One of the greatest things I have found out about blogging is that sometimes it’s an excuse to do all sorts of things I might otherwise never think of! During some gorgeous weather this week I played around with outdoor-dining, and for each meal I set the scene slightly differently. I cannot tell you how much fun it was, it felt a little like being on holiday! Continue reading “Outdoor Living”
Far down the garden in the potager, I stopped digging and listened carefully. It was early evening. The first small insects of the season were swirling like dust motes in the dying sunlight under the blossoming horse-chestnut, back up towards the house. The noise came again, and I recognised the faint sound of jazz as it floated down across the lawn in the gentle breeze. Intrigued, I wandered back up toward the house with a clutch of eggs from the hens and realised that our guest in the gîte was making good use of the new bluetooth-speaker. Continue reading “An American Dream”
Today is my 100th blog post! As it’s a special number I thought I’d mix things up a little and share with you 100 things that we, as a family, love about France. I asked Roddy and the children to join in. We spent many evenings around the supper table bouncing ideas back and forth, Izzi contributed via Skype. It was absolutely fascinating; we all had different suggestions, some more random and bizarre than others! Many things are not exclusive to France and the list we produced is in no particular order. It’s also not to be taken too literally; rather it’s to be read as a whole so it paints a picture of what makes life in this country so special for us and do add your own personal suggestions.
It’s Spring Break and two weeks of holidays for the children, but we’re not packing our bags and heading off on vacation. We couldn’t even if we wanted to, as life in the spring revolves around tennis tournaments. However, we’re more than happy to stay right where we are because nature at this time of year is putting on a spectacular show, rivalling the glitz and glamour of any theme-park.
Several unrelated comments from around the globe have got me thinking recently about idyllic lifestyles. It has set me thinking that what is one person’s idyll is most likely not another’s. How does one clarify ‘idyllic’? Can life be idyllic in the cold and rain, or does there have to be sunshine? Or perhaps everything needs to be calm and perfectly peaceful to be idyllic? Continue reading “This Idyllic French Life”
I’m afraid to say that I feel utterly compelled to put paw to paper once again; I heard someone saying I was old the other day. Old? Me? It wasn’t Roddy or Susan or any of the children, but a neighbour, and it really ruffled my neck hairs (which are admittedly very long and looking rather shaggy at the moment). I’m not old, I’m in my prime!
Continue reading “Bentley is Compelled to put Paw to Paper again”
There are so many important things for us to teach our children. We must teach them to be strong and independent, we must teach them to be honest and to respect other people, and we must teach them to be confident. Almost above all though, I think we must also teach them how to cook. Continue reading “Les Petits Chefs and Fresh Ingredients”
These last few days everything has felt slightly different as the sun streams in through the windows, and although the mercury is definitely nudging upwards a little there’s a cold easterly wind which is banishing all thoughts of bare arms and legs. Along with the week’s slow change in temperature, there’s also a subtle change in the light and despite the lingering smell of winter woodsmoke in the air there’s now a welcome new scent, that of freshly mown grass. Continue reading “Brocante and Chocolate”
I am very excited to introduce you this week to some very dear French friends of ours who live in the south west of France. They have renovated not one, but two old farmhouses in succession for their family to live in. Continue reading “A Very French Renovation”
Our French Oasis 