Nice ride and lovely weather

View from where we parked and had lunch

The awesome horse box

 Cooking lunch on the camping stove (soup and bread)

View after we climbed up quite a steep hill, poor horses were complaining about how much we eat!

Highly toned arse!!

Heading back down

Poppy was very tired after running around like a madman for about three hours. She normally refuses to lie down and rest when we are out (too many exciting smells!) but all kinds of things were going on and she just surveyed them from her nice soft blanket.

Piggy training

To get the pigs to the abattoir they need to be led from their enclosure down the path in to the trailer and then be driven to the abattoir before 6am.
They have got used to the trailer ( Getting piggies ready for market ) so, with two weeks to go we started training them to lead. One of them was fine and went all the way down first time and in to the trailer the second time. The other one took fright at the corner in the path and refused to go any further and then freaked out and got worse when we tried to persuade her. We spent many hours at the weekend coaxing her near the corner again with food.

It was hard to get them to cross the fence line in the first place - so we put down a bit of wood as a bridge

They eventually managed to cross it

On the way down the path and just at the corner just before she freaked out

Safe back at home

Toastmasters 2 - Organize your speech - Hated it, learnt it, love it.

I was more nervous doing this second speech than the first one. Not quite sure why, perhaps because I was third which was a long wait and perhaps because it was a bit personal about Lorna and I was worried that talking about her can make me cry.
However feedback was that I looked less nervous so just goes to show that what you feel doesn't necessarily come out in what you look like.

The word of the day was frugal which I managed to get in there too. Hurrah!
I lost the train of what I was saying after the bit about liking everything about the yellow dress. But I managed to just pause for a while as I remembered rather than losing the plot all together.

Title - Hated it, learnt it, love it

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had.
And add some extra just for you.
Philip Larkin

Mr Toastmaster, fellow toastmasters and guests

I am going to talk to you about why I hated sewing, how I learnt to love it and why loving it doesn't mean I am turning in to my mum.

Guess which one is me? Yes! The one in yellow! I was 8. We didn't have to wear school uniform, although you can see most people did. My mum made this dress and I loved it, I loved the colour, I loved the little puffy sleeves, I loved everything about it - and felt the green top underneath just set it off nicely. My mum believed in not conforming and thought I should go for the photo wearing something I loved. I hadn't thought about the matter as I wasn't really aware that other people would notice what I wore.
After the hoo-ha caused by the other parents complaining to the school because the photo was ruined and then all the children complaining to me because their parents were upset I decided that conforming was very important. I insisted on school uniform after this and put a lot of effort in to being 'normal' for many years. My parents didn't really cooperate with this program.
Obviously it now seems unreasonable to blame this incident on the fact that my mum had made the dress. But I guess I was only 8 and deeply traumatised. So although I learnt to do many things from my mum, I refused to learn how to sew, as I HATED it!

Then, not long ago my mum decided I needed to learn how to make curtains because she always made them for my various flats, and she was worried what would I do when she was no longer around to make them. After she died, I did make curtains following her instructions, and was gripped with a strange urge to learn how to make clothes. So I did a number of courses making first a bag and a cushion cover then skirts, trousers and a dress.
I really enjoy learning new things and it is even better if it involves gadgets. Everyone seems most bemused at my excitement about my overlocker - that is the special sewing machine that makes the chain stitch kind of thing that you see on the inside of clothes to stop seams fraying. It is AMAZING, I keep showing people the inside of my skirts so they can see and admire this AMAZINGNESS and they just back away like I am a madman saying 'who cares what it looks like on the inside' - or occasionally 'stop pulling up your skirt and showing me your legs - weirdo'.
So I like the sewing machines, but I also like the variety of material, the complication and fun of adjusting patterns and that you have something unique when you are finished. I have learnt to sew and now I love it.

