Singing further South

I found an article about a Singing and Yoga group with Meditation... so I booked it being desperate for a new adventure. I didn't have time to ponder or plan.  The one day course was led by lovely, caring, professional people. The food was excellent. The wind was cold as it blew across the lake in the pine forests east of Limoges.  I stayed one night, as in my slow car it was about a four hour journey. Feeling like Toad on the Road, amazed by views of beauty, I tried to keep to slower routes.... yet with cattle to slow us further!

There were huge rocks in the Parc Naturel Regional de Millevaches en Limousin - La Rigole du Diable.

On the return route - a different route - I was aiming to visit another plus beau village de france.. but abandoned when I desperately needed petrol. Nothing lost as at that time of night it was more desolate than my own village.  Sunset before I entered home and my village, was a gift.

Inspirational Art in Nature

Inspirational Art in Nature
Deformities in Nature can be amusing.
It was thus when I found in my supermarket bought bunch of carrots, a forked carrot which was akin to the legs of a ballerina.  I decided!

It was May 10th - one of the first warm evenings.
There began convivial after work bar chats with people I know in the village.

The artist had returned. He has 'a certain sense of humour', which often dominates conversations depending on his artistic mood!  Villagers have tricked or teased him about his 'often used language.'
Within seconds of being invited to group camaraderie  - SNAP - a gift for the artist.
To the garden for a beautiful David Austin rose. To a drawer for a ribbon. To the camera.
I had created botanical art.
He really liked it.
It was fun to cause laughter and happiness in the local community.
It smelled delicious.

An evening meal for a Workaway guest

May 9th 2019

and the Spring gardening work she and I did leaving the self seeded PAVOT -
a large Oriental Red Poppy which I mowed around in the lawn too.
I wasn't going to dig the potager this year but hey, it happened and maybe it is good for morale.
I am grateful that I can afford to pay the gardener to help especially when last year I couldn't push the mower. This year is better though not 100%. It takes away physical stress.

Cakes, Bakes, Books, Bloomsbury, Artists and Authors..........

Angles as a theme for the Cake Club happening in Angles sur L'Anglin lead to reflections about and learning about artists, authors and the River Ouse.

A source leads water to form a river to the sea.
An idea leads the mind to form a river to learning and information.

Because I set the theme for the Loire Valley Cake & Bake Club,  I only had myself to blame to make or construct my idea.  I couldn't wriggle out of the challenge.  I had to make a chateau gateau.

Eventually the agreed theme was "Angles at Eastertide".  I thought people could take their own angle ' idea on which cake to bake for this wonderful place.   In my village, I think it was in the 13th century,  that the Anglo Saxons or French related English, however one defines them in that era, ransacked and governed the now in ruins chateau until they returned it or passed it on to THE LUSIGNAN family.  As one can read my memory of historical events is rather poor. 

In “un des plus beaux villages de France ” with its “castle in the air”  come share your dream of baking. Create an angle of your own idea, be it

a château gateau,

a cake for a prince or princess, king or queen

a cake for a prehistoric cave carving

food for a picnic by the River Anglin

an angle on the theme of Easter

a geometrical angle.

It was a privilege to host for the first time in six years. The organisers cradled the event.  Everyone helped. There were about 19 people, 10 cakes + 4 savoury bakes. Everyone seemed relaxed and happy. Most of the rain was stopping as the afternoon proceeded but the woodburner alight was welcoming. Later in the two allocated hours, the sun began to shine and some people ventured to sit at the table in the courtyard and chat. All too soon people had eaten their fill after Cremant de Loire bubbly and tea, helped themselves to portions of cakes they wished to take home and whatever was left of their own.  Crumbs were swept away.  It was the end of planning that which had taken some time to get my head around but what an incentive it was for Spring Cleaning and controlling my own untidiness! And what an amazing pleasure it was to welcome so many people who had welcomed me into their homes over the last 10 or so years that I became associated with expats over the border of the departments.

First of all the chateau gateau. The previous week I made two square chocolate lemony cakes and two very thin lemon rectangle cakes, wrapped in grease-proof paper and foil and kept in the freezer. 

The morning of the event a construction took place with chocolate butter cream and the power of invention.  I melted lemon drop sweets into spikes -  supposed to represent flags!  Four ice cream cones were lazily not iced.... they would suffice to represent four towers showing how rich the chateau builders were.  I read once that in the past the KING of France would gift a tower to his entourage.. the more one had the richer one was said to be, that is,  more in favour with the King! 

