Mimosa

A moment just to post a photo of the Mimosa that I have picked.

I always used to think that it only grew in the South of France, but almost every garden here has a Mimosa tree, and they are all, suddenly, full of flower.

It's still very Wintry, so the blaze of yellow at the bottom of the garden is so lovely.

(You might note that the mantel shelf is empty of all little things apart from the flowers. Packing continues!)

Fieldfare visitor

This lovely bird has been wandering around our garden for a few days recently. It took me a while to identify it, but it is one of the Fieldfare family.

They come from Scandinavia in the Autumn to spend the winter in Britain , normally.

I wonder if this one got lost? They would usually be in a flock, so I'm not sure how he arrived in the garden.

He has been very busy finding worms and insects in the lawn, so seems quite at home.

Let me explain.....

Maybe I need to explain a little about our moving.

We have had many happy years in France, both in Brittany and in the Gironde regions.

During the last five years my husband's health has deteriorated and there have been many times when we would have been grateful for the nearness of family and old friends.

We have had the house for sale for a couple of years (having only built it 6 years ago!), and all of a sudden a buyer has made us an offer we couldn't refuse.

We signed the documents last week, and now there is packing aand so many more things, to organise.

I am clinging to the words in Jeremiah 29,v 11.

(And as Terri reminded me, I'll have to have a new title for the blog!)

I'm taking a little time out.

So much is going on in our lives right now, and I need to give all I've got to other things rather than computer time.

I will be back.

I'd be glad of your prayers.

I need to edit this, as it might sound as though there is a problem. Thank you so much to those of you who have enquired. We have sold our house here and are going to be returning to UK in the Spring, so as you can imagine it's a busy time!

Frosty morning.

image from Google

Snow was forecast this morning, so I climbed out of bed early, fearing the worst. We have a long drive to Church on Sunday, and I don't risk going if the weather is really bad.

So it was good to see that we had frost, no snow. The temperature was down to minus 2 degrees and it was bitterly cold.

We wrapped up in layers and set off, to find that some miles on we were bathed in sunshine! The temperature was the same, but the sun shone brightly. The hedges sparkled, frost caught by the sunbeams. It was a beautiful sight.

Sadly the frost seemed to have crept into the chapel and we all shivered our way through the service, desperately grateful for hot coffee afterwards.

Coming home, we both agreed that an afternoon in the warm with the newspapers, a cup of tea and a slice of newly baked cake would be perfect!

Flowers

I couldn't resist these flowers today. They are from the supermarket, so maybe won't last long, but the scent of freesias always grips me with longing.

Oddly enough they were being sold for Valentine's day....which seems a little bit early? However, as it was a Friday afternoon they were also on 'promo', a bit cheaper than usual. They just had to come home with me.

Query...is anyone else having a problem accessing Shabby Blogs? I would like to change the background, but every time I go near the website my Virus protection blocks it.

I was given a Kindle for Christmas. My thoughtful husband knew that I couldnt survive a fortnight's holiday without books to read. This is the very basic model. It doesnt send mail or do anything except download books.

I fought with myself over having it, as I much prefer the feel of a 'real' book, but this is certainly practical to use if one is away, and one can download hundreds of books..

Rather than pay around £30 for a cover to protect it, I opted to make its own little patchwork sleeping bag.
In here it is protected from scratches, warm, cosy......!

What more could a Kindle want?

And as it was all made from scraps with a bit of wadding, I'm pleased too.

Cakes....

I thought you should just have a glimpse of the selection of cakes on offer.

These were found in the Cafe Meier, a very popular place in the next village. If you go to Golling, everyone tells you that you must stop at the Cafe for coffee and cakes. I can understand why.

Cholesterol levels don't seem to matter here. Cappucino comes with a mountain of cream on top. Even ordinary coffee gives you a choice of cream or milk.

One thing we did find strange was that the non smoking in eating places rule that we now have in France, doesnt apply here, and many restaurants have smoking areas.

That we didnt like.

Austrian Christmas.

Can you imagine going from wet and windy Brittany to snowy (and sunny) Austria?

The Austrians have been waiting and hoping for snow for their skiing visitors and as we arrived so did the snow. Staying in a little town close to Salzburg meant that we enjoyed the friendliness of a small place, whilst still being able to visit the city. Trains and buses run regularly from Kuchl into Salzburg.

The carriage took eight of us at a time on a trip into the snowy hills. Well wrapped up in blankets we were warm enough to enjoy the scenery, and to take a sip of the Schnapps that the driver offered us!
Christmas is a joy here, with very little commercialism. The streets are decorated with silver lights, garlands are fixed around the shop doors, but there is no pressure to buy.
We gathered in one of the local hotels for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner , followed by Midnight Mass in the local church. I think everyone in the town must go, as there were people standing at the back of the church. The Choir and orchestra played a Diabelli Mass, which was thrilling, and the last moment of the service was enhanced by Silent Night, sung in the darkness of the church.

The three kings visit hotels and houses to sing, just after New Year, and as you can see, we enjoyed hearing them as we ate Breakfast. They collect for missions overseas.

This beautifully carved statue stands in the main street near the Church.

We had time to do so much more, sleigh rides in the snowy forest, visits to Salzburg Cathedral, and of course, the obligatory 'Kaffee und Kuchen', coffee and amazing cakes, which are such a feature of Austria.

I have emails to write, thank you letters to write, ironing to start, more washing to do......

I shouldnt be on the computer, but it is only for a moment. Just to tell you that we have been in a little Austrian village.

More later....

Home again.

The holiday is over, we are back home in France, and the suitcases are already emptied.

The header photo might give you a clue as to where we have been.

More later.