Bargains!

I have a new addiction in the form of the 'small ads' on the internet (french).  I sell stuff on there and now I buy stuff on there.  At the beginning of winter I bought a winter coat off a someone for 10€!  My old one was falling apart but I couldn't afford a new one, but this one is almost down-to-the-ground length, as-new condition, very warm and looks as if it was quite pricey.  It isn't a style I would necessarily have chosen if I was buying new from a shop, but beggars can't be choosers and I've got used to it now and I'm very pleased. 

Anyway, this woman was advertising some girls clothes this week - a job lot for girls aged 5,6, 8 & 10.  72 items in total for 15€!  So today, Isabella and I went off to see her and we bought them!  Only put 4 to go to the charity collection (not that nice, but someone could use them, they weren't falling apart or filthy).  So in all 68 items for about 22centimes each.  There's a few things that fit the girls now, but most of it will be good for next summer and next winter, which is what they need, as they have plenty of stuff for this winter.  So am feeling a bit smug now.  And it was like Christmas had come early when I got back, what with the opening of the bags and the trying-on and the girls being so excited about it!

Thief!

I've made two batches of gingerbread biscuits to hang on the tree so far and they just seem to disappear.  I was blaming myself mostly, well, who else could it be?  But this morning we have finally found the true culprit all along.  The cat was sitting under the tree, piece of ribbon and a few small peices left at her feet.  I thought, surely not?  She won't eat the biscuits in her food bowl and these ones are quite gingery.  But then she ate the rest.  So there you go.  Not me after all. 

All I want for Christmas....

Well, christmas is going to be easy for Isabella this year - she just lost another tooth today, so now 'All she wants for christmas is her two front teeth'!

A frugal christmas

Well, as you all no doubt know, Chtristmas is coming and it's got to be frugal.  Especially as the folk who take our money in the name of social contributions, the ones who promised faithfully earlier this year that we were up to date with our payments, have now decided to send us a seasonal greeting in the form of a bill for over 4000,00€ (no, that's not a typo.  There's really that many noughts).

Anyway, I digress.  I know you're desperate to know about my frugal ways this year so here they are:

Presents:

Bike and helmet in excellent condition for eldest daughter bought at car boot for less than half the price of a new one (I might have mentioned this already somewhere on here).
Game for her to use on my nintendo bought at car boot for good price.
Youngest saw something she desperately wanted in local french toy shop retailing at 50,00€.  Found same thing on Amazon for £15.00 so bought that one instead.
Bought off small ads for petit prix and all in good condition (things for me and the girls): Lego house, Pokemon cards, Hello Kitty cards, two handbags, board game.
Little wooden desk and chair for 8€ bought in local charity shop for youngest.

And so, onto decorations:

Every year the girls and I do some christmas crafts and decorate the house.  My top tip for this:  If it's things for their rooms, let them chose the colours.  If it's for the house in general, ie, kitchen, lounge, chose the colour scheme yourself and then you've got cute little things that your kids have made and yet still go with everything else.  So there's the usual gingerbread biscuits to hang on the tree (already onto the second batch of those, no idea where they disappear to...).  And then after I've washed up the cookie cutters, they get used for drawing around onto card and then the shapes are cut out and painted and covered in glitter to be hung up on ribbon around the kitchen.

And then there's this years crafty decoration made by me:  A jigsaw puzzle piece wreath.  Saw some in a little crafty shop a while back, being sold for a nice price and I thought, I could do that myself, so I did.  (Actually, it's turns out that it's not an original idea, I've found a few on the internet since).  We've got some old jigsaws we have for the guests, but some of them are really not nice, so I used one to make the wreath. 

Instructions:

Select an unwanted jigsaw.
Cut a ring shape out of some thin card.
Stick on a layer of puzzles pieces, overlapping edges of card.
Stick on second layer, slighty 'in' from edge of first layer.
Stick on final layer.
Send husband off to rummage through paint supplies in cellar to find green paint.
Rejoice that on this occasion he comes back with something useful - can of green spray paint for old car.
Get husband to spray wreath outside (well it is below freezing out there).
When dry, tie red ribbon around it and hang up.
Actually, I've been trying to find something like small red balls to stick on for berries, but in the meantime, I'm leaving it blank.  It was completely free and looks very good, even though I say so myself.  If you want to see it, you'll have to come back in a few days as I haven't taken a picture of it yet.

