Advertisements

Tag Archives: Happiness

There is nothing like being in the crisp, cold air…

18 Sunday Nov 2018

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

You’ll all be glad to know that the Incredible Hulk is now back in his cage.

Yesterday after blogging and writing I spent the afternoon in the garden with hubby and the puppies.

The sun was shining on this late autumn day, and it was cold, with a nippy wind, and I loved it. I let the cold air blow through my brain, and remind me, as the Tao so often does, that what is needed is what you’ve got.

We spent the afternoon using our wonderful new tool that has been a life saver for Rich, the log splitter:

Nearly three years ago we chopped down fourteen pine trees that divided our garden and cut out the light. They were big babies and trying to cut through them with just a chainsaw was nigh on impossible.

But with the log splitter life was made easy because Rich could cut the logs to the right size and the log splitter did the rest. Making light work of it – almost

They’ve been protection for the chickens, an extra to make sure Wiglet could not get under the wire. They have been used to hold the fencing down around the garden, and they have been used as perches for the chooks. But the time has come to use them, before they rot.

There is nothing more rewarding than using what is available to you, letting nothing go to waste. Add to these the logs we have from the sycamore we pollarded in January, with more to cut; and the oak logs, with more to cut, that will not be ready until the winter after next, and we are set up for the next three winters.

So the log store is full with a mixture of pine and hardwood (you can burn pine providing you mix it with other woods) I’ve burnt calories, the puppies are happy and our garden is getting tidy, in small steps.

I don’t have a lot in material things, but what I do have money cannot buy. I am blessed.

Moisy

Have a good week folks

Advertisements

Reminisces – I love the way this life has changed me

29 Monday Oct 2018

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

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We have had a wonderful warm Autumn here in France, it has been recorded as the warmest October on record, but over the last week winters has started to creep in with the wind; and today, as I sit here with Sofa Loaf (the toothless cat we rescued when we moved here) fast asleep beside me it reminds me how much our lives have changed since moving here.

I am sitting in my fleece, with my old computer (with an added keyboard because the keyboard went on it years ago!) and the electric heater on very low. The clocks went back this weekend and the sun is low in the sky because the evening is drawing in already. Summer seems a long way away now.

Rural living is simple living if you don’t have a lot of money; so over the last three years I have learnt that everything counts, including the twigs from the garden – used for kindling – and the small logs from the cob nut trees we coppiced three years ago, now tinder dry and perfect for keeping the fire burning.

Yesterday as I stood in the biting late autumn wind loading the logs to take indoors I remembered how three years ago I was so excited about our first winter in France; about having to survive, it seemed so exciting at the time. But as that winter wore on I begrudged having to go out in the cold to collect the logs, and I wondered if I really was going to enjoy this life. It seemed so hard having come from our old house in England with it’s central heating that could be turned up at the click of a switch and the open fires we would light for atmosphere more than necessity.

As we were collecting logs today to re-stock our log cupboard, and also to try and finally fill the log store we bought (it is like something out of ‘The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe’ no matter how many logs we put in it, we havem’t managed to fill it yet!) I looked at Rich and said ‘I used to hate this, and now I love it!’ I love being out in the cold getting what I need to make our house warm and ‘snuggly’. I love all of the elements that every season brings and I embrace them all.

I am not dreading the many cold, grey, damp drizzly days you can get in this part of France in the winter. Instead I enjoy looking at the grey mists that surrounds us, I love the atmospheric feeling of being in the middle of nowhere snuggled down amongst the mist, feeling safe, and making do with what you have got.

I do, I love the fact that to use something I have to make an effort and get it, gone are the days when I can just have something in the time it takes me to click my fingers, and it made me realise that I love that aspect of our lives now.

When I used to live in England I would sit in my house in just a T.Shirt, I don’t now! Our only form of real heating is the log burner and you will never see me without a fleece, thick cardigan or fluffy warm dressing gown in the late autumn and winter months; and I love that! I love it that I have collected the walnuts (that we let go to waste the first year we were here, we literally left them to rot!), and that this weekend I will make us a walnut pie (bit like pecan only think Walnut!)

We don’t have money to go out, but in all honestly even if we did we wouldn’t, we are happy in our home, with our beautiful Welshies (the perfect dogs for autumn photos) all our cats, our fluffy slippers (well mine anyway!) This and to just walk around our garden, is enough.

I love what this adventure is showing us! Be gratedful for what you have got and just enjoy each day; and if you cannot do that then just enjoy a small thing each day and be grateful for that! I know it is hard sometimes, trust me you only have to read some of my older blogs to know how hard it has been, but live every day is if it were your last, for someone, somewhere it will be.

A good message for the beginning of the week I hope.

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

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

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

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

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

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

Times they are a changing.. We’re getting mains water!!

04 Tuesday Sep 2018

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

 

One of the most frustrating things about living in France is the beauracracy – or lack of organised thinking. You go somewhere for advice and one person tells you one thing, so you do that, send it all in, and then another person tells you that is not what they need at all and, in fact, they need a hundred and one other things!!

