Days away

We are off for a few days, visiting friends in the

Vendee region of France, about a four hour journey Southwards.

Noirmoutier is an 'almost island' in that one can drive there at low tide over a causeway,

but now has a very smart bridge across.

Noirmoutiers is famous here for its new potatoes,

and when they first come into the markets they are eagerly

snapped up.

Our friends don't live far`from here

and we really love this pretty part of the West coast.
Back sometime next week.

Evening scents.

I took this photo in the evening last night.

As I step up to our front door, the perfume of Nicotiana

is almost overwheming. These have been growing here for

three summers, and don't seem to want to die off.

Coupled with the pink of the Geraniums behind, they lift my heart

whenever I come home.

Lazy weekend.

It's a very lazy day here. We've been to the market,

where it was almost too hot to breathe, and where the smells

of Rotisserie cooked chickens were just too much to bear.

So it's back to a shady part of the garden.

Might go in the pool later. Yes, it is ours, and we count ourselves

very fortunate to have it. When we built the house we knew that

grandchildren would be spending holidays here, and it has proved

to be very popular with them.

Having a pool isnt all glamour and sitting around sipping long cool drinks.

Pools need a lot of looking after, especially in very hot weather,

as this can change the PH of the water.

Too many holiday makers have found that the pools in the

rented cottages are not properly cared for, and stomach upsets follow.

Last night my husband decided that the base of the pool

wasnt quite clean enough.

In I went, with brush and hose, creeping about looking for the elusive

bits that he had seen.

"Left a bit, no, LEFT I said. Come

back a bit, there's a leaf over there. (oh really? A leaf?)

Fine, now just walk round and see if you can see anything more"

So, head down to water level I waded, and couldnt find anything

except a gleaming pool. We do actually have a cleaning robot,

but she has a mind of her own and only cleans the bits she likes, especially the walls.

I wonder why we call her 'she'?.

Peacefully, in the evening, we

sat and watched the House Martens, swooping and dipping

over the water, maybe having a little drink, or catching an insect.

Hot, hot.....

If anyone wants me.....

this is where I'll be.

Fete de St Jean Baptiste

I know I showed you some of this last year,

but it's always fun to look at again.

24th June is the Feast of St John the Baptist, and

in France we have a tradition of having a bonfire on the evening before.

No one has ever been able to explain exactly why.

It's just what we do.

Our little village gets together for a simple and very rustic

Barbecue. The tables are arranged outside Henri's house,

The BBQ is lit, baguettes are cut up

and sausages are grilled.
It makes for a very relaxed occasion, with children

and dogs bouncing around. Glasses are filled and refilled

but there is never any sense of 'one too many'.

A brave guitarist sang us some very Breton songs,

of which we understood not one word.

And at the end, coffee and my contribution,

Chocolate gateau, was served.

Somehow this simply has to happen every year.

They say it wouldnt be the same without

'le cake au chocolat'!

Small village celebrations......always such fun.

Round about 11.30 pm we leave them to their reminisces

and go up the lane to bed.

The winners of the giveaway are...

...............................................

...........................................................

(Don't you hate the way they do that on Television?)

The napkins go to Bluebell.

The teddy bag was won by Maria, and as she has two little

girls, and I have two bags, I'm sending them both to her.

She has very kindly said that the lavender heart can go

to another person.

That person is Frances of

City Views, Country Dreams.

I'm sorry that you weren't all winners.

Now I just need addresses, please.

Bits and pieces.

The giveaway (see post 14th June) closes tomorrow (June 21st) evening. Don't forget to leave a comment if you wish to take part in the draw.

I now have replies from twenty people in the letter swap who have sent and received letters to their partners. Thank you for letting me know.

There are four more who have sent letters but not yet received any.

I so hope that no one was disappointed.

Looking through the beautiful Domaine de Courson rose on my archway, you might just catch a glimpse of a white foxglove. I'm so pleased to have one that isnt purple!

They're here!

They have arrived. I saw some today.

They are the ones who wander into the cafe wearing shorts, threading their way through the tables, bumping people with their back packs.

They dont say Good morning, or even Bonjour.

