The heat wave that had been raising havoc these last few weeks finally broke, bringing strong cool winds. At the brocante the usual conversation of what one has found and how much they paid for it, circled instead on the much needed change of weather. I thought out loud, "Isn't it funny how the last two weeks the conversation/prayer has been on how stifling the weather was, "pas d'aire". And now we have this forceful wind. It is as if the collective conscious with its unified plea for air was answered." Meanwhile, linens were blowing away, books pages been ruffled, tables overturned, dresses blowing up revealing fancy knickers… the wind was naughty, excessive but appreciated.
Nearly eighteen months ago we had major water damage upstairs in our home. The homes in centuries old villages, such as ours, have connecting tiled roof which when looking out over them from an attic window, makes for a spectacular landscape. Also, tempting certain youngsters to want to take a walk about around them.
When new "city" neighbors moved into the house next door, their teenagers did not yield to the temptation to go out their attic window, which gives way to our tiled roof, and have a party on "such a cool terrace view".
Hence, the first massive rainstorm had a freeway to come into our home. As we were not home, and other rainstorms followed, when we did come home we had an awful surprise waiting for us.
Fast forward through insurance negotiating, scheduling rendezvous, arranging details such as paint and flooring… On the hottest days since 1948 our renovation began upstairs on the third floor without air conditioning. 104 temperature, in which all I can say is hot as hell is an understatement.
We moved everything from the upstairs downstairs. As an antique dealer that means I have more stuff than the average person, maybe even more than ten average persons combined, plus add into that lot Chelsea and Sacha who had their things "stored" in their rooms for their "future homes". We are talking a lot of stuff. We're talking why didn't I lose weight from this effort?
I know that when the dust settles down, the light fixtures are in place, the paint is dry, the floors are sealed, the furniture moved back in, that our home will feel home again. But in the meantime it is CHAOS.
Adding to the fun we decided that since there was going to be dust, supplies, ladders, debris, etc. strewn over the entire house that we would go ahead and connect the two houses together by breaking through the six foot stone wall, allowing the house next door and our home to be one. Can you imagine the dust?
Rarely are there moments in renovation and/or construction that bother me.
The challenge and the creative aspects of renovating old houses is inspiring to me. But this time as we are living in the middle of it, and the workers are staying here too, I feel the dust sticking to me, the debris surrounding me, living in a home that has become a renovation site is more annoying than I led to believe. I am trying to curb my impatience cause I know it will be back to normal soon enough.
Meanwhile a bouquet of dead flowers on the table look too enchanting to throw away, and if I was going to rid of something, these flowers would not be my first choice.
Old, worn, lived, loved, wrinkles of time, and rebirth,
It is a always a choice to let it be, let it go, or help it along.
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If you are looking for a place to stay in Paris, remember our apartment.
And of course if you are in Provence there is our house next door.
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