Remembering Raoul

Hello Everyone

This is two days late I know – but for a reason. A year ago today one of our lovely rescue cats, Raoul, disappeared without a trace. Sadly he was not the only handsome cat to just disappear. A number of neighbours’ cats went too – all of them bizarrely quite distinctive cats. So I thought I would delay my post to remember my lovely boy. To those without pets this will sound bizarre, but our animals are family. It seems to be harder to accept the loss of a cat if there is no cat to bury and mourn. We will never know what happened. While he was with us he was a star, apart perhaps from the time he stressed out and bit me – another story. We still miss you Raoul and hope you are OK wherever you are.

January kicked off with a few challenges but we do love a challenge! My mother returned from 10 days in hospital after her Christmas Eve fall resulting in a broken hip. We have become full-time carers getting her mobile, investing in a load of equipment to help her and toning our legs running up and down stairs a lot. We finally found a physio to come to the house and she is now full-speed ahead. She has done the stairs twice and even came downstairs to eat for the first time since 23^rd December this week. She will soon be turning cartwheels and putting us all to shame. Not bad for someone in their mid-80s. It is good to see her morale return. Obviously that wasn’t enough on the challenge front – the car got another puncture just on the day I was finally well enough to pop over to see her at the hospital. That was our third puncture in 12 months – ah well!

It has been so cold here, frosts and a snowy day – well half a day but it was pretty while it lasted. We have also had some gloriously sunny but chilly days. Fabulous skies as ever.

The cats and dog are keeping cosy and enjoying the woodburners which are busy all day every day at the moment. We are enjoying them too! Currently Anya, our grey cat, is missing out as she has managed to get herself locked into our neighbour’s barn again. She has spent a chilly night there and we await her release – hopefully soon as she must be very hungry and cold. Silly cat, you would think they would learn, as it is not the first time!

It was sad this year to put the Christmas things away as I barely saw them having spent the whole period in bed ill. Such plans that did not see the light of day, but worse things happen at sea as they say.

In the run up to Christmas we did do a number of little jobs around the house to tidy it up. We finally painted over the apricot square in the salon and the cream fire surround. Both are now white in keeping with the rest of the room and look so much better. I also happened across a rather lovely fire screen which fits the fireplace in the salon just perfectly.

Some time back we bought three rather pretty glass fluted light shades for the séjour. We have been meaning to put them up for a while. Max created a wonderful light fitting from an old Ikea stool seat, which I stencilled and he hung the three shades from this. A truly original light fitting which looks amazing and for the first time the séjour is rather bright! Actually the room has become the dining room now so maybe it is time to switch names.

We also started on the statement red wall in the kitchen, only managing the chimney breast for now but hopefully one side of the fireplace will be completed before the end of January. The other wall has a few plaster and damp issues so we are drying it out before seeing what we need to do to fix the wall. This part of the kitchen, as I have mentioned before, has external walls that are partially below ground level so prone to a problem or two. I have a theory that this part of the house is the oldest part as the walls are not at all straight and are the widest of anywhere in the whole house. If only the walls could talk and fill me in with all the details I am desperate to know. It might even be that this part dates back to the 16^th century. Who knows?

The homemade console table for the hall is finished – the top and bottom made from a plank of wood and a wrought iron stand found in the attic. They are not actually fixed together yet so you will have to wait for the final result, but this is the before photo. There is a bit of finishing off to do in the hall – one of the January goals. More on that next time I hope.

Talking of January goals – do you set them? Do you make plans for the year? I love doing this but over the years have tended towards using January as a time to reflect on the previous year and what I would like to do this year. It gives me some space to be pleased with what we have done and work out what we need to do next and in which order! I am not a great resolution person, more a plans for the year kind of person. I also love a list and am finally making more realistic ‘to do’ lists. I find them really helpful for remembering things, especially at the moment as everyone has different appointments for things, including work for me and I just can’t keep up with it all without writing everything down! Are you the same?

Have you come across Action for Happiness – I think I have included it before? Each month there is a new calendar with daily prompts of things to do. I enjoy doing this as it gives you a little focus each day on something other than work and the day-to-day. This is January’s calendar:

Enjoy the rest of January. Have you noticed the evenings are getting longer already and the tips of spring bulbs are beginning to peak through the cold soil? Joyful moments to see you through the cold days of winter.

Take care

A bientôt

Ali xx