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even if you move it forward to Bonfire Night or, in our case...
to the early December for Son 2's birthday celebrations!
Food and planning supplied by me.
Fire supplied by Ben.Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Light in the darkness!
There's nothing like a mid-winter fire festival,
even if you move it forward to Bonfire Night or, in our case...
to the early December for Son 2's birthday celebrations!
Food and planning supplied by me.
Fire supplied by Ben.
even if you move it forward to Bonfire Night or, in our case... to the early December for Son 2's birthday celebrations!Food and planning supplied by me.Fire supplied by Ben.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
A Pause in Advent 2 - Counting Down!
The countdown began last Sunday...
I was inspired by a photo in last year's Period Living.
My moss is muddier than theirs!
Two of the pots come from the May Day Lily of the Valley which we buy each year in France - a nice seasonal link which I'm really appreciating.
Granny (Ben's mum) made the tree calendar for the boys years ago.
Son 2 decided to spend some of his 13th birthday money in advance - on a Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar! 'Aren't you a bit old for Lego?' asked his piano teacher this week. 'My DAD still likes Lego!' replied Son 2 (spot-on, kid!) 'Oh well, then,' admitted the teacher. The French aren't as playful as the English-speaking nations, on the whole...
Although not actually playing with Lego, Ben was working in Denmark last week. He phoned me from a Christmas Market to get the go-ahead to buy a Danish Advent Candle.
When he brought it home we realised it was too big to fit any of our candlesticks, so he polished up and drilled a hole in an artistically gnarled bit of firewood. We like the result!
Son 1 is in charge of the most important count-down, this year...
I was inspired by a photo in last year's Period Living.
My moss is muddier than theirs!Two of the pots come from the May Day Lily of the Valley which we buy each year in France - a nice seasonal link which I'm really appreciating.
Granny (Ben's mum) made the tree calendar for the boys years ago.
Son 2 decided to spend some of his 13th birthday money in advance - on a Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar! 'Aren't you a bit old for Lego?' asked his piano teacher this week. 'My DAD still likes Lego!' replied Son 2 (spot-on, kid!) 'Oh well, then,' admitted the teacher. The French aren't as playful as the English-speaking nations, on the whole...Although not actually playing with Lego, Ben was working in Denmark last week. He phoned me from a Christmas Market to get the go-ahead to buy a Danish Advent Candle.
When he brought it home we realised it was too big to fit any of our candlesticks, so he polished up and drilled a hole in an artistically gnarled bit of firewood. We like the result!
Son 1 is in charge of the most important count-down, this year...Although I love the notion of a timeless winter festival, for me the key reason for this celebration, the One we are all waiting for, is the baby whose little wooden likeness is going to appear on the tray on December 24th. I can't get over the wonder.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Clay
The garage not far from us is excavating a huge hole (for more petrol tanks, presumably). The stratigraphy was great - Son 1 and I spotted the 50cm of soil followed by 50cm of river-pebbles which are the bane of his daddy's gardening life!
When Son 2 got there, his eye was caught by something different - he ended up bringing home samples of soil which had rolled outside the safety-fence, and soaking them to find out the clay-content of each one.
The clay from 2 - 5 metres down is apparantly the best.
Can you guess what it is, yet?
When Son 2 got there, his eye was caught by something different - he ended up bringing home samples of soil which had rolled outside the safety-fence, and soaking them to find out the clay-content of each one.
The clay from 2 - 5 metres down is apparantly the best.
Can you guess what it is, yet?Thursday, December 1, 2011
A Childlike Christmas - Beginnings
What did I like doing when I was a child? I liked asking people questions and writing down the answers. So in the spirit of Pom Pom's Childlike Christmas, I have been asking questions, and here are some of the answers!
I asked the children I work with (aged from 5 to 9 - the teenagers and adults I teach were not invited!) a few questions about Christmas, and today I've decided to tell you about the answers to the question: 'How do you know when Christmas has started?'
I thought it was a bit of a leading question - we adults complain a lot about Christmas starting earlier every year, and the pressure on children in the shops and through advertising. The replies to my question surprised me! Here are some of them:
"I know Christmas is starting when it gets very cold."
"I know Christmas is beginning when it's December and we get the chocolate calendar."
"Christmas starts when it gets all cold, it starts snowing sometimes and it's usually December when it happens."
"I know Christmas starts on the 24th because... the next day there's Christmas!"
And just to prove that children are less confused about this than adults, I leave the last word to an eight-and-a-half year old:
"You don't know when Christmas starts? Go to the beginning of December. Count on 25 days. Then it's Christmas!"
