In the French Forest

This is the tall tree from which we did our zip wire over the lake

 It's an adventure in the tree's, much like Go Ape, here in UK.

Every where you look up, there are platforms 

 Each platform leads to another test of your skills

 There were 5 levels

 This bit was really hard.

 We did two levels, the next two were beyond me.

I am keeping every thing crossed this video will play, the best bit zip wire across the lake, then two challenges and the shorter zip wire back.

One of my friends says I am a bit of a dare devil, well, I will hang my boots up for now.
Yesterday was alot of driving, but nice to see hubby's family.
Today both daughters popped in, we sat in the sunshine drinking tea and chatting. I have done all my housework, the garden is looking good. Soon I will go for a shower and then watch some TV. No stitching again today, I am tired, might even get a glass of wine.
Hope you have had fun, and avoided most of the heavy showers.

Busy,busy, busy

12 photos from France

 Loads of beaches

 Nice place for a picnic

 The Chateau 

 What a welcome

 A tidy place

 By the lakes

 The courtyard

 More beaches

 Harbours

 Messing about in boats

 and of course poppies

In just a few days this has become a memory, my camera lens was dirty so a few photo's have spots on them. I have chosen arty shots this year, I was trying some thing different. I will do one more blog regarding the day in the forest and add a video clip of me on the zip wire.
We have visited Josh and Sammy and they love their presents from France, in particular the chocolate biscuits.
Normal life has set in, tomorrow we are away for a family birthday in Somerset, we are both tired, but will make the journey.
Work has thrown up a wobbly, HQ has decided not to renew my contact so mid July, I am again looking for work. My local boss is livid, but nothing can be done, it's a real shame to loose a position where it is a joy to go to work each day. Another lady is reapplying for her job, instead of 6 people there will only be two, and the lucky people will have to work in three different offices. Next month two of the guys roles will become one and one of them will be unemployed. So by the end of August 9 people will become 6.
The garden is looking great, I have done no stitching, just too tired, maybe next week.

Home sweet home

Home sweet home, and back to work this morning.

 At 4pm, I went out into our garden, not too much to do, hubby cut the grass, and I did some dead heading. A friend popped in about 5ish, we shared a bottle of wine and chatted, later Fliss popped back to check every thing was OK. So now at just past 9pm, I am in for the evening.

 This bleeding heart, flowered whilst we were away, 

a new plant for this year.

 Daughter and grandsons have already had a raid on the strawberries, but loads left, will have some for tomorrow lunch.

 My cucumber and tomato plants are huge, loads of flowers and fruit and a nice harvest to follow.

 My second cucamelon and hanging basket tomato plant. 

Courgette plant with loads of flowers, and two moneyspinner tomatoes

 Fliss my daughter was great with my garden, every where looked so green and healthy, almost as if I had not been away. Neither of our cats want anything to do with me, but I will open a can of Tuna for their tea tomorrow, then all will be OK, I know how to win them back.
Work was good, spent the day answering emails, still have loads for tomorrow. After I have finished my post, I am going to look at all my photo's, I will do a couple of post about our holiday. We both had a wonderful time in France, helped by the beautiful weather, I managed to read 6 books and do a bit of sewing.

Just words

It's our last weekend in France, we are sat in the shade in the courtyard, at 7.15pm it's still hot, the shade the tempature is showing 80 plus. Tonight there is live music, a great way to finish a great day. We got up late and went for a walk in the woods, taking loads of photos of the tree top adventure course, then we spent a few hours at the pool swimming and topping our tan.
Later we walked to the village, sampling the amazing cakes as a reward.
We have two days left, nothing planned but to relax. I hope to do one more shop, I would like to take a few things home with us. We have not visited a market, which most people do
Tomorrow we have been invited to a birthday meal for Rob, he's 59, we spent Thursday with him and Ann hanging from the trees.
So from this bit of heaven in France, I hope your weekend is bliss.

