tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91428862930124422572024-03-05T16:15:50.146-08:00The Really Big Dream BlogBurgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-4887563582344711682014-04-06T07:41:00.002-07:002014-04-06T07:41:32.172-07:00Getting outside again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our garden hands</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheerful Daffs</td></tr>
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We've been very fortunate this winter - its been pretty mild but, being a sun loving out-doorsy type I still snuck off to Africa to work for a couple of months just to ensure I avoided any freak cold weather. Now I'm back home, the sun is shining and its time to get out into the wonderful world of Montmelard and take full advantage of this beautiful place. I began by also taking advantage of my Mum and one of my friend's mums - keen to offer a helping hand they were decked out in gardening gear and sent off to clear weeds, prune fruit trees and point to places where bedding plants needed to go. </div>
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Whilst I've done my own bit on the garden - cutting back wisteria, dead-heading daffodils, weeding the rose border, I also took time out to escape to the top of Mont St Cyr to search out the snow drops. It was the first time since living here that I missed the annual snow drop walk (too busy in the Congo) but I still managed to track a few of these favourite flowers down among the moss and boulders.</div>
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How quickly spring passes. Not 3 weeks after visiting the snow drops, the roses are in bud, the butterflies and bees are zooming round the courtyard and we've got red noses from sitting in the sun.<br />
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The bookings for holiday guests are pouring in and we're looking forward to putting faces to names and our courses are just about full. All very exciting. I hope the fruit and veg does well so we'll be able to offer the freshest of home grown produce. I know the rhubarb is already waiting to be picked and I'll enjoy a crumble later.<br />
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Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-74194415612035907082014-01-05T07:51:00.001-08:002014-01-05T07:51:26.389-08:00New Year 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy and Plum having a lovely time</td></tr>
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One day you're happily blogging about harvest time, the next you find yourself in a new year with new plans and new adventures.<br />
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The last three months have whirled by - I've been off travelling to some pastures new (Nigeria, Venice) and some familiar (UAE). I've been catching up with some old friends (hello Susie, Wanda, Marina) and making some new ones, but one thing that has been reinforced is that there is no place like home (thank you Dorothy).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eddie taking it easy</td></tr>
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The Wizard of Oz is one of my favourite films and something I subject anyone here on Christmas day to watching (once they've sat through White Christmas, of course). So many words of wisdom that resonate with me - I rarely have to look any further than my own front yard to find everything I've been searching for.<br />
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My front yard is currently home to my chickens who constantly entertain as well as supply eggs; it is where friends arrive in cars and on foot bringing news, ideas and laughter; it offers views of the landscape I now call home dotted with friend's homes and well trodden pathways; provides a sheltered place to do my breathing exercises (this is the year of strengthened core and calm) and where Eddie cat rolls over for a tummy tickle at every opportunity.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas baking</td></tr>
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The courtyard will form the backdrop to colourful quilts in September and will see artists at their easels capturing the grey knotty wood of the barn door or lichen covered stones in October.<br />
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Strangers will step from their cars and take in the house and orchard for the first time, hopefully appreciating the pure air and stillness; roses planted last year will bloom and I shall smile to see their nodding heads in the border.<br />
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The Christmas lights will be taken from the front of the house tonight but solar twinkles will remain helping to maintain the magical nature of this place.<br />
Happy New Year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow man</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas cake - all gone now!</td></tr>
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Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-42942783071739456382013-09-21T07:09:00.002-07:002013-09-21T07:09:33.987-07:00A welcome harvest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Harvest time has arrived once again in Burgundy. Actually we've been harvesting for some time but somehow the strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants and peaches got munched before I had a chance to photograph them. </div>
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What makes this so exciting for me is my first walnut (the small green globe in amongst the foliage in the photo above). Apparently you can wait 10 years for the first fruit to appear - I've had the house for 6 and the tree was planted before I arrived. There was a lovely old walnut tree in the lane in front of the house and we'd pick up the nuts as they fell. Each year the tree tipped a little further into the field opposite, our arboreal tribute to the leaning tower of Piza - we had bets on which year it would finally topple. Then the farmer came along and took his chain saw to it! So, the timing of our walnut is spot on.<br />
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I'm still getting to grips with harvesting mushrooms. Its great here - you pick the lot then go along to the local pharmacy who split the hoard into edible and those that will make you poorly. I'm not going to gather these but thought the colour was lovely.<br />
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Any recipe suggestions for damsons? Not jam! We're so jammed out.<br />
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The quinces are great this year after a very poor show last. Quince jelly and a host of other goodies to try this autumn. Off blackberrying now - crumble for tea. I'll combine them with some of the apples from this tree. Perhaps if I pick enough the poor tree will be able to stand upright again?<br />
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Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-41609842145987077522013-09-19T03:35:00.000-07:002013-09-19T03:35:42.811-07:00As others see us<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I think it goes with the territory that if you live in a place, see it on a daily basis, you become a little blind to both its charms and shortcomings. We ask our guests for feedback to ensure continuing improvements and also enjoy looking at their photos, their perspective on the space we have built up. Today's blog is a series of photos taken showing Les Cerisiers and surrounds through the eyes of others. Thank you to Stella Pitman for sharing your amazing photographs.<br />
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This year we planted sunflowers in front of the house and around the arbour. The brilliant yellow and the sky blue (chosen to match Mark's eyes) made for a great contrast.<br />
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I'm not sure whether lichen is a good sign or bad but the silvery colour and intricate form provide interest on an old apple tree.<br />
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This little shrine guards and protects the winding road above our valley. The roof of our house is just visible to the left of the apex.<br />
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One of many reasons for visiting KF des Ormes in Dompierre - the best chocolat chaud in the world.<br />
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We were pleased with our display of hot red begonias this year - they've been providing colour since April and are still going strong.<br />
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Clear, pollution free skies make for an astronomers dream - this full moon took our breath away.<br />
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The house at night is still a thing of beauty - inside shared meals, chats around the fire in winter, or people snuggled in their beds.<br />
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Cows changing fields or off on a jaunt by themselves. This is traffic country style!<br />
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A bumble bee settled on the chocolate cosmos, dusted with pollen and having a whale of a time.<br />
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The honey buzzards are more common here than sparrows. Birds of such majestic beauty but also creatures that provoke fear - chickens and other small creatures are always on their guard.<br />
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The photographer, Stella Pitman, together with friends and family after a successful wine tasting with our good friend and local vigneron Roger Bonjour (centre back). A must do activity here at Les Cerisiers.<br />
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Early morning light in the orchard. I love this time of day - a world unspoiled and full of promise.</div>
Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-627285169944056772013-07-25T14:57:00.000-07:002013-07-25T14:57:17.746-07:00Can't get enough of Trees<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I just love trees. Whilst I don't often hug them I do feel inspired to chat to them on a fairly regular basis. The lake at La Clayette is edged by beautiful birches and when the sun has been shining on them they feel warm as pony skin.</div>
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Combining two of my favourite things - trees and wool, this tree outside the Plassard wool shop is a delight which, when I have wool and time to spare, I plan to recreate. The cause of this colourful spectacle was International Knitting Day (9th June - put it on your calendar).<br />
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By stark contrast this rather bare tree dominated a vineyard with only its green trunk to suggest life at work. I'm hoping its just a late developer.<br />
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On the last day of their retreat here, Karen Ely (www.awomansway.com) and friends planted a Mirabel tree in our orchard. We're looking forward to abundant crops in the years to come.<br />
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Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-54165777112368573582013-05-01T06:20:00.001-07:002013-05-01T07:26:52.091-07:00The wonderful Dorothea Schulz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">We were really excited recently to hear that one of our artist guests has just had her first solo exhibition at the German Bookshop in Brussels. Dorothea Schulz has visited us twice before and we're really honoured to be the proud owners of one of her paintings. I thought now would be the perfect opportunity to catch up with her and share her beautiful work with you.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwFL0VTBRBYjgtnl2B26L45IKxOPPC7wPspeAF6q7HRJ4aRENyTAnXNfXWJCvZNZ18s40sX3SGbD14vUyE01RFbnb4rFalIUvR3OGSF6CvAg-xNPWjdgpS2jLoDJtr2d9Qevs_2vBQHLt/s1600/Betty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwFL0VTBRBYjgtnl2B26L45IKxOPPC7wPspeAF6q7HRJ4aRENyTAnXNfXWJCvZNZ18s40sX3SGbD14vUyE01RFbnb4rFalIUvR3OGSF6CvAg-xNPWjdgpS2jLoDJtr2d9Qevs_2vBQHLt/s320/Betty.jpg" width="244" /></span></a><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">Burgundy Dreamer: You must
be thrilled at the success of your first solo exhibition – have you had a
chance to reflect on what this has meant to you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">D: In the
career of every budding artist comes a time when painting alone isn't enough;
you want to share the fruits of your creativity with others. It is all well and
good when Mom tells you:”I love your paintings” – she is biased after all!
