and possibly, all at the same time

Blog 20 / July  2016

Oh flip, the swimming pool has shrunk, and we are calling it minime pool.  Mike and I sat in the warming weather looking at the gaping gap where the big pool usual goes and decided that this late in the season we did not have the courage or enthusiasm to put it up.   Always looking for the compromise in life we went out at 5 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and bought the biggest small pool we could find. It was erected in a blink of an eye and with the solar heating attached was warm enough to splash around in within three hours.

The hottest days on record quickly followed and we spent an adorable three days under the tent, in the pool, out in the sun and back under the tent. It was a wonderful way to take advantage of what could have been a passing figment, but has actually lasted a good week and is still hanging on in there

I was happy to sit in the shade and catch up with my HOSS needlepoint cushion cover. I started this work 2 years ago thinking that I would work on it in the winter, but the light is not good enough in doors and I really need to find the time when the sun is out to sit quietly and stitch. It is nearly as satisfying as digging over a veg bed, but is a lot less stressful on my old bones.

We were shocked by the atrocity in Nice only because it seems so near to home for us. I put my flag out in thought of all those who were affected. We went to the Mairie and I noticed that the flag there was tied with a black ribbon as opposed to flying it at half mast, so we did the same and left it there until the official 3 days of mourning were over. As you would feel emotional for your home country in crisis we find ourselves too frequently in mourning for our adopted country and are not in the least bit timid in showing our feelings.

The mobile homes are occupied for the next few weeks but Mike and I had to pick up our skirts and get them habitable as we found ourselves behind schedule. We only advertise to the French on Le Bon Coin and as a result bookings come very late. We had three days to get the vans de-winterised and although it is not a massive job it has to be done, and done well.

Once the punters are in we have little to do with them. We count them in and out every day and at the end of the week they all go home happy. The first two bookings pay the annual bill and after that we are in profit. I am the official tax collector for the tax sejour and feel that we are now quite bonefidably French with that little qualification under our belts.

We love a bit of spontaneity and a messenger ping on my kindle mid-afternoon with an invite to BBQ launches a fun and happy evening with hosts Shirley and Mark. I love to see a chef in a pinny, it always means that something is cooking and it is always good. Just goes to show that on the spot invites are fun. The fundamental ingredient in this event is not to hesitate and just say Yes please ….. We are on our way xx

We drove past the manoir in Catz and had to stop as there was a flurry of activity. The roofs have been ready to tile for 4 months and I noticed that slates on the other side are now being laid. Hopefully they can keep up the momentum and get all these roofs watertight before the autumn slips by into winter again, we wish them good luck .

My new little hedge is coming on OK, although the moles have rammed their way through the line.  Mike assures me they will not be effected…..I hope he is correct.  The digger came over for a little outing to push all my grass cuttings back into the hedge so it can compost down. In a years’ time all with ugliness will be hidden behind my new little hedge but it will not disguise the smell of turned compost but as we have to remind ourselves many times….we live in the country and that aroma, is normal.  poooo

Whilst I have Mike in good spirits I suggested we hit the to-do-list and this hedge was well over due for a sever talking to. We are trying to open up the vista from the house to the garden and clearing out over grown hedges is top on the list. We are unsure if this aged hedge will recover and we are quite determined that if it does not, then it will be grubbed out and replaced.  Standing back we are pleased with the overall effect, so now all I have to do is clear up and wait to see what the hedge will do for the aesthetic value of this little corner of the orchard

We are totally delighted with the dahlia garden this year.  I have moved tubers for the last time and I will protect them in position here during the winter. Lifting and storing this many tubers  is a job I no longer wish to do and as  we are trying  year on year to find the easiest way to get jobs done  this one is decided, and the Dahlia garden will remain here for ever . … Lovely.

With all the lovely hot weather and long evenings there is nothing better than meeting your mates Graham and Ann for Moules frits in Isingy-sur-mer. A lovely warm evening with all the atmosphere of a little gem, holiday destination in Normandy. A good chance to catch up and make plans. It is nice to go out and just be waited on and not have to wash up, that is Ann’s  and my excuse and while the pound conversion rate is still bobbing along OK we can all afford it and long may that remain the situation.

Here we are enjoying dinner on the patio, it is so simple and enjoyable. Courgettes are obligatory at the moment before the sweet corn swells and it is a matter of eating as much as you dare of the veg ripe for picking. I have frozen loads for those winter days when the  effort makes it all worthwhile

And to finish the evening a game of numbers to exercise the brain. We also play scrabble and crib. They do say, a couple who play together stay together and I guess we are a good example of that.  I play scrabble every day against the kindle android and Mike takes over my game if I am loosing. We are at least making good efforts to use our brains as well as our Braun and that hopefully means we can still do a good days work and hold a plausible conversation, and possibly, all at the same time. xx

have an away day.

