Lockdown diaries day thirty-eight, Advent day six, snails

Advent day six

Day thirty-eight, Sunday 6^th December 2020

 

Advent day six

Christmas kind of arrived with a real jingle yesterday evening when we prepared the pizzas to the accompaniment of the first play of the Christmas music, and then enjoyed Love Actually (our favourite Christmas film) after dinner. My Sauvignon Blanc scored higher than the Chardonnay from Friday, and tonight I have a red Cabinet Syrah to look forward to, and it’s a Biere Brune for Adrian and boy does he deserve it. 

 

Cleaning the sewing machine

If yesterday was a productive list-ticking-off kind of a day, today was frustrating. Everything we tried to do, went wrong, didn’t work, needed fixing and ended up taking forever. The worst was the sewing machine. All I needed to do was hem two small squares of material to make curtains for inside a cupboard door. This would be the finishing touches to upcycling the old TV unit, that we bought when we moved in together in 1997 but is too small for the new TV. Adrian has lovingly sanded the pine, given it five coats of white paint, replaced the legs, fitted new handles and with the curtains it would be ready to go up on the landing to house my sewing machine and other sewing bits and pieces. You would have thought the sewing machine would be grateful for a new home, but seemingly not. The first problem was a bent needle which knocked the foot off every time I tried to move it. Adrian replaced the needle. Then it seemed there was another problem causing it to jam (somewhere) and break the thread. Adrian to the rescue once more. He cleared the insides of years of fluff, kept tinkering and trying and eventually, after fitting another needle, had it working fine. It would seem the machine prefers Brother needles to cheaper ones found in multi thread sets from budget supermarkets. Things could have been worse, I know. My poor mum needed a covid-19 test first thing this morning and is now under strict isolation until Wednesday, when she goes into hospital for a knee operation. 

 

My new sewing cupboard

The finished sewing cupboard is now in place and I’m delighted with it. Adrian’s done a great job giving it a new lease of life and it’s just the right size for the landing, which needed something in the way of furniture, but we didn’t want it looking cluttered. There really is no end to his talents, he even gave my lockdown locks another trim this afternoon.

 

If I’d have had more time today, I would have made the first batch of mince pies, but they will now have to wait until tomorrow. I am rather excited about dinner though as I’m planning to add a Christmas flavour twist to tonight’s risotto. Inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s parsnip risotto recipe, mine will have parsnips, Brussels sprouts, lardons, leeks, mushrooms, chestnuts and courgettes. 

 

France Trivia advent calendar, day six, snails

As things seemed to move as slow as a snail here today, I thought a few trivia facts about this French delicacy would be appropriate. 

 

Larousse informs me that snails have been on this earth far longer than man has and from cave finds, Frenchmen have been enjoying them since prehistoric times. The Romans were also partial to them and would cleanse them with milk before frying them. They were also the first to raise them in farms, to ensure they reached a decent size before eating them. Snails then fell out favour when the Christian church declared these rampant breeders to be impure, and it was only the poor who continued to eat them, until their gastronomic revival in the 19th century. In 1814, when celebrated chef Antonin Carême was invited to produce a dish to impress Tsar Alexandre 1^st, he chose snails cooked in butter, garlic and parsley, and the rest is history. Larousse also recommends that as it can be a tricky dish to eat, often rather messy and involves lots of buttery sauce you’ll want to mop up with bread, it is a dish best served with close friends and family with whom you are at ease. 

 

Our neighbours Pierrette and Dominique regularly collect snails from the hedgerows after the rain and have shared not only the final dish with us, but their preferred method of cooking too. First the snails must be purged in a cage with no food for two months. Pierrette can then begin the lengthy cooking process, simmering the snails in white wine with sautéed shallots, pork rillettes, an onion studded with cloves, and lots of garlic and herbs, for at least three hours, then allowing them to cool. The following day she repeats this process, and will eat them after cooking again, on day three. They may not be everyone’s idea of a tasty meal, but I can assure you Pierrette’s were delicious. 

