Tag Archives: Love

A house is not a home….

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Posted by in Reflections, The background story, The continuing adventure, The good life

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Sealsea- (2)

 

Three years ago yesterday i moved out of my beautiful house, by the sea, to start this adventure. I loved this house, have always said it was the most beautiful house I would ever have the privilege  to live in. Edwardian, with so many original features….

Sealsea-1

 

I had put my heart and soul into it, worked so hard on it renovating and decorating and making it into our home.

We were so rushed when it came to moving day I do not even remember closing the door for the last time, but I do remember sitting in the pub that night with tears rolling down my face. When my book comes out you will understand why the house,  for Rich (and now, as time has gone by I realise  for me also),  had become contaminated; it could never be the home we thought it would be; and as three years have passed I have come to realise that.

So then we found our house on the pinnacle of the rolling hills that are Ambrieres les Vallees, and we fell in love. For me it was bittersweet, it was not the house I had left, it was not the house that had taken part of my soul. But over the three years, despite the well running dry, the crappy cesspit (literally, all over the cellar floor sometimes!!) and the mold on the walls; it has shown me this …….

 

I sit in my bedrom and I look out at this my favorite tree and I feel at peace

imageimage

And over the years I have realised that a home is about love, companionship, laughter, and tears; it is not the house, it is the people in it. I look at my husband, and he is happier here. I know neither of us could go back to a house where you could reach out and touch your neighbour, surrounded by people and noise. We are too used to the peacefulness that surrounds us; and I have finally come to realise that I do not miss my old home, it was ONE of the most beautiful houses I lived in; but this is the most beautiful home. It has not taken my soul it has replenished it.

 

A chair is still a chair, even when there’s no one sittin’ there
But a chair is not a house and a house is not a home
When there’s no one there to hold you tight
And no one there you can kiss goodnight

 

The late great Luther Vandross..

 

Have a good Sunday folks.

 

Moisy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brrrrrrrr – guess what? Gas freezes!! But we are still okay… it’s all about how you look at things!

28 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Reflections, The continuing adventure, The seasons

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As I explained in my last post we had a wonderful Sunday that has just passed. Since then’Beast from the East’ has bitten here hard and the temperature hit an all time low of minus ten on Monday night!! So needless to say our water pipe has not thawed out and we are getting a bit smelly!!

No seriously we are not! Because it just made us go back to the way we used to wash when we were kids (sorry to say many moons ago!) when I would put the cooker gases on in my dear mum and dad’s kitchen  to keep warm, and have what was called a ‘strip wash’ at the kitchen sink. You washed the essentials that were likely to get smelly, or show dirt! And you left the rest – am I bringing back memories to some? When did it change and we all had to shower everyday – what a luxury that we wall take for granted.

But tonight we might go for it and have a watering can shower, reminiscent of those we had in the summer, only this time we will be washing ourselves bloody fast because it is so cold! We have had ice on our window on the landing – but please folks we don’t have central heating and we are not freezing to death, it is only in the morning; and we have a fan heater that warms our bathroom up toasty.

(A big thank you to all for your suggestions but our temporary water supply is above ground and over 40 meters long so we cannot insulate – we just thought we might have got away with it!)

In fact it has been so cold here that the gas bottles that we purchased yesterday were frozen – I know mad! But as is often the case in France they store their bottles outside whatever the weather, and then still sell them to you even though  they won’t work for at least 24 hours!! When you know it will freeze you would think that you would bring them in!

But never ones to give up we looked up on the t’internet (that was a reference for all our readers from t’North in England, who are saying “Cold! What bloody cold. In my days you wore clogs down t’mine!!) Anyway I digress….. after looking up does Butane gas freeze? And finding that yes, it does! We then looked up how to defrost it and today I sat it in a bowl of boiling water (from our precious water out of bottles that I then re-used to wash our hands) and hey presto, I finally defrosted it!! Good job because we have used up our gas bottle for the cooker hob boiling our  water.

Lesson learned we are going over to Propane!!

The log burner is working overtime and my lovely hubby is working overtime cutting logs for it, and the cats are snuggled in the bedrooms and the blinds are just about to come down early.

