Blog 31 / December 2015
Although
our life in France is mainly focussed on our garden, our home and our dog it is
important to acknowledge that our children do fill the gaps. This week we got
this picture from Australia. Our grandson Toby crossed legged on the floor hand
rearing an abandoned kitten. Our daughter Debbie volunteers to care for
abandoned animals at all stages of their lives and she seems to have new born
kittens in house most of the time. There is an old dog watching Toby who Debbie
has already repaired and cared for after he was abandoned and I believe he may
find a home with her as he is so old and has slipped comfortably into the
Pearse household. We love to get news from our children and although we can’t
hug, and physically support we can still love and be proud.
An invite
out to dinner at Carol and Trevor’s and at the end of the meal, which was
delicious, Trev wanted us to see his
latest Christmas decoration. Mike and I
can be a little humbug at times, especially as December has only just reared
its head, but this sort of yule tide enthusiasm is contagious and I did find
myself loving the Christmas village all lit up with Christmas tunes to sing
along to .
Mike got
into full swing and I caught him talking about ‘the one that got away’….let’s
hope he was talking about the fishing, a
good night out, full of fun and laughs.
St Mere
Eglise had a Sunday afternoon concert at the Biscuiterie so we decided to show
up and see what’s what with Graham and Ann.
We were however, certainly not disappointed as Mary and the Bugs were
playing and a good crowd were there to appreciate the spectacle. We found a
table and sat together on a blustery, grey Sunday having a hoot
My big boy
here wants to know what we are going to do with these huge pumpkins because
they make great play things. Sadly, the truth is, I have no idea. We’ve decided we do not like pie or soup.
Pumpkins are great fun to grow and we will collect seeds for next year from one
of these but what to do now ? …….decorate with tinsel for Christmas seems like
a good idea.
Mike made a
good start on the new camper parking and dug his way into the potager to start
preparing the entrance
Once he was
through he cracked on to get the gradient right so we can back the camper in. As
I watched him digging, it occurred to me that we would never have been able to
consider this level of landscaping without the digger. Many years of mike’s
pleading and convincing has come to fruition and I have nothing but good things
to say about it. Mike is now getting
skilled up to face something big and beautiful and extensive in the garden in
2016…….
We can now
see the space available to get the camper in and although Mike feels it will be
tight, it will not be impossible. Come the spring, when we change the barn roof
this job can be completed and give the covered area we need with all the
vehicles Mike is accumulating.
And finally
I am back on the window painting game. I tried to motivate myself all summer to
get the downstairs windows repaired and painted but it just did not happen….. Too
many other lovely things to do while the sun is out. We decided to set up the
middle bedroom as a workshop again and things are now rocking and rolling.
These here will be done for Christmas and then I have two other sets to
complete the house. There are two doors and my sewing room but a fresh strategy
will need to be agreed before we can start those. Mike has got a fundamental hate of white gloss
paint and although he wants to help we have discovered that if he prepares I
can finish so that is the way it is going, and it’s all going well.
