I have been loathe to invite anyone into the French house whilst my vision for the whole place remains less than blindingly obvious in most areas. This couldn’t go on, so on our last trip we allowed in some curious neighbours and a local blog-buddy.
The response was interesting. We had a visit from one French neighbour who had actually been in the house before we bought it ( the previous owners did not socialise or welcome visitors due to their particularly difficult situation )
She was mightily impressed that we had removed the toilet from behind the front door and very relieved that she no longer had to climb over it to get into the cave or the courtyard. She was even more impressed by the dramatic changes wrought by us in the kitchen/diner & salon; though less impressed by our lack of hand rails on both staircases.
We went to sit and chat in said salon and she made a bee-line for the os de mouton chair; everyone who comes in does! and we have to shout “no, don’t sit on that!!” or even resort to rugby tackling them to prevent them settling on it.
The chair isn’t safe, it is missing two springs and is wedged with a piece of board .
The attraction remains magnetic, my blog-buddy J sat down before I could intercept her. She survived the experience. Thankfully. We really must fix it.
The aquarelle (water colour painting) behind the chair is a view of the Pyrenees. I bought it before we bought the house. Karmic
Crime scene tape might come in handy!
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Now that’s an idea. Can I get it on ebay?
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Of course people want to sit on the os de mouton – its just so sittable! I’m very pleased that overall your French neighbour approves of your endeavours – you are breathing fresh life into a place she knew before and the fact that she approves I think is a Gold Seal, actually – but I’m like that, as you know! The picture reminds me of a moment IN the pyrenees many many moons ago when my then husband and I found our dream house which was empty and a lady passing who had worked for the deceased owner scribbled the details of the beneficiary of the old gentleman (who was an artist of much acclaim in France – a recipient of le legion d’honneur, one of two brothers equally talented and equally fabled in their country) – his nephew who lived in Rome. Driving back through the Périgord some weeks later we stopped for lunch at a routier which had an antique shop attached. There on an easel was a heart-stoppingly beautiful still life which I was instantly drawn to but sadly decided we couldn’t fit it in the car with all the other treasures we had accumulated on the trip and the then not quite two year old eldest daughter – just too much of a squish so we walked away. The painting was by the father of the beneficiary of the house so the brother of the deceased owner. We did make contact and we almost bought the house but circumstances intervened. I have always felt it a wholly karmic experience and one that will stay with me forever. I can still see the views from the house if I close my eyes …. and the still life is etched deep too.
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What about one of those ribbons over the chair like they do in museums?
I love the note about the aquarelle!
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Ha! Like it!
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