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Category Archives: Change is a coming

Change – Windswept gardens and saving lives

12 Monday Nov 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, My family and other furry creatures, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The seasons

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Only last week I posted this picture or our garden.

This weekend the hooley escalated to what looked like a typhoon, we literally felt as if we were enveloped by the storm, the rain and hail were so torrential that you could not see the field beyond our garden. Winter is letting us know that he is on the way!

All week our new roof has been fantastic, but this rain was exceptional and just found the couple of small flaws that we knew would be there, because such is the case with a new roof! Of course they were where the concrete seal had been added and are easily remedied; after not having a roof at all for three years we have learned not to worry about small things – we literally ‘don’t sweat the small stuff¬’

But the trees and the gardens took a battering and on Sunday morning we woke up to find the old heavy oak door (that had once been our front door) that we had propped against the tree of Tao ( to give the impression that you could walk through a maginal door and into another secret garden – I love a bit of folkelore and mysticism me!) had been blown over and the oak bench in front of her had literally been flipped upside down.

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As you can see the trees have been undressed of their leaves and in just two days the door is virtually covered! As is the rest of the garden.

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The serial killer known as ‘Wiglet’ was however in full form. On Friday she had a wonderful day with me, as I collected the twigs for kindling she protected me from anything that may be lurking in the branches that I was pulling out from the huge pile we have to deal with. Harley was with me too, laying at my feet, but she was snuffling backwards and forwards in the twigs (as far as her fat bum would take her) and behind them. She disappeared for a while and when I went down to load the logs up and into the wheelbarrow to bring in to the house I found that she had left me a present – a big fat dead rat! I told you had nothing to worry about!!

Sadly though this meant that she had got a taste for murder and after the wet weather on Friday night she set her sights back on poor Claudy the cockerel. Rich had to go and get her from the fence by the chicken coop on Friday night and on Saturday morning, whilst drinking my first cup of tea of the day in my jimby jambies, I heard a noise. I quickly got up and opened the door and could hear screaching and clucking – she had got back in with the chickens, by managing to move a post that was pliable in the soft wet ground!

Without further thought I ran up to the chicken coop – remembering what Rich had said about making a loud bang with something,because Wiglet does not like loud bangs, in fact they terrify her. Needs must I grabbed my prop from my washing line and, dreading what I was going to see, headed for the chicken coop gate. But a surprise awaited me – whilst she was giving Claudy the odd nip, she had not gone in for the kill and the other chicken was also alive (all but terrified!). I quickly banged on the corrugated iron of the shed and she ran to the corner of the coop giving Claudy time to squeeze himself between the new chicken house and the fence so she could not get him.

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I shouted at her ‘arretez’ which means stop in French, and she answers to French commands better than English in times like these. To my surprise – after having a quick lunge at the other chicken – she sat and did as she was told. There was no killing frenzy she actually just stopped! Rich came up and got her out, because although she had got in through the tiny gap she had made she could not get her fat arse back out!

A decision had to be made: I love Claudy, he is a stunning cockerel and chats to you whenever you go up to the coop, but if we keep him his days are numbered, because she will kill him one day. It is a bit like a lion, it goes after the one wilderbeast no matter how many are there, and Wiglet has had a taste of Claudy!

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So with heavy heart Rich and I contacted a friend who has just re-homed ten battery hens, he is an animal lover and he has agreed to re-home them both, giving them a safe haven from the serial killer. I will be sad to see them go, it is the end of an era. Butm we have to think of Claudy and the one remaining girly, and, as we know, all things change; and this season is the one to remind us of that like no other.

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I know! Butter wouldn’t melt right?!

Moisy

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We have a roof – for the first time in three years!

01 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, My home, People, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good life

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This was our roof from three years ago, after it had been attacked by storm Katie and annihalated by a twister going right through our garden.

As most of you know it has been the hardest part of this adventure to find work, or people you can trust to work for; and so we had no money to repair it. I have written only recently how we did not let that stop us, we carried on, we had no choice. (Boy can I see that what Rich and I went through was in prep for this adventure, because we already knew that nothing could beat us!)

But as I wrote in September the roof was finally being replaced; and oh my it is a piece of art!

Our wonderful builder Rob is a skilled man, because the roof had been open to the elements for so long some of the rafters had to be repaired (not replaced because bless him he knew we had to keep costs down.)

Being a carpenter Rob repaired joists and the result, particularly at the back of the roof is stunning; with it’s curves it looks like a wing of one of the kestrels or eagles that fly around us up here.

I love the contrast of the black tiles (black is de rigeur because we are in a protected national park, in fact we have only just found out that our barn is classed as a listed building because it was built in 1812) and the zinc edging that catches the light.

