As the Rosemary Blooms

kitchen stucco

THIS IS THE BEFORE PICTURE

This has been my kitchen sink view for the past two years, and while I am happy to have a working sink  I have become tired of the cell block look.  

THIS IS THE DURING PICTURE....

...AND THIS IS THE AFTER PICTURE

(and No Flash for that magazine look)  

Patrick used the same stucco method as on the living room, hallways, and terrace.  We found the polished limestone locally for quite cheap, which is now behind the faucet.  

Next project:  boys' rooms!  Bunk beds?  Privacy wall?  Fireman pole?  

Kisses from Pertuis

All in All...

..it's just another .. rock veneer panel... on the wall.

I can't stop looking at the wall.  I can't stop posting photos of the wall.  I love this wall.  Love.

Toussaint 2011

The nights are getting colder, winter is tapping at our windowpanes, time for that first fire in the fireplace.  

The front entry's wall is about to get a face-lift.  So exciting!  I had originally dreamt of a faux stone wall look, but that would have been too thick and probably an obvious "faux"... this stone veneer is real and affordable.  

While Patrick was on the roof being a chimney sweep, he snapped this shot of the northern landscape.  

Happy Halloween.  More soon, and kisses from Pertuis!

Back from a wonderful summer in the USA; too much to write about right now so take a look at this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10035536@N03/?saved=1

Gray Blue

Oh!  I'm on a roll.  Fresh photos to share, starting with Emerson suited up, ready to help his papa with the transhumance. 

(wearing newly-handed-down cowboy boots, of course) 

Now, have you ever read "Where the Red Fern Grows"?  Story of a boy and his two coon hounds, who sets his traps and chops down a tree.... well, we haven't finished it yet.... but already Hugo has turned his energy to setting traps (albeit for mice and rats instead of badgers and coons) AND has chopped down a tree.  

Now, the tree needed to come down, or we wouldn't have let him chop it.  But like in the story, it's a matter of motivation and patience. 

BTW, Hugo has grown over an inch since January.  I think he grew half of that when that tree came down.  

And last but not least, the latest colors on the veranda.  

Aimes-tu le bleu? 

Come and see it for yourself!  

kisses from Pertuis

Mother's Day in France

Welcome to Springtime at La Ruche, or Les Breches (or whatever we decide to call it here) with its bounty of strawberries and pine smell.  Today is French Mother's Day, so to celebrate I am avoiding the kitchen and appreciating the new-and-improved terrace dining room.  

Here, you see us celebrating last week out there, brick exposed:

and here, the improved version:

A little window seat/bench at the end, just perfect for two people toe-to-toe.  Someday, it'll be wide enough for someone to sleep on.... 

Other update is the front entrance, with the flowering bushes fenced in with hives, and river rocks to pave the way.  

Patrick already has two tons of honey in his miellerie (including rosemary!) (but just for me) and he's going a little crazy with buying moving devices....

... and now, since I constantly feel so busy, I'm going to merely flood you with some sweet and random photos.  

Miss you all, and looking forward to seeing some of you soon in MN.  

Kisses from Pertuis!

The Terrace is Covered, and the Queens are arriving.

This update is overdue, and why I've chosen to begin this with only ten minutes of time, I cannot tell you.  But my time constraint will help this from becoming too wordy.  As the title mentions, the terrace is covered and Patrick has a dry place to work on hive preparation.  His queens have begun to arrive in groups of seventy, and his life is busy as ever. 

A new look to the house; it's very exciting.  

I want to explain the process of receiving queens with the royal treatment, so I'll be wise and end this update now.  Next chapter coming soon!  

Love from Pertuis!

A New Year

We wish you a fresh new year, ripe with change and opportunities, sweet with good luck, and delightfully messy with creative ideas and expression. 

We were lucky to bring in the new year with our dear friend, Barb, and a weekend trio of fabulous French friends.   We drank champagne to celebrate one year in our house, to celebrate 16 years of marriage, and well, to just celebrate. 

Masons came and added more stucco to the exterior; now the East and Northern sides are covered.  The southern side will be finished by next week (the western side will wait until the extension is complete). 

The final coat of stucco will wait for a year or two,  at  that point we can choose a color.  For now, we like the rich gray, but we have time to reflect. 

We've had a mild winter, and when the hunters aren't too numerous, we've gone on some wonderful nature hikes.  Last Saturday we hiked two hours on trails within walking distance from the house, in weather so warm that some of us were in short sleeves. 

Yesterday, we hiked the same trail and startled three deer.  Jacky chased two deeper into the woods; the third unknowingly ran towards us.  She leaped onto the dirt road, fell to her knees in shock when she saw us, regained composure and darted across beyond us, all with a grace unknown to us. 

The rosemary is in bloom, some wild bushes a meter high.  I nibbled on blossoms in passing, tiny smudges of  pollen on my fingertips, and tried to find words to describe the taste. 

Kisses from Pertuis!

Merry Christmas from Provence, where we've had rain rain rain instead of snow snow snow.

Two  weeks off to sleep in, stoke the fireplace, and actively NOT get caught up in the stress and craziness that this time of year can bring.  We hope that your holidays have been bright, sprinkled with moments of joy, and with the love of friends and family. 

Here are a few images of Chez Nous, to peruse while you sip your hot chocolate....

The main presents this year were (in order of popularity) 1. A Laptop computer  2. An Air Rifle

and 3. A Dartboard.  All three gifts will be shared between all three kids, and so far so good. 

All three will also need parental supervision, to be sure.  But this year we feel so much better about not overspending on dozens of unnecessary plastic things. 

Oh oh!  My hardworking man just walked in and hinted at hot chocolate, so.... this will be short.

Happy New Year to you all, and big kisses from Pertuis...

End of Year Update

The big news around here is that Patrick put "stuc" on the living room walls, and although the room is still unfinished, it feels like a grown-up room now.  The colors are lovely, a rustic sandstone on the east wall, and a light mossy green on the other two walls.  AND it forced us to rearrange the room, which is always a big deal in my world. 

The bathroom and wc upstairs got the same stuc treatment, in vintage colors.  By the lower right corner of the window it is darker because Patrick started to add the savon noir, which will protect the walls.

And for the exterior, the stucco is slowly covering the eastern and northern walls; first the rough coat and then the second, smoother coat.  The final coat with color will have to wait a year or so (but that's okay, because I like the gray).

...and the miellerie, slowly gaining height.  When will it be finished?  Remains to be seen. 

The going is slow when the masons only come on Saturdays. 

Good thing we already learned how to be patient. 

Happy holiday preparations to you all, and don't forget to support your local artists and artisans this season.  Big kisses from Pertuis.