tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40893160625834777472024-03-18T08:03:54.482+01:00Troc, Broc and Recup'Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.comBlogger912125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-41065275608970264032018-03-26T09:58:00.000+02:002018-03-26T09:58:09.448+02:00Fossils in the hills - and a new blog for my students!Hi everyone! I'm hoping to direct you towards a blog which several of my young bilingual students are producing - they're aged between 9 and 12, and they all live in France (now). Several of them were reluctant writers until they discovered blogging, and the change in their enthusiasm is remarkable! But those of us who blog will already know how rewarding it can be...<br />
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Please pop over and leave a comment on some of the more recent posts (especially the fossil ones by coco2000, my 9-year old co-moderator - he is desperate for your recognition!) Thanks and see you soon. <a href="https://learninginlyon.blogspot.fr/">Click here to go direct to ELF - English Learning Fun.</a><br />Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-84236020786912640432017-02-02T14:08:00.001+01:002017-02-02T14:08:22.446+01:00An English Family in France, leading a Minimalist Vintage Life?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We've bought a house! A little north of Lyon, and pretty close to where we're currently renting - we've decided that our move to Lyon is going to be a long-term one.</div>
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This is the beam in the entrance hall. If anyone can interpret the carved letters and numbers, please let me know - we haven't moved in yet so haven't really had a chance to study them yet.<br /><br />We move in March. And this is the point about the title of this post - the house is (quite deliberately) smaller than the ones we've lived in since we came to France in 2005. When we moved up to Lyon, despite getting rid of quite a lot of stuff, we still found ourselves opening boxes and asking ourselves, 'Why on earth did we even BRING this with us?'<br />
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And as the desire to own a smaller (but characterful) house crept over us, it became clear that we would have less storage space... stands to reason, doesn't it?<br /><br />As a committed collector and, let's face it, hoarder, someone who sees the wonder in the little handmade fripperies of the past and in fossils and in old newspapers and in fabric-covered boxes and in vintage tins and in... (insert vintage item here) and in not letting things go to waste, I HATED decluttering.<br /><br />I probably still hate it now, but I have been doing it with a lot of pleasure for almost a year now. Why? Because I'm not decluttering, I'm doing rational minimalism. The 'rational' bit, coined by <a href="http://www.becomingminimalist.com/">Joshua Becker</a> of Becoming Minimalist, is important. He points out that minimalism isn't just a style choice, with nothing on the walls and a few items of uncomfortable furniture in the house. It's much more whatever works for you, in terms of holding on to all that is best in your life, and letting go of the rest.<br /><br />Once I got into this philosophy, Marie Kondo (I know, laugh, 'Only keep it if it sparks joy') also made sense. Her ideas are only funny if you take them out of context. In fact, her books are about setting yourself free of the guilt you get when you let things go. I think guilt was a big factor in my keeping things. I thought, 'This is good, so I must keep it'. The other factor is that Ben and I wanted to raise money for the local refugee charity, <a href="http://actforref.org/fr/" rel="nofollow">ActForRef</a>, so we had one Vide Grenier stand, which turned into four Vide Grenier stands, and one table at the local Brocante/Flea Market. Other people donated stuff too, and with our sales plus theirs, we made around 1000€ last year for ActForRef. When you see people loving your stuff, when you know they're going to really appreciate it, and when they give your chosen charity good money for it, it's not so pressing to keep hold of it.<br />
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The rewards of making money to help refugees are instant. The rewards of having less stuff at home took a while to filter through, but suddenly, I realised that I was taking considerably less time to do the housework, and in general the house was tidier with no real effort. This is new in my life! And it's a real reward.<br /><br />In preparation for the move I'm running one more round of The <a href="http://www.theminimalists.com/game/">Minimalism Game</a>, an idea I picked up on last May. I've played it so far with friends from Mums Space France, a group on Facebook. This month I've set up a group on Facebook which anyone can join - and at least one blogging friend is already a member! If you are on Facebook and would like to join the group, either to play or to be nosy, you are very welcome. The group is called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1246375038765115/">Minimalism Game, February 2017</a>. Click on the name to find it - maybe I'll see some of you there!<br /><br />Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-30685517835320759762016-08-24T15:07:00.001+02:002016-08-24T15:07:40.368+02:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We saw a glacier!</div>
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I'm not really coming back to blog regularly - I still chat to lots of lovely bloggers on Facebook and life is good but very busy, but it's surely worth sharing this wonderful view of the Mer de Glace glacier, taken from a mountain walk above our campsite in the Alps last week. If you happen to see this post, do feel free to tell me how you are!Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-5632192864665170722015-04-26T14:50:00.002+02:002015-04-26T14:50:46.658+02:00The first Vide Grenier in town!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well here's a rare event - Floss has a photo to share!</div>
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Today was our town's first spring Vide Grenier. It's not the real biggie (I have a stand booked for that one myself) but I thought it would be worth a visit. I'm glad I turned up! I've only taken one photo but on it you'll see that I managed a fine selection of the nostalgic, the practical, the interesting and the weird. Take your pick as to which is which!<br />
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So I bought:<br />
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A Provençal quilt (single) and pillowcase for 3€. The quilt is already on our sofa and looks great.<br />
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A Dunoon mug for 50c (shameless copy of Emma Bridgwater but I like Dunoon all the same)<br />
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A '60s North African mirror in red, to match the blue one which is currently in Ben's Lyon flat, 2€<br />
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7 homes magazines, mostly in Spanish, 10c each<br />
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A dancing Russian doll, non-identical twin to my grandma's dancing doll, which I've recently inherited, 1€<br />
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A tasselled and sequined hanging from a hotel, circa 1920 I should think, 5€<br />
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The only problem with these great finds is that they're going to have to move with us - we're off to join Ben in Lyon in the summer! We're looking at rental houses, which will all be significantly smaller than our current pile. So de-cluttering has already started and I have to be careful.<br />