I know that if all goes ahead as planned the next year is going to be filled with this frustrating level of pig headedness, people who want to be more important than they are, helpful people, and doing the same things over and over again. I have resigned myself to it and just say to myself now ‘This is France!’

So after the gate last week, we are finally having mains water connected to our house. They have to pick the pipe up from the middle of the field opposite and it would be an understatement if I told you that we will not be getting much change from a lot of money. But at least then our pipes will not freeze, as they did last winter when we went without water for four days when the ‘Beast from the East’ arrived; and in the summer our water from our taps will be cold and we will be able to drink it. This summer it was red hot until the water that was in the pipe laying on top of the land had been flushed through!

For those who have only just joined my blog I wrote last year of how our well had run dry and we had no water for eleven days in the middle of the hot summer. It was only thanks to the kindness of our neighbour, who allowed a pipe to be connected to his water and go across his land, that we have had water at all. The blog was called ‘Une leçon de vie atout votre eau’ it means a lesson in life, treasure your water; and trust me I do!

But it is one of many lessons that Rich and I have learnt, that you don’t need things immediatly, you can survive, as we have with only a tarpaulin on our roof for three years – yes the water has run in, poured in sometimes, but we have not died. It is a true saying: ‘What don’t kill ya, makes ya stronger’ (has to be said in an Essex accent! I am an Essex girl after all!!)

Rich and I laughed when we showered each other using our watering can- especially when I had to climb a step ladder to get above Rich, me a little five foot four inches, Rich a tall six foot one inch! And now I don’t waste water. I know some petty people we have known have said that we are just surviving, well give me survival any day if you are happy when you are doing it. A lot of people who don’t have to ‘survive’ often seem as miserable as sin to me!

So yesterday as  I was  corresponding with the water company about additional work we required, as is the way in France, the lady I was corresponding with was telling me I needed to this and that, and make a payment before the work could be done. Then there was a ring at the doorbell and a man from the water company stood there and said that they can do the water today including the additional work! I am just going with the flow, he said I can just pay him when they get here! Who knows what we will end up with.

Water I hope….

C’est la vie!!

Watch this space

Moisy

img_1853

Inspiration

01 Saturday Sep 2018

Posted by in People, Reflections, The continuing adventure, The good, the bad and the ugly.

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Inspiration: …

‘The action or power of moving the intellect or emotions….’

‘Fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative…’

‘The act of influencing or suggesting opinions ….’

I started this post a few days ago, and then life took over and showed me the way and I thought I would share this with you today, to perhaps inspire you over the weekend, whether to make change for yourself, to think, or to inspire others…..

Over the past month I have it said to me, by numerous people, that I inspire them. What a wonderful thing to have said to you!

For me, especially, it is pertinent because I started this blog to inspire others, the people who wanted to make change in their lives, to have that adventure.

So how did life show me the way?

Yesterday morning we encountered a ‘Hater’ a person who is at odds with the world, who joins in the vitriol on the group FB sites, and who hates to see people doing well. She messaged Rich to tell him how he was NOT allowed to sell his old van without certain certifications! Not content with that she then messaged him direct (all under the cloak of pretending to care) to tell him the same. Her aim was to raise his fears, hold him back, stop him selling the van. We ignored her, it is the best thing to do to people who know that they are so banal that they already invisible to most. I suppose I should be grateful, really, she was part of the inspiration to write this post, as Nora Ephron said ‘Everything’s copy!’

But it did get under Rich’s skin, until I pointed out that he was allowing her to achieve exactly what she wanted to, how he was allowing her to spoil the afternoon we had planned: to take the dogs for a lovely walk at a beautiful lake near to us. Rich listened and he let it go.

Then that afternoon at the lake I encountered a lover of life, a person who is just genuinely pleased for everyone when life is going well. A lovely lady who I had made cyber friends with many moons ago when we both re-homed dogs from the same human being (read what you will into the term I have used!)

It was a beautiful afternoon and as we walked one way around the lake she and her hubby were walking the other way. I had never met her in person, only via FB and this blog, but she knew me as soon as she saw me and said ‘ you must be Moisy’ and rushed towards me to give me a massive hug. Life had set it up perfectly to emphasise that where there is bad, there is also good. This lady reads all my posts, loves them all, was so pleased that things were going well for us, and understood how hard it had been for us. She was the good to counterbalance the bad.

I came to realise that I have achieved my aim to inspire others. Over the past month, one friend has told me how I have inspired her to sell her house and make the move into the countryside, and to believe that what she needed would come her way if she just trusted life to show her; and it did.

Another friend has been inspired to face her fears and start a blog (although she must face the fear of worrying what everyone thinks, or she won’t write anything.)

And then it got me thinking and reflecting on the past few years: On how people I don’t know have messaged me to say I have inspired them to think about the lives they are living and how they are making them ill.

Of how other people have started blogs because of mine, how I have inspired them to drop their guard, and write what they wanted. Other people have started to read the Tao, have wanted to make change, and more than anything people have encouraged me to believe in my book, and to now write one about my experiences on this adventure and have thereby inspired me.

