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Tag Archives: Rural France

Thunderbolts and lightening

25 Tuesday Jun 2019

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

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Image result for pictures of lightningIt has been warm here in France, but not as hot as last year (yet!) It appears that we have a red alert for hot weather for the rest of the week with temparatures in the high thirties. Me-thinks my shutters will be down and the fan will be on in our bedroom for the Welshies. They are not due another cut until next month.

I digress – this is my impromptu story:

Last night we had one humdinger of a thunderstorm. It had been warm and cloudy all day, but not particularly humid. Thunderstorms are often predicted for this region, it is so open and vast; so we have come to take the warning with a pinch of salt! But last night just as we sat down for our tea (I come from Essex you have tea not dinner!) ensconced in front of the TV with all our favourite soaps to watch,  good old Eastenders started to pixelate. You could see an eye and a hand, or a leg and and a window and they were all speaking like daleks! We  looked out of our huge window and whilst it was cloudy the clouds were not ominous; but on closer inspection the monsoon rains that were tipping water into our garden were!

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So we resigned ourselves to eating our tea without TV, but watched in amusement as the satellite battled on trying to provide a service. Then we heard the thunder…

Now since living here in amongst all of the other things that have happened to us including the roof and the tornado  ,we also got hit by lightening which took out our internet and phone over two years ago.

It was a lesson learnt and when a storm hits we know to unplug the internet. But the storm last night was probably the biggest storm that we had seen to date. After the satellite struggled it was put out of it’s misery by the electric tripping out and we sat in darkness (even though it was only 9.30pm and should have been sunny). As all of the lights burst back into life we decided that we needed to batten down the hatches (literally!)

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We ran around the house closing all of our shutters and unplugging all of our appliances except for the fridges. We know that if lightening were to hit it could literally blow all appliances that were plugged in. As I went to close the shutters I was mesemerised by the lightening: it was quite literally all around us. Not just one bolt, but four or five at a time, hitting the fields outside. But as four simultaneously hit our garden just feet away from the house I realised that I needed to close those shutters fast as I was in a precarious position.

I have never seen anything llke it before, not from the position of a solitary house on top of a hill.  I moved down to the kitchen and stood at our double glass doors mesmerised by the show in front of me: it was as if a wizard battle was going on above us, and I half expected Dumbledore to land in my garden!!

The rain was torrential as if the angels had hoses above our house and were trying to wash it away. But bless her – she stood firm as she always does.  Danny(remember the name changes read here told me to move away from the doors as the lightening was so close; and we decided to call it a night and go to bed.

As I lay in bed, with the Welshie’s snoring beside me and the fan buzzing away I could hear the thunder making it’s way back to us for a second onslaught. I heard the fan go off as the electric disconnected, and then I heard it buzz back into life as the storm finally moved on.

But as I sit here this morning the sun is shining, the swimming pool has overflowed in the night and the birds are singing again. Danny (formerly known as Rich) has checked the house and garden and there are not visible signs of damage – the house on the hill stood firm again.

But I have learnt living here that nature will never be beaten, and when she gives me sunsets like this I hope that she isn’t- she always knows best.

Rosie

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Here & Now

17 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by in Change is a coming, Making our own way, Reflections, Simple things, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure

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I deliberately adapted this photo, of one of the wonderful sunrises and sunsets that we are privelidged to see living here for a reason.

As you know over the past few months we have wondered whether this is still the right adventure for us; I have fully got back to being me; and this has led us to a better place than we have been for a while. But….

I have loved living here, I needed to recharge my batteries and they are now fully recharged but now I don’t honestly know if this is still the right path for me. I said when I moved here that I wanted an adventure, I didn’t want to just ‘wait for God’; so we did this. But now I am wondering that is this? Is not just waiting for God in a different place? Ambrieres is beautiful, the neighbouring towns and villages are beautiful but I have seen them and for me, now, they are not enough. They don’t have enough in them (nothing in fact but that is for another blog) to inspire; add to that my need (yes need!) to work and have purpose and I will not get that here.