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Hopefully I'll put a few more posts here about our spring and summer near Toulouse, and from then on, I'll share some Lyonais posts with you.Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-54229067635364834362014-11-08T17:43:00.003+01:002014-11-08T17:43:54.035+01:00Advent PlansAs you will have observed I'm very busy and not blogging, but there are are plenty of Advent happenings, and Dormouse has just blogged about one of them <a href="https://fatdormouse.wordpress.com/2014/11/08/a-pause-in-advent/">here</a>. Please do look out for things to do, and have a wonderful and blessed approach to the Christmas season!Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-82149274368773708182014-07-27T17:28:00.002+02:002014-07-27T17:30:46.251+02:00Camping, camels, causses and canoesWe've just come back from a week in and around the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorges_du_Tarn">Tarn Gorges</a>, about four hours away from our home near Toulouse.<br />
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The landscape is high limestone <i>Causses</i> (ideal for keeping sheep so long as you can store the water) which are dissected by huge winding gorges. The <i>Gorges du Tarn</i> itself is 53 kilometres long! The motorway which cuts past the area has to cross a number of minor gorges, using viaducts like the one you can see in the photo of our campsite sheep, and of course like the famous <a href="http://www.leviaducdemillau.com/en_index.php#/accueil/"><i>Viaduc du Millau</i></a>, visible in the distance on the high approach to our campsite.</div>
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Our campsite was a very basic one, with occasional hot water, showers, some 'French' loos and one highly-contested 'modern' toilet. There was also a large covered area with tables and a fridge (luxury) and beautiful woodland camping spaces, separated by green oaks. Did we take a photo? No we did not - we had real difficulty charging our phones and cameras, which was probably good for us.</div>
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<i>La Blaquiere</i> <a href="http://www.lablaquiere.com/Accueil/tabid/542/Default.aspx">farm </a>makes traditional sheeps' mik cheese, herds traditional tourists into the campsite and some beautiful historic gites, and leads treks across the <i>causse </i>with slightly less traditional Bactrian camels. This is not our photo - we saw lots of the camels but didn't pay for the trek, as we saved our money for the even more exciting <a href="http://www.le-soulio.com/incontournable.awp">canoe trip down the gorge</a>. Did we take a photo of that? No, we were having too much fun getting wet! We canoed 10 kilometres, stopping for swims, a picnic and a chance to explore a riverside village accessible only by boat. We got a 10% discount on our trip, on the charming basis of a note on the canoe flyer marked, <i>'Bises, Manue'</i> ('Kisses, from Manue'), as our campsite cheese maker is great friends with the canoe trip family! Here's a generic photo of the wonders we paddled through:</div>
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<img src="http://www.canoe2000.fr/_dynamique/photos03/zoom/--12.jpg" /></div>
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The area is full of history, from the medieval hermitage on the farm were we stayed:</div>
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to the also medieval troglodite church from which you can see the <i>Viaduc du Millau</i>:</div>
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all the way back to prehistoric <i>menhirs </i>up on the highest <i>causses</i>:</div>
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with attendant chambered tombs:</div>
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Not a bad fit!</div>
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As well as canoeing, walking and visiting, we had plenty of time for relaxing.</div>
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We spent several days around the campsite, cooking up fun lunches and playing games of <a href="http://www.kubb-spiel.de/en/Kubb-Rules/"><i>Kübb</i></a> or Trivial Pursuit. On one of those days some of <i>Papé'</i>s (the grandpa's) bees swarmed and caused quite a bit of excitement! We bought some of the honey to commemorate the event.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPDgWqsFa_FF8a0aTcRhiCLipnc4e3Md33pluM261hh8rcfm1ecHZwDaYWuQSr6ka8PEvjyopEMjnkk-BJWmYtTM7RruqA2-GSUMB7-ZBavS2C_-YLL9HB6qDMLwraK9TtI2AIVzlwmgB/s1600/8Swarm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPDgWqsFa_FF8a0aTcRhiCLipnc4e3Md33pluM261hh8rcfm1ecHZwDaYWuQSr6ka8PEvjyopEMjnkk-BJWmYtTM7RruqA2-GSUMB7-ZBavS2C_-YLL9HB6qDMLwraK9TtI2AIVzlwmgB/s1600/8Swarm.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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One the other days there were just ordinary old camels to enliven the campsite...</div>
Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-29673600616105843572014-06-15T17:56:00.000+02:002014-06-15T17:56:46.653+02:00Spritzdekor at the Vide Grenier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's not often that you find a title on this blog in German, is it?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmn1HeKLdHF8QISGoRgRNxnl_zkD51JLZs5DhMMIDeXr7eyCTO5Iw0z5EFzMlMfyTFOkKH7boNjFYjy_0cS-UXEqNUIAK8aIxx1ed0pO86OQFNY60zTXMKdTJU1eqA9mprh-1KDv0npSA/s1600/Everything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmn1HeKLdHF8QISGoRgRNxnl_zkD51JLZs5DhMMIDeXr7eyCTO5Iw0z5EFzMlMfyTFOkKH7boNjFYjy_0cS-UXEqNUIAK8aIxx1ed0pO86OQFNY60zTXMKdTJU1eqA9mprh-1KDv0npSA/s1600/Everything.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
However, our local 'meduim-sized' <i>Vide Grenier</i> was on today, and I had a wonderful time there, including in my haul a piece of genuine Spritzdekor - can you work out which one it is?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNreyw176Dih2SogdusZprcqNHV63bkLhom1pS7aj408jb4ucD5TUFQCu0yTUy5ehMgtfTGw1svvTtUDlIzBB_o9cb1mc4ZR0R6Bz9T6lCq-DJtYK2C2BVe2ZCmwk-lLJYYckdDJbkA7N/s1600/Boat+plates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNreyw176Dih2SogdusZprcqNHV63bkLhom1pS7aj408jb4ucD5TUFQCu0yTUy5ehMgtfTGw1svvTtUDlIzBB_o9cb1mc4ZR0R6Bz9T6lCq-DJtYK2C2BVe2ZCmwk-lLJYYckdDJbkA7N/s1600/Boat+plates.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The standard French plates I collect are stencilled, and in fact really they fit in with the description of Spritzdekor (which means sprayed stencil-ware, made between the wars). However, the Spritzdekor that I've seen in magazines always has a very modernistic quality to it, which means that, marvelous though they are, these boat plates aren't the real thing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RAC4LIpnRMJM5CriCIXcIQzswXC0TLtFyXvwr3eaGjc-jytC8psJk0_f_x_KlGO8gGtQ8_QtZ0CP8OKfcel8N4U_Xxgfe-aE-XIzqD5h737CKxlgN04xK1iq-taDEB9Nh1SRUO4EXG9-/s1600/Cake+plate+and+front+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RAC4LIpnRMJM5CriCIXcIQzswXC0TLtFyXvwr3eaGjc-jytC8psJk0_f_x_KlGO8gGtQ8_QtZ0CP8OKfcel8N4U_Xxgfe-aE-XIzqD5h737CKxlgN04xK1iq-taDEB9Nh1SRUO4EXG9-/s1600/Cake+plate+and+front+page.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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This, however, IS the real thing, and grubby though it looked on the stall, I had high hopes that it would be a nice little collector's piece once it went through the dishwasher.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLYKjshaoLu-_YXXqSu3uARXMq-sUc_S51uHVmCDj0A1ELxPs92M_gwYoV-Ym81wVs-GgrC0Y9tl6O6spF4IaNxLcwYO7bMb2knWkUig9Avl-jTUpTivEmlkqauFhjNwghqcJrmiWM3vR/s1600/Cake+plate+and+article.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLYKjshaoLu-_YXXqSu3uARXMq-sUc_S51uHVmCDj0A1ELxPs92M_gwYoV-Ym81wVs-GgrC0Y9tl6O6spF4IaNxLcwYO7bMb2knWkUig9Avl-jTUpTivEmlkqauFhjNwghqcJrmiWM3vR/s1600/Cake+plate+and+article.