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Tag Archives: Love

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

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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

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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

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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

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

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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

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

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened – Dr Seuss

26 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by in People, Reflections, The continuing adventure

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I never planned to do another poignant blog today, but as always life showed me the way, and I do this post with love for others I know.

It is part of the adventure that you are away from family and friends and those you love, and this also means that you cannot be there to hug them when they need it. Today is a day when my sister and brother in law need a hug and here is a hug from me through cyber-space …..

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Last night I got back home from a lovely, but poignant (I will blog about it one day)  afternoon out only to find that I had four missed calls from my sister – and that she had also tried to contact me via Karen on her mobile. But sadly Karen had forgotten her mobile and we did not get back home until late, but I knew that something was wrong. When I called her back a very tearful sister answered the phone and told me that she had to have her beautiful German Shepherd dog Zeus put to sleep an hour before.

It came as a shock because I can remember when she brought him home nearly eleven years ago, this ball of fluff with huge paws and massive floppy ears. He was always soppy, never stopped acting like a puppy and although he was ten years old he still thought he was a puppy sitting in Rich’s lap whenever we had visited them even though he was actually the size of a Shetland pony!

It appears that it had come on suddenly and that  he had been off colour on the Sunday, but, because it had been very hot in England, my sister and brother in law put it down to the heat. When he asked for treats  yesterday they thought he was on the mend, but once he had them he laid down and became very lethargic. So they arranged a vet appointment but he collapsed before the alloted time and they rushed him in as an emergency; it was all very quick and sadly he went into shock and they had to make the decision to let him go.

It could have been one of two things, a possible mass on the spleen, a possible twisted gut that can happen so quickly they can die within twelve hours. Whatever it was they made the decision not to let him suffer.

Now they are berating themselves (as we all do) for not doing something sooner, questioning whether they made the right decision. Of course they did, he was nearly eleven years old and would have been lucky to have reached twelve. He had a wonderful life, and the ultimate gift that can be given is the one where we take away the suffering of those we love.

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Sadly my sister is so heartbroken that she is saying that she cannot go through this again, and will not have another dog. I can only say we shall see, because she loves dogs so much I cannot see her life being whole without one. As they say ‘dogs are not our whole life, but they make our life whole.’

In addition there are so many (too many) dogs out there looking for love, that I hope one day – not now – she will reconsider.

But for now, here is a post, forever in cyber space remembering Zeus, and all the love he gave and all the love he received. Run free on rainbow bridge baby, young again, soppy as ever, with those big paws and floppy ears ……….

Moisy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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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

You may want to check out my other blog

http://makingthisbetter.com

It may surprise you, and it may give you hope.

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