25 Friday Dec 2020
Posted in Change is a coming, My home, poignancy, Simple things
Tags
Christmas decorations, Christmas garlands, Christmas in France, Happiness, Love, Reflections, Simple things, Small things
For me the best part of Christmas has been putting the Christmas decorations up. This year, due to our big move that’s not possible, so thought I would share some from the past 5 years.
And finally some photos of that fabulous Hoar frost, what a privilege it was to experience that phenomenon.
Mellow Christmas Folks
Rosie
25 Wednesday Dec 2019
Tags
alternative Christmas, being grateful, Blessings, Christmas, Contentment, counting your blessings, Dogs, Family, Feeling blessed, Food in France, French Christmas, French towns, Friends, fun, good times, Goodbyes, Happiness, kindness, laughter, life shows the way, Life shows you the way, Love, making memories, naughtiness, new adventures, parents, People, Poignant, poignant memories, Rural France, Simple things, Small things, surprises, Tears, The seasons, Warmth, Welsh Terriers, Winter
It’s been a whirlwind few days after our son Tom surprised us on Saturday. We have tried to cram so much into three days, because he had already committed to going to my sisters house for Christmas day, and it was only right that he fulfilled that commitment.
We decided to have two Christmas’s one with them and one on the day.
On the Saturday we went out to visit someone who has been nothing but kind to us. She is alone and for me Christmas is about understanding and giving something other than gifts: time. We had already arranged to visit her, and Tom and Chris (the boys) volunteered to come with us. Trundling into the back of RD’s van (totally illegal!) and moaning about their arses hurting them.
When we arrived these two young men were so polite and kind, even sorting out some technical stuff for her on her computer. I was so proud of them both: another gift.
We then took a detour to the medieval city of Domfront, with its beautiful lights, and had a few drinks in a quintessential French tabac. The weather was awful, but it couldn’t damp our spirits.
It’s strange how we can all revert back to being ‘mum and dad’ with our kids. Tom has a good job, lives in Newcastle, contacts me when he wants and needs to, and I pretty much leave him to his own devices. He is an adult I am not an ‘over motherer’. I had him to live his life. But on Saturday they went out late and drove to a town near us to see if any bars were open. We didn’t go, we would have ‘cramped their style’, and also we were knackered! But they said they were coming back for chicken burgers and we waited up for them, knowing the bars in France do not stay open late. But when they hadn’t come back by 1am we started to worry, wtf! I looked at RD and we both started to laugh, because he felt the same. Our son looks after himself in Newcastle all the time, and we never worry, yet as soon as he comes over to us we become worried parents. I gave in and rang him. A very pissed Tom rang me back from a house in Lassay, they had been invited by some French girls they had met in a bar (nothing changes!) Tom thought it was hilarious that his mum was ringing him. I cooked the chicken burgers and left them out for them. When we got up the next morning they had obviously cooked chips, because they were everywhere. Nothing changes!
We visited Mayenne on the Sunday, where Christmas activities were taking place, and had mulled wine and hot chocolate.
When we got home we had an alternative Christmas dinner, of roast lamb and all the trimmings.
Followed by an evening in front of the fire and TV. Bless Chris he had driven for over ten hours to get Tom to us, so that was him!
On Monday we went shopping, I cannot begin to tell you the amount of wine and cheese they bought! We played Monopoly, and ate spaghetti Bolognaise very very late.
It was a joy to see RD with them. I realised just how much he misses the banter of being around men. They always used to love tormenting RD, but they never won, he always got them in the end, and nothing changes. I love this video, it sums these few days up.
https://www.facebook.com/moira.swindell/videos/2869801423030602/
It was all going too fast, and Tuesday came too quickly. Very early in the morning, in the dark before dawn, we hugged them goodbye. Am I crying now? Of course I am.
So it’s Christmas day, and we are still in bed, even the Welshies are worn out from the whirlwind of fun.
We will have our traditional turkey dinner, and have a very quiet day. But we will have the greatest gift of all: memories.
Have a mellow Christmas folks.
