Lest we forget..............................

Last Friday, 6th June, the whole of Normandy celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the D Day landings.
You may have seen coverage of the celebrations on the TV news or in the newspapers.
Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles & the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, David Cameron, President Hollande and many other Heads of State from around the world attended the commemoration services.

Locally, celebrations were more low key with flowers being laid at several memorial sites such as this one in the village of Saint Clair sur Elle, the village next to ours.

The 29th Infantry Division Historical Society website tell us the story of these brave men.

The 29th Infantry Division trained in Scotland and England for the cross channel invasion, October 1942-June 1944. Teamed with the 1st Division, a regiment of the 29th Division (116th Infantry) was in the first assault wave to hit the beaches at Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944. Landing on Omaha Beach on the same day in the face of intense enemy fire, the Division soon secured the bluff tops and occupied Isigny, 9 June.

The Division cut across the Elle River and advanced slowly toward St. Lo, fighting bitterly in the Normandy hedge rows. After taking St. Lo, 18 July 1944, the Division joined in the battle for Vire, capturing that strongly held city, 7 August.

Some personal tributes.....................

"This memorial is dedicated to the soldiers of the U.S. 29th Infantry Division.
It was constructed by personal initiative with the help of local volunteers who wished to express their gratitude to their liberators.
To those who pass, contribute to this work by never forgetting."

Mur du souvenir

Mother nature remembers them too as these bright red poppies,

 growing amongst the wheat,

in our neighbors field testifies.

Blog visitors come to call in Normandy!

On Wednesday afternoon some really nice folks came all the way from California for afternoon tea with us at the Presbytere!
Waveney, an artist, writer and interior designer, came to visit my blog "Normandy Life" during the Tartan Parade Party in March.
Click here to see Mr Ben watching the Tartan Parade if you missed that post.

My dear friend Sarah @ Hyacinths for the Soul and Waveney's friend Alison @thepolohouse were both hostesses for the Tartan Parade and as Waveney and Doug were planning their third trip to France, concentrating on the rural countryside this time, with a little antiquing on the side, she contacted me to ask if we were a B&B.
Sadly, I had to let her know that we don't take paying guests (just family & friends) but did say that if they were in our area and had some free time in their schedule we would love to have them call in for tea.
On the morning of their visit the Senior Partner went shopping for beautiful little cakes; eclairs and fruit tarts and some small, delicious quiches to go with the cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches that I made.
The weather was so changeable. First we had blue skies & sunshine then overcast grey skies and a chilly wind.
I dithered about not knowing if we should sit out in the garden or if it would be better to stay indoors.
After visiting our local church and photographing the grounds Waveney and Doug arrived promptly at 3.30 pm and we decided to head indoors.

In all the excitement of getting to know new friends I totally forgot to take pictures of the table before we sat down to tea in the dining room.
Waveney brought us a wonderful gift, a beautiful, vintage book entitled "The Cocker Spaniel by Ella B. Moffat which she inscribed:
"To Ben, from chums at Glendogal House. Doug, Waveney, Hank, Maude & Roslyn, 2012."

Hank, Maude & Roslyn are Waveney's dogs!

Click here to take a tour of Glendogal, their stunning home, when it was featured on Alison's blog.
It may take a little time to load as there are lots of pix but you'll be glad you took the tour, believe me.
After tea we took the dogs for a short walk, to work off some of those calories, before returning home for one last picture.

Of course, Mr Ben had to get into the shot, too. After all they had come all this way just to meet him!

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.

Alphabet-Thursday. P is for Printemps

Can you believe it?

This is my 400th post!

I'd like to say a great big thank you to all my followers 

for supporting me since I began blogging

 almost four years ago. 

What a great time I've had, sharing my life with you and learning about yours.

Here's to the next 400!

Here in Normandy it's Printemps, again!

image from google

Not Printemps the world famous Parisian department store!

I'm talking about this Printemps.................

When spring takes centre stage to announce
 "All right, Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close up".

The weather on Tuesday was lovely.

 Although still chilly we enjoyed blue skies and sunshine.