Getting recognition from others is enormously important. Selling a painting for
me is not primarily about the money (though it’s nice to recover some of one’s
expenses for </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">art
materials and workshops) It means that someone likes your painting so much that
he/she is willing to open his/her wallet to be able to take it home!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">BD: What is
the attraction of painting with pastels for you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">D: I love
everything about pastels; the tactility and immediacy of the medium, the
brilliant colours – pastels have the purest pigments of all painting mediums
because they contain very little binder – even the messiness. Once you've fallen under their spell there’s no coming back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">BD: How do
you go about selecting a subject to paint?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFCWXO2UTPlHoEo73gVTHDnIjH4KFuRsIhaS9GTUtsw-JT0Q02sJF-TdZoketDcRh5fAONl0ZEyslGG5Qewdt-IIvfrLt2tkwbVQCC4vEieraZehGEw3zp0leGTlMcv3jIJAemlWXVHjt/s1600/bread+door.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFCWXO2UTPlHoEo73gVTHDnIjH4KFuRsIhaS9GTUtsw-JT0Q02sJF-TdZoketDcRh5fAONl0ZEyslGG5Qewdt-IIvfrLt2tkwbVQCC4vEieraZehGEw3zp0leGTlMcv3jIJAemlWXVHjt/s320/bread+door.JPG" width="227" /></span></a><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">D: I do my
still-lives mostly from nature but with the weather in Belgium being what it
is, I often use my own photo references</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">for landscapes. I have been a keen photographer for a long
time which helps enormously because a good photo reference is already half the
battle. Another advantage: using my own photos means that the selection process
for a subject that appeals to me has already taken place.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">BD: Which of
your paintings has given you greatest satisfaction?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">D: Every new
painting is a favourite for a time. It usually takes me several weeks to get
unattached enough to consider giving it up for adoption i.e. selling it. A few
though will never be sold because they are too special to me, mostly paintings
of family members (my daughter - above, or my sister’s adorable cat) or paintings which
have a special significance in my artistic progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">BD: From an
artist’s perspective, what is it that appeals to you about painting in and
around Montmelard in particular and southern <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Burgundy</st1:place></st1:state> in general?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UwHyzIUL2r8vJVa7RSmDhcqLrOwgPQkmeQBmuS919AUG71zxWLOWjUxKzx9kc_mX6SI1IAKfsbPEyGPWAbB_DWsLwXXk5__fR8BFqmbTzmrZfJOhJqj5wwk9YyH45aUmUMJN8iTiuYU8/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UwHyzIUL2r8vJVa7RSmDhcqLrOwgPQkmeQBmuS919AUG71zxWLOWjUxKzx9kc_mX6SI1IAKfsbPEyGPWAbB_DWsLwXXk5__fR8BFqmbTzmrZfJOhJqj5wwk9YyH45aUmUMJN8iTiuYU8/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" width="244" /></span></a><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">D: The quiet
beauty of the landscape around Montmelard and the conviviality and friendliness
of the hosts at ‘Les Cerisiers’ add up to such a feeling of well-being that
creativity can’t but thrive. Coming there for a second time already felt like
coming home. And there is such a wealth to discover in the Maconnais that I’ll
certainly be back!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">BD: Landscape, buildings or people, which is your preference?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">D: I don’t
have a real preference, my inclinations change with my mood. I must confess
though that architecture as such is not my favourite subject, because I'm a
rather impatient person and getting the perspective right takes rather too long
for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">But of
course buildings do have their place as part of a landscape. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">BD: Your work
has featured on the front cover of a local magazine (see 'chateau' below), what was your reaction to this?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Arial;">D: I was
delighted and surprised! That painting had been purely a fun painting, not at
all in my usual style and I hadn’t expected its ‘success’.Merci, Mme le Maire! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">BD: Having sold eight paintings at the show so
far and commissions on top of this, to quote you </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">‘So now I am officially a
professional artist’. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">What next for you in this new role?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7jCAIBr1vV4tbkquL4WFf_TCP1ix5dlQ10TNP989RS-uO6Z6e5uLyQVmOQDORBKE8ze6I8ENW4BUwODtBnBOfv6V5Mdg_lUs1Lam96zZsU62H7pNKBLoMWJeuQiDQqoInz928ArEn_g9/s1600/blue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="float: right;"></a><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">D: I definitely need business cards now – and my
own website. At the moment I'm looking </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQopjWRk6HT52WhZDt3B1MYR2VcZS1ssToYefQgGpymwK4KKcxARBJhUwdZGvXSZ1ObivijoJjBayoKlAkRiTcPHDgLY0SyaC1OB0T5me9H0NWIaFIrQBUDeyH0f2Z8iiaxWzf8r3pbHQ4/s1600/blue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQopjWRk6HT52WhZDt3B1MYR2VcZS1ssToYefQgGpymwK4KKcxARBJhUwdZGvXSZ1ObivijoJjBayoKlAkRiTcPHDgLY0SyaC1OB0T5me9H0NWIaFIrQBUDeyH0f2Z8iiaxWzf8r3pbHQ4/s320/blue.JPG" width="227" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">around the internet to compare
different artist’s websites to see what appeals to me most.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">BD: If you have a really big dream with regards
to your art, would you share it?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">D: <span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I don’t
have one big dream; mine are rather more modest. I hope that I‘ll continue to
grow in my art, find loving homes for some of my ‘children’ - and never, ever
get arthritis in my fingers!!!</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As soon as Dorothea has set up her website I'll
be sure to post the details here.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-27852430716641124322013-04-12T13:59:00.001-07:002013-04-12T13:59:41.967-07:00Eggs, eggs and more eggs...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw_tX8jGtXTwHDPogv02EMlHTUOjNQ59frGIQq4S0DfbhGc183Sy3ScJoRZtu0bIEz1MZzgdZH-oERBNofvFA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">There were a number of themes running through life at Les Cerisiers this Easter. One was family and friends - we had 11 of our nearest and dearest over to stay during the holiday weekend. Another was the colour pink - mostly as a choice for clothing, and finally eggs, which weren't such a huge surprise. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFea_HrtCjbyFvaXhpbG3TfxCep0JjuGU-qWlPhzZXoXFeOvo_B9PW5Oq3pRruT84qoO5PXZoMnrjAL5UrzgYFOABEWplaaviAjrytkYSUVffyewxBkJdN8xXupmXBl6UktK2qcLR6_rFh/s1600/Easter+13+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFea_HrtCjbyFvaXhpbG3TfxCep0JjuGU-qWlPhzZXoXFeOvo_B9PW5Oq3pRruT84qoO5PXZoMnrjAL5UrzgYFOABEWplaaviAjrytkYSUVffyewxBkJdN8xXupmXBl6UktK2qcLR6_rFh/s320/Easter+13+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The younger members of the assembled masses were full of energy so we (the over 20s) took it in turn to entertain them. Saturday morning found me assuming my Blue Peter presenter role and, equipped with glue, paint, newspaper and lots of glitter (pink again), presiding over egg decorating. If you ever want to make yourself feel quite faint do try egg blowing - its a blast!<br />
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The results of our labours were colourful and, even better, very messy. But once the eggs had had a chance for the paint, glitter and other adornments to set, the final display was nothing short of spectacular (or should that be sp-egg-tacular?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOIxayiXvmQUSkcynuQYyOU2XDCWlq0lt5Z4qnpFCXgnSWrBDWdgTNphuBn44abtDQT9NEHrH-Swag4GuzB-F38sWDAnsNxRQT742GKytYGyrZHnrTTy6xxrl94HS9sVrf_t21g9bBLmj/s1600/Easter+13+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOIxayiXvmQUSkcynuQYyOU2XDCWlq0lt5Z4qnpFCXgnSWrBDWdgTNphuBn44abtDQT9NEHrH-Swag4GuzB-F38sWDAnsNxRQT742GKytYGyrZHnrTTy6xxrl94HS9sVrf_t21g9bBLmj/s320/Easter+13+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The market at Louhans is one of our favourites. Not only is the town a wonderful place for culinary treats, splendid Burgundian architecture and an enjoyable cross country ride, but the market brings in traders and buyers alike from miles around making for a vibrant, exhilarating day out. We were on the hunt for two new chickens but the choice was overwhelming. After being side tracked a number of times by bunnies, goats and guinea fowl, we finally settled on a couple of blue chooks. They will be introduced to you at a future date, for now its enough to know they're called Tyla and Bud. </div>
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There is only so much fun you can have with real eggs and, finding Sunday morning dry and clear skied after a week of rain, the time was ripe for an Easter egg hunt. Thankfully running around in the orchard for an hour or so should balance out the calorific value of these shiny treasures. More smiles, more messy fingers, more eggs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmZKLUL5xhXq0ZzkW2AJrt_G3ZLlcNrpgF7Vnq-5Jm-SmHbmAWEnaAoCwInK-YjRAPNtCinLVtZQjKpncrMd0-o8ba0eGNh_ehtoOlQ6nFj_D0IoxG3wzt_L6BdbcAfh0Tg3Xo8kU9qOi/s1600/Easter+13+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmZKLUL5xhXq0ZzkW2AJrt_G3ZLlcNrpgF7Vnq-5Jm-SmHbmAWEnaAoCwInK-YjRAPNtCinLVtZQjKpncrMd0-o8ba0eGNh_ehtoOlQ6nFj_D0IoxG3wzt_L6BdbcAfh0Tg3Xo8kU9qOi/s320/Easter+13+027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-62257589161592042822013-02-22T12:46:00.000-08:002013-02-22T12:46:35.449-08:00Its all happening at Les Cerisiers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt827OHPnhhYNz-tBq1df0U-7VrS7OKME3WkP8z8PwPblnziXf8wm3X8RKy3tBfkfashJMv6WINGS18XURXDrLB_GP8CKUlmKG3i9b-VUm-ihDLULNzNqN6MC4rMI9zkUpZvjt_vNdigum/s1600/window+smiles+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt827OHPnhhYNz-tBq1df0U-7VrS7OKME3WkP8z8PwPblnziXf8wm3X8RKy3tBfkfashJMv6WINGS18XURXDrLB_GP8CKUlmKG3i9b-VUm-ihDLULNzNqN6MC4rMI9zkUpZvjt_vNdigum/s320/window+smiles+a.jpg" width="320" /></a>Planning events here at Les Cerisiers in southern Burgundy is so exciting I sometimes fear that I may burst. My 'dream' of this blog title and also the business www.thereallybigdreamcompany.com was to have a creative arts and activity centre that offered space to people who wanted to spend time doing what they love, and working with gifted people who make this happen is a complete joy.<br />
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So, what have we in store for you in 2013? Alexia Fachon (www.ambikayoga.fr) and Murielle (Mumu) Naigeon (www.mnaigeon-nutrition.fr) will be running a well being weekend here from 5-8 April. A combination of Alexia's yoga, meditation and massage with Mumu's tasty food treats leaves guests feeling revitalised and ready for anything.<br />
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At the beginning of June Karen Ely (www.awomansway.com) will be leading a group of women through six days of serenity, personal growth, community, creativity and a quiet step
into simpler times. This will be Karen's third visit here to Les Cerisiers for a week that has always brought laughter, friendship, music and magical energy to the place.<br />
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Another returning tutor is Quilt Ace Christine Porter. Chris will be bringing her unique style and humour (as always) to this years event that celebrates floor tile designs. Guaranteed to improve quilting techniques, add colour to life and ensure uninterrupted quilt time I can hardly wait to see this years creations. www.christineporterquilts.com<br />
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I'm really excited about a new event for this year - Anne-Marie Fyfe will be joining us in September for a week long poetry workshop 'Write reality, live the dream'. This event is already full although we're keeping a waiting list. There's no doubt that Burgundy inspires writers and we're hoping Anne-Marie's group will be thrilled with the work they produce.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMvzEu-80BebfqtuR1ThvG9ayDb2FIsruC7q_1eFPf-kpoxH5FTrSli37Jy0NZZfmRXEZj4d3lXj80gtPwAvTpoKXQI32Hq4bkqvooqyt9EesbLt9p3Jnj7Ltl7WxWcJA32nQRKOAo3z8/s1600/bonjour+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMvzEu-80BebfqtuR1ThvG9ayDb2FIsruC7q_1eFPf-kpoxH5FTrSli37Jy0NZZfmRXEZj4d3lXj80gtPwAvTpoKXQI32Hq4bkqvooqyt9EesbLt9p3Jnj7Ltl7WxWcJA32nQRKOAo3z8/s200/bonjour+1.jpg" width="177" /></a>As usual Roger Bonjour will keep us supplied with wine and offers wine tastings to all our guests.<br />
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If organised activities are not your thing but being creative is, we also offer our facilities for private rental for individuals or groups.<br />
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Hope to welcome you to Les Cerisiers this year.<br />