Rosie
24 Tuesday Dec 2019
Tags
Christmas, consideration, happy Christmas, homeless, loneliness, loss, reflecting on Christmas, sadness, taking things for granted
I wrote in a recent Post that Christmas has now changed for me, of how I used to love Christmas but now, not so much.
Years ago I used to be one of the leaders in joining in all things festive, and the hysteria that entails (in England for sure); but now I see Christmas as a poignant time of year, where there are so many people who are struggling, and do not feel the ‘festive spirit’.
From early in October the shops are stocking Christmas items, the adverts start to appear on the television, all of them are happy adverts, imply that everyone is happy, should be happy, will somehow be odd if they are not. How can you not be happy at Christmas right? All people are happy, the families are happy, you have to have matching pyjamas, a new dining table and sofa, games consoles, and even Kevin The Carrot from the Aldi supermarket campaign, over which people have been fighting in the car park because the toys were in short supply. How festive!
But now I look at things differently when I watch those ads; I find myself thinking of the people who will get into debt to buy their children presents and I shudder. I know some some people will hate this post but I think it needs to be considered: I think of all the people who are alone at Christmas, like the old man in the advert for ‘Help The Aged’s Ribbon campaign, and I think of the constant ramming of ‘Happy Christmas’ down our throats which just compounds peoples sadness and sorrow. I find it all so insensitive at times.
Then there is the expectation of ‘happy families’ followed by the disappointment and despair when everyone argues, and it doesn’t fulfil the ‘image’ of what people expect. In fact today, listening to the radio, I heard a cleric say how he refers to Christmas as ‘The Season of Disappointment’. I get that.
I said to RD recently that if I lived inEngland now I would spend Christmas providing Christmas dinner to the homeless. I would not fill our fridge with food that would be thrown away in January: the copious amounts of cheese, the trifle, the huge bloody turkey. I would not buy turkey and beef, and pork, all left after boxing day with nobody to eat it. These are lessons I have learned since living here, and these are lessons I am grateful for.
My last post was about now my son turned up here in France completely unexpectedly, even now the thought of the moment of when he walked in our gate and I looked out of the window and saw him standing there still makes my eyes fill with tears. He has gone now, more of that in another post, but that was the best gift I could be given, time, and memories, and knowing he loves me so much he wanted to give me that surprise.
I am blessed, but I say a prayer for those who are alone, exiled from those they love, for whose who have lost loved ones, the people who have nowhere to live, and the list sadly goes on and on. We have been without water, I now respect that commodity because to not be able to even wash your hands in running water is something few of us understand. Trust me when I say a hot shower is a blessing.
We will have a very simple Christmas, and we will be thankful.
So as you celebrate Christmas please say a prayer for those less fortunate, and count all the blessings that you take for granted every day.
I wish you all a mellow, satisfying Christmas.
Rosie.
22 Sunday Dec 2019
Tags
birthdays, cheese and wine, Christmas, coming together, Family, family gatherings, Friends, joy, Love, surprises, Tears
A quick post, more to come. Our son’s birthday is on Christmas Eve. The plan was that he would come out and spend Christmas with us this year; but flights were too expensive, everything was too expensive and despite all our efforts we all agreed it wasn’t possible. Yes I was disappointed, we haven’t seen him for two year, but as you know I am also philosophical and I did not want him to start the New Year with debt because of a trip to see us.
He was disappointed because he is thirty this year, a milestone birthday. But I put a brave face on it, we planned to put some money into his account and were going to call him at my sisters house on his birthday. I ordered his birthday card from Moonpig on Friday to be delivered to my sisters house so that it would be waiting for him when he got there.
Yesterday we had a lay in, and got up at ten. We were meant to be out and about early but something stopped us, and as we sat in our wingback chairs in the window, and I chatted to my sister on the phone, I heard the gate go, and the dogs started to bark. Still in my jymbies I stood up to see who it was, and saw my son standing in my garden looking at me. (I have tears in my eyes now!) I couldn’t believe it, and found myself in denial, with my brain telling me he couldn’t have got here. (Any train or plane would have meant someone would have to collect him). All was explained when in walked his friend Chris, who we haven’t seen for five years! Every Christmas for many years he would spend Christmas evening at our house, eating and playing Monopoly (a Christmas tradition.) and he has often said how he misses us.
