Tag Archives: aperitifs

The Indian summer

23 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in My family and other furry creatures, My home, Simple things, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The seasons

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As you know this summer was really hot in France, until August came. Then suddenly the temperature dropped to the early twenties, which is cool for this time of year in this region. But out of the cool air came an abundance of flowers. I realised that it had been so hot that the flowers had been burning, and as the air cooled they took their opportunity to bloom again.

We talked about dismantling the pool, and I am back to good old log splitting, because we do have to prepare for winter, and we still have so much wood to prepare and use.

But now the temperatures are rising again and are due to reach the early thirties and late twenties well into next week. The difference is it’s an autumn sun, and whilst hot it is not suffocating and the late evenings get a little chilly. ( All good for sleeping).

So this week when H has got home we have sat in our chairs with a long aperitif (no wine or beer, we have kept to our word) and put the world to right, whilst looking out across this view.

With a Welshie at your feet, (and the Princess snuffling for something small and furry to kill) what more could you want?

We said in January we would let life show us the way with regard to staying here. Perhaps not holding on so tight to that ‘dream’ has given us the ability to just enjoy the here and now. We said that we would see what the winter brings, but I am not afraid of it, I have truly learnt that what is meant to happen is going to happen, and all the worrying in the world will not change it.

So I am going to enjoy this Indian summer, my H, my cats (Sophie the sofa loaf taught me that), my beautiful dogs, my flowers with their new found lease of life

Not least Sophie’s rose.

And this beautiful place that I am blessed to live in. Life is doing the driving, I just have to trust it and enjoy the moment.

Aperitifs anyone? I can have wine tonight!

Rosie

Partying Francais style

25 Saturday May 2019

Posted by in Food in France, Friends, People, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure

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Some of my readers may remember the big birthday party that we went to last year: it lasted two days!

You can read about it here

So really when we were invited to our friends and neighbours house yesterday we should have known better than to think we would only be there the two hours that etiquette dictates for aperitifs. We left our doors open, the Welshies bounding around the garden, didn’t feed any of the cats, and off we went. We don’t know what time we got home!

The evening started sedately with dainty morsels to eat, whisky for Richard and a fruity drink for the ladies. We had taken over some prawn cocktail crisps for Manon, Marc’s niece, she love fish & chips so we thought she would like to try a flavour of crisps that is popular in the UK. (Just an aside: in England chips are called crisps and fries are called chips, but if they are thin then they are called fries. Confused, you will be!)

Anyhow back to my story of how we are slowly introducing our French friends to English food: we took two packets and then Rich went back for more. With the exception of about three people there they were a resounding success. So we upped the anti: If you look in the photo above you will see a black and yellow jar which is a jar of marmite. Rich bought that back over with him as well and proceeded to spread it on the prawn cocktail crisps and feed them to our French friends, They loved them, well some loved them, some pulled the face so many pull when they try marmite for the first time! The marmite fest was under way, they spread it on cheese, various types and it was a success. All this time Marc was constantly topping up everyone’s glasses: rose wine for me and whisky for Rich.

A marmite eating contest ensued, which Rich obviously won because he is used to it. The poor Frenchman put too much in his mouth in one go and ended up with marmite all over his beard. (We’re still giggling about that this morning).

As the drink flowed music was found and I found myself in a surreal moment as I danced to YMCA with a room full of French people, with my husband standing the other side of the table leading the dance moves. It’s fair to say we were pretty pissed by then!

It is one of the things of this adventure that we are so blessed with our friends and neighbours that we have: all French, all supportive, they have welcomed us into their lives and family parties and we know that it is an honour that they have. Just another reason for taking that chance and having that adventure.

Moisy

Aperitifs, birthdays and champagne

27 Sunday Jan 2019

Posted by in Food in France, Friends, Simple things, The continuing adventure

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It’s been a strange couple of weeks, my sister turned sixty (60!!!) on the 18th of January and it made me realise as I turned 56 last Friday the 25th just how time is of the essence. But more of that in future blogs.

One of the best things about living here is that we are blessed with wonderful French neighbours; out of all the arseholes we have met over the years on this adventure none of them are French!

Our neighbours knew that things had been difficult for Rich and I, and my darling friend Martine knew it was my birthday, so a couple of Sundays ago they rang our bell and invited us for aperitifs at their house on the 18th (my sisters birthday). It was so lovely of them, and it made me feel better because I couldn’t get to see my sister on this landmark birthday (that is all part of the adventure, but I am sad I missed it).

On the evening of the 18th our neighbours and friends Marc and Nadia picked us up, and when we got to Martine and Michel’s home the assortment of aperitifs was amazing: mussels, stuffed cherry tomatoes, olives, little hot dog balls, spinach in pastry, so many things!) Out came the champagne and I found myself, in my basic French, conversing with my French friends about politics, and language.

We laughed about the hot dog balls being called knackers! Explained the dual meaning of that word in the English language which made them laugh, and this led to a conversation about the word for testicles in French! They have a fantastic sense of humour and really are lovely people.

Fast forward to my birthday, I had given myself a gift of a day of doing nothing: no logs, no new FB sites, no ironing, washing, writing, no promotion of my book and blogs on social media, nada! In the early evening I did venture out to the postbox and Marc called me. We were invited to their house for champagne, and when we arrived there was a big bunch of flowers waiting for me. The time flew by, as it always does with them and it really made my day. Hubby cooked me a Mexican so hot I couldn’t eat it, and it was the day I wanted, with some added extras along the way.

But I am at a crossroads……

Is it my age?

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