Monet's Gardens

I don't quite know how to begin describing the visit to Giverny!! It was a wonderful experience and everything lived up to our expectations ! Warm sunny weather, great lodgings at the 17th century water mill, good food (and wine!!) and genial company and then the gardens!!! There is no way to adequately describe the explosion of colours that appeared around each turn of the paths so I think I'll just let the photos tell their own story! These are just a few of over 200 that I took - what did we do before digital cameras!! I really have to make an effort and put the rest of them and those from the Chateau de Versailles onto a Picasso album - but that's for another day!!

View of the gardens from Monet's bedroom window - the water garden is behind the hedges.

Then there was THE Bridge!

and the house !

No photos were allowed inside the house which is a great shame as the rooms were as colourful as the gardens. ( As you can see, almost impossible to get any photos without someone else in the frame!!) We were actually quite lucky as we got to the gardens early in the morning and missed most of the coach loads of tourists that were arriving by the minute!! But how could you not want to share this with the whole world!! One thing is certain - I will be back in June next year to see the roses bloom, but after almost 4 hours of walking the gardens I started to feel like this I must admit!!!

Didn't find him in Giverny but quite nearby - but isn't he just so cute !!

Back to reality now, and on with the sewing!!

Two posts in one day !! Well - I almost forgot the other reason I went into the garden this afternoon was to take this photo - finished at last!!!


Not the best photo in the world, but as the quilt turned out bigger than I expected and this was the only way to fit the whole thing in !! It isn't quite flat as I didn't want to get it dirty - obviously had I thought things through properly (!!) I should have put a sheet under it - ah well, never too old to learn !!


I found the pattern here, and really liked the alternative layout at the bottom of the page. I didn't imagine that all those browns and tans that somehow kept on getting pushed to the back of the drawer would end up looking like this - I am quite pleased with it!!

Spring !Spring !!Spring !!!

Yes - it rather looks as though Spring may have arrived here in Brittany at last (well at least for a few days !!!) Yesterday and today we have been treated to blue skies and glorious sunshine - I just hope it holds up for another few days for our trip to Normandy tomorrow!!

Mother Nature must certainly think that it is well overdue also, as she has suddenly put on a lovely show of spring flowers in our garden!! The recent heavy rains and low temperatures haven't deterred these little beauties !!

Bluebells & Lillies of the Valley

Primulas & Cowslips

Forget-Me-Not (DH's favourites!!)

Anemone and Monkshood

And last but not least - even some Cherry Blossom !!

What a difference a little bit of sunshine makes to everyone's life !!!

Quilt Blocks Galore!!!!

You know, I didn't realise how many CWD & LL blocks I have actually made and it came as quite a shock when I put them all together to take a photo as suggested by Kathie yesterday.

You can see that there are a LOT of them even if the photo isn't very good!! The light is so bad that you'd think it was evening time (!) that's because it is a grey dismal day here in Brittany - in fact our 'delightful' weather is back with a vengence, it hasn't stopped raining all week!!!!!

This has been a good exercise for me for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there are a few blocks that I think I will remake either because the colours don't seem right or that the block now looks far from accurate (!!) These must be blocks put together when I have been tired (Well that's my excuse!!) Another thought is how big ? I long ago admitted to myself that I would not be able to cope with a quilt made from 121 blocks, plus sashings & borders, and that I would need to make a decision where to stop - think this time is fast approaching !! Of course, the other alternative is to keep on making blocks and end up with more than one quilt, what do you think ? I've really enjoyed this project ,with just one regret - no Abe Lincoln block, but I will keep on trying to find a way to reproduce a reasonable copy of the fabric as no way will I find it in France !!

Miniature v Doll Quilts

Knowing next to nothing about miniature/doll quilts, what do I do - join not one but two swaps !!! Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time and 'small' quilts can't be that difficult. WRONG! The first think to throw me was to discover that there is a difference between the two, so I asked my trusty friend Google to explain and it seems that even Google can't tell the difference as I get the same info for 'miniature' as I do for 'doll'!! I am sure that somewhere there is a clear explanation of the finer points, but so far I have failed to find it - to say that I am confused is putting it mildly!!! I will certainly have to sort it out in my head before starting the quiltie due in July !

Luckily the List Mom for the first swap has kindly moved the goal post to 'anything goes' as long as it meets all other criteria such as size etc (Thank You Toni !) so I have spent all my sewing time over the last few days trying to get it done before I go into hospital. The due date isn't until 23 May, but I don't want to be worrying about deadlines after the end of the month. All is finished except for the quilting and I think it has turned out quite well. Can't post any photos yet I'm afraid its to be a surprise.