More than anything my dear friend is now looking to live in France part-time, to make more change, God knows she’s made so much in the past year she’s almost flying now, and there’s nothing to stop her!

So who inspires you?

How would you like to inspire others?

If you asked me what inspiring others is it is …..

“To give someone the belief that they, too, can make change…”

I hope I have inspired you to think this weekend, and remember live for the moment, the only moment is now

Moisy

The last weekend of the mad summer

17 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, Friends, My family and other furry creatures, People, The continuing adventure, The good life, The seasons

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Farewell my summer love, Farewell

And so it has come to the last weekend before Dyls and Karen go back to England, I won’t say home…….

So here we sit, with homemade mojitos, that still need perfecting, and my pink gin and lemonade, a big shout out to my dear friend Russell, and the detriments on the table of all the things that Dylan, the naughty dog, has bought out to the garden ; and we are sad, but also excited about what the future may hold.

The weather is reflecting the end of our summer and when we got up this morning there was an autumnal nip in the air; Persephone will be leaving soon I feel.

So here is to our last weekend, a bbq with friends, a vide grenier, meetings over roast dinner and plans for the future.

I am sad…..

Moisy

Farewells

15 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, Friends, People, The continuing adventure, The good life, The seasons

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Nobody on the road,

nobody on the beach

I feel it in the air

The summers out of reach…’

Don Henly..

A week ago a dear friend bought me these flowers from his garden. We had invited him and Matt our young French friend around for a bbq, we wanted them to meet Jenny and Karen and despite the thunderstorm that hit just as we were serving the food a wonderful evening was had by all.

But as with anything in life everything must change, and our holiday has been and gone, Jenny has flown back to England and my flowers have died.

To finish the last few days of Jenny’s holiday and to celebrate Karen’s birthday we visited the vide grenier at Evron on Sunday, and found it’s beautiful medieval church and monastery and a small little bar in the square, a rare thing in rural France to find a French bar open! We were so excited we sat there for a couple of hours drinking in the atmosphere, and ruby beer of course!

As you can see we had a typical French time, beer and baguette!

We meandered our way home and sat in the garden star gazing, and drinking wine (no! I hear you cry!) and had a supper of minted lamb chops, chips, peas and tomatoes …….mmmmmmmmm.

For Jen’s final day we took her to Fourgeries, I did say recently we have decided we should visit more often….. we are looking forward now to visiting this breathtaking city in all seasons, with the different colours that they bring to the old French buildings.

As with rural France in August everything shuts for the vacances, so our plans to eat were scuppered and I rustled up a mean spaghetti bolognaise and garlic bread with some help from the girls when we got back home.

And then that was it! After all the weeks of building up Jen was going back home; and we are left with the memories of the last ten days, with the laughter echoing around the garden. It really has been brilliant….

It is as if the weather knows that our mad, crazy, wonderful days of summer are coming to an end; the sun is not showing it’s face until the evening, and, although it is warm it feels kinda sad. Only six days to go and Karen will be on her way, where has that time gone?

But I know that, sad as I am, we have to let go to make way for new things, nothing can stay the same; and as if to remind me, my husband bought me some new flowers for our wedding anniversary yesterday, just as I let go of the old the new came in the door.

There is lots to tell you soon…… and there will be lots of change, so keep reading folks, things are starting to get busy…..

Moisy

Another birthday, and a reminder that the summer is slipping away…

12 Sunday Aug 2018

Posted by in Change is a coming, Friends, The continuing adventure, The good life

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Summer soft

Wakes you up with a kiss to start the morning off

In the midst of herself playing Santa Clause

She brings gifts through her breeze

Morning rain

gently plays her rhythms on your window pain

giving you no clue of when she plans to change

to bring rain or sunshine…….

Summer soft, Stevie Wonder

And we are home. The weather seems to feel the sadness that is touching the edges of our world now it is overcast, and the sun is struggling to get through.

We always knew that our little holiday, that seemed so far away, would mark the downward spiral to our mad summer ending; and that Karen and the Dylly monster would then be going home; and now Jen leaves on Tuesday and Karen and Dylly Dyls will be leaving the week after next.

Yesterday we decided to leave Saint Gilles Croix de Vie behind and forego our sardines because you simply could not move for people. All of France tends to holiday in August and all of France seemed to be heading to the Vendee! We thought that we would find a little village to have lunch, but only armed with sat navs and no maps we could not find a route through any pretty villages and eventually headed home.

What we all realised when we got back was how much we had missed the peace and quiet. Dylan had missed doing zoomies around the garden because as soon as she was let of the lead she just ran and ran.

It was good to be home.

We all agreed though that we would return to the Vendee but for three nights next time and earlier in the year, before French holiday season kicks in; and that our favourite part of the trip had been the day in the beach bar; even the dogs were chilled.

But today is a new day and a new adventure is waiting. It’s Karen’s birthday and we are all of to a vide grenier, and the little treasures that will be waiting there. Followed by an afternoon and evening in the garden with mojitos, prosecco, minted lamb chops and chips!

I know, live each day, and don’t think about the end, it may never come!

Enjoy your Sunday folks.

Moisy