MUFFINS STORY

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX


Since last week I've been wondering what to write for my sixth month 
blogiversary. I guess I must be enjoying a purple patch as you are more
and more numerous to read my posts. So, thanks a lot to all of you !

When I started this blog, it was not a snap decision. I had been raving about
a countless number of blogs for months, I had even subscribed to some of them, but I was none the wiser. Whenever I was about to type the very first words of my blog to-be, suddenly I felt like a deer in the headlights : a whirl
of nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs flashed through my mind, but faded
away as soon as my fingertips touched my computer keyboard !
Writer's block, you say ? Not in the least ! Yellow belly would have fitted me better ! To be honest, I'm hard-wired to be self- critical, and that's the reason why I thought I would never be able to take the plunge.

Then, one day, while scouring the blogosphere, I came across a sentence which was somehow a trigger. It said :

" Just because you can doesn't mean you should. "

Just to be awkward, I changed it into :

" Just because you can't doesn't mean you shouldn't. "

And that's how the Adventures of Dany The Perky Busy Bee began.

Since then, all throughout the previous chapters, you may have found me sometimes perky and busy, others corny and mawkish, but above all
greedy ! Right ?
My fault. my Fault. This is all my Fault ! I must admit it !

Yet, I strive to get rid of that shortcoming. As I have already told you,
I've subscribed to some blogs, especially one about healthy lifestyle.
I receive free daily tips to keep fit and in good shape. Yesterday piece of
advice was :

Don't fill up on bread, no matter how good !

OMG, has Mr Google fixed a spy camera in the kitchen ? To send me that kind of warning, he must have caught me red-handed ! 

You know, while preparing meals, I can't help grabbing a bite and tasting my favourite baker's delicious bread varieties. It's a tasty  ( but not really tasteful*) way to wait till lunch or dinner is ready. I love any bread : it is
an easy-going food you can match with any others : butter, jam, honey, cold cuts, cheese and so on...

Unfortunately, filling up with bread means getting muffin tops and in Summer
that's the biggie !
Well, never mind ! Whatever your problem is, there's always a solution on the
Net. The petty tip I received from my so-called friendly coach blogger didn't bug me long !
I changed sides and decided to put my life in another blogger's hands who says :

" Muffins are a wonderful treat and dragging their name through the 
mud in the pursuit of body negativity is defamatory. Plus, if you buy different pants, your imaginary muffin tops will probably disappear. "

I am looking forward to her next tip !!

* tasty and tasteful have different meanings. Check in :

http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/anglais-français 

SINGING IN THE RAIN

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE


When we moved into our house, I was tickled pink to find it came with an 
old-fashioned clothesline nested in a hideout out of sight.I'm a line-drying
believer, and I think there is nothing that smells better than sleeping in sheets that have been line-dried.
Thus, every year when Summer comes, I lay off my dryer and returned to the
tried-and-true combination of sun and wind to dry my clothing. I guess you
will think I am a bit corny, but I enjoy hanging the laundry out. It's energy
saving, good exercise, and last but not least, it reminds me of my grandma.
When I was a little girl, on laundry day my job was to tote the wash out to the line and then hold out the wooden pegs to her. So, during warm Summer months I am glad to follow in her footsteps. I have also noticed that
watching towels, teatowels, fitted sheets and quilt covers flap gently in the
sea breeze has a soothing effect on busy bees !

Unfortunately it seems that this Summer I 'll have to find another way to
calm down and relax...
Indeed, I keep putting off laundry day because the last load has been struggling against drizzle and downpours, dripping sadly during bright
intervals, and curling around the line to test the wind, for what seems to be ages.

The heatwave has smashed records, and all over the country the temperatures
have soared to 40 degrees. Some French locations have even chalked up 
all-time records ! Dogdays ? Yes, a topical issue everywhere but in 
Finistère ! I wish I had bought a large umbrella, or even better, a typical yellow oilskin instead of my long-awaited parasol !! The latter is standing
proudly on the terrace, taunting me mercilessly !

Anyway, I try to remain optimistic and look on the bright side :
I won't have to water new trees, shrubs and flowers ! Every cloud has a silver
lining, so in the meantime I'm singing in the rain ,and if it keeps raining, 
I'll register for a tap dance class and I'll ask my friends to call me Ginger !
( I won't wait until Get a Differrent Name Day which falls on February 13th !