This project is a whole list of 'firsts' for me, - my first 'small' quilt: my first quilt swap: my first real test working well outside my comfort zone as far as colour goes : my first mitred corners (!!) and the first time anyone is going to be on the receiving end of my feeble attempts to machine quilt (Sorry Partner !!!).

Just a little explanation - I have failed to download the link for the Miniature Booty Swap Logo, for some reason or another Blogger keeps telling me that the photo has been removed (!!). No problem linking to ALQS at all so don't know what is wrong

So - no CWD blocks this week-end , but I have finished the binding on the Coffee & Cream quilt and it's now ready for washing - just need the rain to stop for a few days to get it dry again !!!!!!

More Treats!

As it is more than possible I will be spending my birthday in hospital in 2 weeks time (!) we're going to squeeze in another treat before then and go and visit Monet's garden at Giverny for a couple of days next week . Again something we've been meaning to do for simply ages, but keep postponing because other things get in the way !

At the begining of the year, we decided to make more of an effort to visit all the lovely places that are just that bit too far to go there and back in a day and, as the next 4 months seem to be filling up rather quickly, with a 3 week visit to the UK and family & friends coming and going all summer - now seems like a good time to see the gardens. Hopefully all the spring flowers will be blooming, and whilst it probably won't be quite as spectacular as July/August, it will certainly be less crowded, which is always a bit of a bonus!! As it is partly my birthday treat, we have decided to spend the night here - isn't it just lovely!!!

One other treat today was the arrival of a package of fabric for my next quilt project. I haven't taken a photo, as all the fabrics are shown in the link . Don't know quite when it will get started, as I have several other bits and pieces to finish first, but at least I am ready to go!!!

A Rose by Any Other Name

Occasionally in Rennes we have English language films shown at the local cinemas and last week The Other Boleyn Girl, based on Phillipa Gregory's book of the same name, was advertised so off we went to see it on Saturday. We did actually cause a bit of a stir at the cinema, marching up to the cash desk , asking for tickets and being met by a blank stare ! Now I know that my French can be lacking at times, but my accent is not usually that bad !! Right on cue, the manager came bustling up and tried to help us in his lovely English learnt from watching MTV (his words not mine!!) and very apologetically assured us that the film was not showing at his cinema. With this he promptly pulled out the brochure listing all programmes to convince me of this fact, and -guess what - the the first thing I saw was a film titled 'Deux Soeurs pour Un Roi' which translates into 'Two Sisters for a King' AKA 'The Other Boleyn Girl' !! Who said there is nothing in a name !!!! Ever tried explaining English history (in French !!) to someone in the middle of a cinema vestibule - not recommended and it certainly generated the second lot of blank looks of the day !! It was an excellent programme though and well worth the hassle !!

We 've a couple additions to our equine family - Megan has aquired 2 yearlings to share the pasture with her and Wraneze for the next couple of weeks - and she is NOT amused!!! This normally placid & laid-back mare has suddenly gone mental and turned into a snarling, teeth gnashing (and biting!) nightmare !! I should mention though it is only when the ponies invade her personnal space and particulary at feeding times , but what a revelation !!! But then , perhaps she is not too unlike any of us more mature ladies (!) when we have teenagers bugging us - I certainly have to admit to some teeth gnashing on a few occassions, but haven't yet started to try and take a bite out of the offender!!!

Ooops!! Almost forgot - the blocks! Just 4 this time and all from the Love Letters book.