2nd week in France

We are still in France, enjoying the beautiful sun shine, at this moment we are sat under an umbrella, enjoying some shade, in the main courtyard, we have not had any rain for the week we have been here, a couple of days have been breezy but always hot.
Yesterday we went to Apremont, and visited a chateau, it was like a castle with turrets and a dungeon, a very interesting morning. We had lunch in a local bar, and the did some food shopping. I love supermarkets here in France, everything is very different and interesting, our fridge is loaded with tasty food. Why do tomatoes and cucumbers always taste so much better here, and the fruit is juicy and ripe. Needless to say I am missing my garden, I am hoping there will be a harvest waiting for me.
I am still unable to load any photos, I did try and load photos from my phone to blog from there, but I could not access any photos taken after December 2013, not sure if it's me or my phone, this iPad says I still do not have any photos on here. I will do a quick photo blog when I get back home, both hubby and I have taken loads of photos enjoying our shared hobby.
I hope you are enjoying what ever you are doing and can find your own sun shine.

Hot in France

It's hot here in France, but that's part of the joy in being here.
Today we sat on a huge beach, with less than 20 people out and about, the car park was almost empty, and just French cars, we decided to head away from the large resorts. We sat with our salad, baguettes and fruit, sat on rocks with our feet in the incoming tide, pure bliss. A simple picnic with hubby, best meal we have ate in ages.
It's very restful, I am already on my second book, and I have loads more.
Sat at the end of the day in a courtyard bar, music in the background with the sun still low in the sky and some warmth from it. We pop here most night me for a lemonade, hubby a cold beer, the wifi is free, so I can read your blogs.
No photos, my iPad tells me I don't have any photos, I have loads, but blogging on this iPad has always been difficult.
I have brought sleeping cats to stitch and I have done some, but it is so nice to read books.
I do hope you are enjoying the summer where ever you are, for just over a week hubby and I will enjoy this bit of heaven.
PS, fingers crossed Fliss is looking, ie watering my garden.

All done in the sunshine

  I purchased this Orchid on 24th of March, in the first photo loads of buds, the second photo is today, all the buds are now flowers, these will last for weeks yet, making an Orchid the most cost effective way of having flowers in your home.                    This plant cost me £5.00

 Back in the garden, the tool chest has gone, you can see where the decking is not painted, now my fruit plants are next to the herb garden. Everywhere is now tidy. After our holiday we will re stain the decking and ensure every where is covered.

 The herbs are looking well, with onions planted in the front of the bed. I left the strawberry pot where it can get sunshine all day, the berries are forming, typical the first will ripe whilst we are on holiday. 

 From the back of the garden, Purdy has been watching me do all the work today. We had thunder this morning, it was a heavy storm, so no watering required tonight. I am so pleased our garden is looking at it's best. Later in the year we will level the lawn and re-turf, the front end.

 In between the gardening, I have done some stitching, just started stitching the blue and the green, just to see if they are what I am looking for. I love the green, much better than the mustard.

We have had a great day at home, the chairs and the took box was collected, a friend came for lunch, and most of the afternoon outside.
Monday we are off to France for two weeks, just hubby and I, Fliss oldest daughter to house sitting, so garden should get watered. I will not post for a couple of weeks, my iPad is playing up, I have had it for 3 years, I hope to be able to log on a few times to read all your news. My plan is to read a couple of books, walk and eat alot, well it is France, and the food is wonderful.
I have a raspberry cider, it's from Sheppy's Cider in Taunton Somerset, hubby is cooking tea tonight, we are having steak, still no home grown veg, but a promise of loads soon.

At the bottom of the garden

This is the view from my shed

 Looking over to the shed.

 My seating area behind the hedge.

  All the veg tubs. Every thing is green and healthy, soon I shall have salad items, carrots, later beetroot, french beans and of course tomatoes. I have a wood pile in the corner next to my greenhouse, to attract bugs and a hide away for our local hedgehog.

