all in all , everything is good in Brevands

February Blog 2017

In order to have time and potting space to fulfil all my gardening plans this year I decided to start early and get the flowers sewn and potted up first. Mike set up my heat bed and bingo all the seeds burst into life and by the time I get this blog out to you the poly tunnel will be filled with seedlings and the veg will be on the way.

Mike made a fabulous purchase early in the month with 16 petrol cans all British and dated 1943 or 1944.  They were found in a local garage and most definitely would have come through Arromanche at dday time. Mike is not quite sure what he is going to do with them but I am sure there is a cunning plan brewing…watch this space.

When the sun has shone during February I have been going in all guns blazing to cut back and tidy my collection of gardens. I find this work therapeutic and prefer to do it on my own, one decision, one action….except for the clearing up but that is gardening for you. Bit by bit these jobs get done and we will see the benefit when the summer comes and we can sit back and admire.

We spent a day brocanting this month and visited a dealer in Bayeux that was heaving at the seams with interesting and tempting vintage and ancient stuff.

Mike has a bit of a thing for clocks and things that tick and we both felt like we were in a corner of heaven, but sadly furniture is off our want list as we are ourselves heaving at the seams at home but it is great to look.

We received an interesting invitation for supper this month…… Meet at the polish restaurant in St Jean De Daye dressed in our 40’s outfits! Mike and I go as French resistant type locals and were delighted when our friends arrived dressed in their favourite 40’s outfits and uniforms. We all had a fabulously funny and very Polish supper and will definitely make this a regular event.

We are trying to finish jobs completely before we move on to the next project and this is the finishing touch of the upstairs spare room toilet project. The loo pipe came down through the downstairs loo, and I knew if I did not keep this boxing in job, at the top of the to-do-list it would stay unboxed for the next ten years. Glad to say the job is complete and very nice too.

Mike and I celebrated our 41^st wedding anniversary on Valentine’s Day and this is a picture of our friends in 1976… I wonder how many of these people can see themselves there ..…it seems like yesterday.

We celebrated our 40^th anniversary just us two last year as I could not get a party organised and hoped to do the party this year but that also took an organising tumble, but by chance the crowd of people we car event with organised a Valentines Run and we took the opportunity to celebrate and chink our glasses in a crowd with them

We all met in Carentan and Jay planned an interesting route through the back roads to St Mere Eglise and at some moments in the trip it felt like nothing had changed in 70 odd years.

We were following Pat and Elaine in their jeep and at this moment you might struggle to date the photo.  Our dear 1936 Morris started to slip her clutch and we struggled to keep up but we made it, and decided to come home on the dual carriage way to ensure we got home without calling for the breakdown trailer. I am very happy to announce that our basic non complicated car was mended the next day and we are now preparing for our next run out.

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It is great when your friends have birthdays and we can all join in. David and Sue provided the venue to celebrate Marjorie’s birthday with a very French style gathering around the table with bags of banter making for a very enjoyable afternoon with lots to eat and drink.

One of our New Year resolutions this year is to get away in the camper for at least 4 days a month so when we heard  there was a Brocante event in Bangnole we planned a getaway to include a visit to Eric and Gill on a house sit in Bazauges. I walked Mike around Bangnole and we found ourselves on the Roche du Chien with impressive views over the town. We were camped up in the town Aire so had no camping expenses to factor in which always gives us a warm glow.

We met up with our brocanteurs friends Shirley, Mark and Tony for supper, enjoying the banter and fun of each other’s best buy, ever. Mike and I are new to all of this and listening to how it is done, is just great theory practice and a lot of fun.

Mike and I broke camp at 6:30 to make a start on our Brocante experience only to find the professionals had been there since 5:30, loaded with stuff and looking very pleased with their lot. I did have a mission accomplished buy, as I was looking for specifics and then we just took a couple of chances and the proof will be in the pudding ….if I can resell, or not…..that is the hobby and, I for one just love it.

It is a little worrying when you turn around at 7 in the morning and get caught on camera with your early morning face on, busting for a good cup of coffee…..!!

After Bangnole we headed for an overnight stop in Angers but decided that the whole emphasis and point of the castle visit there is for the gardens, and we decided that we would return later in the season now that we have found where the camper Aire is so we can return on our next trip south.

Our next campsite was on the drive of the house sit Eric and Gill were at and we had an absolutely fabulous night with another set of sailing friends Wendy and Andy there for an overnight stay as well… and a great night was had by all.

What great fun in great company with lots of sailing stories and tails about life in the UK.  And a very vocal time watching the rugby before dinner

One great part of this visit was that HOSS was allowed in the house and sat quietly enjoying the company of 2 other dogs and not having to be locked up in the camper all evening putting us at ease

So February is over and we are into March.

The willow trees and daffodils are in full leaf and the prospect of summer is real. France has not given us anything to get angry and frustrated about this month and the longer we stay the more frequently that happens.  Our pension money transfer went without a hitch and when that happens then life is good.

I have managed to sell a few things on Etsy and although I will never become a millionaire I do enjoy the rummaging for treasure and the presenting for sale.  Long may that develop?  

We are now preparing the mobiles homes for our summer lets and we will also want to factor in a trip to the UK to visit Mim and Dick whilst Dick is unwell. So, all in all, everything is good in Brevands.