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Category Archives: The adventures of living life in the French countryside

Changes are coming…How living here has taught me so much

20 Thursday Sep 2018

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

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This was the view that greeted us when we looked through our old and very tatty kitchen window, the old oil tank for the central heating system. We never used the system, firstly because it was so old and dilapidated it didn’t work, and secondly because there was no point in having it repaired because we didn’t have the four thousand euros for the oil every year!

People said to us that we should go back to the Notaire (think French Solicitor ) and lodge a complaint against the farmer who had sold us the house, because he had said it was a working system; this would be the same farmer that owns all the fields around us and could easily make life difficult for us, and we decided that what was the point in arguing over a heating system we were never going to use. It got me thinking….

I have always been the kind of girl that came out fighting, nothing would beat me, because I wouldn’t let it. I am not going to say that my strength did not enable me to come through some of the most difficult times of my life, mostly when I felt abandoned and alone, and I would not have survived without my fighting instinct then; as M Scott Peck explains in ‘The Road Less Travelled’ people with strong personalities are ‘blessed’, but, and there is a but, it is like having the equivalent of ten strong horses in your back yard and trying to control them. Living here has enabled me to do that.

It has given me space, space from people, space from life, with nature all around me. It has given me time to re the Tao Te Ching, and now Deepak Chopra, and it has given me time to contemplate what I have read and understand it. I understand that to come out fighting may get you what you want, but exhausts you in the process; and I understand that you can achieve the same result most times without fighting at all; or you may even decide that you just don’t care enough.

So back to the oil tank, that was taking up a lot of room in our chemin, where we could put another log store. Now talk about life showing you the way, earlier in the week two scrap metal merchants arrived unexpectedly and asked if we had anything they could take; Rich seized the opportunity and offered them the very heavy, and impossible to move oil tank. So out came a huge chain from their big truck and it was tied around the tank, and they pulled, and they pulled, and the tank would not budge! They all decided it was best to leave it when up came the farmer, the farmer who sold us the house, in his gigantic tractor; he jumped down spoke to Rich and without any further discussion lifted the oil tank out of it’s resting place and plonked it onto their truck. Simples!

This is my view from my dilapidated window now

It proves my point, better to be friends than enemies, you don’t always have to do battle; would the farmer have helped us if we had fought him about something that did not matter? I think not.

Choose your battles wisely, and even then go away and think about them.

Look out for more blogs, more changes are on their way….

Moisy

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Warm autumn days, preparing for winter.

19 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by in My home, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good life, The seasons

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It’s been really warm here over the past few weeks, some days have reached over twenty seven degrees, with a beautiful warm breeze.

We have taken advantage of the weather and Rich has been busy sorting some things out in the garden, putting a log stall in place at the side of the house and stacking the logs from the Sycamore that was cut down earlier in the year. Normally the wood takes a year to season, but it has been so hot this summer it is tinder dry and ready to burn. Over the past few years we have stored our wood in the barn, but given that we are now clearing that out, and that it is farther to trek in the bleak midwinter, having stock to hand just outside is better.

The rest will be stored in the old goat shed – the two remaining chickens are on the move (another job that is being tackled soon!) Along with chopping up the logs that are all over the garden (literally).

In addition we have a full log cupboard indoors waiting for the winter onslaught.

I too have been busy, I have signed up for a wedding fayre, or Salon du Mariage, for this Sunday and have been busy designing hearts (and some stars), they are not exclusively for weddings but do make beautiful Aisle decorations, table decorations and gifts; all bespoke all different.

As I have sat in my garden embellishing away I have stopped to look around, and thought there could be worse places to work each day.

I know when to count my blessings.

Here’s one of them, as I sit here writing this, he is laying beside me…..

Have a good day folks, remember do what makes you happy.

Moisy

The balloons

16 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by in My home, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good life

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I had to share this, as I sit here in my garden on a balmy autumn evening, because I look up and this is what I see….

Balloons flying high in the sky all around our commune. What a sight to see!

Every year there is a balloon race in this area because of the hills and vales of the valleys they have somewhere safe to land, the first year we were here they crashed into our trees!

