Saturday 26 June 2021

Petit Dejeuner?

The electrical chaos continues, but we are coping. The new box on the wall replaces the old one in the cupboard. But that channel needs to be filled and plastered, the walls repainted, and some tiles replaced. 

But that can't happen until the earth bonds are properly fixed to  the water inlet and the oil pipe [which goes to the boiler]. Bob's able to do the cabling, then James will come and connect the ends and sign off on the electrics. That sounds so easy - but involves drilling holes in exterior walls, pulling cables through cavities and across the loft and it is not a fast task. I'm glad we can do part of the work ourselves, it would cost a fortune for the electricians to do it all - but technically it is essential [I'm trying not to moan about previous owners cutting corners here] 

Can I help? I said brightly, and Bob suggested I went into the loft, watched for his orange electrician's cable rod appearing, then tugged it across the loft to bring all necessary cable through the hole 
[just by the front door]
Forget cheerful chappy on his knees feeding rod down hole. I was balancing on a narrow joist, supporting a long pole, trying not to fall through the ceiling below. More like Blondin crossing Niagara! But with frequent cups of tea and lots of mutual encouragement we will eventually get this job done.
The trouble is, until it is all finished, the contents of the cupboards are all over the dining table and the work table in the study. There are still boxes in the spare bedroom and it's all feeling rather cluttered.

I'm the sort of person who likes to eat my meals at a table when possible. Thursday we were able to sit outside in the garden. And yesterday Bob said he was going to make a cooked breakfast. It was windy and raining  "so please can you be creative and find us somewhere to sit and eat, Ang?"

I looked around and spotted my French canvas. Aha! I can put our little bistro table into the Futility Room, I thought. So that's what we did. I scribbled a sign on some scrap paper with a Sharpie.

And we enjoyed our Full English with a French Ambience. I even switched on the under-cupboard coloured lights, to detract from the stuff all around us.
Great wiring, and great breakfast - thanks Bob!






10 comments:

  1. Your futility room is such a great size! There's no way we could fit one into ours! Well done for creativity- it looks really nice and comfy. The coloured lights are an interesting choice. I've never seen that in a kitchen/utility room before.
    What was on the breakfast plate? It's hard to see on my phone! Rather you than me in the loft- my balance isn't the greatest- I'd definitely go through the ceiling! Well done!

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    1. The lights were Bob's idea. They were incredibly cheap. They are operated by a credit-card sized remote - you can choose from 16colour variations and static/strobe/fade/chase. Everything from subdued Candlelight dining to crazy disco! Rosie enjoys choosing the colours&patterns. Breakfast was eggs, beans, bacon, black pudding, tomatoes, mushrooms & toast. Plus oj and coffee. Lunch was Very Small bowls of vegetable soup!

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  2. I love your bistro chairs, I would happily have them in my house! I have one of those French canvases too, the nearest I'll ever get to 'Escape to the Chateau'! Have you seen the work those people have to do to their 'fixer-uppers'? Fantastic results though, just like your wiring work!

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    1. The chairs were being thrown out when they refitted sainsbury's cafe in Leicester. I was there at just the right moment, and the guy let me choose 6 undamaged ones. I cleaned the woodwork & recovered the seats. Over 20years ago!. E to the C is fun. She's an Essex-born Angela like me!

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  3. Love it! Especially the tulips in the glass bottle vase! :)

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    1. They are silk ones, Bless. But they provide instant cheer all year round

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  4. Finding an oasis of normality when in chaos is such a triumph! We've been there and done that...tooo many times already, part fun, part frustration, but worth it in the end!
    Nick's DIY improved no end when he got his "big tool". A giant drill thing that takes no prisoners when it comes to drilling big holes in walls. Nothing defeats him now!

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    1. The right tools make such a difference. Grateful for the power tools which were part of our leaving gift from the church in Ferndown

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  5. I have a feeling that your bistro breakfast in the middle of chaos will become a treasured memory! Often creative improvisations mean more than carefully choreographed major celebrations. One of my most memorable meals was commercial beef steakettes cooked directly over a fire on a grill at a campsite and served in hamburger buns. We had never camped before and the weather was grim but that meal was wonderful!

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  6. Wonderful, creative and romantic!

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