Oh how happy I am – my happiness knows no bounds! Here I am, lying on a spanking new sofa, placed on a brand new carpet, in a newly painted sitting room. Bliss, bliss and yet more bliss.

This is the perfect end to a hugely stressful day, spent driving through the most incredible storms. For probably a hundred miles of the two hundred mile journey to Cornwall, there was lightening everywhere. It did not escape my notice that this is the second journey to Cornwall where my travelling was beset by electrical storms. I hope this doesn’t signify any kind of cosmic warning??!! Nope – it can’t possibly be any kind of commination for me. I haven’t done anything to deserve that.

We heard a report on the radio saying that Glastonbury was a ‘mud bath’ and DM spent the whole journey down thinking about naked hippy girls slithering about in the mud. He got quite distracted it has to be said.

Anyway, the drive, despite the spectacular storms and torrential rain (so hard it was blowing through the vents into the car itself), was completed without any mishaps and we arrived in good time for the carpet fitters who have done a fantastic job. Now they have gone and I am exhausted from the early start (6.30am alarm), the frightening drive and spending the afternoon sat on the wall outside because the cottage is so tiny there is no room for two carpet fitters, two dogs and the three of us – DM, brother_mark and me.

Every time I went to make a cup of tea it required gargantuan effort – picking my way across a floor littered with bits of gripper rod, climbing over two sofas still in their packaging to get to the sink to fill the kettle, climbing back with a full kettle of water, fighting my way through baggage and rubbish to get to cups to eventually have all the necessary ingredients for a cuppa. Phew – what a trauma.

Now they’ve gone and we can relax properly here for the first time since we came here. We’ve got carpet underfoot and comfy sofas to sprawl on. We’ve even got a CD player and speakers.

So, picture the scene…..well, you don’t need much imagination given that the visual part is here to be seen…..me, sleepy and comfortable on the sofa with a good book, The Libertines playing on the CD player – I can’t tell you how much I love their album – it reminds me so much of the best of the New Wave bands of my youth. DM on the other sofa, Applemac on his knee, Mark on my laptop at the dining table, the whirr of the bread machine in the kitchen and finally the satisfaction of knowing we have caring neighbours who have been thoughtful enough to leave us a loaf of bread, milk and butter. What could be nicer? Nothing!

Last year I was in a vineyard.... and two years ago I was here, in Cornwall, having the time of my life with DM and Colin.