Everywhere I looked in the garden spring was bursting out all over,

to the soundtrack of a chain saw!

S the G is back!
(Sean the Gardener, soon to be starring as the Rotivater in the Potager)

Linking this springtime post to Jenny Matlock's

Alphabe-Thursday gathering

@off on my tangent.

Click here to peruse more peas!

(sorry, I've got gardening on the brain!)

Sunday walk.

The weather is still dank and dreary, grey skies and no sunshine.
Nevertheless, we enjoyed our walk through the Normandy countryside this morning where I found some interesting trees to photograph.

Back home, the wet weather isn't dampening the spirits of our daffodils, thank goodness.

They are beginning to brighten up several flower beds now, beautiful Heralders of Spring!
bon dimanche.

Linking to Mosaic Monday @ the little red house. 

Mary has a wonderful vintage themed mosaic today that everyone will enjoy.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Some shadows captured during a recent walk with our dogs.

 You may be able to spot them and the Senior Partner, way in the background in the last shot.

Joining the newly revamped Shadow Shot Sunday 2 

A misty, moisty morning.

So, there we were around 7.30 one morning last week, the Senior Partner and I lying in bed, drinking tea and listening to TMS (Test Match Special) on BBC Radio 4.

It was day three of the Pakistan v England Test Match in Abu Dhabi, England were bowling and Pakistan had a long way to go to catch up.

During a lull, CMJ (Christopher Martin Jenkins) described the scene before him as " a misty, moisty morning". 

He said he thought it was a line from an old fashioned nursery rhyme, one that I had never heard of.

I googled it to find out more as I think it describes exactly the view that I had through the window this morning.

One misty, moisty, morning,

When cloudy was the weather,

There I met an old man

All clothed in leather

All clothed in leather,

With a cap under his chin.

How do you do?

And how do you do?

And how do you do again?

By the way, in case it interests you, England were 72 all out in their second innings. Shocking!

Linking this misty, moisty post to 

the Tablescapers Seasonal Sundays

 and

 Mary's Mosaic Monday @ the little red house.

Rain, rain and more rain.

It's been raining nonstop it seems since Christmas Day, but it isn't cold so I shouldn't complain.
On New Year's Day we took a walk down by the river but soon discovered the water level had risen so high that the surrounding fields were flooded.
No surprise really, it happens every January.

What made this year different, though, was M'selle Fleur who hadn't experienced flooded fields before.

She's a real water baby, she ran and splashed around for ages.

On the way back to the car we met three young ladies out enjoying a gentle hack, we exchanged several pleasant Bonne Année 's.

The winds were practically gale force this morning when I bolted outside to take my daily daffodil shot.

They were all dancing around in the wind so the shot is a little blurry, I'm afraid.

So, I think I'll be staying indoors for the rest of the day, perhaps I'll even take a snooze with a favourite Ted and this very special hot water bottle, a wonderful Christmas gift from the ever thoughtful SP.

Linking this post to Bunny Jean's Wednesday's Bunny Hop party.

Hope you're safe, warm and dry today, wherever you are.

Christmas Open House - Part One.



Bienvenue!

Welcome to the first of my Christmas Open House posts.

As you enter through the double front doors 

Colonial Williamsburg

Byers Choice Carolers

 are waiting to welcome you

with a ballad or two, a cup of grog and a choice of seasonal fare.

This year the mantlepiece in the library has a new look,

but still traditional!

Meanwhile, in the dining room,

Bavarian Santa presides this year over Spode "Christmas Tree" china tea things.

He has his eye on those mincepies, I can tell.

The other Santas can only watch from on top of the mantlepiece.

In the window,
The Byers Choice Salvation Army Brass Band and Choir

sing Christmas Carols to entice

Shopping Carolers.

However, the Shopping Carolers seem to have been waylaid

decorating their own tree.

Maybe they think they're in the Rockwell painting of

Stockbridge, Massachusetts?

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of  my favourite Christmas vignettes

and will stop by again to see more displays soon.

Joining the Tablescaper

for

Seasonal Sundays.

Click on the link to take a look at

more seasonal delights.