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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And indeed it is as sparkly as any of the cake plates featured in this Martha Stewart Living article (thanks to my friend B for some copies of MSL a few year ago!) Apparantly they sell in America for about 25 dollars so they aren't really valuable, but I still think 50c for a slightly chipped one is very good! I won't use it for cakes - I think it will be just right as a coffee pot stand when I don't want the table cloth to get marked or dripped on.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MMY7k5C4axk0lhxhJ54GCDHKCKbz3EwdKGn7-xcd4Z-91couyzUpXy4D12PciP96Z_-D0CbsgPdhwNgqRXUx4bWWrumA4UJAqop8Jwv5dJNObW-YIQ1SvoRtaqeJJz5Ojs4r61D1m3Kw/s1600/Canisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MMY7k5C4axk0lhxhJ54GCDHKCKbz3EwdKGn7-xcd4Z-91couyzUpXy4D12PciP96Z_-D0CbsgPdhwNgqRXUx4bWWrumA4UJAqop8Jwv5dJNObW-YIQ1SvoRtaqeJJz5Ojs4r61D1m3Kw/s1600/Canisters.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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These kitchen canisters are very much run-of-the-mill round here, but they still make a lovely collection, with or without their lids. I saw one in Homes and Antiques (perhaps, or maybe another magazine...) without its lid, holding cutlery, and I realised it was time to stop worrying if some of the canisters no longer have lids. After all, there's more than one use for a pretty canister:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvIQCLeE9JKAzLxAbFd67d9VdB-W4NQ-gId-fxjXAJlV22PU3fVJraePtOIUSeSc5r_Pt7PQAAgy5rK27giw2LRuPLbF00Q-otBcp5fNnfvg7M_pw19EKQKHsgztiZLjyZQCabPzNs93F/s1600/Canisters+and+roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvIQCLeE9JKAzLxAbFd67d9VdB-W4NQ-gId-fxjXAJlV22PU3fVJraePtOIUSeSc5r_Pt7PQAAgy5rK27giw2LRuPLbF00Q-otBcp5fNnfvg7M_pw19EKQKHsgztiZLjyZQCabPzNs93F/s1600/Canisters+and+roses.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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In addition, I found a useful vintage zinc colander, to replace the nasty, peeling copy of a vintage one that I bought new a few years ago. There was also this charming little wooden measure.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BGmhF_5DmBQEyzW0HyAFsqIcwegTa4IzjcJ_Q17ujpRGxQs1X3k-4Ute2RFIWdsvJlhbpLLxuAV2bmMPBc42N3kHe0mJjofn_4EdP2fz0hSdp-ZEDNrhR3Qo-1rnJdRAcJqct4k1wcBf/s1600/Demi+Litre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BGmhF_5DmBQEyzW0HyAFsqIcwegTa4IzjcJ_Q17ujpRGxQs1X3k-4Ute2RFIWdsvJlhbpLLxuAV2bmMPBc42N3kHe0mJjofn_4EdP2fz0hSdp-ZEDNrhR3Qo-1rnJdRAcJqct4k1wcBf/s1600/Demi+Litre.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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I really love that.</div>
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On the washing line, and therefore not featuring in my kitchen-table photo shoot, is a lace stole. The woman I bought it from told me it's 1920s, and it's going to look great over a strappy/strapless dress on summer evenings. I can envisage it being worn a lot here in the next few months!</div>
Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-3897523470487534702014-05-11T17:16:00.001+02:002014-05-11T17:16:46.505+02:00Town Vide Grenier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWaRF5jgcS5T9gz93Obr4kGe7jpTNCNwX7WhTQ7zYnUiGRVXnJrB5GQwOcJMZJs3B1zqhYxs_ye1l2lE73AYX24PfLXE2cCZnvdvmZFqAttnOqZNMz_nA41czyzOYfolZjWpVWMEajXE/s1600/20140511_170450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWaRF5jgcS5T9gz93Obr4kGe7jpTNCNwX7WhTQ7zYnUiGRVXnJrB5GQwOcJMZJs3B1zqhYxs_ye1l2lE73AYX24PfLXE2cCZnvdvmZFqAttnOqZNMz_nA41czyzOYfolZjWpVWMEajXE/s1600/20140511_170450.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
Hello there - long time no blogging! Thanks to those who checked I was OK (thanks Kezzie) - yes, I've been fine, but blogging really takes a back seat when you work and parent full-time! But today I'm happy to share with you some fairly restrained shopping brought back from the local <i>Vide Grenier</i>. I found this charming, and very space-saving vintage camping stool for 50c on one of the first stalls. Ben is very impressed by its folding design. I like the fabric best! I then spent 3€ on the match holder. It should sit beside our fire (newly cleaned out) and I especially love the lettering.Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-43750597935943866992014-04-11T20:54:00.000+02:002014-04-11T20:54:52.211+02:00Vintage French Aprons - or are they?Yesterday I found two vintage pinafore aprons - not at all in French style!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwh3VtPRjcWH7kiWS0Svyd_WDH-Z0IQnrbU7uYQsGBbJChJ7kDouvSbDLv_TRtKWT3W_I8mUJQAZ0I4AjYfUL2GqGC5vK7d2g9UrCdebyN7T7m0MZFGnhsLz8MNUeOKIW8IrSUMUdgGUu7/s1600/all+aprons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwh3VtPRjcWH7kiWS0Svyd_WDH-Z0IQnrbU7uYQsGBbJChJ7kDouvSbDLv_TRtKWT3W_I8mUJQAZ0I4AjYfUL2GqGC5vK7d2g9UrCdebyN7T7m0MZFGnhsLz8MNUeOKIW8IrSUMUdgGUu7/s1600/all+aprons.JPG" height="400" width="262" /></a></div>
Frip' Relais, one of the two charity shops to the north of Toulouse, is holding a kind of retro-themed month, with lots and lots of 1970s stuff (much of it great fun, and with clothes in realistic sizes) out, in fun displays. I picked up the pink apron, and when I came to the till the woman there asked if I'd seen the second apron - well, I snapped that up too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPyl8I0WIOGqVogbsHF7zI8A6_kT7lZY0kTrPJMDW7SDqcPLugYuBDsms5SqTYYcvtPyvMGK3z4QtMArbfOUl0Dct6tM1X35GgfMtvjTKlZE5cCoh9Jak62fftInT6qF0w5Nj9TXXo2To/s1600/Pink+fabric.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPyl8I0WIOGqVogbsHF7zI8A6_kT7lZY0kTrPJMDW7SDqcPLugYuBDsms5SqTYYcvtPyvMGK3z4QtMArbfOUl0Dct6tM1X35GgfMtvjTKlZE5cCoh9Jak62fftInT6qF0w5Nj9TXXo2To/s1600/Pink+fabric.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
You can see that this pink one is much earlier than the 1970s. It reminded me instantly of feedsack aprons, made from the American grain and flour sacks which were printed with the most wonderful patterns from the 1930s to 1950s. There's a great article about <a href="https://blog.etsy.com/en/2011/feed-sacks-a-sustainable-fabric-history/">feedsack dresse</a>s here on Etsy. This article gives some clues about how to check if your fabric really comes from a feedsack, and mine doesn't seem to be the 'real thing', but I still feel that the apron is so unlike the typical French style (either a butcher's apron like the one with red initials seen in my first photo, or a granny-jacket thing) that I feel there's at least some American influence here:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68XzBKg9RF3Qj_TFq1L08a0QS_6e4nZRk4DG_Xc9T3sQNj2F95s-X-YM_xnvosUcIt4p3ckHcWWE1zrLqoWdhIG6zdeUYp4GScWv_5gAqKtj7Qwuu3CxfBq5lb9ONFx8xR9jq6SW4ir2I/s1600/Pink+apron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68XzBKg9RF3Qj_TFq1L08a0QS_6e4nZRk4DG_Xc9T3sQNj2F95s-X-YM_xnvosUcIt4p3ckHcWWE1zrLqoWdhIG6zdeUYp4GScWv_5gAqKtj7Qwuu3CxfBq5lb9ONFx8xR9jq6SW4ir2I/s1600/Pink+apron.JPG" height="320" width="194" /></a></div>
Terrible shot, but you can at least see how it looks when on. It fits perfectly!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_yYX1683GOLiLwbqr33t8dri49a3R-6vQ5sR4sh7sXXgcagkmcZbmkcr3OJR_VVNYmMuqyEkDiSZ1cRVlgHjeQVmQUO-ZjkYWftfld-RxlXtoMASa_2WmZ4IRVlI6Gc1ab-ObdjTypK6/s1600/red+apron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_yYX1683GOLiLwbqr33t8dri49a3R-6vQ5sR4sh7sXXgcagkmcZbmkcr3OJR_VVNYmMuqyEkDiSZ1cRVlgHjeQVmQUO-ZjkYWftfld-RxlXtoMASa_2WmZ4IRVlI6Gc1ab-ObdjTypK6/s1600/red+apron.JPG" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
The second one is red gingham, if it's American, or <i>Vichy</i>, if it's French! Cute but not a lot of coverage...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKe2S60LAzP6MCrzfqexVTMHOFn8u3bGi0G9ukS3mIxe1wZE0HKEmhMLEvpxNVb5bi_RNEnQ7UM4kV3yt-ztP-h3J_27v7Tr8yAD4syquhnChbYEol0UYhmzWNMwn1T5M0h0Mtkw-VezN/s1600/fabric+details.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKe2S60LAzP6MCrzfqexVTMHOFn8u3bGi0G9ukS3mIxe1wZE0HKEmhMLEvpxNVb5bi_RNEnQ7UM4kV3yt-ztP-h3J_27v7Tr8yAD4syquhnChbYEol0UYhmzWNMwn1T5M0h0Mtkw-VezN/s1600/fabric+details.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