JULY TIMETABLE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR


Tomorrow is our most important national holiday : Bastille Day. Even if it commemorates the storming of the Bastille, I think nowadays for most people July 14th means parades, military bands, fireworks displays and dancing in the streets.
Well, I must confess I'm not really keen on that kind of festivities. I'm a perky busy bee in my hive, but I don't feel at ease in crowded places, and even worse, they tend to get me grumpy !
So, I guess I'll stay home and have a pamper break, basking in the sun with a good book. Don't ask me which one because I've too many to choose from. Am I a book hoarder ? I hope not, but when I am in a bookshop, I always have a tough time deciding what to buy. Buying only one book is a harsh challenge I am unable to take up ! So, some days ago I raided the local bookshop and came back home with a pile of '' can't-put-them-down " novels.
Anyway,when I say I'll avoid Bastille Day, don't get me wrong ! I'm far from being a wet blanket !
Summer is now in full swing and Dany the Perky Busy Bee is ready to slow down, relax and jump at any party-time opportunity. And to make the most of July, once more I've asked Mr Google for help..

.Of course, I'll skip July 15th because on that day in 1869 margarine was 
 patented. Yuk !! For Bretons there's nothing else like butter. It's magic ! 
 Nothing can replace its rich flavour and the crispy, chewy and tender textures
 it gives to other foods. So, forget about July 15th.

.July 17th is the day when in 1902 the air-conditioner was invented. So, my 
 thoughts will be with my Parisian readers stuck in stuffy flats or packed in 
 sauna bathlike public transports. I will celebrate that day with my own 
 air-conditioner :the Atlantic soothing sea breeze ! 

.Last but not least, July 23rd will take the biscuit ( if you are British, and 
 the cake, if you are American). In 1904 Charles E.Minches of St Louis,
 Missouri, filled pastry cone with two scoops of ice cream and the ice cream
 cone was invented !
 What is you favourite flavour ? Mine is pistachio, but I have a soft spot for
 strawberry.
 When you splurge on a sweet frozen treat, which is your option ? Sorbet,
 ice cream or frozen yoghurt ? Don't ask me ! I do love all of them !!
 So, on July 23rd I'll go on an ice cream spree to thank Mr Minches for his 
 bright invention !

July is really gorgeous and whatever the weather is, there is always something cheerful in the air !

Make the most of each day of this month !

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE


Last week I told you about my quest not for the Holy Grail, but for my dream parasol. You remember that I came back home empty-handed, or let's say without a parasol, but  the boot full of trifles.
I guess you must think that in addition to being a sucker, the perky busy bee is an impulse buyer,as well !
Should I play guilty ? Well, before returning your verdict, let me fight my case and prove otherwise.
So, let's have a closer look at what I bought last week instead of my parasol :

.Soft soap : I am addicted to it because it is an economical product to pamper
 the whole house and it is ecofriendly. Yet, when I buy some, I don't like  shop-assistants soft-soap me !

. Screwdrivers : when you do odd jobs, have you noticed that you never have 
  the right screwdriver. Either its tip is too big or it is too small ! So, with my
  set I'm sure to avoid turning my favourite repairman into a grumpy            handyman ! So, screw the price !!

. Wonder glue : I'm rather clumsy and to chip crockery, I 'm a record-breaker !
  So, at least while I am repairing my mess with my magic glue, I am not
  glued to my computer !

. A doorstop : I save time not running to the door every time Canaille wants 
  to go in or out. Draughts won't slam the door in its face any longer !
  I had considered installing a cat flap, but even if  Ulysse, thanks to his 
  fish diet ( episode of the 81 tins of mackerel ) would have been able to go 
  through, Greedy Canaille would have got stuck in it !

. Chair leg felt pads : my purchase had legs, but when I showed the pads to 
  my husband, he thought I was pulling his leg because they were far too 
  thin to keep the chairs from scratching our tiled floor ! I understood why it
  was a special offer.. Anyone can make a mistake, can't they ?

So, of the five items, only one should have stayed on its shelf ! Thus, I think
I'm far from being an impulse buyer. I'm just a sidetracked shopper.

Anyway, I do have a parasol now !! I bought it online and it was delivered on time. Unfortunately, the heatwave which was forecast is baking nearly all the country but Sud Finistère ! I wonder if I shouldn't have bought a large umbrella best in all weathers ! ( I haver already surfed on the web and found golf umbrellas which look really great !).