stomp, 'se faire confiance' and catch up dinner with friends

a morning walk around the lake, having a laugh and a catch up with Alix

my yoga teacher uses the phrase 'se faire confiance' whenever we do a balancing pose...it means trust yourself or believe in yourself.... I really like it

dinner with a bunch of good friends, none of whom knew each other before... good to bring people together :)

being strong, new friendship and forest mission

sometimes it only takes a few words of encouragement from someone you love to help you become a stronger person

I'm stoked that a new friendship has blossomed, good to have someone to chat to down here :)

went searching for sites today, so spent a bit of time cruising the forest tracks.... so beautiful !

different perspective, countdown and happy bird

this morning I walked around the lake....the wrong way..... well, the opposite way to how I've always walked and run around it.... turns out it's really worth checking things out from a different perspective from time to time....keep it fresh

woooopa finally we're into a serious countdown mode.... today is Tuesday, so only 3 more days till I see Jeffrey :)

loving my yoga class at the moment....today, right at the end of the class, when we were in savassana everything was silent apart from a little birdie outside tweeting to his hearts content

tweet tweet yoga bird

its ok to ask for help, planning Paris and my Dad

sometimes its ok to ask for help... in fact, its better than ok, its absolutely the right thing to do..... I felt an immense sense of relief today just from picking up the phone and making a call

so whats even more exciting about seeing Jeff again on Friday is that we'll be seeing each other in Paris !!! Spent some time planning hotels, flights and fun stuff to do today....

my Dad is amazing - don't need to say anymore than that really - he makes me feel very happy, and very grateful

skylight, not long now and new book

this morning at yoga, I noticed how beautiful the sky was. We were doing savasanna and as I looked up, it was all blue and fluffy clouds :)

wow, less than a week till I see Jeff again...this time has been harder than ever, we've been apart for a month and I'm seriously considering counting the hours now..... I get excited just thinking about being back together again

new book, new adventure..... I love hopping into bed early and starting a new book....

lazy day, pineapple man and amazing, grandma-like dinner

today was a super lazy day..... I'm not normally very good at it, but I must have needed one .... so I fubbed out at home, watched a couple of movies and just relaxed

at the supermarket this afternoon, there was something weird happening in the fruit section...... a man dressed all in white with a purple cape and beret, selling prunes.... and another man, who had a little tape player blasting out music, chopping pineapples.... very bizarre, very french but actually kinda funny

one of the things I don't like about being by myself, is that, inevitably, you don't bother to cook as much when you're alone. But every now and then, I bust out a recipe, go shopping and cook myself something really delicious... tonight, I made something I imagine Nany would serve me...... roast chicken, carrot puree, pommes noisettes and a red wine gravy.... so yummy, so comforting and really worth all that washing up

early morning rain, sneaky sneaky, and moules a la plancha

there is nothing better than waking up to the sound of light rain. This morning I got up, opened up the shutters and the balcony doors, and then got back into bed again. There is something amazing about feeling the fresh, cool air rush in, and the peaceful sound of rain

I snuck back into bed at some stage this afternoon for a sneaky sneaky nap

mmmm moules a la plancha for dinner....so good

cereal, well behaved car and great dinner with friends

mmmmm they have these cereals over here called Smacks....kinda like sugar puffs I guess. They reming me of staying with Nany & Papy when I was little. I bought some today and they brought a smile to my face.

my car very nearly ran out of petrol today - well it actually did, but somehow, with some kind words and a little faith, we (my car & I) managed to get to the petrol station. It made me grateful for the fact that it could have turned out into a mission, but thankfully, it didn't.

being alone sucks... and sometimes you get stuck in a bubble and forget to come out. Jeff has been away for 3 weeks now, but tonight, I invited some of our friends around for dinner. Although it would have been more fun if he was with us, we all had a great time and I felt like I had a night out of my bubble

lunchtime surf, listening and dream houses

wow, the surf was amazing today....... I had a sneaky lunchtime surf in the blazing sun...I love it here

sometimes being a good friend is more about listening than it is talking. I think I did ok today.

when I walk or run around the lake, I dream of living in one of the beautiful houses. I can never make up my mind which house I would pick, but the fun is in the visualisation..... imagining myself in there, with Jeff ......one day....

great meeting, power yoga and junk tv

wow, today was a great work day....had a fantastic meeting..... all our plans and dreams feel like they are slowly falling into place, and its actually going to happen..... feels kinda surreal

yoga class tonight, it was hot and stuffy, and I worked really hard......fun though

sometimes (but not very often..) I love to get wrapped up in a junky tv show.....tonight was one of those nights....desperate housewives

sore from running, happy logs and chocolate cake makes everyone happy

ran this morning..... and by the time I finished I was sore all over...from the yoga yesterday and the run today. But to be honest it felt really good, I love that feeling, makes me feel like I'm fit and active again.

someone has painted faces on a bunch of logs by 'La Station' restaurant, they look very content

dinner with elsie and her band of merry campers...... turns out chocolate cake makes everybody happy, so simple and sooooo delicious

yoga class, beach time and garlic bread

went to a new yoga class this morning.... was the only one there, so kinda got the whole class to myself...it was awesome !