They are both hanging up in the kitchen with the French-initialed apron and a pretty blue and white half-apron that I was given in a blog swap several years ago. I don't think I'll wear them, as I rely on plasticised aprons with lots of coverage to keep me clean and dry!Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-18052729530975963542014-04-08T22:20:00.001+02:002014-04-08T22:20:11.751+02:00A Pause in Lent 2014 - better late than never!It was a lovely weekend, full of gardening, plant-buying, archery and fish and chips (an unusual find in France...) and I never got round to writing my Pause in Lent - sorry! But here is a really truthful picture for you, from the Facebook page of someone I'm very happy to have found over the last week or two:<br />
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Kim Verrier is a Speaker and Encourager (a very worthwhile occupation!) who is the friend of a friend. I followed my friend's link to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kimv.speakerencourager">Kim's Facebook page</a> and found her words very helpful - and in the case of the picture above, very relevant! Do pop over and visit her if you are on Facebook.Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-25406875294270440272014-03-31T21:29:00.000+02:002014-03-31T21:29:44.497+02:00A Fourth Pause in Lent 2014Lent is coming along nicely - I have ordered my leg of Easter lamb from the butcher's!<br />
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I am also finding your Pause in Lent posts so helpful. It was <a href="http://garysanders112.blogspot.fr/2014/03/a-pause-in-lent-3.html">Gaz's post last week</a> that really kept me thinking.<br />
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I stopped off in our local church on Tuesday (market day) and lit candles for our family and for my father and his wife. If candles aren't from your tradition, well, neither are they from mine. But the prayer next to the candelabrum says it all, I think.<br />
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Here's my rough translation:<br />
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Lord, let this candle which I light be a beacon for you to illuminate my joy,<br />
Let it burn so that you rekindle my heart,<br />
Let it shine so that you burn away all my selfishness, pride and impurity.<br />
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Lord, I cannot stay long in your church.<br />
This burning candle that I leave is part of me that I want to give to you.<br />
Help me to prolong my prayer in my activities today.<br />
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Amen<br />
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What all came together for me (as part of Gaz's comments on sacrifice, and the prayer about leaving part of yourself for God) was the realisation that sacrifice isn't always painful. There are willing and happy sacrifices we make every day. A mother's life could be described as one long sacrifice - the needs of her children put ahead of her own. The fact that it doesn't feel like that most of the time is because it's a very happy and worthwhile sacrifice made for people we love. This year Ben has sacrificed a lot (including earnings) to study again. I have sacrificed a lot to let him go off to Lyon every week to do this, if I really think about it, but it's both gladly done and gratefully received, which really makes it all worth it. Perhaps we avoid offerning our whole lives as a sacrifice to God because we think it will lead to one long existence of strain and struggle. What if it isn't? What if the day to day sacrifices we make will just draw us closer in love, companionship and understanding?<br />
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Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-54608355408789945032014-03-25T21:35:00.001+01:002014-03-25T21:35:46.167+01:00A stack of vintage French quilts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am loving this stack of quilts and eiderdowns - they all came from the Secours Catholique shop at around the same time a few years ago, and came in handy during the cold winter of 2012-2013. This winter they've hardly had a look-in, but I happened to put a new clothes rack into the bedroom (Ben likes to keep his gardening clothes from one weekend to the next, and they are NOT going to live on the floor, whatever he thinks, so a rack comes in handy).</div>
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Son 2 and I shortened the metal poles for this second-hand clothes rack (OK, Son 2 did it, seeing as he found me with the saw and took over), so that it now fits under our eaves. It's arguable whether the top eiderdown actually DOES fit, but they do look rather lovely, so it's staying there for now.Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-6320818129814364792014-03-23T13:25:00.000+01:002014-03-23T13:25:08.131+01:00Reasons to be Faithful, Part Three - a Pause in LentWelcome to the third Pause in Lent - it begins to feel like Easter is coming, now! I've started planning the Easter feast, and need to place an order at the butcher's in town. How is Lent going for you all? It's great to read your posts each week (and even comment on some this time) and to see what you are reading, thinking and learning. Please carry on visiting each other, and also commenting - I am really grateful for the comments which I've received, which show me that people are thinking about what I write and and about what I care about. <br />
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For my third Pause I want to continue with the line of thinking I started (thanks to CS Lewis) last Sunday. This started off with the idea that it's impossible for a team of people (the Gospel writers and disciples) or for an individual to invent a truly good person who is also completely consistent and likeable. If Jesus comes across as truly good and truly loveable in the Bible, that's genuinely supernatural! No human is perfect, and no made-up perfect person is loveable. Anyone read Horrid Henry? Think how awful his brother Perfect Peter is...<br />
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Moving on, people suggest that the disciples and gospel writers took the story of a good man, Jesus, and added on supernatural bits and pieces to make this good human into something divine. Is it possible that the stories are a mish-mash of history and superstition? Is it possible to say, 'Yes, Jesus said THIS, but he didn't do THAT?' I don't really think so. The stories are consistent, as I said above. You can spot made up stories about Jesus a mile off. Once a preacher in my childhood church read out some nineteenth century stories about Jesus as a boy which talked about how sweet and brave and loving he was. And how totally un-natural and inhuman and revolting, all the children thought... Ow, they were horrible! The real Jesus may be lovely, but he is hard work. He's not at all tolerant of hypocricy or privilege or the status quo.<br />
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So for me it's impossible to fall into a handy compromise along the lines that 'Jesus was a good man but nothing more'. Jesus didn't say he was 'nothing more'. He allowed people to refer to him as the Saviour of his people and referred to ancient prophecies as if they were about himself. He called God his Father, and encouraged his followers to do the same. Good people don't claim that kind of glory - unless they deserve it. CS Lewis says it comes down to three choices: either Jesus was mad (he thought he was the Son of God when he wasn't), bad (he pretended he was the Son of God when he knew he wasn't) or he was telling the truth.<br />