I asked the children I work with (aged from 5 to 9 - the teenagers and adults I teach were not invited!) a few questions about Christmas, and today I've decided to tell you about the answers to the question: 'How do you know when Christmas has started?'I thought it was a bit of a leading question - we adults complain a lot about Christmas starting earlier every year, and the pressure on children in the shops and through advertising. The replies to my question surprised me! Here are some of them:
"I know Christmas is starting when it gets very cold.""I know Christmas is beginning when it's December and we get the chocolate calendar."
"Christmas starts when it gets all cold, it starts snowing sometimes and it's usually December when it happens."
"I know Christmas starts on the 24th because... the next day there's Christmas!"
And just to prove that children are less confused about this than adults, I leave the last word to an eight-and-a-half year old:"You don't know when Christmas starts? Go to the beginning of December. Count on 25 days. Then it's Christmas!"
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
A Childlike Christmas
Dear friends, I have planned, I have prepared, but it's clear to me that my Childlike Christmas post won't be ready before tomorrow (see list of events in my post below...) Please tune in tomorrow and I'll have a little something for you on the subject of childlike anticipation. Thanks so much to Pom Pom for organising us all in this.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
A trip into the past at the Christmas Market
This week is turning into one of 'those' weeks - ill son, impossible to find doctor's appointments, incontinent dog and broken washing machine... but I am going to talk about something LOVELY instead! I loaded these photos up at the weekend, after we'd been to the English Christmas Market run by the Toulouse Women's International Group (photo from the local newspaper).
The market is always good, thanks to the huge selection of English-language books donated by the wider ex-pat community, so as always, I bought some entertaining mystery novels:
In addition, this year I found a few children's books - Son 1 is a big fan of William and I'll probably read the other two before putting them on my teaching bookshelves.
Then there was a selection of what you might consider 'informative or improving' books:
and two bought only for their iconic Penguin covers:
"Surely that completes your '10€ a bag', Floss?" you might ask, but no!
Photos and text from London in 1956.
A free bookmark of the period hidden inside...
And evocative photos of the people and the fashions.
In 1956 my grandma was just a few years older than I am now, and wore clothes and hats a lot like the ones below.
So just when I thought my 10€ bag really was full, these came out of a box, one by one:
Some Latin translations (he was pretty good, 31/40) and notes were tucked in the books.
This one is far more exciting for the graffiti than for the lessons!
I wonder if anything came of the infatuation with Leslie? Great '60s lettering there...
And that was 10€s' worth of books, to be read, kept, given away or returned to the stall next year!
Over on the White Elephant stall, red stickers meant 1€ each, and I thought these mugs would replace a few chipped ones in our blue and white kitchen.
Blue sticker = 2€ - a good price for these little Japanese quails on their box. I need to do some research about the mark on the base:
I thought that was probably it from the White Elephant, until I rounded a corner and found, tucked behind some cardboxes, THIS:
A year's worth (2004) for 10€! Happy reading for me...
And then tucked IN the same cardboard box, vintage French china.
3 for 1€.
I pointed out that they should get the china out of the box and onto the front of the stall - I do hope that a few other vintage shoppers came by...
In addition, I bought the wintery candle set, complete with display plate and glass whatsits, for 1€. It's very sweet, but it won't be able to stay where I put it on the piano, as it rattles when Son 2 plays! He must be rather heavy-handed...
So that sweet little trip into vintage France and London, via grammar schools and pilgrimages, cost me 30€ (all for charity) and a lot of rummaging.
And inside the little Westminster Abbey bookmark, the best thought of the day. After the fair, we went for lunch with good friends who live nearby. Thanks, friends nearby and far away - you are better even than a haul of vintage books and china and a year's set of Country Living!
The market is always good, thanks to the huge selection of English-language books donated by the wider ex-pat community, so as always, I bought some entertaining mystery novels:In addition, this year I found a few children's books - Son 1 is a big fan of William and I'll probably read the other two before putting them on my teaching bookshelves.
Then there was a selection of what you might consider 'informative or improving' books:
and two bought only for their iconic Penguin covers:
"Surely that completes your '10€ a bag', Floss?" you might ask, but no!
Photos and text from London in 1956.
A free bookmark of the period hidden inside...
And evocative photos of the people and the fashions.
In 1956 my grandma was just a few years older than I am now, and wore clothes and hats a lot like the ones below.
