Actually, after
this afternoon’s little meteorological display, I should perhaps say the lull after the storm, but I’m speaking
metaphorically here. I’m pleased to be able to report that I finally finished
reading The Book at 12.15 yesterday morning, just in time for us to reluctantly
hand it back to its kind lenders later the same day, when they came here for a
long and leisurely lunch.
Now DH is
putting the finishing touches to the redecoration of the front bedroom, always
used for visitors. (Note to self – can one redecorate a room which has never
actually been decorated before?) Meanwhile I’m taking a breather prior to
rushing round like a whirling dervish, with duster, mop and piles of bedding, getting
the house sorted out ready for DD and her family to arrive on Saturday to spend
a week of their French holiday with us.
It’s three years
since they were last here and it will be good to go out and about with them, seeing
the area through the eyes of two rapidly growing grandsons, whose interests
have developed a lot in the meantime. We’re crossing everything crossable that
the weather will be kinder than on their last visit. It’s hard to have to go to
work or school in a heatwave, only for the weather to break just as your summer
holidays begin. Nevertheless, whatever the weather, the house will be full of
activity and laughter and the week will go by far too quickly.
Before it all starts,
here are a few snapshots of life in the French countryside over the past few
weeks.
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| Anyone for cider? |
 |
| I told you we had cherries! |
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| Flyer for an afternoon of discovery - all in French |
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| Our journey ended with tea on the farm |
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| Making hay while the sun shone ...and shone... |
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| And you thought Tolkien's Ents were imaginary? |
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| Caught out reading - what a surprise..... |
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| Our occasional visitor, who knows a mug when he sees one. |
The art et terroir event sounds fascinating, the cherries look amazing, and that cat..(is that one of the kittens ?) is gorgeous. I am sure the grandsons will have a great time, and you will too...fingers crossed for you for the weather. Jx
ReplyDeleteThe art et terroir afternoon was very interesting (though sadly my interior photos didn't come out) we almost drowned in cherries this year and the cat is indeed one of the kittens from two years ago. :-) I'm watching multiple weather websites anxiously and the signs are looking quite good....
DeleteIt all looks wonderful P. Lucky DD and family.
ReplyDeleteDespite the heatwave everything has been so lush and green this year after the cold, wet spring. DD is looking forward to her 4th visit here. :-)
DeleteGlad you managed to finish the book - very worthwhile, I imagine! Do I gather you've had storms? We've hardly had more than a couple of thunderclaps, although it's been a bit wet (well, a lot wet!) at times - mainly overnight, although on Sunday when we took the dogs to a Breed Rescue Society reunion near Coventry, and the forecast had said 'light cloud', the heavens opened and dumped some very heavy stuff on us, which lasted all the way home as well! Yuk!!
ReplyDeleteThe jam doesn't seem to have set much - it's very runny. Ah well, I suppose I could always re-boil it for a bit. Must get some croissants to have with it (I might change my breakfast menu for a bit!) - but croissants here ain't a patch on the real French ones, I fear. Can you just mail a few over....? (Not really - they need to be as fresh as possible!)
Enjoy the next week with DD and the boys - hope the weather stays fine for them, and you. Think of us meeting here on Saturday week - I might just do a cold soup if the weather is suitable (Gazpacho, or chilled watercress and orange, perhaps). BH has to have a tooth out next Wed afternoon - do think of him if you have time.
Oh yes - LOVE the kitty, Please bring him home with you!!
DeleteThe kitty is semi-wild and won't even approach the food until we step well away. Bringing him home is sadly not an option. :-(
DeleteWe've been having storms on and off for the past couple of weeks at least. Today's was a meagre affair compared with some we've had, including one the day before the fete, which gave us at least 60mm of rain in an hour!
If the jam is too runny, you can just reboil it for a few more minutes - a nuisance, I know, but I've had to do it before now, as I learned this different way of doing it. Keep some of the runny stuff though - it's wonderful over icecream or with plain yoghurt.
Thanks for the good wishes. I will indeed be thinking of you all.
Love the cat :-) I'm sure the grandsons will have a great time. Weather should be ok. Météociel shows the sun is coming back.
ReplyDeleteWe had a few impressive thunderstorms down here and lost internet for 30 hrs but the electricity was ok.
He's gorgeous, isn't he? Grandson#3 named him George on his visit two years ago and his equally tabby brother is Fred. Guess who was reading Harry Potter at the time.... :-)
DeleteThanks for the Meteociel mention. Lots of beautiful little sun symbols there to warm the family's hearts. They will have a good time anyway - they always do.
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, ma'am, you sure know how to pick your spots! That view through the window as a absolute winner. Sigh. Have a wonderful time with your family. Hugs, YAM xxx
When we first saw the house it was a grey, wet day in February, Yam and we hadn't a clue how lovely the countryside would turn out to be in summer, especially when the sun shines as it has this year. The flowers in the vase were growing in the hayfield which is our garden, so I picked some before I stated mowing. :-) I'm looking forward a LOT to having the family here again.
