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Remember that loaded plum tree from a few weeks ago? Most of them were ready to harvest just when we were in France. The girls (they stayed home) picked them, and ate all the good and bigger ones. What was left was very small and it didn’t taste too well.
So I decided to try and make jam. Getting the skins of and the stones out was kind of messy, but I managed to make to jars of jam. I didn’t bother to make it sugar free this year. I found out that even when I can eat jam, I just don’t. It seems I’m not much of a jam-lover after all. The girls say this does taste very good though. So maybe I should have tried honey or something for sweetening. Oh well, maybe next year…
Oh yes, we’re savoring summer too! What’s left of it, that is, because after the very hot week (in France we had temperatures above 100 degrees (F) and in Holland it was around 90 degrees F), the temperatures dropped down to the low seventies. But still, it’s summer.
Yesterday I followed summer in whipping up a salad of green pepper, garlic stems, cucumber, tomatoes, some iceberg lettuce and boiled eggs. And because I love the summery taste of pesto, we had pasta with green pesto with it. So good!
My family followed my summery ambitions up to the roof where we ate this wonderful meal. And then we went inside again, because although it was dry and warm enough to eat outside, it wasn’t really “staying outside until sundown” weather.
The sky was beautiful though!
(I’m sorry for the lack of words these last few days. Still tired and very busy. I hope to be back to normal blogging soon!)
Domaine de Cantecor, our favorite chambres d’hotes
You may have guessed I was further away from my computer than I wanted the whole world to know… Although we didn’t plan to go on vacation, because my husbands business had too many projects going on, a few weeks he decided I really needed some time away from everything.
So he called Rene. the owner of that beautiful chambre d’hotes (the same we stayed at last year) to ask if he had any room left. And he had. The plan was that Theo going to work from there (Rene is also a colleague), and I was going to explore the surroundings on my own, visit some “brocanteries” and maybe a castle or two.
He worked and got some rest, finished a few projects and was really content with the whole arrangement.
And I… well, it was a great week. But exploring? Visiting? Ha! No. I did go to Cahors once. I had to buy Theo some swimming trousers, because I forgot to pack them. And than I took a little walk around town. So there are a few pictures from that. And on the trip down south we spent a few hours in Paris, so I did see the Notre Dame and the glass pyramid at the Louvre.
But apart from that? I did absolutely nothing. I spent my days sitting next to Theo knitting, sleeping for hours in that lovely room, sitting on the terrace or next to the swimming pool and sleep a little more. It turns out I was exhausted!
And now we’re back. I think I would need a few more weeks of sleep to really get my strength back, so I’m still taking it slow. The weather here is lovely too, so there may be some more sleeping in the sun and some sitting out till sunset… (um, after I finish the laundry and grocery shopping and…)
“Man can no longer live for himself alone. We must realize that all life is valuable and that we are united to all life. From this knowledge comes our spiritual relationship with the universe.” – Albert Schweitzer
“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Loran Eisely
“Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Each of us has a fire in our heart for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit.” – Mary Lou Retton
