Piggy in the dog house!

For all you dirty minded bloggers, no I have not been having sex in the dog kennel!

Piggy is our Jack Russell, we got hime because we live on a farm and wanted a ratter! That is if the need arose, however we are currently setting up our holiday business, through the summer we had caravans coming on holiday and come spring we will have two cottages ready for letting.

This is the dilemma, piggy will not stop stealing the builders food! The guys came to work on the roof yesterday - yes Sunday, put there tiffin bags in the house and shut the door, not good enough he went in the back way and stole all their lunches.... They lock up food he finds a way in can anyone give me some advice, how can we stop him stealing off barbcues, going into the accomodations and stealing someones dinner? He is still a baby and I think he just wants some attention, so an early New Years resolution is to train the dog to come and stay and get him up to scratch by the end of March, else his nibs says piggy has to go!

First born is really feeling the strain of living away from home, really doesn't want to go back to uni, it's knowing she can come home that keeps her there, unfortunatley until we are back in the house there is absolutly nowhere for her to stay - more problems! My friend I walk the donkeys with has children older than mine and she says that the worry hasn't stopped even for her - hey ho just have to get on with things.

On a different note I have bought a heater for the laundry room, it helps dry the washing and keeps me warm whilst on the pc. I went mad yesterday and bought sn electric blanket for my side of the bed, his nibs never feels the cold. I'm sure our heating bills will be greatly reduced when we do get into the house, we are so cold in the caravan that tonight I might wear a woolly hat, we will be so warm in our fully lined, insulated house!



Christmas Day was not the best, turkey was boned, rolled and stuffed for me and everything else was from M and S ready done. Trouble is I love to cook and hardly use salt so of course by Christmas night we were all thirsty ended up drinking water - great bundle of laughs we were. We got invited to a 70s party on Saturday night it was a great laugh with lots of party games people are so friendly here in Cornwall, however youngest had rugby training on Sunday morning so I deceided to drive and let hubby have a few drinks so I dropped himoff at the rugby and went to a supermarket as a treat - yes readers we realy did need more food.
Hope Christmas was good for you all and looking forward to New Year not sure about anyone else but I like the idea of everything starting off afresh on the 1st!

Biggin up my roof!

Is it really that time already?
The builders have gone, but only until Monday, yes folks builders need work and the money and I NEED my house back!

We have already taken two bookings for the holiday cottages, great I know but one cottage not finished and the other one we are using to cook and live in, so, builders have gone on their Christmas Lunch, off to the local pub for drinks and a meal, it's for all the self-employed workers in the village so they have taken hubby too! I know, I here you asking what about me aren't I self employed? Not according to them I didn't get a look-in, however head builder asked if I was around this morning I asked if it was important he said yes okay said I, I will be here, good said he, as it's our last day can we have bacon and egg butties at crib time 10.00am? As he had made sure I was here I had very little choice, they did enjoy them.
So I have waited for the bus to drop off my little darlings and thought I would suggest footy on the beach - no offence mum but you can't really kick a ball, not even the thought of hot chocolate would encourage them, there is an alternative we could always clean the chickens out, lead balloon effect I am afraid.

So christmas hair appointment on Tuesday, should have had nails done tomorrow, but feeling really low and can't be bothered so cancelled that.
I am sure by the end of March I will be happy again No-one is ill or died and the sun is shining, I just feel a little low and need a good belly laugh, I would blog more but sitting in a cold room doesn't help to cheer me, so onwards and upwards - shouldn't but need to rush through christmas so I can get into my house roof is coming on and looking fab, walls going up inside and the heart is going back into the house. Merry Christmas to all out there whether you are a doer or a reader, no matter what your situation
love Frankie

Just exactly whose idea was this?

So the roof has come off, the builders are really cooking on gas, well they would be if we had gas in this neck of the woods! We had some delays, namely the wind, nowt to do with the builders but that from above. I lay in our bed in the depths of the duvet over the past few nights and said a little prayer along the lines of please don't rip the lid off my home, it really would be the final straw. So far so good, and the forecast shows a drop in the wind over the next few days. Normally- as in the old days when I had a proper home with central heating, a bath or two and everywhere in it's home type of home, who and I kidding it was always untidy, the kids would still fight etc, BUT I could potter about. I really miss my pottering, if I go into the laundry room that is where the washing machine is living and the only place my lap top works, it's freezing my fingers get cold, do fingerless gloves really work?
So it goes dark about 5.00pm i have to pick up daughter from bus I then finish tea off so the kids can eat If I have left washing or something needs ironing in the laundry room I have to go through the building site to get it I can't carry a torch and washing at the same time, his nibs suggested a hat with a light attached - yes I know it's a good idea but he just doesn't get it, I then take the clothes for the children living in the deluxe centrally heated barn with lovely new kitchen and power shower I then go back and get the washing for his nibs and myself and our youngest child who all sleep in the cold, damp miserable caravan - sorry caravan it's not your fault , you have kept your lid on for me! all my pottering is outdoors and I am hating it, the gas bottle has finished in the caravan so I can't have warm water to even wash my hands!
If I haven't had a shower before the builders arrive then I have to dress in the caravan and undress in the barn for a shower i hope you don't mind me offloading but this life is feeling uck right now I know it will get better - and before you ask or suggest I potter in the day it's difficult because the builders are driving dumpers, diggers today the scaffolders are here again and yesterday the roof trusses arrived. I can't even park close to unpack shopping as my car gets in the way and I practically shop everyday because I don't have the storage to keep enough food for all off us.
Right, thanks for that everyone, feeling a bit better, it's good to talk.

Everything is beautiful!

