Restoration home

We’ve bought an old restoration home in France. With no budget, but lots of time and skills, it is a very long term project of many phases. From converting an attic, to tearing down internal walls. Creating a rentable apartment, to converting a barn into our new home. Lots of planning, day dreaming and hard working are going into our long term home.

Sunday dreams and water plans for our duck enclosure at PumpjackPiddlewick

Sunday is our day for dreams. Grand plans are suggested, googled, YouTubed, discussed exaggerated. Our restoration home or garden is generally the focus, with whatever latest scheme we have dreamed up for it, or sometimes we revisit a previous idea. This Sunday’s (revisited) dreams were about building a stream, andRead More →

Unearthing cobblestones at PumpjackPiddlewick

We have discovered cobblestones in our courtyard. Actually, we knew there were cobblestones, we just hadn’t quite realised they were ‘COBBLESTONES!’. You see our courtyard has gravel in it. And gravel is very, very annoying at times. Fine if it is outside, say, in the garden. But when it isRead More →

Repairing and old deck chair with striped canvas at PumpjackPiddlewick

I am in love with deck chairs. I freely admit it. Especially if they are wooden with striped canvas. My passion for deck chairs began as a youngster. My Dutch grandparents had a garden allotment (on the edge of Amsterdam), complete with tiny summer house. Sort of like those youRead More →

Join me in my happy space at PumpjackPiddlewick

I have been contemplating the concept of creating a happy space. Not an esoteric, froufrou atmosphere in my head, but an actual space. That creates happiness. Or, at least a sense of well being. A smile spot 🙂 You see, sitting, working at my desk yesterday, I realised happiness isRead More →