I cried, RD cried. What a fabulous surprise. Tom (Ethan) had been travelling for over twenty-four hours, Chris pretty much the same. For the love of us. That is what Christmas is about.
So much more to tell you, but have to go and make more memories.
Just a little tantaliser here we are stuffing our faces with bread, cheese and wine. Happy days.
Rosie
22 Saturday Dec 2018
Tags
Christmas, Christmas break, Christmas dinner, Firesides, Friday Night feeling, get togethers, Good friends, log splitting, shindigs, Simple things, Turkey, Welsh Terriers
For the first time since we moved here we have actually finished work for Christmas. You know, a bit like that ‘ Friday Night’ feeling when work is over for the week and you ‘crack open’ a beer ( or in my case pour a glass of wine) we finished work last night and sat on the sofa and did just that; and it felt good, it felt as if we are finally ‘living a normal’, structured life.
I am now sitting in bed on a Saturday morning drinking my tea and pondering the week ahead, not least the day ahead. I have a few final things to get from the supermarket; we are having a simple Christmas with turkey, big sausages wrapped in bacon with honey and whole grain mustard poured over them, Brussel sprouts sautéed with smoked lardons (my favourite), roast potatoes and parsnips, assorted veg, Yorkshire puddings, and stuffing (and trust me that’s toned down from what I cooked in England!). We’re not doing presents, our gift will be watching the dogs play with their new toys.
When I get back today I am helping Rich cut logs and, yes you’ve guessed it! I will be log splitting! Tonight we are out for Rich’s ‘works Christmas do’ and it feels weird to be able to say that, but oh so good! I will even pull our some of my glamorous jewellery to wear!
Tomorrow I am cleaning the bedrooms, ironing and, you guessed it, log splitting! It’s all part of rural living.
On Monday it will be the final countdown, which means I change my bedding (there is nothing like a clean bed) and moving furniture to accommodate a record player (yes we can play our vinyl!) that we were gifted, and then we are off to a shindig with some friends.
Then we have the big day, for us it will be a relaxed day of snuggling, late dinner on our laps (we are totally chilling it down) and tv. late in the night I will make cold turkey sandwiches with pickles.
On boxing day (which they don’t celebrate in France) we are off to another get together, a buffet lunch at a dear friends.
I am really looking forward to this Christmas with new friends, it will be a simple Christmas full of it’s real meaning: spending time with good people and those you love, only this time it will be the new friends we have made on our adventure. As I write this I realise that is our Christmas gift.
Have a good weekend folks, look out for more posts.
Moisy
23 Saturday Dec 2017
Posted in Friends, People, Reflections, The continuing adventure
Tags
cats, Chickens, Christmas, Dancing, Dogs, Excess, Good Food, kindness, My Friend, My Son, People, Poignant, Special Christmas, Tandoori Chicken, understanding, Welsh Terriers, What's important, Wii
This year is going to be a very very special Christmas for me; our dear friend Karen is coming to stay with her Welshie puppy (three Welsh Terriers, five cats and seven chickens, mayhem will commence!!) But more than that she is bringing my son Tom with her.
Twenty eight years ago I was in labour ( I know terrible timing!) and Tom eventually came into the world the early hours of Christmas Eve. A bouncing 9lb 3oz baby boy.
After that I spent every Christmas with him, despite my later divorce, Tom always spent Christmas with me (or at least part of it when girlfriends came on the scene.) But since moving here I have not seen Tom, in fact it was three years ago when we celebrated our last Christmas in England that I last saw him.
So today, as I know they have boarded the train, I find my eyes filling with tears because I am going to see my son, and I cannot wait. I don’t need any other present, he should just get out of the car with a big bow around him.
For those who have followed my blog for some time you will know that whilst I love Christmas I also believe that it is also a time of excess and at times crassness. It is as if people are drugged by the hype and hysteria fed to them and have lost site of what Christmas is meant to be about: a time for reflection, kindness and consideration.