Anyway, I then got a bit carried away and thought, 'I bet you could make christmas trees like this'.  So I did.  Unfortunately, had no more green spray left, so had to make some green with the girls poster paints and apply with brush, luckily I found a can of clear car laquer spray, so even though the colour's not so good, it's still got a shiny finish.  I stuck little sequins on as tree decorations and the red pot I painted with nail polish.  They don't look too bad either, but for the time being, you'll just have to take my word for it.

Food:

Went to the supermarket today and spent points accumulated on loyalty card on food and drink for christmas (total 65,00€ so not bad).

I'm sure there's some other stuff, I'm always thinking of things to say when I'm nowhere near the computer, and then when I get here, I can't remember what it was.

Blackcurrant Fool and haircuts

For those of you, who, like me have a bit of trouble getting around to cleaning the kitchen floor on a regular basis, here is my recipe for Blackcurrant Fool and Haircuts what I did today:

Ingredients:

1 husband in dire need of haircut
broom, dustpan and brush
500g blackcurrants
175g sugar
20cl double cream
1 pot natural yogurt
mop, floor cleaner and bucket

Method:

1. Take one not super-clean kitchen floor.  (Actually, on this occasion, I cleaned it only about a week ago, so it really wasn't in desperate need of re-doing).
2. Finally get around to cutting husbands hair in kitchen.
3.  Due to length of husband's hair there is now lots all over the kitchen floor.  This unfortunately necessitates use of broom, dustpan and brush.  After sweeping decide that floor is ok-ish and can go without another mopping so soon after last occasion.
4. Decide to make Blackcurrant Fool.  Put blackcurrants in a pan with a little water and cook until mushy (potato masher useful here).  When mushed up, add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
5. Push blackcurrant mix through a seive with a wooden spoon (into a bowl of course).
6. As you are tipping the remaining contents of the sieve that won't go through it into the bin, drop the wooden spoon that you were holding in the other hand onto the kitchen floor, thus spraying blackcurrant mix all over floor, fridge, cupboards and jeans.
7. Carry on with recipe, will clean up mess in a bit.
8. As it is below frezeing outside, put bowl outside to cool blackcurrant mix.
9. Pour the cream into another bowl.
10. As you go to put the carton of cream into the bin, ensure that you completely miss the bin, thus carton lands on floor and sprays cream all over floor, fridge, cupboards and jeans.
11. Carry on with recipe, will clean later.
12. Whisk cream and then stir in yogurt.
13. Stir in cooled blackcurrant mix.  Transfer to a pretty glass bowl and put in fridge for a bit.
14. Finally face up to reality re: kitchen floor and admit defeat.  Fetch mop and bucket, fill with floor cleaner and hot water and clean kitchen floor.
15. Eat blackcurrant fool.  Bloody gorgeous!

Nothing to say

Sorry.  Writer's block.  Ha ha!  In the meantime, here are some piccies of hubby's new ride on it's maiden voyage.  Wicked.

Strike action

What is the national sport of France?

a) Football
b) The Gallic shoulder shrug
c) Eating small life forms that no-one else in their right mind would eat (except maybe Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall and Ray Mears)
d) Going on strike

Unfortunately, I am unable to provide you with the answer as the people responible for answers are currently on strike.

Will somebody please do some bloody work?!!!!  No post for a week now as our local posties have been on strike and today is apparently a 'General Strike' countrywide.  Fortunately the school teachers managed to make it in today, but then they did have their strike just 3 days after the school year started again.  I wouldn't mind really, but it just so happens that I've got quite a bit of stuff on order and already on it's way, mainly for Georgia's birthday and it bothers me that the more post stacking up in the Post Office the more likely it is to go missing.  That, plus I'd actually quite like my stuff now.  And no doubt Mr Postie will be around at Christmas asking me to buy one of his calenders so that he can ensure that he provides a good service for us next year (service appropriate to the amount I choose to pay, there is no fixed price, get it wrong at your peril).  Actually, he's a very nice guy our postie, so I'm not whinging about him personally.  Although when he was round here, sitting at our table, drinking our wine and accepting our gifts (Tyres.  Don't ask.) just 6 days beforehand, he might have had the decency to forewarn us.

Monsieur Le Stig

Je vous présente the all new Monsieur Le Stig.  Some say he's been spotted in France.    

He's got a new ride as well.

New title

Been messing about with the blog a bit (well, hubby is watching Eastenders, so nothing better to do).  Changed the title due to my current obsession with jam making.  There's supposed to be a picture at the top, but it keeps disappearing.  Have to put up with it for now, am a bit bored of messing about with it.  I'll have another go next time...

peaches!

