Sunday 31 August 2014

Killer Cat

The lovely Big Feet, now aged at least 13, recently, ostensibly treated for arthritis by the vet, although I suspected a pulled muscle, has shown improved action in the field, so to speak!  I don't know why but she has become more grumpy, more vocal, insisting she goes out or insisting she stays in.  She cries in a way that she didn't in her previous home (not that I was aware of), for food, or to be let out or to be let in!  She likes people. She likes company. She is a talkative cat. She likes affection. She gets affection. We talk to each other.
BUT... RECENTLY...she has returned to her younger youthfulness and become KILLER CAT!
This cat used to be a moler if she could be bothered! She used to trot across a busy road to the pedestrian pavement of the bridge, cross the road again and go to the English Common by the riverside, return the same way with a large, LARGE, rabbit or baby rabbit and proceed to be proud of her display!  Or go in the other direction to a garden to remove moles. The owner was very happy!
RECENTLY, the mouse population outside this house has been decimated by at least one a day. Not shrews, but mice, and I am convinced that at least one was a harvest mouse, so I was upset.
Cats kill and I know that!  BUT THIS CAT IS GAINING WEIGHT!!
I was distraught when I heard what I cheerfully thought were baby birds squabbling in the courtyard but to my dismay it was BIG FEET in Le Grand Salon batting an 'Eurasian Blue-tit' fighting for its life.  Poor wee thing!  Knowing that it had little chance of survival it was taken outside, set on the rockery to draw breath, but to no avail!
I am searching my conscience as to why I am upset when she kills a swallow, or a harvest mouse, or a blue-tit, or bat but am not emotionally straught, yes I mean this word, when it is a shrew... although I have rescued those in my time and been bitten in the process!
Imagine what it would be like if a HUGE GIANT CAME AND ATTACKED US... if a dino-saw-us!
I would faint! I would be DEAD!
 File:Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) portrait.jpgwith thanks to Wikipedia photo usage!

Saturday 30 August 2014

An Amble in Richelieu

to reduce the layering of cake carbohydrates!
I just love this and wonder what the shop sold
Who had to hear this?
A grand giant knocker alerted the Doctor for the King. He lived in this house which became a  hotel, however, he couldn't afford to pay the (purchase?) price of 10,000 livres. Building costs were more economical to have no alleyway, therefore no gates into the courtyard. It is the only hotel which never had a grand hallway entrance onto la Grande Rue.
Whereas this one, on the second of the four ways of the crossroads does have the porch onto La Grande Rue as well as different window styles to the side of the house in the street opposite the grand knocker!
 
Different window styles
Part of La Grande Rue with Arched gate entrances for every house. Each was afforded by a person of rank. I believe.
An example of how to reduce window size!
I like the deep mulberry blue and planter on the door!
 
 Above: two interesting gardens down to the 'canal' behind the uninteresting façades below.

Well he would work in wood, wouldn't he?

This lean-to would worry me but it is held-back!
A strange surprise.

Friday 29 August 2014

Cake Demolition

Nine cakes fed thirteen mouths and look how much they left...but it was all shared as we took
a slice of each cake home
or a slice of those we hadn't tasted
or a slice of those that we liked the most!
The wonderful thing about the idea of a CCC for me is that I can be creative and bake a cake,  share culinary success or disaster with appreciative foodies, have a laugh as well as be sensible, see new places, listen to conversation or join in, relax, and find something to learn. It sharpens my mind and allows me to get socially presentably dressed for the occasion and be in good expat sociable company.  It's a cake party! This last venue was a long drive with 100 miles recorded on the car odometer but I am not complaining.  Look at the results of CCC eating!  Thank you to everyone for the pleasure and the difference such an occasion makes to living in France... when a special 'English tea shop' style of eating is necessary for homely creature comforts!

Thursday 28 August 2014

Yumminess in Heaven - not for a waspy waistline

More yummy cakes... some bakers claimed that their cakes were 'catastrophes' and some were second attempts but they all looked magnificent full of Autumn mellow fruitfulness and and all tasted pretty moreish to me.  As there were nine cakes, it was a feat to eat, but I tackled it in three sessions, helped along with rosé wine and Earl Grey tea. Extremely civilised!
Gorgeous Caramel with Quetsches, blackberries and other fruits had an amazing contrast of textures, beautifully presented.
Cider cake with sultanas inside and apples on top was like a steamed sponge sultana pudding needing English custard! Brilliant as I'd never had this sort of cake before!
This one had a layer of cherries sticking to the base... deeeelissshous!
Full of fruits from hedgerows and garden....gluten free and healthy!
This was yummy too... although someone joked in a complimentary way about the foam mousse, I love its voluptuousness.