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Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-67456474203795937812013-02-17T01:53:00.000-08:002013-02-17T01:53:44.242-08:00What's new with us?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMwJaKbsFnEjkhKJJ6qpCRNSubx8qq-8P-b-Lwutp9-bmzyA6KxhVIY3f2S0WvxYDicrtvAtZvCPqfUswJcN61eBgMbtVVJo0FzLeI1X3XCgF56XXLvDjyfvvIjToOwlDJ-xG9lXTUwXz/s1600/2013+004a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMwJaKbsFnEjkhKJJ6qpCRNSubx8qq-8P-b-Lwutp9-bmzyA6KxhVIY3f2S0WvxYDicrtvAtZvCPqfUswJcN61eBgMbtVVJo0FzLeI1X3XCgF56XXLvDjyfvvIjToOwlDJ-xG9lXTUwXz/s320/2013+004a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Gosh, it's been a while but we haven't been idle here in southern Burgundy. The past few months have been put to good use planning some great events here (more of these later) and getting down to some creativity of our own. Inspired by a trip to Barcelona last year I've been itching for a chance to make a stained glass window based on a design I saw at the Familia Sagrada cathedral. So, when I found a great glass supplier in Lyon, I made my selection and set to work. The small window by the front door is now home to my own 'homage to Catalonia'.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J-7TdvHmewymMF-konUIMG1FdsW1-sU3ghqtucyLg4soMmp2Ot3Cl5wawKl05hn-EYe6gm-q-_DMZGB3jp6MSBVQx31Ai75gg7oauC3f086BMJTUJUjOOPhTpd5xtAQGYMWttczDrT79/s1600/uterus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J-7TdvHmewymMF-konUIMG1FdsW1-sU3ghqtucyLg4soMmp2Ot3Cl5wawKl05hn-EYe6gm-q-_DMZGB3jp6MSBVQx31Ai75gg7oauC3f086BMJTUJUjOOPhTpd5xtAQGYMWttczDrT79/s320/uterus.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A friend, (http://clickyneedles.blogspot.fr) has a sister in law who trains mid-wives in Ethiopia. Not having much in the way of high-tech, state of the art training aids they rely heavily on knitted uteruses (yes, this is the plural as well as 'uteri') to demonstrate birth. Warm fires, warm friends, mulled wine, knitting and doing something worth while seemed a marvellous combination so the winter project was launched. A bonus is that I've learned to knit in the round on four needles!! If anyone is interested in having a go, please get in touch.<br />
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My other winter activity to help improve my French was to become part of the committee that produces our annual village magazine. For a small commune of only 338 inhabitants (5 more than last year), there is so much going on and articles from the various clubs, associations, societies and organisations were commissioned. Images were sourced and debates (fuelled by wine) continued long into the chilly winter evenings. I was thrilled to bits when it was decided that not one but two of Malcolm Jarvis' paintings (Malcolm tutors pastel painting events here) were chosen to adorn the covers of the magazine.<br />
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I shall be blogging again in the next few days to let you know more about the events happening here this year but I can reveal we'll be welcoming back Alexia Fachon, Christine Porter, Karen Ely and Murielle Naigeon and welcoming for the first time Anne Marie Fyfe. 2013 is going to be fun.<br />
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Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-85314619391591251982012-11-09T09:54:00.000-08:002012-11-09T09:54:36.004-08:00trees please<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-47gNYTJAW9otknEE6EIainGFrrVYU9_EzesuVkQWaAkBLib9nYaH0WIVnzUagApT4bQ05ESOZrUZNFCb4zpZYdi6TRvV9GqIv2MCItBxMO0Ze77IScMTi4d7AY2rnkSJ6mDjJ6UXM9LH/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-47gNYTJAW9otknEE6EIainGFrrVYU9_EzesuVkQWaAkBLib9nYaH0WIVnzUagApT4bQ05ESOZrUZNFCb4zpZYdi6TRvV9GqIv2MCItBxMO0Ze77IScMTi4d7AY2rnkSJ6mDjJ6UXM9LH/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" width="244" /></a>Since moving here we've talked of planting some new trees that we can watch grow and thrive and establish themselves as we (and our business) endeavour to do so alongside them. Yesterday we finally drove the kilometre down the road to visit Michel, a nurseryman who supplies trees to the foresters around these parts. We were spurred to action by a desire to take a painting (or rather a photo of said painting) to Michel. It turns out that a charming house painted by one of our recent guest artist once belonged to his parents so we were keen to show him the work. (The artist is Dorothea Schulz)<br />
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Forewarned of our visit Michel had gathered together a sample of the trees he grows (ever-greens) and talked as through the pros and cons of having Normans, Blues or several other varieties. I also got to ask a question that's been plaguing me for some time - why do we so often see upside down white plastic milk bottles tied to young fir trees? Answer - to scare away wild boar and deer who are fairly keen on nibbling at young trees. Now I know! Purchases made and picture handed over (he loved it) we rushed back to show are 6 trees (what is the name for a baby tree - seedling, sapling) their new home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ajMHTnqXJ1kAYSbesWhWL7ROo52W8SmfqGYSZNdPCh1el7nGsu7vx_jDUSKvdYqhdmj7GRUNupCxyO-Po4nx_oSQJEKPPkzcFLyqLGgb6zGY-cHIpQXAZo8O1Ajqomsy1ioMopm-2GNM/s1600/walk+november+9+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ajMHTnqXJ1kAYSbesWhWL7ROo52W8SmfqGYSZNdPCh1el7nGsu7vx_jDUSKvdYqhdmj7GRUNupCxyO-Po4nx_oSQJEKPPkzcFLyqLGgb6zGY-cHIpQXAZo8O1Ajqomsy1ioMopm-2GNM/s320/walk+november+9+009.jpg" width="320" /></a>This morning was just so beautiful that I decided to start my day with a bit of a walk. As I strode along the lanes a phrase Michel had thrown out the day before began to play on my mind - one day you will have good Christmas trees. Have I mentioned before that Christmas trees (along with cat's tummies) are my favourite things? I tried to concentrate on the vivid blue sky, the view of my house through a gap in a hedge, young creamy cattle taking in the morning sun but, I am ashamed to say, my mind was on other things.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8PhB90kk9H1ze7-eG82kxEXE-bBBq253PibMHMSM60suFeVIQesADpXmy1275Eg-X134PNaU8gU3SdZcn5Mqux_G23pg_vzqUYPlImj-FLIeQ9sLq5rsfUGpLbe0zMtUit7RI6CKrM1R/s1600/walk+november+9+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8PhB90kk9H1ze7-eG82kxEXE-bBBq253PibMHMSM60suFeVIQesADpXmy1275Eg-X134PNaU8gU3SdZcn5Mqux_G23pg_vzqUYPlImj-FLIeQ9sLq5rsfUGpLbe0zMtUit7RI6CKrM1R/s320/walk+november+9+014.jpg" width="240" /></a>When I returned home I did something I vowed I would NEVER do - I let Christmas into November. I rummaged in the barn to find my decorations and then placed two of them on the smallest tree - just to see. I guess the message is that if the decorations are still bigger than the tree, you need to wait a while. The decorations are back in their box now but I shall be testing the theory that talking to plants helps them grow, watch this space.</div>
Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-52037556490961762022012-11-01T10:32:00.000-07:002012-11-01T10:32:39.305-07:00Jour des conscrits 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQAgql-EtJGSTL_FxuoE5rGgUfSOuNUpul50X6qqIxu8YO73EUBIq0sRj3GkqKUTa_YUpSOxxiBOkcNNll0MWDZNwK1_sdj4WdjYi4CB1QoOq_J0h3dZtOfa5BW5yQwtHpX6OKD8-IFnN/s1600/Jour+des+conscrits+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQAgql-EtJGSTL_FxuoE5rGgUfSOuNUpul50X6qqIxu8YO73EUBIq0sRj3GkqKUTa_YUpSOxxiBOkcNNll0MWDZNwK1_sdj4WdjYi4CB1QoOq_J0h3dZtOfa5BW5yQwtHpX6OKD8-IFnN/s320/Jour+des+conscrits+005.jpg" width="320" /></a>One of the things I most enjoy here in Montmelard is the strong sense of belonging I have found. The feeling of being almost part of the landscape - our house built of local stone, with beams of locally felled trees, nestled in a valley where it has stood guardian for over 300 years. History has played itself out here, the lives and stories of the people who have grown up, raised families and seen out the later years here as well as the external forces that have moved through these hills - German soldiers and local resistance forces, people passing on the grande route across France in Victorian times and, now, people like me who come from further afield looking for something we have been unable to find elsewhere. This feeling of being both individual - through living a life that makes me feel more the person I am, whilst at the same time realising that I am a very small part of something much bigger and certainly more durable, was never stronger than on May 5th this year during my <i>Jour de conscrit.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoMw2a1jlzmksHx0zVMEeMNxthT4JUEK9sUDtior6CdUDbdItSphCcpqb5DGV8jrl8lEbIX9lkVcUZkE8CYuGaRGKiKGxXN84hPRhH9-sZpK3dr-15EKaMROHugp0Bf6LXI_PgmRruzrz/s1600/Jour+des+conscrits+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoMw2a1jlzmksHx0zVMEeMNxthT4JUEK9sUDtior6CdUDbdItSphCcpqb5DGV8jrl8lEbIX9lkVcUZkE8CYuGaRGKiKGxXN84hPRhH9-sZpK3dr-15EKaMROHugp0Bf6LXI_PgmRruzrz/s320/Jour+des+conscrits+016.jpg" width="320" /></a>The history surrounding this special day dates back several centuries and, apparently, started in the Beaujolais region just south of here. To combat the stress of leaving home and family to go off and do national service (which could last anything up to 7 years), the young men would gather the night before departure to sing, eat, dance and make merry at a banquet in their honour, lasting the whole night long.<br />
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National service is no longer part of French life but having an excuse for a good knees up is. So, in these modern times, the stress of conscription has been replaced with the stress of facing another landmark birthday whilst the solution remains the same - dance, laugh, drink and spend time with friends and loved ones. This year, 2012 - the class of 2, sees those of us with a birth year ending with a 2 carrying on this tradition.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3bCYP6ib-pYg6K0SYW3Qd1BCnDqHgZFZ2vr_8o02MW0wbNT2n2oF0Keqar3MrWJUNdZhMxHK1iuzZw57cBT_dS5rujLfpG78khWRYxMfDENYhhMxBqIqm3xNPmpgkp9pb0GrlONeStzx/s1600/Jour+des+conscrits+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3bCYP6ib-pYg6K0SYW3Qd1BCnDqHgZFZ2vr_8o02MW0wbNT2n2oF0Keqar3MrWJUNdZhMxHK1iuzZw57cBT_dS5rujLfpG78khWRYxMfDENYhhMxBqIqm3xNPmpgkp9pb0GrlONeStzx/s320/Jour+des+conscrits+032.jpg" width="320" /></a>The day is not all hedonistic revelling though, in fact the first activity is the laying of a wreath at the war memorial to honour those from earlier 'class of 2' who gave their lives in times of conflict. These ties that bind stretch back into distant times and as I look around at the younger members of our class I am comforted knowing that they will be carried forward long after my time has run its course. The oldest class of 2 member is 90, the youngest barely three days old, all of us now linked by an invisible thread. My thread spins its way back to England and snares my school friend Brenda and her mum both of whom class of 2 members (though they have only recently become aware of this). As Bren has recently bought a house in the village she is entitled to participate in the proceedings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvTVWEMTdSOf4HlwVR_nNFBEiAMotZTOisHK44sHczRuS1ljMNSL8eLcqRtwYT5sdsrpTR-qz1Tfx7ppSXD3nxK8xMUyo677dz3i4dC1cmPq1lWDMO3-qUIAHMOhRNOkEcDuSKVxpqnqC/s1600/Jour+des+conscrits+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvTVWEMTdSOf4HlwVR_nNFBEiAMotZTOisHK44sHczRuS1ljMNSL8eLcqRtwYT5sdsrpTR-qz1Tfx7ppSXD3nxK8xMUyo677dz3i4dC1cmPq1lWDMO3-qUIAHMOhRNOkEcDuSKVxpqnqC/s320/Jour+des+conscrits+057.jpg" width="320" /></a>From the moment we begin to decorate the trailers that will be transformed into chariots fit to bear royalty, til the moment we roll home from the festivities, the atmosphere is one of pure celebration. Celebration that we are alive and appreciating what life has to offer. After the laying of the wreath, our 'chief', Pauline, invites the villagers to a Vin d'honneur in the village square. Once the day's drinking is under way, it is time for the parade along the street: confetti filled air, klaxon deafening even the already deaf, bawdy songs that the locals are born knowing and the rest of us mime along to - it is a riot. The tempo is slowed as we await photos but a joyous ''whoop', as we launch our hats into the cool May air for the final group photo, signals party mode to recommence.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iIUB0NsipUB89ke8mpLI5WfrrRx07WcWSo3JQ9gEenks3pstrMIy1QIEBCer-CPVopchl7enROnVKMpc72YNFdGCM-whk5NWQBkY2Jl-8j0D0wFygiMjQTv7jweaEd1yOUvaGFyJNiZa/s1600/Jour+des+conscrits+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iIUB0NsipUB89ke8mpLI5WfrrRx07WcWSo3JQ9gEenks3pstrMIy1QIEBCer-CPVopchl7enROnVKMpc72YNFdGCM-whk5NWQBkY2Jl-8j0D0wFygiMjQTv7jweaEd1yOUvaGFyJNiZa/s320/Jour+des+conscrits+061.jpg" width="320" /></a>7 courses later the meal comes to an end and the dancing takes centre stage. These people know how to party and young and old alike take to the dance floor. For those who prefer to remain at table, the opportunity to guess the weight of the sausage, provides alternative entertainment.<br />
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As I sit writing this 5 months later, my hat, resplendent with red ribbon, hangs on the wall behind me, a constant reminder of a wonderful day. I don't want to wish my life away but I can't wait to turn 60 and do it all again. </div>
Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-27528618280311859762012-10-26T04:21:00.004-07:002012-10-26T04:21:43.316-07:00Catch up...and thanks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last blog in April!! That's shocking but it also serves to illustrate a point - be careful what you wish for. Towards the end of February things were looking a little quiet around here and it was time to sit and have a think and a chat about what we wanted from the year ahead. Adventure, a bit of travel, something to really challenge the grey cells, a bit of truck driving (Mark, not me), guests to enjoy the place and participate in the courses we had lined up, to see more of our friends, the list went on.<br />
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Within 10 days all of the above started to roll in and we found ourselves juggling with ever increasing numbers of metaphorical balls. So, in brief, since April we have travelled widely (Spain, Kazakhstan, Poland, Switzerland, UK, Italy, Hungary, Germany and Belguim), have started a course of study, have spent precious time with friends old and new, have welcomed returning guests and those coming for the first time and driven trucks (Mark, not me). I shall blog separately about our last two events over the coming week and also let you know our exciting plans for 2013 but today is about thank yous. <br />