Went to a 'sale' of sorts in someones house on Sunday.  They've set up a little business selling other people's homemade stuff.  Good idea and some of the things were very nice and quite professionally made and presented.  (And some of the English sellers really ought to have learnt a bit of French first if they want to sell to the local folk, or at least learnt how to use 'google translate'.)  I bought a second hand jigsaw for us all to do (Where's Wally?!).  Well, nice though everything was, there wasn't really anything that I either needed or couldn't do myself.  My mother bought a nice pottery cheesboard though, so we did contribute. 

However, that is not why I'm telling you about it.  The bargain of the day for me was a large load of free home-grown peaches!  They were sitting by the door when we arrived, two buckets full, with a 'help-yourself' notice on, although for some reason I didn't really like to, but the woman running it was quite insistant that they must go, so I took a whole bucket-full in the end!  Well, I wasn't sure how much I'd need for jam, although you'd think I could tell having made so bloody much this year. 

Well, when we got home I weighed them and it was 10lbs!!!!  Blimey, I'd been a bit greedy I think!  Looking up recipes I found one for peaches in Brandy and having found half a bottle of brandy in the back of the cupboard I made up two jars of that.  The rest of them I've chopped up and are currently sitting in sugar and lemon juice and ginger waiting to be made into jam tomorrow (ran out of time today).  And in the end I didn't take too many as I've used about 4lbs for the jam, but the rest of it has unfortunately been ditched because they were too bruised for eating.  Which is why I ran out of time to cook the jam - took ages to chop up the peaches and chop off the bad bits and re-weigh and replace and all that faff.

Car booty!

Been to four car boots in the past month and managed to pick up a few bargains.  Two of the car boots were big (one apparently had about 700 stalls and I can believe it, we certainly didn't get to see them all) and two were very small, one barely had 20 stalls!  I know that you're desperate to find out what we got, so here's a little list of what I can remember:

1. Winter clothes for the girls at 1€ each (which, even though second hand, tend to be better quality than the cheap crap that I can afford in the shops over here which just fall apart after a few days.  After sifting through the unwashed stuff at the car boots (seriously!) when I find good stuff for sale it tends to be properly good stuff).
2. A winter coat for Isabella, long and pink and suede effect for 3€.
3. Adults and kids board/boxed games for the guests (although the kids ones seem to be in our house at the moment) for 2€ each.  Monopoly, Triominos and Connect Four, all in 'as new' condition.  I'm sure there was another one, but I can't remember what it was now...
4. An electronic keyboard for 2€ for Georgia for her birthday.  Got one for Isabella's birthday at an earlier car boot for the same price and they both love it.  Hence they needed one each for the sanity of their parents.
5. A couple of cheap books for the girls.
6. A bike for Isabella for Christmas, not just from us, but from her grandparents as well.  She has started to grow out of her current bike, we'd raised the seat and the handlebars and it was better for her, but it has no gears and she was struggling a bit when she was coming out riding with me on our 'flat, but not flat' roads.  She also can't get up much speed on the flat roads....  Anyway, had a look at some of the bikes in the shops and the prices are horrific and the gears are often very stiff, even I struggled to change them.  This bike in the car boot was in excellent condition, a nice dark pink colour, has five gears which are easy to change and came with a good adjustable helmet, all for 60€!  Still a lot of money for us, and probably more than you'd pay in the uk, but we could never afford a new one, so we took the opportunity whilst it was there.  The new version of the same bike is currently selling for 150€ in the shop, plus the helmet at 17€, so all in all a bit of a bargain.  Had fun trying to get it in the car though, just about managed!

Bath time

Had a bath this morning.  Ok, so that may not be headline news, but it is a rare event for me.  Don't get me wrong, I do shower daily, but sometimes I need a bath.  Unfortunately, ours is not a proper bath, it's a french bath which is more like sitting in a large bucket.  But today I am ill and couldn't face standing in the shower so I dug out some essential oils (marjoram, rosemary and eucalyptus, not sure if they really go together but I've pretty much lost my sense of smell and I figured they're all good for a cold) and ran the bath.  The base of our bath is about 60cm long (two rulers worth) and it's not flat either - half of the base is about 5cm higher than the lower half (for sitting on) with a drainage channel going down the middle of it (don't try to picture the reasons for that).  So whatever position you're in, you are always guaranteed to be cutting off the blood supply to your lower legs.  That is, you can either be sitting up with your knees bent; slightly lounging back with your knees bent double or slightly lounging back with your legs outstretched, but bent at the hip so that your feet are half-way up the wall in front of you (this position has the added bonus of making your stomach (well mine anyway) look like it's auditioning for the part of Michelin Man).  So therefore, every few minutes I have to stand up to allow the blood to drain back down to my feet again in order to avoid pins and needles.  Very relaxing.

