Here is
something to make you smile for April. The vide grenier season has started and
as is our habit, we arrange to go to as many as we can to browse peoples
rubbish and purchase other peoples treasures. This Tupperware is a classic example.
Do I really need a hand blender? well the answer is no, but this icon kitchen appliance
and ‘must have’, was priced up at 1 euro in the Carentan vide grenier and I
know that new at a Tupperware party they cost 49 euro……I just had to have it
and confess that I have used it.
In my blog
this time last year I told the story of the lovely French tradition of giving
your friend a sprig of lily of the Valley on May 1st. Last year the
cold weather had slowed growth and sprigs were fetching as much as 9 euros in
the shops and I had none in my garden ready to pick to add to the crisis. I
decided that I would be sure of my sprigs this year and collected all my random
plants to pot them up so that I could put them in the poly tunnel should the
weather turn. So here we have a perfect selection of lily of
the Valley. We did have friends here on the 30th April but I
completely forgot the tradition and didn’t give a mate a sprig…..not a problem
they know we care and I still have a lovely pot full. Lily of the Valley was my
Mums favourite spring flower so win win all around for me.
We had a
visitor come to stay in the month and a very jolly fellow he was to. To help
out friends Jay and Helen we had Guapo here with us for a few days. He is a
recued pooch up from Spain at jay and Helens as a foster dog and needed a happy
home for a few days whilst there was an animal crisis at home. HOSS was a total
gentleman and did not bat an eye lid and guapo fitted in and did as he was
expected to. Happily Guapo has now found
a forever home in the UK and we are all pleased he is rescued and off on a new
and happy adventure.
This is Ted
rescued from Spain and delivered to France on the same transport van as Guapo. Ted
is now in his forever home with Shirley and Mark and here we are getting close
up and friendly in the sun.
We have had
a busy social April which kicked off nicely at the Polish restaurant in St Jean
de Daye to celebrate Jays birthday. Great food and a very birthday atmosphere
as there was another French group also celebrating a birthday and we ended up
singing the song in both languages and very loudly, good night out was had by
all.
Monty had a
run out on one of April’s glorious days. We convoyed around on another of the
WW2 tours and had a fabulous time.
A picnic at
Utah beach and then a run home through St Marie Du Mont for a cider at the café
and then home.
It was
Ross’s birthday and Margery made a cake and there were more happy birthdays and
lashings of sparkling wine.
The Victory
Ball this year was held in La Camb and we all bought tickets and dressed in our
1940 best, to join in the fun. A sausage in a baguette with chips was the
supper and the Hall was decorated to befit a 1940 event.
There was a
lot of laughter and we managed to catch up with a few people we had not seen
for a while and that in itself is great and very enjoyable.
Getting
into the swing of things is the whole point of all of this and here are Kevin
and Lisa looking dashing in their military outfits… they Jive pretty well too.
The last of
our chickens have moved house. We have Big
boy who makes a lot of noise and missy who has been disabled for the past 2
years and when we thought she would not make it through the night she had
different ideas and is still very perky. She limps badly and has to flap her
wing to walk but she follows big boy about and they make a good team. They have
had the run of the potager and poly tunnel area but they did get into the poly last
year and feasted on my lettuces so I had a plan to shut them up in the pond
area with the ducks so I can keep then away from my crops. Mike’s biggest reservation on the plan was
that the ducks hoover up their grain and would move onto the chicken’s portion,
who may go hungry. There is however, no danger of that as we have watched with
delight, the pecking order procedure and our Missy has seen off the Ducks and
is not going hungry under any circumstances…
The Gunnera
is coming on absolutely fantastically now that they are in their gunerarium.
Without the ducks pecking at them they have peace and are blooming and promise
us a great giant leaf spectacle come July and August.
We had
another night out at the swing dance event in Isgny sur Mer and the attention
to detail was amazing. The tables were beautifully set out for a meal that
started at nine and at one in the morning we were eating dessert and waiting
for the coffee…..
There was a
swing dance club in from Caen who danced all night in their pairs and we
thoroughly enjoyed watching their moves…and joining in. At one point the DJ
called us all on the floor for a training session on how to shim sham and we
went through a routine and then all danced together…. Looks like I got my moves
wrong here but it felt like it all came together OK in the end…..
This
gentleman here had mean footwork and spent the evening inviting ladies to have
a jive with him. When he came to our table I tried to hide as we had been
watching him and he was good….. The banter on the table gave me no choice but
to join in. I said in my best French. Je ne danse pas bien…… we replied…. do
not take your eyes off mine and you will be fine. And I did not take my eyes
off of his and he whizzed me around the floor on the jive of my life and I thought for a moment I
could give Ginger Rogers something to think about …..But in reality it was my
partner who did all the moves and dragged me around like a rag doll….but it was
great fun.