DeleteLovely, all of them, even the scary tree.
ReplyDeleteAs for the cat, it is gorgeous. What a perfect visual diary of your lovely French Summer.
Good luck with the weather when the visitors arrive.
Blessings.X
Thanks, Ray. I didn't even realise the tree was scary until I looked at my photos again. It was the bark that had interested me at the time. :-)
DeleteWe love the cat, who is the only one of the 3 surviving kittens who visits at all regularly nowadays. The others are fine, just living life elsewhere. as for the weather, I'm starting to feel quietly hopeful.....
So glad to get a glimpse of George! What a handsome fellow. Enjoy your family time and all the blessings you seem to be surrounded by!
ReplyDeleteHe's lovely, but very shy, Penny. He's obviously surviving well, since he comes for a snack only when it suits him. :-) Thanks for the good wishes. Believe me, I count my blessings very often.
DeleteDear Perpetua, thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment on my posting today. I just read the stories you've posted since I ceased reading blogs in early July. My favorite jam and jelly is apricot so I'm envying you that jam you canned with its intensity of flavor.
ReplyDeleteThe home in which I grew up had a nine-tree apple orchard on one side and many pear and cherry trees on the other. Amidst the brambles beneath some of those pear trees were delicious blackberries. Mom did a lot of canning of all four fruits. She served them throughout the winter for dessert. Summer amidst the snowy days of winter. Peace.
Welcome back, Dee. I'm so glad you've had a good summer.
DeleteMy posts have obviously catapulted you back to the time when your Mom quite naturally stored as much summer goodness for winter as she could. Having eaten as many cherries as we could, we take some of the apples home with us each autumn and they last us til spring. :-)
Perpetua, So happy to see more pictures of the area around your house in the French countryside! It looks wonderful...
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping you and DH have a fabulous family visit. And take lots of pictures to share with us.
Glad you enjoyed them, Rian. it's a lovely, quiet, unspoilt area and we very much enjoy our time here. I'm sure we'll have a great time with the family and I'll try to remember to take photos. :-)
DeleteIt all sounds idyllic. Is that a water tank to the left of the apple tree under what looks like a wooden roof?
ReplyDeleteIn its way it is, Susan. No that's not a water tank it's an old bread oven. The door into it is in the back of the living room fireplace. I must do a post sometime about the bread ovens which are such a feature of the Normandy countryside.
DeleteYour summer home must be beautiful - what a lovely place to look forward to all winter and to savour all summer. We too are going to be inundated soon and I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteIt's a little farm cottage which we are still renovating after 10 years and we love it dearly. We stumbled on the area almost by accident and it was one of the best finds of our life. Enjoy your inundation when it comes. :-)
DeleteYour cherries resemble jewels Perpetua.
ReplyDeleteI do like French windows - why? because they open inwards, flat against the wall sides. I like the way you can leave them open but have the shutters closed and locked from inside keeping the rooms cool but secure in the summer. I wonder why we do it the other way round? différence les rosbif!!!
Enjoy the week with your DD's family, and may the sunshine for you all.
They are tiny, sweet, and such a lovely colour, Rosemary.
DeleteI'm another big fan of French-style windows and wish they were available in the UK. In addition to the advantages you list, they are easy to clean, with no need ever for a window cleaner, and when wide open they give a wonderful uninterrupted view. :-)
Looks like the perfect idyl - hope the family visit is all you wish for.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely spot, Anny, which is why we so enjoy being able to share it with visitors. The family visit will be busy, fun and tiring, but I wouldn't miss it for the world. :-)
DeleteCongratulations on finishing 'The Book' Perpetua - I knew you would :-)
ReplyDeleteA few of your storms have tracked our way to bring some coolness following our extended period of very hot & sticky weather. We had a major one last Sunday evening which brought down some branches & trees in our part of Prague. Love the photos, especially the one of the cat!
You know me, Ricky, I even read the footnotes!
DeleteThere have been some very bad storms in parts of France. Ours have mainly been minor by comparison, luckily without the damaging high winds, but sometimes with really torrential rain. Much fresher and cooler now, which suits us both very well. Glad you like the photos. The cat is a little beauty. :-)
Really idyllic photos, Perpetua - and my, you certainly were engrossed in that book, weren't you? I particularly like the tree and the geese on the farm photos too - oh, and the handsome George as well. (And the first window photo is perfect...I like them ALL!)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the weather will hold and you and the family have a very lovely week together. I shall cross a few things too, just to be sure.
Axxx
I took a leaf out of your book, Annie, and most of these photos are from just around our house. I take lots and then find out afterwards what I've managed to capture. Oh yes, I can still lose myself in a book the way I used to as a child, much to my mother's annoyance when she wanted me for something else. :-)
DeleteThe weather is actually improving after a very unsettled spell and I'm now certain the sun will shine on us at least some of the time we;'re having fun.