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When I went through my little crisis of faith I really didn't feel ready to compromise. Either there isn't any supernatural element in life, or Jesus is the real deal. I wasn't comfortable with a 'The universe is on our side and good things come to those who think positively' type of spirituality. I do believe that positive thinking is very important, but I don't see much evidence of that as a spiritual truth - it's more psyschological. Spiritually, for me it comes down to a decision about Jesus: is he made up or semi-invented, or is he real and telling the truth? Intellectually, I'm going for the 'real and telling the truth' choice. My emotions can catch up on that intellectual decision when they have time - it's not about current feelings, it's about fact. I have enough evidence from the Bible, from the lives of other people, from my own past and my present, to accept that, however I feel right now, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-54344366513391444982014-03-21T11:23:00.000+01:002014-03-21T11:23:21.372+01:00A new rustic fence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In 2010 Ben made a lovely, rustic fence out of found wood and some wire pannels - you can see it <a href="http://trocbroc.blogspot.fr/2010/05/rustic-fence.html">here</a>. Of course it wasn't going to last for ever, and with untreated wood it had more or less rotted away by last summer. He, the boys and I spent some time this winter ripping the old fence out and putting up a new one, made of treated wood salvaged from pallets!</div>
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Now that the blossom and a few bulbs are coming out, it's pretty enough to show you! Here are a few shots of the old fence when it was still looking cute, first right at the very beginning:<br />
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See how small our nectarine tree was then! Two and a bit years later, the fence was hosting some lovely Scottish foxgloves:<br />
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I very carefully dug up the current foxglove plants (three little ones) and replanted them once the new fence went in. I've also split and replanted the two different types of iris which were growing in places along the old fence, and Ben is planting some gladiolus corms along it in batches, so that they will hopefully flower at different times this year. I'm sure that Lululiz's morning glories have re-seeded themselves, as they always do, so that's some more wonderful colour to look forward to as our new, rustic fence settles in to the garden!</div>
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Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-53566415135008864992014-03-18T19:26:00.000+01:002014-03-18T20:48:20.336+01:00Buttons united...My mum's collection of buttons is slowly making its way over from Edinburgh to France - I think I may now have united all our mother of pearl buttons into one (overloaded) French fabric box...<br />
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But actually, the really ornate ones are still in one of my mum's wooden boxes! Oh, the little wonders!Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-5118468847253918522014-03-16T18:22:00.000+01:002014-03-16T19:29:32.959+01:00Reasons to be Faithful, Part Two - a Pause in LentWelcome to our second pause in Lent. Whilst managing to browse most of the contributions last week, I don't think I commented - this week I'll try to do better! You can find all the participants in the blog list to the left, and it's great to read around and find out what other people are thinking and doing as Lent progresses.<br />
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My Lent posts this year are a very personal list of reasons to hold on to my Christian faith, after a I went through a rather alarming wilderness patch. It's honestly the first time in my life that I've had to look at faith 'from the outside', and actually, of course, this is a very interesting exercise. Scary, but informative. I hope that my reflections could also be useful to anyone else 'looking in' at Christianity, or at a life of faith in general, too.<br />
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So, last week I considered that my role models are Christians. Despite my doubts, they have an enthusiasm, a vitality and an honesty that I want. This week is looking at the person who is central to Christianity: Jesus.<br />
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CS Lewis concluded that it would be impossible to invent Jesus. A popular example of an invented 'good person' is dear little Pollyanna. Or is that 'insufferable little Pollyanna'? Personally, I enjoyed those books and think the author had a good point. But Pollyanna is a bit irritating, you have to concede (don't you?) or at least we can concede that she is controversial - like Marmite, you love her or you hate her. I know this because my own family was divided in childhood over those books, and my own dear mum found Pollyanna insufferable! I think that the trouble is that one author (Eleanor H. Porter) just didn't have the scope to make a truly good person also truly loveable to all. There is sometimes an urge to shake such an annoyingly optimistic little ray of sunshine...<br />
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But I really don't think that anyone wants to shake Jesus. In the Gospel accounts he is truly good but also truly likeable. I remember one friend (we were in our twenties) who turned to me during a discussion and raged: 'I hate God, but I LOVE Jesus!' People who don't like authority, who don't trust religion, who have bad experiences of fathers or of men in general, may have a very bad feeling about how they imagine God, but they can't find much to say against Jesus. He draws people to him, through the written stories as in life. Do I really think that a bunch of variously-educated First Century men could have been the only people to ever successfully invent (or embroider) stories of a good person? I don't. I think that the reason for these stories of such a powerfully loving, counter-cultural, Godly person, is that he truly existed, and that he existed as the stories tell. No individual (or group) could invent him.Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-73022514813898694382014-03-09T19:53:00.001+01:002014-03-09T19:53:18.454+01:00Reasons to be Faithful, Part One - A Pause in Lent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Welcome to the first Pause in Lent, 2014! I was grateful for the reminder about this annual event, as I've not had much time for blogging recently, but it's really good to be joining with you all to take the time to think during Lent. Please use the list in my sidebar to visit the other Pause in Lent bloggers, and to find out what others are doing.</div>
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As I said in my first Advent post last year, I had the most unexpected of setbacks last year - a quite significant loss of faith. I think it went beyond doubting, and into atheism, for a while. Your comments and your own posts which were sparked by that 'confession' were really helpful and interesting, and I hope I can spend Lent thinking about why I have held on to faith rather than rejecting it, at that point when it seemed unlikely that there was any reason to remain faithful to my previously heartfelt Christian beliefs.<br />
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I've listed the things that made me hold on to faith, and here is the first one: other people.<br />
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I asked myself, when I was identifying most with atheist/agnostic friends and writers, if I actually wanted to be like them. Who are my role models, I suppose...<br />
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I like my atheist/agnostic friends - they are super people! But oddly enough, my role models were all committed Christians. Interesting, I thought to myself. They have something more, something that I really want.<br />