Top: Healthful Region & A Lonesome Place

Btm: Funeral Procession & Queen of the West

Dawn Patrol

I think I have already mentioned that the area around Megan's pasture is a maze of little lanes or chemins ? Now that the mornings have 'recovered' from the hour changeover to Summer time in terms of when it gets light, I like to go check on the mare first thing every morning, which at the moment means around 7.30am. This is a lovely time of the day when everything is just waking up and at the moment with Spring trying really hard to get a grip on the countryside it is even more fresh and unspoiled! In spite of the very cold morning temperatures for this time of the year (currently -4 degrees!) ,there are signs of new greenery on the trees, catkins here and there and even the wild cherry trees are sporting the odd blossom not to mention the banks of primroses !! One other thing that is great is the 'wild life' that shows up in the early hours before the tractors take over their world. France is a country that has a great hunting tradition so there is not a profusion of wild life unfortunately, and this makes my experiences even more special ! In the last few days I have come across what I think is a water rat or vole swimming in the stream. It is quite a big animal, around the size of a cat or so it appears, but I couldn't get close enough to it to identify it properly - but boy, could it swim!!! Then yesterday there was this great, wonderful hare that came leaping out of the field onto the track, stopped dead, saw me and there shot away at a rate of knots. I thought it was a small fox for a moment as it crossed the field, then I saw the ears when it sat up and realised what it was. Two green woodpeckers were also abroad yesterday and today to complete my week, a small deer and a pair of ducks - the drake was so colourful and really outshone his mate!! So you see - the early bird does have more fun than just catching the worm!!!

Nothing to show on the sewing side of things I'm afraid. Yesterday kind of disappeared with cardiology checkups for DH, which I have to attend as 'official interpreter' (!), and happily all was well, and then the weekly shopping round finished off the day. I have almost completed the quilting of my brown scrappy quilt AT LAST - this top seems to have been jinxed as every time I've tried to get on with it, something has stopped me! Just one small section to quilt and then the binding, so who knows perhaps I will have one less UFO before too long !!! I have been very adventurous - I have joined 2 small quilt swaps!! This is something new for me and as usual I wonder if I have done the right thing (!!), but hey!! - what's to loose, rather more to gain I think, as I am sure it will bring me more pleasure than grief and hopefully some new cyber friends!!!

Quick Fix !

I know! I know!! I said no more for the time being, but its easier said than done as these little blocks just won't be ignored, so just a quick fix to feed my habit!!!

CWD : Visit to Town : Guerilla Warfare

Southern Cause

LL: Single Thrashing

Forgotten the Word Defeat : A Sad Bereavement

Do not ask me why the second photo is upsidedown (!) obviously I have done something stupid AGAIN - but I don't have time to change it now!!!

How's this for a bank of primroses !!

Chateau de Versailles

Well - The visit certainly lived up to all expectations and was well worth the 4 hour drive to get there! The Chateau itself is magnificent, I really can't find enough adjectives to describe it! The presentation was superb and you can only imagine the amount of work that has gone into restoring it to its present state! The time spent tracking down furniture and other objects that were removed during the Revolution must run into millions of man hours, but the results speak for themselves,each room was a delight !!!

We were luck to have made the trip during the low season as it meant no big queues for tickets or entry. It also meant that we could take our time enjoying all there was to see without being hustled along , and believe me there is plenty to see!!

The parklands and gardens surrounding the Chateau are beautiful , and the views from some the courtyards make you catch your breathe as they tumble away from you ! Fountains, lakes, statues , avenues, groves of trees with even more treasures hidden away - I do believe that you could spend a week exploring and still not discovery everything! We hired a 'golf cart' type of vehicle to get to the furthest points and still didn't managed all of it!!!

My favourite though has to be Petit Trianon and Marie-Antoinette's farm! Even though the house itself is closed for major restoration work, the gardens and parkland surrounding it are just so lovely! Not as manicured as the Chateau gardens, but full of meandering paths leading to hidden temples and grottoes, and the most lovely old trees - bare at the moment, but I am sure they will be magnificent a little later on! Of course, it may not have been so lovely had the weather not been very kind to us and, except for a bit of a cold wind, we had sunshine and blue skies for all of the visit!

The shock came yesterday though when we woke up at home to temperatures of -4 degrees ( a bit of a drop from 17 the day before!!!), snow and hail storms - thankfully the sun came out very late in the afternoon and it did melt away!!!

Needless to say that I have HUNDREDS of photos and it is going to take forever to sort them out, some of them taken inside are a bit disappointing but all the outside shots worked very well.

These are just a few of my favourites, still needing to be edited I'm afraid, but I am sure you'll enjoy them just the same!


Petit Trianon and the Temple of Love
We found this beauty lurking in the grounds of Petit Trianon - I think from the bark & its height that it might be a giant redwood (but don't quote me!), it was certainly tall enough, couldn't get it all in the photo - just see how the lower branches have attached themselves to the ground!Unfortunately none of the specimen trees were labelled . The Magnolias in the background are just starting to pop open.


