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A snapshot of 2023
A few of my favourite 2023 sky moments – same day different hours. Happy New Year/Bonne Année Welcome 2024. We got up to watch the sunrise today only to find clouds and general grey all around, but no rain for now. All the week I have been in bed ill the sun has shone – so much to do in the garden but sometimes there is little you can do about that. 2023 has had its share of ups and downs as I am sure is the case for everyone. We have had flat tyres, a major leak, too little water, too much water, pool problems and the heartbreak of…
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Derailed by December!
Bonjour Everyone I do hope you have all had a lovely Christmas? Ours was not quite as we had planned. I often seem to start blog posts these days with an apology for my absence. I had planned everything and was all set to post every fortnight and had prepared lots of extra bits on wine and our renovation to share. However December was having none of it. Why let life go ahead as planned when a few bumps along the way make it all so much more interesting? Where to start on what has been an eventful final month of 2023. My father died on December 1st, alone in…
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November bits and pieces
Bonjour to you all Here we are mid-November already – how did that happen? A moment ago it was October. The year seems intent on hurtling to its close and we are running to catch up. So many plans for this year, many accomplished, many not. The list of jobs the house would love us to tackle grows almost daily. Just as you think you are coming up for breath, off you go again. I have even started thinking of Christmas and the things that need to be prepared in advance – Christmas cake and pudding being two such examples, neither yet done; my citrus wreath needs a scent boost…
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Raindrops keep falling.
Hello to you all from a much chillier petit château. My posts have become a little adhoc for various reasons lately. Days speed by and we are often diverted by the latest challenge here at our renovation project. What a project it is. We moved into a house that was absolutely liveable in, with running water, electricity and a couple of woodburners, as well as an amazing swimming pool. The décor wasn’t too awful and we had plans aplenty! But as is the case for everyone, life changes and plans have to change accordingly and small renovation jobs have a habit of surprising you with the enormity of the tiny…
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Autumn’s arrival
Hello to you all So Autumn has finally arrived – a bit of a shock to the system. We have got so used to the warm weather that maybe we just thought it would go on. Whilst the evenings have been getting cooler the days have remained lovely. Now suddenly summer clothes need packing away to be replaced by warmer layers. The pool has hit 17°C, so maybe swimming days are over for this year. Perhaps one last cold water dip? We were in Albi last week and noticed that Christmas things are beginning to make an appearance. How quickly the year has flown by, so full of plans, some…
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When the going gets tough…
Bonjour (or Bonsoir if you are reading this in the evening) Another unexpected week here in the Tarn. How unexpected is that! The pool saga continued with multiple trips to pool shops and multiple purchases. Nothing is ever simple. The weather has remained utterly gorgeous, but chilly at night. Very autumnal although no rain for ages so everything is parched. We have roses galore again – in October, and even some courgettes attempting to grow. We should be worried as this is very unusual. However for now we are enjoying the sunshine but looking forward to some rain so we can get on with garden tidying and replanting. We had…
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Expect the unexpected.
Hello to you all How was your week? Did you have a look at the Action for Happiness calendar for October? (see post Optimistic in October). We are trying to follow it each day this month – so far so good. Max and I started the week with renewed enthusiasm, restructuring our days, getting some work done and aiming to make inroads into the house projects and garden work. But, of course, those little unexpected things cropped up! What a surprise. None of them are major, more irksome than huge dramas and in the bigger picture totally unimportant, however hopefully a source of amusement. Expect the unexpected should perhaps be…
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Optimistic in October
Bonjour Everyone Welcome to October. A time when Autumn sets in, the days are noticeably shorter, leaves are beginning to change colour, the sedum in the garden has deepened to a rich pink, and there is marked difference to the produce at our local market. Summer fruits have gone, to be replaced with apples and pears. There are more root vegetables, parsnips, turnips and squashes are everywhere in abundance. After various ups and downs, daily challenges and the regular bumps on our renovation and life road, I have found myself being less optimistic than I used to be. I am quite tired and the list of jobs to do often…
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Mirror, mirror on the wall.
Hello For a change this week, I will spare you tales of frogs, blocked gutters and hornets and look at some of our renovation projects. As I collected my latest bargain, it made me think of all the things we have acquired over the years and especially since we arrived in France. The renovation project list gets longer but progress is slowly being made. My two latest acquisitions are a lovely plant stand for the garden and a book rest for the kitchen, something I have wanted for a while as it is annoying perching cookery books amongst ingredients or away from where I am preparing food. The book rest…
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Tasty Tomatoes
As the summer months draw to a close, the glut of tomatoes is in full flow. After weeks of sunshine and the occasional bit of rain, the tomatoes are at their best. They come in all shapes and sizes, in brilliant reds, yellows, orange, green and a darker hue, called black but really a red/black colour, spilling from baskets on countless stalls. The smell of ripe juicy and tasty tomatoes fills the air as you wander around the market stalls. I always buy too many as I love tomatoes. Large bunches of highly fragrant basil sit alongside just asking to be popped into the basket too, and mixed with the…
