We are slowly making our house our home. As we had been living in other people's places for 7 months it didn't feel real at first . It has taken awhile to settle in. When we built our house in Florida I had 9 months to plan where all our belongings were going to be stored and I knew exactly where everything was going to be placed. Packing in Florida for an unknown house in France was most difficult and it has become challenging to find the correct location for those items we treasure, those we we wished had left behind, and those we bought here. What? we bought more stuff! Why do we all have too much stuff??? 
 Slowly, the kitchen is developing into a homey place where Brian enjoying cooking wonderful meals. Next week his new Cuisinière arrives. A new toy!

We survived ten days without flush toilets and hot water but the Great Thaw caused only one pipe to break, which was fixed within a couple of hours as Trevor had been on call for us. That first hot, steamy shower was magnifique  (sorry, no pictures available). 

 Don't forget - click on the photos to enlarge

Janvier through février is the time for sales and we bought some winter-y and spring-y clothes at great discounts. I picked up the wrong size of a second pair of slacks  and when I tried to exchange them a day later I was told that since they had been on sale - no exchange!  I didn't want to return them, just do an exchange. Non, pas possible. Just another example of non existent customer care but this next story takes the cake. I bought an expensive pair of secateurs (clippers) only to discover that they didn't work properly so we* returned to the store with them and a long piece of rose stalk so demonstrate how ineffective they were. The assistant seemed to think they worked just fine and advised to us that since I had used them I could not return them. I replied that of course I had used them, how else would I know they didn't work if I had not used them? Gallic shrug and phfft.  Too bad nothing can be done. C'est la vie.
*(my interpreter husband who understands and speaks french much better than I)

We had sea grass flooring installed on our landing. The installer had to put down a leveling agent: goopy, soupy stuff which dripped to downstairs through the crevices making streaks on the stone walls and seeping through the wood floor, running down the beams and dripping onto the floor. It was quite the mess but easy to clean up with lots and lots and lots of
                                                                                   soap and water. 

                                   

We had discussed refinishing the wood but we are pleased with our choice which was an easy one  as the store only carried one good sea grass. Life without anguish.                                    

Spring has sprung

The grass is riz

I wonder where the birdies is...

In anticipation of spring Brian has been charging the 'tondeuse' battery, sharpening the blades and cleaning the body. At first he thought it would need a carburetor but he discovered a small hole in the fuel line which he replaced along with the fuel filter and afterwards he took it for a spin - Boys and their Toys eh!

A host of yellow and white daffodils....

 I happened upon a swarm of bees while gardening and as I watched them a long forgotten scent drifted up and it was violet. 
Quelle belle surprise!

The birds are actively flirting, carefully choosing mates and building materials to begin the spring ritual of nesting. Some small birds are going to nest in between the stones on our walls and with great anticipation we will await the arrival of the wee ones.

Brian's cuisinière arrived swaddled in wood, plastic and foam in a cardboard box standing on a pallet. Trevor had to cut one cabinet in half to fit it in, then he rewired and hooked it up so cooking could continue BUT we are not finished as the cabinets will have to been moved to center the stove on a wall and then an extractor installed.

Spacey LOOKING!!!

In one of the nearby villages we drive through, we noticed a restaurant and so stopped by one day only to discover it was out of business.  One Tuesday night during french lessons at Mike and Helen's I asked if anyone had eaten at that restaurant before it had closed and, I had wondered, why a Chinese family would settle in rural France. No one knew what I was talking about until I mentioned the name.

Laughter ensued. In France a canton is an electoral area not necessarily a Chinese restaurant. Oh well!


Trevor is now working on installing the soundproofing in the living room and then he'll do the dining room.

Before

Trevor  working on it

Finsihed!

We've had some glorious spring days but it has cooled off again. I think I took the geraniums out of the barn and planted them a bit too early as Jack Frost was lurking around the corner and probably killed them. Oops! I'll know better next year.  In the house I am incubating tomato and parsley seeds.  In the hopes we will have better rewards than we have had in the past with vegetables, we bought different kinds of seeds to plant into the composted garden. We bought a compost bin and feed it with kitchen waste and added  mature compost. Thank goodness for the Internet as so many 'green' things we are doing are new to us and it is loaded with good information. I am hoping learn from the lady who plants the allotment next door as she has a massive area and obviously knows how to grow food.  

For my birthday we drove about 30km/20 miles to Niort for a tasty lunch. We could have had a Subway, the first one we have seen, but passed on it for not so healthful choices served amongst linens and well trained staff.
On the drive up we faced a weather system which looked suspiciously like a scene from the Wizard of Oz.....however, as we drove through it only big raindrops splatted down on the windshield and no tornadoes sight. Whew!

He/she is certainly heading in the correct direction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And as the weather improves, again, we'll be in the garden enjoying all that nature has to offer in our own little piece of paradise.

                                       'Til next time....keep smiling!