The Royal Avenue (Tapis Vert) which dates back to the reign of Louis XIII during the 1630s. In the foreground is the Fountain of Latona (mother of Diana & Apollo) protecting her children from the Lycian peasants. This leads you down to the Fountain of Apollo and the Grand Canal, in total more than 3.5 kilometres of uninterrupted view from the window of the King's bedroom !! These are times when I wish I had a better camera!!! (Hint to DH for my birthday perhaps !!!)Couldn't get quite central either as there were so many bodies in the way!!

Back to reality today though, catching up on the washing, ironing etc and , I guess, some sewing (what a chore !!) but at least the sun is shining even if it is rather nippy outside still!!!!

More Blocks

Well, everything is in place for a few days in Paris at the Chateau de Versailles http://www.chateauversailles.fr/ (there is an English translation available on the site). Megs and William have been catered for so we can go off without feeling too guilty about leaving them (!!) and I have to say that I am really looking forward to the break !! With a little bit of luck, as the weather forecast so far is 'fair', we might even get to go around the gardens too!




I decided to leave the CWD & LL blocks for a few days and get on with the Pioneer Sampler Quilt blocks - these are now finished, but I am not too happy with the colours of the block representing Louisiana (3rd photo bottom right) as the whole thing seems a bit wishy- washy in comparison to the other blocks. Not that it is easy
to compare with these photos, for some reason they have come out
really dark!!! What wouldn't I give for enough room to have a design wall !!!

Until I make my mind up about 'Lousiana' I am getting on with my other long term project, the Scrappy Log Cabin. I need 120 blocks and so far have made 43. It is a SLOW process as the strips are 5/8" finished width and there seems to be an enormous amount of pressing to do!!! These are just a sample of the blocks so far !


As we will be off at the crack of dawn on Thursday morning, this will probably be my last post until the weekend, but I am sure I will have lots to tell you all and hopefully some great photos!!!

Catching Up!

I always thought that procrastination was the thief of time - so what happens when you are going at full speed !!!! DD left on Wednesday after the most appalling week weatherwise, I felt so sorry for her and all the other tourists that were in Brittany for Easter. Whilst this is the most lovely & picturesque area in good weather, there is not a great deal to recommend it when the weather is so foul !! Not a successful visit weather wise, but lovely to have her here all the same. In fact, at one stage we did wonder if Sian was going to get home as the rain was so heavy on our way to Rennes that we had to pull off the expressway and sit out the cloudburst as the wipers were just not clearing the front screen, and then - the approach roads to the airport were flooded!!!

Since then its been the usual round of housework, washing & ironing (Ugh!!) which always seem to mount up when you try to ignore them for a few days - so - Voila! Friday again!!!

These are a few of the photos that I took on our visit to St Malo

Golfe de St Malo - the bay from the city walls or ramparts.

The bay is full of small islands, mainly uninhabited, and some very vicious rocks which makes for quite an interesting ferry docking!

The old fort,once used as a prison, which is cut off at high tide but reached quite easily across the sands when the tide is out

Hotel de Ville, or Town Hall, built into the walls.

A typical apartment block inside the walls. This was taken off the ramparts so no ground floor! Most of the buildings are like this, obviously some more ornate than others!

Looking down on some of the gardens around the city

Pavement cafes around the square - quiet this weekend but filled with wall-to-wall tourists in the holiday season!

Just a little taster of our day out ! I suppose we should be grateful for at least one dry day!!!!

On a last little note - my latest CWD quilt blocks! These might have to last me a little while as we have decided to go away for a few days next week as a late Easter trip- I have been promising myself a visit to the Chateau de Versailles now that they have re-opened the Hall of Mirrors after a mammoth refurbishment and at least it will be one place that will be dry (I hope !!!!)

From LL

Top - Another Death : Pleasures of Sweet Home : Runaway Slave

Btm - 64 Pound Shell : At Last A Free Man : Last Letter Home

From CWD

Top - Confusion & Turmoil : Misfortune

Btm - Surrender of Vicksburg : Visit to Town

These bring my total to around 50 blocks, so I think I can get away next week without feeling guilty and maybe even get on with something new in between !!!!

Day Out

Yet another week since I blogged (!!) but this time at least I've had a good reason as DD has arrived safely and there has been quite a lot of catching up to do!! The weather hasn't been too kind to us so far , but at least we managed a few hours of blustery sunshine yesterday so off we went to St Malo. We really struck it just right as today it has been blowing a gale again and we have progressed from rain to SNOW!!

