Project Gratitude #update 16 & 17 & 18

Some time in Early March...until now (ish)

Update 16

It's been a cold, hard winter and today the wind finally blew off the cover on the roof and then gleefully poured rain and hail in the gap onto the stairs and landing!

On a positive note I passed my online permaculture design course and received my certificate!

My 'Certificate' :)

Still waiting for the quotation for the roof repairs...this is the third man that's been so we hope this one will actually come back with a quote. We figured the other two realised we couldn't afford their prices so didn't bother giving the quotation :D

Jean Christophe has overworked himself repairing the boundary fence at the rear of the property. It was in a terrible state. We only had to buy new wooden posts, the rest was a patch and repair job and we're going to line the line with tyres (two up) in which we're going to plant trees and bushes to create a solid perimeter and reinforce the bank down into the communal fosse ( a big ditch that collects the rainwater run-off from the fields).

Seeding and planting preparations have begun in between drizzly, cold days. Salad has already sprouted and tomatoes look like they're going to pop up their heads tomorrow. Disappointed to find that almost all of the 1,000's of flower seeds I painstakingly collected last year are sterile! Unless I buy new 'organic' or 'heirloom' seeds I guess this is how they've got us now. At least the star flower has offered some fertile seeds as has a recently eaten red pepper :D

If you don't want to donate any cash we'd love some seeds (flowers, veg, herbs....). All is gratefully accepted!


Update 17

I've reduced our 'target' to a more reasonable 20K... for the interim future (aka the next 2 years) we really need to concentrate on the house itself before we can host others. So the roof, insulation and a fully plumbed bathroom are the top priority...of course along with the planting and growing and fencing and chickens to buy so that we can create surplus to sell! Oh it will be bliss to take a real shower! It will come I know it will!

JC has spent the last month single handedly repairing the boundary fence - we only had to buy the new wooden posts as all the rest is recycled materials including tyres and pallets... Thanks to another wonderful donor we were able to buy some conifers and a peach tree. A full update to come as soon as we get another sunny day so I can take the updated snaps.

Pallet Fencing...using tyres too

External view of the awesome pallet fence

New conifers planted in reclaimed tyres

Beginning to resemble a barrier at Brands Hatch...reclaimed tyre buffers with planted with conifers

Update 18

Rather long gaps between posts don't mean no work, lol. We finally got a 'do-able' quote for the roof so JC has been busy with that, with a short break for a family visit. The worst part of the roof has been dismantled (lots of firewood for next winter) and the new beams, tarp and boards are now in place. Next step is the tiles and fixing around the chimney.

JC in action

First new beam in place!

What a difference!

Yes, this was the passage to the loo for 2 weeks...rather tight squeeze or an acrobatic manoeuvre required

We were blessed to receive a gift of over 1400 used (but good condition) roof tiles on my birthday saving almost 2000 Euros!!! Truly a blessing from a neighbour we hadn't even met up until then.

Unfortunately the top beam which continues to the main roof is rotten so we've sheared it up for now and will address that next.

Slowly but surely, with faith and patience and the generosity of strangers, associates and family we're getting there.

Ps. Regarding my desperate need for a shower...well I got one! Not quite what I had in mind, but a shower nonetheless. While the main repairs were in motion, that is the roof was 'off' there was an unexpected deluge one evening and no way to get the cover over it in high winds and rain...the next day I had to don my wellies and rain jacket to go to the loo (which is just under the mezzanine of the bit being repaired). As I sat there...drip, splat, drip, splat, drip, splat! The rainwater had collected in the insulation and proceeded to trickle steadily through the ceiling above the loo. Couldn't stop laughing at the irony of having materialised my desire! :D The moral of this story is be very careful and very specific about what you wish for...lol...though I'm still visualising that 1 million Euros in the bank ;).

Love & light to all
Louise (aka Mermie) & JC

Happy Holidays!

Bloody freezing here in central France today. The grass was all crispy and the trees were white all the way up to 2pm...brrr.

After 3 tours of the garden (yes 3 times round the mulberry bush, lol) with the new pup Kali, I donned my fleecy onesie, on top of my 2 pairs of trousers, 2 long sleeve tshirts and a jumper and decided to make the most of my new found warmth to wish all my friends in blogdom a very merry christmas.

Actually we don't celebrate the festive season...too commercialised, too expensive, and all the meaning of what it was meant to represent lost (if at all we are to believe that particular version of the story, lol).

We shall, however, have a nice hearty lunch on christmas day, with the poinsetta on the table and the log fire roaring. Cheers!

So bah humbug...with lots of love and light :)
Louise (aka mermie)

Project Gratitude #update 14

Wow, we recorded an all time low temperature this week...11.9 degrees...INSIDE!

Thanks to the donated funds I managed to get some curtains on special offer and with a bit of imagination JC mounted them using 1 Euro wooden broomsticks as poles (wood stained) mounted to the beams above the windows using pieces of thick chain. Because the walls are insulated with the polystyrene and plaster boards it's not possible to fix the curtain poles to the walls. Anyway it looks warmer, feels warmer and by jove I believe it is warmer...14 last night :)

A couple of transformation pics for you from the barn. There's now a huge straw bale in there which I'm using to cover the raised beds and places where I want to plant in spring. Just need to collect some cardboard this week for the sheet mulching.