Lockdown diaries, day thirty, bells, beer and bike rides

At the patisserie in Brioux-sur-Boutonne

Day thirty, Saturday 28^th November 2020

 

Almost there Adrian

Between the bells

We were gently woken from our dreams by the eight o’clock morning angelus, and another day of clear skies revealed itself outside the shutters. By the time the village bells were ringing out the midday angelus I had the washing hung out, a batch of yoghurt in the maker, the soup ready for a late lunch, a cake cooling, the pork bones roasted and on their way to becoming a bone broth stock and we’d hung the wallpaper on the chimney breast and round into the nook where the shelf unit sits, leaving just a few over the door pieces, and the last bit of wall with three full drops to do. Fuelled by an extra, and somewhat late, morning coffee, these final bits were all finished before lunch. That’s how to rock your Saturday morning.

 

Our celebratory flan and beer

A beer and bike ride to Brioux-sur-Boutonne

Following on from yesterday’s post about celebrating payday, someone on Facebook asked how we’d be celebrating our increased freedom that came in today, where we can now roam within a twenty-kilometre radius from home and be out for three whole hours. Well, the answer was simple, a bike ride to Brioux-sur-Boutonne, which comfortably sits right at the edge of our twenty-kilometre zone. It’s also home to an award-winning patisserie, who were open and had our favourite flan, just waiting to be boxed up for us. A bench in the sunshine, the two beers Adrian had packed, and our patisseries were the perfect way to toast the end of the current decorating project and our first day of almost-freedom. The ride home with the setting sun and the moon only a day away from full, was beautiful, if a little chilly on my ears. Our route took us up to the ridge that looks down onto Chef Boutonne and where we had 360º views of orange, pink and lilac skies.

 

By the time the angelus rang out at six o’clock this evening we were back from our thirty-eight-kilometre bike ride, the washing was in, the bread maker was happily preparing the dough for the pizzas this evening and the sounds of Ed’s guitar were filtering through the house. There was even enough time to finish off today’s diary and reassemble the shelf unit upstairs before our aperos. I’ll have more days like today please.

Lockdown diaries, day twenty-nine, payday celebrations

Sunset bike ride and baguette

Day twenty-nine, Friday 27^th November 2020

 

Payday

Whoop whoop! Adrian has been paid, for the first time since the end of April and if that isn’t something worth celebrating, or being grateful for, then I don’t know what is. We also got our first Christmas card in the post today too and all I can say is that I commend you organised people, kind of spirit and full of festive cheer, but I’m not quite sure I’ll be able to reciprocate, sorry.

 

The main task today was getting back to decorating and wallpaper hanging at the top of the stairs. This is now the third space we have hung paper in the last few months, but boy was it slow and tough going this morning. Pipes are not the friend of the wallpaper hanger, and why these walls seemed to drink the paste more than the others, meaning the paper wouldn’t slip into line, I have no idea. It was just as well I’d planned something out of the norm for our lunch today, as it felt like a necessary treat. I did make up a fresh batch of leek-top soup, but that will be for tomorrow, as today we enjoyed a goat cheese omelette and salad, with almost all the ingredients sourced locally, by bike. It was also warm enough to eat it in the garden. After getting just over halfway through the wallpaper hanging, the paste we’d made up ran out, which was all the excuse we needed to clear up for the day and pop out on the bikes. Can you believe it, we’re out of bananas, again.

Late afternoon ride to Chef Boutonne

 

The cycle to Chef Boutonne was lovely in the golden afternoon light and although I’d dressed sensibly for a late November ride, knowing how quick the temperatures can drop as the sun goes down, I was surprised to find it was 17º and I probably didn’t need my five layers. With our panniers full, well a baguette in mine and a good few kilos of essentials in Adrian’s, we got a spectacular panorama on the way home; the sunset burning the sky to the right, an almost full moon rising to the left.

 

Moon rising

As a mini celebration for being paid, we will be treating ourselves to a tasty apéro platter of pâtés this evening, with a glass of Pierrette’s cherry Pineau. Cheers, to your good health. 

Lockdown diaries, day twenty-four, sunny Sunday

Our village church in the winter sunshine

Day twenty-four, Sunday 22^nd November 2020

Sunny Sunday 

Yesterday may have been a busy and productive day, but today was much more leisurely and even included the luxury of a lazy lie in. Watching the colours from the sunrise changing from orange to gold as they moved around the bedroom, gave a hint to the glorious weather we had to look forward to. Lunch was once again in the garden, and our little Robin was back to serenade us in the sun. I really don’t ever remember being aware of the Robin’s song before this week, despite how distinctive it is, and we’ve always had Robins visit the garden and potager. Lockdown and life will seem much brighter if the weather continues to let us eat outside and the Robin continues to sing.

