Good morning everyone from a cold and frosty SWFrance. I hope you’re keeping warm wherever you are. Here are some frosty pomegranates looking like Christmas tree baubles.

Out to a late lunch at the house of some dear friends, people we are really going to miss, who treated us to a most sumptuous Christmas meal complete with all the trimmings and ending with Christmas pudding. Yum. #BlessedByLovelyPeople

Today I want to resolve nothing. I only want to walk a little longer in the cold blessing of the rain, and lift my face to it. New Year's Day by Kim Addonizio (taken from a Toast email)

Happy new year everyone May 2026 bring you good things and the strength to deal with the not so good It’s not light yet so no idea whether it is frosty again but here’s some more photos from yesterday

One of the views I’m going to look back on very fondly

OH outside taking frosty foggy photos And big congratulations to Advolly Richmond on her OBE #gardening

Good morning Deep frost, thick fog Winter in La France Profonde

Good morning Very cold; the hardest weeks of winter here are drawing in A writing day I think, until a 4pm visit to a British friend who lives partly here and partly in Amsterdam for mince pies and Christmas cake, neither of which we’ve sampled yet so far There will also be plant and gardening chat

It is normal to be out on the tractor all afternoon mowing, at the end of December, finishing by the light of the moon, isn’t it? Asking for a friend 😳😉

Good morning Spent more time on the handover document yesterday. 19 pages so far and loads more to add. And that’s only the garden, haven’t started on the house/pool or the locality!

Good morning One of those horrid overnight headaches kept me from sleeping well, but off to church in Eymet this morning nevertheless See you later!

I can confirm that leftover capon, gravy, stuffing, and red cabbage, mixed with freshly sliced and cooked onion, garlic, mushrooms, and curry paste, served with basmati rice, makes a delicious dinner.

Hellebores are starting to flower

Good morning Top temperature forecast today of 13, dry, sunny That will be an outside play day then! Here’s a photo of our red cabbage I cooked about half of a giant one (only available size when shopping in Grand Frais) It will do several meals And then there’s the other half 😱 Have a good day!

Good morning This spectacular beef wellington was made yesterday by my eldest GrandBoy. Sadly, currently being in a different country from him, we didn’t get to taste it but are hoping there will be another opportunity. Apparently he watched a few YouTube videos first to get the idea Brilliant!

Angels walk amongst us www.bbc.com/news/article...

I also extend my deepest gratitude to all those who are spending this special day caring for others, in hospitals, shelters, and homes. You embody the very values that Christmas represents: solidarity and compassion.

Happy Christmas May the song of the angels, the joy of the shepherds, and the peace of the Christ child be yours this Christmas.

One slight snag … As choral singers of many year’s standing we know many of the carols, even the lesser known ones, by heart. Hard not to join in but we’ve banned each other from doing so 😂. I am discreetly conducting though. That doesn’t count does it?

Carols from King’s; an essential part of our Christmas

Have been pondering and realised that must make an effort to get out into the garden every day remaining despite the deep cold. I need gardening for therapy! Hard to motivate though when we won’t see the results of any labours now, just focused on getting it in best shape for handover

Good morning Strange Christmas here this year as the house is gradually dismantled around us & we prepare for handover in the new year We’ve enjoyed an excellent Zoom Advent course & Carols from King’s this afternoon might help us feel a little more Christmassy Otherwise nothing much happening!

Good morning fellow BlueSkyers Shopping trip yesterday was bearable and it’s great to see fridges, freezer and cupboards stocked again. Winter is tightening its grip here in SWFrance. It’s short, but deep and hard when it comes. Temperature range on Christmas Day is -3 to +3. Brrrr. Have a good day!

Good morning Going to Bergerac this morning for A Big Shop. Grand Frais and Leclerc here we come. I haven’t been shopping since returning from Rome due to persistent flu then bronchitis. R has been wonderful. Time to get back into the game though so please wish me well! Hope your day is a good one.

