There is nothing more humbling than knowing your place, not where the human race is concerned, but where Mother Nature is involved.

One of the biggest things I love about my life now is that I live on the pinnacle of a hill, where the wind, that is a feature of our life often, whips around us, whilst our two hundred year old house stands firm, I get the feeling she loves us now, as we love her.

We have storms that build up around us, and even if they do not come directly over us we can see them for miles around, and when they are coming to visit we can see them rolling in; last Saturday was no exception.

It had been a hot sunny day, Karen had been visiting (more if that adventure to come in the next few months) for a few days and we had been busy. So we decided to chill for the evening in the warm sunshine of the evening with a glass of rose, a verse of the Tao and a discussion about how to put the world to right (well in our minds anyway!)

There is nothing more rewarding than watching Welshies zooming round a garden in the sunshine, when you see that you know you are truly blessed.

So as we chillaxed we began to notice the clouds rolling in and heard a distant clap of thunder.

Within minutes the clouds had started to merge and became blacker and darker, the wind started to build around us as the dogs ran around like mad things barking at the wind as if they could stop it and the chickens clucked their disapproval as they ran for cover into the ‘Chicken Hilton’. We quickly began to gather up the various glasses, champagne flutes (for the prosecco) small wine glasses (for the rose) and large wine glasses (for the red) and take them indoors as they all started to blow over in the storm.

As my mad friend ran around the garden taking photos and panoramic shots of the impending storm we quickly laid the deckchairs, that were now blowing around the garden, down and tucked the chairs under the table in the  hope that the wind would not take them; and any loose plants that had yet to be potted up were tucked behind bigger pots. The umbrella was quickly taken down as the heavy spots of rain began to hit us, and the dogs made a run for cover as the clouds were now travelling down the lane towards us, with lightning forks snaking out of them as if looking for prey.

Rich shut all the open upstairs windows, and the shutters for good measure but was too late to save the toilet window that slammed shut and smashed!

But the little Welshie puppy thought it was all a game and did not understand the dangers, so she just ignored us as we called her in, no surprises there! And Harley ran back out into the storm and rounded her up and ushered her in. We stood at our new open French windows and watched as the storm literally came down the lane towards us – I felt the need to say ‘There’s no place like home’ and click my heels together – sadly no red shoes!!

With that the rain came lashing down and the storm was upon us, the doors were shut, and the thunder boomed above us with black skies all around us and the lighting was striking out in the fields. And that is why I love living here! Nature reminds me again and again of how insignificant we are, and how all the petty things we worry about are nothing at all.

Within ten minutes the storm had moved on over the hill and we went out into the light rain, the smell of the air something I cannot describe. Some of my poor clematis were damaged but have already begun to grow new to replace that lost.

This one was literally blown off it’s stand but is still flourishing today.

Later in the evening we went out and sat on the now damp chairs, the air was still warm and we were still drinking wine! And the next day the sun was back out.

As I am writing this the thunder is all around me!!

I love my life, it is all about the small things that money cannot buy.

Moisy

My house, our house, it is a house on the pinnacle of the hill; trust me, out of the three houses in our commune we are on the top, top, top of the hill. It makes sense we were the original farmhouse for the land as far as the eye can see, and out neighbours homes would have been our barns.

So being on top of a hill does come with some disadvantages, so far we have had our kitchen roof removed (we will be having our second winter with just tarp over it – a new one mind you!!) by a storm, a tornado rip through our garden, chewing up and spitting out the gazebo, half of the silver birch tree’  and doing a fair bit of damage to other trees. (See posts from September last year) There has been The Hooley (see said post) and whenever there is a wind it whips around the house like a banshee. Add to that it appears that our well is known for running dry, because basically the water in it all runs off down the hill towards the river, and you can probably see that buying a house on a hill comes with it’s difficulties.

So this year has been no different and last week we had a storm and our terrace was hit by lightening! There we were Rich snoring away me half asleep listening to the storm, when there was a loud crack and the corner of our bedroom lit up as if a group of paparazzi were in the corner taking photos (although of Rich in his pants snoring and me in my pyjamas with two sleeping welshies I don’t think they would be getting much money for those photos!!) Rich woke with a start and immediately went downstairs to check the router for the internet and came back to advise me it was smoking and the phone was also burnt out!!

Now given the other things I have written about, and Rich’s wobble a couple of months ago you would think that this would not have helped. But do you know what? The boy took it in his stride!! let me explain why:

You see earlier in the week our telly had gone wrong, in fact had gone kaput, the screen had just given up the ghost. But just that day, Dad, who has now left for pastures new, had given us a telly. Not as big, but a good reasonably sized telly never the less. When Rich started to get stressed when the screen went blue, I pointed out to him that he had a telly he could use, so why was he stressing?!

As they say in the Tao:

‘There is no good or bad luck, it’s indivisible. What you’re calling ‘bad’ fortune had ‘good’ just waiting to emerge, because it is the other half.’