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The first person I realised I want to be like is someone that most of you know. She's going to get embarassed but the rest of you won't be surprised. An important role model for me is <a href="http://angalmond.blogspot.fr/">Ang</a>. She's real, she's believable, she's larger than life despite being tiny, and her vibrant faith makes her 'go the extra mile' for an awful lot of people. The combination of faith in action and believable humanity is very compelling. I realised I would be happy indeed to be like her.<br />
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After that I thought of a few other people I actually want to resemble. There's my mum, whose pared-down faith seemed a bit simplistic and lacking in theology to me when I was an opinionated young adult. Yet her faith was real, humble and sustaining through her prolonged final illness, and at her memorial service I met so many people who wanted to tell me about how she had quietly helped them through difficult times in their own lives. She kept her faith in God's love and strength when others might have felt abandoned. It wasn't a crutch, it was power.<br />
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Finally, there are two of the most cheerfully embarassing people I've ever known, now no longer with us. Ken and Lorna were a couple in their early seventies when Ben and I knew them - we were in our early twenties. Ken would look tearfully at Lorna and say to me, 'I love her more every day, even after all these years'. Embarrasing indeed, but incredibly admirable, too. Ken and Lorna never lost their enthusiasm for each other or for Jesus. After decades of rather conventional Christianity, they experienced a kind of renewal and just couldn't stop praising God and talking to other people about him. Well, it was embarassing but it was genuine and it was passionate and enthusiastic. What a great way to be when most people would be slowing down!<br />
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So, I thought - it's not time to throw Baby Jesus out with the bathwater just yet. You still think that the most impressive people you've ever met are those inspired by their love for Him.<br />
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Blogging is full of movement and change, and one great blogger who's been a popular part of many of our festive Pauses in Advent has just said 'Goodbye' to blogging. <a href="http://vickislittleworld.blogspot.fr/">Vintage Vicki</a> has decided that it's time to move on to other things, and if you haven't yet read her goodbye post then do pop over and I know that you'll understand her reasons. I'll miss her blog, but am awfully grateful that I'll be able to keep in touch with her in other ways.Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-89276426325314245542014-03-05T12:38:00.001+01:002014-03-05T12:41:34.071+01:00A Pause in Lent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ang has just asked me if I was doing a Pause in Lent this year - the answer is: why not? Thank you, Ang, and all the rest of you who have borne with me despite some long absences from my blog. We're well, happy and very very busy, which explains the absences, but I will be happy to pop in each Sunday (or Monday) in Lent to read and contribute to the Pause in Lent posts.</div>
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If you would like to join in, please leave a comment here.The idea is to take some time to reflect, either in a specifically Christian way or just in a more general 'spring-time, new-life' manner, on what this season means to us. You can share with us what you have been thinking about, what you have been doing at home or at church, what you have been reading or experiencing, and what your hopes or prayers are. The first Sunday of Lent is this Sunday (did you have your pancakes yesterday?) and Easter Sunday is April 20th. So please join with us to post when you can (no obligations, no guilt) on Sundays or Mondays between now and then. Please feel free to take the picture above and to make a link back to my blog, where I will make a list of all the participants and link to their blogs in my sidebar. I am looking forward to joining up with you all!</div>
<br />Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-41544726945313307772014-01-13T20:17:00.000+01:002014-01-13T20:17:20.090+01:00A year of fruit dryingFor Christmas 2012, Ben bought the family a fruit drier. We've been eating its produce for a year and I can confidently say that it's been a good buy for pleasure and thrift - the winner was this Christmas bowl of dried fruit, bought fresh at the supermarket and then dried, all for a fraction of the cost of the pre-prepared basket:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGIMmUsE2wefp81j7cMoolEPSFkk6c3ftD3cW2LLD3CfdHcoR-7s4ArQDEfWbJZpjIXpHdNg9GzpdHGdF5FzBqf0NTgvskwz4Tfuyx9qGy002DHRUWh9j5nJFU0UnfAeQNH7PpAdOZS4B/s1600/Dried+fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGIMmUsE2wefp81j7cMoolEPSFkk6c3ftD3cW2LLD3CfdHcoR-7s4ArQDEfWbJZpjIXpHdNg9GzpdHGdF5FzBqf0NTgvskwz4Tfuyx9qGy002DHRUWh9j5nJFU0UnfAeQNH7PpAdOZS4B/s400/Dried+fruit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Clockwise starting from the bottom, we have dried apple (soak the pieces in water with a little lemon juice as you chop them), coconut (a new one - fantastic!), mango (an old favourite), grapes (new to us as our own grape harvest this year was crummy, and much moister and more tasty than bought raisins) and, in the middle, pear.<br />
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Here's the machine itself - obviously you have to factor in the cost of the electricity, and we try to cut the pieces fairly small as chunks take a long, long time to dry out, but I guess we've saved a bit of money and have certainly had fun and produced healthy (ish) products from seasonal produce. Here's a list of everything I can remember Ben drying over the year:</div>
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From our own, or friends' gardens:</div>
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chillis (he ran the drier out on the patio for this, for which we were all grateful!)</div>
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cherries</div>
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bay leaves</div>
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From the shops when they were cheap:</div>
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apple</div>
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pineapple</div>
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mango</div>
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pear (which went mouldy a bit quickly, so we need to try again)</div>
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cranberries</div>
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coconut</div>
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For decorations:</div>
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orange, lemon and lime slices</div>
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Some of these have become absolute staples, particularly the dried mango, which is so much cheaper when you buy fresh fruit in season than in pre-prepared dried packs. The chillis were also really successful, as drying them in bunches hanging around the place may be decorative but really gathers dust. Have any of you tried drying fruit and veg? Do you have any more suggestions for us?</div>
Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-21549308328352107512013-12-24T22:59:00.000+01:002013-12-24T22:59:56.723+01:00Christmas Wishes and a Belated Pause in Advent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Merry Christmas to you all! We have had a lovely first few days of the holidays, with a flurry of tidying, cooking and dog-walking all culminating in the traditional decoration of our living Christmas tree, fresh in from the garden, to the sounds of Carols from Kings.</div>