I dashed to the Tourist Office and bought a winged faerie rider of a white horse, not a unicorn, to represent the Magic of Melusine in regional castles or castles in the air type dreams.  

It was also a house warming party cake for my house to celebrate that on the last day of April, just a few days after the cake club afternoon, it would be the 9th anniversary of me owning my French property. Looking back on the last 9 years in this blog and the years before that on my previous blog, this is the second gathering of friends and acquaintances I have hosted in 14 years. the last was when I was 60, catering for 60 people, and soon I shall be 70 but there is absolutely no intention of a 70th birthday party... this is it!!!!!!! 

I had no knowledge of R.Fry that Gaynor talked about... it was clever of her to take this ANGLE of decorating the cake with a copy of the painting found at: https://www.courtgallery.com/exhibitions/51/works/image_standalone180/

Roger Fry was a member of the Bloomsbury Group... and friend of Virginia Woolf....

When I was in England I bought myself four books as I have intended to read Virginia Woolf for some time.
That evening, I started to read:  ORLANDO. In the Preface , Virginia writes: "To the unrivalled sympathy and imagination  of Mr Roger Fry  I owe whatever understanding of the art of painting i may possess."
I never knew such important artists had come here but it is not surprising... Imagine being here if they were both here and where did they stay? 

I have also purchased TO THE LIGHTHOUSE and WAVES.  I ought to read them in order.

Whilst in Waterstones  book store, I was first drawn to the book TO THE RIVER by Oliver Laing. I bought that as it is about the River Ouse between its source and Newhaven Harbour where I often travel to from Dieppe and stay with my cousin at Seaford in the next seaside town.   Virginia drowned herself deliberately in this river!

Isn't it interesting how many links there are in life and how one things leads to another....
How coincidences of events and situations sometimes arise!

I am enjoying reading these two authors. I must find out more about Roger Fry and his connection with this village in which I now live.

Purple Toothwort Walk ..continued reportage

Crossing the bridge at Angles sur L'Anglin we walked towards the Low Town Cemetery, climbed the cliff instead of going further along by the river (hopefully, we would return to that point from Le Remerle dam).  My friend went ahead of me but I managed without stopping so was quite pleased. Onwards to the Roc a Midi and just beyond to the cliff edge* for a good view over the valley, then one has to retrace steps to avoid private land. Turn left at the road, see the large cabane to the right, continue to a modern cabane and continue straight ahead into La Vallée Sêche where it was verdantly green. Lots of treefalls across the winding path. Be alert to the changing atmosphere as one progresses and suddenly one is out into the open. Turn left and into Lassais. Turn right and right ( left takes one to St Pierre de Maillé) where a spectacular length of one metre logs are stacked, and we are heading back towards La Confluence. Eventually one has a choice to turn right but we head on towards the river where we discover the first crop of Purple Toothwort.   Across "the passage de gués" when the water level is low enough it is possible to walk across and I have seen quad bikes cross, I see a favourite place of mine which I love to arrive at.
We find the track alongside the river to the dam and water is low enough to pass on the rocks and edge of the dam.
The trees have been cleared and one can see the house on the Route De Vicq,recently purchased and being renovated after years of emptiness.  Further along some kind of dislodged drainage or water vent probably for the house high above?

We continue at a better pace but are stopped again by brilliant arrays of Purple Toothwort.  Kew Gardens describes it well.  http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:662042-1

We found rough steps up to above the caves in the cliffs (we didn't access those). I 'm sure I've never climbed or descended these before but up I scramble determined to not stop except for enough time to turn and take a photo.  We were back to the furthest rock cliff (see above)*.

We descend to the river and return to the junction where we had started to climb the official randonnée footpath, then back towards the bridge, before which,  'a gilet jaune' was espied, face downwards off the beaten track,  yet on investigation there were no limbs or torso and not even the dog that it would have fitted.

Our walk ended... 4.5 km per hour of the 2 hours. Not speed walking but very enjoyable on a warm day. I still thought we had covered a lot of ground.

NOW:
Here for me is a quintessential, visual image of Springtime in France.

and here,
the newly replaced terrace shelter, whereat No.15 English Tea Shop scones and cakes replace whatever calories one had lost!