And you may think I can't be that ill if I'm sitting at the computer, but I tried watching daytime tv, and Saturday morning daytime tv at that, and it was making me worse.

Cats! Hedgehog!

Had a terrible problem with kittens this summer, lots of them hanging around, more than we've ever had before.  Most of them have gone now however, with the exception of a tabby kitten, which is quite sweet and very friendly, not wild at all, and not wanted by us.  We already have a cat, although I must say, she's not the best at seeing off the intruders.  Anyway, this tabby seems to have adopted us and learnt very quickly how to use the cat flap, which is partly why we've been unable to get rid of it.  The cat flap is open all the time for our cat and we couldn't really start shutting it now, plus the front door is open most of the time during the summer what with the kids and the guests being in and out all day anyway.  We are still deciding what to do, although we'll probably end up keeping it as we couldn't abandon it and no-one will take it from us!  Looks like a trip to the vets in the near future.  More money.

Also had a problem a week or so ago with a little black kitten.  Now this one was very wild, not at all tame, not at all friendly and not a all safe to go anywhere near.  This one also learnt how to use the cat flap.  Now there is a big difference between a domesticated cat in your house and a wild animal in your house.  And much as we didn't want to, we had no alternative but to run a 'catch and release' program.  We went out one afternoon, left the cat transporter basket thingy in the kitchen, and fixed the cat flap so that the cat(s) could get in, but not get out.  Sure enough when we came back it was in the kitchen.  After a little chasing, Adrian managed to catch it and then after a bit of a scrap to say the least, it was a vicous little thing, managed to get it into the cat box.  Into the car and off for a little drive.  Dropped it off in farm land so it would have plenty of food in the vicinity and it legged it without a look back.  Now, I know that lots of you will be tutting away at me, but this was a wild animal, in no way domesticated, there is no 'animal sanctury' anywhere near here that I am aware of, and quite frankly, the irresponsible people at the end of the day are those that allow their cats to bread prolifically in the first place and then don't take care of the offspring.  Every year we have kittens around the place looking for food and shelter.  It is not nice.

And so onto part three of the cat stories.  Adrian found our neighbour's cat at the side of the road yesterday morning, it had been run over and looks like killed instantly.  It was in the middle of the entrance to where the bins are for our hamlet (no, the bin men do not come to our door, so think yourselves lucky next time you poms are whinging about your refuse collecters), so Adrian moved it onto the grass at the side, a little more discreet.  What to do?  Well, we decided if it was our cat, we'd like to know, so we went round to their place but they were out.  Later on I saw the wife, just coming back from the bins, she hadn't seen the cat there so I gave her the sad news.  She didn't want to see it, said her hubby would deal with it later.  Well, it was fortunate that Adrian had moved it earlier because there would have been no avoiding it when she went up to the bins and that wouldn't have been very nice for her.  Anyway, once we had confirmed with the wife that it was probably hers (it had a distinguishing mark) Adrian went and got the cat and put it in a box and we kept it until Mr Neighbour came home later that evening.  I showed him the cat's mark (we'd covered it's face) and he confirmed it was theirs, but he said he couldn't deal with it, so could we bury it please?!  Well, couldn't exactly say 'no' could we?  We've thought of a nice spot for it, but it's in one of the gite gardens, and we have guests in there at the moment, so we'll have to wait until monday morning when they've gone.  In the meantime, we have our neighbour's dead cat in our garage. 

On another note, we were having a bit of a chat whilst he was here, and the subject of the many kittens came up and he said, 'one of them was a lovely little black cat, been around recently although haven't seen it for a few days, so sweet - did you see it?'  Aaah - no!  The way he was talking I thought he'd have taken it on instead.  The guilt!  But then after further discussion I realised he was talking about a different cat black kitten (ie a friendly one, with different markings).  Phew. I would have loved to have offered him the tabby, but that would have been bad taste.

And just to prove that we're not entirely mean, animal haters, we did actually save the life of a hedgehog earlier in the summer.  Adrian found it in the swimming pool one morning, frantically swimming around, unable to get out.  So he fished it out and brought it back to the house.  It was in a bit of a state and you can't easily dry off a hedgehog, but we wrapped it loosely in an old towel anyway and put it in a box with a bit of cat food (apparently they can eat that) and it snoozed the day away in our kitchen, aprat from waking up to poop occasionally).  In the evening, it woke up and we released it into a sheltered spot in the garden.  Again, 'catch and release'!

lizard!

