Mandela, tradition, and scones

Last night we watched Invicticus - a film about the South African rugby team and Nelson Mandela. I can honestly say, that I don't know of any other human being that has been alive in my lifetime who has done more for the human race. He inspires me to ensure that I am doing enough to be a good person.

This morning I popped into town to get some groceries..... I love french tradition.... the main street was busy with people picking up their baguettes from the bakery, the deli was full of happy souls waiting in line to buy their goodies for sunday lunch. Everything about it felt good.... the smell of the rotisserie chickens, the light rain that was falling and the hustle bustle of everyone doing their chores . I was happy to be a part of it.

This evening, after a pretty lazy day, I felt the urge to bake some scones. My track record has been pretty bad... we normally end up with some sort of rock cake disaster. But for some reason, this time, for the first time, they came out perfect - and I felt pretty proud :)

connection, daisy chains and change of plan

we spent today re-connecting.... Jeff has just started reading a new book ' A Complaint Free World', which re-tells the lesson that we know to be true, but takes us so long to learn. That what you think about, becomes what you are. So if you train yourself to always communicate positively, then you'll always get positive results.

we did a bit of driving around today..... and stopped at Lafitenia for a nap... it was warm, and I made daisy chains... which now I think about it, are the perfect thing to make when you're re-connecting

we were supposed to go on a date tonight, but we were both pretty tired, and Jeff still had a cold ... so we changed our plans, rented a movie (Invicticus - amazing) and ate super yummy dinner from the asian store in Anglet

perspective, achievements, and magic house

I went for a run today... and chose a different route to my normal one. It was good to get a different perspective.

End of a super busy week, and by about 4.50pm I was done. Happy with what I had a achieved but most definitely finished !

I saw another magic house today. The kind that you envisage yourself in.... almost immediately. This one looked full of love, and books.... it had a big dining table and a family were coming together to eat, and through another window I saw an entire wall of books. I love imagining myself in these magic homes... I hope that one day someone looks into my house and feels the same

1 sleep left, early morning breeze and hidden flowers

wooohoo only one sleep left till Jeff gets home..... its always at this point of us being apart where the novelty of having your own space has most definitely worn off, and I'm just super excited about having my husband back home

if you open the doors of the bedroom in the morning, and hop back into bed... you feel like you're sleeping in the forest. With the cool breeze, the birds chirping and the sun shining..

I spotted a little cluster of pink flowers in the car park today.... you could easily walk straight past them, but when you take the time to look, they're really beautiful

accupuncture, younger me and evening rain

I had accupunture this morning..... always a bit apprehensive when its with someone new, but it was great and my energy levels are already improving

Today I had a bit of a meltdown moment...one of those 'am I on the right path' moments.... I spent a bit of time reading through some old emails I had written to friends when I was about 22/23 (I filed them, not sure why, but turns out it was useful !). The younger me was so full of optimism, motivation and a 'nothing can stop me' attitude. I was pretty inspired..... by Linzi, age 22. Which was quite odd, but nice.

At some stage this evening, I heard the really gentle sound of evening rain.

new words, tarte tatin and my book

I had my first french lesson today......not really a lesson, more of an hour and a half chat about work... I'm super keen to get my business french up to scratch ..... it was fun and I learnt a heap of new words !!

Some people say that when they are by themselves, they can't be bothered to cook. I kinda like taking the time to prepare something nice. Makes me feel like I'm worth it..... tonight I made a tarte tatin de tomates...mmmm

Recently, I've been jumping into bed so early just so I can read my book. Its called Shantaram, and is about a guy on the run living in Bombay. True stories are so fascinating.

umbrellas, gaufre au chocolat and independence

I had a meeting at the beach today, it was sooooo hot and I was loving the super colourful beach umbrellas.... awesome splashes of colour all over the beach

Everyone else was in 'mode vacances' ... it was a public holiday here in France, but I was working so, after my meeting, I treated myself to a chocolate waffle on my way home :)

Sometimes, its good to spend time by yourself to relish in your independence....

yummy lunch, paddle board and concert

surfed out, we raided the kitchen and made the yummiest lunch ever.... roast chicken salad with capsicums, tomatoes, rocket mmmmm oh, and baguette....and home made garlic mayo

we met some friends at the lake and went stand up paddle boarding.... I've been wanting to try it for ages, and it was as fun as I imagined it would be..... now I have to start saving pennies to get one !