I have come to realise, since living a frugal adventure and reading the Tao, that money and things do not buy you happiness, love and the actions of others do. So my Christmas is going to be all about being with people we love, Rich and I have not bought each other presents – we had our hair cut instead – and we will tie bows around our heads on Christmas morning and then untie them and shout surprise!!
We do have handmade gifts, and some of my Etsy shop cherished finds to give as gifts but more than anything the gifts to each other will be good food, for me cooking for others, chicken Kiev tonight, tandoori chicken tomorrow (as requested by Tom), playing on the Wii, watching the television, playing board games, going for walks with all the puppies in the beautiful countryside that surrounds us, drinking and dancing, talking to each other; and looking at Harley and all the others and counting our blessings.
Happy Christmas everyone; please say a prayer for those who are alone at Christmas, and those whose lives are difficult at this time (sadly illness and death still happen at Christmas time) and understand that, sometimes, not everyone is happy at this time.
Have a mellow, reflective Christmas one and all – look around and count your blessings, trust me they will not be material things.
Moisy xx
19 Tuesday Dec 2017
Posted in My home, Reflections, The continuing adventure
Tags
Christmas decorations, Christmas garland, Christmas lights, christmas memories, Christmas tree, Countryside, Dickensian, First Christmas, Glow, Inspire memories, Inspired, Lamplight, Miss Haversham, poignant memories, Professional christmas decorator, Seaside, Single parent, Sparkle, Star, The hobbit, Wolverhampton
Ever since I was a child I have loved decorating the Christmas tree. My mum (God bless her soul) would bring out our white artificial tree (so 60’s and 70’s, but back in vogue now) and all our old deco’s accumulated over the years. The vivid green elf with his red hat, grinning maniacally it looked like something from a horror film!! The carefully wrapped long glass baubles with gold inside (probably worth a fortune now, as so vintage).
My favourite, however, was the fairy. My mum had improvised one year, got one of our tiny dolls and dressed her in a dress made of pink loo roll (with the tube from the middle stuffed up her skirt to ‘give it volume!) Then we sprayed her with gold and sprinkled glitter over her and then, just to add to her indignity, stuck her on top of the tree with the tree stuck up her arse!!!
Every year that doll came back out, had different coloured loo roll put on her, depending on the fashionable colour of the time; and each year she was sprayed with glitter paint, silver, gold again, bronze one year, she looked like she had spent the summer holdaying in Bermuda!!! But I was hooked, I loved Christmas decorations.
As the years wore on my decorations have become more subtle, but I have never been one for those sterile trees, where all the baubles are the same, round and all one colour, like the types you see in shopping centres; for me they are soulless. When I first left home I bough some expensive decorations, and this year thirty two years later, I have used them again. They bring back memories of when I first left home and moved to Wolverhampton, or a small village nearby, of the lovely old neighbours I had, of the excitement I had of decorating my own tree.
From then on I bought decorations every year. Anyone who knows me will tell you I love things that glitter and sparkle, that ‘catch the light’ they mesmorize me. So over the years I have accumulated a lot. I progressed to garlands and they became more and more elaborate. I would have frost themed garlands, with colours of the sea when I lived by the seaside in England, or garlands laden with fruit decorations (very Georgian).
So this year my surroundings and circumstances have influenced me again. With the colours of the surrounding countryside, and the cold; the fact that our house is damp and drafty and over 200 years old, I was inspired to make up a Dickensian garland. It has berries, and deep red flowers, cherubs, and iced ivy leaves, with poinsetta running through it. There is a sparkling icicle garland that I picked up somewhere over the years, and the beautiful vintage candleabra that my lovely Mother in Law gave me, covered in crystal droplets. It just makes me think of Miss Haversham, sitting at her Wedding feast, where the ivy has grown i to the room and it is covered in cobwebs.