Oranges heightened the taste of this textured Grasmere ginger cake!
Almonds, lemon and elderflower with a lemony cheesey drizzle. Heaven!
Gosh... a sugar fruit fest!!!!!!! Black, red and mellowlelloyello!



Wednesday 27 August 2014

Chocolate, Apple and Vanilla Cake


“Yummy Chocolate, Apple and Vanilla Cake”
for Teddy Bears Picnic Cake
for the Cardinal
at the Clandestine Cake Club

This recipe has been created from inspiration in my favourite cake cookery books and from recipes on the internet.  The quantity of ingredients and actual ingredients are not quite the same as any of the recipes that I studied ... I like to tweak culinary ideas! 

Cream together 225g butter and 225g light brown sugar until creamy. Then beat in 4 eggs previously whisked separately. Add and fold in 200 or 225g sieved plain flour with a large teaspoonful of sieved baking powder or bicarbonate of soda, with 50g unsweetened cocoa powder plus vanilla powder or essence according to taste.  Add 100g small pieces of dark black chocolate. I used POULAIN Noir Extra. Add one and half or two dessert apples, which have been cored, peeled and cut into small pieces. Fold in and beat to a firm batter consistency. You may need to add a little milk. Pour into two Victoria sandwich tins oiled and coated with a layer of flour. Bake in a medium to hot oven for 20 minutes but check and take longer at a cooler temperature if necessary. My oven temperatures are not indicative of others! When cool sandwich together with chocolate butter icing.

The theme of the event was: Picnic Cakes... so the fun parent-teacher part of my past thought that A Picnic Cake has to be for teddies!  So.. what kind of cake shall I make? A brown as the earth cake. A green as the grass cake without colourants! Rummaging in my cake decoration collection there is a green ribbon with clover, and look, here are the teddies - mummy, daddy, older teddy with his dog and younger teddy with his book.  A French fêve from an Epiphany cake models Pain du Miel (honeycake) and three bees amongst the daisies with a couple of fir trees in te background could tell the story! The idea of a tartan ribbon blanket disintegrated, so French squared paper and a red felt pen created the perfect picnic rug... but as it was sticking to the squidgey sponge I found the correct size of laminated card... perfect as the models stood or sat in place. They behaved impeccably whilst Great Granpa Bear removed himself from the piano to oversee the event and to present two chocolate liqueurs to 'a happy couple' who will be wed in two weeks time!
 And it wasn't all eaten!!!

Sunday 24 August 2014

I'm wondering...

whether to find a copy of Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan in French.  I tried to read a French version of an Agatha Christie a few years ago but it was too hard!  Inspired, when opening my friend's Orange Penguin collection where there were some French titles...this was on my 'to read' bucket list! I enjoyed the book immensely... an easy read of artful teenager's interference with adults which causes tragedy and heartbreak!

Saturday 23 August 2014

Waiting to be Here

A Red Ferrari parked at least overnight outside LaBelleVue.
An English registered Black MX5 parked for at least a week along my street.

A push to stretch muscles and walk gentle slopes of almost vehicle free lanes,
to the crucifix, to crossroads.
For 50 minutes goodness abounds observing the change of Season.
Enjoy the peace and calm that Autumn brings.
Passing my land I note that it is two weeks since it has been mown,
the longest period of all the year!
Earlier this year, it needed to be mown every five days,
usually every seven at the most!
Dreading the mowing but then a feeling of joy will transcend.
It will be worth it for that!
Knowing that this is the time for other work as well as gardening.
For tidying and clearing, for turning over.
Ploughed fields reveal clean brown terrain.
Ploughed fields bring hope and promise.
In the distance it must be a deer or more running field on field as a result of farm vehicle movement.
In the distance rabbits race like the speed of lightning, bobbing their cotton-tails.
Stamp on recently fallen walnuts revealing mooshiness, fruit blackened rotten.
Stamp.
Wait for solutions.
Waiting.
When one doesn't know what to do one waits.
A friend said that.
I know what to do as well as wait.
Keep occupied.
Much there is accumulated from all the yesterdays.
So for all the tomorrows I'd better sort it.
Let the day unfold.