Now, my brother and husband have suggested that enjoying sewing means I am finally turning in to my mum. In many ways turning in to her would not be bad, as she was many good things including brave, funny and clever. But the stereotype of turning in to your mother never seems to be about the good bits and as she got older she had a streak of bitterness and anger at life that I don't want. Having thought about it, my conclusion is that she had to fight harder to be what she wanted to be than I have. Her parents didn't want her to go to university, they wanted her to get married. In the end she got married then went to university and went on to become a proper bra burning feminist. I am very grateful she (and others) did because it has allowed me to take for granted many things that perhaps would have made her more fulfilled, such as studying engineering at university, working in technology and choosing not to have children.
But more than that it has allowed me to have much better relationships with the men in my life (personally, socially and professionally). Feminism as my mum did it, had a big 'all men are bastards' element to it - she said that a lot, while also trying to be less feminine and more masculine. But having grown up in a different time I can be free to believe that men and women are equal, but it is ok if they are different.

So, to conclude, after a slightly rocky start in appreciating sewing, I now get a great deal of satisfaction from it (even if it is not more frugal than buying clothes). It will always make me think of my mum, but I have argued, to my satisfaction at least, that having this and many other things in common with her doesn't mean I will turn in to her. Having led a different life I am free to have my own faults!

I now love this photo for a number of reasons
It reminds me that in the long run it doesn't matter if you do something embarrassing, people forget
It reminds me of all the lovely things my mum made and did for me.
and finally, it reminds me of the lesson that I eventually learnt from my mum. I think Dr Seuss put it perfectly - 'Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.'

Happy Halloween

Lots of work

Doug spent much of the week getting one of the bottom fields sorted out so that the cows could move from the field they have been in for a few months in to this field which will be their winter quarters as it is where the farmer can delivery hay to. This is Lismore before the move. Still wearing the groovy nose ring.

He has also done a lot of other mowing that I don't have photos of. The grass is still growing a bit but will stop soon and the animals will be on to hay.

The plastering has progressed to more chicken pox spots but is not finished yet

Little bag

Doug wanted a little bag to put some hops in as they are meant to help you sleep.
It is very clever, with draw strings.

Another skirt

I made a skirt to a pattern I have done several times now. But this material is very light weight wool and not stretch like the others have been so I ended up altering the pattern a bit so the back hung straight, I think the new pattern will be better in the stretchy materials too. It also had to have narrower seams at the side to allow for less stretch being tighter.

Sorry there is no photo of it on me

Visitor

Aidan was in Marseille talking to a guy about sailing across the Atlantic (hopefully he will be leaving in mid November), so met me at Toulouse on Thursday and popped in to visit for the weekend.

We ate lots, both out and home grown.
Galette (savoury pancake made with buckwheat flour). This was in a new restaurant called La Fontaine de Sainte Blaise (named after the spring water fountain outside it). The galettes were very nice but the service was rather slow

Home grown lamb - don't worry there were more potatoes than this! It is a very small leg from one of the miniature sheep, good amount for 3 people

and drank quite a bit - these are some interesting beers from the Fontaine de Sainte Blaise

and went for some nice walks.

Obligatory picture of Poppy, chewing stick

The weather was very obliging as you can see

Colder

We lit the fire. Can't remember for sure, but think at a similar time to other years.
For hot water for the shower it is still mainly from the solar panels but Doug has burnt the boiler a couple of times.

Bjork and London at night

I went to a Bjork installation at Somerset House. It was very good. It was songs from her latest album done in Virtual Reality. One on a beach, one inside her mouth and some computer generated. I hadn't tried a virtual reality headset before, was very impressed although not enough to buy one! You went through different rooms for each song and sat on a stool which could turn all the way round so you could view round 360 degrees. The final room you could move around and there were detectors so it could see where you were and deal with that, you were kind of tethered to the ceiling so that you didn't bump in to other people too much. It is a bit freaky if someone bumps in to you because you cannot see them in your virtual reality

This is the view of London from Waterloo Bridge on the way home

Getting piggies ready for market

We have booked the pigs in to the abattoir in a month. The hope is that lots of the chestnuts will have fallen by then, and they will have fattened up nicely for slaughter.
To do that Doug has put the trailer up by their enclosure so they can get used to it. They are much less scared of it than the last pigs.
The chestnut trees.

Pigs in the trailer. The last lot (Pinky and Perky) took forever to persuade in to the trailer, but these two rushed in straight away.