Well I think so, it's because the birds are singing, the builders are building and his nibs has gone on a course about sustainable tourism! He has to give a presentation about our business etc, and explain where we see ouselves on the green side. What these people won't know is that his nibs is a very successful ex MD of a Recruitment Business and he won most of the work by the skill of his presenting! Sorry if I sound trumpet blowing, but credit where it is due, he may be a ***ser most of the timebut I would love to have been a fly on the wall when he spoke! Der of 'im, as they say here in Cornwall, or bless, to the rest of you.
So I am allowed on computer to look, to buy, to blog, whatever I desire, his nibs says I can go on at night but it means putting on a coat wellies with a tourch trying not to fall over the builders rubble, you get the picture, it's hard enough to put a coat on just so I can walk from the lovely warm barn and go to bed in the not so warm caravan, bliss. One month down 5 months to go.
I sat in the hairdressers today, i go every 7 weeks, so hopefully after 3 more hairdresser appointments I shall move back into house, wonder if the builders will mind? especially if they haven't finished.
So FIFTEEN well what can i say, just go it is fab, i love my food and so does my friend, who incidently got better to enjoy a lovely tasting lunch. Hopefully as a family we will go between Christmas and New Year and hope it remains the same.
First born coming home on Friday can't wait, wonder where the plates will disappear, she reckons she has changed - she would have had too I only packed one plate, one cup ete etc.
So the day is beautiful in my opinion, who knows about tormorrow.

What happened to the party animal?

Well hubby an kids went off to France I had my GNI at mine and had a wonderful Friday night, everyone enjoyed the food and we had a real good laugh. We never have music playing which suprises me but it's just we all have so much to say and it's all lovely.
Saturday came and I changed the bed for my visitor and dashed around poo picking donkeys dropping winter horse rugs off to a friend and just made Newquay airport as friend arrived from the North, it was great to see her last time was April last year when she put me up when my Dad had died, so lovely to see her again as a little holiday. Great that no one else is here to think about. So whislte stop tour en route, quick drink change of outfit, off in taxi to Truro to see Boy George! Really lovely pre-theatre dinner at Indaba then off to see the good man himself. He was brilliant, he's put on a bit of weight but voice still brilliant sang a couple of covers Dire Straits and T Rex, great night taxi home and watched electric proms - with another little drink, all champagne by the way. Today set off for whislte stop tour got as far as Porth Leven, friend feeling queasy, must have been the sausages at breakfast, friend sat in car for 10 minutes still feeling queasy, eventually I said would you like to go home, yes said friend. So here we are back at the ranch. Whatever happened to my friend and are partying days, wonder what she would like for dinner, trouble is mention the food and she feels more queasy, hey ho hope she's better for fifteen tomorrow!

Plough on

Sitting in hubby's office - well he doesn't know he's cleaning car, I can enjoy use of computer and checking my emails, none of it very exciting but enjoying others blog reads. Whilst sat sitting here I can hear the noise of the local ploughing competition, we had thought about going but got the binoculars out instead! Pretty good view, i'd give the prize to the horse just for the heck of it. For anyone read previous blog, re farmhouse oven on Friday after further investigation and much prodding and pokeing, suddenly through the mist of the soot another clome oven has been found this one complete with door and handle and also the rail above which I presume held suspended kettles and pots not in use, fantastic, builders got very excited apart from the one that was removing the remaining toilet waste pipe which he thought had been rinsed out! He must be very well trained as he cleared up his pile of sick himself!

So what wonders await? Not much I would think there is hardly anything left to see, apart from interior cob wall which was meant to be coming out, well I found husband stroking and hugging said wall and after Friday night discussions in the pub the wonderful builder is looking at how we can alter interior so we can preserve wall! Happy husband and me also I really wanted to maintain as many features as realisticly possible.

On a different note it would have been my Dad's birthday today still think of him every day and I am sure I always will, also Hubby taking a friend and our two boys to northern France for d-day beaches and battlefield tours next weekend and into half term, second daughter off to stay with first born in Birmingham and - have you guessed? I am here but not alone, girls night in at mine followed by visit from up north from great friend and party animal, so off to see boy george and at some point visit to fifteen, never been so can offer opinion on blog once tried and tested, hope weather is good as sight-seeing would be nice and not possible in a mist.

A sneaky blog!

Sneaky because him indoors has gone to town so whilst builders are building I thought I would do a quick post. The house has been totally ripped apart, all ceilings are gone and no fitting left I can't beleive we survived there for 18 months as time went on and the Rayburn died, we had no central heating and the two log burners were so sooted up that we couldn't get them to draw!
Well looking back it's no different than as a child we had no heating but we had hot water bottles and in a morning my Gran would turn on the oven and put our liberty bodices (no joke) to warm up in front of oven door! I can honestly say it never did me any harm, I think at the moment so many people are telling us how brave we are sleeping in a caravan - sorry that's not brave. We are not ill or living there because we have no home, we have chosen this route. I was certainly surprised to see so much damp, in the bedroom first born slept in (which was really a dairy downstairs) there was bitchaman on the walls, to try and prevent the damp coming through it didn't work.
The interesting things in the house are the cob walls which will remain and how plaster-boarded all the rooms were particularly the kitchen so they could put up wall cupboards. In the kitchen the builder has found a bread oven I think they call it a clome oven - not sure on spelling so we shall keep it and make a feature of it.
On a different note we had visitors yesterday who lived in Cheshire like us but he also left his business and moved to Cumbria with his lovely wife, they are having a weeks holiday in Cornwall and I have to say it was lovely to have a visit from genuine friends, hubby and him communicate every day and will always be friends, no point scoring just a great manly love it was lovely to see them laughing so much and enjoying each others company, have to say local pub let us down badly, why can't people cook properly when your paying for it? Anyway enough for now donkey poo awaits!! The weather is lovely we have been having misty mornings and lovely hot sunshine I love this time of year.