Almost ready to tumble...

Everything except the ladder & steps is reclaimed materials, either from the land (stones were under the weeds) or from other sources (local DIY depot waste...I mean pallets, come on...waste? No way)

It's back to just the two of us now as Denis has gone home for xmas...and I think he's secretly glad to go somewhere a bit warmer, lol, it's apparently about 27 degrees in his folks house. He called to say that the first thing he did when he arrived was to cut the wifi!! Yeah! The next step is to change the dect phone for a corded landline.

If you're wondering why change the home phone... Well for one, the emissions from a dect are incredibly high, the same, if not worse than a mobile phone antenna (right in your home). They emit a signal every few seconds regardless of whether you're using them or not and they cause me more distress than the wifi.  And two, his sister has recently developed breathing and eye problems and his dad is recovering from cancer and EMF has been scientifically proven to cause or exacerbate these things.

Unfortunately our neighbours have them so I don't visit them often unless they're in the garden, and the post office has one immediately under the counter...I came out of there the other day cross eyed and with a throbbing head. It takes hours to recover...not fun!

We're very much on a drive to save up funds ready for spring when we hope to be able to get the woods changed on the roof...the first major step to getting it repaired now and joined to the new wall. It's a shame we can't do it now because the bathroom is like an ice chamber as it's immediately below the 'gap'. I'm so longing for a soak in a hot bath...but will have to settle for feet in the bowel and a vivid imagination for now, lol.

A bit of work came this week and I've been creating new VO demo's and up-to-date profile so I can get pitching in earnest now I've got a reasonable working space set-up, though a bit cold still. My Auntie has kindly offered to send us onesies for xmas...can't wait :)

Don't forget us and spread our story.

http://www.gofundme.com/chezgratitude

Love & light
Louise (aka Mermie)
 

Project Gratitude - update #9

So this was how I started off today, 3 hours and 3 coffees ago...

12.11.14

Last month was really challenging financially. Fortunately the first donations have now been received in the bank and so we were able to go and stock up on cement and even buy a couple of tins of paint for inside.

I challenged myself to make a half litre of brick red cover what I needed...and it did, with a little left over for another place. When it says on the tin 'Do not dilute' what they mean is : there's just less than enough in this tin to cover an average size wall...which means you need two tins. However, having done rather a lot of decorating on a budget over the years I've come to understand that you can dilute the paint without losing the depth of colour and stretching it out just that bit further :) So, having already picked up a couple of mis-priced 10 litre pots of white paint for 7 Euro's each, plus the new paint at 40 Euros for 2 colours, I'll have managed to decorate an 80m2 space for less than 50 Euros (only half of one white paint used). Very happy! No photos yet as it's not quite done.

In between the drizzle we've had some more sunny but cool days and the grass verges on the lanes were cut by the municipality so I took advantage of some free biomass.

Essential garden tools - wheelbarrow and rake! That's it!

 
It took a bit of effort to rake it all and transport it by wheelbarrow but it's free so it's worth it.

First make the piles...

...all along the road :)

I decided to earmark the next area for planting for spring and a la permaculture style I did a bit of sheet mulching. We already had lots of cardboard boxes hoarded away for this. However, it's surprising just how much material you need for even a small space, incredible really.

Sheet mulching to prepare the spots for the Cherry tree guild and pumpkin nursery

Needless to say I didn't have enough of either the cardboard or the biomass to finish off and the rain spoiled the collection of any additional mulching material. It's a great start though and anyway we know this is a long term project so one step at a time is ok.

The boys continued with the barn conversion and chicken house (it's become much nicer than a coop, lol) and they used over 70 old tyres to create a raised bed area for planting in the spring, along with swales all around them to capture and retain water underground.

It's coming along nicely and we're managing to get a lot done without having to spend any money. However, if we're to realise the dream of a hermetically sealed roof, solar power, a plumbed bathroom...oh and some chickens...and then our extension to include the cabins for other EMF sensitive folks to stay - we need money!

I had a little VO work last week and some content stuff lined up for this week...but it's really not much. Being EMF sensitive is a real handicap...we can't work in offices or schools, we can't sit in restaurants or coffee shops, public transport (especially trains and planes) is a no-no, we can't attend meetings or seminars or open a shop to sell things unless we can do it in our own safe environment where we can control our surroundings aka keep it EMF Free!

Every euro you donate will be put to good use, we won't waste a single cent...and it will all be received with gratitude. So here it is folks...the link:

http://www.gofundme.com/chezgratitude

Love & light and forever hopeful,
Louise (aka Mermie)

Project Gratitude - update 8#

4.11.14

Even when it's raining there's still lots to be done. Waiting for funds to come in this week so we can buy some wood treatment and paint...a few little creatures have nibbled the wooden beams in the main room over the years so we need to treat them and make them look pretty again.



