CHAPTER FIVE

This week my husband and I have a summit with my god-father ( he is one of my mother's brothers and lives 7kms away).He will be operated on his knee on March 6th and then will go to a rehabilitation centre for about three weeks. His main concern is not his knee operation but his '' Noah's Ark ''.After managing a SPA shelter for years, last December he had to hand over because he was frazzled. Yet, he had become so attached to his '' protégés '' that when he resigned, he went away with some of them : a gang of stray cats and two horses.
So, to take a weight off his shoulders, we offered to take care of his ménagerie while he is away. However, we are just rookies in the job and he has to explain everything to the minutest details, even what seems a 
no-brainer to him !
I guess when coming close to horses my heart will go pitapat because I must confess I am far from being a daredevil. My husband is over the moon : he is a real animal-lover and he will be on his home-ground.

Chapter Four

Last week I gave you a recipe I had come across while browsing through the excess books I wanted to get rid of. I have bought cookbooks over the years hoping that they would make me a better cook, but, alas, the books just take up space on my shelves but don't magically make my cooking better !

So, let me tell you something funny about it, a great AHA moment !

I had decided to keep only the books I actually use. Well, I had to face the facts and admit that I could get rid of many more books than I had planned to. So, I crammed them into a cardboard box and gave it to my husband who was going to the waste reception centre to throw away some junk. Over there they have a space dedicated to the crockery, the linen, the books, all the odds and ends people want to donate. Unfortunately I had not taken my hoarding hubby into account...One hour later he came back home, clutching the cook book box and putting it down he sighed : " You never can tell !! ". I was gobsmacked and couldn't utter a word,otherwise I would have pointed out to my beloved hoarder that those damn books don't work miracles if you don't have a magic wand to turn a poor cook into a starred chef !! Anyway, I had to put a brave face,and,the day after ..I smuggled the invaluable box into the garage while awaiting better days.

Time flies. It is already mid-february. As my early January target is on the right track, I have decided to take a new habit : drink a bottle of water a day. This resolution seems to be rather hit-and-miss because I am hardly ever thirsty but I think it is doable. As I get easily tired of plain water, I'll add a slice of lemon . I'll tell you if it works.

Over the next few days we have to get smoke detectors and that will be a different kettle of fish !!

So, on the agenda this week : water and surf ( on the Net to read consumers' reviews about detectors). What an awfully thrilling programme ..

Chapter three

Late January I had told you that I wanted to make a fresh start. Well,it seems that I am on track to meet my commitment, but, of course it's pretty too early to boast a victory. Nothing comes easy, a minor event can put me back to square one ! Anyway I do strive to stay the course and on the days when I have let too many things go by the wayside, I don't whine or pout, but just remember that perfection is often overrated.

February is a quiet month here : no parties, no outings, nothing to celebrate (except Pancake Day, but we skipped it because countless number of Twelfth Night Cakes have payed havoc on our figures...). It is usually the month when we put our lives on hold. Hibernating works like a charm : it restores our balance, it's a kind of energy boost and it's also a way to step back.

But don't get me wrong ! I don't twiddle my thumbs, I always have some stressors to get rid of, some red tape to deal with, but, I try to do something pleasant everyday. For example, last week I tried out a new recipe : a salad of curried carrots. It was delicious and it makes a change from grated ones. It is a starter and you don't need a myriad of ingredients to make it : carrots (a pound), raisins (150gr), curry powder, olive oil and basil
( if you don't have any fresh basil at hand, frozen or dried basil does the trick).
If it makes your mouth water, next time I'll tell you how to make that wholesome, economical and carefree recipe.

Time now for me to walk the dog, so bye bye and don't forget :

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT !!

Chapter Two

February 2nd is Groundhog Day in US. According to folklore if it is cloudy when a groundhog comes out of its burrow on this day, then Spring will come early. If it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and rushes back into its burrow, and then the winter will persist for 6 more weeks !
I don't know if we have that kind of fancy weather forecast in France, but no matter how long Winter will still last, we have to bring ourselves to move onward and make the most of each minute.

Last Saturday I woke up early because of the noise of the hailstones against the roof. I went downstairs, started the tea and glanced through the window. The grass was white with hail but apart from that, something felt different. Then it dawned on me : there were two roe-deers indulging themselves in a camellia buds breakfast. I was about to open the kitchen door and take a photo but I stopped dead...The click of my camera would frighten them and I didn't want to ruin their early morning treat ! So, I stood still, filled with child-like amazement. I felt as if I were in " Bambi " cartoon !!!

Well, don't go overboard. Living here doesn't always mean being Alice in Wonderland or Snow White. It also means swapping court shoes for rubber boots and manicured hands for blistered and scratched ones. Every flow has its ebb..However I wouldn't live again in Paris for all the tea in China !