In a little under 12 hours it will be 2013. It doesn't really feel like Hogmanay. The sun is out -a nice change - and although a bit breezy, it is mild.
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| View from my study today |
The familiar view from my study is quite benign, green grass and bare trees in the sunshine. What it doesn't show is how squelchy the ground is underfoot. We've had so much rain that the drainage ditches around Charnizay have been working overtime and for quite some time many of the fields have had standing water in them.
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| You can just see the standing water in Eric's field |
However, it is so mild in fact that the fuschias in the window box we planted up in
late spring for Niall's study window are stubbonrly refusing to give up
the fight and are still flowering! I took a photo of them this morning. If I had the fancy, I could almost sit outside with my coffee as long as i was tucked in a spot sheltered from the wind.
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| 'never say die' fuschias! |
This is our third Hogmanay here since we moved in August 2010 but it will be the first we actually spend in our own house. 2010/11 saw us in Edinburgh. We were supposed to visit family at Christmas but very bad weather meant we had to postpone and instead we saw in the New Year there. Last year we celebrated with French friends who had invited us for a traditional Réveillon dinner to see in the new year --we didn't get up from the table until 4am!
So this year will see us celebrating quietly chez nous, feet up in front of the logburner. Niall will raise a wee dram when the clock strikes; I'll have a glass of fizz.
Wishing you and yours a Happy Hogmanay, Réveillon or, as they say in The Netherlands, Een Goede Jaarwisseling!
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| 'Christmas' cactus flowering on my study windowsill |
12 comments:
Our New Year is a bit peculiar this year, too. We have spent the last few in Le Grand-Pressigny but this time we will be watching Jools on the goggle box after a nice dinner of braised guinea fowl and pear and chocolate tart. We'll probably let the new year in with a glass of champagne and will toast your good health - along with that of all our friends from our "other life" in France!
Happy New Year to you both and I hope next year brings you the usual - good health, happiness and enough wealth to keep the wolf from the door!!
@Jean - fowl for dinner here too and the other half of the mince pie I made.
Wishing you good health, happiness and sufficient pennies too! If we're awake at 1 am we'll raise a glass in the direction of friends & family in the UK.
And of course feline greetings to Lulu!
We'll be seeing in 2013 with Jools, and it seems Jean and Nick!
We'll raise a toast (bubbles for me and beer for Tim) to our absent family and friends.
With our love and best wishes for a happy, healthy and peaceful 2013 xx
@Gaynor - we'll have BBC Scotland on with the Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh.
How was/is the skiing?
A peaceful, happy and healthy 2013 to you and Tim too :-)!
Wishing you a happy and productive year to come.
Isn't the weather strange...on the 'cafe de la ville' site today there's a photo of trees in flower on a street in Thouars.
If it doesn't dry out soon the felines will be protesting...
We've just finished a feast of pheasant casserole (in cider) and now plan to veg out for a few hours. If the weather's dry at midnight we'll see in the new year in the garden with a glass or two of mulled cider (leftover from dinner)
I hope you have a wonderful new year and 2013 brings you all you need.
Tim & I are soending a quiet evening together as well - just finished a plate of duck sausage in shallot gravy with home-grown vegetables and a mince pie with whisky and apple homemade mincemeat! And a wee dram at midnight. Many happy new years - Pauline & Tim
@Fly - the felines have demanded wellie boots.
And an excellent 2013 to you!
@AJ - we've had the fowl with roasted parsnips and are now digesting gently before tackling the mince pie later.
All good things for 2013!
@Tim - duck sausage sounds yummy!
We addded extra lemon zest to our mince pie [store bought mincemeat though but nicely boozy]
A Happy New Year to the two of you too!
Lovely photos and I hope your Hog many went exactly as planned. I'm sorry you seem to have had very much the same wet weather as over here, but at least you've had a bit of sun too. It was sunny on New Year's Day, but since then yet more depressing cloud....
@Perpetua - we seem to be in almost continual 'grisaille'. High pressure but with no sun, just a light grey 'blanket' covering everything. Just one exceptional day of sun earlier this week which was fabulous.
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