Pink Hydrangeas

This week the hydrangeas in the front garden have absolutely "popped", thanks no doubt to all the wonderful rain we've been having!
So, I decided to show them off and join Beverly @ How Sweet The Sound for my first Pink Saturday.
Before linking up I visited Beverly's blog to check out "the rules" and discovered a delightful way to get to know bloggers I've never met before.

This is Beverly's challenge:
We have a weekly challenge for you to visit the blog of at least one participant that you have never visited before. Then next Saturday include that blog and a link in your post. Quite a few of you have been done this challenge, and have met some of the great Pink Saturday participants. Thank you for sharing with us.

As I browsed the thumbnail pix, from last weeks particpants, a jug of gorgeous white hydrangeas caught my eye and with just one click I had "met" a new blogger friend.
Pam @ White Ironstone Cottage who is hosting a new weekly gathering which she is calling "Treasure Chest Friday".

Don't you love living in blogland!

Where else can you meet so many interesting people whilst sitting in a comfortable chair, tea cup to hand, dog lying by your feet, looking out at a lovely garden and all without getting dressed up and putting on make up?

I'll be sharing these beautiful flowers also with

Harriet @ Hey Harriet for Shadow Shot Sunday,

The Tablescaper and Seasonal Sunday

and

Mary @the little redhouse for Mosaic Monday.

Bon weekend a tout!

A special family weekend in Normandy

This past weekend my sister, BIL, two nephews and step - mum came to vist us here at the Presbytere, it was the first time we had been together in twelve months, and so we had a lot to catch up on.
The weather was awful! Their ferry on Friday afternoon was delayed because of it and the crossing itself was quite an adventure, luckily no one was seasick although many other passengers around them were unwell.
Saturday it poured with rain but we entertained ourselves playing golf with Tiger Woods on the Wii, Nicholas (aged 10) scored a hole in one! Not bad for a beginner.
When the rain eased off the boys and their Dad went with Uncle Roger & the dogs for a long walk whilst my sister, step mom and I chatted by the fire.
Yes, that's right, a log fire in June, incroyable!
Sunday dawned bright and clear which was a relief as the main reason for the family visit was so that BIL, Andrew, could take part in the 24th Marathon de la Liberté.
From the official website:
"Rooted in the French Top 10 marathons since its inception in 1988, the Marathon de la Liberté, sometimes called Marathon D-Day beaches, often chosen as the Marathon of Caen, has one of the most beautiful courses in France.
Coasting on the mythical places 42.195 km Landing (D Day Beaches, Casino de Ouistreham, Pegasus Bridge ...), the maritime and rural means something different and makes the marathon more than usual, full of symbols and emotions. "

Some facts and figures..........................
3000 runners began the marathon at 9.00 am from the port at Courselles sur Mer -  only 842 crossed the finishing line.

The first person across the line, Desta Morkana from Ethiopia, ran the race in 2 hours 15 minutes and 54 seconds.
There were 21 U.K. runners taking part.
Andrew's time of 4 hours 19 minutes and 49 seconds made him the 14th Brit to finish!
This was his first marathon and we are all very proud of his acheivement.
Whilst we were standing at the finish line we noticed that children were running up the road, towards the marathon runners.
We soon realised that the race organisers were allowing them to run and meet their mother or father as they came in, so that's what our boys Alex & Nicholas did too.

It came as a surprise to Andrew when they finished the race together but he was pleased to have them with him as he cooled down.
All to soon it was Monday morning and time for them to head back to the U.K. but not before I took one last shot of our Marathon Man and his medal!

Cutting silage in Normandy.

The white building in the background is La Mairie
with the village hall behind it.

Last week the lanes around our home here in the Normandy countryside were resonating to the sounds and smells of silage cutting.

The fields surrounding us all have different owners but when it comes to silage cutting the farming community works together and all the tractors and trailers that are available are thrown at the task.

Noticed the branch which is being
 used to prop the gate open?

Earlier in the week the grass had been cut, a couple of days later the farmer came and turned the cut grass over into neat rows.