I believe that life shows you the way; anyone who reads this blog knows that. Over the past few months as we have deliberated our way forward I have said how living in the deep and rural countryside is very hard work: you have to clean your house every day, it is never ending. I came out here with the wonderful ideal of open shelves inmy kitchen  – not in the rural countryside unless you want to wash everything every day! The garden is stunning but extremely hard work, and as I have turned 56 I have started to ask myself whether we can continue to do this for the long term and the answer is no.

As I was thinking this we visited a client who said exactly the same: they sold up their sprawling old stone house and bought a new house with a smaller garden which was manageable because their life was not their own whilst they were trying to keep on top of everything. I found it to be an omen because I had a similar conversation with Rich as we were driving there!

A few days later on the way to another clients house I said to Rich how I Ioved the countryside but that I had seen it; been here 4 years, loved it but now I needed something more. When we arrived at the clients house I commented on the pretty view and she replied that it was lovely but you can only see so much of it; and  because she was so rural there is nothing to do. Again – just as I had said to Rich on the way there.

Now other things have reared their ugly heads, and made me re-evaluate life as they should and they have reminded me how you should treasure every day; never take anything for granted; and that life really is too short.

It has all got me thinking: is an adventure really about moving forward all the time?

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I know that you cannot stand still and keep everything the same no matter how hard you try. You can shut all the windows and all of the doors and try and keep the world out but life will still take you where you are destined to go and things will still change no matter how you resist: you will grow older, and less able to do what you could do; your children will grow up and move on; people will move away; things cannot stand still.

So is the adventure about not staying in the same place; about doing what you have to do at that moment in time for your life and then accepting that at some point that will change? We moved here because we loved France, we were both burnt out (I was) from our chosen careers, we didn’t want to feel hemmed in any more. But now this beautiful house and our surroundings have replenished me; I no longer feel burnt out, I don’t feel hemmed in; but as a result of that I have changed again and now this may not be enough; and I feel ready to go back to something with more life than where I am. Not full on but somewhere in the middle.

When we chose our house we were moving from a beautiful house with a very small garden,and no outbuildings. So we bought a house with an acre of land and outbuildings, and all the work that entailed. We have enjoyed the time here but is this now what we really want?

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Is life about accepting the changes that happen, and realising that it is time to move forward again?

regrets

So that brings me to my first photo, with the comment ‘Happiness is a state of mind’. Despite what I have said, and despite the fact that we may well move on sooner than we thought, I don’t regret moving here. Rich would look at it as a failure; until I remind him that at the time we made the decision to move here it was because it was what we needed – at that time.

what you needed at the time

We have learnt so much from this adventure: We have learnt not to be wasteful; that simple things can bring you so much happiness; that having each other (despite all we have been through) has been a blessing. We have learnt that we do not need material things to be happy. We got Wiglet! All of these lessons will be taken forward to where we go next. You see – my state of mind is that we did the right thing; I did not want to continue with the life I had before and I know that I will honestly not go back to it.

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And again I have chosen this photo carefully. I love to watch washing blowing on the line. I find it so fulfilling: what was dirty is now clean and blowing in the wind and sunshine, it’s a simple thing but one that brings me pleasure; and it is all about change, dirty to clean, wet to dry, free to blow in the wind and sunshine. Yesterday Rich and I (after having many discussions this week) were out in the garden with the Welshies cutting logs and clearing the garden. It was a blowy sunny March day and I found myself looking across the valley and thinking how blessed I was to have lived here; even though now I am thinking of moving on. I know it will be a couple of years before our house sells, and even a year of more before we have it ready to even consider putting it up for sale. I also know that in that time things may change again and we may have a different plan. So right there in that moment (because that is all we have) I looked across the valleys on a glorious spring day, with my beautiful dogs running around the garden like teddy bears, and I still counted my

I looked at Rich, and he looked as miserable as sin! I asked him was there not anything in the day that made him happy; because at that moment in time I was happy. He replied by saying ‘but you said you weren’t happy anymore that there is not enough here for you.’ To which I replied:

‘I am happy in this moment in time; no I do not think that this is the life I want to follow for any future length of time but right now, in the here and now (because that is all I have) I am happy: I am happy I get to spend time with my husband in a sunny spring garden; I am happy that I get to work with him chopping logs, with the dogs running around my feet chasing the rats and chickens. I am glad that I get to feel the wind on my face and the sunshine; I am happy that I get to look out across that view; I am happy that all the little spring flowers are appearing in the lawn, and that summer is on it’s way. I am happy that I have logs to cut and logs for next winter; I am happy that we have made some decisions; Just because I have made the decision not to stay here does not mean that I am unhappy, or that I cannot appreciate what I do have.’

