It’s been a while since I put my fingers on the keyboard to write a post about our life here in rural Mallorca. We had visitors staying for a chunk of September and the first nine days of October, which meant we were spending precious time with friends and family we hadn’t seen for a long time.

When I last wrote, the weather was extremely hot. Guess what? For mid-October, it’s still pretty hot in Mallorca, with highs in the mid-to-upper twenties, and lows around twenty Celsius. When we have a night-time minimum of twenty or more here, it’s called a ‘tropical night’, and several places in Mallorca have recently had a few of these. No electric blanket yet for us.

Ladder or Laptop?

The fine weather is welcome because we have a decorator in at the moment: doors and windows can be left open to allow the aroma of fresh paint to escape. Our sitting room and the dining room were both well overdue for painting – mainly because neither The Boss nor I relished the prospect of climbing a ladder to reach the high ceilings. I’m not revealing any secret when I tell you that The Boss also loathes decorating. And although I find painting (walls not canvases) quite relaxing, I have an unfortunate history with ladders.

Our solution? A husband to rent. At least, that’s how Iesus describes himself. He’s not going to bring my early-morning cuppa to my bedside or listen to me cursing the dodgy thermostat on our oven (I have The Boss for those), but he’s available to carry out those household and outdoor tasks that we are unable or unwilling to do. In our case right now, that’s painting.

So, as Iesus (who is usefully tall) wields his roller on our bumpy, lounge walls and soaring ceiling, I am reacquainting myself with the laptop and bashing out some long-overdue words – intending to make some more progress on the sequel to my novel Daughter of Deià.

©Jan Edwards 2022