A walk around the other side of the valley

I have volunteered to keep company, though not to keep up speed or ability of someone who is SUPERFIT, aiming to walk the GR70 ... me thinks it will be a doddle for her but she will have 3 others with her. Not I at their pace!

My turn this week to choose a route and miraculously she has never explored it!
This the first of posts about today.
She puts the app on... we call it NORA as we ignore her telling us this and that!   NORA tracks our route and speed, altitude and steps!

When we were on the homeward strait, returning by the river, we found Purple Toothwort...
photos on next posting...  BUT, by a "particularly beautiful in Nature display" of them,we found a black beetle which I am convinced is an Oil Beetle. It is many years since I saw one.

 http://wild-life-in-france.blogspot.com/2015/03/violet-oil-beetle-in-france.html

I rather like the fact that females drag the male around for an hour after coupling! Poor things!

Really a very interesting article and beetle... There were bees around the toothwort but i don't know if they were solitary bees that the beetle likes to go home with!  One looked more like a bumble bee and articles say that these visit for the pollen.

Pottery

I returned to pottery this afternoon.  
I returned to moulding & creativity.
I  am going to a different potter to also meet new people, widen my horizons, speak English as well as French.  It is a dual challenge for me: language and art!  It will be similar but different to the informal, irregular pottery course I did between about 2006 and 2012, maybe 2014. I forget.  The course is every Thursday unless cancelled.  He is English.  I like his work plus he has a professional reputation as a potter in UK.  The gardens are huge and  there is a positive atmosphere.  Music sounded a varied selection which was vetoed if the choice was not approved!
I'd been to the artists' open day last Sunday but only visited one of the many and whilst there thought, "Oh I'd like to do this again!"

He remembered that I'd said I would like to do coil work.
Did I?
I am open to being guided to do any learning task that I'm set. 
What did I wish to make?
Oh, maybe something for the garden. Could it be frost proof? .. it doesn't have to be.
I hear myself speak.
I liked your spear heads on iron rods so thought of making fish shapes instead.
However, I sense he would like me to do something more challenging.
I am taken just outside to the garden where my eye perceives a tall,  fat, conical object with holes in it, hiding in a prickly-leaved shrub.
THAT! 
It's eccentric! Maybe a smaller version.
This could be expensive me thinks! 
Inside I'm shown how to use an extruder to make coils. 
Oh... I'm glad I don't have to roll them!
No... here are the plaques that give you the different widths of coil size.
See... F used this one for the bowl shape ... and for the pot outside, this one was used.
I chose one in-between. 
Clay is inserted into a long, vertical, rectangular container fixed to the table top.  Pull the lever down as if drawing a pint of beer.  Hey presto, catch the coils before they drop to the ground.  
Take a coil and follow one of the chosen circular contours on a board.
Follow the technique for adding coils. 
Move the clay with tools or fingers on the outside and inside so that the coil ridges disappear into a smooth wall on the inside and outside, which at the same time is forming a cone shape. That is, each layer of coil reduces the circumference. 
The potter came from time to time to check. 
It was neither easy or difficult but I had to use less slip and ensure I was not making too much of a cone at this stage.  Ah... I think it is being made in three parts!  At one time I took some layered coils apart when I realized the cone was not being formed, and then found it was being too conical! Whoops.
 Quite a lot to consider.
Quite a lot of sensory touch and sight.
Quite a lot of Mother Earth at my fingertips.
Two hours of emptying my head unknowingly, absorbingly, completely in a different environment, learning as one is aware of heavy stoneware clay being transformed by touch.
Nice.  

Singing and Thinking for Spring

A few days ago.....

It was great fun to sing four new songs with Le Brigade des Chanteurs.

It was great fun to be part of a team working together to bring sonorous entertainment to those who knew not what we were about to sing.

It was great fun to be part of a whole experience as we sang in the dark with torches and candlelight, under woodland trees with birds singing at dusk; ‘à la crepuscle’.  The latter is such a beautiful, evocative French word that almost lullabies us to sleep.

I’d missed two months of practice whilst helping others in England, so had not learned by rote as had the others. Despite my own musical talent being very stale and out of practice, I’ve caught up within 4 weeks, apart from knowing the words off by heart, which I AM working on.  The lyrics are not in French and not in English, therefore, it is unsurprising to have mastered learning a new language of sound without knowing it’s meaning.    