Little & Large

Four vehicles were involved, the very large tractor with the chute just keeps on rolling up and down the field, a smaller tractor with trailer attached drives alongside, keeping pace.

Mind my wall!

When one trailer is full up the driver takes the silage back to the farmyard and the next tractor/trailer takes over.
Seamless.

Here comes Marc!

The whole field was picked up in about 30 minutes, what a team.

Senior Partner & Fleur keep a watchful eye.

Usually, when this field has been cut, we can expect to see cows brought in to graze during the summer months, I'll let you know when they arrive.

Back on line, did you miss me?

For about a week now our ISP has been playing fast and loose with our internet connection.
For many hours each day, and during the night too for all I know, we have been incommunicado.
You never know what you've got 'till it's gone!

The cows came home to the field next door.

So, whilst the internet gods are smiling down on me here are some of the things that have been happening around the Presbytère this week.

Fleurs first trip to the beach.

Flowers and trees blossomed.

Retail therapy at the garden centre

I've already begun to plant out some of the above seedlings in the kitchen garden at the back of the house.

This year I'm trying my hand at brassicas, (cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli) for the first time, also shallots, chinese leaf and kale.

Watch this space for updates on how they all work out.

Joining the following gracious hostesses this weekend

 Laurie @ Bargain Hunting (and chatting) for

A Few Of My Favourite Things Saturday

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

and

Mary @ the little red house for Mosaic Monday.

Click on the above links or the buttons on my sidebar to join these great gatherings too.

Bon weekend à tous......

Tulips.

Yesterday Mr B brought me these wonderful tulips back from the market and so I thought I'd share them with Liz over at Rose Vignettes for Fresh Cut Friday and also with The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.


  Tulip Haiku.

Rainbow of Colors

Field of Tulips Never-Ending.

Bright and Beautiful.

~ by Marie M. Daniels

The tulip and the butterfly

Appear in gayer coats than I:

Let me be dressed fine as I will,

Flies, worms, and flowers

exceed me still.

~ Isaac Watts

Bring the tulip and the rose,

While their brilliant beauty glows.

~ Eliza Cook

A Tulip Garden ~ by Amy Lowell.

 

Guarded within the old red wall's embrace,

Marshalled like soldiers in gay company,

The tulips stand arrayed. Here infantry

Wheels out into the sunlight. What bold grace

Sets off their tunics, white with crimson lace!

Here are platoons of gold-frocked cavalry,

With scarlet sabres tossing in the eye

Of purple batteries, every gun in place.

Forward they come, with flaunting colours spread,

With torches burning, stepping out in time

To some quick, unheard march. Our ears are dead,

We cannot catch the tune. In pantomime

Parades that army. With our utmost powers

We hear the wind stream through a bed of flowers.

Many thanks to Felicity for sharing these wonderful tulip poems.

Click here to see her amazing tulip images.

Celebrate Spring with Victoria @ A Delightsome Life.

When Spring arrives in Normandie it's time to bring out the garden furniture and place it in the sunniest spots.
On the patio; next to the vegetable beds in the potager; and in shady spots on the grass, under the apple tree.

For Kathy's Celebrate Spring with Victoria party, over at her blog A Delightsome Life, I'd like to share with you some inspiration from a beautiful French magazine: Campagne Decoration.
You may remember that I've blogged about this gorgeous magazine before, click here  and here to see more.

On Sunday afternoon I sat down in a sunny corner of our garden, opened the latest Spring issue of CD and was instantly transported to a garden so stylish, so chic, so very French.
Click here if you missed my First Day of Spring post.

An outdoor lifestyle that I can only dream of, je reve!

The text accompanying these wonderful photographs roughly translated says............
Le Premier Beau Jour.
The air is more soft, the sun caresses the shuddering leaves. In every plant hatches a promise of happiness.

Photographs Stephen Clément,Campagne Decoration, Edition #68 Mars/Avril 2011.

Please join Kathy and all the other Springtime bloggers gathered together to Celebrate Spring today, just click here or on the sidebar button!

Fleur update:

Fleur is settling in very well,  has now lost all her baby teeth and is getting bigger every day.
She likes to dig holes and bury stones!

