Bonjour
I hope that you simply and yours are nicely.
It was my birthday this week and I celebrated in fashion. I took Smudge the kitten to the vets for his vaccination and Ronnie the Labrador had his ear wart handled. I did get a rousing reception within the hen pen from Barbara Streisand, Girl Gaga and Gina Lollobrigida; as ordinary Joan Crawford jumped into the meals bucket and pecked me, and Kim Kardashian tried to chase everybody away from the lettuce so she may have it to herself. I did although handle to seek out time to meet up with my beautiful neighbour Claudette, who celebrated her 95th birthday this yr – I feel, she says she forgets the dates now, and might’t bear in mind if she’s 92 or 95 however since she feels youthful, maybe she is! I like her philosophy.
We celebrated with a thimble-sized glass of her home-made walnut wine (thank gawd as a result of a lot as I really like her, I couldn’t handle greater than a mouthful, it tastes like puddle water in a muddy nation lane after the rain stopped two days in the past and it has cogitated sufficiently to develop into sludge. Not that I’ve drunk puddle water in case you have been questioning, however that’s how I think about it to style).
“When my man was alive” she mentioned, “we’d have a good time my birthday at dwelling after he received again from a tough day’s work within the fields. He at all times discovered the power to make me really feel particular. After we have been younger, we performed information and danced – within the 60’s the music was nice. And at all times my man would deliver me dwelling a giant bunch of untamed meadow flowers.” She smiled wistfully and shut her eyes to recollect. “Yearly I might take a flower from the bunch and press it in a e-book, however he’s been gone a very long time now and so they’ve all pale.”
“It doesn’t matter, I’ve my reminiscences. I can see them in my head so clearly typically, not a lot others, however they’re all in there these reminiscences, one of the best present he may ever have given me, not issues, however love and remembrance.”
Tears pricked my eyes, and he or she informed me to not be so silly, and supplied one other drop of walnut wine, which made me quickly pull myself collectively.
That night, Mark, my husband, and I took the canine Girl, Nina, Reggie and Ronnie for a stroll. We watched the solar dip down behind the bushes atop The Hill of the Mill (an extended gone constructing), it was peaceable and silent apart from the rolling waves sound of the rustling leaves and the mistletoe-laden branches swaying in a mild breeze and some late-to-bed croaking pheasants. The air was full of the odor of freshly reduce hay and ripening blackberries – there’s a sea of them within the hedges.
“I forgot to get you a gift” he mentioned.
And I smiled, as a result of that reminiscence is the present, and it’s locked away within the treasure chest in my head.
Wishing you all a contented birthday for right this moment, tomorrow, each time and should your reminiscences be completely satisfied.
Bisous from a birthday-girl in France,
Bisous
Janine
Editor
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Janine Marsh is Writer of My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream, My 4 Seasons in France: A Yr of the Good Life and Toujours la France: Residing the Dream in Rural France all obtainable as e book, print & audio, on Amazon in all places & all good bookshops on-line. Her new e-book Easy methods to be French – a celebration of the French life-style and artwork de vivre, is out now – a take a look at the French lifestyle.
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