The process of learning the songs has required a great deal of mental attention which has been very good to do.  It must be good for preventing any form of dementia!   I have been told that my mind is very active, over active, over thinking conversations, situations and why people do this and that, say this and that.  I know my mind is constantly chattering away, thinking in my head about what happened, or what am I doing now and what is going to happen, how did I get here, what is it I needed to find!  It also discusses how I reacted to or react to or could in the future react to or do differently something I have done before.  It is constantly wondering about this and that.  I excuse myself and say it is because I am and have been living alone in France, which is for many people extremely challenging and emotionally difficult. Well, it has been for me.  It’s also about being busy and creative, even though the body has slumped the brain and mind. Then in a rest period the mind starts again. I have to tell it to be quiet. It's nowhere near as bad as it used be. Out of the busy mind comes writing and communicating even if no-one is reading or listening.... the point is to  create construction out of chaos  It is exhausting; worse if anxiety steps in.   I can see how it must drive people mad!

I return to the SINGING.

I now know the melody of each song.

I now have the words typed and glued onto filing card for performance and glued onto one folded sheet of paper which travels with me.  Whilst driving along I can sing and practice by rote each line, each couplet (verse), each refrain (chorus). Whilst gardening I could go over the words and that would prevent me thinking about all the other issues and challenges, I must do which I do not have time for. Indeed, I have been and am also a princess of procrastination. I keep telling myself not to waste precious time but sometimes I need to slump and go to sleep!

Ah… three songs are from the TSIGANES of Bulgaria/Romania/Serbia:

Kanna May

Jag Bari

Nishki Banya

and one is the oldest known canon – in 12^th century South West of England language:

Sumer is Icumen in …

PART 1:

We sang one song after the aperos and picnic where drinks and food were plentiful. I think it is good to display food that people bring to share with others with due care and attention to presentation.  Maybe it didn't quite happen because rain had only recently stopped, and it was cold.  It all seemed to be “put on the table higgledy-piggedly”.  Eventually some sat at the benches and others stood.  It had rained all day so no one was going to sit on picnic blankets and I expect we all thought we would have to tumble indoors.  Rain stopped so we enjoyed the evening.

Part 2: Then, the musicians and singers led people down to the chemin of La Malvoisine https://anglessuranglin.com/la-malvoisine-en-1982/ where we waited for the Professional Storyteller.  I spoke to him afterwards about folk lore and fairy tale versions of same tales. He knew about a favourite book of mine called “Women Who Run with the Wolves” which title I was trying to tell him about and then he told me!

Part 3: We continued to a place where dark blue tarpaulin was the place for a performance by a circus school of acrobatic and dance skills to represent the formation of La Malvoisine.

Part 4: We continued further ‘upstream’ as it were, where we whispered as if hidden, as we crouched down by stone walls, whilst the public passed us by…. dolls were suspended in the trees… … red fish marked the sit for the story teller second tale.

Part 5:

We continued further into the darkness of the woods.  Fiery fuelled candlelight marked our way to where, sat in his peacock cushioned chair, the story teller told another tale – this, based on a modified African tale, showing how similar folk lore is across the world.

Part 6: We led the way towards the chateau, as if we were the waters, slowly and quietly gathering sound of Nishki Banya until we arrived back to the starting point where hot chocolate and hot wine were served as we stood around the braziers whilst feeding them with logs.

Slowly people left. I found myself helping clear the tables of abandoned bottles and food all onto one table. Then I found myself helping two others to wash and dry the re-usable plastic cups and the glass wine glasses – ready for the next event.

I walked home, glad to have my new torch as after 23h there are no street lights.  Melody and words rang and sang as I made my home gladdened to have an experience with French people even though it shows how much more progress and practice, I need to make!

Cauliflower quiche for the pique-nique

No fool like an old fool

1546 John Heywood cited this proverb as one of his collected English proverbs.
It indicates that as a mature and older person one should not make mistakes!  One should have learned one's lessons before now!  Hey ho!

Be that as it may,  here I am with a lot of grass which needs mowing. Reluctant to mow because of using my physical energy, now it has become a necessity to manage the land.   I have no gardener for at least three weeks . Now Time,  Meteo,  Climate are pressing. 

Last year I was unable to mow like this in one day and I had to give up completely by July August paying my gardener to do so! 