So just when I thought my 10€ bag really was full, these came out of a box, one by one:
Some Latin translations (he was pretty good, 31/40) and notes were tucked in the books.
This one is far more exciting for the graffiti than for the lessons!
I wonder if anything came of the infatuation with Leslie? Great '60s lettering there...
And that was 10€s' worth of books, to be read, kept, given away or returned to the stall next year!
Over on the White Elephant stall, red stickers meant 1€ each, and I thought these mugs would replace a few chipped ones in our blue and white kitchen.
Blue sticker = 2€ - a good price for these little Japanese quails on their box. I need to do some research about the mark on the base:
I thought that was probably it from the White Elephant, until I rounded a corner and found, tucked behind some cardboxes, THIS:
A year's worth (2004) for 10€! Happy reading for me...
And then tucked IN the same cardboard box, vintage French china.
3 for 1€.
I pointed out that they should get the china out of the box and onto the front of the stall - I do hope that a few other vintage shoppers came by...
In addition, I bought the wintery candle set, complete with display plate and glass whatsits, for 1€. It's very sweet, but it won't be able to stay where I put it on the piano, as it rattles when Son 2 plays! He must be rather heavy-handed...
So that sweet little trip into vintage France and London, via grammar schools and pilgrimages, cost me 30€ (all for charity) and a lot of rummaging.
And inside the little Westminster Abbey bookmark, the best thought of the day. After the fair, we went for lunch with good friends who live nearby. Thanks, friends nearby and far away - you are better even than a haul of vintage books and china and a year's set of Country Living!Sunday, November 27, 2011
A First Pause in Advent 2011
It's Advent! The countdown to Christmas has begun.
I'm really looking forward to reading the posts of all those who are taking part in the Pause - we're taking a weekly break from the flurry of preparations to rest for a while and share something -anything - about what Christmas is really about for us. You'll find the list of those taking part in the sidebar to your left. Feel free to join in - mention it in your comment here! We could be talking about traditions, family, food, beliefs, ponderings, children... whatever. 
My first contribution for you is certainly about traditions, food and family!
I decided to bake all my Christmas goodies while I was in Edinburgh with my dad at the end of October. We're going to spend Christmas with him, arriving early on Christmas Eve, so preparing while I was there made a lot more sense than transporting food on the aeroplane or having a last-minute panic when I arrive! Cooking in my mum's kitchen, using my grandma's 150-year old recipe and equipment (she was the baker in our family - she taught me) was quite an experience. And as I have a terrible memory and don't keep a hold on these experiences in any meaningful way, I wrote a poem as a 'snapshot' of what was going on in the kitchen that afternoon.
Cooking in the kitchen of my ancestresses
The third-biggest bowl is too small to stir the overflowing contents:
Nothing for it but to plunge in the hands!
Still-warm mashed potato cushions my questing fingers,
Chill-damp grated carrot a shocking contrast.
Clouds of nutmeg and cinnamon rise from the disturbed mass:
Preparing for Christmas in the kitchen of my ancestresses.
A recipe in my grandmother’s hand-
Remember Grandma, with her white curls full of flour?
Battered bronze scales of Grandma’s force a return to pounds and ounces
For my finally metric soul.
Breadcrumbs whizz in my mother’s food processor –
Remember when the first blade was accidentally thrown out with the rubbish?
One angry mother -
Though she saw the funny side later.
A hunt for a satisfactory pudding bowl.
Eighties Tupperware won’t do.
In the back of the corner cupboard, a metal bowl dated 1975...
I'm really looking forward to reading the posts of all those who are taking part in the Pause - we're taking a weekly break from the flurry of preparations to rest for a while and share something -anything - about what Christmas is really about for us. You'll find the list of those taking part in the sidebar to your left. Feel free to join in - mention it in your comment here! We could be talking about traditions, family, food, beliefs, ponderings, children... whatever. My first contribution for you is certainly about traditions, food and family!
I decided to bake all my Christmas goodies while I was in Edinburgh with my dad at the end of October. We're going to spend Christmas with him, arriving early on Christmas Eve, so preparing while I was there made a lot more sense than transporting food on the aeroplane or having a last-minute panic when I arrive! Cooking in my mum's kitchen, using my grandma's 150-year old recipe and equipment (she was the baker in our family - she taught me) was quite an experience. And as I have a terrible memory and don't keep a hold on these experiences in any meaningful way, I wrote a poem as a 'snapshot' of what was going on in the kitchen that afternoon.
Cooking in the kitchen of my ancestresses
The third-biggest bowl is too small to stir the overflowing contents:
Nothing for it but to plunge in the hands!