Went out last night (school meeting.  The excitement of my life).  Wore my trainers and as I was driving along the road I felt an odd sensation in my right shoe which made me think 'it feels like there's a spider in my sock', but I knew there couldn't possibly be a spider in there so I decided that probably my sock was a bit baggy and it was the movement of my feet on the pedals making it feel odd.  This morning I was sweeping the kitchen floor (a miracle in itself) and picked up my trainers to move them out of the way when I noticed a flat, dead, baby lizard in my trainer.

And talking of school meetings I was asked to join the parents committee yesterday.  Clearly they are either desperate (actually it turns out that they are) or France has suddenly gone all pc and needs a token english person on the committee.  Especially as the previous one has just left.  You know who you are. 

And after last nights meeting in which the class teacher admitted that her english was somewhat rusty to say the least and she has already been asking my daughter how to pronounce words (so far, after two full weeks in school they've learnt 'hello', 'goodbye' and the days of the week), it was suggested to me by another parent that I should go in and help teach english....  It's nice to be wanted I suppose!

Biking fun

Trip 1

Well, not exactly trip one, but my first big adventure in that I decided to go even further and attempt the real hill.  Got to the bottom of the slope, went down in to a low gear and pressed on.  Managed to get two-thirds of the way up before I had to get off and walk.  Well, I thought it was two-thirds up, when I got to where I thought the top was, it wasn't the top, you know how it is with hills.  However, I got back on the bike and carried on my way.  Once I really had got to the top it was flat all the way, along the main road for a bit, only a couple of cars went past, turned by the ironworks and then round the back of the tip and beyond.  I've been along the road that goes beyond the tip a couple of times before and I knew I'd be fine because it was a gentle downhill slope all the way.  So I'm pootling along, a bit of light peddling, feeling quite pleased although a bit tired, and turned the corner.  Who the hell put that hill there then?  Bloody hell, it was small, but unfortunately steep.  It was hard work but eventually I made it to the top.  Mind you, it was well worth it, the view was lovely.  No time to stop though, luckily it really was downhill next and then mostly flat until home. 

Trip 2

Repeated the above trip and did the whole lot by bike, even the first big hill which I didn't have to walk up, but I did have to stop momentarily at the top to allow burning pain in legs to subside, 40mins whole trip, even added an extra detour.  Well chuffed.  Couldn't sit down though when I got back due to cocyx pain.

Trip 3

Today.  On a high from last trip, decide to do same trip, but in reverse.  Adrian bought me a helmet today, I am grateful, but was not entirely pleased as I feel like a right tit in it.  However, on relection, I decided that a 40 year old red-faced, puffed-out fat bird on a bike with pasty legs and cycle shorts looks a bit of a tit anyway, so what difference was the helmet making?  One car came past me on my trip, unfortunately a parent from school.  I put my head down and pretended not to notice.  Anyway, this trip started out with the usual 'flat, but not flat road' and then flatish for a long way until the hills start.  Well, I thought this might be a better trip to make because it's mostly flat to start with so that will give my legs time to warm-up before the hills start, so getting up them should be easier.  However, as I now had the right headgear, I had also decided in my wisdom that I should wear my trainers and not my pumps as these would protect my feet better in case of an accident.  Did you know that trainers add several kilograms of weight to each foot and therefore make the going a lot harder, especially when combined with riding head-on into the wind?

So by the time I reached the junction where the hill starts I was already half-knackered.  But I perservered, I've done steep hills before, how bad could it be?  I think I managed about 10 metres.  Walked the rest of the way to the top where I stopped, purely to admire the view and have a drink.  Carried on and eventually reached the junction beyond the tip.  Here I had two choices, either go right, downhill immediately, but face a small hill at the bottom, which I knew I just couldn't handle.  Or go left, a longer trip, but all flat until the decsent.  I went left.  I nearly died.  Into the wind most of the way and a good part of it along the main road where I didn't want to stop.  Well actually I did want to stop, I just thought it best not to.  Eventually reached my turn-off where I pulled in and found myself using language that would get me a part in a porn movie.  (F*** yeah.  Oh. My. God. etc etc.  It was the relief of making it to the junction).  Carried on a bit more, wind behind me now, stopped by the wind turbines (purely for more water and to admire turbines of course).  Tractor starts coming along road behind me so I decide to set off in front of it, although with hindsight, once I'd set off I thought that may have been a bad idea - tractors are slow when you're stuck behind them in a car, but probably not when they're behind you on two wheels and pedals.  Anyway, just a 100 metres or so of light pedalling and then it was downhill all the way home, and not once did I pedal again!  It was just reward for my efforts I think.   Just one more vital piece of equipment needed - sports bra.  It's funny how going at speed on a bike can make you aware of just how bad the road surface is.