I then looked at Rich and asked him what he was happy with he looked at me like a rabbit in the headlights and said ‘I am happy that I’ve got tobacco!!!’

Good job I love him!

It is so clear that happiness is just a state of mind. How often do we fail to look at all the small things that are in the here and now because we have made decisions to change things? How often do we not just do that anyway!

So we will continue on this journey but there are new horizons ahead……

Moisy

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The leaning cherry, what tales you could have told

26 Tuesday Feb 2019

Posted by in My family and other furry creatures, My home, The seasons

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Nearly four years ago when we moved here we were told to chop down this old cherry tree. But she was covered in leaves and we didn’t have the heart. So Rich propped her up with a length of pine, and every year she came back, with her beautiful blossom under which we sat drinking wine

And her copious amounts of cherries. She fed the birds, she fed us.

Last year Rich set up the swinging seat I bought him (for 3€) for his birthday from it’s boughs. But when I look at it now I can see her leaves were dropping in July, and I believe she was dying even then.

Just last month I took a picture of it and you can see where the seat was. But then we noticed two weeks ago that if you decided to sit in the seat, your bum would be scraping the floor! The hooley from a few weeks ago had wreaked the final damage on her that she could take.

So Rich removed the seat and we deliberated on whether it was time to let the old girl go. She had some buds, but some parts had died and her trunk was sounding hollow. We didn’t have the heart to chop her down, but had a dilemma with the Welshies.

But as we considered what to do nature took the decision out of our hands. Yesterday, on a bright, warm, sunny day, as my washing blew in the wind

As we chopped and split yet more logs getting ready for our new venture, there was suddenly the sound of loud cracking and snapping. The Welshies stopped in their tracks and Rich shouted ‘that’s the tree’ as an almighty crack and the sound if splitting filled the air and down she came.

It was time to let the old girl go.

Poor Rich, he had just put his chainsaw away, after the chain became too loose, only to get it back out. More wood!

so in the evening sunshine we took two garden chairs up by the tree cracked open a beer, and said goodbye. We felt sad though, that cherry could tell so many stories, but nature showed us that sometimes things come to an end. It has changed the whole landscape of our garden. Everything must change.

Moisy

Spring’s being blown in on a Hooley…

10 Sunday Feb 2019

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

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As I sit here on a Sunday afternoon there are 80km an hour winds blowing around our house. They blew in on Friday and then subsided only to come back with a vengeance last night. I took this picture of our two chairs on Friday evening and now one is on it’s back!

The reason I took the picture was because the chairs had been positioned there last Sunday, for us to enjoy the warm sunshine after an afternoon of working in the garden. (We’re winning the battle with the tree trunks and gradually clearing the brambles)

It really was such a beautiful day, and as we sat there with a panache (shandy, a drink of lemonade,beer and a dash of lime) in the warmth it reminded me again of how all things change, and things go from bad to good and back again. As Rich said ‘there is nothing like warm sunshine to make you feel that all is right with the world again.’

I wrote only recently of how I thought that spring was going to come early (Spring and winter) and I was right. Although The Hooley is blowing it is not cold, in fact we’re into double figures and the forecast is we will hit fourteen degrees by Saturday, with sun and clouds all week. That is warm for February over here, and it is good to not have to light the fire really early every day, and to be able to leave the expensive electric heaters off. (They tax you on your use here and then tax you on the tax!)

So, after the lovely warm Sunday, winter tried to take a hold again; and all week we have had rain, mizzle (a Cornish word meaning a mixture of rain and drizzle, which is like a mist that makes you really wet!) Despite it all we have persevered with the garden because we have plans for the summer (more of that to come later: I told you I’m back!) I’m back! But some of the days it was just too wet, so I have been busy setting up a website, and finally took hold of all of our paperwork, four years worth!! All is filed away in relevant folders, every plastic docket is labelled, and every folder has an index.

