Fair to Middling

and cooking on gas!

Loving Autumn so much right now and the lack of intense heat for sure! I'm fully leaning into all things slow cooker today. Equally, I'm just enjoying being home after spending the summer away.

On the subject of 'home', the issue of 'do we or don't we' has reared its head again and so soon because a week or so ago, we got a rent raise. I had just written a draft blog about staying here and starting to spend some of our money on trying to make it work for at least a couple of years.

We had felt that moving to another rental wouldn't change anything, except empty our pockets quicker. Most houses we looked at more than doubled our rent. Investing in someone else's life isn't an easy choice but one many face sadly. Clearly investing in ones own life is better all round.

Equally we also felt it would be too soon to buy. For a few minutes we were kinda settled, making plans until the letter and the stark realisation that we really couldn't face staying here unless we had to. Why spend what we need to save on someone else's property? We obviously rejected the raise and gave our reasons which are all maintenance based. Typically, we have been ghosted yet again and have had zero responses from various emails sent to the Landlord.

I guess the writing is still very much on the wall.

The trust between us and the landlord, well that is completely broken. We signed up on the promise of certain things being done 14 months ago and we were happy to meet them half way but honestly we are just left with a sour taste in our mouths. The landlord appeared to expect us to sell the French house and do this one up on the profit! We've had the question asked a few times......!

And just like that we get an email from the landlords office, saying that they are dealing with our issues such as heating!

Anyway, with the festive season not far enough away, we wouldn't move ASAP but we have re started the looking! I actually did see one that was a 8/10 which is a pretty high score for me BUT there was just something that didn't sit right and two days later, I realised I would be going from an isolated farm, to a terraced home set in a busy community. That sounds okay doesn't it? Yes of course but the owner seemed to have issues with neighbours both sides and didn't seem to enjoy the community on her doorstep. Reg flags? Maybe and comments like 'the neighbours son has a loud car he revs all the time' didn't fill me with horror but did made me wonder, if there were neighbourly disputes? After France, that would not be something we wished for. After a few more days I just went off the prospect and that was that.

I don't want a 'maybe' I want a love story. The whole shebang!

I don't want to try and fit myself to soemthing that won't work, plus I go off potential suiters really quickly!

That keeps happening.

They should do a show called 'blind dating for houses'.....lol! I could be the professional house hunter therapist for sure. All joking aside, I really do want to fall hook line and sinker in love with a house and soon. The pressure is real, it's a pressure I'm putting on myself. I want roots. I believe I'm ready for a long term house relationship. Bout time eh!

For now 'home' is here and I feel more positive about there being a solution around the corner. 'Soon' is somewhere between now and two years time I guess but for me tomorrow would certainly work!

Meanwhile we keep chomping away at reducing our belongings and not getting too stressed about what’s next! It will happen!

Life goes on!

We had some family round at the weekend and I was reminded what a great SIL and BIL we have in Philip's brother and his wife. We go back a long way. I think we've missed a lot being away but that's life isn't it? P's work has often removed us from being able to spend time with family and those years they go quickly don't they!

Knee deep in doing life, there are things we've completely missed and it will always be a regret of mine, thats I've missed my nieces and nephews growing up but never stopped thinking or loving them. Getting to know them as adults is great and I want to encourage them to spend time more with us.

Today we are playing move the fridge and freezer stuff! We realised a little too late that our American Fridge Freezer is caput! Our little device that shows our energy use was going bonkers! Then we realised our veg was freezing and so we've had to buy a new fridge but this time we've not gone down the American route, we've bought tall separate fridge and freezers. That way whatever house we buy down the line, we will be able to move them around to suit whereas an American FF is a bit of a brut size and depth wise.

Just normal domestic stuff eh?

I feel as I get older having an organised home is really important and since we moved here its all been really topsy turvy. Three homes came together over a protracted period of time and it has been a really messy business.

We are older and we are slower. We really don't have the energy we used to, so now is the time to ensure the stuff we have and will move with us at some point and it isn't a mountain we need to climb. I really need him to get rid of some of his man stuff too, especially vehicles!

The only other farm life issue is that the flies are back big time!

We will get there in the end!

Love and gumption!

D x