Good morning Lovely Christmas concert yesterday evening led by our outstanding professional musical friends J & E, featuring a choir they’ve built from scratch with members from the village who could not read music and had no previous singing experience. Such a wonderful thing for them to have done

If you're heading into town today on a Christmas present-shopping mission, and are feeling a little short of inspiration, why not consider giving an orchids of Kent day-trip as a gift? There are two dates to choose from (30 or 31 May). Full details on our website: mariposanature.com/calendar

Very sad

Good morning The sun is finally rising on another day, close to the winter solstice after which the light will begin its inexorable return. I see we have another foggy day ahead; there’ve been many in recent days. Whether your hearts are filled with light, or marred by fog, I wish you well.

Made me smile

Excellent briefing session this morning with our lovely friends whose house we are going to stay in for the first part of 2026. A few other very useful things ticked off the list this week. The picture on the jigsaw is beginning to take shape. And now for a Friday Night Takeaway. Yum.

Sitting in the car outside the bank, waiting till 4pm when Corine will (may?) deign to see us. All we want to do is a straightforward transaction that can’t be done online. Frustrating.

Good morning The ancient trees in the glorious morning light

The annual visit from the pompiers just now where we hand over a banknote, and they hand back a receipt and a calendar and we all shake hands, smile, and wish each other bon Nöel, bon fete, bon soirée … you name it! Charming.

I started writing a first draft of the handover document for this house and garden. I’m on page 8 (single spaced) and am only a small part way through the garden section before even beginning the house. Even after editing it is going to be long!

This resonated given that I ate meatballs in ikea in Bordeaux on Monday!

The first of the chandeliers to come down; bought more than 35 years ago in Murano.

Good morning A rather cute photo screenshotted from today’s Times (read the caption). I’m a sucker for cute dog pics! I hope you enjoy it too. Electrician coming today to take chandeliers down and replace with ordinary light fittings so we can pack them to take with us. Hope your day goes well.

We had to let a flight go yesterday as plans changed after we booked it. You’d have thought the airline might have sent a “You Ok hun?” message wouldn’t you.

The media/press and a significant number of online posters are against ALL of this, not to mention free school meals for Primary School children, increases in min wage, swift boxes on all new builds etc.

This is my annual complaint about people who like to tell you two things : That they are making a donation to charity, and they are not sending you a Christmas card, as if these two things are inexorably linked … Can’t they do both? Or at least make their charitable donations quietly and privately?

Good morning Today I’m going to tackle the final version of the inventory which will enable me to apply for the appropriate customs permissions for cross-border transport of our house contents. Wish me well! What are you up to?

Apparently charity place went through every item individually, were pleased with most, but rejected some I would have found that excruciatingly embarrassing but fortunately OH didn’t We make a great team! In the meantime I’ve been out and about drinking coffee with one friend and tea with another

Good morning A few things going on here today: final cull of wardrobes to take rejects to the charity place, coffee with a brave friend on her fourth round of chemotherapy, garden helpers here for one of their final sessions Hoping for no fog Mild I hope your day is a good one Arbutus in flower

Good morning Off to the big city (Bordeaux) with a car load of documents for secure shredding. This marks the final end of my long working career, other than the head full of memories. Have a good day and an outstanding week!

Having been awake since 3.58am I am more tired than a very tired person

Still going strong on the grass borders, two long flowerbeds with planting inspired by Piet Oudolf

Anisodontea in the garden yesterday Flowers virtually all year Does need space though

And another beauty from the walk around the garden yesterday afternoon - The fruits of Melia azadarach, a fabulous small tree. Late spring blossom is very pretty and very fragrant. The leaves are pinnate and v attractive throughout summer, and then turn beautiful autumn colours

Not sure I’ve seen either of these fungi in the garden before. Single one was very large. Group of three growing in a split in the trunk of a young acacia dealbata tree

As I was walking round the garden yesterday afternoon, enjoying various highlights including those plants currently flowering, I had a profound sense of loss as I looked at plants whose flowering and peak moments of glory I shall never see again.