Off again.

I'm going to be off line for a while.

England beckons, family are hoping we will get there for New Year.

One daughter and grandson put on the train for Paris,

one more daughter waits in UK.

Arent we fortunate to have so many choices?!

Now all I need to do is to...

undecorate (is that a word?) the house,

clean out the fridge,

pack the suitcases,

unpack and check that I've put the medicines in,

Pack again,

get house ready for friend who look after things,

fill the car blankets andwith emergency packs in case

we get caught in the snow/ice of UK.

And go.

SAfe arrival>

My family arrived safely today!

We will have just a week together to celebrate Christmas

and to enjoy being together after so many years.

Why do these children live so far away?!

I leave you with this beautiful picture,

and wish you all a very

Happy Christmas.

Jesus is the reason for the season.

Pearls

This exquisite rose is called Pearl.

Today is our Pearl wedding anniversary, thirty years of happiness.

The sun shone for us, despite it being a December day. The service of blessing, held in our little local Church, which followed our registry office formality was a very beautiful occasion, with our families and friends around us.

I have so much to be thankful for.

No snow!

This morning we looked out on a green garden.

The snow had gone overnight, and we were able to get out and do the shopping.

Now, like so many other families, we wait to see if daughter will make it here, despite Canadian weather and French rail strikes.

We're all ready, advance cooking done, shopping finished, beds made, presents wrapped and under the tree.

Ever hopeful.

Melting snow.

The snow is beginning to melt, slowly, drip by drip. We walked from our gateway down the lane to the road, but it was too dangerous to go further. The lane was a sheet of ice.

In small villages like ours there is no gritting service, and we just have to wait until the roads are safe to drive on.

I pray it won't be long.

Hoping..........

We're living hopefully at the moment. My daughter and grandson are flying from Canada to join us for Christmas.

At the moment there is a strike of trains out of Paris, where she will be landing.

The snow is covering our lanes to such an extent that the postman hasn't been for two days, and I'm due to meet her at the station about an hour away.

The town where she lives in Northern BC could easily be under such heavy snow that the plane might be unable to fly her down to Vancouver.

We live in hope. We pray that all these negatives will be swept away, and that we can enjoy Christmas together.

White morning.

Snow is very rare in this part of Brittany. I cant remember when we had

more than a light dusting, a few flakes.

However, this is what we found this morning!

The birds are desperately crowding over the bird-table

in an effort to fill themselves up with the food we put out.

We've cleared a little space on the ground for the robin

who visits hopefully every day.

The snow keeps falling, white on white.

Market day.

This picture is titled 'A French market place', by David Cox, painted in 1829.

We went off to the market this morning and found it strangely quiet. The stalls were all there, but very few people. Then we saw the enormous marquees that are being put up for the special Christmas market this coming weekend. That's what people are saving themselves for, maybe!

One stall sold nothing but Corsican Clementines, leaves still attached, with a basket of pieces for tasting.What a good idea. I bought a couple of kilos, but they won't last long.

It's a very social meeting place, a French market, and it is lovely to watch people greeting each other, stopping for a chat, comparing prices. In the cafe/bar there is always an atmosphere of jollity. No one comes in without a greeting to everyone 'Bonjour, M'sieurDames!', and friends and aquaintances are kissed or offered a handshake.

The rain came down just as we were leaving, but we'd had a couple of hours strolling around.

Things we don't do.

Strolling through the supermarket this morning, I realised just how many typically Christmassy things don't happen in France. Music was blaring through the speakers, and whereas in England it would have been Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, or Little Donkey, here it was the latest rock band.

Carol singing? France is a secular nation, with no outward show of any religion, so singing hymns in the street isnt normal. Of course, the Catholic churches will be having their services as normal.

Christmas cards? Over the last few years cards have begun to appear in the shops, but only of a secular nature. Nothing that relates to the spiritual reality of Christmas is permitted. People dont send cards to each other, but prefer to telephone.

Presents? Yes, but in a much more understated way than in England, very little advertising, very little 'must have' culture. The children here will open their presents on the night of the 24th, sometimes leaving their shoes out for Pere Noel to fill with goodies.

Christmas plays at school? Yes, but usually about something that has no relationship to the Christmas story, maybe an adventure, or a Breton folk tale.

Christmas food? Quite different. Ususally a Seafood platter on the night of 24th, followed by beef or salmon. Christmas pudding...try explaining that! A 'Buche de noel', or 'Christmas log' is served here, a bit like a rolled creamy cake.

However, all the shop owners are happy to wish everyone 'Joyeux Noel!'

A little bit of 'home made' Christmas.

My two angels on the right came from

Austria, two years ago, when we spent a wonderful

Christmas there.