I have also driven Rich (it easy to lose your motivation when you are down): So he has set me up a temporary light for my other light in my kitchen (been without it 2 years, so I keep forgetting to put it on now!) started to sort out our large wooden barn structure so that it is more efficient for storage and to work in;

And also started to strip the lining paper off our stairwell (a pig of a job) and has painted our fireplace; turning ugly to beautiful:

I think I told you, I’m back!

Where the weather is concerned Spring is winning this battle, and she is coming early: the crocus are now abundant in our garden, the narcissi and daffodils have buds and even in this hooley the rain is lashing on the windows one minute and the sun is shining the next. Persephone is coming back early this year.

I did say to Rich that we should go for a walk, but he has just brought me a cup of tea and said ‘enjoy your walk and when you get back I ‘ll have a nice cup of tea waiting for you!’ Bastard!

So just like nature I have realised that you have to use all that you have to survive in life, and that my lesson was to understand that one of my greatest gifts is my strength and fortitude. I needed to get back the old Moisy, that did what she had to do, and sometimes fucked people off! I understand now, let’s see what this year brings.

I am off for a walk in my garden now, and will be settling down for a film and roast chicken dinner I think.

Have a good day.

Moisy

Counting My Blessings: Day 9

01 Tuesday Jan 2019

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

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Enter a This picture is of one of the first sunsets that we were inspired by when we first came to live here in 2015. ……caption

As I have been writing this series of posts under the theme of ;Counting My Blessings; I have realised that when looking at the really simple things I have way more than ten things to write about! Isn’t that in itself a blessing?

So on this first day of the new year I have decided to keep it really simple, and let nature lead the way: My blessing today is my surroundings, but especially the sunrises and sunsets that we experience living here in the vast French rural countryside.

What better way to bring in the new year, a time that symbolises endings and beginnings, than by sharing with you the endings and beginnings that nature shows us every day, something that we take for granted:Every day! Always expecting the next day to come, and perhaps thinking that we will ‘Stop and Stare’ then!

This adventure has vividly taught me how nothing can be taken for granted; not people, not work, not income; it has reminded me constantly what the Tao reminds me of: that the only moment is now, don’t live your life for what you think is coming, only to find that it does not come.

We live our lives looking forward: To our holidays, to Christmas, to our anniversary, to our birthdays, to when we will have more money, always, always looking forward, and never taking time to just enjoy the here and now.

I have heard a lot of people (especially since moving over here when French winters can be grey and harsh, and everyone just knuckles down and hibernates) say how they hate the winter. I have written often before about enjoying the here and now (see link below) I have said how I would commit to going out in all weathers, and then not done it. But this time I am going to.

Winter Solstice, Alban Arthur, Christmas..Joy

Over the past few months I have been reminded of how things come and go; evolve and change; and although I have always felt a sadness when people leave to go home, or the summer comes to an end, or the old year passes, I realise now that the sadness was because deep down I knew that those things can never be captured again. They are but a moment and then they are gone.

This picture is from three years ago, whilst looking after a friends house. I now no longer see them and they have sold the house, highlighting how this moment was never going to be repeated!

Sadly I know of  people who have died recently; were here one moment, gone the next, some tragically and unexpectedly; one day they saw their last sunrise, and last sunset and probably never even noticed them; how often do we ever notice the blessing of the sky, as it floats by?

As I have said in my mini bus of life theory, friendships change, and sometimes we let people back into our lives, but sometimes we have to let them go, and realise that the memories are enough.

I have come to realise recently that in some cases we have to consider whether we should leave them at their stop because it is us that have changed. You can read more on the link below..

The mini bus of life

So this year I am going to go out more and see France in the winter, starting with today: We are off, to a medieval city to see it in winter time, it will show us a new perspective on something old, and we could all do with that at times.

Sadly I am also going to let some of my integrity go, and get my empathy under control (I must make a little mantra to remind myselfm because it is not something that comes natuarally to me!)