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The first thank you goes to two wonderful people, Dan and Doris, who came to Les Cerisiers to manage the place during the summer months. After a brief induction into chicken keeping, cat sitting, septic tank management and learning all the quirks of our 17th century farm house, Dan and Doris launched themselves into Montmelard life - and loved it. In fact, being sent weekly photos of D&D enjoying our home, friends, BBQ made us slightly anxious as to whether, when the time came, they would simply demand squatters rights. They have now moved on to Ireland but with the promise of a return visit next year.<br />
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Then there are thanks to Bren and her mum and to Mark's parents who all came and helped with food preparation (those of you who enjoyed the afternoon teas here have this bunch to thank for the goodies). Also to Di (above) who was here ensuring sanity (mine) and lending a hand in the kitchen, garden and wherever a cork needed pulling and to Roger (also above) for his fabulous, fun wine tasting events which we never tire of. And final thanks to B and D for too many things to list here.<br />
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So, thank you to the people above and to those of you who spent time here this year. Hope to see you all again soon.</div>
Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-76881978541685162472012-04-19T03:27:00.000-07:002012-04-19T03:27:24.292-07:00Well Being, Well Intentioned, Well I never !!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDWOnFmWXJzr6GG1vgyCTYN-DFwXdrCqiO84cFmSDf_rOaW8i8HShjn-fZnst3nkF6YvaHa1NUOtRcx8SlS2mtMaSAwG-ok2qZSOIW61v0pbuFlBwQSwM6wgBnzDwGfnp9OVBdg1dAZZR/s1600/window+smiles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDWOnFmWXJzr6GG1vgyCTYN-DFwXdrCqiO84cFmSDf_rOaW8i8HShjn-fZnst3nkF6YvaHa1NUOtRcx8SlS2mtMaSAwG-ok2qZSOIW61v0pbuFlBwQSwM6wgBnzDwGfnp9OVBdg1dAZZR/s320/window+smiles.JPG" width="320" /></a>Our creative year took off with a surge of energy as the wonderful and serene Alexia Fachon <span style="color: #009933;"><a href="http://www.ambikayoga.fr/">www.<b>ambikayoga</b>.fr</a> </span>and the equally fabulous Murielle Naigeon <span style="color: #009933;"><a href="http://www.mnaigeon-nutrition.fr/">www.m<b>naigeon</b>-nutrition.fr</a> </span>brought their own style of vitality to Les Cerisiers last weekend. Our guests destressed through yoga in the barn, re-energised with a healthy, tasty eating programme and took the pure air on several local walks. Everyone left with a healthy glow both inside and out.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXz1l-YUa-c1VN_LW-eZdH8AU0sq7Lhwbc9uox4SxVU6Z94URqULVsdhgRSjS2CQa2g6zM2dPoy1D5UTQfSlgZh03A7NQ5hgNxtRsA-THo2LAL9LJvpPFXKBtCddbugJYTJOYnUlYUn2HR/s1600/me+yoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXz1l-YUa-c1VN_LW-eZdH8AU0sq7Lhwbc9uox4SxVU6Z94URqULVsdhgRSjS2CQa2g6zM2dPoy1D5UTQfSlgZh03A7NQ5hgNxtRsA-THo2LAL9LJvpPFXKBtCddbugJYTJOYnUlYUn2HR/s200/me+yoga.jpg" width="200" /></a> <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlxc5jr9LV5U1VMnlfPYw3tFFfwQQC6jgChqbZLjzC1Gp5H_OOE5V1eLww1jI7_2-VdIv7WBUuhvhwT2yhMuRrf3KBjDRw1tcBZKJzSxEL9zr_9_QyJEBGeZe5y7Gif3XN6Ok637gPiyI/s1600/carrefour+and+eggs+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlxc5jr9LV5U1VMnlfPYw3tFFfwQQC6jgChqbZLjzC1Gp5H_OOE5V1eLww1jI7_2-VdIv7WBUuhvhwT2yhMuRrf3KBjDRw1tcBZKJzSxEL9zr_9_QyJEBGeZe5y7Gif3XN6Ok637gPiyI/s320/carrefour+and+eggs+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">There are very few things that I find fault with here in this idyllic world, but I did get a little cross a few weeks back when the checkout girl in Carrefour forgot to ask for our fidelity card. I was quite put out when I was told there was nothing that could be done to rectify the loss of a quite considerable amount of points on a couple of hundred euros worth of shopping. I hastily filled in my complaints card and left it at the service counter never expecting to have a response. Within two days, however, the store manager rang to apologise and say there was a voucher waiting for us next time we shopped. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kUxpuyqCelwHJN23ARh4wAURZush7bi4JWNCtnBM9BeE9P_cT0i_k38uCX9-lwhKw6OBoC2cWIljIKEgpJyQ0uCMoKWaa6PdfpHzzflO1d6NifU_7HxWUss-Y_upEnofFmzC0XZB0B1F/s1600/trianon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kUxpuyqCelwHJN23ARh4wAURZush7bi4JWNCtnBM9BeE9P_cT0i_k38uCX9-lwhKw6OBoC2cWIljIKEgpJyQ0uCMoKWaa6PdfpHzzflO1d6NifU_7HxWUss-Y_upEnofFmzC0XZB0B1F/s200/trianon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A week later and we were invited to participate in a customer round table focussing on till-(wo)manship. A basket full of pastries and another with strawberries as large as tennis balls awaited us and a dozen other 'table ronde' participants in the Carrefour conference room. Teas, coffees and juices were served and we were also treated to a large slab of their speciality cake Trianon. Yum. We discussed our favourite aisles (cheese, and cat food - for the variety) and those we were less impressed with (world food, kitchen ware) and had a thoroughly enjoyable time of it. As we left we were presented with a large bag of Carrefour groceries (see above) which has kept us going a week. Well done Carrefour - we think your intentions are admirable.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZEn74gAQeKwvhrPPcS8Po3Kyg64Op-9ygJup9xMFZsDGNZ1KRoc5hvYOMblWc3nY-Ids8dxWwo8iRxkzhsU8oSFB7QH6SosULPNrcLtwU20z6VBolF0zxPRN3E2vL1f_3FJUoSRNDrOg/s1600/carrefour+and+eggs+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZEn74gAQeKwvhrPPcS8Po3Kyg64Op-9ygJup9xMFZsDGNZ1KRoc5hvYOMblWc3nY-Ids8dxWwo8iRxkzhsU8oSFB7QH6SosULPNrcLtwU20z6VBolF0zxPRN3E2vL1f_3FJUoSRNDrOg/s320/carrefour+and+eggs+006.jpg" width="320" /></a>The chickens seem to have settled in nicely and are doing a fine job of keeping the weeds down and supplying us with nutrient rich manure. However, we have now been faced with broodiness from our girl Plum which seems to have upset the apple cart (or should that be egg box) somewhat. Not quite a Les Cerisiers record but we came home to a fairly large egg and a minute 'wind' egg yesterday. Isn't nature funny at times?</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXz1l-YUa-c1VN_LW-eZdH8AU0sq7Lhwbc9uox4SxVU6Z94URqULVsdhgRSjS2CQa2g6zM2dPoy1D5UTQfSlgZh03A7NQ5hgNxtRsA-THo2LAL9LJvpPFXKBtCddbugJYTJOYnUlYUn2HR/s1600/me+yoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEOnE-sMFLz8B3MZOQeF83xjS8s5d6iMDloslTSc6N4BqFKRGZ5linOcrpyaZ8dPH9I6eHScaBvGIcyo9baerWU4kNs5N41_eND9VebNs6mhwhdiik5TJx6Z7vuml5lgO6Pzew-IH1WJS/s1600/trianon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div></div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-68474851773934289762012-04-04T13:06:00.000-07:002012-04-04T13:06:40.914-07:00Making hay...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JByXRGhxtpL8z-z8K-VNVQ1p85A_qpR0gUqUzYcwL9wluGLqXBUJsyOiz5u6uu4Z2ZddjAbRlNgpXCpnVO-7Ptu4bqd8OacNkmV5fBPwO0wbllVoD7cP-tqUdh6K-iFaimnJxJYGximq/s1600/flowers+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JByXRGhxtpL8z-z8K-VNVQ1p85A_qpR0gUqUzYcwL9wluGLqXBUJsyOiz5u6uu4Z2ZddjAbRlNgpXCpnVO-7Ptu4bqd8OacNkmV5fBPwO0wbllVoD7cP-tqUdh6K-iFaimnJxJYGximq/s320/flowers+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sorry to be so terribly British but the weather really is the topic of the moment. Who can believe this on going heat wave (can you have an Indian Spring?) No central heating needed for several weeks and when I look back at the snow drops gathered just a few short weeks back, these forebearers of warmer weather and a life lived once more out of doors, seem oddly pass<span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">é</span>. <br />
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Today I've returned to my foraging habits (never say no to free food) and, having stumbled across an old recipe from Lady Ridley (not sure where I got this from but, I can assure you, it was not hand delivered) I decided to give it a go. <br />
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Lady Ridley's Nettle Soup<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 lb potatoes<br />
½ lb young nettles<br />
2 oz butter<br />
1½ pts chicken or vegetable stock<br />
sea salt & black pepper<br />
4 tablespoons sour cream<br />
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Method:<br />
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Cook the peeled, chopped potatoes for 10 mins in salted water. Drain.<br />
Wash & chop coarsely the nettles (Only pick the new, young tops,using gloves!)<br />
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the nettles and stew gently for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and heated stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender.<br />
When all is soft, cool slightly & purée in a blender, adding seasoning and the sour cream.<br />
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One tip I will add, when harvesting from lanes and gardens, if the ingredients smell like cat pee - theres a reason for this...<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin61wFYKEDfBlZWsFJstzIDpOrxHeIMp6_wFk_4wYvFDJ4Du3XvB_ZZhW7HtzDgvEUjUZ3OujjPYb6VTELRUuQMdMNwnex_2TUGHnMSfTqaxeumGCTntPA-nV8edW0TkplEA4Z1Qa-KSvt/s1600/marche+aux+perce+neiges+2012+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin61wFYKEDfBlZWsFJstzIDpOrxHeIMp6_wFk_4wYvFDJ4Du3XvB_ZZhW7HtzDgvEUjUZ3OujjPYb6VTELRUuQMdMNwnex_2TUGHnMSfTqaxeumGCTntPA-nV8edW0TkplEA4Z1Qa-KSvt/s320/marche+aux+perce+neiges+2012+004.jpg" width="320" /></a>This good weather has also brought the walkers out en mass. Every village has a walk or two that is particular to their commune and Sunday mornings are now happily spent deciding which one to go on. The Marche de perce neige (snow drop walk) is our villages' walk and kicks off the season the first sunday in March. Last year I only managed three walks so I'm aiming to beat that record. So far Mireille (lovely neighbour) and I have walked 10k around Montmelard and Trambly (more like trembly by time se got back) and tomorrow we're heading over to one of the well known wine villages here abouts- Vir<span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">é</span>. As the walks are usually themed, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a glass or two of their finest will pass my lips at some point. The 'snacks' are always a high point as illustrated. <br />
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OK, soups all finished and I've got a couple of willing friends (guinea pigs) to give it a go. Thumbs up for the soup and the home mage rolls - and another lunch out doors.<br />
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</div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-13898838256009384232012-02-10T07:44:00.000-08:002012-02-10T07:44:19.344-08:00Welcome to the Party Village<div align="center"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjnmpd0sbfKaoP6TTWbAuHRQCQ0lEbMyQ9J1slukYvb9qUhKQeAXX4aeEh_c_3bHLvGakjLH2LKyPnVQMtHQVbl11fGOd7ClmiMCGQkLPwIAyFL1toR4YTEIoTy19VrWW9NpO4XGzdZmK/s320/poule+au+riz+002.jpg" width="320" /></div><br />
The first big social event of 2012 here in Montmelard is now behind us and what an event it was. The Poule au Riz evening (pronounced pooloree) - chicken and rice to you and me, was a huge success and shall no doubt be talked about for generations to come. I am all the more chuffed that it was such a triumph as it was the first <span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Soirée </em>that I had been involved in. The aim of the evening was to raise funds to buy hats for the class of 2 (see previous blogs) Jour des Conscrits as well as to provide some light relief from the cold days of winter. So, having spent the day setting up trestle tables, laying place settings for 160 people, slicing tomatos for the same number and generally lending a hand, 7pm found me sitting down to an early supper with my co-organisers - the lull before the storm.</span><br />
<span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Someone raised a valuable point - we needed to make sure that all attendees produced their tickets on arrival. We didn't want any opportunists, who just happened to be cruising by, gate crashing our evening and having a supper for free. I thought this was a joke until I saw the solemn faces nodding agreement. 'Is this likely to happen?' I asked pointing out that we were a small community in the middle of nowhere and the temperature was hovering around the -8 mark. 'We are on a hill and for miles around you can see the lights and hear the music.' Montmelard would become a beacon for any good time folk from Charolles to Macon.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtwLcmwMXovEUk-vDKfy0lWjYbibLnZiuuPnmSvMRnp5mCNf1awrpZr6hR5ZabIQHhhm3ZJgoNY0wOXeoqiCx0djmC7SJuoGlkp84pR2ugWmoxPLHVhvGvQfx93D6JZ1eusKGLCsZbSyy/s1600/me+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtwLcmwMXovEUk-vDKfy0lWjYbibLnZiuuPnmSvMRnp5mCNf1awrpZr6hR5ZabIQHhhm3ZJgoNY0wOXeoqiCx0djmC7SJuoGlkp84pR2ugWmoxPLHVhvGvQfx93D6JZ1eusKGLCsZbSyy/s320/me+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><br />
<span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The maximum number of entrants for the village hall is around 140, 120 to be on the safe side so it was no surprise that we had managed to sell 160 eat in tickets and 40 odd take aways. 4 of us serving wenches were to feed the hoards as another team dished up in the kitchen, a couple sold bottles of wine and the rest manned the bar. I can't remember the last time I worked so hard or removed my cardigan in January. Shimmying between the close aisles of happy eaters I kept my smile but lost the contents of my tray twice into the same young mans lap. He was a forgiving type and said there were no hard feelings. The atmosphere was certainly one of <em>Bon Hommie </em>and my designated table guests were happy to help with gathering up the debris and ensuring that I had a slurp or two of wine to keep my strength up.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFLvWbuk69vK-Un7cpGgtb5tGOSsjqRQi6mNtSBozWW8dAWTfwZKJXnmPfU0kjc3dyCZ-UdzM9AiXuYoibfjBI6FPv14R360HC37rYtbjz3XhGqAq8vWQSrFUkYFXqlHBUI5vAmlXedyL/s1600/poule+au+riz+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFLvWbuk69vK-Un7cpGgtb5tGOSsjqRQi6mNtSBozWW8dAWTfwZKJXnmPfU0kjc3dyCZ-UdzM9AiXuYoibfjBI6FPv14R360HC37rYtbjz3XhGqAq8vWQSrFUkYFXqlHBUI5vAmlXedyL/s320/poule+au+riz+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><br />
