Pics from the Past that I missed

Take an aubergine, halve down the centre keeping the stalk attached to the fruit. Slash each half into slices whilst holding the stalk. Put onto an oiled baking tray. Into the gaps stuff slices of tomatoes, onions. Make a paste of anchovies, sun dried tomatoes, red peppers or whatever you fancy andspread across the top and into the gaps.  You can put slices of anchovy into the gaps and then cover with a paste or just olive oil.  Scatter with sliced onions, garlic, pine nuts in this case and sprinkle with loads of olive oil plus salt, pepper and any other seasoning.  Bake! You can make it totally vegan without the anchovies.

I saw Power dressing Black in Orange!

The start of work???

A pile of debris in July... normally done in October!

A Liberty Fabric circa 1970 cottony velvet.  I like it! Autumn Leaves.. and I like the song too!

The kitchen cupboard doors painted for the laundry room were hung to dry.

with a different kind of linen-oh!

and this was the Hairy One Eyed Monster meal to finish leftovers just before a few days on holiday!

Mad!

Shepherd or Vineyard Worker Huts - Posting Two

Sunday 9th August 2015
A gentle morning.  Logs had fallen from the stored stack so were pushed back.  Lunch was leftovers.
Out came bicycles. We returned to follow tracks we made yesterday to Remerle, intending to continue to St Pierre de Maille. The tracks on the map led through woodland but in reality we could not get through.  We returned by the way we came and spotted another of the ancient cabanes or loges or bories.    It had been beautifully built and sadly was now quite tumbledown.  Continuing our route we found another. We parked our bikes before walking across the field. This is one of the best condition huts I have seen. Wonderful! Onwards again to walk across another field to what we thought was another such construction but we only found thick walls, piles of stones and dead branches.  All that excitement as well as finding a small private vineyard  was fascinating but 'twas tiring for my arms and wrists to ride on bumpy tracks.  We met the tarmac to cycle to Remerle, took the lane to the Confluence.  I had to stop and remark about the difference between the summer lane of yesterday and the one strewn with autumn leaves today.  It rained last night and does feel decidedly Autumnal!
Altogether we did 14km of cycling. We were out four hours because of exploration of ancient and natural formations. We like doing that.  He wanted to find a shop but I said it would be closed which it was. However, a bar was open so we decided to opt for a hot chocolate.  There we met two people we knew who bought us beer and so we chatted and had another.  Then a third was offered by another man but we declined.  I had to walk up that incline out of that town and when I got to the ruined chateau of my village, again I walked another incline.  Pushing the bike up the steep hill opposite the Chapelle is I think harder than cycling the road loop and I was pooped!
Home!  My leg is bruised and injured badly because I fell whilst stationary astride the bike.  Whilst looking at the map,  the legs wobbled in an M.E. way, the handlebars twisted and suddenly I was grasping my calf to staunch the pain and blood.  The pedal stabbed me!
Evening meal for me was an egg scrambled with mushrooms adorned with lettuce, one oat biscuit and a bit of cheese and Rooibus tea! YUM!
PHOTOS:
The first loges found next to the track.  Note the perfection of the rounded inner wall.

The second loges was reached by walking across a field. The modern tuffeau slabs once held a door.

 ...the view from its doorway...

 Inside, the earth floor is dry but stone walls have let in rain...

 We spotted the back of the domed shelter from far away!

Later we discovered another cross.  Passing locals knew nothing about the inscription: 1865 BAUDRONNE FRERES ... ???? Arunguiers ..... or something like that ... it was situated in private fenced land.

THIS IS A REALLY GOOD LOCAL SITE for maps for walkers, cyclists etc for routes and shows the one we did...found after the event!  You can also get the leaflets from Tourist Offices.. we used to! Go explore!

A walk

Saturday 8 August 2015
This was an extension of a walk I know up to The Witches Rock, Le Roc a Midi, return to the footpath, turn right towards the road. Turn right instead of left at the road.  At the stone crucifix we did not choose left or right but headed straight on over the field to the water's edge to proceed left with no pedestrian track. Without maps, I realised we were walking on the opposite side of the river to the original site of the sculptural 'roc auc sorciers'.  It was difficult to identify Doux through the trees but interesting to see from this side. We came to the Confluence of the Gartempe and Anglin rivers. 
I wished to walk further along the river but was unsettled by the proximity of a road with fast flowing traffic.  I was confident of the direction of the village but the sun was hidden.  With woodland to traverse, we crossed the field to the track.  No cattle in the fields!  Then we walked parallel to the river returning to the stone crucifix but instead of turning right to retrace our steps we headed straight on. This follows the curve of the river to "Le Moulin de Remerle".  I vaguely remember being on this side of the river a decade ago having walked to this point exactly by the water's edge from the bridge.
At home, studying the map, I understood my disorientation because the River Anglin meanders, forming a loop, before it meets the waters that it flows into.
It was an enjoyable few hours mostly held without discussion between two people. I love walking alone. I love company. This was a happy balance.
How annoying! I just wrote an elegant phrasal expression about reflections as to what I have learned and it has become deleted because I pressed the wrong button after I'd made it italic !  gggrrrrr! Maybe just as well!

without zoom

This plant has holly type leaves.. I know not its name.

This artform 'sculpture' worthy of any title by Richard Long, might have been made by a beaver or a coypu but as it was so symmetrically curved that maybe it was carved by a person.  Behind it is the tree that it came from or another felled by wind or man! I very much liked this natural artistic installation!