we drove into Biarritz for a concert tonight, and we danced....I ended up sitting next to the grandma of the guy performing, she was amazing, so full of life and joy. I hope I can be like that one day too

jelly arms, lake nap and afternoon walk

It was HOT today.... we surfed 4 times and my arms feel like jelly.... I love jelly arms

Just after lunch, and in between surfs we took ourselves down to the lake, found a tree and had a nap underneath it

After my last surf, I walked home....its so good to walk routes that you normally drive. You see so much more and you get time to really think about things.... this afternoon, I thought mainly about us taking a bottle of rose to the lake and having an aperitif down there ...(we did, and it was lovely !)

surf, run, and french exit

The surf was soooooooo good this morning...... proper french, glassy waves.... we had tonnes of fun out there :)

I was running in the forest this afternoon, and absolutely everything felt right.... the temperature, the smell of the pine trees, the running speed..... I could have run forever..

we went out for a meal tonight with some friends... at about midnight, I snuck out and went home .... felt so good to be tucked up in bed knowing I'd be fresh as a daisy for tomorrows surf

sparkling pool, good words from a friend and gorgeous sunset

it's amazing how the pool turned, almost overnight, from a green murky pond into a sparkling oasis...can't wait to swim in it !!

we've had a tough few weeks at work, and so, when I received some kind (and wise) words from a good friend, it gave me an extra lift in my day

although the reason why I was sitting at the lake at sunset wasn't altogether positive, the sunset was so beautiful it took my breath away, and I knew that everything was going to be ok

recipe books, exercise and fub night

I have two books filled with recipes that I have collected, tried and tasted over the years..... these books are so precious to me, as each recipe has at least one special memory attached to it....
I sent them from Oz to France on the 1st April and they still haven't arrived..... I was seriously starting to freak out... I feel lost without them...
Almost given up hope until this morning, when I received an email from Anne at the Corindi Post Office to say they had arrived back there ....wooooopa...she sent them back to me today REGISTERED POST

Today (work-wise) was filled with pressure... some sucky news made me angry and so I really had to force myself to go for a run. But from the moment I started running, things started getting better..... breathe in oxygen, breathe out stress, breathe in sunshine, breathe out anger..... The smell of the pines, the freshness of the air, the sun shining on me, the kids playing, the lake glistening......ahhhhh life is good again

Jeffo went out tonight to blow off some steam after out full on day..... I spent a blissful evening by myself.... shower, dinner, red wine, desperate housewives, early night and 2 chapters of my book...zzzz

super fun surf, sunshine and slow roast moroccan lamb

we surfed early this morning...it was a textbook perfect french surf....glassy, warm and super fun

as I was getting changed after my surf I realised just how warm it was, the sun was shining so bright this morning...so good

Roasted leg of lamb for 4 hours with moroccan spices...............mmmmmmmmmmmm

new pillows, job done, and after work surf

we bought new pillow today..... we've been sleeping with horrible, square, lumpy pillows for about 3 weeks now and I kept waking up feeling like an 80 year old.... no more :)

today was the day that I had to input 500 names and addresses into our database.... a very long, arduous task that took me all day.... but the relief that the job was done was immense !!

I did exactly what I needed to do after work... surfed.... it was fun, refreshing and a perfect way to wash off the day

run, cake and Julie & Julia

another run around lake today... was pretty stiff but felt so good afterwards

one of the things I love about living in France is that, if you feel the urge, you can walk into a patisserie and pick yourself up an amazing little piece of heaven. There was not a single cake in that shop that hadn't been made with love & passion. You could taste it.

after watching 2 pretty bad movies that Jeff picked recently, I got to pick this time.... Julie & Julia.... I'd seen it before but loved it so much I wanted to watch it again..... that movie is full of the good stuff......love,cooking,laughter

rainy fun, pyjamas, mmm pizza and cupcakes..

rainy fun.... it was pouring with rain when we woke up this morning in San Seb, but we ventured out into the city centre to shop .... ha ha was fun.... and very wet

when we got home we were soooo sleepy, and sooo hungry so we whipped up a little pasta, got changed into our pj's (even though it was 4pm) and jumped into bed for a nap..