They are the ones who stand bewildered by the petrol pumps, not realising that English credit cards dont work there.

("Well what do we do then? Ask that lady. Go on, you ask her. You can speak a bit of that French.")

"Erm, Bonjour madam. Erm, nous sommes, um .....it doesnt work"

So you take pity on them and tell them in their native language to go down the road to a garage that has a pay desk, but is much more expensive.

They are the ones who you find groping around the supermarkets muttering, or even shouting "Where is the *** bacon then? Wish I was back in Tesco."

They are the ones who proffer a 50 € note to the poor girl on the check out, who tries to tell them that she hasnt enough change, using her best school girl English.

They are the ones who are just not used to the small courtesies of life in France....of the Bonjour, the Au revoir spoken by all the staff of a shop, as the tourists enter or leave with out a word.

With apologies to all the lovely tourists that do visit France, who love it, and who try to fit in and learn something about the place. Who have some French language, never mind how little, and are prepared to try it out. It's appreciated.

Who got mail?

While we are waiting for the giveaway (see previous post)

I thought it would be interesting to see how many of you had sent and received letters

from your swap partner.

So far I know that these have arrived;

French Village Life...................Much Ado about Something

Cumberland Island quilt chick...............Her At home

Living beautifully......Tales from a Garden

Fabric Paper thread.....Morning mist and scattered clouds

Pieceful Peg.....Sew Justine Sew

A very Grand Pressigny.......Marci Smith designs.

Pondside.....JoJo's joys

Nanny Ree......Bear's Mom

Shammickite........Nancy

Sent to partners, from;

Ulricke

Angela

Sheila

Elizabeth's Attic

Do let me know how many more names I can add to the list.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Little giveaways to celebrate 500 posts.

I have two little giveaways to offer you.

Firstly this set of four cotton and linen napkins,

each one embroidered with a posy of roses. Here they are again.

I opened the packet (they are new) to show you.
Secondly, something that didnt sell at the Church Fete.
A 'Teddy bag', as these have been christened,
but with a different Teddy.
This one is mine!


And with it goes a Lavender heart, filled with French lavender.
I can send these anywhere except Australia, where it is
forbidden to send any plant material.


Leave me a comment telling me which one you would prefer.
Closing date is Monday 21st June.

Giveaway soon!

I've just realised that I hit 500 posts this week.

It's time for a little giveaway.

When I get myself together later in the day

after specialist visit with my husband....

then I'll have time to think!

And then the batteries ran out.........

Our Fete is held in the grounds of a large monastery in Brittany. We are welcomed by the 'Freres' who have been so helpful to us over the years.


I managed to get two shots of people setting up in the morning......and then the camera batteries ran out. As it was only a week since I'd charged them I hadnt brought any spares, so two photos is all you get.


We had Garden produce, English books, Craft, Cakes, a bottle stall , a Raffle and many others.
Teas were held inside in the 'cantine' which is a room used by the brothers for meetings and students lessons. The kitchen corner is ideal, and coffee and tea urns were soon busy.
Outside was decorated with bunting and balloons, here being blown up by volunteers!

The afternoon went well, with plenty of English visitors and a smattering of French people too.

Overall we made almost €1000, which in these days of recession isnt too bad.

Church fete

Here we go again!

It's the month for the annual Church Fete.

As is normal, the weather forecast is for rain, so we need to plan for an

indoor event, which isnt as much fun.

Fun?

It's amazing how grown up people can turn into something

that reminds me of teaching days.

'Please miss, where shall I put this table/cup and saucer/chair...?'

'Where do the cakes go??' (Maybe on the cake stall?) My efforts have been for the Craft stall this year.

I've made cushions, lavender hearts in Strip patchwork,

and little bags in which to carry a teddy. Always useful.

I'm also in the middle of baking. Three cakes and

half a million scones
That's what comes of advertising 'Le The anglaise'

(English Cream tea!)

Kerusten, a Rose garden

The first weekend of June is a Garden weekend in Brittany.

Many beautiful private gardens are opened for Charity,

but the one we like best is a simple rose garden. Kerusten, deep in the Brittany countryside. There are over 500 varieties of roses

in the garden and they grow in a completely natural fashion.