The boys are bit tougher than me and are still persevering outside. Today they're extending the rain gutter from the back of the house to redirect the catchment close to the new pond area and away from the house walls and foundations.

My essentials - pen, paper and of course a mug of hot coffee!

I took time to start really designing the layout/plan today. First draft finished and ready to send off to my tutor to see how it looks permaculture principle wise.

The 'Plan' - oh wouldn't it be lovely!

Current area of concentration - it would be great if we could get an ariel view afterwards

  Now, even though I did the sketch, which did take quite a long time, I've still got some other element s to complete before I can submit my project. I've got the scribbles down for the zones and elements plans and lots of notes for the actual 'Project Plan' - what I need now is a little inspiration to get my bum firmly in the chair, a little difficult when it's sunny outside and there are lots of other things to do, like trying to raise some money through the fundraising or from pitching for work on Elance, not to mention the seed-saving, harvesting salad daily, baking gluten free daily on the stove-top (no oven), preparing dinner, general house work, laundry, decorating, planting and plant care (including daily chats!), daily replacement of the fat balls for the mirade of bluetits, robins and other lovely birds constantly in the garden, oh and making time to read either the Mother or Satprem daily, and some asanas. Hmmm...Not enough hours in the day, lol! I'm sooooo grateful!!!

Don't forget, you can really help by sharing and caring (aka DONATING :D)

http://www.gofundme.com/chezgratitude

Love & light
Louise (aka Mermie)

Project Gratitude - update 7#

2.11.14

Thankfully we've had a nice few days weather-wise, an unusual 21 degrees on the 1st November :) JC and Dennis have been digging...a lot!

This is just half of what it is now...the rainwater run-off, swale cum duck pond

It works! The rainwater harvesting system part I (it's been expanded since...watch this space)

The chicken coop is almost finished now and they've managed to incorporate a rather ingenious rainwater harvesting system which will not only provide a little pond, made out of an old kids sandbox, inside the coop for the chickens to drink and for ducks (if we get them) to have a little dip - but will also drain off into a bigger pond just on the other side of the fence. Hoping to create a nice little micro-climate there.

The pool inside the coop...nice and shallow and good for a drink!

The best bit of all this is that it's only taken the cost of a bag of cement as we had all the other materials in our recycled/reusable store.

Thanks for all the support ^^

...Actually, I added the last sentence with a little sarcasm as, apart from a family member and a few (actually 3!) encouraging comments the only other support we've had has been from the 2 strangers who made donations.

Hardly a share or a like on FB despite having over 150 friends, hardly a share but at least a few likes from posts on LinkedIn groups with a reach of thousands...to say that our enthusiasm took a hit would be a little of an understatement. Even sharing on EMF awareness group pages generated little or no response. However, saying that, none of the so called 'friends' have ever enquired about the nature of the disability we suffer...even family don't take an interest so...what to do, humans are like that.I'm resigned to the fact that most of all human relationships are superficial. Once you can accept that it makes life a lot easier. I'm so very grateful that JC arrived in my life and that we have the support of each other. Being EMF sensitive is a lonely business...nowadays where there are people there are waves, hence we spend as little time in places where there are people as possible.

We'll make it, of that I'm sure - even if it takes 10 or 20 years (Divine willing that we're around that long, lol).

So here it is 'The Link' - share, share, share and please DONATE! Consider 5 Euros as the price of the coffee you would most probably offer to buy us should we meet.

http://www.gofundme.com/chezgratitude

Love, light and hugs
Louise (aka Mermie)

Project Gratitude - update 6#

28.10.14

The broken part of the roof is finally covered, though we had to make do with the cheaper quality cover as the really good stuff is over 100 Euros. Hmm...12 Euros or 100 Euros let me think ^^ Anyway once the cover was on we had a storm and incredibly high winds so it was put to the test...it's still there so fingers crossed it'll last till next summer when hopefully we'll have raised enough to fix it. Plus the landing and stairs won't get all slippy and wet now either so we can use the first floor a bit more easily and safely.

The cover, which unfortunately already has a small hole in ir!

Not looking forward to deep winter though as the 'open part' is unfortunately above the passage to the bathroom! Eeks...HELP!

So, as I mentioned in a previous update of the updates, there's a hole already appeared at the top of the apex due to all the rubbing from the high winds which batter this side of the house (damn HAARP!). Plus we get a lot of clunking from the bricks holding down the corners. You'd think they'd be heavy enough not to move...but no! We did manage to secure one end using a couple of tyres, though they too tried to wave around, incredible strength nature has.

As always, here's the important link to share, if they can raise $70,000+ for the family of the pilots of the space flight that crashed (even though I'm sure they'll get well compensated by Richard Branson) and if a chap who lost his dog in the Lake District for 3 days can raise $50,000+ - surely we can get enough to cover our roof and plumb in the toilet and shower!!! HELP!!!

http://www.gofundme.com/chezgratitude

Always smiling and always grateful,
Love & light,
Louise (aka Mermie)