First Day of Spring - Sunday in Normandy.

Came the Spring with all its splendour

All its birds and all its blossoms

All its flowers, and leaves, and grasses.

Longfellow - Hiawatha.



The first day of spring in Normandy can mean different things to different people.

Time to get in training.

The Tour de France will be here before you know it!

Out in the fields once again.

It's good to be out of the barn at last.

My favourite thing to do on a sunny Sunday -  First Day of Spring..................

Millefeuille, tea and a beautiful magazine.

Joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays with these scenes of la vie quotidienne en Normandie.

May your First Day of Spring be just as beautiful.

Ina Garten's Irish Soda Bread and a peek inside the Presbytère.

(The Graphics Fairy)

Lynn @ Happier Than a Pig in Mud has invited us all to take part in her Celebrity Cook - Along this month with TV Chef and prolific Cook Book author Ina Garten.

Cuisine Kathleen is also hosting the 3rd Annual St Patricks Day blog crawl.

Click on the links or the sidebar buttons to join the parties.

To celebrate St Patricks Day I made Ina's Irish Soda Bread and invited a couple of dear old friends, Brian and Bree Bear, to share this tea time treat.

We'll be taking tea in the 16th century part of the house today, in the Bishops bedroom of the Presbytère.

Click here to get Ina's Irish Soda Bread recipe from The Barefoot Contessa At Home cookery book.

Brian sends his apologies but he didn't have time to change out of the holey aran sweater which he likes to wear when gardening.
As you can see Bree has gone to a lot of trouble with her appearance and is wearing a favourite linen dress trimmed with Irish lace and a matching hair ribbon.
She's not too pleased that Brian looks a little scruffy, but at least he took off his muddy boots and put on indoor shoes, and he did bring me daffodils from his garden.
I popped them straight into a cherished Waterford crystal pitcher, a wedding present many moons ago.



Why not pull up this wooden rocking chair and join them for a slice of soda bread, the orange zest and currants make this a tasty tea time favourite.

There's mascarpone cream and black cherry preserves in the Waterford crystal bowls, do please help yourself.

Perhaps you'd prefer to settle back amongst the cushions on our comfy sofa?

Excuse me just for a moment, I must go and see if the kettle has boiled.
I'll be back in a jiffy with the tea.
In the meantime, if you would like to know a little more about the Bishops bedroom why not sit back and enjoy these photographs of a very special place.

It's a beautiful, peaceful room which still has the handcut terracotta tile floor original to the house, circa late 1500's.
Simple white plaster walls and an eclectic mix of antique and vintage pieces.

We discovered the beams in the ceiling, above the windows and doorway, and the Caen stone surrounding the doorway when we were renovating this part of the building.

Chiselled into the stonework, at the side of the doorway, we also found the date 1787, which we believe was done to mark the "new addition"  to the house.
The fireplace and decoration on the chimney breast are original too, we think.

It is the perfect place for a Reiki treatment.

Click here to see the post of how I use the Bishops bedroom as my Reiki space.

I've so enjoyed your visit and showing you around a part of our Normandy home.

 I hope you'll come back again soon.

There may be crumpets for tea next time.

Outdoor Wednesday - Spring has sprung!



Spring lambs with their mums.
4 sets of twins.



Spring flowers in our back garden.
The bees were already hard at work on the white ornamental cherry blossom.

Not too much time available to blog since Mme Fleur arrived at the weekend and Mr Darling Husband flew the coop for a business trip to the UK!

I just had to share some pix, taken on a recent Sunday morning, of the new lambs that Jacques the owner of our village epicerie has in the field next to the shop.

Also some very quick snaps taken in our back garden Tuesday afternoon whilst Fleur & Ben were chasing around like whirling dervishes, bonding over a tennis ball.

All the shots I took of their playtime were too blurred to share but I'm sure you can picture the scene, n'est pas?

Joining Susan for Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer and Jill @ The French Cupboard for French Inspiration Thursday with this slice of rural Normandy Life.

What a difference 48 hours can make.

The very best of pals