Final touches and the great bake off

With Miss F working in Toulouse today she can't be here to be the Christmas fairy that she does such a good job off. Decorating the tree, putting decorations around the place, decorating the cake, making the chocolate log, shopper and chief cleaner are a few of her jobs (not to mention wrapping farmer J's presents up for him) so it was up to master C, taking the role of master elf to step in her boots (or fairy shoes).

So he put the tree up and decorated it with a few helpful hints along the way, took me shopping for last minute forgotten bits (although he was suppose to be helping with the shopping a phone call got in the way), the wrapping of presents for farmer J was left to him, the little elf needs a bit of guidance in this department which meant i would be wrapping my own presents up). However he did come into his own as sous chef and master baker. I decorated the cake this year, a snow storm effect in the kitchen left a snow scene on the cake.

We cooked and baked our little socks off today, chocolate log, turkey stock, tongue, 3 loaves of bread, 2 blue cheese and fig tarts (one of Alex down the road), bread sauce, sausage rolls and treacle tarts for dessert tonight.

Were going French tonight with a meal of sea food. Smoked salmon, prawns, oysters, whelks and crab claws washed down with a bottle of Chablis.

Some family members have not done a lot today apart from starting the present opening early. I don't know how this blind dog reaches up to find the hidden out of the way doggie presents but he managed it although he couldn't read it was Tysers present he got.

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2ENJ093 - FRANKLIN

Eight years ago today Franklin came into our family, a rescue dog from the SPA in Rodez we drove to see if they had a dog to re home. He had been there a month after being left tied to a bin in the town centre, chosen because he didn't bark, he came to us to say hello and was completely different from the dog we had lost days before Christmas. 120 Euros he cost, a young boy still a pup, very thin but with a look of take me home please. A collar put round his neck, forms completed, cheque handed over and a kiss from the manager and he was ours. Five minutes down the road in the car he threw up. Five minutes in the house and he had weed up the settee and collected an assortment of treasures including socks, toilet roll inner tubes, tissues and soft toys all placed in a pile under the table and garded. He ate at an amazing speed, fearing he would loose it to our other dogs. Then he started to bark, he has a fine bark on him. He barks for his tea, when a visitor arrives, the

Parisot lake

As it is a holiday today here in France (Bastille Day) we took the afternoon off an popped over to Parisot lake for a walk with Sorrel. It has all changed, since the lake was emptied and cleaned up this year you can now swim in it, as well as inflatable toys to play on, a life guard, bikes to hire, a new fenced in play area for small people and a total spruce up. But there is a price we were charged! 3 euros an adult, which I guess is OK if you are using the facilities but Sorrel didn't fancy a dip. The cafe is still open but that would of been too much for Sorrel to cope with being so close to people and music so we opted for a bench to sit on in the shade before walking around the lake. Sorrel opted for being Billy no mates and laying by herself, if be it for a short period of time before bikes and people went by. We are now waiting for the free firework celebrations over the chateau tonight - if we can stay up that late.😃

Lavender

One plant that does grow well around the gites and garden and that I don't seem to be able to kill is lavender. In the summer the bushes are swarming with bees, hummingbird moths, butterflies and other flying insects, lot of holiday photos have been taken by keen photographers, some setting up chairs and waiting for ages with big cameras and lenses waiting for the right moment and right insect to land. It does give a lovely show and smell as well, its picked and placed in vases in the gites by guests. Its very tactile and difficult to pass without a rub of a flower that's if you like the smell. I think its very much like marmite you either love it or hate it, a smell of memories of grans and old aunts who use to get given Yardley's old lavender smellies for presents. I like the smell but it can be quiet overpowering, especially when this year I have finally been able to save the dried flowers. Previous years other things have got in the way and its bee

The English Paysanne

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