Category Archives: My home

Cherishing The Changes of the Season: The Charabang Outing.

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Posted by in Change is a coming, For the live of dogs, Goodbyes, Learning and Evolving, My family and other furry creatures, My home, new adventures, New Paths, poignancy, Reflections, sunrises and sunsets, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The seasons

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Autumn has never enthralled me more than since moving here. I have written about it So often.

Autumn is a time for letting go, and no more so than this year.

So last Sunday, before I returned to work for what I thought was going to be a long stint, I realised that when I returned home in October the evenings would be dark, and the opportunity to sit in my garden on these warm autumn evenings would be passed; that this would be the final weekend evening ever when I could savour my garden as she began her preparation to move from summer to autumn. Because all things are changing.

It has been incredibly warm here for September, with the temperature in the early thirties most days, so as the sun went down RD and I decided to take a walk around our garden, and savour what we have, at times, taken for granted.

Off we went up the chemin (ooh matron!) that divides our main garden from our field behind our barn, as the sun started to set. Needless to say the Welshies were with us, excited that mummy and daddy were walking around the garden with them, as if they wanted to show us all the things we might miss. Like the crab apples, and Cobb nuts, crunching beneath our feet.

As we passed Daisy (fondly known as Pussy Upsey the Bond Villain ) she watched with interest…

And not put off by Welshies at all decided to join us on our walk. She is fondly known as ‘cat Dog’.

Up she came behind us, stalking the serial killer known as Wiglet (she is a Bond villain after all!) not put off my Wiglet’s penchant for killing small things, because Daisy is a bit of an oompa loompa!

As we walked on to the field behind our barn, with its newly repaired roof (the boy done good) the sun set reflected onto the old building, built in 1812, it shimmered in the sunlight, as if knowing that yet again it was being left behind. That building must have so many stories to tell. We are going to become part of it’s history now.

As we stood taking in the sunset RD reminded me of the fabulous view from just over the horizon of the field behind us. In five years I had still not walked down to see it. I will make a note to do that when I get home.

I looked at all my beautiful animals, and was reminded of just how much they love us.

I savoured the sunshine, and thought of all those beautiful creatures who we have lost in the last five years, poignant memories, the kind that make you smile with tears in your eyes. Autumn reminded me, as always, of the things we take for granted.

I realised then that I rarely show you the view from this side of our garden, or the sun setting from this angle. So time to share this walk with you, with all who have followed this adventure with me. From the fields surrounding us, to the old statuesque oaks, standing so tall in our garden. They will give someone else shelter next year.

I miss my home….

Rosie

Harvest Moon

01 Tuesday Sep 2020

Posted by in Change is a coming, Goodbyes, Learning and Evolving, My home, new adventures, New Paths, poignancy, sunrises and sunsets, The continuing adventure, The seasons

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I am cherishing everything now. (Why do we only seem do that when we are letting things go?) I said in one of my latest blogs that I was going to sit in my garden. It hasn’t disappointed.

Last night RD and I sat in our pyjames with a beer and a wine and we watched this bright gold early Harvest Moon rise.

I could not catch the colour of the moon, but as the sky changed colour it was a beautiful site in that inky blue sky, as it rose over the valley.

As we both sat with tears in our eyes , the bats whizzed around the trees in our garden, and the owl hooted from the distance. (I like to think it was the owl we had saved all those years ago).

I turned to RD and said ‘we may feel as we do now, because we are leaving. But if we were staying would we still be cherishing this moment?’ I believe the answer would be ‘no’, because we humans sadly hold on to something when we know we are going to lose it. It’s not always the best thing to do.

Life has adventures on every corner, if you are brave enough to turn the bend.

To memories of Harvest Moons, and owls and bats, trees in our garden and being blessed to have experienced it.

Rosie

So Here We Are

28 Friday Aug 2020

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

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So here we are, having a glass of wine and a beer in our home. I am back in France.

We have just signed the documents agreeing to sell our home. It’s time to move on.

I have shed a little tear, I am sure there will be more to come. But for now, despite the stormy weather, it is good to be back in my ‘for now’ home.

Tomorrow we are having a BBQ for all our fabulous French friends and neighbours, and two English friends that we didn’t realise were there, all the time. Here is to a party to celebrate the last five years.

Just a little teaser, I used to swim in this river, right by the bridge.

And I spent many hours under a bridge just like this catching tiddlers in the glen that flowed down from the mountain.

Ireland has so much to look forward to.

Exciting times. But right now, I am going to enjoy the hear and now.

Rosie

Oh! Just to make you giggle our buyers thought we are religious! I think it may be my vintage bleeding heart statue of Jesus.

You can call us many things but religious is not one of them.