It is the things like this that help me count my blessings every day. So to celebrate the simple things we’ve poured a glass of wine and are sitting here watching the balloons go by.

What’s not to love?

Have a good week and smile at the small things..

Moisy

The water is flowing, and we are thankful for change

05 Wednesday Sep 2018

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

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So the water men arrived early, in fact they were digging up the field before the sun had fully risen over the horizon..

It is fair to say that as soon as they arrived they got stuck in, and did not stop. They had to dig a huge trench from the field opposite our house come under the road and up by our ditch (the one we had to climb into in our pyjamas when the naughty Welshies were chasing hedgehogs! See ‘The hedgehogs, the Welshies, the ditch and pyjamas)

But the problem was the huge pine tree that had been felled in February was still laying in the ditch, and it is so big our neighbour is going to have to lift it out for us with his tractor! (That is the problem when they knock on your door the day before to say ‘We’re coming tomorrow to do this huge job, see you before eight!’)

‘Oh no!’ We thought, but the lovely French man called us over and asked if it was okay for him to push the tree over towards our fence with his big digger. ‘Go for it!’ We said, so he did and now our life is easier because all of the overgrown weeds have been dug up, and the branches have been broken off. Result! We thought.

Nothing fazes the French!

In no time at all we had a huge hole in front of the house, and could not get out of the gate easily, our fence by the chemin was up and it was established that our wall would have to be drilled; that is when they called hubby over and told him he would have to do it (probably because of liability) handed him a huge drill, with an even bigger drill bit attached, and sent him on his way. God knows what they would have done if I was here on my own!!

We did not believe, at one point, that they would get such a big job done in a day, but they did and left before six, just in time for aperitifs.

Despite previous information, things I had asked for, and told I would have to fill in copious amounts of paperwork for, were just provided. I wrote a cheque and they drove off without it!

But, that is France as I said before!

So we have mains water, we have new gates, what’s coming next? Life will show us the way!

Moisy

Changes are coming – The Gate

03 Monday Sep 2018

Posted by in My home, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good, the bad and the ugly.

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I said earlier this year that I felt it, deep inside me, that change is coming; and it is, in fact it has started already. So what better way to mark that change than to change our old and very very worn out gate – a new portal to allow new things to come our way.

When we moved here our gate was tatty but okay, however nobody had been living in the house for at least three years and, therefore, apart from the odd visit from the owner, nobody had been using the gate – unless the goats and chickens that were resident then felt the need to open it!

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But as time wore on, and the wind battered it, and the tornado assaulted it, and the Welshie’s bashed into it, the gate started to fall apart. Rich repaired it with any old bits of wood he could find – times have been hard and that is the price for the simple life we have – with blue wood, and any old cut offs just to stop the dogs getting out.

We put additional bolts on it to stop it blowing open in the howling winds that you get when you live in a house on a hill, but eventually  the slats started to fall out, and the bottom had started to rot and fall off, and we knew that the gate would not last another winter.

So last week the time had come to take down the old gates….

and dig out the old rotting posts, which were, as Rich and our French friend Matt found out, were buried a meter into the ground. Even with a Kango, pickaxe, and brute strength it took them over four hours to get the posts out, and all of the wood that remained.

I can honestly say that the air was a certain hue of blue up here that day!!! After six hours the boys were exhausted.

But they triumphed in the end and the next day new posts were buried, a new farm gate attached and a smaller gate made by my enterprising husband, including chicken wire to stop any little Welshies called Dylan, from escaping when they visit.

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This weekend Rich finished it off with a lick of preservative and our garden now looks completely different, and as if it is now ours. Our wonderful neighbours all gave us the thumbs up, probably because it no longer looks like Mr and Mrs Skank live here!!

But for me this was a symbol, we were putting in something new that represented a new portal that would let new things into our lives. We have let a lot of things go this year, including some people who we dropped off from our mini bus when we realised that our lives were going in different directions; and that, perhaps, some of them were having a negative impact on our lives.

We have also let some clients go, and Rich has had a change of direction with his career. We realised our worth! Not least where abusive people and people who don’t pay you are concerned, and since then things have only looked better and better.