Miscelleous photos

A selection of photos from the summer, not in any particular order, they've been a right pain in the butt to upload, which is why I had to upload them in two separate posts:

The lake at Pouance

Not the best hiding place perhaps...

A walk around the lake at Pouance

Just call me 'Kate'

Miscellaneous photos

At the lake at Pouance












Flags at Pornic












No, not giant labels, jam in miniature.







A selection from the store cupboard:
Top row L to R - Blackcurrant jelly, orange and cointreau marmalade, red fruits jelly,
Bottom row L to R - Bramble jelly, greengage jam, plum and cinnamon jam, apple and cinnamon jelly.





The greengages looked so pretty in the pan that I had to take a piccy.










At the lake at Treffieu












Lake at Treffieu









'Picture of Lily'  (Which leads me to 'Quiz of the week number 3' - What is the song and the group I'm referring to?  Usual competition rules apply (see 'Quiz of the week1')












Lilies at Treffieu











Treffieu










Treffieu













On the train at Treffieu












Our only sunflower - after four years of trying to grow them without success, this year we had four seeds left, they were all planted out and this is the only one that grew.











Yes, I do all my own make-up.

Fab day

Had a day out with hubby and the girls yesterday, a sort of 'birthday day-out' on account of not having done anything else to 'celebrate'. Anyway, we went to Pornic and it was lovely. Wandered around the shops wishing we were wealthy and I was slim (oh, the lovely 'things' and the lovely clothes...). Stopped for a drink outside a tabac/bar (ie not a glamorous cafe) - one large coffee, one glass of milk and one lemonade - 7,80€! Then had lunch on the harbour, which was actually very reasonably priced and then bought ice-creams for desert from an ice-cream place (one of those places with so much choice, you can't choose). Had a walk along the harbour and then got back in the car to find a beach. Which we did indeed find, and a very nice one too. The water was a bit rough and the girls got a few dunkings but they loved it! Came home and sold 60,00€ of stuff from the small ads (although they paid by cheques, so fingers crossed they don't bounce, but they tend not to over here. Anyway, I've got their addresses, so I can always send the kids round to sort them out).

The only slight downer was the late evening discovery that I had not quite shut the freezer door in the morning, so we lost a bit of food (mostly ice-cream, most of which had been left by guests, so not paid for by us). It's my own fault (and not just because I was the one who left the door open) because I had been complaining about a lack of space in my freezers - be careful what you wish for and all that.

Hopefully here are some photos, but goodness knows what order they will be in:

Isabella building a sandcastle on top of her towel.

Georgie.  The people in the background are the ones she chucked sand all over when she shook out her towel.

Foraging

Went for a walk with the girls this afternoon to a nearby lake, it's only about 2.5kms around, but today we were gone nearly two and a half hours!  The girls each took a little book of 'things to spot in the countryside' type of thing and so I think we examined every plant and bug that we came across.  Anyway, seems we went at a very good time as we discovered all sorts of lovely edible things beginning to ripen up (or even already ready) - Bay, Brambles, Hazelnuts, Sloes, Rosehips, Elderberries, Hawthorns and possibly some horseradish, although it might have been dock leaves, I'm not too sure but I took some photos and I'll try to identify it.

Anyway, I have informed my dear hubby that once the girls are back at school, we'll be back down there gathering the elderberries, I think they'll be ripe first.  Then it'll be back again for the rosehips, the hawthorns and then the sloes.  Most of what we gather will go to making jellies, which hopefully I will sell a bit more of next year (to the guests) and of course are also good for pressies.  (And yes, we eat them too, incase you're wondering).  I would take the girls with me, but after a short while of gathering the wild harvest they get bored and start complaining about spiky things and stingy things and what have you, so it's not worth it - best to stick to the walks discovering it all and then moving swiftly on to keep their interest.

There are a couple of play areas around the lake so we stopped each time we got to them so that the girls could have a play and at the end, we reached the little man-made beach where you can swim in the summer, but the weather wasn't great, so I let them roll up their trousers and have a paddle.  Although they might as well have had a swim considering how wet they were when they came out. Had to get them to strip off before they got into the car.  When we got home, Georgie said to me, quite spontaneously 'we had a great time, Mummy' which was so lovely, because we really did have a great time.

fish

Do you like my fish?  They're at the bottom of the page.  You can move your mouse over them and they follow it - they're looking for food and if you click your mouse, you can feed them!