From Change your thoughts change your life, living the wisdom of the Tao.

Dr Wayne W.Dyer.

Basically you can’t have good without bad, and you can’t have bad without good, otherwise how would you know which is which? As they say ‘in life death is hiding.’

Now I know some people reading this will think ‘Well I have not had anything good yet, everything that happens to me is bad.” Is it? Because have you even considered that you woke up this morning? You are alive when others are not. You can see the sky, you can hear the birds, you may have someone who loves you, or beautiful animals that love you unconditionally and do you know what all that is luck!! You have food to eat, you can read (or you would not be reading this!) you have opportunity. Life is not all about materialistic things because as they also say to quote Byron Katie

“To believe that you need what you don’t have is insane.”

And to quote an add on from the late Dr Wayne W. Dyer

“Believing that you cannot be content and happy now because your future appears to you to be difficult is another form of insanity.”

“Look at what you have and realise that you are obviously fine in this moment. ”

So by the time the lightening struck Rich had got ‘it’ and knew, and believed that good luck would also come his way; and it has, in so many ways not just materialistic ones.

Here are the lucky things about living in a house on a hill:

We have these views

We have wonderful, wonderful neighbours. We have woodpeckers that visit our trees in our garden; in fact last week we had a tawny owl sitting in the tree outside our barn looking in at us for most of the day. We have had wild boar run through the fields right in front of our house, making their way to the river; and dears just standing stock still looking at us.

We realise how lucky we are to have each other, and our beautiful animals, when we are all snug in our house as the wind whips around it, this house has been here for two hundred and five years, she is not giving up yet.

We are blessed to own a house on a hill, because we get to see what the real world is like. We are blessed to live in France and to struggle because it makes us realise that materialistic things do not make you happy, companionship, love and support for each other does.

Have a good evening

Moisy

PS folks please don’t forget if you enjoyed this post please rate it with the star rating at the top – i would really appreciate it.

Over the past two and a half years I have often mentioned some people who we met two years ago this month. Originally we met them through work (Rich would do odd jobs for them) but over time they became our good friends. In fact they became more than that, they became people who helped us in so many ways  over time, every step of the way during our adventure in France. From repairing our cars at the drop of a hat, to giving Rich work when they knew we needed the money. There was never any agenda all the help was given because they had remembered what it was like for life to be tough and as he (dad as we started to call him) used to say, “If you can’t help someone in life you might as well give up.”

They would say to us that we have helped them too, always been reliable and dependable, and more than anything people they could trust, because as you know from previous posts that is not a common thing out here.

My dear friend Mary took their beloved dog and gave her a home, when they could no longer keep her. Although they were heartbroken they knew, and still know, she is loved and safe. (See a poignant goodbye) I understand how that means the world to them. They knew that when we watched over their house we took our responsibilities seriously, and for that they appreciated us as much as we appreciated them.

But sadly, now the era has come to an end. They have sold their house and are moving to pastures new; and whilst I know I will see them again they are no longer a quick drive away. We helped them pack up and on Wednesday I found myself thinking how this will be the last time I drive this journey to their house, and on the way home this will be the last time I drive this journey ever. I looked around the beautiful garden, and the view from their conservatory, where I have often sat and watched the seasons changing in that wonderful way that France shows you; and I felt sad; I would not see another change of season here.

So this weekend they stayed their last night in the Pays de Loire at our house, in their camper van, on the drive, with the cat!! (Yes they are as mad as us.) We went out for a farewell meal, laughed at all the adventures we had had, and about our past lives and had a wonderful time. But yesterday morning the time came to say goodbye, and I cried. “We don’t do crying here!” Dad said in his best Yorkshire accent (no he was not wearing a flat cap at the time,but he might as well have been because he does have one!!) but I knew that was his way of not showing his upset, and as we hugged them goodbye I could see tears in her eyes, that she wiped away after getting into the car.

As the camper van and car trundled off down our lane Rich and I hugged each other and both felt immense sadness; and as if there was a small hole in our new life in France. But of course we wish them well in all there adventures.

I know that we will be in close contact again, but this is a chapter in our adventure closing; and, perhaps, because it is the first chapter that has closed that we really care about, it has made it all the more poignant. As I told them, I can honestly say that we would not have been able to continue our adventure and get to where we are today without them.

So here is to our good friends, we miss you already, in so many ways and we hope that life is kind to you.

Did I cry writing this blog? Of course I did!!

“Why do heaven and earth last forever?

They do no live for themselves only.

This is the secret of durability. ………”

“Serve the needs of others,

and all  your own needs will be fulfilled.

Through selfless action, fulfillment is attained.”

From Change your thoughts, change your life, living the wisdom of the Tao.

Dr Wayne W. Dyer

And now I have laughed because he is going to read that and say (in his best Yorkshire northern bastard accent) “What the bloody hell as she put that in for?!”

