On the Veranda...Bayside

Rain, rain.....go away!

It has been raining for days, and the best thing about that is that it isn't snowing. It is cold though, it's been in the 40s and 50s.  After some nice weather in the 70s, I am freezing, unable to cope with anything under 65 degrees!

Mouchette turned out to be verrrrrry depressing and not funny at all.  It was a bit funny in the beginning where you see her fight back, but after she begins to be truly beaten down, it is just horrible, I can't find the words.  Those French, they really know how to portray the human condition.

The bookcase finally came and we are loading it up. It is wonderful to get our cookbooks out of the armoire, and out where we can enjoy them.  Plus we can finally display some of our colorful stuff....

 
 
 

We had some friends over to celebrate Leslie coming back from her vacation in France, the Languedoc area where she stayed in a chateau!  We had French wine from that region and Steve made bouillabaisse (we are so goofy) and it was sooo delicious. 

 

So now I'm just getting ready to go sew....yes, I really mean it this time.....I will make my vegetable bags.....I will!

 

Getting Back to Normal

Well, sort of.  We are watching an incredibly depressing French film, Mouchette.  It's actually funny tho....you have to see it.  At any rate, we are back from the Outer Banks

 
 
 
 
It was beautiful and we had a great time with the family, but then got the call about Alex being the victim of a hit and run and couldn't get home fast enough.  We got there in time for his surgery; he is doing well and the leg looks like it will heal just fine.  They never have found the driver of the car that hit him.

I have had some trouble with my new NookColor, but I love it anyway.  Today at lunch I walked on the treadmill and let the NC kick my *ss at chess!  I have already read one ebook and downloaded two more.  It is so cool, I am still learning how to use all the features, but I'm sure it will take a while.

One of the evergreen clematis is climbing its trellis, the other looks like it is dying. It's been so cold the last few days, I haven't wanted to go out and get my hands in the dirt.  The roses will be here soon and I have yet to decide for sure where to put them....front or back yard?

Well, back to Mouchette, it's incredibly difficult to read the subtitles while composing!

 

 

 

Coming to Life

It may be a false spring, but fabulous just the same!  Last weekend we took a break from the winter routine, took advantage of the weather, and went for a loooong bike ride.  We went to the Thoroughgood House to get a nice shot of The Legs for Auntie:

 
 
This is actually in the yard of the folks that live across the street from the T House.  These are barefoot in the summer and they put shoes on her in the winter.  Love it.....and thought you would too!

 
 

Then we cut through to the next neighborhood, after a stop at the Church Point bluff and a look at the water, took a path we've never been on around the golf course looking for a shortcut to Shore Drive.  Couldn't find one, but what a pretty ride. Rode down to the public marina, walked on the beach,

 

and biked back down Shore Drive to one of our fav spots, the Leaping Lizard:

 

I had the Apple Sandwich.  O.....M.....G.....it is lightly toasted rosemary bread, STUFFED with sliced, tart apples, caramelized onions, lean bacon, and gorgonzola cheese.  Of course, I couldn't eat much of it, but I gave it a go, and I think my eyes rolled back in my head and I left this plane of existence for a few moments!

We have also been reading Anthony Bourdain (love him), I got the NookColor and am reading Falconer this weekend.  I picked up some DVDs from the library, a great French film, Paris.  It was wonderful.  I love French films and movies based on French screenplays.  Richard Gere has done a few (and he isn't bad either!).  Steve is cooking away making stuff for the weekend.  Lasagna, potato salad, ham biscuits...................why, I feel like Scarlett (except for the lasagna)!

And I actually have accomplished something.  I have been in the Field of Dreams planting evergreen clematis on the trellis, which promptly leapt through the trellis on my side and wrapped its little tendrils around the neighbor's chain link fence, c'est normale!  Also transplanted from other spots, ivy, vinca, acuba, camellia, and more.  Raked up all the leaves and gave it lots of love.

 
 

I spied this lovely while traipsing back and forth to the utility shed:

 

So that's what we've been up to.  Don't even say the W word................just pray for better times:)