Still-warm mashed potato cushions my questing fingers,
Chill-damp grated carrot a shocking contrast.
Clouds of nutmeg and cinnamon rise from the disturbed mass:
Preparing for Christmas in the kitchen of my ancestresses.
A recipe in my grandmother’s hand-
Remember Grandma, with her white curls full of flour?
Battered bronze scales of Grandma’s force a return to pounds and ounces
For my finally metric soul.
Breadcrumbs whizz in my mother’s food processor –
Remember when the first blade was accidentally thrown out with the rubbish?
One angry mother -
Though she saw the funny side later.
A hunt for a satisfactory pudding bowl.
Eighties Tupperware won’t do.
In the back of the corner cupboard, a metal bowl dated 1975...
Cooking in the kitchen of my ancestresses,
Preparing Christmas for those who remain.
Preparing Christmas for those who remain.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Waiting House
The house is strangely empty at the moment...
Areas that I love to decorate are sitting bare. I've decided to wait until Advent - leaving them clear for a few days until the Advent decorations go up. 
I read the suggestion of leaving an empty shelf in the Happiness Project and in Simple Abundance, and my natural response ('yeah, right') has finally worked its way around to accepting that it might be a good idea, just for a few days.
But some areas got the Floss-makeover before I came around to this idea! I reluctantly banished blue from our mustard shelves, and was rewarded with some lovely autumn/winter shades. The shepherd plate was a gift from a friend who spent a year in Germany. The sheep pottery is from a Devonshire friend - they knew my pastoral tastes!
Ben's 1970s/'80s Christmas mugs have come out. I like them interspersed with green vintage bottles.
Goodbye blue plates - welcome back reds and pinks! I never thought of putting the English florals with the French stencils before, but they work...
The little chocolate bowls have found a new home.
My mum bought us a Portmerion breakfast set (secondhand, naturally) when we were getting married. We've been fond of Portmerion ever since, but it's not always easy to display it without it either taking over or getting lost. So this little combo, with a few candles in the egg cups and all placed alongside French china and a warming winter tipple, pleases me.
Here's the overall view - lots of lights on otherwise the plants die in a traditional French house. I keep the houseplants outside all summer but there seems no choice but to turn on the low energy bulbs in the winter. We lost so many plants in our first few years...
So I've shown you the one busy area, but the rest of the living area is positively bleak as it waits for Advent. I'm going to be taking a total blogging break until Sunday - Christmas present crafting has fallen horribly behind, and I'm jolly well going to finish my PILs' presents before I come back for the first Pause in Advent. If you still want to join in this blog event, details are in the sidebar. The only rule to remember is: there are no rules. No apologies - post what you like, when you can. See you on Sunday!
Areas that I love to decorate are sitting bare. I've decided to wait until Advent - leaving them clear for a few days until the Advent decorations go up. I read the suggestion of leaving an empty shelf in the Happiness Project and in Simple Abundance, and my natural response ('yeah, right') has finally worked its way around to accepting that it might be a good idea, just for a few days.
But some areas got the Floss-makeover before I came around to this idea! I reluctantly banished blue from our mustard shelves, and was rewarded with some lovely autumn/winter shades. The shepherd plate was a gift from a friend who spent a year in Germany. The sheep pottery is from a Devonshire friend - they knew my pastoral tastes!
Ben's 1970s/'80s Christmas mugs have come out. I like them interspersed with green vintage bottles.
Goodbye blue plates - welcome back reds and pinks! I never thought of putting the English florals with the French stencils before, but they work...
The little chocolate bowls have found a new home.
My mum bought us a Portmerion breakfast set (secondhand, naturally) when we were getting married. We've been fond of Portmerion ever since, but it's not always easy to display it without it either taking over or getting lost. So this little combo, with a few candles in the egg cups and all placed alongside French china and a warming winter tipple, pleases me.
Here's the overall view - lots of lights on otherwise the plants die in a traditional French house. I keep the houseplants outside all summer but there seems no choice but to turn on the low energy bulbs in the winter. We lost so many plants in our first few years...
So I've shown you the one busy area, but the rest of the living area is positively bleak as it waits for Advent. I'm going to be taking a total blogging break until Sunday - Christmas present crafting has fallen horribly behind, and I'm jolly well going to finish my PILs' presents before I come back for the first Pause in Advent. If you still want to join in this blog event, details are in the sidebar. The only rule to remember is: there are no rules. No apologies - post what you like, when you can. See you on Sunday!
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