Love you both

Moisy and Rich xx

Some of you may recall that waaaay back in the summer I posted a  picture of my windows just as I was about to start to renovate them.

It took some time as I quickly established that the paint was lead paint and, it appears, it eats Nitromors paint stripper for its lunch!! But I persevered whilst my lovely husband was at work, scraping and sanding, scraping and sanding. The heat on the front of my house in the summer was over fifty degrees but that did not put me off, although the paint took a long time to dry, I  think it was so hot it was drying and melting, drying and melting!!

I decided to go the whole hog and do both the outside and inside and here they are the finished result. Not just downstairs but the upstairs windows too.

Those who have followed my blog for some time will remember that it was sooooo cold in our house last year, literally we were freezing. But the windows have all been sealed we have the wonderful eight kilowatt multi-fuel burner in place and our house is not only toasty but we are burning a lot less fuel.

No wonder we were cold last year all our heat was, quite simply, going up the chimney because it had not been sealed. For those of you thinking of buying an old house in France take our advice, prioritise your wood burner and make sure you have the chimney sealed, or, like us, you will quite simply be burning money! It was a steep learning curve!  Our burner is working so efficiently that it is now heating upstairs to eighteen degrees which means we don’t have to have the heaters on all the time in the bedrooms. Apart, of course, from when I am sitting at my computer composing my book (Yes I write my blogs to you primarily at my desk upstairs, as well)

We have not finished there, oh no!  We are now going to buy wool insulation and seal the cellar all around the edge and across the beam in the middle, so that when that winter wind blows this year it won’t be blowing up into our living room, mmmm no more cold dinners for us because they last year they were cold before you got to eat them!

But the main thing that I wanted to say is that this house is being renovated with love, our love for our new life, our love for each other, and the love our friends have for us.

Do you remember when we moved in and our kitchen looked like this:

Check out that funky sixties wallpaper!

To this as the renovation continued!

To this as Rich began to build my kitchen for me ….

To this when he finally built the unit for my hob …

Well  look at it now…… as well as the cooker hood, and my previously mentioned vide grenier buy of the gun cupboard,  the shabby chic shelf, or the tiles that matched my colour scheme perfectily  (ten for thirteen euros!!), also note the curtains. My wonderful friend Mary made them for us and brought them over on her last visit and the kitchen looks so big now…

And look at this unit now!

Poor Rich (I know I say that quite often!) he was up and down the ladder as Mary and I supervised the hanging of the bunting and changed our minds about twenty times, but I love it….

He has the pleasure of hanging the bunting that my friend Nic and her girls have made me once I have finished decorating the pantry and he is so looking forward to it (not!)

Now when I am in my kitchen I smile when I think of the love that went into making these things for us.

In fact throughout our house there are things that people who have come over to see us have made, or bought from the ever popular shop Action!!!   Things that make me smile, the kindness of others…

Nic also made me this blanket, named Pauline after her late mum, and posted it to me from England to keep me warm in the winter …

I light the hurricane lamps and wooden lamps that Nic and Catherine bought me on their visit every night now the evenings are drawing in..

And every night I light up the rose lights that I have put around the wooden star that Mary bought me, it takes pride of place in my bedroom and will go up on the wall once it is decorated.

There have been people who have sent me bite pens, body lotion from Avon that also acts as a brilliant insect deterrent – a life saver for me this summer when I was sometimes being bitten twelve times in one go!!

Rich’s mum, who has helped us so much, not least sending us random parcels of Turkish delight and cooking sauces (sorry folks I can cook but cannot make a good cheese sauce without a packet to go in it!!)

My friend Catherine has only recently sent me a nail oil, because my nails are shot from the renovation and work I have been doing, and I could not find it here in France. (I am obviously not looking in the right place because guess where it was made- France!!!)

Nic sent me some embroidery pens when I happened to mention that I needed some as I am going to start my own designs. I could go on and on.

What have I learnt from this? For me a lot!  I am not someone who accepts help easily, I find it difficult, from previous experience had come to believe that there was always an agenda, and now I have to believe that there is not. I cannot think any other way when  I look at the help that kind people have given us this year, from supporting us with the roof to make it water tight to helping us with our vehicles, to helping us find work and giving us moral support when times were hard as well as all of the above and more.

Would Rich and I do the same for them? In a heartbeat. Thank you all.

I am saying this because it is easy to get caught up in the negative, which then creates another negative and as you know I am following the Tao now and I am saying to you all look at the kindness of others and ignore the negativity, don’t let it dominate your life, it’s easy to get sucked in.

I have a hole in my roof, a cesspit that leaks in the winter, and a barn that is falling down, but I get to walk around my garden with two live teddies every day,

I am surrounded by nature, the love of my friends, and not least the love of a wonderful man, I am blessed. Everything will resolve if you just open yourself up to the opportunities that could come you way I know I am.

Be happy folks.

Moisy