I am going to enjoy what life shows me, and go back to letting her show me the way, because actually she knows best.

I urge you all to go out today and watch the sunset, wherever you are, treasure that moment, you will never get it back again, you are given a small blessing every day, no matter where you are, or your circumstances, just take what is given you.

Please share if this series has inspired  you and let’s inspire others to count their blessings.

Moisy

 

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Counting my blessings: Day 5

28 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by in My family and other furry creatures, My home, Reflections, Simple things, The continuing adventure

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This is Molly, my beautiful girl. Nineteen years ago, just after Rich and I got married I found a little ginger female kitten behind our shed; even to this day Rich does not believe me, and thinks I actually went and collected her from somewhere! Sadly Pussy Willow, as she became known, died when she was just two years old, but not before she had kittens, who were born in our cupboard; and we kept two of them. One, Milly Kitten, was a reclusive cat, who liked to be outside most of her life. She died at the ripe age of thirteen, after spending a year sleeping indoors every night. We loved her dearly, and Molly missed her

Molly was a different story, she loves the sunshine, but hates the cold, rain or snow. She is now very old, eighteen and a half years, but all the time she eats, and sleeps (pretty much all the time now) we know she is okay. She has had her moments over the past year but she still loves life and she is a blessing that we count every day.

She was the cat who lay beside me, with Snowy our Westie when war had devastated our lives (see my other blog http://makingthisbetter.com) they literally made a sandwich either side with me as the filling and she loves me still.

Molly kitten is my blessing.

Over the years other kittens have been brought into the house starting with this pretty little thing: Diddyman dod. She is part of our story because we gave her a home a year after ‘The War’; she was our band aid baby and only Five weeks old when we got her. Molly adopted her and taught her all she knows; we can’t believe she is ten years old, time has just flown.

Then we got Daisy, we brought her home with the shopping, as you do! Tom had gone to university and she was our ’empty nest’ baby. She is a huge, but incredibly gentle cat, just happy with life, and a bowl of milk and cream.

Sadly our last baby: Tinky Tiny Tilly, or Tillybet, was a naughty one, who gave Daisy so much confidence, they were the Black Hand Gang. But Tilly went out one day in March this year and never came home, and my eyes still fill with tears for my baby. You can read all about her in my post Tinky Tiny Tilly.

All of these cats, including sofa loaf, (A story of hardship, serendipity, and love -Sophie The Sofa Loaf) are our blessings, they make us laugh, and I know they will make us cry, just as Tilly has; and Molly will. But if you don’t open your heart to love, even knowing it will cause you pain; then you have not lived. It is all a blessing.

More and more are starting to share their blessings, spread the word let’s take people into the new year on a positive. Please share.

If you want to visit my other blog you can find it here https://makingthisbetter.com

Moisy

Counting my blessings: Day 6

28 Friday Dec 2018

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

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The blessing that I am counting today is the simple gift of running water. To appreciate water was a lesson that I was taught from this adventure, because when Rich and I moved here we only had access to well water. We had an antiquated old piston pump in our cellar that used to bang away like a demented miner every time we turned the tap on. As most of you know we live hand to mouth (and no I am not ashamed to say that!) so we were dependent on that well. But in a hot spell in the summer of 2017 the well ran dry! You can read all about it in my post…..Une leçon de vie atout votre eau

From that incident I learnt just how precious running water is, especially hot running water. In the post you will read how we managed to shower, but it was not being able to turn on my tap to wash my hands in hot water that got to me the most, especially when I was cooking chicken!

It is something simple, that most of us just take for granted; it is always there when you turn on the tap, and then suddenly it isn’t!

I became aware of how much water we use, and waste; and ever since then I think about my water consumption; not because of the cost, but because I realise what a precious commodity it is – when you don’t have it you would understand that you would choose it over diamonds and gold any day of the week!

We now finally have mains water connected to our home, it was only connected in September of this year; and it was only due to the kindness of our wonderful neighbour and commune leader that we have had water for the last eighteen months (apart for the four days in the winter when the ‘Beast From The East’ came and froze the pipe!)