Let go of the negatives in your life folks and good things will then come your way.

Look out for more posts – times they are a changing….

Moisy

Time flies when you’re having fun

11 Saturday Aug 2018

Posted by in Friends, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good life

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I cannot believe that we are on our last day of our sojourn to the Vendee in France already; or that Jenny is now a week into her stay.

Our first night in the Vendee was just a bit too busy for us, so yesterday, after numerous coffees and a chaotic breakfast, we prepared for an adventure to the beach, or Grand Plage.

The temperature has cooled slightly, it only hit thirty two yesterday! But we walked to the far end of the beautiful promenade and found a boho beach hut and bar. Shabby, welcoming and not many people going past we spend a blissful five hours there. The dogs were chilled, the ambience was chilled, the cocktails were great

We were on holiday for the first time in four years! The vista was breathtaking, and the breeze was cool; and boy did we catch the sun!

After lunch of mango curry chicken burger, we made our way back to the hotel and relaxed by the pool, drinking wine, and having nibbles. It was such a chilled day we finished it off by eating takeaway Pizza on the terrace.

Superb!!!

More to come, I am off to enjoy sardines by the beach.

Moisy

We’re all going on a summer holiday

09 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by in Friends, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The good life

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No more working for a week or two (or a day or two!)

Fun and laughter on our summer holidays

No more worries for me or you for a week or two ( or a day or two!)

So we have arrived in the Vendee, an area in France where the French holiday. After much driving down dirt tracks, courtesy of the sat nav! Much swearing from my husband and a McDonalds (we’re on holiday! It has to be done when in a road trip, other burgers are available!) we arrived at our pretty little Ibis, with it’s indoor pool, and the sun is shining.

So off we went, without our map, and got lost! So back we came and opened the wine, fed the puppies, ate crisps, painted our toenails (yep Rich has gone for a pale pink!) and are sitting on our terrace.

We are soon to shower and change for a venture into the town, and a lovely fish dinner by the church in the square.

More to come folks…..

Keep reading

Moisy

The fields of gold

31 Tuesday Jul 2018

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

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One of the things that I love about living here is the clarity of the seasons. Surrounded by countryside as we are,  the ever changing fields and trees tell you the season you are in and how quickly those seasons pass.

Live each day…

This year the fields have been sown with barley, eight weeks ago I wrote about the deluge, and the barley was green..

Only a few weeks ago, as we watched the blood moon rise over the fields they were fields of gold that surrounded our house stretching down the valley to the river; it was a sight to see at any time of the day.

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But this hot summer has brought the barley to fruition much sooner than normal and a few weeks ago they were baling the gold up ready for the autumn and winter.

Just another reminder for me that you should live each day and each moment, sieze each moment because then it will be gone.

Something that this summer is reminding me everyday.

So the other evening Rich and I sat in the garden and as the sun started to set the gold bales began to reflect the setting sun and turn the most beautiful shade of red….

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Every morning I have looked out of the window at the sea of hay bales and every day I have counted my blessings.

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Now, today, the farmer is collecting the bales and reminding me that autumn is just around the corner. When I look out of my window tomorrow the view will have changed again.

Remember the only constant is change…

The leaves on the leaning cherry tree in the corner of our garden, now acting as the support for our hammock chair, are starting to turn brown; and, just yesterday, a walnut fell from the tree!! It is as if summer is whispering to us that her work is nearly done.

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My beautiful pointed hydrangea,  are known as Vanilla and fraise (vanilla and strawberry) because as the season moves on they change colour from white to a deep pink, acting as barometers for the season.

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And that is one of the things that I love about living out here, it reminds me, every day to live each moment because the only moment is now.

As I have said before this summer is moving too fast, I know that you have to go with the flow and have been reminded of that more than ever over the past few weeks; watching people who have visited from England put things off because of their ‘plans’,thinking that their plans would come to fruition and what they could have done or eaten at that time was not necessary because they ‘planned’ to do it later.  They have waited only to find that their plans have not come to fruition and they have missed the moment! And then they have moaned!!