mmmm pizza and cupcakes.... lazy dinner of pizza from Cap'Pizza, and Chris came round and picked up his surprise box of cupcakes.... so so stoked I found out about cukoo cakes... I think I'll be ordering more cupcakes very soon !

beautiful sky, tapas and yummy late night cake shop

after work today we drove down to San Sebastian ..... it only takes about 45 minutes but it was an amazing drive, the sky was so clear, the views to the mountains were super beautiful !

we had a fun night cruising round San Seb eating tapas....yum yum.....such an awesome way to spend an evening, tasting heaps of yummy tapas, really loving the spanish culture :)

it was a cold night so on the way to the taxi rank we stopped at a cake shop (only in Spain are there cake shops open after midnight) and bought ourselves a treat....sooooo good, chocolate and orange cake...very happy Linzi.

frogs eaten, more flowers and interesting conversation

as is always the case, the day after a duvet day is super super productive. I read a book this winter called 'Eat That Frog'... awesome time management book...and today I ate a lot of frogs..

I think its nicer to receive flowers for no reason at all than to receive them for a something specific .... today my husband picked up some gorgeous yellow flowers on the way out of the supermarket, handed them to me, and carried all the shopping to the car.

we made a yummy dinner for a friend of ours which started by us all discussing how intense conversations can be with French people, all politics, philosophy etc..... and then ended up having a conversation just like that.. ha ha ha

duvet day, full house and surprise pink plants

being business partners and husband and wife can be tricky pretty sometimes, so every now and then we vote to have a duvet day.... a day off with no phones, no laptops, no work and no distractions.... only hanging out, love and fun are allowed. Today was a much needed duvet day.... we really reconnected today

there's something great about having just done your weekly food shop... the cupboards are full, the fridge is packed, and there's tonnes of yummy fresh food everywhere !!!

at some stage this morning, I walked out into the corridor and saw 2 beautiful plants with gorgeous pink flowers had been left in the corridor. I'm not sure who they belong to, or why they are there, but they really brighten up the hallway and I'm grateful for that !

lost things, lovely books and scrummy dinner

we spent about 3 mystifying hours looking for our car keys this morning..... only to find them in a pocket of Jeffs shorts neatly folded in the cupboard... ha ha ha such a good feeling when something lost becomes something found !

my books have arrived...yipeeeeeeeeeeee. It felt so wierd not being surrounded by cookbooks... hmmm I can breathe a sigh of relief, my lovely cookbook friends are back

in celebration of the books we had the most simple but delicious supper.... a gratin of zucchini and rice... sounds kinda boring but is actually amazingly yummy :)

sunny lunch, happy running, inspiration

went out for some lunch today and we sat at the beach in the sunshine.... it was nice

first run round the lake this year....6.4k's ... it felt long and pretty tough but was soooo good to be running it again ! sore legs now but happy face. Its amazing how good running can make you feel !

Met up with an awesome friend tonight, had a super fun dinner and literally caught up on the past 4 years since we last saw each other ! He's the sort of person you can hang out with for 10 minutes and leave totally buzzed and amped on your goals... stoked !

sleep filled weekend, mindful-ness and an honest discussion

I'm at the end of a much needed sleep filled weekend.... lazy days spent snoozing, snuggling, reading and topping up the batteries

spent some time today uploading some pics to my blog... it reminded me how important it is to remain mindful, always looking out for the positive experiences in life

sometimes its best to get things out in the open.... it felt good to have a very honest discussion today and to know how important it is to communicate properly with the people you love !

post office, opera and forest

living in more than one place has so many benefits, but sometimes, having your own 'things' around you is important, and it can be difficult to arrange that when you so often up and move on to the next place. Of all my 'things' that I miss the most, its my cookbooks... they're in oz and I'm in France. I thought I could select my favourites and send them over, but one quick trip to the post office made me realise that was not a cost effective solution. So I bit the bullet, realised that cooking really does make me very happy, and ordered a heap of them again on amazon to have here in France. Today there was a note from the postman to say they've arrived...... I am more than excited !!!