 

What we did manage to achieve today was the fiddly little finishing touches to the rooms we’ve decorated. Washing the light fittings and rehanging them, putting the door handles back on and having a tidy up of all the bits and pieces. During the last lockdown we had a big clean-up of the spare bedroom, setting it aside for use as Covid-19 contamination suite. Thankfully it has so far not been needed, but what has happened is that it’s become a decorating storeroom. Rolls of wallpaper, tins of paint, sanding blocks, dust sheets and paintbrushes have spread themselves out all over the floor (out of sight, out of mind) and multiplied, I’m sure. Armed with some cardboard boxes, I sought to bring order to the chaos this morning and cleared enough floor space to store two of the bikes in there as well. It’s still not going to be much good if we do need to isolate one of us, but by moving the bikes, I’ve found a cosy indoor space for the fuchsias tonight. They are still in full bloom and look fabulous, but with overnight temperatures dropping to zero, they need a bit of protection.

Living Magazine, delivery by bike

Living Magazine 

This afternoon we set off for our hour of exercise on the bikes and combined it with delivering the latest edition of the local English language magazine to the Brits who live in the village. Most of the houses were within our one-kilometre radius, but some of the deliveries out to the hamlets stretched that a bit. I am not one to bend the rules, but as I have agreed with the Mairie to do the occasional lockdown check-in with some of the older residents, who just so happen to live at the further reaches of the village, we combined the two. Hopefully finding a new magazine in their postbox, and my little note letting them know I’m thinking of them, will put a smile on their faces. It was also nice to chat with all those we met, out enjoying their gardens or a local walk in the sunshine, too. It doesn’t get much more exciting than face to face chit chat, with six different people, all in the same day. 

Lockdown diaries, day twenty-three, the Robin

If you look closely, you'll see our Robin

Day twenty-three, Saturday 21^st November 2020

 

A visitor to the garden

A number of times today I was aware of hearing a really pretty birdsong coming from somewhere in the garden. We are lucky to hear lots of birds here and although I know the Blackbird, the Hoopoe, the Redstart, the Great Tit, the Swallow and the Sparrow, I couldn’t identify this one. As it was so persistent, and so beautiful, I took a moment and stood for a while trying to see who it was. High in the tree, right outside the kitchen door, singing its heart out for me, was a Robin. 

 

Robins have long been associated with lost loved ones and many believe they are a sign that loved ones are near and at peace. In spirituality the significance of seeing a Robin is all about renewal and new beginnings, a reminder to let go of the negatives and encourage us to move forward to a happier place. The older I get, the more I find myself drawn to spirituality, and as it was four years ago today that we lost Adrian’s Dad, I am sure that Robin wanted me to notice him in the garden today and take a moment to enjoy his song. I’m also ready to embrace a new and positive future.

 

Phase two of the hallway/landings project this morning

It was important for Adrian to feel that he had achieved something today, so we wasted no time in getting going on our latest project, phase two of the landings/hallways upstairs. We were up early and the first job of sanding the filled bits in the walls, and cleaning the dust this created, was all done before morning coffee. I started off with the final side of the door into our bedroom while Adrian opened the new paint and got going on the pipework, and then we both attacked the walls. 

Another project finished

At first, we thought our duck-egg blue paint looked a bit too blue, but as it’s dried it’s much more like we were hoping, and we even managed to get a second coat on late this afternoon. Add in a wash load, another cake baked, a bike ride just before sunset, time spent preparing his course for next week and a batch of pizza dough proving, and I think between the two of us we’ve had a pretty productive day.

 

World Television Day

Today is World Television Day, as decreed by the United Nations in 1996 to stand as a reminder of the power of visual media and how it can educate, but also shape public opinion and influence world politics. I might not have heard of it until this year, but I think this is certainly something that is very relevant to the world today. 

 

We are not a family who are big on televisions. In 1997, when World Television Day was in its infancy, Adrian and I bought a second hand television from friends for £50. We then upgraded (for free) when his aunt and uncle passed on their old one, and again, when his Mum and Dad did the same. Almost ten years ago, we got our first brand new television, a fortieth birthday gift to me from his Mum and Dad, and in all this time we have only ever had one television in the house. We have never had a television in our bedroom, ever, and Ed has also never had his own, until this autumn, when we bought him a second hand one for the flat in Poitiers. Now how is this for a weird coincidence, when we were in Niort yesterday, we picked up an early Christmas gift from Adrian’s mum; a new television. It is so big that until we can get back to the DIY store to collect the unit we can’t buy in store; it’s resting on a chipboard shelf, and while we try to get to grips with all it can do, Ed is over the moon. He is now the proud owner of two televisions, one in the flat and one, for the first time in his life, in his bedroom. 