Since living here Rich has always wanted a real tree (which are inexpensive in France) and a dear friend gave us a gift of money so I finally relented and we bought one. My garland inspired me to carry on the idea and I got out my beautiful red and gold ribbons and threaded them through the tree ..
then I added all the red and gold baubles that I have not used for years (I tend to be a silver type of girl, it sparkles more!) I added to that some of the hundred or more crystal droplets I had also accumulated and now I love it. (Although I have to confess that the first ginpme I did it I had a few wines and was doung it in the dark! Add to that just as I finished a set of lights right in the middle went out and I added some over the top! Mmmmmmmmmm……..when I got up the next day it looked like someone had thrown things at it!!! So I took it all apart and redid it!)
As I hung the baubles I remembered the lovely purple glass one had been brought from Woolworths, now long gone, in Herne Bay
The gold round glittery ones, bought from Beatties Department Store in Wolverhampton, sadly also now long gone. The ribbons were inspired by my beautiful Edwardian House in Herne Bay, now a holiday home. The sparkling red baubles that glittered on the tree when my son and I snuggled up together as I read him ‘The Hobbit’ by lamplight. I was a single parent then with electric on a meter, so we had a blanket over us as we sat by our red shaded lamp and the lights of the tree twinkled, and it is a memory that will live with me forever.
Even the star is the first star I bought thirty two years ago, again from Woolworths, God I miss that place, and I miss my mum, who was with me at the time.
i look at the garland and remember going late night shopping with my mum when I found the iced ivy garland, now on my fireplace in France; and I think of my mum, who is no longer here. Or the garland on top of my armoir, simple with greenery (good old Woolies again) and silver stars, which were bought in France when Rich and I came over the first Christmas after our wedding. God! Little did we know then what we would endure, only to come out stronger the other side (but you will need to read my book for that story!)
The artificial black tree, smothered in crystals, including a crystal garland, and white decorations, makes me smile because I think of the little kitten that is Diddyman who would climb up into it, because after all she matched it’s theme! She was the kitten that helped to save Rich and I, and she would peek out at us from the foliage, and make us laugh.tDaryl and Tom
Someone said to me this week that I had missed my vocation, i should have been a professinal Christmas Decoration dresser, or window dresser. They are probably right they do inspire me. But what is important to me is that Christmas decorations should inspire memories, and create memeories for the future. So that when people, or a time, or places are gone we remember them and they make us smile.
This year our dear friend and her puppy are coming to stay, and my son, who I have not seen or hugged for three years is also coming with her. It will be especially memory making because his birthday is on Christmas Eve, and because you never know what life holds for you I intend to cherish every moment.
I urge you all to do the same.
Moisy
30 Friday Dec 2016
Driving through the countryside today, was like driving through a Christmas card scene. The temperature had not achieved higher than minus four, meaning that the frost on the trees remained. The whole of the valleys was just glistening. It really looked as if the faeries had decided to give us a breath taking present, and had painted all of the scenery in a beautiful sparkling white.
It truly was a magical day from the cobwebs on our gates
to the trees in the valley
my chemin
to the trees in my garden
Being a girl who loves sparkly things the beauty of this natural occurrence literally took my breath away. On my way I stopped to take some photos of Ambrieres to share with you..
I hope that you enjoy them.
Moisy x
30 Friday Dec 2016
Posted in The continuing adventure
As I sit here this morning I am looking out across our friends large garden, it is a foggy frosty day, and the garden looks truly amazing; as if someone has gently shook icing sugar all over it. Some of the garden is still cloaked in fog, as if it has gone to bed and will come back out when spring is on its way.
So how was your Christmas? Ours was not anything like last year, there were no re-enactments of Eastender plots in our kitchen (see my post from last Christmas for those who have just joined my blog.) but it was a completely new way of celebrating Christmas for us.
Our friends, whose house we sometimes look after, were sadly detained in England due to very stressful circumstances, and therefore we looked after both their house and ours and the six cats and two dogs that we have between us. (Admittedly five of the cats and both of the dogs are ours!) So we had Christmas dinner at their house, Christmas supper at our house, and swapped about between the two. But do you know what? We had one of the most relaxing Christmas’s ever.