<span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As before, I encountered a number of people who were born, raised and are happy to see out their days in Montmelard among their friends and loved ones who have similarly spent their lives in this beautiful region. There is a strange (to me who has always been something of a nomad) sense of peace and belonging here and as I took to the dance floor, inbetween serving cheese and tarte au pommes, I felt strongly that I was exactly where I should be. </span><br />
<span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You've got to love a place where the bar prices show wine and beer as 1 euro a glass and Coca Cola at 1.50 euro, doing our bit for stamping out artificial additives. My turn as bar maid came exactly two minutes before we ran out of beer (2.30am). After auctioning off the final bottle, the beer drinkers effortlessly made the transition to wine. </span><br />
<span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It was lovely to see the coming together of all ages and both sexes on the dance floor. Young and old alike jived to 60s beats, trotted round to folk songs and then bounced about to modern pop. One dance struck me as the French equivalent of Oranges and Lemons, it involved having a partner, holding hands and promenading under the arches made by other dancers. The only difference in the French version was that as you made the rounds you were frequently tickled and had your bottom smacked!! </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3juQf7ywQfSJPQcWmywHivanonprU1WcM64h2Zvi_ujx3ct9bLQ4y9HBNNl61RWZXBmshEe162pCm6u6ILlvSfnZkMClvGG28stTjnod947K5xPnoBVGyCGn7uVXWv3YwX-rrj0-MkZc/s1600/poule+au+riz+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3juQf7ywQfSJPQcWmywHivanonprU1WcM64h2Zvi_ujx3ct9bLQ4y9HBNNl61RWZXBmshEe162pCm6u6ILlvSfnZkMClvGG28stTjnod947K5xPnoBVGyCGn7uVXWv3YwX-rrj0-MkZc/s320/poule+au+riz+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">At 04.20hrs I knew it was time to go home - I needed to be back at 9am to clear up and I would have to grab some sleep, feed Eddie cat and my chickens plus tidy the house (Mark had been away) before then. As I left the party was going strong but the sounds were soon muffled by the snow that had begun to fall silently outside. </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjnmpd0sbfKaoP6TTWbAuHRQCQ0lEbMyQ9J1slukYvb9qUhKQeAXX4aeEh_c_3bHLvGakjLH2LKyPnVQMtHQVbl11fGOd7ClmiMCGQkLPwIAyFL1toR4YTEIoTy19VrWW9NpO4XGzdZmK/s1600/poule+au+riz+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-44252142634535193922011-12-19T09:41:00.000-08:002011-12-19T09:43:40.641-08:00See amid the winter snow...<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNHDKx_PuDSyY4Bwnm_a6bm0chzEdYjv-ewmU791BM6yMyW359ExcPk5br5Ol6vDuyg0VOpoe-FwGH2HJazVL9DXRa31B8-fWAIaGc-73JssHjm_MhQA-StZuI_3wBewh016H-oH6MWgN/s1600/my+santas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNHDKx_PuDSyY4Bwnm_a6bm0chzEdYjv-ewmU791BM6yMyW359ExcPk5br5Ol6vDuyg0VOpoe-FwGH2HJazVL9DXRa31B8-fWAIaGc-73JssHjm_MhQA-StZuI_3wBewh016H-oH6MWgN/s400/my+santas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Well, winter has finally got us and that is OK with me being as it's Christmas next weekend. I must admit though, it has rather caught us out. We've had the longest of summers and mildest of springs and autumns and I was beginning to forget what cold was. Then - wham, a dump of snow and we're plunged onto the set of a Christmas card. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYKPmsLGxWaSzO5SovfBzp3-hfVULY6zOFZcNAABz-Y5ua-cYiH65YbC-g9Ez-ELm7W9SAySNPCfLHAf2emu7ZDtoRLarPg7EmYHuZ-2eygHXupP-i8r-IEYiSzsnajBdTFCmnwms1kHD/s1600/Dec+2011+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYKPmsLGxWaSzO5SovfBzp3-hfVULY6zOFZcNAABz-Y5ua-cYiH65YbC-g9Ez-ELm7W9SAySNPCfLHAf2emu7ZDtoRLarPg7EmYHuZ-2eygHXupP-i8r-IEYiSzsnajBdTFCmnwms1kHD/s200/Dec+2011+007.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Nature seems to have been a little taken by surprise as well. My roses, fuscias, lobellia and marigolds were all happily continuing to bloom. Time to make way for the holly and mistletoe - which, by the way, grows here in abundance and is free!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8V2IVR1CbAdN8NLvXifnIr11zu_ldcJ4cwnG-VlbYJO2dzFdZ1BuBKYWA-EC-taVXn6eNCJ-T7QDrmOEE6VAf5VNTwsg-PB6qCAi0-sjHjTroAzEh4PMRwznto9okhGh3p_E04eOvcmD/s1600/tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8V2IVR1CbAdN8NLvXifnIr11zu_ldcJ4cwnG-VlbYJO2dzFdZ1BuBKYWA-EC-taVXn6eNCJ-T7QDrmOEE6VAf5VNTwsg-PB6qCAi0-sjHjTroAzEh4PMRwznto9okhGh3p_E04eOvcmD/s200/tree.jpg" width="150" /></a>I love popping round to friends' houses to see their preparations in full swing. Lovely Linda is making chutneys and pie fillings (thanks for the mincemeat and apple and cranberry chutney): S has a half decorated tree as her children aren't as yet tall enough to decorate the top section and INSISTED they trimmed it alone; and B dried her marzipan with a hair dryer after her husband added too much egg!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We visited our local patisserie this week to order our yule log (buche) which is the French Christmas cake. We were assaulted by the smell of gingerbread as we entered the shop and left with a chocolate log, three ginger bread men, a chestnut macaron, chocolate fancy and a partridge in a pear tree. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEZ5lfWvWTX20scg8921Xo2CaVOb7rPXYP5vT56FzZnKKyHghfn1MYa5GGO7uRI_7MfG1fyjB29TPiuinGjv6f7u8SBP5gzLzvy1R6pm7USxgJsxstDfTRphqdu-_Bh4EdsPB_G7Q4Iax/s1600/Dec+2011+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEZ5lfWvWTX20scg8921Xo2CaVOb7rPXYP5vT56FzZnKKyHghfn1MYa5GGO7uRI_7MfG1fyjB29TPiuinGjv6f7u8SBP5gzLzvy1R6pm7USxgJsxstDfTRphqdu-_Bh4EdsPB_G7Q4Iax/s200/Dec+2011+005.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So, Christmas tree up, presents wrapped, Eddie cat slumped in front of log fire, food bought. I think we're there!!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I never tire of walking the lanes close to my home and did so this afternoon to catch a bit of freshair whilst walking off fruit cake, mince pies and fudge picked up on a recent trip back to the UK. In all the excitement that is Christmas, it's nice to take a bit of a breather. My tip for staying calm is to find a lovely location, stop still, close your eyes and don't move again until you've identified ten sounds. In no particular order I heard cows mooing (this is the Charolles); Bon bon my neighbours (not so) baby donkey braying in <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRwuB6tLj-WdumtE7YpBbjZdH8MHCfPGxhrIime4wqmH53Y8RPsj6QR6FIXyBjWD7N8jWaz9jso7-Diqf2xmvTf28ZvkOnavSltALnNdJlWRec1fF8fpnnKwlHWoLtUUqswOOdDLAB5ei/s1600/Dec+2011+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRwuB6tLj-WdumtE7YpBbjZdH8MHCfPGxhrIime4wqmH53Y8RPsj6QR6FIXyBjWD7N8jWaz9jso7-Diqf2xmvTf28ZvkOnavSltALnNdJlWRec1fF8fpnnKwlHWoLtUUqswOOdDLAB5ei/s200/Dec+2011+011.jpg" width="200" /></a>anticipation of his first Christmas; something, probably a mouse or bird, scurrying around under the hedgerow; a car - yes, two or three do pass our house each day; a pigeon calling from the wood; children screaming (in a good way) as they came down a field slope on a sledge; a womans voice directing her husband as he strung fairy lights over an ancient barn; my neighbours dog, Vanille, barking as someone must have come up to the front door; the village church bell striking 20 minutes past the hour and the dripping of snow as it melted from the holly bush where I had stopped. Deep breath - aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Hope you have a very merry, joy filled, fun and magical Christmas. </div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-23846428348538559812011-11-15T08:46:00.000-08:002011-11-15T08:46:03.794-08:00The joy of knitting<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGsNN097M4BHJzOwFN36ftBZrk32ESTW9qEmuX3QH0ufyRevoH5rANU2HsmHN5TIyZGW_KiIMN0K78kxxMjMozGlDQ6fqcborA875JOExEqNzbnJvmtfo-exbdKw35Cx2ynXbLZWwKhwD/s1600/Oct+Nov+2012+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGsNN097M4BHJzOwFN36ftBZrk32ESTW9qEmuX3QH0ufyRevoH5rANU2HsmHN5TIyZGW_KiIMN0K78kxxMjMozGlDQ6fqcborA875JOExEqNzbnJvmtfo-exbdKw35Cx2ynXbLZWwKhwD/s320/Oct+Nov+2012+054.jpg" width="320" /></a>My capacity to continually surprise myself, well - quite simply, it surprises me. This week was no exception. I admit it, I am now a knitter. I own three sets of knitting needles, have the first two pattern books in my knitting library and a bag dedicated to carrying my 'in progress' projects around with me just in case I find a spare minute or two to slip a couple of stitches in. What a fascinating world I have stumbled into. It all began after a friend who is keen on this art asked me whether I could take her to the Plassard factory shop. Plassard is one of the main knitting companies in France and they have their sheep, museum and factory just a few miles away. I was going to drop my friend at the door and pick her up later, not wanting anyone to spot me in an establishment reserved for old ladies and spinsters with cats. But curiosity got the better of me and I thought I'd just take a peek - just for information you understand, some of our guests may want to know about the place. Kid in a candy shop - the colours, textures, and funkiness of the place sucked me in and when we left over an hour later, I had balls of wool in my possession that I hadn't the faintest idea what I was going to do with. I found myself being drawn back to the place time and again over the next few months, each time leaving with another ball of glittery ribbonned wool, fleecy shaggy wool, bobbly mad wool.... and so it might have continued if my friend B hadn't stopped me in my tracks with a poignant and relevent question 'Can you knit'? No, I couldn't. 'Why don't you learn?' </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85S0eas9tWs8LFg7bz1ckKvQ7tX-D90a5LH17K2iMC_hnMFOBNRIL94ebshRc5zJzA9V1WSDG6TDamEzIix9rBcGYD4Mzty-Jf_vpWfO5kgiYcQdxWmaWL7xfVELrTdV35Fn4pH-07vNo/s1600/Oct+Nov+2012+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85S0eas9tWs8LFg7bz1ckKvQ7tX-D90a5LH17K2iMC_hnMFOBNRIL94ebshRc5zJzA9V1WSDG6TDamEzIix9rBcGYD4Mzty-Jf_vpWfO5kgiYcQdxWmaWL7xfVELrTdV35Fn4pH-07vNo/s320/Oct+Nov+2012+057.jpg" width="320" /></a>Why don't I indeed. So, B and I signed up for an afternoon introduction to knitting. B drew up a list of vocabulary which we studied and tested each other on, we chose patterns for very simple jumpers (all knit no purl and created in one piece - no sleeves) and off we went. I loved it. I couldn't put my knitting down and took it to friends houses, on a plane ride to the UK, to visit relatives and even to bed with me! I tell myself that this is good finger exercise staving off arthritis, that having a wooly something on my knees will keep me warm in winter but the truth is I just enjoy the repetition, the watching something grow that will serve a purpose and make someone smile, the using my time creativley. The joy of spending the afternoon course with other women sharing time and stories whilst learning tips taught to them by their grandmothers. I'm now working on a jumper for Mark and looking forward to my next afternoon amongst the knits.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-77124918740946177742011-10-09T10:59:00.000-07:002011-10-09T23:49:42.165-07:00Literally YoursThis week saw us host the last of this years week long events and what a wonderful week it was! A group of writers, from six different countries, descended on Les Cerisiers to be guided through six days of embodied writing with the multi-talented Mandoline Whittlesey and poet-singer Sarah E Green. The event exceeded the expectations of all who attended and Mark and I were privileged to attend a beautiful evening of song and poetry. Mandoline kindly dedicated a poem to Les Cerisiers which I'd like to share with you here: <br />
<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZZhB-bESrXSDsXWQ_Gm_QzA2GlU49RiwrHBJrZOxb48TYZtrsT9a8LncS1rCns6vqhr3j6pFXxo8QHvy0OGgXnJZt11qYpdAezuLK3qQ8xZLOaYRgejQvuGtNmIsgzqRATGwcgzo8muu/s1600/mandoline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZZhB-bESrXSDsXWQ_Gm_QzA2GlU49RiwrHBJrZOxb48TYZtrsT9a8LncS1rCns6vqhr3j6pFXxo8QHvy0OGgXnJZt11qYpdAezuLK3qQ8xZLOaYRgejQvuGtNmIsgzqRATGwcgzo8muu/s320/mandoline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Les Cerisiers</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">five-leafed green</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">like an unsaying lip</div>the tip<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">of a horses' tail</div>courting flies under trees<br />
the breeze<br />
just touching<br />
the water's skin<br />
the soon-coming snow<br />
it'll all rest in.<br />
<br />
To keep with the literary theme I was fortunate enough to cross paths with Alastair Vere Nicoll, author of Riding the Ice Winds, earlier this year. Alastair truly exemplifies where following your dreams - in his case across Antartica with sledges and kites, can lead. His book is both adventure story and a more personal journey as he is driven to cross this vast continent in time to be present at the birth of his first child. Honest and moving, both Mark and I enjoyed the book for different reasons, read it and let us know your responses. Alastair kindly agreed to an interview which I hope you'll enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed conducting.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661487506891779794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUm8Au1rIKHPhgzPY3gcWU-1Ugy563t7PRJ6Kd-xqKRH9qEUbGNYIUe5Nzz0gVtptpyj3W2MFQU5AWQvgO1WAGe9KRo0Qkfeldfe5OkEJowPg-soa09GqblNopi6Bw8_su0XGN6UPv3nC/s320/AVN_photo.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 99px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />the really big dream company: At the beginning of ‘Riding the Ice Wind’ you quote George Bernard Shaw<br />
‘Life is not about finding yourself: it is about creating yourself’ Who, as a result of this adventure, is AVN?<br />