Having lived for three winters with the rain pouring in at times (we only had a worn out old tarp to protect it and we had bowles everywhere catching the water) my husband now dances round the kitchen every time it rains singing the ‘We’re lovely and dry’ song! Small things eh?!

This year we have achieved a lot with new doors and the new roof we are now warm and toasty; which means that the electric heater in the kitchen keeps us warm and the old calor gas fire, that we had in the kitchen, has now been moved up into the bedroom where I write, no more cold feet and hands for me this winter!

Small things, they are what matter.

Moisy

Broken hearts and Unicorns

28 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, The continuing adventure

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I am so sorry to all of my readers of Mois French Adventure I have neglected those who don’t want to read the pain of my other blog makingthisbetter.com but it has just took off! I have had over seven thousand views to date and the interaction has been phenomenal. If I cannot get an agent or publisher I will self-publish and a big thanks to all those who gave me advice less than a month ago.

Who would have thought when I moved out here that my life would have taken this turn? I think that it is important to say a big thank you to Rich, it has been incredibly brave of him to agree to me sharing our story, and for facing his fears and realising that I still love him, the pain I felt has gone away – long ago. It is time to help others now.

I have been saying for a long time that change is coming and I feel that it is now blowing in on the late autumn wind, who knows what is coming; I learnt a long time ago to go with it and not be afraid.

My week has been busy, as well as the new blog and the mass of media interaction that has to take place I was asked if I would make some sparkly unicorns as part of our joint business, making handmade products. I am blind as a bat, which comes in helpful when I sit for hours with an orange stick embellishing our products! I love doing it but it is time consuming so I was pleased when one of the unicorns sold before I had even put it in the shop!

I looked up the symbolism of unicorns, given the madness of the past few weeks, and there are many meanings; for me the one that resonated was that they do represent strength (I think it’s fair to say that is probably me, for where we are now and because I have never, ever given up on this adventure!), and they can also represent new beginnings. I think this may be the start of one for us now.

I love all of the interaction from you and the support you have given me over the years so I will be blogging often this week, on this blog, sharing pictures with you and telling you about the other changes that have happened since the chickens moved into their own house and out of the chicken Hilton.

Keep reading folks, and thanks for staying with me. I am off now for an afternoon of relaxation (and interaction no doubt!) and next week I will be embellishing the newest unicorn addition to our designs, requested by someone for their grand-daughter, who knows whether she will pick a heart of star design for it’s base!

Have a good Sunday – and always believe in something magical

Moisy

As I sit here…..

17 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, Reflections, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The seasons

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As I sit here this morning, with my first cup of tea of the day (I am English after all!) I have found the urge to write.

The picture above is my garden at this present moment that I am writing this. The view from the valley as you can see is totally obscured because there is a thick fog and autumn has finally rolled in. A complete contrast to just weeks ago..

For the first time this season we have condensation on our windows, and single figure temperatures outside, but our house is warm. The roof on our kitchen has finally been replaced (more of that to come in another post) and add to the mix our new front door and the difference it has made is immeasurable. I smiled to myself today when I looked at our doors, and there was no condensation on them.

Sadly they are nowhere near as pretty as our old door, but it had to go, it was beyond repair (and trust me I tried) the oak had split from the hundred years of driving rain and wind it had endured so it could not be saved. We have re-used it (as you would know we love a bit of old and vintage, and will repurpose where we can, you only have to look at our Etsy shop) as a feature in our garden, it now plays the part of a secret door into a fairy kingdom.

I know we’re mad! But helps in life sometimes!

I love the autumn, One of the biggest things for me about living here is the changing of the seasons. I’ve said it before and I will probably say it again; it is a constant reminder that things change, and that although they will come back again they will never be the same as the one before. Nothing in life ever is. For me the autumn is the most poignant because all the things are dying off, it is the end of something that you will never get back, and it is a reminder to treasure every moment.

As some of you may know I am sharing a story from long ago about Rich and I, it has taken off. It is a sad story, but remembering where we are now, it is a story of hope. It too is a story of something dying and then coming back again, but in a different way, it was never going to be what it was before. Perhaps it is apt that I decided to share it in the autumn!

For those who have read my blog over the years you will know it made us stronger, and gave us the courage to take this adventure; and despite the hardships we have had along the way they have never broken us, almost sometimes, but we have always got through.

We have learnt that money really does not buy you happiness, and material things may give you comfort but they don’t make you happy. Because despite having no water, no roof, a leaking cesspit, dodgy cars at one point, and at times been down to the last six euros to our name, things have always come through, because we are happy in our minds. We have the ability to laugh, sometimes at each other, every day. We lost our egos.