Cycles turn in the mind.
Dreams wheel and turn.
What would it be like to just walk and walk?
To get there.
Where?
Anywhere.
And then one would be Here.
Here in Peace.
Calm.
Until...

Thursday 21 August 2014

It's hard to tell

... if energies and synergies are being sapped by others OR if I am sapping their positive energy levels.
It's hard to tell...
I am waiting for a recently pulled, central-back muscle to repair, in addition to muscular and nerve tissue problems that have existed for over a year.  Perhaps incapacity has affected this week's lack of energy and is the result of being sapped and sapping energies!
Shattered, drained, confronting cleaning, clearing of chaos that I and others created.
Shattered, drained, unable to consider all that needs to be done. But slowly, do the dishes... Do one thing at a time. I again am aware that I abandoned Self.
Shattered, drained, trying to do less, but one has to keep working for the next event and excitement that is waiting on the forest path!
Fatigue is gradually being repaired.
Exhaustion has a cyclical pattern in Fibromyalgia where people overdo things, become exhausted, rest, feel less tired, again overdo things.  It's a pattern which requires control.
It's a form of behaviour which has boundless energies with certain people, and none with others,  or none when an unpleasant episode happens in a chapter of my life. Then I am forced to retreat and therefore to collapse!
When physical, mental and emotional energies abound, I think I can do everything in my dreams, yet without being like a child, shouting, screaming "I WANT IT NOW!"
LIVING isn't like that. The Reality is that my DREAMS will probably never be achieved. Even so, balance must be regained! I need to rest before energies can resurface.

It's inevitable for 'burn out' when too many tasks, too many interpersonal relationships are being dealt with all at once, when too many dreams for perfection become negated.  One has to pick oneself up, start again, look to see how 'it' could be improved  by being mindful of small things.
Maybe these thoughts are because I live alone or are the result of past trauma. It is true that losing 'purpose in my career' as a result of many issues gained me early retirement and a different kind of work.  I have never looked back on that crisis that caused success!

Where is the Eagle that soars?
For several days I haven't been able to gather energy in my small, frail wings to rise into the sky to look down on Reality.
Where is my Little Bird, my Free Bird?

In the last few days there have been various suggestions but...
I don't wish to pick up a broom and sweep dust under the carpet! That's not my style!
I don't wish to tread on eggshells anymore.  I shall say it like it is or not say it at all!
I do think when I really didn't think before ten years ago...I was always reacting! - and this thinking thinks about what is right and wrong.
"Does it really matter?" I ask myself before or after asking "What is the point?"
WAIT.  Keep still.
Waiting... that is what we do.... wait for the next thing in life, whatever our age.
My dearest grand daughter waited for the first wobbly tooth to come out and when it did....oh my, the blood and the need to find something to staunch the gap, the excitement and angst for all of us!  
Then she shall wait for faeries... and monetary reward and the next and the next until one day she will realise that she does not wish to wait for any teeth to fall out!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank goodness she kept her first teeth for most of her first six and half years!  It bodes well if she looks after the adult teeth when she has waited for them to appear!
Waiting... 
Today the sun is shining.  It beckons.
I walked a short distance into the heart of the village but my friend was not there.
I don't feel 'Lost in France' but do feel positive that all is meant to be!

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Staircase

The staircase created a dark corner in the 40m2 Grand Salon. Workawayer iii started to sand it by hand. This was extremely difficult for him or anyone even though we had the correct sandpaper to remove varnish.  Four years ago when the beams were sandblasted it was thought it would be too harsh for the staircase but I now wish we had tried.  Nevertheless, I asked the Workawayer to paint the underneath; it is surprising how much reflected light has been brought into that corner.  All the paint cans stored below have been removed and the 'cave' (pronounced 'carve') beneath the staircase has a cherry wood lid. That has been treated for woodworm as have the stair treads.  So I am hoping this little niche will become a place to sit and read! The hanging electrical wire is because I need safe electricity upstairs and for some reason the electrician didn't update the wiring or plugs and I need two lights in the attic space. Hence, a trail of wiring!
Before
After

Tuesday 12 August 2014

On the Road

Whilst out cycling we saw an old vehicle still in use...
 and a little chateau (pigeonnier) built up high!