Changes
Dealing with the limited counter space in the kitchen has not been easy, but finally we have a solution. A cross between an island and a table. It’s the height of the counter (93cm) and done in the same Zimbabwean brushed granite, 120cm diameter. We considered a classic island but that would have looked clunky. The wrought iron legs make the room not look any smaller. I tested the set up yesterday as we had people over for lunch and it worked very well.
Serious work here at number 42 begins again in two weeks. The three rooms on the west side are becoming one grand suite. The southwest room which faces the garden remains a bedroom, the room next to it becomes a dressing room and the northwest room becomes a bathroom.
Last week, through the blog, Eric, a member of the family who was here before us contacted me. He sent me some wonderful pictures of a party at number 42 in 1981. It was strange to see a whole set of other people, other lives going on within these walls. Porcelain, silverware, gilt mirrors, flowers- like us, but not us. I joked to Mike, look at them in these pictures, as if they own the place 🙂 Of course I was only three years old and they did own the place. One day someone will probably contact new owners with pictures of when we lived here. Eric also gave us a new bit of information; that the house was originally built for in-laws of the Vidal-Stanton’s, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hine of the Hine Cognac family. How appropriate as I can keep the alcohol theme going 😀
It’s one year since I stopped smoking.
The weather is gorgeous.
My Mazamet 
I like. 🙂 The black counter/island/table you had there before was nice but a bit chunky. And congratulations on giving up the cigarettes. As an ex smoker too, I know just how hard it must have been. Bravo. 🙂
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Me too. Long time smoker, now long-term non-smoker thankfully. It can be done, and well done to you Meeka and you Mr P too for getting there.
– esme not allowing smoking upon the Cloud unless it’s pure drugs man.
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-does a victory lap with esme pon the cloud-
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The one before was too high, too narrow and blocked movement. This one is bigger in terms of cm2, but being round it actually seems to take up less space.
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And it has lovely legs. 🙂
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The legs were a tough decision. To make the whole thing really firm it had to have more legs- but I decided I could live with a jiggle if I could have three rather than four legs 😀
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?? You took one of the legs out? Or it was a choice between a 3-legged table and a four?
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I wanted “light” legs- that meant choosing a design that wasn’t ideal for stability.
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oh!…doh. Well, you’re not likely to tap dance on the table are you? And I still like the legs. 😀
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“as if they own the place” – Hahahahaha. Outrageous of them. It’s certainly big enough to need something in the middle and those stools look high so I can see the set up working. *nods*. I’m a sucker for wood (misses!) myself and would have to have some nice slim turned legs on it, but not everyone has esme’s fantastical taste *laughs a lot and pegs it*.
– Esme raising a glass with Mr Pink upon the Cloud
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In a perfect world I’d like a stool version of the Eames 670 chair- Unfortunately such a thing only exists in my head 😀
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Looking Trés Posh, Senor Pink.
And well done on the smokes.
No More Mr Gauloises or whatever it was.
I am pushing four years now without a cigarette. It does get easier … but oddly enough there are times ….
You will notice that bloody Brazilian-Aussie will not comment on smoking!
😉
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Used to be John Player Special, then More, and by the time I stopped it was Dannemann cigarillos. I’ve got one of those vaping machines to take off the edge…
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I used to smoke JPS once upon a day.I slowly weaned down to ultra mild B&H and ended up with rolling my own and using two filters!
Never tried one of those machines.
After 12 months you should be feeling noticeably better health-wise already?
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I suppose my breathing is better. Nothing dramatic, though. I neither feel nor look ten years younger
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Yes the age this is a sod isn’t it! 🙂
While the skin may improve slightly ( and teeth tongue nails etc) the hair still goes grey or falls out!
It was really the shortness of breath on such a regular basis that began to seriously freak me out, and it was beginning to hamper a simple jog. And this was terrible for me as I used to run bloody marathons!
So the easy breathing is a good enough reason above everything else.
I have no idea how much damage I incurred all these years but I am hopeful some of it can be restored and with luck not get any worse.
Hang in there.
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Mr. M,
That floor looks. .. rich! Love the table but those stools. . .egads. Our daughter in Oz has those and when I’m there it’s a constant clean-up job to keep them free of dirt and grime (five kids!)
Never smoked but I have every other filthy habit . . . Grin. . .
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The floors are the original tomette tiles, very common in much of France, but especially in the south. The stools were an afterthought. We were walking by a shop the other day and they were on sale, and the height was adjustable, so we decided to give them a go 🙂 thus far not too bad in the cleaning department, but of course no children here.
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I really, really like that floor
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In person they really look their age which I love. It’s a great contrast with the modern cabinets.
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Oh, P.S. –
It got up to 9 degrees yesterday and it’s supposed to be 21 tomorrow! BIG grin. . .
(there’s still piles of snow in places, though, and dirt roads are complete muck)
I got the brush taken off the gardens and am anxiously awaiting the first signs of the ‘Canadian’ tulip bulbs I planted in the Fall.
What can I say? Small things amuse small minds. . 🙂
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Here we’re getting 25 tomorrow, but in 10 days we’re back down to single digits!
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Congratulations on your one year free from tobacco. I have never smoked, having asthma, and seeing longterm smokers having symptoms not unlike asthma leads me to wonder how much pleasure one can gather from a practice that leads to such debilitation (not being able to breathe well is definitely not fun).
I do like your kitchen solution as I have taken that route, too. Keeping the profile slim will also help with the light in that room, to which I am very sensitive. Trying to cook in a dark kitchen is twice as hard as one filled with light.
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I have asthma too. The smoking wasn’t helping it.
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XO XOX!
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Let me know when the grand suite is finished! In the meantime I will be sitting at the stools in the morning awaiting my french press, s’il vous plait!!
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hi, nice design
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Congratulations with the smoking. Because I really don’t want to give up I have a hard time even trying.
The table fits beautifully and doesn’t look obtrusive.
Hugs
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The table looks very smart, & spart from it’s obvious advantages over something fixed to the floor, being round means you won’t get bruises if you walk into it. And well done with the stopping smoking. I’ve only ever smoked 2 cigarettes (just to see what all the fuss was about), and hated it but I know it’s so very hard to abandon them.
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Congrats on the stopping smoking thing! Husband Chris said it was the hardest thing he ever quit doing – thought he could do it by will, alone. He ended up with patches and gum. Said he’d never go back to it, not for anything. xoxo
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Zimbabwean blogger https://kudzaigaparelifestyle.wordpress.com
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