New Year

You may think that we are in hibernation but actually we are awake and active but have not been doing anything that you would find particularly interesting. However, as you will have guessed you are just about to be told about the uninteresting things.

We did pass a lovely New Years Eve with friends. You can tell it was a good evening because someone suddenly said its a couple of minutes to midnight and rushed to open the champagne - it felt like 9.30. Then another meal on Sunday with other friends and on Wednesday we celebrated Epiphany at the bridge club. In France it is the tradition to have the Galette des Rois on twelfth night. It is a tart filled with frangipane which contains a tiny replica of a king (I guess that wouldn't be acceptable in the UK these days - health and safety!!!). On the assumption that the person who finds the king has not swallowed it, they are crowned king or queen for the day and wear the crown provided, a gold version of cracker hats. Of course this galette is washed down with champagne. The celebration of the kings delivering their gifts to Jesus marks the end of the festivities although it can take months for the decorations to be taken down.

In between all this eating and drinking John has continued to work in the final bedroom. I expect I will be reporting this for months, even though he is working hard. In keeping with the rest of Europe the weather has continued very mild and I have been working in the garden most days. Although we have had a week of rain - which is most welcome - the sun has continued to shine.

We too have plants in flower totally out of season. I am particularly proud of my clivia which I bought in for its annual rest. Instead of resting it is flowering a couple of months early.

 The winter storage of the geraniums/pelargoniums has also been cut short; I have potted them up and as usual they have taken over our bedroom. Unfortunately their number has been somewhat depleted this year as a mouse found them very tasty.