 The confluence of two rivers.

The River Anglin meets La Gartempe

Across the other side of the river, low at this time of year, is a place where I often stand after walking along the D6, down The American Way to the water's edge, then along the track to the Moulin de Remerle, a place where kingfishers play!

Keep to the riverbank and one arrives at the 14th century Hosannah Cross in the cemetery.

At the bridge we wondered what was best to do after an almost two hour walk. Pancakes at home! Given the hour we had an earlyish supper: cold lamb and leftover salad vegetables, oat biscuits and runny cheese, pancake with apricot conserve that couldn't achieve the temperature to make jam! Coffee after wine. I felt relaxed at last. Tensions had been displaced for another while. A rest day had ensued.
The morning had been entertaining two guests who we met the previous Friday evening. It is unusual for me to a) sit at anyone else's table... I only did so as we were departing to help translate the mystifying APERTIVO menu...and felt rapport!  hence b) I invited them to morning coffee at 24 at 10h30 but they came an hour earlier bearing croissants and stayed for coffee and tea leaving at well after noon.   Nice people, but I wish that someone would not dismiss one of the couple with thoughts about their faults and social weaknesses whilst praising the other half of the couple! None of us are perfect.     I know it is something I learned to do from him or others and have been trying to shed such negativity.   In my opinion, it is better to try to see beyond any niggles we might have about for example  how much anyone else talks or if they have what might be what was described as an irritating habit of smiling a lot!

It's a long while

since I wanted to share or had time, motivation or any energy to share.  Maybe I can begin to re-look at the Past month and to whatever Time becomes the Present and present a story or stories alongside to unknown and unknowing readers.

'A plus'...

(not pronounced 'AY PLUS' which once when an English bloke living in  France wrote to me on a dating site communication. I couldn't understand what I had done to gain an A star!!!)

It is pronounced 'ah plooss'...meaning 'see you later'!     or      'later'!

Dishwasher and Gratitude

After prepping, cooking and serving a delicious evening meal for six adults a week ago, there was clearing and washing up to be done all alone, well after eleven pm.  As it took at least two hours of focussed organisation,  I decided I would get the dishwasher NOW.
There were apero glasses for Vouvray and then wine glasses, apero dishes, main meal plates and cutlery and before I could say "keep plates and cutlery", they were stacked, and we had to have new ones for cheese and 'salade', then bowls for 'dessert' which was a Charoseth, a dried fruits salad with grated apples, then coffee cups and oh I found some Pineau as a digestif, so more glasses!
Everyone helped to decamp stuff from the end of the garden just before the street lights went out. They had five minutes to walk home.  Even at gone past 2.30 am was I folding down the parasol, collecting the tablecloth as a thunderstorm brewed, only discharging between 6 and 10ml of rain!!!
We are in the canicule ... a drought!

It is also true that about midnight my daughter and I were doing FACETIME just for 30 minutes whilst I tried to settle her emotional rollercoaster!  It was a welcome break to doing the dishes and although I wished to leave the washing  and wiping up to the morning I was so glad I did it so that I did not have to FACE IT the next day. My annoyance was that another in the house never verbally made a comment! 

INTERRUPTION TO MY POSTING :    I have to let go of resentment!!!!! I am trying to release myself from resentments, bitterness, jealousy, anger, frustration, annoyance, irritability with others who do not meet my needs and ideals...    I am trying to be more grateful for the moment and the goodness of all that is happening in my life. 

I must celebrate and see the good in the negative moment.. 
I MUST LEARN instead of carrying, pushing and pulling!!  Is that the reason for why my neck and wrists are hurting? I have to leaarn to LET GO! I have to learn to WELCOME GOODNESS IN...................................I have to learn GRATITUDE.................................. 

I last had a dishwasher... a lave-vaiselle,  about five years ago. It was inherited with the dark kitchen in which I could not establish the condition of anything. One bought a house and not a kitchen!  The dishwasher was poorly. Before that, I don't remember having one at the other French house, so it was 2002 when I last experienced the joys of loading and unloading.
In my own house, alone, I have come to enjoy 'doing the dishes' as a form of meditation and keeping warm in the winter. I learned to pride myself on beginning to keep surfaces free of dripping dirty or clean dishes! In the previous house I hated washing up, the darkness, dirt and grime beyond the dishes! I cannot explain in text! It was one of the elements that caused separation, resentment and the rest!  The planned window never arose because we realised the stupidity of outting a window into a North facing wall. French farmhouses in this region rarely have a window in the wall that receives the winter winds and rain.

I went to Auchan and compared several white machines, eventually rejecting the Bosch for the Electrolux and I am not displeased!  Before making the final decision I compared the silver fronted ones with my two prime choices.  I am convinced that the dishwasher uses less water than washing and rinsing stuff out in the outhouse BUT it definitely saves me walking such long distances...
I am so grateful for a dishwasher!

Steamed then Baked Rice with pistachios, saffron, cinnamon etc

Steamed veg - white cabbage, carrots, courgettes

Chicken, sun dried tomato and sweet red pepper kebabs marinaded in garlic, onion, sun- dried tomatoes and tarragon!

At a late stage in the proceedings, a pic seemed a good idea!

Stacked on the table to drip dry on tea-towels.

and more!

The Laundry Room ( La Buanderie).  One wall complete with dishwasher!

That vacuum cleaner is supposed to be in the cupboard where doors conceal a tall cupboard! The cuboards are painted Dulux Quartz Grey and that is the end of that paint can!