Horror!

Saturday morning.  Woke up early after a restless sleep.  Something was not right.  Laid in bed and assessed the damage.  Stomach not right, hollow-feeling, yet also nauseous.  Head throbbing.  Strong desire to remain horizontal, hide under the covers and never get out again.  What on earth did I do last night.  I'm trying to remember and then I realise I did nothing.  It's not the alcohol, it's not a hangover.  It's worse.  It's the day I never thought I'd get to, it was always so far away, a yet now, here I am.  40.

And how will I be spending this day I hear you ask?  Cleaning, washing, making beds.  Get drunk tonight I hear you shout.  Alas no, tomorrow I have to get up and do more cleaning, washing, making beds.  Maybe Monday.

Made it to the edge of the village today (on the bike), went the long way round to avoid the main road and the proper hill.  Googled the trip when I got back - 7kms!  I'm well chuffed, not much for some, but a fair old trip for me not having ridden a bike for 22 years and being seriously out of shape.  Why do people say that?  I have actually got plenty of shape, that's my problem.  Anyway, the going was good, which is why I carried on further than I was planning.  It was only when I turned around to come back that I realised that I had had the wind behind me on the outward trip and was therefore riding into the wind on the way back, already half knackered.  I tried to be positive and think 'nice cooling breeze' but it's been a hot afternoon and the breeze was warm.  Anyway, I made it back and jumped in the pool to cool off.  Glass of wine in hand now, but that's mostly to ease my way into tomorrow, only 3 hours and seven minutes to go.

When is a flat road not a flat road?  When you're on a bike.  Bloody hell, my legs hurt, my bum hurts, my arms hurt.  (Why do my arms hurt?  They're not doing anything when you ride except holding on.  Well, your hands are holding on, but you know what I mean).  Went out again tonight; actually I could have carried on, I was getting a good buzz from it, and I went further than I had planned, but even so, was pretty knackered when I got back.  I have to keep standing up when I'm free-wheeling down the slopes though, to give my backside a rest and deal with the wedgie (sorry, I bet you didn't really need to know that did you?).  Adrian got me a stand today and a pump, both very handy items that it was lacking.

Bike!

My new bike arrived today!  Am sooo excited!  It's my birthday present, but I've just been out on it, had to check it was ok and anyway, I'll be working all day on my birthday, and the day after, so won't have time then.  Went up the road to the bins and back, about 100m and could feel the burn.  Adrian adjusted seat and handlebar height, put new padded seat on (you'd think I'd have enough padding of my own) and went back off up the road.  Went further this time, all the way up to the crossroads, passed by a fire engine on the way up, blimey they're enormous close up, and just about made it to the junction.  The road is decptively flat when you walk it.  My legs were killing me.  Free-wheeled it back down - now that's my kind of cycling, I got a serious buzz out of that, so I decided to have another go, but just half-way this time, thought I'd turn around just before the hill starts.  Unfortunately, one of our neighbours passed me along the road so I had to keep going until she was out of sight, by which time the road had started it's ascent.  Then I realised that the bike has gears.  So I put it into a low gear.  Not so bad after all...  (although a bit complicated for me - my last one had five as I recall.  Which reminds me - I think the last time I went on a bike was about 22 years ago.

Harvest

Been busy in the kitchen lately, cooking up all the fruit and veg that's ready.  So far:

One batch of plum and cinnamon jam (tastes nice, but didn't set properly, even though I tested it.  I call it 'soft set, also ideal for using as a sauce on ice-cream').
One batch of greengage jam (going to make batch two today).
One batch of blackcurrant jelly (a new recipe which I will be doing again, much better than the blackcurrant jam).
One batch of blackberry jelly (from our local hedgerows, although Adrian fell in the ditch when we were collecting them and I had to pull him out.  Was going to make jelly, crumble and alcohol from our hoard but managed to collect exactly 1kg so only made jelly).
Two batches of blackcurrant vodka (well a fair bit seems to have disappeared of late....).
One batch of blackberry vodka (an excuse to go out collecting again).
Several portions of stewed apples (in freezer).
Several batches of tomato sauce/tomato and veg sauce/other variants (in portions in freezer).
Two courgette cakes (first one the expensive version with home-made lime curd filling and cream cheese topping; second one cheap version in loaf tin, no icings/fillings).
Lots of veggie dishes.

Can't think of anything else at the mo, but things are still maturing, so I'll be back.

Three days to go.  Stress!