Last year it was wet most of March. This year it has been arid.  Gorgeous, crisp, clear blue skies.  It really has been like a summer rather than a spring.  However, beautiful dandelions and daisies had their heads chopped off.   But,  I kept oriental poppies, orchids and a few grape hyacinths which are pushing up through the grass,  as well as circumnavigated  daffodils and tulips!  It has looked rather beautiful with buckthorn, blackthorn, plum blossom on the trees in the neighbouring 'parcelles' of land. I saw that the lilac is emerging... - .... it all seems so early!

Four pics taken before the mow today.....

Today I made

Today I made:

CHICKEN LIVER PATÉ
300g chicken livers (remove sinews) which cost 1.60 euros
150g butter, diced
finely sliced / roughly chopped red onions and garlic sauteed in olive oil 
dried thyme leaves
salt, black pepper,
5 juniper berries and a pinch of ginger powder but you could use allspice, nutmeg etc...
add cream if you wish... I don't but I do add brandy, sherry or port.

1. Sauté onions and garlic slowly ...
2. Sauté chicken slowly...
3. Put all into food processor with seasonings and an eggcupful of sherry or .....  with the 2/3 butter and process until smooth.
4. Pour into small ceramic containers. Add a thin layer of brandy.
4. Melt the extra butter gently... do not burn... pour onto the patê.   Leave to cool.
5. Seal top with clingfilm or other means.
6. Refrigerate.

and for the apero group this evening which I have not been to for YONKS:

MUSHROOM QUICHE

Ready made puff pastry (Although I love making pastry, I am a fan of quality French ready made)
Sauté sliced or chopped red onions and garlic and lay as a base onto the pastry.
Spread over a can of sliced mushrooms (apx price 1.10 euros) having sieved off the liquid.
Cover with a beaten mixture of eggs, milk or cream, seasoned.
Sprinkle dried thyme leaves overthe whole quiche.
Bake 175C...

Walking

My friend is in training for a GR70 walk from Puy de Velay to La Cevannes and I am supposed to be helping her; in doing so, helping myself to become fit. She is very fit!
I am very pleased that today I did not feel pain from the groin or knee, and left foot toes only tweaked 'eek' a little.  It was warm in the afternoon.  She in shorts, me in leggings. She with a hat, me without.

We walked about 15 km in 3 hours with 181 different levels (?) according to the app which we've called NORA as we have to ignore her.  We did 20,000 + steps (double recommended for the day).  So.... apx 5km per hour; not bad, as opposed to 4.5km we did last week and 3.50 to 3.75 km I did with another friend.
This was my best yet and with the inclines. Not bad for someone whose M.E. prevented her from walking indoors with, in the last 20 years, diminishing relapses.    I can't improve on this not for a long while. She however on her own did in the last week a walk of  6.5km per hour for an hour!

On the walk we didn't hear a cuckoo despite being on agri-land and woodland. Neither did we see birds or animals at all!
However, she took me across a dry bocage of land where wild  fritilllarie de pintade (Snakehead fritillary) were in bloom including one or two white ones.
Not yet home, we crossed the roundabout at La Roche Posay, enabling a close-up photo of the model horse.  La Roche Posay has a well renowned race course.

MY oh MY

My, oh MY, it is about a year ago that I tried to reinstate myself as a blogger.  I became too overwhelmed with ongoing challenges to return my thoughts to regular presentation of life in word and image.

I have had another super wonderful day, since I stayed in UK for all of January and February 2019 doing a variety of things successfully and not successfully.  Loads I intended to do but DID NOT as I was trying to help someone else.  Today was Productive, finding more information to those problems which are beyond my reach to solve.  

I made a little more progress in my garden and courtyard. Hanging baskets and toughs were prepped for front of road.  No geraniums wintered over.   I love feeling the soft warm earth and getting dirt under the fingernails, then having a hot bath to soak away the evidence!

Photos coming later...


Hey... I heard the cuckoo today ....oh ecstasy... I am overjoyed.... I wish to tell the world from the beautiful space one the planet where I live.   Cuckoo it called unmistakably several times whilst I pottered in my courtyard ...  there it 'twas ... sounding across to the north west as clear as a bell ... woops...as clear as a cuckoo... early afternoon not later!  Oh happy me!

Here is one of the four songs we are learning for the BRIGADE... 
It is the oldest canon known.