<br />
Alastair Vere Nicoll: I think and hope that I’m still in construction. One of themes of the book is that once an undertaking is accomplished, life continues and the same challenges are still faced - in different ways - and so you have to continue working at becoming the person that you want to be. In that sense life is a journey – a journey to becoming you (and sometimes in the other direction). The evolution is scary but it’s also exciting as it means there’s always something ahead.<br />
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trbdc: One of life’s eternal struggles, and one that you faced frequently throughout your book, seems to be between the ‘shoulds’ and the ‘wants’. What words of wisdom would you offer to anyone who knew what they wanted to do but were constrained by doing what they felt they should do?<br />
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AVN: I always struggle to give advice. All I can say is what I experienced and allow people to decide if it resonates as everyone’s circumstances are different. I certainly don’t have it right.<br />
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The platitude is that you ‘should’ enact your dreams to make them real but the reality is much more complicated. Certain responsibilities can’t be shirked. We make promises in life and some of the richest decisions we make come from self-sacrifice and patience – particularly around rewarding relationships – and to do what you want without considering the consequences may actually be self-defeating. Having said that, to continually sublimate your deepest desires is a form of martyrdom that is equally unsatisfying. The best thing for me is to confront, articulate and share what I ‘want’ and then strategise to achieve it to try to have the minimum effect on the ‘shoulds’. I’m not afraid of a circuitous route. Long term goals and plans, provided they are being actioned a step at a time - and not held as a mere pipe dream – are ok. It sounds abit trite but I’m a fan of writing down and sharing your 5yr, 10yr and whole of life plans with the key impacted parties.<br />
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trbdc: There is a marvellous moment where you describe an ‘instant(s) of magical intensity that make life worthwhile (and) wondered if I’d invoke this memory to inspire me at times in the future when I needed to draw strength from the memory of an uplifting experience’. Have you recalled this moment since? Does it work?<br />
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AVN: You asking the question has made me recall it - which I’ve enjoyed.<br />
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I’m afraid the response is a little like a sequence of Russian dolls, as the key difficulty is having the mental dexterity and the space and time in your life to remember to remember those moments! I’m not a meditator but I suspect that some of the benefits derived from meditating is to give yourself space to focus and recall these incredible moments that life has to offer which can be too rare among the drudgery.<br />
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A legitimate goal is to seek to populate one’s life with as many of those uplifting moments as you can, however the irony is that when you look you don’t find – the moments just arrive unexpectedly, like a flower out of waste.<br />
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Trbdc: You talk about getting out of a rut by feeling ‘compelled to dangle every so often by a thin chord above a raging torrent – literally and metaphorically’.<br />
Are you dangling by ‘a thin chord above any raging torrents – literally (or) metaphorically’ at the moment or do you plan to do so in the near future?<br />
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AVN: Yes! But not in a way that I had anticipated. I started a business nearly four years ago (and the last few years has been an interesting time for a start up....) building renewable energy plants in emerging markets (– including small run-of-river hydros in the Himalayas, so I guess you could say I’m literally chasing the raging torrent) but it has thrown up, and continues to throw up, some moments when I have to check the chord is properly fastened....<br />
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Trbdc: Through the book you explore notions of reality and finding our true selves rather than living in a world where ‘we are being increasingly alienated from our original selves’. Have you any tips for living a more authentic life?<br />
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AVN: I’m not there yet – I should be getting tips rather than giving.<br />
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I struggle with getting balance as I can get too tied up in new projects which means I’m living in the ‘never-never’, the ‘one-day-maybe’ world too much rather than actually living: another theme of my book. I think projects and plans are utterly essential and unless you really commit to them they don’t happen but John Lennon’s position on life and plans is wholly true and you have to remember to spare some time for just being and that generally means simplifying and deriving enjoyment from the little interactions. I remember recently being impressed by a Barista who served coffee with a huge smile on his face and it was infectious and it made me want to smile more. Doing anything calmly, with friendliness and stopping to engage and observe delivers an authentic life without being defined by physical achievement.<br />
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Trbdc: What does the phrase ‘follow your dream’ mean to you?<br />
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AVN: A dream needn’t be one thing, it can be just be being who and what you want to be rather than achieving a particular goal. Achieving a goal leaves an emptiness after it. You’re continually pursuing and never in possession. Even the phrase ‘follow your dream’ suggests perpetual unfulfillment, like a hare chasing a stuffed rabbit that it never catches. Perhaps it should be ‘leading your dream’: positively inventing what you want to do (and that’s yours not someone else’s for you), creating yourself in a way that means you can fulfil it and then actively taking it on and making it happen, like a leader not a passive follower. As I’m motivated by challenges, the truest challenge for me is enjoying the journey and all the little moments along the way not just the instant, the ‘orgasm’, of accomplishment.... and of course the dreaming itself can be fun.<br />
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Trbdc: What are the elements of your perfect day?<br />
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AVN: I could get truly absurd for the really perfect day so I’ll restrict to the perfect normal day; it would be made up of each of the following in no particular order. It all sounds a bit twee but I think right (for me)...;<br />
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• Some exercise – it makes me feel alive, healthy and unstressed and allows me to truly indulge the bullet below<br />
• Incredible but simple food – I’m an unashamed glutton and love meal times both for the food <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZfElxmJMOwvV2TvpBLCYDfEtRB24UXi-EuzdyIR9chJbsazwKwT8zLRLsDZkeVPDV691WbvLwyGr5c-sfbwJWsbyfkeVU03tpsTOuv-Y4RH8OALAXWkelvXWamG9sTK3xg4Rz7wsR0Hm/s1600/AVN2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661487928735064018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZfElxmJMOwvV2TvpBLCYDfEtRB24UXi-EuzdyIR9chJbsazwKwT8zLRLsDZkeVPDV691WbvLwyGr5c-sfbwJWsbyfkeVU03tpsTOuv-Y4RH8OALAXWkelvXWamG9sTK3xg4Rz7wsR0Hm/s320/AVN2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 184px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 106px;" /></a>for the conviviality and it’s a time I most associate with family<br />
• A moment of nature – for me an incredible, sparse immense panorama is the most uplifting – but it could be as simple as five minutes in a nook in the garden with a coffee just seeing something beautiful<br />
• A moment of love or fellowship – a greeting from a child that’s missed you, a hug, a shared moment<br />
• Indulging the mind – reading a book, watching a good film, reading an interesting article, having an original thought that strikes a chord, accomplishing some difficult work satisfactorily.<br />
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If you would like to find out more, visit <a href="http://www.ridingtheicewind.com/">http://www.ridingtheicewind.com/</a> <br />
<div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPD2UghyzKU7fNkfaWNE0mCDf-iqqzqQvse5Jcvqms53i5iUP2244I2Gceczl3EsNavZuYy2vwYkt8UrHrj0WvnIQF-aqCTRQNJc5lwPeXwfIjiktA9QAGCg0AVoltRUv5CDOZw2CD1Jme/s1600/panorama.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPD2UghyzKU7fNkfaWNE0mCDf-iqqzqQvse5Jcvqms53i5iUP2244I2Gceczl3EsNavZuYy2vwYkt8UrHrj0WvnIQF-aqCTRQNJc5lwPeXwfIjiktA9QAGCg0AVoltRUv5CDOZw2CD1Jme/s320/panorama.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Spurred on by Alastairs words, I think I'll take my coffee into the garden and immerse myself in the immense panorama of my setting.</div></div></div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-66359037277846515672011-09-17T23:41:00.000-07:002011-09-18T00:07:35.264-07:00Quilts, pots and funky nestsThe summer holidays are over (boo) and we're now back into running creative holidays and retreats (hurray) here at les Cerisiers. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653589204777642050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2pA5EuG58ZjJ6c2lx2DEw9H7dN3D3o8xlIuoXY0DDMJM90OGYJM7b5T2ZlCqHcbqFZDX_QSxWFRjuCuWMApw00lF1EMzCldNT-wNFl63W7sUf-91wpRuPe4S2Vl4pUgzFzJmDjafL-_8/s320/pool.jpg" border="0" />We had a smashing group of ladies staying here last week who had come to celebrate 5 years of walking together. Before them, another group, tutored by the brilliant Christine Porter, came to quilt. From beginners to seasoned quilters, they all found something to inspire them and the skill and colour were simply amazing.<br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653590008220147730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYRg-nRIRrBD08KZwzf2L7GOJ5rsGy1Ytyt_74BdRz-Yvtp0tXhlqUtV72p36D1aadajRYxZq143M6ehEbRySoU01qrZuXKgzu6u4dBYKe91vy0UgLvf3k_dHKPuGiBp-CuYiS6kzDeXQ/s320/Chris+P+009.jpg" border="0" />This week sees Malcolm Jarvis sharing his talents with enthusiastic pastel artists. We'll be out and about, weather permitting, taking in the views in this workshop entitled 'From Village to Vineyard'. I'll post some of the emerging art later in the week.<br /><br /><br /><div>I actually had a weekend off last week so headed down to Lyon for the annual Potters Fair. 140 stalls displayed some quite extraordinary work mostly from France but also from further afield. I treated myself to a little crystal glazed piece and picked up a couple of early Christmas pressies. Thankfully I travelled by train and was restricted by what I could carry, otherwise I think the bank balance may have taken a real bashing.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653591000394709650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwikiVKhjCgEadOTnP1W11-xqEx1reVyVUV3DQJ2lmQwWBSAIKqELYVcYeV3kzX3FU40ezk7d8bDU1dczZgUsYvCNk3DvtPVrFXcCosffyHJQeHcxYSUGQ6NxSeQoJ-FuWQm7XuThfZFTr/s320/lyon+2011+013.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><div>On Sunday I was reminded (as if I could ever forget) how skilled and artistic nature can be too. Whilst hacking back one of our vines that threatened to completely engulf one of the out-buildings, I found a small birds nest that had incorporated a grape within its walls. Beautiful - or perhaps the birds were just hoping to have wine on tap!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653591688564705458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr0HJ1FLktot557yu9NiJ8eeyYq3XNVCxJBnN9BoiTH9F28Fc2NG-dyfiB2_kcY4U49CBUY9WoDtVXxbAmzBOM7MswLfNMJDt2u2r7yP2qTLaZ-lah5i2UtHTcFaAXB1bdzV3OqiG1E6D/s320/nest+and+Moona+Lisa+001.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-45605861386394673402011-08-22T12:37:00.000-07:002011-08-22T13:12:08.853-07:00Our feathered friends
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnagqP5fHYzCwOLOPCDG6EWCR-E7eC2XuZhd6aobnuHx2YtUhtYtaVOsHMlz_VaV7sIWV778_y2sKz98wbjltrQYrCgaImrnuaNsTVtfUsrzh_6SLfid1cqpdyAB4dvePr3E2F7yygxrTC/s1600/chickens+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643772418928757154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnagqP5fHYzCwOLOPCDG6EWCR-E7eC2XuZhd6aobnuHx2YtUhtYtaVOsHMlz_VaV7sIWV778_y2sKz98wbjltrQYrCgaImrnuaNsTVtfUsrzh_6SLfid1cqpdyAB4dvePr3E2F7yygxrTC/s320/chickens+003.jpg" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><div>Oh I've been waiting for this for such a long time - we've finally got chickens. We've read the books, surfed the net, visited chicken chat rooms (yes, they do exist), spoken to breeders, even made a film (see below) and collected birthday money to fund the project.</div>
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<br /><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZu-OVa1VFU&feature=channel_video_title">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZu-OVa1VFU&feature=channel_video_title</a></div>
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<br /><div>Thanks to my lovely niece Sophie, who is going to be an amazingly succesful film producer one day and to Adam, who plans to be a cameraman after being an olympic athlete, for this wonderful documentary. </div>
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<br />The six new arrivals were bought at Marcigny market this morning and after much deliberation and debate we decided to name them Arizona, Zaphyra, Daisy, Plum, Maddie and Lou (don't ask!). </div>
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<br /><div>Although I'd promised Mark's son that there would be a fresh egg for his breakfast tomorrow, I also knew that it usually takes chickens a couple of days (or weeks) to settle into their new home and start laying. So, imagine my joy when one of the girls had laid an egg before they even got home.
