A Ticket to Ride

I haven't blogged for a while as I have been in the UK for a visit mixed with business and pleasure! The client meetings went very well and it was great to meet face to face for a change. 

I spent time with my Gorgeous Girl and then met up for a big family reunion over a traditional Indian takeaway!  The get-together was bitter sweet as 12 of us spent, probably our last night in our grandparents old house which has now been sold.

Then the next morning three generations went for a walk in the local woods, a walk we had been doing for all our lives in sunshine, rain and snow.  I then had to say goodbye...to my GG, my mother, uncles, sister, brother, nieces and nephews....all those hugs and kisses....it was emotional!

I got to the local station in plenty of time to catch a train up to St Pancras International...but the train was cancelled and then the next one arrived late and crawled along.  I was so late...I threw away my ticket in disgust.  Big mistake!!!   I should have kept my ticket to see if I could claim compensation.

I ran like a mad woman to the Eurostar gate but with only 10 minutes to spare, I wasn't allowed through.  I couldn't believe it!  I needed to get to Lille, the last train of the day, to get my next connection.  Luckily a very kind girl on the Eurostar desk took pity on me, as by now I was sobbing ...and gave me a free replacement ticket for the next morning that would take me as far as Lille. 

So faced with a night at Kings Cross (Eurostar wouldn't let me sit in their lounge and told me it was too dangerous to sit in a cafe!!) or paying £80 for the cheapest B & B I could find.....I ended up going back for another night with my family who had stayed on after the reunion.

The next morning I set off ultra early and retraced my steps up to St Pancras.   I enjoyed a free coffee thanks to my Cafe Nero loyalty card!  And I met a lovely elderly lady who was travelling on her own by TGV for the first time, all the way down to Marseille.  We sat in the sunshine listening to an accordian player at Lille and chatted while we shared our packed lunches.  

I then had to pay an extra 100 euros to get back via Paris to my local French TGV station, where I had parked my little old Peugeot. It started up like a dream...and I was on my way back to rural bliss.  When I finally arrived back in Le Morvan, the sun was shining through big, black clouds ....and there was a rainbow, arc de ciel, .....I stopped the car, enjoyed the view and finally breathed!!  I was home.  

 

Motivate Your Monday

Distance yourself from toxic and negative people.  Toxic people drain you, they feed off drama and plant doubt.  Surround yourself with good supportive friends and family....as I have found out recently.
 
This month has been a challenge for me with lots of problems, car not working, things breaking, tempamental electricity , cooker not working, washing machine literally going up in smoke and last but not least...a light bulb exploding above my head.  I suppose typical life in an old French farmhouse...

While I was feeling sorry for myself, as it seemed it was one thing after another....it was my friends who kept me going, offering practical support, dropping everything and coming to rescue me from the forest where I had broken down, trying to fix the cooker ....and loads of other things...just being there at the end of a phone giving good advice! 

And...all these problems are only material....and can be fixed.

The French Weather Forecast

The weather....always a favourite topic of conversation both sides of the channel.  Today it is raining cats and dogs or ....p***ing like a cow as they say in Le Morvan.  We haven't had much rain so we shouldn't complain...but we do!

The weather is still cold and rainy, even in the south of France ...there is an old saying ....en avril ne te decouvre pas d'un fil ....don't take off any clothes in April....too true I am putting layers on!

Maybe it all goes back to Christmas when the weather across France was 5 degrees higher than average for the time of year...mild weather at Christmas goes to prove ....Noel au balcon, Paques au tison...on the balcony at Christmas...by the fire at Easter.

Excuse me while I put another log on the fire....
 

Rise and Shine

 Winter Sunshine by Celine Monorchio

It's still very cold and we need a fire every day, our wood supply is getting low so we really are hoping that Spring is on it's way.  The signs are there....the baby lambs are hopping and skipping about, our walnut trees actually have buds on them, I've spotted violets in the woods and the daffodils are going to blossom soon. 

By starting so slowly, the Spring season is teasing us this year.....I can't wait....I love Spring... its a season of celebration associated with new beginnings, growth, and rejuvenation.  It's the perfect time to start new projects, new habits, make new choices....maybe even more appropriate than grey and gloomy New Year. 

"Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin.  Beginning makes the conditions perfect."
Alan Cohen.

There will never be a perfect time ...if you wait for perfection it will never happen. The key is just to get started.  Successful writers say just put something...anything down on a page...you can edit later.  A bit like life really!!

Just celebrate what you have and make a fresh start today. 