So yesterday we read a passage from the Tao and the explanation asked a question, to think about what you thought made you happy and then ask yourself if that were true. It was designed to help people realise that the material things they bought did not really make them happy. So Rich and I both thought about it independently and both came up with the same answer, independently: it was to sit in our garden and look out across the valley.

We love our life, we love the simplicity and we both agreed that even if we had enough money to not have to worry about spending it, we still wouldn’t go out for meals, our greatest pleasure would be to sit in our garden and look at the view, with each other. (And all the furries of course!)

We are blessed.

Have a food day folks, enjoy the small things.

Moisy

If you want to learn more about us you may want to check out:

Makingthisbetter.com my new blog

PetiteFrenchfancies @etsy is my shop full of eclectic (of course) things.

You can also find me on Instagram as moisfrenchadventure, and Pinterest as moisfrenchadventure.com

Changes have blown in on the autumn wind…

11 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, My family and other furry creatures, The continuing adventure

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It’s been awhile since I have blogged on here, we have been busy with the roof, and I have been even busier with my new blog. The response to it has been phenomenal, thank you all.

But as I have said the Moisfrenchadventure blog is my ‘home’ because it is my first blog and it is about the here and now; and our life together, now.

Sadly one of the changes has been that our two little Amigos, also known as the Princess and the Pea because they were so close, are now at each others throats, literally! We cannot even have them in the same room together on leads and blood has been drawn on a number of occasions; we are at the point that they cannot even go for a walk together.

I feel so sad about this, as I am writing this blog I am looking through the photos of the last year and them together and it is bringing tears to my eyes. Wiglet could do no wrong in Dylan’s eyes.

They played with mop monsters in the garden, Wiglet taught Dylan how to get the chicken’s tail through the fence and worried about her when she was riding with daddy on the mower.

They searched for rats and mice in the woodpile, and Wiglet taught Dylan how to dig her first hole. Wiglet was truly Dylan’s hero, they were inseparable.

But in the summer another dog was in the mix for a week, another Welshie, she attacked Wiglet first in our garden and Dylan got caught up in it and bit Wigs as well. They made it up, but the same dog then attacked Dylan in the rental property Karen was staying in and a week later the unrest began.

We hoped it would die down in the weeks that Dylan had been in England, but it hasn’t and in fact it has escalated.

I am so sad, it is the end of happy times, and I just hope against hope that as Dylan gets older they will be friends again.

But as I say everything changes, and we have to go with that, and autumn is blowing the changes in quickly now.

Goodbye Princess and the Pea, it was real fun while it lasted.

Moisy

Changes – Follow the trees and go where the wind takes you.

07 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, Reflections, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure

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As I sit here on a rainy autumn morning, I am inspired to write in the blog that got me out there. This is the blog that is the sequel to the other one really (makingthisbetter.com) – even though I started writing it first – because this blog is about our next adventure, and in it I hope it shows all the things we learnt on that bomb strewn road that we travelled for so long.

So I am sitting in bed with my second cup of tea, looking out at my favourite tree gently swaying with the breeze and going with it, instead of fighting against it, and I am reminded, as the seasons change, that change happens every minute of every day; and you just have to go with it, bend like the tree, and understand that fighting against it won’t change anything.

Autumn is, for me, a particularly poignant time of year, the leaves are dying, birds are leaving, winter (and harder times) are coming, and the year is drawing to a close. But you can’t fight it, so why not enjoy it, because it is the season where nature puts on one of her most stunning dresses, and shows us how beautiful everything is, even in death.

Even this week, after being extremely busy with Rich doing the roof, and me being main caterer and house maintainer, I have changed our lives again; I have set up my new blog, a serialisation of my book ( The book currently has the title ‘I don’t think I can do this’) and put it out there for the world to see, and our lives have changed again. In less than six days it has had nearly a thousand views all over the world and counting. I know it is not only a good story, and that it would touch the hearts of many, but that it would also help people. We both knew this could make a change to our lives, but we are strong together now and know that it won’t change what we have learnt.

I have to say that it has been an especially brave thing for my husband to do, because right now, where the story is at the moment in his words, he looks like a c**t! I did reply that at that time he was a c**t but the important thing for him to remember is that he is not one now, and it is always the here and now we deal with.

So changes are still happening, we had planned to get out in the garden this weekend, to try our our new log splitter (the things that excite us now!); and to continue with the mammoth task of cutting our wood. But the rain came yesterday and we had to get the final part of the roof watertight, because it is not yet finished; and ‘The Livermore’ and Dylly Dylly have decided to make an impromptu visit and are arriving on Monday, this time with A.N. Other in tow, to see if they fit in with the pack ( see more changes!); and today we planned on going to a vide grenier, but the rain put paid to that.