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<br /><div>Within an hour or two we had two more beautifully formed eggs waiting for collection. We introduced Eddie cat to our new familly members and everyone seemed to get along just fine. We sat, supping wine, as the sun melted into a sea of gold behind the chicken coop, and then, one by one with just a little jostling, the girls took themselves off to bed. </div>
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<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643773186647418290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3r2XhUwIAtZEGRTKwL2XXG-N2CAjx3-Q2xUj8VKnKaJ-NpFPl6RMiDLm_UGl0pITnSXif6AcK3Hipb4f2MjXZG8Ysu6enAAE90CA5tKZdAYhcuBxTrKiZs5GTOoLU1bDwXUM3rmIQjSC/s320/chickens+007.jpg" border="0" /> Yay, poached egg on toast for breakfast tomorrow.</div>
<br />Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-55522676780962037482011-08-02T03:33:00.000-07:002011-08-02T04:28:43.499-07:00In the garden (and slightly beyond)<div><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iRS8bOcB1WazNU23oQaDEs9wMMWdFihaaN7vBtZ2nASzyyavq4SM6ac14Xq8dSFbgi6xvR-ba0uSCeUO8iFP2Xh2gmM8MGEePmpubXhu7JNPEasrKqUJtJjBhtz627XcIBJ3T8tFK08T/s1600/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636214936877151378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iRS8bOcB1WazNU23oQaDEs9wMMWdFihaaN7vBtZ2nASzyyavq4SM6ac14Xq8dSFbgi6xvR-ba0uSCeUO8iFP2Xh2gmM8MGEePmpubXhu7JNPEasrKqUJtJjBhtz627XcIBJ3T8tFK08T/s320/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> It's been quite a challenge trying to manage the garden this year. We had amazing hot weather from almost the end of february which resulted in a hose pipe ban. Whilst we ensured that every last drip from the washing up bowl was poured onto the veggie patch or garden pots, our normally green space started to look positively Mediteranean. Then - rain!! Tons of the stuff and our parched landscape turned into a water park. I'm happy to say that the garden is back under (loose) control and the plants are really thriving. Today I'd like to share some photos of our hanging baskets, flowers and fruit trees:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636214949621615682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNJl5HWowHwSgX2IsnQl5EvlVGqmE0vosaHRvW32I-sxjhmk1fG77hC5ZRU3D5Y79OOLTzycn2RscOi9_7k3Y1fkRhuNXx_FfXHl7HU8galVk8C-UShUSEMm7J8AIX-hwid29lyhNxYWe/s320/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+007.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636214944978810930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEIiDs5p7a1vH0v7zy4KpJCL8aDI0GIj07oQb37cS1myyRM2GlUuYLxIOzzFohyj5nB5Bv9KWAvrFVINquCeChLQThCEBLXORFGZdhLYbCtCRcPui9GEbjG5-e7FD71favugOFo9baWRq/s320/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+006.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636217919142826754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoycJXy6Op5SFEaPSN9GvAYCQkQZVyWQT1eww-CjNWxTW-h51gWo2SbsX5G-yL79Qk0cy8Y8BayeWhClaDenHIc3jCZhanXRezqn9tMsdE9f-nMeDvBDhJRTz_9DJZwhTOZ6YCoEQBn7i/s320/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+012.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636214942640445554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioar0g3bByJq4VcXpSOsbJWXI2JBEvqJTVKxr2ak4RJjoNRUydj1ExFY_r31UqItll4_OM5Bjp8gsBiQrPtuzm-TiHN-SShAmZ8oFQ2cv5e3roeB5PxVsam2yUDzckWfEOJjX5vK8QwfqI/s320/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+004.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636217922932311954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmSRqJam9_bvJEGFdbPfYLrTapvh5oLltbAMd-hQSPCUa-xphne3YWh2zxBjE0M9LmIAne1A2I3TzasALnD_kQiGG-5edoDPYeZbE55Ji63a7zr8Zr1HMykEmbQEXl0AUsh2YeR4x-l7b/s320/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+015.jpg" border="0" />Our neighbour's donkey has just had a baby that they've named Bonbon. I went over to visit with my niece and Marks son.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636217924295614930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0AGnh11-kJqMA6HDSZOzSrCEcfSolGWiMz7JyGf0urKWcFydkIhK0y_ajorVCqKf5qqWZuER6iwW4kzUC1LjxNiPNWYTXIUk04mu8S08XsGV2KaXyFdW-jTs6GY42OzW_EjT2gyvHJ0j/s320/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+017.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636217931485238898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUG-mgWZQ7xsHwDHVmAZuWs3rBFpkGo90u8RUV800w9-sw6g60iWmQqFV-KkjeyA-JbHZxTE_nk-AqfeB1Sf_f4kRBgnzceQ99Q0gt3ghxCkj4Lsx7nMGDfBpESm3bu72PDrZDVRmCqXpq/s320/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+019.jpg" border="0" />At the end of the day we enjoy having supper al fresco. Eddie cat is never far away waiting for his share of tasty treats.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636217932053049426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFlQJZDrCZFrZ_kmu3Bnt_5fTkaoWJgpaPpte36LhoGG7VrFuHpxheKtDbMMoU8ukIswKYLWojRxEOk58UrMhokBpl8TSAXllaI-EBnj0nR_iN8Kpd_SPpxnZcj73s5JSH4ucHbp_pULo/s320/Sophie%252C+Adam%252C+Flowers+027.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-17232908409219299432011-07-24T04:36:00.000-07:002011-07-24T05:28:43.066-07:00Heart Felt Fruits<div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOFy_TjX3it7aH944YhGf0ytis_rSwn4nhyphenhyphenJ41KJ4XIvhgUu-wrznCs6zqED51qUPohEk9Wl0-5n9WGqn_DqDaDD44XEp8PF8RVQ78ci-2uO8BlUKuD_p6NT9vf-zwtb0Oks5wiQebeL-/s1600/felt+fruit+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632885101583673298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOFy_TjX3it7aH944YhGf0ytis_rSwn4nhyphenhyphenJ41KJ4XIvhgUu-wrznCs6zqED51qUPohEk9Wl0-5n9WGqn_DqDaDD44XEp8PF8RVQ78ci-2uO8BlUKuD_p6NT9vf-zwtb0Oks5wiQebeL-/s320/felt+fruit+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>I've been truly amazed and impressed by the amount of creative talent in this region and we've been fortunate to become friends with some of the most gifted (Jean-charles Doyen and his glass insects, Pascale Grissard and her farmyard paintings, author Corine Pourtau).<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>We're regular attendees at the craft fairs - which are frequent, well attended and of exceptionally high standards, and was surprised and delighted to discover a craftswoman I hadn't met before. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Cecile Kifee (<a href="http://cecilekifee.over-blog.com/">http://cecilekifee.over-blog.com/</a>) makes fruit, veg and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHUl0SxEBZC5cqUF5TjSny4xxPWx6sq5gYMLrgu0zWFat5YmQ39iuA8UxRGYlpeMslSsPD7Z2NDp1UUEYEVznQcBmTqBQcnVOUPfCDU11BnC82VkTuXeYQHrpO8TsDEgrLfTsFp5Jtl_a/s1600/felt+fruit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632885278081081842" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHUl0SxEBZC5cqUF5TjSny4xxPWx6sq5gYMLrgu0zWFat5YmQ39iuA8UxRGYlpeMslSsPD7Z2NDp1UUEYEVznQcBmTqBQcnVOUPfCDU11BnC82VkTuXeYQHrpO8TsDEgrLfTsFp5Jtl_a/s320/felt+fruit.jpg" border="0" /></a>other treats from felt. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>These colourful creations were grouped beautifully on her stall and although I couldn't initially think of why I needed to buy her wares, I was drawn back time and time again. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Then it struck me, her Camemberts would make excellent pin cushions for all my sewing friends and guests attending one of our quilting or stitching events. </div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632889747857909362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Qqzt8y8lZtvDKfySY2mmXqg8a0KkKFuPTgICb2HKiGQyIIQkY2DxEySOyqwPcDEkTTJWkDLWuTbz_FhVkp4UZoPqPsN_w4XsNc0_1NpZDME8LvLXHlZbliI8QPsTXeFUgNMEF4jj-K_b/s320/rainbow+009.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>I have not as yet worked out a use for the felt fried egg I bought but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. I'm open to suggestions!</div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632890480685953762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zN7eC2uYtGyi_YBVUoJqc6H-r2cfG-iShaVttKDK3hUPP9lNRITPefmCK272jLFQZxM2nOq6JTnzSnbyp6fFHInejxzQRbmu6m58bXzS7vJ8k1gkv1-gIBz8zYyuwyS0N5SsbrCpuGM0/s320/rainbow+011.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Thanks to Naomi Haigh for the photos at Matour night market.</div></div></div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-88013307033229416012011-07-13T10:38:00.000-07:002011-07-13T12:33:35.000-07:00Our friends from across the pond (and those more local to us)<div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzj2ZHW6gvV47BSjlMJ4Fxj6DFU3RhqxSXtPo-z2cA_8VxWdJUeN9OZavnBDYQghmwfTSlUV_ghtyZFV2MN-8qm-1RiBd-aHTnVZrL3qHTkW5d5NQ8eP-u4IxIWgpKyCL-f3NBC0DrOI4t/s1600/karen+2011+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628919414777800578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzj2ZHW6gvV47BSjlMJ4Fxj6DFU3RhqxSXtPo-z2cA_8VxWdJUeN9OZavnBDYQghmwfTSlUV_ghtyZFV2MN-8qm-1RiBd-aHTnVZrL3qHTkW5d5NQ8eP-u4IxIWgpKyCL-f3NBC0DrOI4t/s320/karen+2011+002.jpg" border="0" /></a>Every now and then you have a REALLY special week and last week was certainly one of those. We welcomed back Karen Ely from A Womans Way and 8 amazing women from North America who had ventured here for a spot of 'Joie de Vivre'. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628919951757760722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmFGPhLleay0menxtOTFAAoJqV8JcqqAHu5cVKZPVg5RaoCCih7F35GVYDPwiMTfv38fqOkK0Rrap23w8DSAa-bEBUAi3F9pmmRDCZexsordbVuUMPXSvdkndbFxzzC5NkL8tT8cez_W-/s320/karen+2011+008.jpg" border="0" /> <br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>The aim was to combine valuable 'me time' and reflection with a huge slice of French life. As <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXekdOhaME25lbwLCMS3Uk0KGWpwpJ27VDzWLqc-8alxaD5zpXzjltcSDRqd5fdmTpVET7-WKcKCcZu3qKlZZJd8KMpN8Y_Im39LHY75HoxiiGtlwN5qNnK5qifi1GbuyYjl1Qv06BhIzM/s1600/karen+2011+008.jpg"></a>always, the friends we have made here rallied to the call and we had some rather splendid moments. Mike H teamed up with Roger Bonjour to host an evening of wine enlightenment and tasting.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628897719614486146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTRLzgLboWVgh8iT7x1suELrOYSSuCCDExN2oJRuZ7E9-D5yuckSJszV2TqHmVZWVjaKjqMrQNy2YBsx8b9Rj3adN8EL2ZBiKCVYI7rjdzjs0YelBVX1LrYAMR3Y1M5P9PbG-SE46nzdC/s320/karen+2011+010.jpg" border="0" />My yoga teacher Alexia Fachon, led a day of yoga and holistic massage whilst good friends Mike C and Roland created a magical evening of music. </div><br /><div>In between times, the ladies visited Cluny and the beautiful Chateau de Dree and we all made lavender wands together!! (Yet another 'things I never thought I'd do' activity to add to the list).