Sumer is icumen in, lhude sing cuccu

Groweth sed and bloweth med and spring the wude nu. Sing cuccu.

Ahway  bleteth after lomme lhouth after calvé cu

Bulluck sterteth, bucker verteth, murie sing cuccu

Cuccu, cuccu, wel singethu cuccu, ne swik thu navé nu.

Three others are from the TSIGANES of Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia:   for example Jag Bari

In between excursions to the sunshine in the outside world I stay indoors to write up final cope of the Serbian, Bulgarian, Romanian languages into my own phonetic language, so that I can pronounce and learn speedily,  as I missed two months of practice in the group! I have been in ENGLAND!!!!!!!!!! and did those feet ..... 
 I digress in song....
Absolutely sure now of the melody after three weeks and can mostly sing without hiccup reading the words but In wish to go the extra mile when I have never ever been able to learn by rote!

Will try to update as my life feels so full all of a sudden .... but maybe i need to write.....
bises xxxx

Selling Stuff

It couldn't be described as <fun> or <not fun>.
It could be described as <something which had to be done>.
Now that I have done it all alone
I have neither <enjoyed it>
nor <not enjoyed it>.
I can see what I could do / would do to improve the experience.
This must be the business woman in me, for why would one wish to do it alone?

It was tough to load the car & trailer two days before - an hour is not long to bring pre-organisedboxes down from the attic.  100 steps <aller-retour / there and back> including 20 French stair steps -  about 20 times.
[Good exercise for someone with a pinched nerve affecting arm and legs: what might be called crualgie.  After several months of intermittent, inexplicable, 'difficult to describe to a French, non speaking English  doctor,'  this now feels nearer a 'correct diagnosis' from a French friend.]
Another hour to load a heavy pine trestle table, lightweight plastic table, garden parasol and chairs, stationery items, clothing according to weather.  There was food to think about on the morrow as often these places have food I don't eat.

AGO
Between 2012 and 2018 there were three other days of selling stuff at vide-greniers in this village.  Often I skipped opportunity when the Easter Brocante was too cold or wet.  September,  I was usually in UK for mother's birthday.  Two were on the designated village site - one I did with a friend for guidance, another I did alone to develop bravery. The third, in my courtyard was successful at ridding of stuff, where DIY & household stuff of his and her stuff sold early for reasonable prices, a depressing lull mid day and for silly prices late afternoon. We just wanted it gone.   I considered 60 or 70 euros was a good day for unwanted items,  but this time a hundred seemed ok until someone last night scoffed.  It does beg the question that income is not paying for the effort but I would rather TRY to have some money than nothing for it.   A PROJECT I could do without! Basically, my current theory has been to to generate good money for old forgotten collected things, many of which were too good for the déchetterie but too poor for charity shops!

SUNDAY
Toy cars with no tyres had a new home by lunchtime to a man who had lots of replacements. YAY!!!  A 'rescue cat' lady was first for the blue cat basket.  She knocked me down from 5e to 3e. I acquiesced because I didn't want to take the large item home. When she returned, my generosity had further increased when I gifted two cat leads to her sanctuary! From Big Feet.

(Two sisters, Little Feet and Big Feet, are now where cat souls (soles) end their nine lives.   I will always vividly remember each burial and date of their departure from my life. I was lucky. Each cat crawled home. (Another story or two here.)  I miss them both but the polydactylic one was very special.  I mourn & digress.)

The last item to sell also had its own story to tell, but I shall not bore the reader.  Let's say it was an item symbolic of love for France and a reminder of days where lovers once lived, where it stood for 10 years in an upper niche by the fireplace.  First she was aghast by my stated price and knocked me down from 8e eventually to 5e stating it was not worth  more than 3e.  She very nearly didn't have it as I'd packed it away by the third time she had appeared for it!   She was quite distraught after bargaining. In part, I did not wish it to go!!!!!!  Reluctantly, (heat, weariness, irritation for, oh,  "of all the things to debate about!" ), I made an effort to look,  and there by letting go was there pleasure in personal healing.  She was over the moon. It was her story now and not mine and this I told her.

Income was theoretically minus the cost of waterproof coverings - a very thick tarpaulin (bache in France) to cover the trailer and two smaller ones for covering the tables if rain descended unexpectedly.   Nevertheless, nice notes were transferred to holiday savings!

