Parasols.

Pale grey silk with a faux walnut handle.

Last Sunday I went to a troc and was delighted to get two parasols.

I've been collecting them for a few years now.

They really are beautiful things.

Creamy cotton with a faux bamboo handle.

I'm off to England tomorrow morning for five weeks to help a friend whose undergoing eye surgery.

I will really miss here as everywhere is looking so beautiful.

I'll miss my cats, my garden, my house, my friends and of course Mr P.

I'm hoping to keep in touch with the world if I can get internet access.

Walking by the sea at Morieux.

Yesterday we took ourselves of to the coast.

The weather was lovely, a bit of a breeze but bright Spring sunshine.

It was the first time at Morieux for Mr P and I so wanted to share it with him.

We walked along the sands and as always I was searching for shells and driftwood.

After a while we went up onto the coastal path and continued our walk.

We could see all the bouchots for the moules, this area is excellent for moules and crevettes.

As we walked we saw so many ladybirds all gathered together, from a distance they looked like berries.

The chapel on the coast is called St Maurice and the cross on the edge of the rocks is a memorial to two fishermen who lost their lives in the mid 1800's, whilst fishing .

Before we came home we sat on the rocks in the sunshine and had a warm drink, a wonderful day to share.

Yesterday we went to a troc and I bought two lovely 19th century parasols .

Photographs of them later in the week.

In the afternoon it was back out into the garden.

In the grass under one the trees are my frittilaries - I just love them.

Each year I wait to see how many may come through, so far I've got 4 plants.

Last week I bought some bulbs that are in flower they will go in with the ones I've grown myself.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh did some wonderful water colours of flowers one of my favourites being the frittilary.

The sun is shining this morning so we're taking a day off and going off to the coast.

Gardening in the Spring sunshine.

Today has been beautiful- a real Spring day.

I worked in the garden nearly all day.

The birds were singing away and everywhere was so peaceful.

I carried out my Lloyd Loom chair, which belonged to my Mum and took a few breaks and looked at a few French magazines, perfect.

Tomorrow we're off to a troc so let's hope I find some goodies.

Then it will back out in the garden again.

Time to think - time to help - time for quiet.

Spring changing .......

Yesterday I did a little work outside but decided too to move a few things about and also to get my broom out and sweep and clean.

In a very old farmhouse with barns and renovation there's always dust to be swept away !!!

I bought a little painted desks a few years ago and its been in the entrance of the house.

It was time for it to come into the house.

I was always enjoy arranging things .

The little jug has been with me all my life, it belonged to my Nan.

The little horse was a puppet but has long lost all his strings, he cost me 1€ at a troc et puces and I love him.

Working with paint and collage.

I have been asked to do a collage of two grandchildren of some French friends.

They wanted the frame to be collaged like on the "Time Flies" work.

I always try to do something different on each piece that I make.

I've now finished the frame which started out as plain pinewood.

Now I have to start on the collage itself.

Purple Toothwort

Last Wednesday I went for my usual afternoon walk with my friend Lucienne.

We walked along the rigole d'Hilvern .

As we passed a particularly damp boggy piece of land we saw these incredible flowers.

Never in my life had I seen anything like them.

What were they ?

On Saturday on our way back from the market Mr P and I stopped so I could take him to see the strange flowers, this time I had my camera with me.

Yesterday I contacted a friend of mine who has such knowledge of plants,

Maggie Campbell-Culver. FLS

She was sure to know I thought and if not she'd know who to ask.

Sure enough this morning I had my answer, via Maggie, from Dr Jill Walker of Oxford BG.

So here it is, rarely found in Britain : -

Lathraea clandestina it is commonly known as Purple Toothwort . It is a protocarnivorous plant (all the seven or eight species are) that will trap and eat insects. It is a parasite on the roots of trees, mainly alder, poplar, or willow but always damp.

I think it is wonderful and I'm so excited to have seen it.

Chez Rollais and the market.

Yesterday we went of to the market at St Brieuc, its quite a long time since we've been together and we enjoyed it as always.

After looking around and doing some shopping we met a French friend for a coffee at Chez Rollais.

The bar is one of the oldest in the town and is always busy at lunchtime and full of character, its decor not changed since 1912.

Found words- a memory.

Yesterday was just beautiful, cold if not in the sun but clear. An excellent day for working in the garden.

Friends came to see us in the afternoon, he went off with Mr P to look at the renovation work and we went and looked at my latest cards etc.

Whilst looking at many of my " bits " I came across a book which I'd started to work on when I was in England.

One day I will finish it but the book I used to make the words is packed away in one of my many, many, many boxes in the barn.

I so enjoyed looking at what I'd written - the words and lines still move me.