Ben watching The Tartan Parade

Ben is sending lots of love and a picnic to share with Sadie

because Aunt Sarah @ Hyacinths For The Soul

 is hosting The Tartan Parade!

We're also visiting with the Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays,

after all it's not every day a chap gets to wear plaid!

And..........

since the letter T is centre stage at Mrs Matlock's Aphabe-Thursday this week

we're joining the party there too.

What a difference 48 hours can make.

The very best of pals

Sunday Favourites Re Run with Chari.

Happy Mothers Day to all.
Here's a chance to see how we dealt with a mini drama but really not a crisis, a couple of years ago when my surrogate child (!) Mr Ben fell in the pond!


Breakfast preparations came to an abrupt halt at 07.45 am today when as I briefly glanced out of the open door I saw our cocker spaniel, Ben, struggling but failing (!) to climb out of the pond in our front garden!
He must have walked around this pond at least 5 times a day since he came to live at the Presbytere (almost 8 years ago) and this was the first time he had ever taken a dip.
I don't know who received the bigger shock him or me, or maybe it was my other half, Roger, as I screamed "Ben's fallen in the pond".

Now, this pond isn't an attractive feature in the garden, the only thing pretty about it is that it's pretty yucky, so when I finally yanked Ben out of there he was in a very digusting state, not what you want to deal with just before your petit dejeuner.

I'll spare you the details, suffice it to say we gave him a very thorough bath using the outside garden hose & masses of doggy shampoo.

Roger then dried him off using my hairdryer until he resembled his former self.

The pix show just what Ben thought of that. Hope you're day get's off to a better start than ours.

Linking through to Chari's @ Happy to Design blog today and her Sunday Favourites Rerun meme, a super idea which allows us to revisit previous posts.

B is for DOG

O.K. so, you already know about Ben and I guess you thought that for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday I'd take the easy option and just post some shots of him.

Ben as a pup.

Well, if I did that then I'd have to do this..............................

Bess and Ben

Bess as a puppy

Bess all grown up.

Bess and Blue.

Blue.

Bella.

Bosun.

and who could forget..........................By George!

Have you ever seen a Normandy snowplow??

Had fun yesterday morning playing out in the snow, taking photographs around the village and in the churchyard.

I met up with my neighbour Marc, a farmer, herdsman, milk producer, local politician (2nd Mayoral adjunct) and now snowplow driver.

He cleared the lane so Mr B could drive to the epicerie for our daily bread.
That's what I call initiative. 2 large hay bales on the front of his tractor, job done!

You probably saw a photo of Benny the snow dog in one of my Christmas mosaics, click here if you missed it.

Well, this is how we get rid of those troublesome balls of snow that build up on his legs.

A bowl of lovely warm water will do the trick every time. Can you see the look in his eye that says "this is so undignified!"?

Baby, it's cold out there.

For Outdoor Wednesday today, graciously hosted as always by Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer, a snowy landscape mosaic featuring Mr Ben the Snowman and another of my white Christmas tree.

The snow mosaic photo's were taken in 2004 and 2005 when we had snow for Christmas and in the New Year.

I don't think we'll be having a white Christmas this year, although a glimpse out of the bedroom window early this morning revealed fields covered in a very thick frost.

On Monday I showed you the tree in our library, which I enjoyed decorating very much, the next day I couldn't wait to try out my ideas for the smaller tree in the sitting room.

I decided on a white with silver accents theme and used large white silk poinsettias, white and silver baubles, clear glass stars, silver gift boxes, stars and beads.

Pride of place went to the white heart with pearl accents that Joyce (stepmum) gave us for our 30th Wedding Anniversary.

Voilà !

Mr Ben, who is never far away from me, sat patiently nearby ready to give his opinion on the finished ensemble.

Jackie @ Jackie's Personal Blog took up my book recommendation recently and has just finished "A Redbird Christmas". She blogged about it here.

I wonder if anyone else did? I would love to know what you thought of it, if you did.

A final farewell to my summer garden.

The weather this week has been so changeable, with gales, rain (Note to self: thanks heavens for new roof) and amazingly plenty of sunshine.

So, as summer leaves Normandy and Autumn arrives in a blaze of glory here are some garden memories to tide us over until next year.

The wonderful blue hibiscus tree which we uncovered whilst clearing out the overgrown flower beds when we moved here in 1996.

It's been a wonderful summer for roses, must be all that rain!

The lavender was glorious this year, I planted it about 6 years ago after my first visit to Monet's garden at Giverney.

Giverny is also famous for the grand allee of nasturtiums and that was something else that I added to my garden beneath the espaliered apple and pear trees.

They don't have a black and white cocker spaniel hiding in the nasturtiums in Giverny though!

The leaves are beginning to turn.......................

Against the old stone wall an obsolete and rusted iron water pump covered in ivy and an old, shabby folding garden chair with pink geranium, a Kodak moment waiting to happen.

à bien tôt
Maggie