So, going with the flow, we have spent a morning in bed with the two Welshie snuggle bums, later I will do a little housework and then blog, there is a big story to tell….

But remember folks, this blog, moisfrenchadventure.com is really the adventures of Moisy and Rich here and now, going with the flow, so this one is the one to keep you grounded when the other blog takes your breath away.

A big thank you to you all for your fantastic support.

Have a good weekend, and remember go with the flow…

Moisy

Change – You’re never the driver..

04 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, The continuing adventure

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Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.

Times they are a changing. Bob Dylan

So I said very early on in the year that ‘Times they are a changing’ (to quote Bob Dylan). In fact at the beginning of the year I just found myself playing this song as I wrote at my desk; and change they are in many ways for us, in fact they have in many ways already.

It is fair to say that this adventure has changed so many things for us, but this blog is about all of the things that I didn’t envisage:

Firstly we didn’t envisage getting Harley five years ago, but fate made us change our holiday plans, book a gite with the person who bred him, who in turn contacted us when he needed a new home.

When we moved here with Harley our love affair with Welsh Terriers had begun but didn’t envisage getting ‘The Wiglet’, her other homes failed, or fell through and it was because we were destined to get her.

This in turn led Karen to get Dylan, and write a blog about her antics (Dylan’s Welshie World) which in turn led Karen back to her first love – writing.

As you all know we are changing material things, the gate, the roof, having water. There are other changes in the pipline and they will include, at some point, a new joint blog and again this will change our lives and others. I didn’t envisage any of this when this year started.

Then I think of the sprititual changes that this journey would take us on: That I would read the Tao, then read it to Rich, and Karen, although at times  she does still have  ‘Tao Light Thursday and No Tao Friday’! The belief that we have got from reading that philosophy has changed our lives in the physical world, we stepped off that cliff and believed that the things we needed would come to us and they have. We understand that where there is good there is bad and vica versa but to not focus on the bad – see the good in the simplest things (Autumn and all it’s glory as I write this.) and be greatful for what you have each day because there is no point worrying about what you cannot change, and you may not have another day so just enjoy what you’ve got.

In addition, in fairness, I rarely make hard and fast plans, because I know from all the books I read that the best laid plans will never work out because you are not doing the driving.

When I first moved over here I started to write this blog which in turn led to my writing my book. It  was always my intention to share our experiences with others because people need help when they find themselves where we were once, especially those with a strong persobality like my own, boy it is hard to harness the wild horses in your brain some times!  But over the last month I finished reading Deepak Chopra, ‘The Seven Spiritual laws of Success’ and I took my lead from the end of the book and decided to serialise my book and get it out there. I realsied that, as Deepak Chopra says, I would be doing something that I was put here to do, something that I love (writing) and  in that  I would be helping people at the same time.

I realised that I could not wait forever for the book to be published when there were people out there who needed to read it, because it would help them cope, help them  know that they are not alone, help them know that they can get through it, and help them know that life can get better. So I have started to blog it; and the reaction has been overwhelming. Thank you all.

I know from the reaction in over less than two days that this is likely to change our lives again -not least the reassurance that I have given to my husband because he worries that I will leave him one day. (Yes, even now!) But the difference is that now when I reassure him it works and he is then fine and comforted.

I knew that I was taking a chance, that some would judge, but as I always say my dear late mother was right when she said ‘if they’re judging you they’re leaving some other poor bugger alone!’ I started to write because of my breakdown, I was sick of biting my tongue, I wanted to say what I wanted to say and, as with everything, I know that I have to step of the cliff and take that chance.

What does that have to do with having an adventure in France – everything – I have freedom now. I started to write this blog – which gave me the confidence to write my book, and in turn the confidence to serialise it in another blog; I started to read books that made you think outside of the box, to understand and believe that, much as we think we are, we are not doing the driving where our lives are concerned, and although it took a lot of lessons we are now seeing the benefits of that belief.

I would not have done any of this if we had not moved to France, stepped off the hamster wheel and see where life took us.

Who knows what is coming next – autumn……..

Moisy

If you want to read my other blog then it is called making this better @makingthisbetter.com But be warned, there is a possibility of tears and strong emotion.

Thank again

Moisy

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It’s out there – well part of it for now!

02 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, Reflections, The background story, The continuing adventure

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I took your advice my new blog is set up, it may go a long way to explaining why Rich and I are so ‘resilient’ as we were told the other day!