Our alarm
in the morning is radio 4 and depending on the time of year determines what
time it comes on. This time of year when the sun is up and there is so much to
achieve each day we ordinarily wake at 7:00. This day I woke up to the British
National Anthem wishing the Queen a happy birthday so I decide I would hoist
our union flag in her honour. Mike has erected three flag poles in front of the
pond for this year and I am jolly well going to use them.
We set off
on a Brocante Sunday and decided to go out of our manner so to speak, and had
an away day to Courseille Sur Mer. I was delighted to find so many lovely
pieces at the bottom of buckets, boxes and bags. All these items are on my Etsy
shop now and we just have to wait to find interested buyers and enthusiastic
collectors and must havers to buy my stock
This is
7:30 in the morning at Carentan vide grenier,
I took the picture just to show the enthusiasm and crowds at this ridiculous
hour on a Sunday morning and when I looked at the picture I saw that our friend
Tony was eyes down bottom right hand corner looking for that special bargain,
which he usually finds…..
Last year
our friends Sarah and Peter asked if we might like some double glazed units that
were left over from their conservatory build and as recycling is a fine past
time we said we would love them. Mike had a feeling he wanted to build a glass
wall on the patio where we could huddle behind during winter and on windy days
in the summer. So, the project begins,
and for many days on and off, the plan slowly came to fruition and we now have
a corner of our patio, glass walled. It is very homemade but looks smart and
professional at the same time.
Now we have
somewhere to sit and look at the garden out of the wind and rain it became
apparent that the hedge around my rose garden was very overdue it’s trim. Mike
set to and did a great job but it is not one of his favourite jobs. I have now purchased
my very own electric trimmer so I don’t have to whinge and moan to get the
hedges cut and I can deal with all my boxes of box myself.
We bought
our camper in 2013 when we sold our yacht Beema
and it still feels new, unused
and not complete. We have had a few technical issues but over the years we have
got away and have made changes to make it comfortable. Last year while away I
suggested that we would enjoy the space more if only the bed could be lowered to
make the bedding area into a lounger, and not just a sleeping pod. Well, Mike
set to this spring and has achieved the dream.
The bed is now low enough for us to sit and read and watch TV and we do not have to climb in and out like a couple of geriatric bunk bed mountain climbers to have a wee in the night. We measured HOSS standing up to make sure he still has enough room to stand and turn in his bed in the garage and I am very pleased to announce we are all very happy with the change…..good work Mike xx
We have needed a permanent bonfire site for many years and always manage to do our annual fire wherever we have left the dechete. This is not satisfactory because a year of burning is huge and difficult and I wanted a place we can fill then fire up whenever the wind says we can burn. So a walk around the garden to see where we could make a bonfire site and sadly, but unanimously, we decided that a willow tree we planted as a twig in 2009 would have to go to make space.
Look away Alan Joiner the wedges were made and the tree was falling as planned then the wind took it in the other direction……ooops no harm done though.
There you have it, a permanent bonfire site at the back of the wood where I can build a fire and then burn at will…….I love bonfires they are good for the soul and clear out all the tons of garden waste we seem to produce
At the new
year the French Federation for Ancient Vehicles sent out a call to all old car
owners to hit the road on the same day and show that they are proud of their
hobby. I liked the sound of such a call to arms and tried to arrange a day out
but sadly the weather decided that this was not the best day for a rally.
Happily though, Jay, Helen, Mike and I still thought it was a good idea and hit
the road regardless. We had a very wet run around Carentan and then back to our
covered patio for a BBQ, with lots of wine and loads of food….what fun, and a
great commitment statement to our hobby…..
Hopefully the federation will try again next
year and we can all join in then.
Despite the
pouring rain we took the time to take pictures of Beauty on the WW2 Baily Bridge
on the way to Brevands. If it were not for the camper in the background it could
have been an ageless photo….. I can feel a picnic Sunday coming up soon at the
Baily Bridge just to take pictures…..without campers in the background…….!
And finally
a shot of the poly tunnel now straining at the seams. I have started moving out
the hardier plants but I am still a little nervous in case we have a frosty
night. I am going to commit on the 8th
May, it is a bank holiday here in France. We will plan to stay home and get all
the beds filled and then we can sit back and watch. …All this hard work and
time consuming activity will be worth the while in July and August when the
garden looks after itself. …watch this
space.
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