It really reminded Rich and I of how much we have changed, we have learnt the importance of going with the flow. In fact yesterday we sat and mapped out what we had ‘planned’ for the week and then laughed because we knew that those plans would change, and they have, in fact they had by yesterday evening.

In the last week I have supported a dear friend whose plans lie in chaos at the moment, because they were clearly not what life intended; and I have tried to help them to remember that they need to go with the flow, that life NEVER works out the way we plan – because we ain’t doing the driving!!

What we need will come, it is when we try to force it that it never does.

So this beautiful summer I have reminded myself to go where life takes me, and to live by my mantra that life will show me the way. We still have much more to come, not least our dear friend Jenny coming to visit on Sunday for ten days; and a small holiday in another part of France to look forward to, four amigoes and three Welshies!! And whilst I am excited and will enjoy every moment, it does not stop me enjoying the moment right here and right now; with the Welshies running around the garden barking at the farmer and my beautiful old cat sleeping in the sunshine.

Twenty two years ago my family and I were going through a very difficult phase in our lives and I will always remember my mum saying “here is to next year, it can’t be as bad as this one.” She died four months later!

Seeing the fields of gold, and then the changes that they went through, and the changes in my garden reminded me of herm whilst I have been writing this post;  it’s title especially has reminded me  of her, the importance of not planning too far ahead; and this beautiful song that always makes me cry…

“Fields Of Gold”

You’ll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of goldSo she took her love for to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold

Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in fields of gold

See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold

I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I’ve broken
But I swear in the days still left
We’ll walk in fields of gold
We’ll walk in fields of gold

Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold

You’ll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold

Written and performed by the fantastic artist: Sting
Enjoy this day, enjoy this week, enjoy this month, enjoy this summer. Don’t wish a moment away because the only moment you have is now…….

 

 

Moisy  Continue reading →

It’s all going too fast….

25 Wednesday Jul 2018

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

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It seems like only yesterday that Karen and the pupster Dylly Dyls arrived in France to stay for the long hot summer. But it was six weeks ago this week! And, as Rich said to me only yesterday ” It’s all going too fast!”

It has flown by, and now Karen has more weeks behind her than she has in front if her where this adventure is concerned. But, as I have found, more often than not, one adventure does lead to another; and I know that this one will be no different.

It has been a jam packed six weeks…..

Starting with the house hunting, from the sad house at the beginning of our search, to the beautiful house in La Manche, a stunning house, but creepy area , and I am sure I could hear the banjo tune from the film ‘Deliverance’ being played in the background when we were there! Needless to say we didn’t buy that one! After visiting about fifteen houses, and sitting down with pen and paper to draw up lists of what needed to be done we learnt a lot about Karen really wanted, and it wasn’t a huge house with huge gardens. The search is on hold for now, but watch this space, I am sure a new adventure will come from it.

As in most of Europe the summer has been hot, and is getting hotter, the pool has been purchased, and lilos have been added. The dogs have been dunked, we have become browner by the day, even my husband’s asbestos legs have gone brown!

For those who have read the featured posts from Dylan’s Welshie world the vet has become our new best friend! But that is not all! We have spent ours chasing her round the garden to get the numerous things she picks up out of her mouth! A resounding noise in our garden is ‘Dylan what have you got in your mouth?!’ One of those things has also been a chickens backside, she has been taught well by Wiglet the huntress!!

She loves a mop that puppy, so now we get her to come to us by using my old mop that was destined for the dechetterie (dump). Those dogs have been bought so many toys but the old mop head it appears is the best!

It’s been a summer of sport, and whilst I am not normally that into football it has been a good World cup this year, with our home country winning, even the puppies got involved.

we have had blood red moons, watched the fields of gold grow tall, sat in the garden into the long hot nights; ate late (as is the culture where we live), laid plans for the future, and decided on the spur of the moment to go on holiday in France to a place none of us have been. More tales to come but a new amigo will be joining us for that little adventure, dogs and all!

We have visited water falls, vide greniers all over the region (like yard sales and boot fairs, but more of a fete feel to them. One of my favourite things in French culture. We have shopped, drank vin rouge and ate lots of cheese! I know that there are many more adventures to come. I am just sad that it is going so fast.