As always this got me thinking. For those of you who know me you will know that I now loathe the ostentatiousness of Christmas, have done for some time. I detest the adverts that convince people that they should be happy at Christmas, and that if they are not, then they have failed in some way. They imply that of course, the only way to truly be happy is to spend money on too much food, expensive presents, decorations, and even new sofas and dining tables! Seriously why do you need it at Christmas if you haven’t needed it the rest of the year?
But,for me, this year it was reinforced. Many friends of mine lost loved ones this year, but two of my closest lost their mum, and the other their dad, in fact she buried her dear dad just before Christmas. Our friends have had to face sudden illness, of which you have no control, and on Christmas day Rich’s mum was rushed into hospital unwell. (Thankfully she is home and recovered now.) For me this further compounded the effects of all the tactless adverts with all the smiling faces, the constant harping on by everyone about being happy, how everyone must be happy; but they are not. I have an aunt who has suffered many bouts of ill health this year, each one debilitating her a little bit more, she is alone in her house most of the time and misses my darling uncle more and more each day. There are many many lonely people out there such as my aunt, and the forced celebrations just seem to compound the sadness of their situations. But we don’t want to think about these things do we? It’s just being miserable, and we all have to be happy at this time of year…… It brings to mind the wonderful poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“laugh and the world laughs with you,
weep and you weep alone
For the sad old earth must borrow it’s mirth
But has trouble enough of it’s own.”
This year I felt acutely aware of the other side of Christmas and instead, I wished people a joyous Christmas. Whats the difference?
Happiness is an emotion caused by earthly experiences, material objects.
Joy is an emotion caused by spiritual experience, caring for others, gratitude and thankfulness.
That is what has made this Christmas so different for me, even though I was in France last year I still tried to emulate the perfect Christmas, as had been indoctrinated in me all my life. This year I did not. We had a simple Christmas, and the best things for me was that we could support other people at a difficult time, that I spoke to my son on Christmas Eve (also his birthday) our dogs, because they show us every day that all they need is to be near us, and that my beautiful old cat, Molly, now in her seventeenth year, is still with us and still eating well. Not least I celebrated being with Rich, and living a simpler life. I felt free.
So what is this celebration all about? It is about the winter solstice. It is about the last feast before deep winter begins, which looking out at the garden today it clearly has. This time of year is considered the time that the year is reborn, in some cultures in the northern hemisphere is is about the re-awakening of nature. In Druid culture it is considered the Alban Arthur, the light of Arthur, or the light of winter. Basically it is about buckling down the hatches and sitting winter out. But I challenge you to instead go out among winter, look out, as I am today, and the beauty it holds, be joyous.
As I sit here about to sign off a robin redbreast has just hopped right up to the door and looked in at me, I think someone is trying to tell me something.
I hope that you all had a joyous Christmas.
Moisy
13 Tuesday Dec 2016
Posted in The continuing adventure
Last week posty rang our bell and handed us over an unexpected package. It was, literally, bursting at the seams. Excitedly we brought it in and RIch was like a child pulling at it trying to open it, it literally, burst open and this is what we found:
A bobble hat, glittery scarf, fingerless gloves (wonderful!), soft, ballerina slippers, pink boot slippers (which I am saving for Christmas day) all for me. For Rich there was a hat, gloves, scarf, and pants. There were two dog toys, and cat toys and, yes randomly, a pound of cheese!!! Hidden amongst everything else. (The cat was not included!!) All from Rich’s mum, with a note saying she couldn’t fit the sweets in!!
For or me it is these thoughtful things that mean so much, and we are truly grateful. So on Christmas day picture us, me sitting in front of the fire, wearing my boot slippers, bobble hat, scarf, and fingerless gloves, and Rich wearing his scarf, hat, gloves and sitting in is pants (now there is a thought!) and of course, we will both be eating cheese!!
A quick update on Hammy – Hammy went to the dentist today – the teeth are no more!! He was a brave boy.
The renovation of the bedroom is ongoing, more posts are on their way……..
Moisy
x
