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Where do the days go?

If you look past the netting it's really rather nice
It's Bank Holiday Monday and it's blowing an absolute Hooley outside - so much for summer being on it's way!  We can't complain - the rest of the weekend has been lovely weather and even this morning wasn't too bad, but we are making up for it now. The wind is howling and of course the flipside of our lovely uninterrupted views are that there is nothing to stop the winds as it gains strength over the fields towards us. Our chairs are blowing around, I've had to hide the swing seat around the corner of the house and the tarpaulin covering Glenn's workshop roof (another story) is holding on for dear life. 

Izzy making sushi with her 
birthday present 
We are continuing to experience the ups and downs of a move dogged by legal delays and building muppetry. The chain is holding, and we think that all the details have finally been ironed out (wood burning stoves removed, covenant holders found, missing building control certificates explained), and now we are waiting for one of the mortgage providers to finally sign off and then we should be there. That's the sale side anyway. On the purchase side we continue to chase around, both on getting Stephen to actually finish some of the final jobs he has started, and finalising the warranty (which has now turned into a Professional Consultants Certificate because we would still be here this time next year if we waited for the former). On the plus side the house itself is proving to be a lovely place to live, and we have settled in and are making it our own very quickly. Although there are aspects of it we wouldn't have designed ourselves, they are mainly details which we can change over time. On the other end of the spectrum the septic tank has failed (better to know now than later) and will need more work. Essentially despite the tests that were apparently made, there is more clay that expected and the waste water is bubbling up to the surface rather than soaking away as it should. 5 minutes on the internet suggests that a septic tank on clay soil doesn't work but when I say this to him he gets defensive and says that's what the Building Control Officer said he should do. The drainage run ends about a metre from the mains drains - the whole thing seems ludicrous (why didn't they just apply to use the main drains?!?) - but navigating a way through it is harder than wading through treacle. We continue to try and move forwards rather than backwards without losing hope or our tempers. It is a testing time.

Outside of all of this the girls have settled very quickly into school and even then fact they have to go on a Saturday doesn't seem to have put them off. They've both made friends quickly and seem to be finding their way around in every way. I'm just so pleased (and proud of them) that they have transitioned without a fuss and that both of them have been so mature about the move. 

Back to work was as painless as it could be also for me too. The WiFI held up for the most part and even though I don't have an office yet (of course, even though it's "literally going to be finished this week... or maybe next week, or soon anyway...") I've made myself comfy in what will be the snug for the moment, It actually makes a very nice study - I could see myself staying in there if we find we don't use it as much as we think we will - watch this space!!

So tomorrow we are expecting a full team of builders "all day". Let's hope this is a better effort than Friday when we were promised the same and they arrived at 2 and were gone by 4pm. This week we could get almost everything finished, but I've given up holding out hope - as someone once said to me "Hope is not a management tool" and my goodness they need managing!

I know it's May but it's so miserable outside







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