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So today, when I get in my hot shower, and wash my hair, I will count my blessing that I am able to have a hot shower, and I will think of all the people who cannot have that simple pleasure, including those in the Western world where water is readily available but they have no access to that simple dignity of being able to wash. At times it makes me feel ashamed.

So enjoy your hot running water today; if you are able help others to access the same then please do; and count your blessings in that shower, don’t rush it because you have something else to do, or somewhere else to go; just stop for a moment and enjoy that simple pleasure.

More and more people are joining in now, please share this series, let’s get everyone thinking about the blessings that they have, and perhaps the blessings they can give to others.

Moisy

Counting my blessings: Day 2

25 Tuesday Dec 2018

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

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So I am sitting bed with my cup of tea, looking out of the window at this. It is a bright sunny morning here in rural France; and I am looking at my favourite tree. I have written about it often, calling it my Tree of Tao, because it just goes with the flow whatever the weather; it just takes life as it comes.

To be able to see this every day, is a blessing because I have incredibly bad eyesight, and I treasure the gift of sight. It’s also a blessing because it calms me and grounds me, reminding me that we are just small blips on a much bigger picture; and that all the things we think are important aren’t that important at all.

It sways in the breeze, and it sways in the storms and raging winds, it is always serene; when we look nature shows us so much.

Happy Christmas everyone, share with us the small things you count as blessings, they could inspire others.

Moisy

I’m back! You can’t keep me down for long.’

18 Tuesday Dec 2018

Posted by in My family and other furry creatures, My home, People, The continuing adventure

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Someone said to me on Saturday that she had missed my blogs recently; and guessed after my last blog that I was,perhaps, struggling with life out here; but that she hoped not because I gave her hope.

I wasn’t necessarily struggling with life out here, I was struggling with my belief that life would show me the way, and that despite all the crap good would come.

If you’ve been reading my blog you know I follow the teachings and philosophy of the Tao; I know that where there’s bad there’s good, and where there’s good there’s bad; that you may have a lot of crap come your way but if you hold onto your faith good will come; and things over the past few months were making that hard, I was struggling to believe.

But over the past few weeks so many people have supported me, helped us, and they gave me hope: my sister sent me a medicated mouthwash and mouth gel, my friend Saveena called to say the assessor was coming out for the roof, and both she and my sister contacted me almost daily to check I was okay. It all helped but I still struggled.

So on Thursday I looked up and asked for help to regain my belief; because I knew that good things would not come if I could not believe. An hour later my IPad pinged and what I needed started to come my way. By Friday my faith was back; and I started to see ALL My blessings: good friends, new friends, our son, our family, our animals, the stunning place where we live, and not least our love for each other.

I had worked hard all week creating pretty Christmas stock to sell at a craft fair on Saturday at a beautiful old French Mill half an hour from us.

But when Saturday came it was minus six degrees and thick ice, with icicles were hanging off our garden table, and when Rich wound down his window there was another window of ice in its place! The roads were treacherous. But we trundled on, with the van skidding everywhere in the sleet, and set up our stall.

Sadly in the end, and understandably given the weather, only about ten people visited the fair. But we still had a wonderful day. We met two lovely, kind people. They too were doing what they could to keep their dream alive, and we laughed all day. They had spent all summer making these wonderful reindeer and you can find them on Facebook as la petit Cretouffiere.

At the end of the day we all gave each other something: cakes, key rings, angels, chocolates,

And my dear, kind friend gave me this stunning lamp, which now takes pride of place on our stairs (walls to be decorated next year!) projecting stars all over the stairwell

Stars are a big thing in my house, a star is for life not just for Christmas! So I decided to keep my newest design for me – twinkle, twinkle! It now takes pride of place in my bedroom, twinkling in the twinkly lights…

It can be replicated if required by anyone…

At the end of the day we all helped each other load up and tidy before the night drew in. We got home to a freezing house (gotta love that stone!) that took three hours to warm up! But we changed into layers of fleecy pyjamas, Snuggly socks (two pairs!) opened the wine and watched the Strictly Come Dancing final; with a roaring fire, four sleepy cats, and two snuggled Welshies.