I cruised into town this morning to buy some croissants and juice. I was waiting in line at the little convenience store and looked around.... everyone was smiling, it was sunny outside, they were playing Andrea Bocelli loudly on their stereo, and suddenly I was kinda overwhelmed with happiness. Funny that when you feel connected to a place, everything just feels so right.

Jeff and I went for a stomp in the forest this afternoon... we were discussing the effect that just being in the forest has on you. So calm but energising at the same time. Just the smell of the pine makes me smile.

calm is catching, universe, home :)

today was a hectic hectic day.... lots to fit in before I flew back to France at lunchtime.. after 2 meetings and before my last run around, I popped into a health store/massage place to pick up some tea tree oil.... sooooo zen, oils burning, calm vibe and gentle people.... amazing how catching zen is. I walked out calmer, happier and less stressed !

the universe gave me a little nudge today.... just as if to say ' hey ! calm down, breathe and start thinking positive otherwise I'm going to keep sending you signals...' After my phone stopped working just as I was supposed to make a really important call, I realised it was time to start listening ...and breathing...and smiling !

Finally, I got home and we drove back up to Hossegor... drove straight to the Napoli, a super yummy local restaurant, then went home and snuggled... so good to be home :)

kokua inspiration, candles, amazing dinner

watched an amazing mini doc on the kokua foundation about environmental education.... re-ignited my passion and gave me heaps of new ideas and inspiration

went out for dinner with a really good friend and she gave me 2 beautiful candles in a paper bag that said 'you're amazing' on it

super yummy dinner........ seared scallops with a crab and crushed Jersey royals salad,carrot and coriander puree, rocket and calamari... what a combo !!

success, Ralph Waldo Emerson and showing gratitude

sometimes its only when you finish something that you realise how nervous you were about it and how relieved you are that its done !

Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years? No one would sleep that night, of course - we would be ecstatic, delirious, enraptured. Instead the stars come out every night and we watch TV......

took my folks out for dinner to say thanks for all their help last weekend, felt good to make them feel really appreciated

cancelled meeting, new shoes and nice man at the health store

was supposed to have a meeting this afternoon but it got cancelled, which, to be quite honest was a blessing.... it meant no mission to town, just a cruisy work day at home

bought some new trainers today with nike plus.....so excited to go running !!!

having spent the weekend freezing at the boat show, my body is a bit run down.... popped into the health store and picked up some vitamins and the guy in there was super nice... really caring... offered me a glass of water so I could take the first few tablets straight away to get them in my system. I thought that was really nice.

hanging out with Dad, job done and de-clutter !

spent my last day at the boat show with my dad.... hanging out with him is easy... he's relaxed and very good company

job done !!! by 5pm we were definitely ready to head home.... but with a big smile on my face as I sold 500 tickets for the festival this weekend !

de-clutter mission tonight.... never takes as long as you think it would and feels sooooo good to go to bed in a calm, zen-like room

skype, getting warm & kicking goals

skype must be one of the best inventions ever.... whenever we're apart it brings us together

having spent a long day freeeeeezing at the boat show, it felt absolutely delicious to jump into bed at 8.30pm with a book and warm up

although it was a big day, it was worthwhile....we're kicking goals one by one :)

happy faces, island life and true friends

I spent today at the boat show, we had an early bird ticket release for our festival there .... so happy to see so many familiar faces and happy folk buying tickets. I could have paid someone to run the stand this weekend, but to me, there's nothing better than actually meeting the nice people you really work for ... your customers

Its so easy to slip back into Jersey life, knowing pretty much one in ten people who walk past you on the street

Another great dinner with friends.... such a busy day and such a treat for someone else to cook for you at the end of it

real human, calm, family love

this morning I has a long meeting with someone we've been working with for a few months.... but this was the first time we actually met face to face. Skype, internet, email and phone are great but its good to know what someone's smile looks like

my flight back to Jersey was delayed 3 hours, and unfortunately they had already boarded us so we were stuck on the tarmac. I was reminded of that famous Rudyard Kipling poem ' If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs...'
it was a real opportunity to exercise that, and and I did..... whilst everyone around me complained about the delay, the lack or air con, the screaming kids, and fell into angry customer mode, I escaped into a calm bubble and took out my laptop and worked.

Whether you saw them last night, last week or last month, there is something very special about coming back to your family home and being greeted with so much love