So live each day folks, live each day……

Look out I will try to blog most days for the coming week, so much to tell you, and so much to say I have post whizzing round my head!

Moisy

La Coupe du monde

04 Wednesday Jul 2018

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

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When I started my blog I never thought I would be writing about the World cup, but that’s part of the adventure I suppose, we all change.

This is the first world cup since we came to France, and my husband lives it, all of it. This picture is the French flag fluttering in the wind in our garden.

Rich used to be an avid England fan, but, after some events in our life, he stopped being so obsessed and realised that he was being an arsehole about it when they lost, understanding it was only a game. So he then came to just watch the World cup with no pressure, and enjoyed all the games instead of focusing on the few, quite simply, he ‘got it’.

It was a good time to realise this really, because, despite all of the skilled and excellent players the English team had at their disposal, they were, quite simply, atrocious. They did not qualify for the World cup in 2014, there were too many egos in the team, too many people who thought that they were the most important. My friend used the old cliche yesterday ‘there is no I in team!’

So now we live in France and we support our home team, France, of course; but the English team are now a young team, skilled young men whose egos have not had time to become so inflated that it is all about them, and they are playing well; and you want their passion and lack of ego to be rewarded, and you want yhem to silence the doubters.

But how did I come to join in? Well since Karen arrived poor Rich has been watching the World cup with the female version of Saint and Greavsie sitting on the sofa beside him. (Sorry to all of my non English readers, they were football pundits from the eighties, and I am showing my age now?!)

We have giggled about this, Karen has conceded that she is Greavsie, because I have dark hair!!

So poor Rich has been sitting, beer in hand, on one sofa, whilst we sat on the other putting the world to right about whether it was a penalty, red card or yellow card. That is until something catches our eye like a nice looking bloke on the bench with a tight T. Shirt, or a particular haircut that we liked, when we would go ‘oooh he’s nice’, or ‘loving that haircut’, or ‘he’s good looking’. Then Rich’s eyes would glaze over, and he had a look on his face of ‘God help me!’

So we felt pity for Rich and decided that last Saturday we would go to a French bar to watch the French match, and give Rich some male company. But when we got there it was empty, apart from a man whose eyes looked to the right and to the left independently. Mmmmmmmmmm the French are clearly not big on watching the football in the pub!

But never deterred, my hubby in his French football shirt and Karen and I persevered, and got excited as some more people came in, four in fact!! They all sat there and as the game became exciting we ‘les Anglais’oooohed, and aaaahed, whilst the French looked at us as if we were mad! For such a passionate race they sure were not showing it when they watched the football.

As the game wore on we cheered when France scored, we roared when they scored again, and the French looked at us as if we were not only mad, but had all grown two heads. But we did not care, we like the passion of the game, and by the time goal three came the French had decided to join the ‘mad Anglais’ and began to cheer with us; they started to laugh with us (or it might have been at us) and the atmosphere changed and France won.

Despite igniting their enthusiasm we still came away feeling a bit flat. So last night we decided to go to an English bar (something we would never do) and watch the English game there, and even treat ourselves to burger and chips! Our old neighbours and friends had arrived on Monday and were excited to watch the match in a bar in France, so off we all went, into the humid and hot night, to a bar not far from us. It was full of English, mainly men, Rich loved it! Despite the adventure he still misses watching the football with other Men, particularly English men. Despite loving your new life there are times when you do still miss some cultures and comforts from your country (I won’t say home, this is my home now.)

The burger was good, the game was thrilling and England did not disappoint. Those young men worked their backsides off, the Captain steadied his ship, and they won the penalty shoot out for the first time in twenty two years!!

It was thrilling to watch, painful to watch, and, at times, I couldn’t watch! But they won, a testament to not letting ego get in the way.

Now we have a dilemma, because they could meet France in the final and what do we do then? We love them all so as always we will adopt our philosophy and let life show us the way; and continue to fly the French flag in our garden, our wonderful welcoming neighbours and friends in France love it.

Come on England……. Vive le France …….

Moisy