RATIONALE
It's not exactly a working income.  If truth be known, probably less than 10 cts per hour, never mind angst, worry, fear, effort, energy working towards this day.   All those hours with patient, tolerant workaway ladies, gently encouraging me to 'let it go'.  Ladies who were wonderful making lists of music (need a specialist place to sell), opening boxes not opened for 15 or 22 years, or some which had been opened and muddled. All had taken over the space in my attic.  Labelled boxes in categories, eventually brought a plan to fruition. An ongoing process of decluttering has developed into a rational and obvious procedure.
I do not want or need some things from a previous life or lives.
I come to this stage later than others but 'coming to' is the most important thing!
Many, many times when I thought, "I don't want to do this".
Many, many times when I thought, "I have to take responsibility for unburdening my life from his stuff, mine, ours".
Many, many times when it was too hot or too cold to be in the attic, when procrastination was a middle name. I could avoid the task, do something else equally deranging.
Those times passed me by until the last three mature women helped me on my final way.

I need to take responsibility.
"My children don't need to take on mother's rubbish... there will be enough decisions to make when I pop off, even if I do fulfill my intention of getting rid of what has now been sorted for disposal."
I consider how much doggy archive and antique stuff my deceased mother collected & hoarded and which she gifted kindly in her WILL but  NOT to me! Phwew! 
I think of stuff my middle aged children had and have in homes that are small space housing; one a boat and one a rental.

STUFF
includes stuff in another building and stuff in the garden, which isn't all mine.  There is a pile of old tools which must go to a metal scrap yard. Boxes of less old usable tools. Ladders. Cement mixer.  2nd hand double glazed units ideal for cold frames. All have stories to tell.

DECLUTTERing PROCESS
In clearing the attic, some things were assigned for the charity shop or to the  bin or déchetterie. Some were labelled for internet sales.  Some things were kept because I like them or would use them. Some were thought of as gifts for others. It has been a huge process and I have really only skirted the surface, as I hate waste and I cannot yet, am not ready yet, to pay someone to take the LOT!
 I've learned how to better categorize, box, store items with labels of contents.  Of course, I knew how to do that when moving house but it seemed more necessary as I try to think about minimizing effort and space when taking things to a car boot sale in a small vehicle with a small trailer. Boxes were lablled with V.G. (vide-grenier) and contents.  But it became a muddle on the table as things emerged from box to table. 
I had tried to visualise a table where categories of glass or kitchen ware, children's items,  clothes,  textiles, vases, jugs, bits and bobs, things for free or petit prix would be arranged like a shop and be more welcoming to those who were just looking.  The plan is / was to display for example ONLY DIY stuff.   I have a theory that people look for  certain stuff. So to have one table of only household items or only garden paraphernalia or only tools.  In my attic,  one section was for general household stuff, another for DIY, another for larger items.
There are boxes of specialist music sorted to keep or not keep but not to yet give away.  There are boxes of personal writings, and other things to sort.  BOOKS have been categorised and bundled for the BOOK FAIR again.  I am not going to transport them to vide-grenier villages.  In the last 8 years, I have sold quite a few and many went back to UK charity shops from whence they came. Many were not my books in the first place.  AND there are boxes of books I thought I would keep but unless I have a book case what is the point!

PHOTOS
So who is reading "this excruciatingly detailed account of  LIFE"?
I allude to what a workaway lady said to me after 5 days, when she did hardly talked ... and I did!
I couldn't seem to elicit conversation.  However, I'm hugely indebted to her as she had the patience and tolerance of a saint to categorise unsorted photos from the last forty years. She kept me on task for two weeks in a cold February. She showed me HOW to clear 15kg of hard copy photos and negatives.  At last they have been divvied up for my two children and others to sort!!

VIDE-GRENIER
The first day of July began with a storm at 6h ... would I go ?  The meteo forecast had altered.  At 7h15 I drove gingerly with the load.  On arrival everything was ordered & organised.  First a pink ticket with my name and stall number from a booklet like one used to get when cloakrooms existed in the heyday of dance events,  exchanged for a blue receipt on payment at the second, move to the third to collect a coffee voucher and newspaper.  Then someone smiling in the rain tells me where to go. Once I had negotiated parking she returned to return my cheque from last year. (Only in France!) Last year I paid in advance but dipped out because of poor weather in the morning, so, you see, I couldn't allow myself to do the same again!