I know that we are blessed, we have each other, and we fought tooth and nail to keep that; no money in the world can buy what we have. We have no presents (but the dogs have one) and we don’t need them. Our Christmas present will be snuggling in bed with a cup of tea on Christmas morning, and eating our dinner on our laps, not caught up in all the hype! My happiness is complete with our Christmas decorations, that I have collected over the years.

We have now been invited to various shin digs and I am busy. This morning I woke up to this stunning sunrise and I thought to myself ‘all I had to do was believe.’

And I do, my belief is strong, nothing can take that away, it may wane but it will never leave me.

I’m back!

Moisy

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The ‘Mad’ summer has begun…

22 Friday Jun 2018

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

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It has been a mad week!! Literally our feet have not touched the ground. We have viewed six houses, some weird, some lovely, some overpriced and some in deep rural parts of France, some too deep and rural!! Some viewings have been weird, some have been lovely, some of them have been shocking when it comes to price, and one has been a second viewing, but more of that to come in upcoming posts.

Karen and Dylan hit Ambrieres last Thursday night at 11.30pm. I had cooked a chilli and rice in advance which gave us time to catch up, drink wine and chat before eating at 2am!! The next day we were out house hunting by 10.30am and did not get back until after 5pm, it was a long day with a  lot to take in; and this has pretty much been the pattern for the week, adding to that some shopping, drinking wine in the summer evening sun, and drawing up lists of costs and pro’s and cons with regard to the houses we have viewed.

Because of the house hunting we have found small villages  in neighbouring villages to us that we did not know existed, including a stunning village called Sept Forge which is situated  on the river Mayenne and is truly idyllic. There is a tiny lane that winds down beside the river  with steep steps cut up through the forest that lead into the village square and it’s medievil church. Another two words come to mind when walking down this lane looking for one of the houses we were going to view, and they were tranquility and  sanctuary.

Image result for river at sept forges

The Welshie’s have not disappointed, in fact it is fair to say that they are now a pack, with Dylan being well and truly accepted by our two, with Wiglet as Dylan’s surrogate mummy (she even pulls her along by the back of her neck!). To watch these two together is a delight as they bounce around the garden talking to each other in Welshie, with Dylan virtually permantly attached to Wiglet’s side.

Harley has had his work cut out as the alpha, but has done a good job and Dylan know’s when to behave when Harley tells her – it is what he says that’s it!! He is totally worn out and whilst I was drafting blogs in bed today he stayed firmly attached to my leg asleep, and dreaming.

But the funniest one of all was yesterday when this stubborn little ten month old Welshie finally gave up, half way across the sofa she was climbing, and this is how she fell asleep…

Karen and Dylan finally moved into the house they had rented on Tuesday – simply because we had been too busy, and having too much fun in the garden to check the perimeter and move her in. The house she is renting is beautiful, massive, and really pretty.

But most of all this week we have laughed, we have planned (as much as you can for three people who really try and live each day as the only moment!) We have sat in the dark by candlelight listening to the owl in the tree (I still like to think it was the one whose life we saved two years ago, as it hoots at us) and Karen has screamed as she moved a bag in the kitchen only to find a huge toad hiding under the bag having been chased there by the dogs – This is one of the things we have to look out for as they are poisonous to them. But it made Rich and I laugh whenran off down the kitchen – all part of the adventure my friend, all part of the adventure!!

common-toad-bufo-bufo-crapaud-commun-france

The weather has been mostly sunny, with no real rain, and it is now  finally coming into it’s own with temperatures averaging between twenty three degrees and twenty five degrees. The forecast is for a steady increase and next week it will be up in the 30s again. So we have finally gone mad and a pool has been purchased *after about an hour and a half in the shop trying to work out the size and how big a cover we needed, base we needed and what cleaner we had to buy – Karen and I are writers, mathematicians we ain’t!! Bet you can guess whose job that is going to be tomorrow – and it’s not going to be me or Karen!!! It is so big it should be full by about Tuesday!!

But now I must go folks we have a BBQ at Karen’s house and a sleepover – how weird is that!! I think it is fair to say that we all feel young again, and excited at what life has to hold.

Katch up soon – promise- more blogs to come.

Moisy