I am out of practice setting up blogs – it’s been three years – but I hope that you approve of it’s design, and that it helps others. It is what it has all been about.

I will keep you in suspense no longer it is called ‘making this better’ @makingthisbetter.com; it had three followers already, and over twenty views and has only been open just over an hour!!

What I will say is that this blog is not about judging  – if it wasn’t for my husband’s bravery we would not be here today.

As my son said to me ‘Mum! You are not an easy person to come back to!’

Never a truer word was said!!

Moisy

Rural living – Autumn

30 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, My home, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The seasons

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With the first of October nearly upon us autumn is here, but subtly this year. She is stealthily making her way in, lulling us into a false sense of security with her still warm days (some days last week were twenty six degrees, but out of the sun the breeze just had that slight edge to it, letting us know that autumn is really here) and cold nights.

We have still not lit our fire because the sun has warmed our old stone house up sufficiently that the cold is not seeping through it’s walls; but as is always the way with rural living we know that we have to prepare. So yesterday we spent a day in our garden, Rich tidying up the building site that is at the front of our house due to the new roof. (He is right he has to keep on top,of it or it will be a mammoth task!)

My main job was to start to collect the kindling that is all around the garden from the trees we chopped down earlier in the year. Natural kindling is the best and I am not paying for sanitised kindling when nature has provided it for me. One of my biggest lessons from living out here, I don’t let anything go to waste! I have five bags of twigs so far, and counting!

The wood from the sycamore tree that was pollarded earlier in the year is tinder dry and needs to be collected. So Rich and I spent an hour yesterday loading the wheelbarrow and moving into the log store. Eight barrow’s later and it is still not full

Looking at just the wood that has been cut we estimate that we have more than enough wood for this winter, and with all the other logs needing to be cut, and the cobnut wood that Rich cut over two years ago we probably have enough wood for the next two years or more. It feels good to be ahead of the game, and that is what you have to be if you choose rural living.

The plants have all been watered and are ready for extra feed before the winter kicks in, and they have been moved because our seating area, and the scene of so much hilarity and fun during the summer, has gone, my workspace has gone, the tables put away, or moved for the winter, the chairs put to bed.

Due to imminent changes we have also emptied and moved our water but, and you just have to be a little bit mad sometimes, and do what you have to do….

At six thirty we sat down at our table, now safely ensconced on the patio, for a well earned glass of wine, in the autumn evening sunshine, we looked across the valley at the changing colours and I said to Rich I was so happy with my life, and he said “So am I”.

So,today we are going to some of the last vide grenier of the season, they celebrate this time of year in a big way, celebrating the harvest, and there are numerous agricultural fayres and fetes, and who knows what treasures I will find.

Autumn, I love this time of year.

Moisy

Changes – The Roof – The history of our house has started to unfold..

28 Friday Sep 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, My home, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure

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Firstly I want to say a big thank you to all those who offered their advice regarding my question on my last post. A new blog will be set up early next week, it may shock some of you, but will show how adversity can, more often than not, bring about change for the good.

The roof is now well underway, as you can see from the picture above the old dormer window has now gone. We had to be realistic we were never going to use the small amount of storage space in the roof, and to keep it would have added additional cost to the work, so it had to go.

Continuing with the theme of change the roof started to help us understand the history of this house. We had always thought that our kitchen was a later ‘addition’ to the house (our house was built in 1812) but we now know that it had been an open ended stable, and the loft above it would have been used to store the hay for the animals. At some point it was bricked up and turned into our kitchen. You can see from the photo how the bricks were put in to create a doorway, and if you look to the left I believe that there used to be a window there also.

It also explains why we have such small windows (soon to be made bigger) in the wall at the side of the house, they would have just been open windows, the type you find in a barn.

The door to our living room from the kitchen is a beautiful, sturdy, solid oak door (shame about the wallpaper on it for some reason French people used to love wallpapering doors!) so we had assumed that this had been an outside door at some stage in our house’s history.

We also had our suspicions because it was clear that at some point the front door to our house was here, leading straight into what is now our big our living room. There is a concrete lintel in the floor under the window, which was a step at one time.

It was probably led into a small kitchen then, as you can see that our living room was originally two rooms, as there is a steel rafter across the centre of the room.

It’s been an exciting and busy time, the cats have loved investigating the old loft space, and our garden looks like a building site, but the first stage of the roof is now watertight and ready for the tiles next week.

We have been blessed with good weather, and I am counting my blessings every day. I realise as I write this now, how we are making more changes to this house, that will add to it’s history that, one day, someone else will uncover.

As I always say the only constant in life is change.

Keep reading, there’s more to come folks.

Moisy