I can't wait to get started...I begin working with an exciting new client this month, the days are lighter, when the sun does burst through it is warm enough to sit outside for a coffee. Now that the Easter chocolate is finished I am back on my regime. 

What are you going to start? 



 

Motivate Monday - A piece of chocolate heaven

It's Easter.... how can you resist the French chocolatiers bursting with gorgeous chocolate creations?  Windows full of decorated eggs in every shape and size.  Customers were queing out the door to bag treats for the Easter weekend.

We had a lovely Sunday lunch with friends yesterday and we each had a pretty little Easter dark chocolate animal by our plates.  Mine was a little hen with a scarf on, there was a dog wearing slippers, a bee, a bear and a stunning centrepiece of hares jumping out of a flower pot.  They looked too good to eat...but not for long!!

And I was presented with another chocolate surprise... an egg with my name on it.  The regime is on hold until tomorrow!!

Dark chocolate and praline is one of my favourite chocolates.  The darker the chocolate the better...and aren't there health benefits with dark chocolate?  It's always been a pick me up when times get tough.  Chocolate helps mend a broken heart and a box of chocolates says "I love you."

Chocolate contains chemical components that have a smiliar affect on the brain to marijuana. Perhaps, that's why I can't stop at just one square...I have to eat more and more. It can give you an energy lift and an instant boost because it contains caffeine. Some say it is serotonin-boosting carbs, and others say its simply the pleasure of satisfying your craving that cheers you up.

Go on have a piece! It's Easter.

J'adore....To Dye For Easter Eggs

 

Dana Gallagher 

Using foliage and flowers gathered from the garden. Blogger Sonia Bauer (bigsislilsis.com) of Oceanside, California, placed a flower or a leaf facedown against each egg, then wrapped the egg in a four-inch square of panty hose and secured it with a twist tie.

To achieve deep earthy hues, Bauer whipped up her own dyes using purple cabbage, yellow onions, and cranberries.

 

I couldn't resist having a go and collected a selection of leaves and a couple of very small flowers on yesterday's afternoon dog walk.  As the weather has been so cold I couldn't find many flowers!

 

I made the dye with onion skins which resulted in a gorgeous deep reddy brown colour.  Unfortunately the patterns weren't anywhere near as beautiful as Sonia's.  
 

I cut up a couple of pop socks (which I hate and had bought by mistake!) and wrapped a section right around each egg and tied with a freezer bag tie.  I now have four beautifully coloured eggs with a faint pattern and patches of colour. I think that I probably didn't tie the sections of hose tight enough.  Don't let me put you off....give it a try, the recipe can be found on Sonia's blog (bigsislilsis.com)....it's amazing to see what colours can be achieved using natural products around us...so cheap to do and it would be a fun activity for kids to try. 

I'd love to know if you have more success than I did with this dyeing technique.  Please let me know how you get on. 

Motivate Monday

"The simple things are also the most extaordinary things and only the wise can see them." Paulo Coelho

Taking time in our lives full of busyness to slow down for a second and appreciate our surroundings isn't easy....but it can be so rewarding and give you the boost you need.  On my daily dog walks I make an effort to be mindful and breathe in the clean air, enjoy the scenery, the wind blowing through the trees and even enjoy the rain!  Last week in between the snow showers, I noticed clusters of snowdrops and the first of the spring baby lambs. 

Ok I am lucky enough to live in the beautiful Morvan parc in Burgundy but even if you are in a big city, don't walk around oblivous to what's going on...it probably wouldn't be a very smart move and you could miss out on something wonderful...something that will make you smile.  A wild flower growing on the kerb...a glimpse of blue sky...a cute baby...who knows?

One of the things I have learnt living a simpler life in France is to savour my food, we don't have takeaways here... so ...there's no chance of scoffing fast food on the move. I have found that I really enjoy making food from scratch, it's much easier than I thought and home made soup is easy to whizz up.  I make a point of taking a proper lunch break and unlike many office workers, I don't eat at my desk.  I move away from my laptop and try and relax and digest my lunch.  Coming back to work refreshed and ready to go.

Simplifying your life should also mean that you are selective about your possesions. Appreciate the possessions that you have.  Decluttering your home ...is very satisfying.....you can actually enjoy using your possessions instead of filling up the attic or garage instead.

And in your work world take a moment to split tasks and goals into chunks and tackle one by one.  Simplify messages...KISS...Keep It Simple Stupid....works every time!

Tonight I am going to enjoy a soak in the bubble bath, a chat on skype with my kids and a good book...simple pleasures but they feed my soul and make me happy.

What seemingly simple things do you enjoy?