<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628920829299535650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-9u3ZJNXUcKuLZWbQbkA0_gHiYteyTql3L0hmbpROlCtKqSYeRi1hmhosj8jVRpC5KjbAE3LEF6uTChZPDlpnWccqfsvua_u7sqTI6ePbNh0wCNAkCSxBPGDCSuFzf6y_S73M8Rzff85/s320/karen+2011+031.jpg" border="0" /> Time for a spot of R&R now before the courses kick off again in September. <br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628921062535670546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 146px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkgALvcXuoyzVGiPIyQVUfWvRvyKgjMqBH5df2DZLEamDKXkvEx2fgd91YqDGWADSkpMK89mtm0_CMS1k3E3kuL_2RYit9GzdLJid70hbv_CJo-2qrmXiFYVph0e7NsNYVDUVtTyY-MQe/s320/karen+2011+034small.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-81241213072564586312011-06-13T14:11:00.000-07:002011-06-22T05:51:33.180-07:00Chickens, Harleys and Cherry PipsHow often do I stop and reflect and think to myself, 'well, that was a funny old week?'<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>We've just completed two back to back art courses here with amazing tutor Nicola Slattery (who will be back in 2012 so watch this space). What better way to unwind than to attend a bikers party at our new neighbours farm. Our neighbours love motor bikes and their friends seem to be, for the most part, Hell's Angels (or at least lookalikes) but we had our invitation and we wanted to welcome them properly to this special part of the world. We took along friends who are visiting from the UK (safety in numbers) and as we strolled the half mile down the road, bikes roared past reminiscent of early shots in The Rocky Horror Show. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yTzzxulFQMqSAny-bq0UzMWGbqKKxZozmk9GVItoGY2IabNKxcqePFUoSnz6euGQm7P1xLPVQOXOw6n48yytLnHHf7PUGhIxUb-xQJAwkMAwVtyLdt-5CqkVsz7yVXVLLJc7OKctnhYf/s1600/cherry+spitting+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621023866427796114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yTzzxulFQMqSAny-bq0UzMWGbqKKxZozmk9GVItoGY2IabNKxcqePFUoSnz6euGQm7P1xLPVQOXOw6n48yytLnHHf7PUGhIxUb-xQJAwkMAwVtyLdt-5CqkVsz7yVXVLLJc7OKctnhYf/s400/cherry+spitting+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>A nicer bunch of people you couldn't hope to meet. As the evening wore on more and more people wanted to try out their English on us and we were soon making friends left, right and centre. Pit Bull, a 'non standard' Harley rider from the Alsace, regaled us with tales of derring do which often concluded with the phrase 'kiss my wheel'. As the hostess fretted about the lack of salad, Mark turned to me and whispered that everyone seemed to be doing very well thank you, on the great platters of meat that weighed down the trestle tables.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Then the gauntlet was thrown down, a challenge - England v France, cherry stone spitting. well, I know I shouldn't get involved but I find it almost impossible to resist a challenge. To the utter dismay of my friend we stepped up to the mark and popped the first of our cherries into our mouths. A platter had been set about 4ft away and the aim was to land your pip on target. The first round saw everyone spitting wide. Round three saw me hit my rhythm and my pip landed smack in the middle of the plate before bouncing out agai. Valerie, a petite biker from Alsace saw her chance and landed a pip on point. Pipped at the post, I felt gutted but offered my congratulations before heading for home. </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0GhvUZ04l5rtDy6ulcoAFJiOoKlAxUVeDgXPFG49VLpyQFgFfAFPX6Wqn_hHPJeYWNcJmoKM3wHkggIzGcxC2bcmLYEN-VKvDUddEdUgjcF5Ip6xzY54iUo2TvR3_2i_if-WED8HMyEP/s1600/girl+with+ducklings.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621024385865507122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 324px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0GhvUZ04l5rtDy6ulcoAFJiOoKlAxUVeDgXPFG49VLpyQFgFfAFPX6Wqn_hHPJeYWNcJmoKM3wHkggIzGcxC2bcmLYEN-VKvDUddEdUgjcF5Ip6xzY54iUo2TvR3_2i_if-WED8HMyEP/s400/girl+with+ducklings.jpg" border="0" /></a>We needed to be up early the next day to check out the chickens at louhans market. Mark has built the best chicken house in the world and now the search for it's lucky inhabitants begins. Confronted by thousands of feathered friends, hundreds of breeders and hoards of crowds, we felt quite overwhelmed. I was distracted by the rabbits and goats and by a stall with a variety of animals, all in miniature. We soon got into the swing of asking about egg production, laying life expectancy, food and preferred conditions and found we agreed on what makes a good looking chicken. we've narrowed our list of potential new family members down to 6 breeds and will make our final selection in August.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>On our return home we were pleased to welcome a couple of the bikers from the night before who wanted to stop by to say hello before heading off, a great photo opportunity for our Burgundy Bike Breaks.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJopOqkewg-c9jWSBpI7ygjghd8EFuqEzxp_UwyyGUb_1ghapkKYGQ2ry98zEsqzFrzPWgr9rtwBwl0nsAefAOsSXa4oDj7OBYim4gD2PypqcQa79pKedvia04RP83MXD24ZRUaGz8oZc/s1600/Denis+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621025614493352018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJopOqkewg-c9jWSBpI7ygjghd8EFuqEzxp_UwyyGUb_1ghapkKYGQ2ry98zEsqzFrzPWgr9rtwBwl0nsAefAOsSXa4oDj7OBYim4gD2PypqcQa79pKedvia04RP83MXD24ZRUaGz8oZc/s400/Denis+2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142886293012442257.post-74042253954186694892011-05-19T22:25:00.000-07:002011-05-19T23:28:18.367-07:00Elderflower Heaven<div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyGz70JiR1T5ivvDIEujVmbvmY08DX-NVTrj6NKSnh11-WRcdKf2OhJq-G_1BPgkewevtzVcbOquWMvqOnn0rn8ccdCAf4Wyx2MPxiFjEzaT0BGKfqfEfABtiMxfzv_zYLYntNbu-FS6Z/s1600/elderflower+blossom.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608674282225422050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyGz70JiR1T5ivvDIEujVmbvmY08DX-NVTrj6NKSnh11-WRcdKf2OhJq-G_1BPgkewevtzVcbOquWMvqOnn0rn8ccdCAf4Wyx2MPxiFjEzaT0BGKfqfEfABtiMxfzv_zYLYntNbu-FS6Z/s320/elderflower+blossom.jpg" border="0" /></a> My kitchen smells glorious today! Next week sees the arrival of guests for two weeks of painting bliss with celebrated artist Nicola Slattery so I'm busy in the kitchen and garden preparing treats for their stay. I love foraging in the hedgerows around here, particularly the ones at 'Les Cerisiers' and right now they are dominated by the splendour of Elderflowers. I love the creamy mass of brightness, the sweet scent they produce and their promise of Elderflower cordial and, later on in the year, elderbery jam and wine. Today I thought I'd share my recipe for the cordial with you:</div><br /><div>You will need-</div><br /><div>1.5 litres water</div><br /><div>1.5 kilos of white sugar</div><br /><div>2 oranges thinly sliced</div><br /><div>2 lemons thinly sliced</div><br /><div>Thinly sliced ginger to taste </div><br /><div>40 grammes citric acid (available from chemists)</div><br /><div>20 Elderflower heads<br /></div><br /><div>What to do-<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DdxyGB6yjG_GbKkwNdorW0ilbDzGy7s50k86-K_U_-8IfXQXYSedElKGrN0CnSHl2o1kBjDo6DqsWM-r14ZQm8OOPqwNx5LhP6p9LA_vdvQ6vHBg0MKc2tCkA1Zmt8I6WPUYhMB5nh66/s1600/Elderflower+cordial+%252B+harry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608677067219507810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 294px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DdxyGB6yjG_GbKkwNdorW0ilbDzGy7s50k86-K_U_-8IfXQXYSedElKGrN0CnSHl2o1kBjDo6DqsWM-r14ZQm8OOPqwNx5LhP6p9LA_vdvQ6vHBg0MKc2tCkA1Zmt8I6WPUYhMB5nh66/s320/Elderflower+cordial+%252B+harry.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>On a warm afternoon or evening (and we're having quite a few of these at the moment) harvest your flower heads. Just snip across the stalk to keep the flower heads whole. Fresh flower heads will be light and creamy with plenty of pollen and are heavily fragranced. If they smell like old socks or cats pee, they are passed their best (or your cat has widdled on them) so don't use them. As you harvest the flower heads, lie them flower down, stalk up, on a flat surface giving any unwanted visitors the opportunity to escape. There are no strict rules regarding numbers of flower heads, I was making a double batch and lost count after 27, it doesn't matter.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608680636815703938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvg32bdxaMhRwMyX0HI9ElIV6_ooxA4LRAyqMgx1gy3S-ebg4uf3uLEPuQzw44OaxGlew2Uc5XUwosl5IwOE4YHAnpGBK5vbOaUc5BghZB-2Fdgk6oK5hYwmIF4mB7-uJniutD0PWUW-U/s320/Elderflower+cordial+upside+down.jpg" border="0" />Warm the sugar and water in a large pan until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil. Add the flower heads and bring to the boil again then remove from the heat. Stir in your remaining ingredients and leave this mixture to steep for 24 hours in a cool place whilst you enjoy yourself doing something that makes you feel glad to be alive.<br /><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608676672636843394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhESlmRSjJiRVXvZQbihT_qeG8dMBc5L3LH-jVIk70UxRbt5qDFFd2NUVcaGzOQy6n-vKGnLu0y2Pxq4JbkAMc9-HFjhqUeZu_ApXgitFLRQtBDbhfSe3R6x7KcPhJ906GoE-80a43aSkg/s320/Elderflower+cordial+cooking.jpg" border="0" /> Strain the liquid into bottles or jars that can be well sealed. The cordial will keep for up to a year if placed in the freezer or 2 months in the fridge. <br /><div>To serve, blend with mineral water or lemonde then share with a friend.</div><br /><div>NB Harry Cat has agreed to his photo being published on the understanding that I point out he has in no way interfered with the Elderflowers featured in a negative way!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608677496793793826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 315px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_Vl1RwzYjBiCLzx0RjXN2dXiUyZj-PufD-Jdw7Y9QEn_M7QzUZsd-bOULYKwbvJDXiASYDjtrEZ-QVCClzJUrQN60qAqow2J5LQ6aiWoSsUmJh02h3bkh7AgOnkwWP_eiEgW3O1T4wk4/s320/Elderflower+cordial+smile.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Burgundy Dreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413010037647865804noreply@blogger.com0