Blog 19 July 2016

Let us start off with a bit of joy.  Mike painted our bath tub dumper truck yellow and I gathered all the sinks and bidets we have collected over the years to create a lovely splash of colour in front of the barn.  There is a plate there in the right hand sink that was part of a set my Aunty Baya gave us as an engagement present in 1975.  One last plate from the set was kicking around the poly tunnel acting as a pot dish so I broke it in two and put it in the sink, so now it has purpose, will never get forgotten, and I love it.

The fridge took on a new look with a lovely picture of the twins in Canada on their way to school. The boys in Australia have grown beyond recognition but I don’t have an up to date picture of the three of them together, so get in a crowd boys, and send us a new picture for the fridge.   The little doggie is Harry, Chris and Sam’s little fella. The long pad is our shopping list we use these days.  If we don’t write it down it does not get replaced and we are both now very disciplined and never go out without the list.  The joys of retirement, can’t even keep a shopping list in our heads, what fun and utterly allowable.

We finally got onto the last run on the barn roof and a big decision was required for the front side…slate or tin…tin or slate and tin won because I love the industrial look and when the sun shines, it shines too.

Here is Jacob making the final snip on the capping and the job was complete and looking great.

We all had a lot of fun and the boys did good. We felt the whole project went really well despite a moment of panic at the last minute when the front capping came up the wrong size and I had to dash up to Valogne to have new bits cut and folded. But all in all great job done.  We both learnt a lot and are absolutely committed to never taking on such a job again. Well not this week anyway.

It is gladiola time again and I just love the ones that appear in all the wrong places for no apparent reason. This potted glad is in with a fuchsia and I celebrate the partnership because I love plants that make it in their own way at their own style, it makes me smile out loud.

During the weeks that the roof project was developing Mike and I moved an enormous amount of broken slate. And when we finally took the scaffolding down for the final time and swept the last slither of slate from the foot of the barn, I breathed a huge sigh of relief for the chance to catch up with our daily routines and seasonal jobs

And then we had to bite the bullet and get inside for the BIG de-dust and de-slate to get the barn loft back into working order. Just have to say that the masks did not last long, they made my specs mist up and I couldn’t understand a word Mike was saying …… but we reopened the gym and sauna and that was a great relief and gave us both a sense of normality

When we got to the ground floor we saw the chance to make a difference. Mike was on Le Bon coin and came across a Brocante in Bayeux selling off all his shelving. We dashed over in the white van and dismantled 12 feet of industrial quality racking ….Mike was in heaven.

We now have all the stuff we have accumulated on the floor racked up in order of importance. We then packed our precious scaffolding in a quiet corner out of the way. Our barn is a happy place doing exactly what is says on the tin.

We welcomed Chris and Sam to Brevands with pie decorated for the occasion. They came and took the camper off to see friends a little further south and actually found the sun and had a good time.  In the few days they were gone we caught up with all our little chores and then before we knew it they were back

We decided to have an around the table petite fete as we do, and enjoyed a paella with lashings of wine and cheese and a chance to catch up with Graham and Ann in the process, great fun.

Having the children come for a visit is always a great joy and it gives us a good relaxed opportunity to find out what they are up to. We called Canada on skype and had a famille jamboree from both sides of the pond. The pink flowers are a funny little story as I thought I had grown cucumber plants.  I gave them all the loving care one gives to cucumber plants for at least a month or more then I realised when the pink flowers started to bloom that I must have got my labelling mixed up and I was bringing on lavateria.  I have no idea where the cucumbers are but the children do look cute behind the unexpected colour on the drive .

The harvest is well under way. I am delighted that the Broccoli has sprouted and I have great big green heads to freeze down for the winter. Broccoli is unbelievably delicious steamed straight from the plant and this is why we garden, for all those little moments of yummy.  The courgettes are mostly going into cake and frozen for our winter afternoon teas, but as the season develops we use them in all sorts of meals fresh off the plant along with onions, lettuce and soon, tomatoes and peppers

And finally I must report that the efforts I made to get our little caravan registered in our name was a total nightmare . I decided to apply for our Carte Gris on line to try and be a good French citizen and use all the new and simple on-line services at our disposal. I did everything I was asked to do but sadly the person who was in charge of my dossier at the point of pass or fail was the jobs-worth from hell.   I was fined 25 euro for making an error and actually it was they who mistook two short signatures for one long one.  They who took an enormous amount of money off me on line and then hidden in the small print also requested a cheque to pay the Tax. I would recommend anybody thinking of using the Carte Gris de France on-line service to run for the nearest prefecture and queue with everyone else. it is well worth the effort and you can at least go to your county town and have an away day.