Even more tragically, it has meant that I have been unable to update you all on what has been going on at the Keep for ALMOST A MONTH!! Furthermore, you will have to wait a little longer for a photo-based update as I am currently sat by the broad side in Norfolk enjoying a well deserved holiday and not at home in the chaos of the The Keep. Let me explain...
Over a year ago we booked our annual holiday to Potter Heigham in Norfolk where myself and D join my Dad and stepmum by the river to get some R and R and do a spot of fishing. Back when we booked it we obviously had no clue we were going to take on a big renovation project and cut it right down to the wire regards a moving in day. Several times over the last few weeks we were certain we would have to pull out of the as The Keep was reaching new heights of disaster-dom and time away felt like an impossibility.
Fast forward to a cancelled house sitter, a desperate search for somewhere for all the animals to stay, an incredibly stressful late night move-in, a five hour journey to our riverside-rental cottage and all I can do is sit here, chocolate oatcake in hand and wonder how on earth we actually did any of it.
I suppose the most important thing is, we are in. Properly, officially in with all of our worldly goods piled high and our bed squished in amongst packing boxes. IN. And for a moment it was fan-bloody-tastic - we were home after 18 months of not having one of our own.
Ofcourse, things are never that simple are they... After a manic few hours after work making sure everything was out of the half way house and in at The Keep we looked forward to finally getting to use our beautiful new shower and settling down for the night. The dogs and I gathered in the bathroom to witness D go first and share in the glorious moment we had gotten all giddy about. Glorious, however, is not the word I will ever use to describe that first evening. The water shooting with great ferocity out of the shower head only ran either freezing cold or scalding hot (picture D dancing about in the shower cubicle trying miserably to find some sort of medium heat). It then coursed down the glass side panel and straight out of the entry to the cubicle and on to the new bathroom floor. To add insult to injury, the down pipe of the shower was pulsing out water too, so after we'd cursed it all and messaged the bathroom fitter I reluctantly ran a bath. I'd so wanted to savour my first big bubble bath, I've wanted a roll top bath since I was little, but needs must and we both had a quick rinse in it filled just half way up.
Wanting nothing more than to fill our bellies and get some sleep, we padded downstairs to put some tea together. Which is when we discovered that the shower had also leaked into the freshly plastered and decorated kitchen ceiling.
I didn't care what we had to do we were going on holiday after that.
I took the chickens to a local poultry breeder who hires pens out at £3 per pen per night with food and bedding - Pages Poultry in Burton on trent, she's a lovely lady and welcomed my girls with open arms should anyone else require the same service.
D's mum has been brilliant, especially considering she has two dogs of her own, and had both of ours for us while we are away. I've had daily 'dog diaries' with videos to show me how much they are definitely not missing us.
More carpets are being fitted while we are out of the way and of course the shower is being fixed, which means we should go back a slightly more liveable situation.
When I think about it now I realise it should be no surprise to anyone, particularly me, that I have gone on to buy a house by some sort of water - I've been coming to visit the Norfolk broads my whole life and always love it. I'm going to use our time here to regroup, work out a priority list for when we get back and remember why we took on The Keep in the first place. Life sort of starts again when we get back and intend to make that a life I rarely feel I need a holiday from.
Come rain or shine (or leaking shower) it'll still be mine.
G
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