Holiday count down

Still a couple of weeks but already deep in preparations for the holiday. When we used to fly off somewhere and stay in a hotel for a couple of weeks then preparation was really just about packing a few clothes. This year we are going to the Crete house but planning to get it finished enough to let out. I am hoping for a long term let, which, although it wont actually make much money, will keep the house warmer and dryer during the winter and will be better all round. So my packing this year consists of electric drills and routers, curtain wires and pictures, even a wine rack. I try to buy what I can in Greece but the Greeks are too smart to have a second hand market in most things because they just don't get rid of stuff. I am happy with second hand but it is new or nothing in our area. So furniture, curtain poles etc are bought locally and the little things which are so hard to come by come from here. I did ask a friend where to buy curtain wires last year, he reply was 'easy, you get your sister to bring them out from England', very useful!

Todays plans are:
Cleaning, all morning and plenty of it.
No cooking - leftovers for lunch.
Buy extra tiles to finish the guest bathroom - would have been useful this week when the lighting circuit blew in the family bathroom.
Mystery shop.
Garden tidy and move remaining shed stuff out of conservatory (stuff for the kitchen remodelling can stay).

Fahed is still working on his shed, which has now grown to a workshop, because he keeps improving it. It is fully wired up now, not just a single sock, and the electrician has been round to check and certify it. A new window has been fitted in the side wall to allow more air movement. Benches are now complete. Just ceiling insulation still to go i think.

The idea is too finish all this before hols so that when we come back in mid September all current projects have already been finished and the house is livable. We then have the autumn to strip out the old downstairs cloakroom and build me a larder. Once this is in use I can think about the kitchen refurb, which might be over Christmas.I have everything I need for the kitchen refurb except the wall tiles and worktop, all from sales or second hand.

and so, we live in exciting times.