Morning peeps, I’m having a little lie in, although 2 little dogs are now atop the duvet, so it’s likely to be short lived.

We’re still in the business of settling in to the big house, lots still to be done, but we’re getting there slowly.

I genuinely love the kitchen/dining space, and I’ll love it more when we have a working hob. Wrens Kitchens have decided that our shorting hob has an invalid warranty due to us taking it to France, despite them knowing this and delivering it to the shipping agent directly for us.

My sister is militant about it and for all I know is currently staging a sit-in chained to a built in wine fridge. Although she has bigger fish to fry right now and is protesting the proroguing of parliament in Leeds today. Go Sis! I’m with you in spirit!!

Who was happy when they thought that prorogue was one of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson’s middle names, or at least perhaps the name of Jacob Rees Mogg’s favourite hunting kestrel. I guess he’s got some time on his hands now that they’ve stopped filming Poldark, and he no longer has to flat-share with George Warleggan. Shame really as I’m sure his forthright views on slavery in the plantations would have been inciteful.

Poldark though. There was a time that we only watched it for the gratuitous blouseless scything of Cap’n Ross. Now when I thought they’d killed Horace (adorable aristocratic pug) I was beside myself and halfway through a sternly worded letter to Points of View before he could lift his, as it turns out, only mildly poisoned little noggin. I firmly think that it had run it’s course though, and with a swoosh of his cloak and a tip of his tri-corn he’s gone to be a Dickensian James Bond in France, while he’s knocked up his wife – again, (seriously there’d be no need for Gilead in the Handmaids Tale with his rampant fertility) and left her to furtively pace in front of the fireplace for 9 months. FFS. Demelza used to be badass, very,very disappointing end. There are only so many times you can listen to people say that they are “afeared” or telling Cap’n Ross to “have a care” before it starts to grate on the senses…..

In other news, 2 massive spiders in so many days means the entire house smells of raid, and the husband was despatched to cellar and attic yesterday with a sweeping brush and more spray. The best defence is a powerful offence, but I have to accept it’s the time of year and I’m busy “taking back control”, where have I heard that phrase before?….. Those spiders will need more than blue passports to get in here I can tell you.

I’ve laid the hallway lino, painted bathroom skirting boards, I really need to do corridor skirting boards and all the doors next.

Then it’s on to the living room. Not having somewhere to relax and watch TV is less than ideal, especially if you have to hoik a 16kg bulldog up and down the stairs each time you want to watch TV in the bedroom. He’s watching me very intently now, as I eat toast and Marmite.

Right, enough gibbering from me, going to spend a much needed day in the garden before it gets too hot, 31 degrees again today, then a welcome 10 degree drop for next week.

Still no bloody rain though, the grass looks like a well worn doormat.

TTFN xx