I hope you have a lovely time with your family. What a beautiful place, enhanced by that gorgeous little kitty.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah. I think Normandy, and especially our area of Sud-Manche, has some of the loveliest countryside imaginable. OK, the weather isn't reliably hot in summer, but this is why it's so wonderfully lush and green. It suits us down to the ground. :-)
DeleteWell done on managing to finish the book. It must have been quite a task so you must be proud!
ReplyDeleteThe photos are lovely and give a wonderful picture of this beautiful place..love the cat too!
Enjoy the time with your family xxx
Perhaps bloody-minded would be a more accurate description, Ayak! I was determined to read it all, which wasn't a penance given how truly fascinating it was. It just took a LONG time. :-)
DeleteI'm glad the photos get across what a lovely area this is - gentle, quiet and so very green, with plenty of mice and voles for the cats. Preparations for the family's arrival are now well underway and I'm typing this to the sound of DH hoovering the newly decorated bedroom. :-)
Lovely pictures - the one with the cherries made my mouth water! Congrats on finishing the book before its "due date." I hope you have perfect weather while your family is visiting, but if not I'm sure you will all have a great time together anyway.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have shared the cherries themselves, Kristie and not just a photo of them. I've never seen so many! It was a close-run thing with the book, but I made it. :-) As for the visit, we always have a lot of fun when we're together and if it rains there are plenty of board-games......
DeleteFirst of all, congratulations on that long, long French read, Perpetua. It must have been full of interesting chapters to have kept you on task through all those pages, in French, no less. You have my admiration.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are spectacular; the cherries, the apples, the scenes - and the cat.
Enjoy your visitors. Oh, I know you will and will delight in those growing-up boys and all that energy they bring in with them.
Thanks, Penny. I will admit to being a bit surprised that I made it through to the last page, but it was so very interesting that I was sorry when it ended.
DeleteGlad you like the photos. The light has been super for taking pictures this year - so much sunlight for once. I'm just hoping that there will be plenty of sunshine when the family is here. All that energy needs an outlet and I've spent a lot of time mowing all the grass so they can play outside. :-)
Have a lovely week with DD & family. Thanks for your concern over the last couple of weeks. My DH now taking it a bit easier at home (at my insistence) whilst he adjusts to his new medications and, at least, until he sees his GP again next week.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure we will, thanks, PolkaDot. I'm glad you're managing to keep your DH under control for a while until he has adjusted to the new normal. His GP is to be congratulated on her rapid response. Big hugs to you both.
DeleteHow lovely to have your daughter and family to stay. The weather forecast isn't looking too bad - have a brilliant time with them,
ReplyDeleteWe're looking forward to it very much, Molly, and, as you say, the forecast is looking quite promising. A good time will definitely be had by all. :-)
DeleteEnjoy your time with your family! We have our daughter and son coming to stay tomorrow so there will be some family gatherings here in Yorkshire especially as it's my husband's birthday mid August.
ReplyDeleteWe certainly will, Linda, and I hope you do the same and that the weather is kind to you. Birthday greetings to your husband for next week.
DeleteGorgeous photos of what is clearly a perfect place ... I don't know if it always feels that way when you're there but these images suggest great tranquillity.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm craving cherries now!
It's very peaceful, Annie, unless the farmers are out in the fields, making hay or harvesting. A couple of days ago the the combine harvester was going up and down the field across the road until midnight! And of course it can get a bit noisy when wood is being sawn just up the hill for winter logs. :-)
DeleteJoking aside we love it here and I wish I could have shared our cherries with you.
Lovley photos P, thank you so much for sharing them. Hope you have a fabulous time with the family.
ReplyDeleteI think that by the time I'd finished The Book, images rather than words seemed the way to go for a while. Glad you enjoyed them. The family are now en route and DH and I are gearing up for a busy week. :-)
DeleteI can imagine the determination to finish The Book before the deadline...let's hope the publishers do another on your own area soon.
ReplyDeleteA nice combination...the lush green aftermath of that awful spring and some proper summer sunshine.
I'd say with gritted teeth, Helen, except that would misrepresent the sheer enjoyment I got from reading it. The authors are working on another book at present, but it's about a canton further down the same valley and we're away over the hill from there and therefore terra incognita. :-)
DeleteIt has been a very green summer despite the July heatwave and though the weather's a bit more unsettled now (this is, after all, Normandy) the sun is still in evidence for some part of the day.
I'm having a sneaky catch-up on blogs between two pages of work. Hope the holiday is going well. I would love to have a deadline for enjoying myself reading a book in the garden- the only deadlines I have at the moment are ominously close and currently being avoided thanks to your blog :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad to provide a momentary escape from looming deadlines, MM. The holiday is going wonderfully well, thanks. The sun is shining, the four males are outside playing boules, DD is practising her saxophone upstairs and I'm about to make lunch, before we all go out for the afternoon. :-)
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