More ramblings from France

Since Richard and I have been back here in France we have had the most amazing weather and also very bizarre which seems to be the same for everyone.  We have sat outside and had our lunch in the garden, in January!!! and today it hasn't got much above freezing but with the sun and blue sky the trees look absolutely amazing.  I only wish I could do them justice when I take a photo.  These are a couple I took.

Bare branches against the most amazing blue sky

I loved the way the trees were mirror images in the lake

We have been trying to go for a walk every day, mainly to help my cholesterol problem, but to be honest, with the weather the way it is, it has been lovely.  It doesn't always happen of course because we get tied up with doing things in the house and garden but we are really trying very hard.

This is the time of year as well when the tulips come out for an airing again and I have made some for Helen, who looked after us so well at Christmas.  You can tell by the photos in my earlier post that she has a beautiful home and one of her bedrooms is "the black and white room", quite stunning and she said that she would really like to make some black and white tulips for it, well I made some for her and I was very pleased with the outcome.  I only wish I had taken a photo of them, but I will when I next visit because they will also be in situ.  She was thrilled to bits, almost brought a tear to her eye, and it was so good to be able to give her something I had made, a lovely feeling.

Hopefully there will soon be real ones in the garden

For Christmas Vicki gave me the most amazing book called The Knitter's Year and it has so many gifts to knit within its pages that I don't know where to start.  I have taken it along to our little sewing group and so far 2 of our group have ordered it and I know a couple more want it.  The projects in there are all pretty easy and quick and as a group we have decided that when we meet on Tuesdays we are trying to make gifts and make cards so that when Christmas comes and birthdays as well, we will have a little stash.  With us all doing this it gives us motivation and it's fun seeing what all our friends are making.  Long may it last ..............

"Spring" into action

The weather today was amazing, so much so that we had our lunch sitting in the garden and we were only in our t-shirts.   It was then time to start getting the garden into some kind of order and we found these little beauties.  Surely they are everybody's favourite as they are truly the first sign of spring.

Just a few with more to come

Don't you just love them?

After a walk around the garden we started digging the vegetable patch so that we are ready to do a bit of planting.  As you know we have been away from here for 6 months and the weeds weren't too bad but it was full of couch grass and oh my goodness we have never seen so many roots in our lives.  We would pull one piece of grass and it would go on for about 2 feet.  Of course when you are digging you are splitting it up as well so I think we have the wretched stuff for a while yet.  Anyway while we were digging, pulling, cursing, raking and saying "ouch, my back" we disturbed this little poppet.  Isn't he adorable?

So cute but they are very loud en masse

Well, we have an early start tomorrow and as it's Richard's birthday we are going out for the day with friends and then back to their house for an evening meal.  He is so excited bless him, we are going to IKEA!!  OK, perhaps not the best destination but he really doesn't mind and we know we will have a lovely meal in the evening because it is with Helen and Rob who looked after us so well on Christmas day.  We are really looking forward to it, and let's face it, it is the wife's duty to enjoy her husband's birthday treat with him, so I will try my very best!!!  Why is it that whenever you go to Ikea, you don't need anything but always come home with tons of stuff and always candles and serviettes are tucked into the blue humungous bags.

That's all for now, I look forward to seeing my family and friends in a few weeks.  Briony, keep that handbag safe for me, I know what your mum is like with a new handbag!!  Take care.

Happy New Year Everyone

Just a couple of pictures and me wishing you all a very happy and healthy new year.  Thank you to all who have wandered in to my blog to read what has been going on in my life.  I just hope and pray that it will be more interesting this year with lots more pictures of the craft I have been doing.  I will try very hard to finish projects that I start, because I am really very, very bad at doing that.  Also to try and make gifts during the year so that I have a head start on birthday and christmas presents.  I did say in my last blog how lovely it was to receive hand-made gifts, so that is my new year's resolution.  Oh dear, did I really put that in black and white??    Oops, looks like I'll really have to try now.  Anyway, here are 3 pictures, all very, very different but I'm trying out a new camera so please, any advice would be helpful.

Looks like we found where the pesky mice are coming in.  Even made their own front door!!

Good to get back to healthy food after the festivities.   Amazing colours in this lettuce

Came across this lovely little family on our walk this afternoon

Talk again soon. Take care and God bless one and all.