Their enthusiasm was partially because Doug has put a lot of work in to making it feel safer for them than last time

The trailer is attached very solidly so it doesn't bang around and you can see above that there is a nice sturdy ramp. The idea is that on the abattoir day they will be led down to the trailer which will be attached to the back of the car at the bottom of the track. There will of course be a top on the trailer so they don't jump out on the way!

Scything and rabbits

We started off making hay by hand, but now we have the two wheel tractor. We still use the scythe for cutting grass for the rabbits. When you get in practice it is amazing how easy it is. The main thing is keeping the blade really really sharp. All through the summer we (mainly Doug of course, but I do it at weekends) cut grass for the rabbits. I haven't actually watched the Podark scything that everyone seems very excited about, but apparently he makes it look a lot of effort and isn'5 doing it right. When you get it right it is very smooth and soothing as the scythe just slides through the grass with a nice sssshhhhhing sound. You can mow the lawn with a scythe - but when you have the mower out anyway of course that is less effort.
Doug showing me how to sharpen the blade - he always gets it sharper.

In action. Not quite like Poldark I am afraid!

These trousers cost 9EUR from Intermarche you know!

This area (to the right of the photo, not the bit down the side of the wood pile - Doug did that with the tractor) was enough to feed all 5 rabbits.

Ceiling progress

Slow but steady
In France they tape between the boards and the boards are slightly tapered towards the edges so this is not raised. You then fill over the tape and sand it down. Much of the filling is done but it will need sanding and then filling then sanding again. So it is a big job

The chickenpox like dots are where the screw holes have been filled too.

In action in the toilet. The plasterboard in here is sound proof because the toilet is in the living/dining area. It helps a bit but won't make it actually sound proof unfortunately. But this won't be the toilet forever - hopefully!

Lamb slaughter time

That time of year has come round again when the lambs have to go off to the abattoir.
We ear tagged the parents finally at the same time. We have been meaning to do that for years, but have not had enough tags. We finally ordered,plenty this year.

We got them back from the abattoir today and had roast leg of lamb, with home grown potato and kale and sweetcorn. Delicious!

Here is mum and dad

The very small leg

Perfect size for two with enough leftovers for me to make Doug some kind of lamb stew to have one day next week

Second time AI for Bluebell

Bluebell was AIed a couple of months ago but it obviously didn't take because she was in heat again. We called the Artificial Insemination guy again and he came and confirmed she was in heat and has tried again. Fingers crossed.
Here she is with Lismore when Lismore was new. Lismore is half Highland. This time we are going for pure Jersey.

New ceiling

Not finished because it needs taping and filling, but all the plasterboard is up...

... except where some needs to go up to fill these changes in height which had to happen by the door in because of the height of the door, and above the heating to allow room for some pipes.

Tomato harvest - duck and tomato pizza

Our tomato crop this year has been not great, but much better than previous years. I think the difference was that I thinned out the leaves by pinching out all the suckers then towards the end some of the big leaves. On the ones in the potager I didn't do it as thoroughly as the ones by the house, but it is good to know that with a bit of care we can maybe avoid the dreaded blight. We are thinking of making a clear cover to go over them one year as well as it is meant to be better if they don't get rain on their leaves. 

I put oil on the base, then cheese then the sliced mushrooms rather than cooking them to mush first like I normally do. I thought we would get the flavour better - which we did. The yellow bits are quail eggs and there are olives too.

We also had duck and tomato on toast - was yummy too (there was cream cheese on the toast too which was home made)

Mushroom season

There are some at other times of the year, but most in autumn.

This one we were not sure exactly what is was, but one of the French neighbours popped in today, and they all know what is good and what is not. He identified it as one called Trémoulet in french, not sure what it is in English. Some kind of bolete (porcini)

Here it is before it was picked. We had it in risotto. Yummy!

Doug found some other bolete he recognised and we get a lot of parasol mushrooms.

This is a parasol mushroom, it is big, but the tomatoes are cherry ones, so maybe not as big as it looks. This is the under side of it. Thay are not as tasty as the bolete perhaps, but pretty nice, and safe too as there is nothing similar.