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The poor tree, already battered from living in a pot in the south of France when it is really an inhabitant of northern climes, also has to contend with a large and adventurous kitten this year. Ben had the idea of decorating it with scented things - dried citrus fruit, chillis and star anise, all of which seem to be quite repellant to Wilson the tree-climber. However, we've had one or two close calls with other decorations already... all breakable ones are on the mantelpiece or tucked away for a year.<br />
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With relation to my Last Straw post, below, no, Mags, I never came near to my own last straw, but thanks for asking! We divided up the tasks between us - I took on the house tidying and cleaning, the boys committed themselves to checking, sorting and putting up the decorations, and Ben has very nobly stayed in the kitchen for three days producing seasonal and everyday food. Wonderful man!<br />
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Have your own, wonderful, Christmas. God bless you all.Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-26176534146207155102013-12-16T20:01:00.000+01:002013-12-16T20:01:26.717+01:00A third pause in Advent - the Last StrawI had a lovely surprise on Friday when a little boy I teach decided to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0881063606/ref=rdr_ext_tmb">this Christmas story</a> with me. His brother brought him the book and we began to share the reading between us (because there was rather a lot of writing on the first page, and he felt daunted). I want to share what I took from the story with you, because as far as I can see it is all about Pausing in Advent!<br />
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So, here's what I took from the story:</div>
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A camel who is slightly past his sell-by date is chosen to take the Wise Men to visit the new baby king. He's tired and rather sore but when the young camels praise him he laps it up and adds to his own legend by boasting that he has the strength of ten camels.</div>
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On the way to Bethlehem, ordinary animals and people stop him to ask if he'll carry their own gift to the new baby king. The other camels could have taken a bit of the load, but no, he doesn't want to admit his own weakness, and carries on accepting the charges given and staggering towards Bethlehem.</div>
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As he nears the town a little child comes to give him the famous 'last straw' as a gift for the baby king's bed. Of course he knows it's going to finish him, but he accepts it and lurches into the final stage of his journey.</div>
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Limping into the stable, his knees give way and he finds himself kneeling in forced humility before the baby king. Others follow his example, thinking he's kneeling out of reverence not exhaustion.</div>
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The baby king reaches out and touches him. His pains and his sense of having to carry the whole world on his shoulders disappear and he realises why he was chosen.</div>
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Well, of course I was nearly in tears by the time my sweet little pupil had finished this. The author may be a man, but I sure feel that the story is that of millions of mothers around the world as Christmas approaches. We take on what may be ludicrous burdens, without realising that others are ready and available to share them with us, and we may be forced to our knees before we realise that Jesus is waiting to give us the real perspective, and the real healing, which are the centre of Christmas.</div>
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Thanks for all your contributions for a Pause in Advent! Your posts mean a lot to me and I have managed to read all of last week's now, I think! Commenting is another matter, and as I'm trying to avoid my own Last Straw I hope you'll forgive me for being a 'lurker' rather than a commenter on your posts again, this week.</div>
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Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-81042257397232081072013-12-09T11:44:00.001+01:002013-12-09T11:48:19.367+01:00A Second Pause in Advent - the Grateful CityI mentioned that we'd be away for the weekend, but I didn't tell you where - the boys and I took the train to Lyon, to stay with Ben (he usually comes home to us at the weekend). It was the boys' first visit to see their dad's flat and his university, and the large and very beautiful city of Lyon.<br />
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Lyon is one of France's biggest cities, and to me seems very elegant. I feel a bit of a country bumpkin wandering round it, but I'm prepared to put up with that!<br />
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We decided to vist Lyon on December 7th and 8th because every year the city holds a huge Festival of Light, which combines lighting effects, film, music and tehchnology to light up the whole city.<br />
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The boys were fascinated by how the lights changed on both the Law Courts and the underground river-front carpark below it!<br />
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Watchers on the many bridges or on the opposite bank could see the lights dance,<br />
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to the music from the film Lawrence of Arabia!<br />
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The wonderful Basilica on the hill to the right was also part of the same show, and the lights changed constantly and majestically.<br />
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Other parts of the town had more 'classical' lighting, with two long avenues like this one down the main shopping streets.<br />
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We stopped by this reflecting pool to munch on hot chestnuts.<br />
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To the left of the basilica you can see the original reason for all this light,<br />
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and to the right, in between the light shows, you could see it clearly stated: "Mercie Marie."<br />
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The Festival of Light stems from an occasion when Lyon was threatened by the plague, which was affecting towns, villages and the countryside around. The faithful citizens lit candles in their windows and prayed to Mary, and the city was spared. Now, as a Protestand, praying to Mary is fairly alien to me, but it's impossible not to be impressed that, centuries later, people are still remembering to say a grateful 'thank you' for their deliverance. Answered prayers are something we are prone to ignore or forget, and centuries of gratitude for one big answer seems very appropriate to me.<br />
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France is a secular country, both legally and psychologically, these days. The opportunity to draw in tourists and patronise the arts is (perfectly reasonably) a big part of the festival these days. The huge ferris wheel which stands in the main square is designed as a working ride but also as a cinema screen!<br />
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This year's film, which was mainly shown on the revolving ride but also moved to the large balls, the horseman statue and various nearby roofs, made great use of the circular nature of the screen!<br />
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The pierrot-figure comes to life and has a series of misadventures,<br />
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arrgh, it's beginning to turn too fast!<br />
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Out of control!<br />
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Ker-splooey! (as Calvin would say...)<br />
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The constantly repeated shows used fireworks, lazers, flames and music to tell their stories or display their effects.<br />
