That front door has a lot of good memories to share.

 Blog 7 / March 2015
 

I finally finished my digital photos to print project and have just received an e-mail from Photobox France telling me that my order, which was sent this morning, is printed and with La Post for delivery in two days. I have gone through all the goings on in our lives since 2004 and it has been a really wonderful journey.  I have put this picture up on this Blog because our 60^th birthday party in July and the surprise family visit for my birthday in October last year are events I will never forget, so much love and happiness and I am peddling it all over again because we had such a good time and it gives purpose to everything we have achieved here in Brevands. I have chosen 1,581 photos from a stock of 14,000 which only goes to show that since the advent of the digital age we take 10 shots when one would have done the job. We are now able to flip through a great story book instead of clicking though a nightmare collection.

My Cockerel has shown no emotional upset and doesn’t even care but I cried onto my toast and marmalade over breakfast at the loss of one of my hens the other day. There she was keeled over and he just wanted to know where the grain was….blokes can really be thoughtless. Mike however, was very thoughtful and put my hen in a bag to hide her from me and stop the tears …..Farmers wife, me, I think not.





Sailing friends from the UK came to visit on their way to the Dordogne on a life changing reconnoitre trip so   we asked well-seasoned and experienced ex pat friends to come and share some experiences of living in France and making a living. It is great to hear how the other half manage and thrive and it always makes for an interesting and fun evening.

 

 

 

 

Then more friends arrived and for one evening only, we were all together for a supper around the table for a good old fashioned catch up

 

 

Our table has seen some happy moments and this time of year with the fire chugging away in our farmhouse kitchen we are reminded of the many times we have put bums on seats for any excuse for an evening supper, or two.

 

 

 

With John and Linda we were treated to two evenings of a wine tasting experience so they could decide what to take home. It is a simple process, a glass each and two bottles to compare. You pour a glass each of one bottle, you all drink it, then you pour from the other bottle and then you have an opinion and actually there is a difference. We all had another glass from each bottle and then we all started to laugh, I think I may have mentioned the wooden fruity bouquet with just a hint of grape and an over powering sensation of southern blue skies, but I don’t remember much else…….

A day out with friends doing the things we forget to do like a visit to the American cemetery in Coleville and a walk around Arromanche and a lunch of Moule frites in Port en Bessin. Mike and I really struggle with eating out but having experienced eater -outers with us the whole experience is fun and we now know of a great little resto overlooking the harbour. I did mention to Mike that I could live in Port en Bessin  watching the fishing boats coming and going, so that makes  two towns that I would seriously consider a move to but then we get home  I wonder why I have thoughts like that,  Brevands is so fab, why move…

 

And this is pure eye candy, spring has come as a fresh and positive bout of good will towards men and this morning I noticed that the willow in the pond area has actually burst through, so there is no turning back and we look  to the clocks springing forward in the next couple of weeks

The daffs are out, the ducks are laying eggs and the grass got a cut this week so life is good and continues to be French as I discussed the plan to get my potted geraniums out of the poly tunnel with my friend Genevieve who went pale, and recited the French rhyme about ice men coming in April and never trust the weather man especially if the moon is mooning, or even waning, so I am going to leave the plants in the warmth at least to the end of April.  I will however have a poly full of strawberries by then…….oh the complicated issues of gardening by the phases of the moon and French wives tales adding a tinge of doubt in every gardening decision we make. I once followed the example of a neighbour in Brevands. When he brought his trays of geraniums in I brought mine in. One year however, he left them out all winter and when I asked him what French rhyme covers that activity he just said he couldn’t be bothered to get them down…..mmmm

In stark contrast to our hand to mouth slow and comfortable life in France we got this picture sent to us to keep up to date with this building we watched being built in Bracknell when we were children, we watched it have a very useful existence and then become the most hated building in the UK and now we are watching it being demolished. Life is a full circle and it is best to accept it and appreciate it. Thank you to my bother in law Dick for keeping us informed……Nice blue sky for this time of year though……..

 

Breaking news….  

 

Our children Georgina and Alan in Canada have passed their written national citizenship test and will be sworn in soon. We are so very proud of them and Mike made a great comment that we now have Canadian family and not family in Canada.  This picture was taken in 2013 when they came to visit. That front door has a lot of good memories to share.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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