Lockdown diaries, day seventeen, we did it

The finished landing

Day seventeen, Sunday 15^th November 2020

 

Today could have been a dark and gloomy day. The wind and the rain did their best to clear the leaves from the Gingko tree and as the weather was coming from the south west, to prevent any leaks, we had to close most of the shutters, creating cave-like conditions indoors. It is the sort of day that would normally have registered pretty low on the happiness scale. Thankfully we had plenty to do to keep us distracted.

 

Attention to detail

I used to run a guest post feature on the blog called Lazy Sunday in France where Francophile friends and authors shared their perfect idea of a lazy day, on a French theme. For us, today was anything but a lazy Sunday in France. I was up with the lark to ensure the boulangerie wouldn’t have run out of croissants and pains au chocolat and once the first coffee had worked its way around our blood streams, it was all systems go on the decorating. The first bit was the fiddly bit, around the window, radiator and pipe work, then straight into a tight corner with two internal angles and an external one as well. Adrian might not like the repetitiveness of decorating, but he does love a problem to solve so he was very much in charge of figuring out the fiddly bits. Actually, he was pretty much in charge of it all. My role is to assist and ensure the required tool is always to hand, any off cuts are straight into the bin and any other mess is kept to a minimum. We certainly work well as a team, even after two periods of lockdown and are both really pleased with the new look room. Even the recycled curtains (from our first bedroom set twenty-three years ago) have been given a new lease of life against the new wallpaper.

 

All the junk that had been dumped on the landing for nearly two decades was cleared out and relocated before we began. The cot bed (not used since Ed was a toddler), the desk (that was stacked with my fabric stash), the broken grandfather clock (rescued about twenty years ago as its previous owners were going to drop it at the tip) and a bookcase full of untouched, dusty books). We now have a lovely fresh and bright space that as landings go is pretty big, but what else can we do with it apart from walk through it and use it to dry the washing in front of the radiator over winter? Any ideas would be gratefully received, unless it involves a dog bed for Mini as I don’t think she’d accept that as a good idea.

I know the weather in many parts of the UK and France hasn’t been great, but I hope you are all staying safe and were able to enjoy some relaxing time this weekend. We are off to enjoy an apero, well-deserved, even if we do say so ourselves.

Lockdown diaries, day sixteen, one step forward, two steps back

Ready to hang

Day sixteen, Saturday 14^th November 2020 

One step forward, two steps back

I was hoping to be able to report the wallpapering was going well, but at the end of play today it seems it’s House 1 Jac and Ade 0. In the new office/music room we did something we’d never done before and instead of steaming off the old paper (which we know results in plaster issues in this house) we just dry-pulled the top layer off, which left a backing layer in place. Although we weren’t convinced it would work, we did successfully manage to paper over it and it certainly made for a less soggy mess when preparing the walls. 

 

In the main landing outside the bedrooms we tried to do the same thing, but the northern, external wall wasn’t happy with that, so after a bit of head scratching today, it was back to the hot soapy water spray as we diligently scraped off all traces of the previous paper. Fingers crossed what we did hang will still be on the wall in the morning, when we’ll mix up some more paste and start all over again. 

 

The grot we had before

It would be easy to get despondent when things like this don’t go to plan. One of the reasons we have been reluctant to start jobs around here (for so many years) is that experience has taught us that in this house things rarely do stick to plan. However, we are more motivated now and it’s important we keep that motivation going and don’t succumb to panic. Covid-19 lockdown has certainly given us time, so once we’d cleared up the mess this afternoon, we turned our backs on it with purpose and with heads held high, set off on the bikes. An hour of fresh air and exercise, even with a keen wind from the west made all the difference. There is always tomorrow and if it isn’t finished this weekend, there is always next weekend too. On a more positive note, one thing I am pleased with is the colour, a pale grey with a hint of lilac, that will feel so much brighter than the mess we had before.

 

One of my favourite comfort meals, homemade veggie pizza

Dinner tonight will be homemade pizzas, topped with as many fresh veggies as I can pile on, comfort food at its best.