B&B, could not do a real photo reportage, but have something to show you soon!

With Ugly Betty we thank you for being such wonderful supporting friends in this new brave venture.

Here's to a hell of a lot of sharing in 2012!

Over and out for 2011

Hugs from us and wishing you great goings in 2012

Another Monday

Well, this Monday started out in anticipation !

We thought the delivery of the beams and tiles for the roof will arrive this morning.

Whilst waiting we ajusted things for the future back door and I painted the doorframe before the final installation. As no one showed up by 11H30 we came back home to finalise the 'declaration des travaux' papers (in France they LOVE paperwork in 3 - 4 - 5 fold!!)

Back again at 13h30 and by 14h30 the truck arrived.

Now as this is in a tiny hamlet, with small streets, the only way the driver thought he could maneuver was to put the nose of the truck in the field opposite the house.
 

The said field is slowly but surely showing signs of delicious green growth.

The wall after the departure of the truck!

Needless to say, the truck with a couple of tons on its back could not reverse out of the field - a neighbour came along with his tiny tractor - the truck did not move - only leaned on another neighbours' wall . 

3 hours later, he did download the tiles and beams and had to drive through the field to get out and this time the tiny little tractor had to do the last bit of pulling.

So now we have so many excuses to do to new neighbours not yet formally met and repairs - tomorrow we're going over with Bubbly, Red Wine and many a humble bow!

O happy with everything IN the courtyard !

This is what life's about - you plan one thing, another happens!

But hey, it's all about sharing and hopefully this sharing process will bring us closer to our new neighbours!

Monday Monday

This is just a quicky!

Arriving 'Chez' Ugly Betty this morning, O started wistling the old tune of 'Monday Monday'!
It certainly gave us some courage to attack the finishing of the floor and carting off the rubble to the 'dechetterie' - 

we did 4 trailers today - a total weight of around 4 tons !!!

But you can see the look this morning!!

 

And what the room looked like when we left this afternoon!

Only thing I can say is that we are dog tired tonight !

See u later for more Ugly Betty adventures

One Month

So, the first month has gone by

And boy oh boy

The kind of the 'mass'

So many emotions, fatigue, joy, highs, lows

And of course tons of chipped off cement and other 'debris' carted off to the dechetterie.

And the most incredible of all is the encouragement we get from you - our friends, family (even the neighbour's son popped in to see what we were up too and told us we're very courageous!)

Our latest task, since Wednesday has been to break up the tiled floor and we discovered old stone pavement underneath. Unfortunately we cannot use it in the house, but it will make a lovely terrace in front of Ugly Betty

No need going to gym!

This breaking up consists of O bashing the floor base with his favorite 'mass' and then I drag the pieces away and of course cart it out to the trailer waiting for another trip to the waste disposal place where the guys are getting to know us quite well.

A daunting task which we thought would last quite a couple of days, but by Monday this will be done!

Old stone under the cement

About 10 cm of cement

Little by little, chisel by chisel, we're liberating Ugly Betty of her cement prison!

Chic Betty - TNX Babe!

Truck filled to the brim

Last night driving back from the other side of Dijon (more than 3 hours away) in the pouring rain, barely seeing the glittering black road that snaked ahead, with a truck stuffed full of furniture, I once again realized how incredible this life is. 

If one is prepared to open yourself up to others, to help, to share. 

We went to help a dear friend clean out a home of a friend that passed away and Ugly Betty gained beautiful furniture for her lounge and dining room! (Not to mention enough toilet paper for a lifetime!)

Elegant table waiting patiently for its place

Lovely chairs to be restored

This morning we unpacked the truck and Ugly Betty, with holes in her walls, a leaking roof and so much still to be done, welcomed elegant chairs and tables for her interior! All wrapped up in the barn, waiting to get a bit 'sproused' up. And she'll become Chic Betty!

I do think that sometimes we do things the wrong way around but hey, this is inspiring to us as well! Projecting into the future - visualising the final product.

Thank you Babe for this.

Life is about sharing and if there's one person that does more than her fare share for others, it is my dear friend 'Babe'! I am very lucky to have her as my friend. Luv Ya Babe! 

We might have to re-baptise Ugly Betty and call her Chic Babe?