Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A cynic might wonder.




As far as Wilf was concerned it was a day for staying close to home, dozing on the door step and generally doing as little as possible. Not even the promise of a trip to the cafe for croissants and a hair tousling would get him to move. We were concerned about his lethargy but as 'the font' observed, any dog that can cover the distance from the downstairs door to the upstairs kitchen in three seconds flat still has plenty of fight left in him.

While our little touch of paradise continues to bask in bright sunshine the rest of Europe remains shrouded in snow. Even Paris and Frankfurt have cancelled 40% of their flights. As for Heathrow the less said the better. The repeated ineptitude of this airport a national embarassment. Let's wait to see what today has in store before panicking.

A telephone call to say the Glasgow Rugby team have delayed their match until seven o'clock tonight. A cynic might wonder if they're reluctant to leave the southern sun and return to the cold of Scotland. The kilted fans,sitting drinking at the tables on the central square in Toulouse, seemed happy enough. The delay was welcome. The sturdy little Volkswagen chose yesterday to have another of its temperamental moments and was hauled off to the garage. A reminder that it really does need to be replaced.

In town I literally bumped into the joiner coming out of the cafe. " When might we see you up at the farmhouse again ?" I asked. ' Oh! In the New Year M'Ongoose. In the New Year ' he replied cheerfully , sauntering off with a wave and a smile. Very helpful. My thoughts were less than seasonal. At least we know he's still alive. Now all we have to do is find the electrician, plumber, tiler, gutterer, and decorator. Mental note :- Never try to restore a rickety old house when you're actually living in it.

17 comments:

  1. i believe you are right about restoring homes while living in them, not easy.

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  2. It's nice that workmen the world over are so rich they don't need to work! :)

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  3. How annoying to find workmen are the same the world over.
    I hope for you that the cancelled flights will soon be a thing of the past and you can have Christmas with all your family flown in from the corners of the world.
    Wilf looks absolutely adorable in the pictures-little boy lost look works very well with me :-)

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  4. Hey there Mongoose...

    The contrast between lethargy and exuberance is to be expected (If I were to compare it to our own experience). "So long as he's happy and painfree" was always my yardstick. It's wonderful how Wilf is holding up.
    Enjoy the rugby.
    Sending lotsaluv
    MAXMOM IN SOUTH AFRICA

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  5. The weather from Ireland to Scotland is all over our news and I have to say trumps anything we have going on right now. No snow in sight for our nations capital until maybe Christmas day. And Christmas as you know is all about believing and you have to believe what the joiner said--But I wonder if the he remembered that the New Year starts in less than 2 weeks?

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  6. I seem to remember you had this problem with the workmen last year?

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  7. thank you so much for your kind words the last couple days..it means a lot and really does help...
    i always get a chuckle when i read your posts....good luck find the rest of the crew and of course hugs to Wilfie...
    xoxo

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  8. Perhaps you need to take out a missing persons ad in the local paper!

    I am in total envy of your weather!

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  9. I hope that Wilf is back to romping soon. It seems that you are (perhaps) learning to take the ups and downs in stride.

    We have a similar roofer situation as yours (but we don't have 7 workers who we're trying to track down). We are mystified. Why start a job, spend money on parts (he paid for them, not us), and then disappear???? Please let me know if you figure out a good way to prod people back to their work :)

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  10. Not as young as I used to be, I'm feeling lethargic myself.
    Wilf's adorable black nose never fails to delight.

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  11. how about never restore a farmhouse in, um, FRANCE? tee-hee...

    i sometimes fantasize about buying and restoring something old here in CH. then a water pipe burst this weekend and 2 floods in the basement brought me to reality and desperately wanting to return to our newly built home in CA.

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  12. The European weather has been on the news a lot lately. Tough break!

    I am sure you could get the Alaska Treeline Construcion crew to come over and get the job done on the rickety old farmhouse! Alaskans are such a hardy bunch. They amaze me.

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  13. We like Wilf's line of thinking...we too would rather stay close to home today, basking in the warmth and security of home! Glad to hear one of the contractors was found...good luck with the rest! Keep going Wilf we think you are top shelf!

    Yours pals in snowy Canada,
    Dianna along with Tor, Willow and Tucker

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  14. We have heard the news of lots of snow there and we do hope you stay warm and cozy.

    Sorry for not being able to comment these past posts but we have been reading your posts regularly.

    We do hope that the rest of the restoration team come to your home and get all the work done.

    We are wishing you, the Font and Wilf a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

    Love,
    Piappies Fudgie, Princess, Frappie, Mocha, Sugar, Wai-Pai & Wai-Max

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  15. I hope once your house is complete that you'll give us a "tour" of your beautiful home. From what I can see in your pictures, it looks huge!

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  16. Oz pretty much closes down from now until after New Year. No tradies available.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Kendra & Bella

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