😉

Rosie

Bittersweet…..it’s sold

23 Sunday Aug 2020

Posted by in My home, new adventures, New Adventures, New Paths, poignancy, Reflections, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure

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Nearly three years ago I wrote this post in which I said how I come to realise how much our home had replenished me. How a house is not a home, it us the people in it. I will need to remind myself of this in the next three hectic months, because we have sold our house. Only the second viewers have placed an offer that cannot be refused.

Life really has shown us the way as we had always said it would. It is time to move on.

The feeling is bittersweet.

RD and I were talking the other day and we both cried. I said how I had realised now, how we had struggled for so long living here that at times we had failed to see what we really had. But then I look back over my old posts and I know that is not the case. There has been do much positivity, and we have truly learned to value the simple things.

The opportunity to move on, given to us so quickly is bittersweet because we had yearned to live in France for so long, it was our dream and now our dream has ended.

But time to start a new adventure.

I cannot wait to go home on Friday and sit in my garden with those I love.

Thank you all for your kind and wonderful comments.

Rosie

Poignant: The Beginning of the End

29 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by in Change is a coming, Goodbyes, Learning and Evolving, My home, new adventures, New Paths, poignancy, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, Us

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The For Sale Board is on the gate, marking the beginning of the end for this adventure.

As I sit here in my garden writing this post, the pool is bubbling away, and it’s currently just over thirty degrees at 7pm in the evening, RD is just doing a little shopping and the Harley Pup is patiently waiting to be splashed.

The bees are buzzing around. butterflies are fluttering by, our garden looks lovely, all ready for the pictures that have been taken to sell this house and take us away from here.

Five years ago I dreamt of what I am doing right now, writing a blog in the sunshine, with a light summer breeze, listening to the pigeons, surrounded by tranquility . This place has healed me.

It seems strange that the For Sale sign is now in place.

We have deliberated long and hard, we know it is the right decision, but on an evening like this evening, it feels a little poignant.

Cherishing the moment.

Rosie

Poignant Times: Notre Voisins. Our Neighbours

25 Saturday Jul 2020

Posted by in a sense of community, Change is a coming, Friends, laughter & giggles, My home, new adventures, People, poignancy, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good life

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These are the flowers that our lovely neighbours bought for us because we had invited them to a soiree last night. As I sit here this evening I still have a slight hangover after much hilarity was had. But more than anything I feel a sense of poignancy.

I have written often about our neighbours, mainly Mark and Nadia and their friends and ours, Michelle and Martigne, how they have helped us so much in our time here. We have been truly blessed.

Last week we were approached by them regarding the option of buying the barn and the land behind it separately from the house. We fully understand why: they are concerned re who buys our house, and whether they will allow Mark to park outside the barn, as we do, or will put a fence up, or quite simply not be part of the community as RD and I have been.

Our attitude has always been that we are blessed to live in France and as such should do our best to get on with our French neighbours. When in France do as the French do.

Last night we invited them all to a soiree, only this time we also invited Lucie and Manu our other set of neighbours. They have always been friendly but reserved (or is that us that have been reserved? As the good old British tend to be at times!) We had a fab night and our lovely neighbours told us how they would be so upset to see us leave. in fact they do not want us to leave, they want us to stay. They told us how they were so happy in how we had fitted in with the community and they are now so worried about who will live here next.

I cried, they cried, I have tears in my eyes now. What a fabulous thing for people to say to you, to feel about you, and I know that RD also feels very sad.

The Barn sale probably won’t come off, but that doesn’t matter we still had the opportunity to spend time with these people who have become our friends. So much so we are having an end of summer BBQ at the end of August.

I think it is fair to say that both RD and I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility. RD said today how our decisions make such an impact on others, like ripples in a pond.

I have just written in my journal..

‘A lot of change, a lot of things to consider, a lot of people’s lives will be affected when we move. I just didn’t realise how much. ‘

Rosie

Wiglet, letting Marc know she loves him

Remembering To Enjoy The Here and Now

21 Tuesday Jul 2020

Posted by in Change is a coming, Learning and Evolving, My home, Simple things, sunrises and sunsets, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good life

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Morning sunshine 2020

So on the back of the last post from what will be a series of posts reflecting on what we have learned from the past, here is the first post from the series about the Here and Now.

I am so aware of the fact that this may well be our last summer here (I never assume a definite I am not doing the driving ) but I know it’s pretty likely. We have taken the weather for granted over the years, the sunny mornings and the fabulous views, and have often sat inside drinking our tea; but today the morning is beautiful and we are sitting on our terrace, drinking our tea, and treasuring this moment.

It’s so easy when we make plans for the future to jump headfirst into them and forget about where you are, and enjoying the moment. I know it is something I do, and by writing a series of blogs about enjoying what we have here, and all the poignancy that entails now we know we will be saying goodbye, I hope will keep me grounded.

Enjoy your day. It’s all you have.

Rosie.

