In bloom

Its been a while since my last post. This month I've been teaching English at a business school in Caen. I have to say its been interesting and quiet good fun, only 5 sessions for their summer school so relatively light weight.  Over the month its been middling weather wise but at least we have had some rain, and the potagere is starting to bear fruit, plenty of spinach and cabbage to go at. The house is starting to come together as well all be it slowly. Anyway summer is here and everything is pretty rosy so I thought I'd just take a quick few pictures of the house in summer. When it starts to get cold I can remind myself of what summer is like!

Started to get a bit of furniture for the kitchen, this was off www.leboncoin.fr. This site is where all the bargains are to be had. Everybody else in the world uses ebay, well the French use leboncoin. unlike ebay its all small announcements so no bidding and because you select the department your in you generally go a look at stuff before you buy it. Why would you buy something you have never seen? Bof?

Oh yes and I've finished the plaster board in the kitchen. Just need to find some thistle multi finish! There are French ways to do it but old habits die hard!

Mr Lemur's latest ring

950 Hallmarked Platinum

Rare Petrol Blue Natural Spinel

With my own handmade mount made from individual Platinum wires welded together to produce a unique one-off piece.

Archibald Knox Inspired belt

Solid Silver in the Art Nouveau Style set with Amethyst Quartz. 

New belts hot off the forge

Check out my latest stuff

Both have solid silver hallmarked buckles and the finest leather straps money can buy. You can check them out at our etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CheekyLemur

Scooter

Two very excited girls with our new (to us) scooter

Libby reading the "how to" scooter book. Note she has already added a few girly features like the hoody rest and box of tissues back box!

Me I've been experimenting with more stylish pimping! Mmmm Nice!

Breaking New Ground

Well its that time of year again; digging the potager. The bit we did last year was easy whereas this years extension into new ground was (is) hard, very hard. I recon its going to take about two days to properly dig an area 20 meters square. The first six inches is ok, then you hit compacted rock and clay (or concrete as the Romans called it) and from then on its all up hill. In fact if I can draw an analogy (and I think I can) its a bit like French bureaucracy; The first time you speak to them to try and get anything done its like digging new ground (hard). After repeated attempts it gets easier but really its a war of attrition!

There are always consolations of course, and despite the hard work and bureaucracy its still a lovely place to live!

And you have to love a school system that gives kids Wednesdays off so they can wander round fields generally enjoying themselves; well you wouldn't want to work too hard now would you!

Bon chance!

Japanese tsunami

I am deeply saddened by the loss of life following the earthquake in Japan. It is not without reason that the word for tsunami comes from the Japanese. The earth is and always has been a living and constantly changing place and no mater how technologically advanced we become we will always be subject to her whims and at her mercy! As we have seen this week there is no greater "superpower" than the power of nature. My the souls of the dead rest in peace. 

P.S. Please note that I have not used the word victim, because the word implies malice and the planet is neither malicious or benevolent it just is. We on the other hand are simply passengers.