Advent 3

The third Advent candle is lit today. It's the candle of Joy, of rejoicing. This is Gaudete Sunday, a day on which to rejoice at the coming of the Christ.

The third candle is often a pink one, not on this photo, and not on our church wreath. Maybe pink candles are harder to find?

As we draw closer to Christmas our thoughts are on the coming, the birth of our Saviour, the Light of the World.

Winter walk

This is the River about a mile from our house. As my camera forgot to come with me I have had to use a photo taken by someone else, and in the summer too!

Today the trees had lost their leaves, their branches hung pale and insubstantial over the water. A bright but not very warm sun made a walk such a pleasure after days of rain.

We took secateurs with us, hoping to find holly. Holly there was, but none with red berries. The birds have been stockpiling, I think.

We brought home bunches of shiny ivy leaves, glistening with black berries, holly to which I can add red ribbon, and a few seed heads to spray silver.

And by 4.30 it was cold and almost dark again. Time to head home for a cup of tea and a plate of scones with apricot jam!

A silver apple or a golden pear?

Watched the delightful Kirsty's Home made Christmas last night. Some of her ideas are lovely, sensible and do-able.

She created home made gifts, such as pretty jars of chutney, beautifully wrapped, table crackers that I would love to make.

But......oh dear Kirsty. How can she justify rubbing pears with gold leaf, yes, real gold leaf at £25.00 for a book of small sheets. The pears were to be used as, wait for it, place markers. When so many people are wondering how to cope with Christmas at all, it didnt seem the most tactful thing to propose.

So, I offer you my silver apple, Kirsty. Just a simple apple, a bit of foil and a label tied with a ribbon. And you can still eat the apple later.

This is what my friends brought for me.

How lovely to have a bit of Spring in the middle of Winter.

What am I doing today?

You may recognise a certain desperation in the title. It goes with 'whatever can I write about...???' So I thought I'd just look at the day ahead.

What am I going to do?
The ironing is first on the list, one of those lovely white washes that I actually enjoy ironing.

When thats all put away I'm going to make mince pies. I'm not sure how well known they are in USA, but I do remember one year in Australia having a terrible time trying to buy mincemeat. I kept being directed to the butcher's department! Mincemeat is of course known as Fruit mince over there, and with the help of a young assistant I eventually found one jar.

Just shows that the best laid plans etc etc......half way through this, two friends appeared, whom we havent seen for months. They're still here, so my day has taken on a different pattern.

And the ironing waits.

A kind gift

How kind people are.

I won a giveaway recently from QMM, who has a fascinating blog from Kentucky. Knowing that it could be expensive to send from USA I asked her if ahe would like to choose someone else.

But yesterday a parcel arrived containing a sweet painting and also two cuts of pretty fabric, garnished with a delightful pin.

A charming card accompanied it all.

Thank you so much!

Advent 2

Today is the second Sunday of Advent, and once again I'm joining with Floss and

others (see A pause in Advent button on the right)

The second candle will be lit today, and it symbolises our preparation to welcome the Light of the world. It's a candle of Love.

I was reading a bit about the wreath itself, which has its own symbolism.

Even the evergreens that are used to make the wreath can have a message.

Laurel represents victory over suffering.

The holly is like the crown of thorns worn by Jesus.

Pine and yew represent immortality, and cedar, strength.

Any pine cones or seeds that are used to decorate symbolise new life,

a resurrection.

And the wreath shape, the circle itself? That is the eternity of our Lord, the everlasting life in Christ,

a circle with no end.

Christmas market

Our Church is having a Christmas market tomorrow.

There will be all manner of things for sale , Christmas cards, books,

gifts, cakes and handmade presents

The photo shows just a few of the things that I have made for sale.

(Click for a bigger picture)

There are pretty Lavender sachets, filled with Lavender from

my garden here in France.

Lavender hearts,

Tree decorations,

and tiny stockings containing a Candy cane.

I hope they sell well. We raise funds for a number of charities every year. One of my favourites is Shelterbox, a company in Cornwall, run by Rotary, who send huge boxes of relief to needy areas of the world. We also support a French charity called Medecins sans Frontieres. We try to be an outward looking church, supporting where possible, and the profits raised tomorrow will be well spent.

.

Sapins de Noel

All of a sudden there are notices outside the Garden centres. 'Sapins de Noel!' The Christmas trees have arrived. Even some of the Supermarkets have started to get them in.

In the main they are cut trees, with a cut log on which to stand. We were very lucky yesterday to find pot grown trees, so snapped one up , brought it home and placed it on the terrace for the moment. It will come inside closer to Christmas. the birds are eying it up wondering if it's for them.

There used to be a fashion here for spraying colours on the trees, blue, white, silver. I prefer a plain, green, live one. The smell of Christmas trees takes me back to childhood Christmases, mingled with Tangerine scents, and log fires.