The Gang

Meet my gang, we are about a dozen strong and have been thrown together by circumstance. We have all taken the plunge and moved our families from England for a better life here in Burgundy, our group grows and shrinks with various people coming and going throughout the year. Most of us live here permantly but a couple of us travel to and fro for high days and holidays. Tony and Racheal have been our friends the longest and Tony has helped so much with our renovation running hundreds of barrows of cement , scaling the roof in zero temperatures, lifting things with Paul that I couldn't even begin to move, his wife Racheal is known to some of you as a fellow blogger you can visit her over at http://www.milesawayinfrance.blogspot.com/she writes a brilliant blog and don't forget to visit her etsy shop she makes some lovely things. Sue and Barry are renovating a very pretty french cottage with the help of their son, Barry remains in England most of the time running the business and Sue stays here with her son overseeing the project, I can't wait for her to be here full-time, we hit it off as soon as we met and have become firm friends. Paul and Julie run an estate agency here selling all you lovely people over there in England a slice of the dream here in Burgundy their website is http://www.burgundy4u.com/ So if you are feeling the urge to upsticks give them a call and they will be able to help you. Greg and Louise are my maddest friends they both have huge personalities and even huger hearts, they are always at the end of the phone when you need help and nothing is to much bother, true friends. I couldn't have chosen a better group of friends if I had tried, I think the bond is that all our goals are similar, our problems are very much the same so we all no how each other are feeling. Moving away and starting a completely new life is exciting but there are always downs as well as ups and as we are all in the same boat we seem to hit it off very well. We get together every so often for various events, this Saturday we had a fondu, in the past we have had curry nights, quiz nights a pink party and several BBq's all these functions are a welcome break from renovating and it gives us all a chance to let our hair down and relax. So that is my gang, there is nothing like good friends

Wacky Races

Nothing surprises me anymore, here I am in a village miles from anywhere, minding my own business when my peace is interrupted. I was awoken by what I thought were boy racers screeching through our village at some ungodly hour. I lookes at the clock, 2 o'clock in the morning!! so I get up and look out of the window to my surprise racing through our village were all manor of different racing cars with their big bold numbers on the sides. I can tell you although it woke me at silly o'clock I breathed a sigh of relief that hooligans hadn't arrived in my sleepy corner of the world. This was one of the main reasons we left our pretty little cottage in england late night noise and problems. So I smiled to myself, pulled on my dressing gown and went downstairs for a cuppa, there was no point trying to sleep with all this going on. So I ended up on the sofa watching early hours tv until I drifted back off to sleep. I can't help thinking what a shame it wasn't during the day we could have cheered them all on as they went by. Oh well back to normal today, you never know something else exciting might happen today, the last event here that caused even a slight stir was our neighbours cows escaped and we watched with amusement as he tried to round them up in the pouring rain. I know you are all probably thinking I am having far too much fun out here in france but hey the quiet times here are the best.

Before and After

BEFORE!!
This sorry specimen was in a friend's barn and when they decided to move house they were going to throw it away, wait I said that would look nice in my new bathroom and so it became mine. Much to their relief I'm sure. I think they thought I was mad and for those of you that know me, they are probably right. Anyway it arrived at our barn here in France and it looked no better then when I first spied it. The rest of the bathroom here in the barn is made of reclaimed this and thats apart from the loo, which we brought new.



AFTER!!!
Well look at me now, a quick rub down and a few coats of paint and I'm ready to join my new friends in the bathroom. My friends were quite shocked when they saw the results, so now I've got the bug and anything rusty and cast aside should watch out as I could just be round the corner lurking with my paints and brushes.

More Tea Vicar

Anyone that knows me, knows that I am tea mad, if ever there is a party or get together you can usually find me sniffing out the tea making facilities in the kitchen. This christmas I gave a few hints that I would like some christmas tea, I ended up with two types a spiced plum pudding and a The de Noel. They came in such lovely packets that I don't want to open them, but I'm sure curiosity will gret the better of me very soon. I am the same if I receive bubble bath or candles, two of my other favourites, they always look so nice and new I don't want to spoil them by using them eventually I give in and almost feel a little aad that the candle has all gone. Sad I know, I'll just have to put out more hints around birthday time!!

Winter has arrived

For almost 2 weeks now we have been experiencing -10, we normally get this sort of weather in February but Jack Frost has decided to descend upon us early, living in an old stone house is lovely in the summer as it keeps you nice and cool but in the winter it is a different story. My car windscreen has been frozen on the inside for several days now and finally yesterday the radiator cracked no surprise really as these things always happen in the middle of nowhere when you have no mobile and the outside conditions are arctic. I pulled into a side road and made my way to a friends farm which was the nearest to where I had broken down. I have driven that road a hundred times and never passed a car, so I was thinking to myself this is going to be a cold, lonely walk but out of nowhere came a car a very nice french man, who spoke no english offered me a lift to the farm les anglais understanding this part of his conversation I jumped in and offered my mercis, under normal circumstances I probably wouldn't of jumped into a stangers car so willingly but in these temperatures I thought to myself no one is going to be attempting anything that might involve parts of the body being exposed so I considered myself safe on this occasion. He dropped me at the gate of the farm and we bid each other Bonne Fete (happy holidays to you) and it tuned out he worked opposite the farm and knew my friends anyway. I've decided that I am going to take on the guise of a hedgehog each winter and only come out after the thaw, the renovating of the barn always seems harder at this time of year as I really don't want to move from the woodburner for any great length of time. Still I have been reliably informed by him who thinks he must be obeyed that this is the last winter of renovating and we will be finished by the spring. Watch this space !!!

New Forest

Sorry its been a while, but I'm feeling better and thought I'd show you our piccies of our hols

Couldn't believe the shape of this tree when we came across what a brilliant shape ! Back to normality now, renovation has taken over our lives but it will all be worth it in the end. I don't know who made that quote famous but I would like to meet them up a dark alley. It is freezing here at the moment and we haven't got the heating on because we don't want to crack the new plaster, not sure if I can get any more layers of clothing on without falling over. Still it will be spring soon (wishful thinking)

Yum Yum Apple Pie

Its that time of year again, our village is surrounded by walnut trees and as soon as the first winds come they start to drop, off we go bags in hand gathering our freebies that will see us through until next Autumn. We all love walnuts and not only do we eat them as they are but I include them in salads as well. I also have been given a recipe for carrot cake today from one of my favourite bloggers a saucer full of secrets you can visit her over at www.littlewrenhouse.blogspot.com and it includes walnuts much to my delight. My neighbour also came today with a box full of apples so it looks like I am going to be busy tomorrow stewing them ready for the freezer.