Thursday, August 23, 2012

A Very Long Summer To-Do List

A Very Long Summer To-Do List

IMG_8803I don't mean to give you the wrong idea about our summer vacations in the Auvergne, dear Reader.  Sure there are the get-togethers with old and new friends. IMG_8848Sure there is wine. This 1956 Sauternes must have been the most spectacular bottle of the summer. (Merci, Alain!)
But there is also the yearly maintenance work on the house.IMG_8762The iron gate needed to be sanded and repainted.  (Having an audience makes it less of a chore.)IMG_8832There were tree stumps that needed to be removed because their roots were growing out of the foundation. (Merci, Michel, pour votre aide.)IMG_8873There were the tries at removing the old lime between the exterior wall stones in order to replace it.  (How much did they want to do this work?" my husband Glenn asked after doing just a patch.
"Whatever the estimate was, it's worth it.")
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Wood floors needed to be sanded and sealed.
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And though it took a long time, it was worth it, don't you think?IMG_8897An absolute must this year was to replace a badly rotted shutter with a new one .
"Is your husband a carpenter by trade?" asked Mme . M as she passed by.
"Non, non, Madame!" I replied. "Mais il a beaucoup de talents."IMG_8882There were also some small projects that sneaked onto the list like this one,
just because Mr. Pardon Me wanted a round planter.IMG_8883It looked so good that I suggested he could build me that tour I always wanted.IMG_8885Our neighbor Michel chimed in: " Then you might as well build four towers and turn your house into a chateau." I like that way of thinking.IMG_8794I did my own share of work, of course.IMG_8785Between cooking, cleaning and tending to my garden, I white-washed a very rough wall with a small brush until my wrist hurt.  The result is spectacularIMG_8769But would you like to know what was the first thing on our to-do list for the summer of 2012?It was to dig a hole through many rocks to...IMG_8767...intsall a post...IMG_8771...to hang a hammock.Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to relax in it that at all.
Perhaps next summer.


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