June in our French farmhouse in Burgundy

So they've been working on making the parking back here. And so really, the house to me, like the front of the house, just looks like a mess. So they're coming back next week to put, not gravel, but something on there so that can be a parking. And we've tried to take out some of the trees and keep them, plant them back, but they're not doing well at all. It is so dry and so warm and it's a very bad time too. And there was also an oak tree, that little one right there. We've put it there. That is not doing well. So my plan is to go to the water source. We have multiple sources in the village, so there's lots of water actually, even though we're in another horrible drought again. But see, that's the oak tree. And down there is a stream that never ever runs dry, so all the farmers go down there, right there where that tree is, and pump up water for the animals. But that is difficult for us to bring up here. But on the other end of the village, right behind there, right between those houses, is another source. And that's never dry either. So we have been spending the last evenings going to the source and get the water there and then, you know, take it here with wheelbarrows. June has been mostly about finishing the cottage, which you've been able to see in the last video of the cottage reveal. So it was a race against the clock, but we're so proud that we made it. And when I finished painting the cottage, and there was nothing left for me to do on that specific day to help finish the cottage, I had one of those crazy ideas, I know. But it was to try to do a little upgrade of the old kitchen that we'll be using all summer again now. It would have probably been wiser to save my energy for all the other stuff that needs to be doing, and that's a lot. But I'm usually not wise, but very enthusiastic instead. Olaf is going to say this is absolutely ridiculous. And he's right. The thing is, we've got a lot of stuff to do to finish the cottage, but at this point, it's a Sunday, Olaf's gone somewhere with Benjamin for a soccer tournament, and he needs to finish a few things before I can do anything in the cottage. So I've done all that I need to do, like making sure I have all the decor and all the stuff for the kitchen, and preparing everything on my end, getting the new fridge, everything I can do. I've painted all the bits in the cottage that I can, and there's just nothing I can do right now in that space. And I'm just thinking, everything that's temporary, this is what I've learned in four years, everything that's temporary usually is temporary a lot longer than we anticipate. And I just, I'm making all these beautiful spaces for guests, and I'm spending a lot of time in here, and I just want to have a beautiful space for myself. Because I've been waiting for four years for things to be finished, and they won't be finished anytime soon. And I'm enjoying it, and this just helps me to keep enjoying our building and renovation process. If I can allow myself to do little things that make me happier from my personal spaces, it just makes me appreciate everything much more. And I think if I wouldn't do that, I would be resentful towards, I don't know who, but for putting in so much work and still living in a horrible space myself. And I know this isn't horrible to most people, I fully understand. What I mean is, it could be more beautiful than it currently is, without a lot of investment, and I just want to put that investment in. And I don't think you can hear me, because I'm talking to the wall. I still needed a couple of last things for the kitchen of the cottage, so I decided to go to Muriel's Brocante shop in Nolet. And maybe you've seen my video where I toured her really charming shop, and it's in Nolet. That's about 20 minutes drive from us, it's about 20 kilometers from Beaune, about 60 kilometers from Dijon, and it's a really beautiful medieval town. And it's really a town known for both wine and agriculture, so for me it has its very unique vibe to it. It's not like the wine villages, and it's not like the agricultural villages like we are in either. It really has a very special vibe, and it's also packed with history. And I wanted to show you the really beautiful stone-roofed market hall that was built in the 14th century, and a church that was built between the 15th and the 17th century. But first we're taking the country roads to get to Nolet, and then I'll tour Muriel's shop really quickly, and then I'll take you for a quiet walk in the little town center. Do note that all of the restaurants were closed, so it looks kind of deserted, but it is really charming, so I hope you enjoy. So we're walking to the town square now, and these little back streets always look very deserted, but what I love about them is that they still have so many beautiful store windows, like you can just tell what this must have looked like 50 or 100 or 200 years ago. This just makes my mind go wild. See, they put all of this here, and they're going to crush it, and then all the way back in the farm field. And it was supposed to be done end of March, and they're doing it now. And that blooms. So after our first guests for the cottage left, we had a few days to hang the final curtains and do some final fixings that we hadn't been able to finish before they arrived. So one of the things that we added were these curtains that we hung to the windows, and they block the view from the outside in, but when you're inside, you can actually still look through out onto the garden, which I thought was very French, but also very practical. And we also finally hung the curtains for the front door and window. Now, it isn't the most beautiful solution when the windows are closed, I'll be completely honest about it. Olaf didn't really like the idea, but I wanted to keep this look of that beautiful beam over the window and the door, and I didn't want any curtain rods to spoil that view really. And most of the time, you'll be looking at it during the day. And then in the evening when they're closed, it's not extremely beautiful, but it works. So we went for a rail that we hung to the ceiling, and we needed some kind of hacking to make that work even. And this way you hardly see that during the day. Many of you have left comments with advice for how to fix this, so thank you so much for all of your suggestions. It's really helped us pick a solution that will work, so we're just going to leave it like this, even though it's far from being perfect. I've moved on to the next project, which is trying to make this parking look a little nicer. It's clearly just been made, it looks very new, there is a lot of plants that have been damaged. I really feel kind of bad about it, but I have a plan for restoring that and planting new things, so we just need to give this a little time, I guess. I'll end this video with showing you a little art project that my youngest son did in school. They had an artist come in and teach them about different techniques, and they had to write a poem about summer, and then turn that into an artwork, as you see here. So I'll leave you with these inspiring images, and it marks the beginning of the summer holidays for us as a family. I'm wishing you a wonderful summer, wherever you are in the world, and I will see you next time.