All good things for 2011.

This morning is the last of 2010 and of course its a time to look back and forward.

All of us will have had happy times and sad times but life is like that.

"We do not live an equal life, but one of contrasts and patchwork; now a little joy, then sorrow, now sin, then a generous or brave action" - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I love this quote, it puts things into context.

I wish all my friends a 2011 with many patches of joy and when times are difficult I wish you bravery and generous friends who love and care for you.

Happy 2011.

Christmas Eve at Kerjacob.

Looking around I thought I'd put some more photographs of Christmas here.

These lovely figures were a present from my husband a few years ago, I love them.

Pie is curled up in front of the wood stove and so are Tortue and Samuel.

We have snow on the ground and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Happy Christmas to you all from us all.

Christmas wreaths.

I have been , at last, able to go out into the garden today.

I went hunting lots of greenery to make my Christmas wreaths.

Having three doors to the house its always a big job but I love it.

The two circular wreaths have lots of rosemary in them so they smell wonderful.

On the old door that we use all the time I managed to find a very long length of ivy and I've draped it along the top of the door frame, simple but festive.

Next will be the Christmas tree that will stand outside the old door so everyone who passes, including the cows, can enjoy seeing it.

Hearts.

I have a growing collection of hearts.

When I went out this morning the snow had decorated one of the hearts which is a plant support.

Nature does some wonderful things.

We managed to go to our friends for lunch today.

Yesterday we had no choice but to stay at home as the snow was just too much to be able to go anywhere in the car.

I did however have some time to work on the frame for a collage .

I also did some small experimental collages which I shall use to make Christmas cards for some special friends here in France.

Now I'm sitting in front of the wood stove getting warm.

Snow on snow.

Last night it started to snow more heavily and its still snowing now.

Everywhere looks beautiful but its meant no visit to the market at St Brieuc which I love especially just before Christmas.

Tonight we should be going up to the coast for dinner with friends but it looks increasingly unlikely.

So it looks like some rare time for me to do some creative things, I'm working on a new idea for a collage in a box frame.

Christmas begins.

Yesterday I made a start to getting some things to put together for Christmas.

First of course it was giving everywhere a good clean.

(Wood stoves are wonderful but they do manage to coat things in dust !)

The rusty wreath I just love and I've added some of my collaged hearts to it.

I also managed to plant up two pots with tulips, I'm a bit late but they'll be fine.

I'll be getting more things for Christmas each day, I love it that way, more fun.

Exhibition of glass.

Whilst in the UK I went to one of my favourite places, Ruthin Craft Centre.

There was a wonderful exhibition of glass.

I'm sure you too will enjoy the colours in the photographs.

Back to Kerjacob.

I've been back from England for just over a week.
I had good times and saw some wonderful exhibitions, especially Gaugin at Tate Modern.
I went up to Yorkshire and stayed with good friends who live near The Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
I was luck enough to see the David Nash exhibition whilst I was there as well as going to the Holmfirth Craft market which was excellent too. So much talent and so many things I would love to have brought home with me.
I am posting some of the photographs I took and will tell you more next time.

Bears, buckles and buttons.

Sunday was an excellent day.
Off to a troc in the morning and in the afternoon to a festival of street singers who come from all over France.
At the troc I managed to get a few more treasures and I thought you'd like to see a few of them.
The bears are tiny and can be used to carry place names or little cards etc.

I'm off to England tomorrow morning, hopefully the weather will be kind as I'll be on the sea for over eight hours.
So for three weeks I'll not be in touch.
I'm sure there'll be much news when I come back.

Time .

A few weeks ago I went to an old lady's tiny house and I was intrigued to see all the alarm clocks set at different times, none of them actually going.
Each clock is set at the time of a birth in her family.
The first two are those of her husband and herself, the next three their sons and the last ones their grandchildren.
I loved the way such care and attention was given to simple everyday objects.

Mrs Bruin.

Another busy weekend, collecting more apples, making more jars of jelly.
Taking a quieter moment I was looking at Mrs Bruin, my teddy from when I was a little girl.
I don't know who made her for me but I have photos of us together from when I was tiny.
To me she is priceless.

Pear jelly.

Yesterday was yet another busy day.
I finished bottling and decorating the jars of pear jelly, the first time I've made it.
Then it was sewing another one of my linen bags.

More Autumn gifts.

This morning we gathered these wonderful parasol mushrooms from the field behind our house.
They will be eaten with out evening meal.
Whilst digging up the last of the potatoes the sunflowers were gathered and I'm now enjoying seeing them everyday in the kitchen.

Autumn bounty.

Today I've been out in the autumn sunshine collecting walnuts.
Whilst picking them off the grass I found a wonderful caterpillar- it had to come home with me too.
I've put it safely under a tree with some walnut leaves and I'm hoping that next year I might see it as a butterfly.

More treasures.

On Sunday at the brocantes I also bought the decorative gourds and two jugs.
The white one is hand thrown and just so elegant, the other reminds me of the gourds.

Pie of course !!!!!!

She just had to didn't she !

Brocante treasure !

Yesterday I went to two brocantes.
It was a lovely sunny day and I was lucky to find some treasures.
The one I'm showing you today I just love and I feel so lucky that it's now mine.
The quality is superb and all the pieces are there even some cologne left in some of the beautiful silver lidded bottles.
I am now going to try and find out who was lucky enough to have owned it, I think maybe it's their name is on the leather luggage label.

Pie in the cupboard !!

Pie decided to try out a new place to sit - I don't think so !!

So I start.

The weather continues to be pretty bad, heavy rain outside.
So, I begin to work on cards and collaged hearts.
I have a fair coming up in December so need to get on.

Just looking in the quiet of the morning.

This morning there was no electricity, it was supposed to be off for one hour this afternoon.
So I sat and ate my breakfast in the gloom and looked at the things on the wall in front of me.
How interesting and enjoyable just to have the time to look in total peace at things I see every day.