Our wonderful housesit in 110 acres of rolling French countryside has become a 26 square metre apartment on the ground floor of a busy Bordeaux street. The earplugs are back in use and the rent per month is just under Read more…
It’s that time of year again in the northern hemisphere and I’m excited to be getting out and about with my camera to catch the changing seasons. What seasonal changes are happening where you are? I’d love you to leave Read more…
This is our last week in the bubble. The “just the two of us in the middle of nowhere in rural France” bubble. This time next week we’ll be in Bordeaux doing various things associated with moving to a new Read more…
Running Boy couldn’t sleep last night. Consequently neither could I. We went outside at one thirty in the morning to walk in the garden and look at the stars. The night sky was beautiful with so many bright stars. The Read more…
Running Boy was asking me yesterday if I thought books would ever disappear completely in favour of e-book readers. His question made me feel a little sad as I LOVE books and book shops, especially secondhand stores with their particular Read more…
Despite the cool misty September mornings it is still incredibly hot here in western France. A lovely extension to summer. I’ve been busy in the kitchen today making two of my favourite things. A blackberry crumble cake with blackberries picked Read more…
September, a new month, the letting go of summer and the gentle ease into autumn. This is one of my favourite times of the year and as I sit here by the open window feeling the slight chill of early Read more…
Hello again! I’m back from what feels like a long blogging break. My last post was exactly one month ago so I guess it’s time to get re-acquainted. We’re back in the farmhouse after a lovely, albeit rather wet, visit Read more…
It’s that kind of unsettled weather at the moment, hot one minute, stormy and raining the next, warm air mixed with a cool breeze. I had breakfast on the front step today, breathing in the warm scent of summer, enjoying Read more…
Here’s a little picture postcard of a week in western France in July ♥ Hope you’ve all had a great week where you are ♥ Save Save Save
Sitting here next to the open window, a breeze is blowing through the trees, could be a storm later. I can hear Running Boy outside, playing the guitar, beautiful gentle notes, the wind as percussion……. Been feeling a lot lately Read more…
It’s thirty-three degrees outside. Baking hot, dry and still. Even the snakes and lizards who normally love to laze in the sun have run for cover. Lying in the shade of the tall trees, reading my book, watching the butterflies Read more…
The owl came to me the other night. And I don’t mean in a dream. Literally. Woken from restless sleep by the sound of talons skittering across wooden floorboards, the owl landed unceremoniously on the bathroom floor after flying through Read more…
Early morning and I can see the moorhen chicks in the pond, darting around, quick movements. The sun catches the ripples in the water, the slight breeze causing the leaves to chatter softly in the trees, the green of the Read more…
We visited the city of Bordeaux this weekend and fell in love with the place. Grand buildings, interesting architecture, elegant wine bars, plentiful cafés, restaurants, shops, the impressive River Garonne, and of course lots of opportunity to discover the local Read more…
Have you ever seen something in someone and longed to experience it for yourself? That’s how it was with Running Boy. The first time I watched him run I saw something in his eyes that I wanted to experience myself. Read more…
“The bathing with a decoction of camomile taketh away weariness, easeth pains to what part of the body soever they be applied.” Nicholas Culpeper – Culpeper’s Complete Herbal There are wonderful patches of chamomile lawn in the garden here which Read more…
We recently found a new cycle route to the river, meaning that we can leave the house and be in the water within ten minutes – bliss! Perfect for an end of day swim, you can bake in the sun Read more…
“A compassionate herb of the highest order” For my final blog to celebrate Aromatherapy Awareness Week I wanted to leave you with something simple. The above quote by Peter Holmes* says it all. Lavender remains one of the most popular Read more…
As part of my week-long blog to raise awareness of aromatherapy I thought I would go back to the raw ingredients themselves. And because I felt like baking today, I decided to give you a delicious recipe for Lavender and Read more…