But do you know what? We are lucky. As I said to my sister the other night I look at images of children as young as 2 with nobody, living on the streets, or those who have to go down the bin for scraps to eat, or people who have lost the loves of their lives to illness and then I look at my situation with the log burner blazing, food in my oven in my kitchen, warm and snuggled under a throw with my beautiful boy Harley snuggled up to me (for that alone I am blessed) with people who care for me; and my darling husband who loves me, in the kitchen pouring me a glass of wine.What the fuck do I have to complain about?!!!!  The water will thaw, the weather will turn (it is going up to ten degrees by the weekend) and as the world always does it will all turn around again. I no longer have to get up and worry about travelling to a job I hate in the snow, no I don’t have everything but you cannot have it all, and boy do I have a lot. Yes we have work to do but it can be arranged – and has to be sometimes- around the weather. As I said in a previous post I know good things are coming my way, this is the year of change for us.

My sister agreed with me, at most what we don’t have is an inconvenience; and I know (yes know) that when you have bad you have good because everything goes in a circle – if you believe and allow it to.

People say to me how positive I am, because I get it now. In the words of great Lao Tzu

“Bad fortune is what good fortune leans on;

Good fortune is what band fortune hides in,

who knows the ultimate end of the process? ”

And just to make you smile here is a photo of me cuddling a teddy!!

Stay warm everyone. I have to go now my hands are freezing!!!

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Moisy

A wonderful Winter’s Sunday

26 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by in Reflections, The continuing adventure, The seasons

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I have a few posts for you all this week – behind because I didn’t post last week and you will understand why soon.

But I feel compelled to write this one first. The ‘Beast from the East’ is upon us, and over the past five days the temperatures have been in the minus and on one morning we had a very slow supply of water (remember we have the water pipe above ground still so if it freezes!!!!!!!) So every morning we have got up and the first job is to check if we have running water, the second is to be thankful when we have; and be thankful for the lovely warm sunshine that we have also had that has clearly defrosted out pipe.

So after some busy days last week we decided that we would follow the French lead and have a Sunday of rest. The day started well with my husband waking me with a lovely cup of tea that we had in bed; he had lit the log burner to warm the house and raised all of the blinds to let the suns warmth in. I chatted to some friends whilst in bed and after another two cups of tea we got up, cleaned the kitchen (de rigueur when you live in the country) got dressed and out we went. I was determined to enjoy the beautiful cold day that had been given to us.

Hubby had had a ‘reccy’ recently and found a barrage – which is an electric damm, about a five minute drive from where we live and I wanted to go there for a walk. So we put the Welshie’s bra’s on (harnesses) and off we went. The skies were stunningly blue and clear, the wind was cold and crisp, and the sun was warm on your back –  giving you the distinct feeling of the battle that was taking place with Spring and Winter.

When w arrived at the barrage we were not disappointed …..

barrage cold sunday in Feb

There is a walkway across the barrage and as we walked across to the other side you could feel the power of the water thundering under your feet.

We then walked along the side of the river, where you could see across the river to  the the next town from us. view across the river in feb

The Welshie’s were in their element, there were so many smells to investigate that they even got there feet wet in the water looking for water voles, and chasing the ducks out of their hidey holes.

wiglet hunting by the river winters day feb

harley barley by barrage in feb

harely in the river winters day feb

To see our beautiful boy braving the freezing water, enjoying himself despite the cold was a blessing after nearly losing him last year. Like I always say, dogs teach us so much. He was having such a wonderful time that we through some rocks into the river and in he went!!!

harley in the river feb winters day

harely in the river winters day in feb

I just stood and looked around me and thought how blessed I was. I needed no money to experience the jewels that life can offer me, every day. The sun on the water literally took my breath away ..

sun on the river winters day in feb

We decided that we would come back to picnic on the side of the river, whatever the weather, and that we would bring our friends, who are visiting in April, to this place of beauty and tranquility. What a place to sit and be at peace with the world

seating area by river winters day in feb

As we wandered over to a little picnic area that was available we made a mental note that next time we would bring a flask of coffee and watch the world go by.

I just sat there and felt blessed

mois winters day in feb

Not least because I am married to him, and he makes me laugh, every day…

nutty husband on a cold feb day

So after a long walk we came home to our warm house (we had left the log burner topped up) got the flames going again and finished a perfect day with some wine and Toad in the Hole (perfect food for a winter’s day.)

When we got up this morning we had no water – after a temperature of -7 last night it was hardly surprising, and whilst I am ever hopeful the sun will defrost our pipe I know we will survive, we prepared for this eventuality. As I always say nothing apart from death or illness is insurmountable, it will all come right in the end.

 

Always believe…..

Moisy