St Malo is our nearest ferry port for the UK and one of the most popular tourist towns in Brittany. Its history as a port goes back to the 1500s, and it's also unique as it is a totally walled city! Unfortunately it suffered quite badly from Allied bombing towards the end of the Second World War and a large number of the buildings had to be reconstructed. However, this does not alter the special charm that the city has, perhaps 'city' it a big word for St Malo as it is really quite small.

I have a few photos to add to the the side bar when I have a bit more spare time, but here are a couple especially for all chocolate cake addicts !!

Sorry about the reflected light in the window - but I am sure that you get the idea of a French Patissierie - cake lovers paradise !!!

I have managed a few CWD/LL blocks too, and will try to post all the photos tomorrow.

Wales 29 - France 12 !

No need to say any more really! After an excellent game this evening , the Rugby Union Six Nations Trophy joins the Homes Nations Trophy in Cardiff !!! A good season for Welsh Rugby collecting the Triple Crown & the Grand Slam titles for the second time in 4 years !

Weekly CWD Blocks & Other sewing

The weekend again already - where do the days (and weeks ) go to!!! I have managed a few more CWD blocks this week, only 4 this time though and all from the Love Letters book!

Top: Dress Parade and Tents of the Enemy

Btm: Love Letters and The Monitor

Also made a start on Eleanor Burn's Pioneer Sampler Quilt. I've had her book for some time now but done nothing with it, so I thought that whilst I had the reproduction fabrics strewn all over my working surface, I would have a go at a 'scrappy' version using the same fabrics. Don't know if I am doing the right thing or not, its not so much running another quilt in tandem as it were - but the size of the blocks! At 12" finished they are HUGE after the CWD/LL blocks!!

I shouldn't have started yet another quilt really, as I still haven't managed to finish my scrappy 'Browns' - for no other reason than, when I got all geared up to do the 'sandwiching' I didn't have enough batting ! The last thing I thought to check was the batting, in fact I didn't check it at all, just assumed there was enough left, so it came as a bit of a shock I can tell you !! This project seems to be jinxed - or perhaps I am just a bad organiser!!! First I run out of background fabric (solved!!) then I changed my mind about the borders and ended up short of fabric for the binding (solved!!) and now the batting (in the post!). Well,they say all things come in 3s, so perhaps it will turn into a real beauty now that's all behind me - who knows!!! This will explain to everyone why I so envy people who can 'pop' into their LQS ! Whilst there is a reasonable craft/quilting shop in Rennes, it is an hour's drive each way, so not quite in 'popping' distance and as most quilt related items are imported from the USA, prices are high! It is much more economical to buy bulk fabrics direct from US stores and pay the postage, than it is to buy from the UK or locally!

One project finished in just about no time flat this week was this Lazy Girl Designs 'Sassy Bag' . The pattern was a gift from one of my cyber friends in the USA (Thank You Jeannie!). I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out as I am not that experienced at bag making, so I just used what I had to hand rather than spoil good fabric, but I am quite pleased with it and I am sure one of the DGDs will claim it before too long !!!

My only daughter Sian (Welsh for Jane in case you're wondering and I have 2 sons also!) is due to fly in on Wednesday for a week, so there won't be much sewing done whilst she is here I'm afraid ! We're just keeping our fingers crossed that the weather will improve enough for us to get out and about a bit, but at the moment we have another cold & wet low front forecast . Mind you, DD has a shoe fetish and we seem to spend hours in and out of all the shoe shops in the area when she is here, and believe me there are loads of them!! By the time she is done, all I want is my slippers and a comfy chair!!!!

Slow News Week!

Not a great deal to talk about so far this week except for the weather!! Monday saw the worse storm of the season, don't quite know which season that is to be honest, but I do know that the storms are getting worse! The forecasted severe weather arrived on time , and we suffered all day Monday and most of yesterday from lashing rain like I have never experienced and gale force wind that literally took your breath away !

Regardless of the weather, Megan still needs attending to, but I can tell you it was very hairy up in the paddocks, and, like most horses, Megs is not settled in high winds ,so trying to straighten her rugs etc was a bit of a nightmare. In the end I decided to fence her into the area in front of the field shelter to encourage her to use it in the first instance, and also to try and avoid any accidents with horses careering around the paddock !!