I came home from work today and spent an hour cleaning the table and chairs, they will still need work done on them and repainting, but now all the green gunge has gone they look much better. I have been asked if I will make cushions, and yes I have a plan. I shall pop to our local charity shop get a couple of pairs of jeans and make heavy duty cushions, I am hoping to get a few shades of blue and grey/black.
The back section of the garden is now looking great, before our time there was a huge greenhouse here, we did consider buying a new one, but it would take up too much room. Next year the plan is to build a raised bed where my veg tubs are, giving me a bigger plot. I get so much pleasure from this part of the garden, it's looking good.

My Jasmin and Lotus Berthelotii, I did not have too many flowers last year, but now there are loads. This pot hides the drain pipe and makes the corner of our decking look tidy.
We have been on the website Freecycle, and are hoping to have someone collect the two old chairs, they are rustic, but someone should have another years use from them and also our large tool chest, that has already been claimed, and by 9.30 tomorrow morning it will be gone.
Freecycle is a wonderful idea, it's very rare we take things to the tip, we have also got a few things off there for free. I am really loving having the second hand items in the garden, I am not a modern slick gardener, I hanker after my mum's garden.

Grumpy

Grumpy is a fantastic word, it's how I feel today, and have felt like it for most of the day. I normally don't do Grumpy, can't say where is came from. 

With a bit of luck it will be gone by the morning. 

 I love hubby's mug, and the coleus, 

it's perfect for the big out side table.  

 European Cushion

 The placing of these colours is totally down to my choice, the blue centers are a third choice, I did them in yellow and then green, neither showed up well, so now they are all blue. I will use blue in the next pattern row and then green in the 4th section, I decided against mustard, it's not a colour for me.

 It's the 70 years anniversary of D Day in UK, and loads of things have been happening at Portsmouth, most we just hear from our office, when the boats left to sail across the channel, all we could hear were the horns, loads of them, sounded really good. We did get to see The Red Arrows, not everything, but enough to feel we had seen a show.

Did not meet up with daughters tonight, Fliss is unwell and after taking hubby to SpeckSavers, he had drops in his eyes which blurred his vision, I stayed home to ensure he was OK. It's a shame cos I do love our girly, coffee and chat evening.
I have been to check on my garden, everything is doing well, it is so pleasing to pop out and look at plants growing after a day in the office, does that make me sound strange?
This weekend we are going to Free cycle my old tables and the tool store, it will be nice to have the extra space sorted before we go away.

That's it, my sewing is calling.

I love a bargain

I was not going to blog tonight 

I have been in the garden since 4pm, the sun is warm, 

but my bargain arrived. I saw these in a second hand shop, made a cheeky offer and now they are mine. Just two chairs, they will live at the bottom of the garden near my shed. 

Any one join me for a Pimms.

 I love the table top, they need a good clean and a new coat of paint. 

My veg tubs are doing well, I am hoping this will work, and next year I can get hubby to build raised beds here, still rather small, but enough for me to keep very pale green fingers. The hope is for a couple nice fresh meals, and loads of salad things. I have a pot of fennel, 1st time growing for me, for fresh tea.

 Can you see the small cucumber beginning to grow.

 Even smaller my 1st cucamelon flower forming,
it's the yellow dot in the middle of the photo. 

 Aquilegia, all doing very well.

 A present from USA, a shaker pin cushion, I love the wooden outer, the wrap around is perfect and beautiful. This is too nice to go into my sewing box, I will add pins and leave it out for everyone to see. A friend from work brought it back for me, a perfect present and very unexpected.

Hubby is on his way home, been to the West country for two days with work, I'm cooking a nice Chicken Biryani for tea, I can smell the spices, it is one of my favorite dishes.
Later I will stitch, and watch the final of Happy Valley, on BBC1 at 9pm, I am itching to see how it ends and at the same time sad, because it has been a fantastic series.
It's been a nice warm sunny day, heavy rain due again tomorrow, well the plants in my garden will be happy.