running away to Paris - a tale by my friend Martha

Have you every dreamt of packing up your life and making your way to Paris?  Have you wondered what it would be like to fall in love with a tall, handsome Frenchman?   Have you sighed at the thought of living in a pretty French house and filling it with beautiful antique furniture, and cooking delicious meals in your country kitchen? .....

I have a very dear friend called Martha who did just that.  She used to live down the valley from me, and we spent a lot of time together doing everyday things that girlfriends enjoy.

She lived in the sweetest house in the centre of the village.  Behind her blue shutters she created a charming home for her husband and daughters; her garden was beautiful; her cooking divine .....  we always had a lot to chat about!

Martha moved back to the States a few years ago, but we have stayed in touch.  It wasn't easy for her to leave France and start over.  She and her family recreated a new life for themselves and are living happy and successfully, but she has always felt nostalgic for her life here.

Today I am proud to tell you that she has published her story for Kindle.  She has a lovely easy to read style of writing that whisks me back to her kitchen table, chatting over a cup of tea.  

It is  a brave move to publish a memoir.  One's own life story.  Not only do you reveal your writing skills to the public, but also your life!  I admire her immensely for the candid and unpretentious way in which she has achieved this.

I enjoyed the book so much that I wanted to share it with you too.  She tells it like it is, just the way a good friend would.  Through her story you feel the thrills but also the difficulties in running away to a new life in a foreign country.

Of course I won't tell you the whole story, but let me say that this is a tale of love and delectation.  The tale of a young woman working out how to live her dream, and how to react when that dream takes some unexpected turns.

If you would like to download Martha's book, just click here ..... then find yourself a comfy chair, make a cup of tea, or pour a glass of wine, and let yourself get lost in her charming and touching tale.

Martha Alberti

Faith over Reason

all photos thanks to Martha

peonies in the rain

 Days are warm and nights are stormy this week, which may sound good but it is bad news for the peonies, out in full and heavy flower.

There is no choice but to cut the blooms and use them in the house.

Here I teamed the huge peony blooms with sprigs of climbing hydrangea, a few branches of cow parsley and the tips of lupins that were going to seed and needed cutting back.

As usual, putting the bouquet together is a moment of true pleasure for me. A flowery interlude in a busy day, just enough to recharge my batteries and set me up for the next task to hand!

I hope you are enjoying your garden too, and managing to bring some favourite flowers indoors.

ghetto - the fetishist revealed

Ghetto has  an unsavoury characteristic that needs to be revealed.  You all think he is so cute, and funny and playful, but actually - as well as being a chicken assassin - he is also a fetishist.

yes, my friends,

Ghetto likes girls underwear .......

He covets lace lingerie, and in this house a girl has to be careful.

A door left ajar while in the shower, and a little black nose will soon peak through, about 12 " from the ground.  This is called 'reconnaissance'.  A quick glance towards the shower to make sure the enemy isn't about to emerge, and he darts in, grabs the underwear and is gone!

Failing the carelessness of a girl taking a shower, he will resort to tipping over the laundry basket and choosing a favourite piece of lace.

If the front door is open he'll dash down the garden, panties brandished proudly like some beribboned trophy, and if he can't get outside he'll retreat beneath a chair to gloat over his illegal possession in peace.

So far we have avoided any real embarrassment, but I dread the day when a guest to the cottage finds him burying my underwear among the roses ...

oh, the trials of living with a Ghetto!

design and creation in Normandy - François the gardener

All of my life creativity has been essential to my well being.  Finding a way to express myself each day is simply vital, without it I am dull and lifeless.

One of the privileges of country life is to know many creative people, whose talents are diverse and rich.  I love the surprises.   The discovery of a ceramics workshop in an old farm building; a lady painting porcelain in her home; the watercolour artist whose day job is as a doctor....

Maybe this is simply one of the aspects of  country life:  people are less anonymous, individual talents have more space to blossom.  Whatever the reason, I want to celebrate the everyday creativity of people I know here.

Today I introduce you to François, a landscape gardener, a botanist and to my mind an artist.  François has been helping me out with the remodelling here, and I was delighted to visit his home and take a tour of his own garden.  It is quite small, but impeccable and the perfect showcase for his talents.

 Sand strewn paths invite the visitor to wander between the plants.  He makes great use of alliums, roses, heuchera and irises, as well as more tropical plants such as bamboos, eucalyptus  and ferns.

He tells me that it takes an hour or so each evening, to tend and to water; to train and encourage each plant to perfection.  My own garden isn't a match to his yet, but I hope that his influence will soon produce comparable results!

 If you live in my part of the world, here in Normandy, and you'd like to ask François for advice you can email him here.  He specialises in designing and creating gardens from scratch as well as everyday care.  He also likes to coach his clients!

Si vous desirez faire appel à Francois pour un jardin dans l'Eure, vous pouvez le contacter ici.