Trauma

Had a terrible moment yesterday when I realised I only had one week left of being in my thirties and now it's less than that.  I am not a happy bunny.

And isn't it just a little disconcerting when you wake up in the morning only to find a dead spider floating in the glass of water on the beside table, especially when you've had a drink out of the glass during the night?

The weather here is appalling at the moment.  More like autumn than summer.  Cold and wet.  I'm just waiting for the first of the guests to ask for the heating on.  I do feel bad for them when it's like this though, not much fun when you're on your hols.

Currently on the playlist here at L4R - 'Seven Drunken Nights' by The Dubliners. 

Yup.  Did it again the other night.  Not a good idea.  Must be this whole '40 is fast approaching' thing and therefore a subconcious attempt to feel younger (see previous post).  Tried another chuppa chups, but only had cherry flavour left this time and it didn't work.

How to feel 20 years younger in one easy step:

Step one: Get completely bladdered on home-made alcoholic beverages.


Result: Wake up following morning with raging hangover and still have to get up and carry on with work and what-have-you anyway. Just like when I was twenty years younger. Hey presto!

Not entirely my fault I must explain. Have some guests staying who came last year and during their stay they picked some elderberries and when they got back they made it into elderberry wine. They then brought some of this wine back with them this time, so being polite, we had to try it. And then we kept on trying it until there was no more to try. And in return I had to share my blackcurrant liqueur, which also warranted much trying (and yes, you grecian folk out there, there's still some left for me to bring when we visit you).


I was supposed to be taking my father to the airport the following day. In the end I suggested we took my mother's car (which we can both drive, instead of ours which only I can drive (insurance)) and that he drive it there in the hope that I would be ok to drive it back (I was, although as I couldn't eat breakfast, I had nicked one of the girls 'chuppa chups' lollies and sat in the back sucking on it in order to get some sugar into me. Wouldn't normally touch them, but I can recommend as an aid to hangover curing. Cola flavoured.)

Anyway, went to a fab play park place today with the girls. Managed to get Georgia in free, evne though she was a bit over the height limit, so that was a bonus. Basically, it's a big play area - ball pools, bouncy castles, teampolines, slides, luges, pedalos, bikes, etc, etc. Not just for little kids - all ages, even me! Here are a few piccies (I think if you click on them they get bigger, except for the one of me.  No need to enlarge that one, large enough already):

Bravery. Ugly babies.

I was very brave today.  On Friday evening I saw an advert for a job that I could do, but being Friday evening I had to wait until this morning (Monday) before I could call up about it.  I managed to put it to the back of my mind until last night when I went to bed, at which point I started having a major stress about it.  After all, if I couldn't ring up now, I never will in the future.  Anyway, after an awful night's kip (or lack of) I did indeed call them up.  Unfortunately, the job had already gone to someone else, BUT - I was not told to bugger off completely, which is what I was expecting, I was instead asked to send in my details and my hours of availability as they are sometimes looking for other staff.  Of course, they've probably said this to everyone who calls, but they could easily have not said it to me on account of my english accent and generally not being french.  So even though I still have no job at the end of the day, I am quite proud of myself for actually making the call.  And no, I'm not going to tell you what the job is; if I ever get the job, I'll tell you then, it'll give you a giggle and no doubt about it.

Had a fair few babies in the gites this year.  The first one was very cute and sweet and smiley and I thought 'aah'.  The second one was also very cute and sweet and smiley and again I thought 'aah'.  Then on Saturday, the third one turned up, unfortunately he is also very cute and sweet and smiley and at first I thought 'aah'.  But then I thought 'Oh No!  How can this be?'  I do not generally think of babies in this manner (except of course for my friends and relatives babies who are absolutely gorgeous without exception) and then I started to panic.  What if I'm going all broody again and in want of another small person for myself.  Very dangerous territory quite frankly.  Fortunately, help was at hand in the form of the fourth baby who turned up yesterday and was quite spectacularly ugly.  You know, the kind only his parents could love.  Good job I've had lots of practise lately with the 'oohing' and 'aahing' and 'isn't he lovely's'.  Clearly then, it was just a spate of cute babies and I'm absolutely fine, not broody at all, nothing wrong with me.  Phew.  Talking of 'phew' the weather is seriously 'scorchio' here at the mo.  Very nice, but a little challenging for working in, although at least we're working. 

Hubby's got a brand new toy!

Adrian has got himself a new ride:

And here's an unflattering picture of me on it:

And as there's one of me, there has to be one of him too - his first ride on it, in our garden!  How many wives would let their husbands do that I ask you?!