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Yesterday night, after we'd gone home, Ben went back into the city and sent me some live footage on my phone of yet more shows!<br />
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So my weekend has been filled with family time, light, and a reminder of the value of gratitude. How about you?Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-57235175102255387722013-12-06T21:33:00.000+01:002013-12-06T21:33:06.951+01:00Normal service will resume on Monday- we're off for the weekend! Apologies that not all the 'Pausers' are on the list yet- please check my 'Sign Up' post, below, for a few more contributers.<br />
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Note to aspiring robbers: a friend will be sleeping over to mind the animals!Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-61688901684093646762013-12-01T20:59:00.000+01:002013-12-01T20:59:45.520+01:00A First Pause in Advent 2013 - Refinding FaithMy sidebar is full of pictures of my old Advent Wreath! That's a funny feeling... I took the photo years ago! Welcome to all the Pause in Advent bloggers, old and new. It's great to have so many of you (see the sidebar for details) and I hope to come and visit your posts over the course of my busy week. My apologies to new and occasional readers that this post, below, is pretty heavy and personal. I promise you something light, pretty and festive next week!<br />
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This old wreath is still in our Advent box, but rather battered, especially after one or two candles were allowed to burn down too low over the years.<br />
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To my surprise, my theme for Advent this year sounds rather like last year's. I wouldn't have expected that - I certainly don't feel 'in the same place' as last year. Last year I was thinking about the <a href="http://trocbroc.blogspot.fr/2012/12/a-first-pause-in-advent-essence.html">Essence of Christmas</a>. This year, I've been feeling rather unsure about the whole thing. My faith took a battering earlier in the year, something which has never happened before. Over the past decade we've made a difficult (though ultimately delightful) move to a new country, had problems in a church, my mum has died, my dad has remarried, and through all this my faith remained real and certain. This year nothing to shock you happened at all, and yet, perhaps due to cumulative effects and one little trigger in May, it feels like the foundations of my faith have been shaken.<br />
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Over the difficult months I held on to one thing only - forgiveness. This is because my friends without particular faith live good, kind, meaningful lives, really not so different to the Christians I know and the Christian I have been. However (and you can disagree with me) it seems just about impossible, without Jesus, to offer true forgiveness. I'm not even sure if forgiveness is a particularly high priority to my non-Christian friends. After decades of living with forgiveness as both something received and given, this forgiveness-free (or forgiveness-reduced) life was the one thing that didn't seem at all attractive.<br />
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My faith was dented, shaken, and at times apparantly gone. It's still a very tentative thing - maybe it's going to grow back in strength or maybe it will always be a bit weak now, who can say? I realise that this period of doubt may help me to be more understanding and respectful of other people who question and doubt. I've seen both sides, now.<br />
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There's lots more to say and maybe some of you want to hear it. Maybe some feel that my faith or lack of it is a matter for me alone. I'm sure others are really concerned to hear what I've been through. For some it would be possible to assume that I never really had a true, saving faith in Jesus, because how otherwise could it just disappear? <a href="http://www.drurywriting.com/keith/Finding.faith.again.htm">This article</a> has been a lot of help to me on this subject and others - please read it if you have any questions about the whole theme of refinding faith.<br />
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But for now, the theme of my Advent pauses has been decided by some very powerful words I heard in church this morning:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>'Discern the essential. Discern real life'.</em></span><br />
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I can't tell you the impact those words had on me during our communion service. I need to send an appreciative email (in French, drat...) to our pastor and the guy who was preaching this morning, as their emphasis on the Essential and on Real Life had a real turn-around effect on me. I hope that in some way the emphasis on discernment, on the essential, and on the real, gives you pause for thought in whatever you'll be doing in this first week of Advent. See you next week!Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4089316062583477747.post-61443626945538103542013-11-17T16:42:00.001+01:002013-11-17T16:42:32.824+01:00Sign up for A Pause in Advent 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was nice to read in the comments on my post below that a good number of people would really like to join in the Pause in Advent this year!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUrIGjarGuNXH1xXDyZK5jBak1meUPMOERLXStvVkgKFkJKnYUBX0Ww-Eq4TpsiWWRyEe1r005QU-mjEqSvqYkmKPuagqo0VY_s5PyaQzPHz9MmAnorhWb3m4Wb4B9Nq9Y8FuvEr4ncXP/s1600/Pause+in+Advent+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUrIGjarGuNXH1xXDyZK5jBak1meUPMOERLXStvVkgKFkJKnYUBX0Ww-Eq4TpsiWWRyEe1r005QU-mjEqSvqYkmKPuagqo0VY_s5PyaQzPHz9MmAnorhWb3m4Wb4B9Nq9Y8FuvEr4ncXP/s400/Pause+in+Advent+Logo.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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The idea is to take time out from the rush and panic in the lead up to Christmas, and take some time to think about what we are really preparing for. This differs for every blogger - some of the most popular posts interpret it in a 'simple living, anti-materialistic' way, others throw in a good seasoning of spiritual thoughts, and there's usually a healthy dash of crafting, baking and traditions from around the world. Please join us if you'd like to contribute to this delicious feast of Advent thoughts!<br />
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This year Advent begins on Sunday 1st December, which is nice and neat! So the rules, as far as they go, are:<br /><span style="color: #ffffcc;">j</span><br />Post four times in Advent, either on the Sundays (1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd December) or on the following Mondays. Don't worry if you miss one or more, though - this is about resting and thinking, not feeling more pressure!<br /><span style="color: #ffffcc;">j</span><br />Use the ‘A Pause for Advent’ picture at the top of this post to link back to my blog, which will give the links to the other Advent bloggers.<br /><span style="color: #ffffcc;">j</span><br />Post about ANYTHING on your mind this Advent – traditions, family, craft, questions, hopes, experiences, faith … it’s up to you!<br /><span style="color: #ffffcc;">j</span><br />Visit the other Advent bloggers as you are able, to find out what’s on THEIR minds this Advent.<br />
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If you've already told me below that you'll join in, then you'll be listed in my sidebar once Advent begins. However, if you haven't told me already, please sign up in a comment on this post. And if you're not taking part, then please still come and visit and find out what people are up to around the world, as Advent begins!Flosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098894367955345944noreply@blogger.com21