July 2020 Pays de Loire

Just Chilling

19 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by in Change is a coming, mental health, My home, new adventures, New Paths, Simple things, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good life

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It’s been a busy few weeks. New propositions have been raised regarding our barn and the terrain behind it, meaning we might be in a position to move sooner than we thought. Watch this space, life will show us the way.

The thing that has been the most exhausting has been the mental acrobatics required when considering a move to another country: the logistics so to speak. This time we want to ensure that we use the lessons we have learned to make the best decisions we can.

But for now, after early apero’s with our neighbours we are going to chill before a busy week. In twenty-five degrees plus, my sun-bed is calling me for a snooze.

I am sorry I have been away so long, my brain had to recoup, on to our new adventure.

Rosie

Recouping….and making plans

02 Tuesday Jun 2020

Posted by in Change is a coming, Dream, Learning and Evolving, Making our own way, My home, new adventures, New Paths, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good life

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I have been a while sharing some posts because we have been back to having no internet again! But now, finally, we now have a hub, and all hopefully all should be okay.

So due to that I have not been able to post all that I wanted to,  there is lots to share and I will endeavor to catch up some of it now.

As I write this post I am sitting in the very warm French sunshine, thankfully being cooled by a gusty breeze, it would be too hot otherwise. I have now been home just over two weeks, and I have found the need to have a nap in the afternoon up until last week. I was tired. We have spent a lot of these two weeks just sitting in our garden in the very warm weather and enjoying what we have (and too much wine!) Daisy out smooth coated cat has finally realised I am mummy, and allowed me to cuddle her again. She was miffed I was I was away so long

It has been a busy two weeks for many reasons not least RD has had raging toothache and has had to visit the dentist (emergencies only at present in France.) He is due to go back tomorrow to have the tooth removed.

We have also rearranged the furniture in the living room, taking some out and putting it in the barn. As per my previous post   whilst I was away RD made himself busy and painted everything in the kitchen white. So we took the decision to take out the huge vintage French buffet that we had in there and put back the bottom of our larder unit that I painted many, many moons ago. It is to make the room airy and bright, and it is safe to say we have achieved our objective. All with a view to selling our house. 

Despite my love of my home we are still going to leave France. I have been blessed to live here but the urge to move on is still with me. When I came home the peacefulness of our surroundings were not lost on me, but they are not enough, and I do believe that life is about change. In fact whether we like it or not life is all about change, it’s one of the bigger lessons I have learnt.

20 Insightful Albert Einstein Quotes That Will Change Your Mindset

But me being me, I have realised that I am trying to cram everything in and make the change happen quickly. I have heard myself say ‘We need to be in Ireland by this time next year.’ Why do we?

Yes, Rich will need to find work and I think that by this time next year he will be ready to move somewhere where he can speak the language, especially if I am still in my current job, and away for two weeks at a time. And I like my job, I am learning so much, but that is for another post.

I had forgotten one of my other biggest lessons and our belief: That ‘life’ shows you the way. Or to quote M Scott Peck from ‘The Road Less Travelled’ “Someone else is doing the driving.” So whilst our plans remain the same, and we will move to Ireland, we will get the house valued and then decide if it goes on the market now or in a few months.

For the first time since living here we have the opportunity to live the life we wanted to, so we are going to enjoy it for now. The weather is hot, the pool is up, but we also know we have a lot to do in the time I am here.

More to come…

Rosie

Changes: In seasons and life, just taking it in my stride.

17 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by in Change is a coming, Learning and Evolving, My home, New Paths, Reflections, Simple things, The continuing adventure, The seasons

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At this time of immense change in the world (I really don’t think the world will be quite the same again and in all honesty I don’t think it should be.) I am sitting in my chair in the window and the spring sunshine is streaming in. Isolation has been imposed in France, and whilst we can shop for essentials only one person is allowed in the shop and you have to carry papers as well as passport to say why you are out and about.

I get it, they are trying to shut this thing down, and whilst I have never bought into the panic, it seems the sensible thing and I am happy to go with the flow. All things change and I am happy to accept change, anyone who reads my blog will know that. There is no point fighting against it, because it will come anyway.

So I am going back to work early. I am now in a care giving role, and have to go to the UK to give it. Care still needs to go ahead, people who are dependent will still be dependent, but with the daily changes I volunteered to go back early just in case. I recognise and care for a wonderful person and I don’t want to let them down. This means that I will be back off grid primarily for a week or so, so I will set up posts to go out there in my absence.

At the momentI am enjoying my time with RD, and hoping I will only be gone for 18 days. I’m cherishing the blossom on my old cherry tree, it will be gone when I get back; and it may be the last time I see her blossom: I will be leaving her here when we move on, setting her free from the pot and hoping she survives in the garden. I have had her nearly twenty years. But we cannot hold on, we have to let go.

So at this difficult time, here is something I borrowed from another post on Facebook. It says it all really.

Rosie