There were almost two hours whilst I leaned on the back of me car waiting for thunder and lightning to move away from the river.  I didn't dare to reveal cardboard boxes to water.  THEN, unpacking was slow due to rising humidity. At about 10h, clouds gave way to a clear blue heaven with a golden globe behind me.  BUT, I was not under the trees.  I would be exposed all day without a canopy.  I began to slow further in the heat of 37C with little shade.  The pink umbrella re-emerged; this time to be a parasol. I was happy. It was a lovely day.  And so glad to be near the cloakroom, grateful for 'antiques' neighbours, and passing English acquaintances who covered my frequent, fleeting escapes, on which visits I espied an Italian ice-cream machine on the 'barbe a papa' (yuk:candyfloss) stall.  I waited as long as I could for my TREAT.  Vanilla heaven in a cone, followed by the last of the flask of Jasmine tea with frequent moppings of a sweated brow and a building allergy to incredible HEAT.

SUMMARY
I did it.
Would I do it again?
It is the inconvenience of not having someone to cover the convenience visits that prevents me from going to unknown territory as well as towing a trailer a distance.
But I will gain confidence NOW that I know how to do it.
Sadly, for my lovely workaway friend I was not ready in May.

Waiting for  rain to cease I had at least prepared tables.

Packing up... ah ... I suddenly remembered I had to have photos to prove I've been here!

Empty boxes to take home. Trailer and car each half full. Badly packed as I'm exhausted by Heat!
Heart pounding, sweating with running nose of allergy to heat, I returned home, glad to have some level of achievement and a glass of wine. Someone even offered me 300 euros for the trailer after I'd hooked it up to my dear old Clio!
How old am I? Madness!

Some time ago

BLOGGER inexplicably removed my lists from the right hand side......]
all the blogs I used to read...
I must learn how to reinstate them..

Now and Next

13 February 2018

The Will is still ongoing:
I am waiting for mother's  tax declarations to be investigated as they do not match. The first was from her husband. a man 31 years younger, and he declared as he evidently has for 4 to 5 years that she had property rental income but as he had already transferred her 50% of the property to him this was clearly an untruth.  The second from me ( it took me 8m months to acquire her N.I. number as he ignore my request for it.  Almost five months later I am still waiting to make sure I owe nothing on behalf of her and if she is due a rebate, it goes to the sole beneficiary, my brother, who insists I am a liar and deceitful and not following my mother's wishes. These are not HIS original thoughts but the thoughts of someone else.
AMENDMENT : June 2018: I now have the proof in writing.

Stress and Fatigue:
After almost 15 months I have almost totally relapsed into complete fatigue with whatever title they wish to call my condition: Fibromyalgie,  Myalgic Encephamolitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome or all of it|!
The symptoms for each day are never the same... new pains in the muscles, lymphs or nervous system appear.. sometimes I realise "oh that pain has gone!" ... another time .. "I've never had this pain before!"   Fortunately, I am able to get moving but it takes hours.
Worse than all the pain has been 'emotional lability" - a pain in itself.

New idea before Moving house if I  ever do:
Moving on: 
As I am about to embark on another concerted effort re-organising personal possessions which I do not need, I thought perhaps as a form of motivation, I could document the rubbish going out.

My cat died    
how did I not write about this tragedy!

When my lovely Big Feet died

Lentil vegetable fish risotto

Saute in olive oil  finely sliced red onion, smashed chopped garlic and a quarter of a red pepper chopped small ... then add about 60g risotto rice per person. When glistening start to add stock little by little.  Today I used fish stock made from a trout head having eaten the filleted trout several days ago and which my cat enjoyed when it was cold.  Throw in sliced mushrooms during the process of adding stock, letting the rice absorb it but trying not to stir too much.  Meanwhile season with salt, pepper, herbs, spices of your choice. Throw in a goodly quantity of washed fresh spinach  as it does reduce to not very much... Add the previously cooked brown lentils or from a  can.  Leave to simmer softly.  I also steamed some raw hake (cuttings from hake steaks also from a few days  ago!) above the risotto.

It was quite filling...  a goodly pile of risotto on a white plate with the fish meat placed on top and sprinkled with as much grated parmesan cheese as you like.


I hadn't thought of making a lentil risotto before but it worked exceptionally well.
There are leftovers ... I didn't take a photo... I enjoyed drinking Jasmine tea  to accompany it instead of white wine!

Bon appetit!