Little grassy paths wind in and out of the beds, leading to...

who knows what? This is a corner of one of the barns, covered in climbing roses,

and full of Swallows, flying in and out as we watched. This white single Peony is in the 'Perfumed Garden',

but it seemed to me that all the garden is awash with scents.

Roses tangle with clematis, Mock orange bushes lead you into

areas full of old fashioned roses......by the hundred.

The perfume from this rose was so strong you didn't need
to lean down to smell it.


A little path might lead to an arbour,
or to a piece of statuary.



This building is being renovated inside, maybe to let for holidays.
I'd love to wake up each morning to the sounds and the scents.

At about 6pm there was a musical Aperitif. Rose champagne was served

to the music of this quartet. Three fiddles and an accordion played

bouncy Breton music
.

And at the end, Madame and Monsieur served a wonderful

light supper in the garden.

What an imaginative afternoon it was.

When Summer came

Summer came. Just for two or three days.

We opened up the pool.

We got out the Barbecue.

We ate out of doors.

Could anything be better?

Filet steak, Noirmoutier potatoes from a small island

off the Brittany coast, salads...

Oh, and a Gooseberry mousse made from the first picking

of our own fruit.

Perfect.

Now, it rains.

Letter from America

The letter writing swap is alive and well!

My letter from America arrived last weekend, from the delightful

Much Ado about something
It was a very attractive card, which contained a beautifully made
Bookmark, and of course a long letter.
How interesting to get to know people in this way.
So much nicer than e mail!
Did any of you in the swap get letters yet?

Vintage linen

Calling all linen hunter-gatherers! (Floss, Lululiz!)

I know that many of you collect linen. If you are interested in any of the following

let me know. My e mail is on the profile page.

A contribution to our church fete, plus postage

is all I need. I cant post outside Europe, sorry.

We have the annual Church Fete next Saturday, and the weather is not

going to be as good as today, according to the forecast.

The lady who has been sorting out the bric a brac stall

came to me with a bag of linen and said, 'It's all dirty, shall

I throw it out?' No, no no!!

I love revitalising vintage linen and opened the bag to find some

pretty little cloths and mats.

Now washed and starched there is a sweet little dressing table set.

A mat with a monogram of M or W depending on which way up it is.

A beautiful little cloth, 20ins x28ins, edged with lace,

and with a monogram of F

A little mat with drawn threadwork. there are two of these, but one is damaged.
In the top photo you can also see a small tablecloth

with embroidery on each corner.

Lupins

A friend brought these Lupins for me yesterday.

She said she just 'scattered them in the garden'.

I've begged her to save seeds for me next year,

but I don't think Lupins ever come true to their original colour.

As you can see, mine are all the same colour.

Attractive, but I'd like more variety.

My roses are just beginning to bloom.

I'll take the camera out later when it's not so hot.

For now, I'm going to lounge in the sun on the terrace.

Have you got mail?

Are you all busy writing?! I have written and sent my letter!

I thought you might like to see how the partners worked out.

It would be good to know when you receive your letters, then I can mark them off.

Oh dear, is it that obvious that I was a teacher in a former life?

Cumberland island quilt chick...........Her at home

B.Meandering..........Tracing Rainbows

Living Beautifully.........Tales from a garden

Fabric Paper Thread........Morning Mist and Scattered clouds

My Front Porch..........Hip Chick

Bear's Mom...........Nanny Ree

Pieceful Peg..........Sew Justine Sew

Pondside...............Jojo's Joys

Me and Ma.........Quilters World

A bit more than a Journal......Our Cross stitching Home

Elizabeth's Attic.........Tater's Corner

Lingering Shade..........Mintonville

Marci Smith designs.........A very Grand Pressigny

Rooks Nest...................Nancy (no blog)

French Village Life.........Much ado about something

Isnt this gorgeous?

My neighbour decided that his vegetable garden needed

shielding from view, so planted Clematis all along

the fence that runs between our two gardens.

The climber behind is a huge Honeysuckle.

We do enjoy looking at his fence, even his vegetables are

neat and tidy!