Something to make you smile - the wind had managed to blow Megs' feed bucket across 2 fields into a field full of dairy cows. Now, I am not afraid of cows, just have a healthy regard for them and much prefer it when there is a fence between us, but they were at the bottom of the field, so no problem, and off I went like a brave little soldier to retrieve the bucket. Battling across the field against the wind was a job in itself, but I really came to grief when the ground literally gave way beneath my feet!! What I thought was solid ground turned out to be not just liquid mud, but enough of it for me to disappear in it up to my knees and to end up with my wellingtons full of the stuff!!! By the time I managed to free myself - guess where the cows were!!! You've got it - gaining on me at a rate of knots thinking it must be feeding time as there was a human in the field !! Speed record for exiting a muddy field now has a new claimant AND I managed to grab the bucket on my way out diving under the fence - no time for opening gates I'm afraid!! Whilst all this was going on DH was sitting in the Landrover watching, and all he could say was 'You should have left the bucket there!!' YEAH!!! Thank You!!

Most of Tuesday was a little calmer, but the gales returned last night and today it is still blowing - ah well!! At least the roof is still on at the moment!!

Happiness is....

..........Wales winning the Home Nations Triple Crown in Ruby Union yesterday by beating Ireland in their last round match ! DH is deliriously happy to say the least particularly as the last few minutes were cliff hangers!!! Just one thing that would make him feel even better and that is if Wales were to win the 6 Nations Grand Slam Trophy in their match next week - its going to be a great match I think and guess who their opponents are - France!! Talk about divided loyalties !!

Just a couple of blocks to end this week

Top -Bombardment (CWD) Greenfield & Stockton (CWD)

Btm -Going Home (LL)

Top - Premium Prize (CWD) Parlour Activites (CWD)

Btm - Games, Music & Knitting

Think I am just about coming to the end of the 'easy options' so I expect to slow down from now on !!!

There are severe weather warnings in force for the next couple of days, more rain and gale force winds are due to funnel up the English Channel , which means that we will catch it also - does anyone happen to know where Spring has got to ?????

New Arrival!

No - my fabric has not arrived! Instead I thought you might like a change of subject and have a look at this little fellow!

15 days old and so cute - don't you just want to cuddle him ! Brittany has its own breed of heavy horses and when they are born they are all this blonde colour even though their coats may change colour as they get older. I am not sure what their registered breed name is, can't get to the bottom of it. They are known locally as Harras and there are two National Studs in our immediate area ,both well worth a visit. This foal was born in a field within sight of our house, as many of the Bretons breed them just for the love of it ! Fully grown they are about the same size as a Clydesdale or Percheron, and maybe a bit heavier - as you can see, Mum is a big girl!!!

The change in the weather is just incredible! The sun is back today but we have a really cruel east wind blowing, so not quite as pleasant as it looks!

No sewing today yet, grass cutting & gardening chores (!!) whilst the weather is fair has been the order of the day, I'm afaid - perhaps I can get something done this evening !

Bad Weather Again !

After nearly 3 weeks of cold, but dry & sunny weather with the odd bit of drizzle thrown in, we are back to winter!!! The last few days have seen high winds with lashing rain and now today - the mother & father of all hailstorms!!! The daffodils look very sad & droopy and the wind has just about stripped all the blossom off the Camellia tree next to the well and it is unbelievable that just a few days ago I found cushions of primroses basking in the sunshine along the banks of the stream !! Needless to say, I am back to wading through the mud up at Meg's paddock and she is one very wet horse again !!!

I have managed to squeeze a few more blocks in between my other sewing projects, but now I am waiting on more fabric arriving from the USA to give me a bigger selection of colours/patterns. It should be here this time next week as I had notification this morning from USPS that it was on its way!!

Top: Pretty Long March(LL) Rebel Spy Hung (LL)

Btm : A Beautiful Picture (CWD)

Top: Letter/Papers from Home (LL) Fight like a Man (LL)
Btm: The Fall of Richmond (LL)

Only other piece of news at the moment is that I have my new appointment for hospital - and depending on how long they keep me in, I could be spending my birthday there - how lucky can a girl get !!!

Dydd Gwyl Dewi - St David's Day

Today is St David's Day, patron saint of Wales. Not as well known as St Patrick but equally well loved by Welsh nationals all over the world !! Daffodils and leeks will certainly be the order of the day , either being worn or eaten ! For all ex-pats like myself, this has got to be the worse day for 'hiraeth' , which loosely translates into being home-sick, BUT means a whole lot more if you are Welsh.

A few of us will be getting together here tonight to crack a couple or three bottles of wine , listen to our Welsh CDs with lumps in our throats (!) and hopefully not do too much 'crying in our beer'!!!

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant hapus i bob !!!