hung out at the beach again today...got to make the most of the summer sun

mmmmm met up with Elsie and her happy campers tonight, and took some home-made garlic bread with piment d'espelette...yum yum yum

moving in, sun-baking and good times

a day of sorting out, unpacking and feeling right at home again

it was HOT today, so spent a fair amount of the day sunbaking, relaxing and reading my book

caught up with Garth & Jackson for dinner at the Cream and watched the Trestles comp live on the net...... super nice to catch up again, and feel pretty grateful for being able to slot straight back in to a fantastic group of friends every time we get back here

moving out, catch up with elsie and a lot of love

wooopa gave the keys back to the agency and did a little hop, skip and a jump to our apartment..... soooooo excited for quiet nights sleep

one of my great friends is down here on holidays so today we hung out at the beach, sunbaking and catching up.... it was nice :)

lots of love today..... thanks Jeffo x

early morning french mission, moving across the hall and accras

I love my morning routine here..... get up early (normally to a clear, calm sunny morning), go check the surf - surf if there is waves, if not the run round the lake or do some yoga.... then drop into the boulangerie for my baguette...happy french days

shuffling cases and bags across the hallway made me grateful for two things; one that I didn't have far to go, and two that this is my last shuffle in a while

went out for dinner with my folks and ate delicious accras de morue...mmmmm my favourite

raw ocean power, new coat and someone having faith in my dreams

ok, it's official, autumn, and the huge swell that comes with it, has arrived.... the surf this morning was HUGE, so I took my folks and some friends of ours on a little tiki-tour of all the spots. I love it when nature creates such perfection, makes me feel very small and very humble

so, with a new season, comes a new coat .... ha ha ha

when somebody sees your vision, and has genuine faith that you're going to achieve your goals, it blows you away a little, and makes you very grateful for that moment

woodsmoke, solid surf and a great salad

wow, day 2 of autumn..... in the surf this morning I could smell woodsmoke in the air.... I don't really know why I love that smell so much, maybe the excitement of a change of season, maybe childhood memories...but it makes me smile

the surf today had picked up heaps, and there were a few scary moments out there, but the buzz lasted all day

mmmmmm buffalo mozzarella marinated in olive oil, garlic and basil, with a rocket and strawberry salad...such a great combo :)

autumn's coming, cooking and a tonne of work complete

this morning was the first time you could sense autumn in the air.... I surfed early, it the air was crisp and cool and the sand felt cold under your feet

I love how, when everything is is chaotic and overwhelming, you can go into a kitchen, put the right ingredients together in the right way and create something amazing. It gives me a lot of pleasure to know that.

I have so much work to do at the moment, I'm totally stacked..... but today I made a pretty good dent in it, and I'm pretty happy about that.

yoga breathing, straight back and a nice message on a bottle

this morning I woke feeling pretty wired...not been sleeping much. So after a surf check, I went to the lake and did some yoga..... just breathing the good stuff in, and breathing the bad stuff out....amazing how good it makes you feel

wow...super excited today.... a package in the post... with a laptop stand, wireless mouse and wireless keyboard....at last !!!! I have a straight back and good posture at work !

I went to the pharmacy to see if I could get something to help me sleep, my mind has been racing every night and I've spent the past week not sleeping anywhere near as much as I normally do. It's been driving me crazy..... the lady gave me some natural sleeping tablets, and when I got home and checked them out, the little message on the bottle was a real surprise. Instead of the standard contraindications, how to take these pills, what to do if you overdose, they simply gave you some tips to sleeping well and living well (fresh air, exercise, spending time with people you love)..... best advice I've ever seen on a bottle of pills :)

time to de-jumble, universe chat and a dark, quiet room

still living out of a bag and feeling a bit all over the place.... made the decision that today was the day to de-jumble... feels good to have started the de-jumble process

Jeff and I had a chat today, it was full of hope and positivity.... and words passed on from someone who believes in us and believes in the universe

kind of a crazy weekend in Hossegor, busy busy busy, and noisy too.... so this afternoon I snuck across the hall to mum & dad's apartment, made the bed, closed the shutters and enjoyed a nap in a dark, quiet room

early solo surf, reading in the sunshine and chicken tortilla soup

mmmmm an early morning, fresh, full of sunshine surf..... simple pleasures

it was super hot today, and I knew I needed to rest, but really didn't feel like being stuck indoors, so I took my book and my towel down to the pool, and read for hours...

sometimes you just know that you're body (and soul) needs some extra special care...and thats when you make chicken tortilla soup

surfing makes everything better, structure at last and the perfect mojito

surfing really does make everything better....it's like you've known that forever, but each time you surf, you're reminded of it

finally settled into work down here and putting some structure in place.... what can I say...I'm a geek, a neat freak and love to feel in control of my own destiny (and desk)

my sisters' last night, we went to Chez Monette and it was proven, once again, that they make the best mojito's in town

chocolate crackle cakes, words of wisdom and the perfect park

mmmmm only in France would you be able to find gourmet chocolate crackle cakes.... they live in the boulangerie section of the supermarket.... yes, they're just cornflakes coated in chocolate, but these ones are sooooooo delicious !!

a reply to a simple 'help, i'm struggling' message made me smile today... turns out it doesn't matter where your friends are in the world, they'll always be there for you when you need them :)

the park in Hossegor is a very happy place, I hardly spend any time in there, but you can just sense it every time you drive past. It's always full of kids playing , waiting eagerly for their turn on the old-fashioned merry go round, parents queuing up in the sunshine at the little cabin to buy ice-creams, gaufres and crepes..... old men playing boules, families having picnics on multi-coloured rugs...... it makes me smile each time I go past

running sets me free, catch up and sunbeam

running gives me a sense of self, of freedom and happiness

after my useless day yesterday (no internet), I played catch up today...it felt good

I had to shoot into town to do some chores this afternoon, and was kinda in auto-pilot mode until I was walking back to the car down a narrow tree lined street and a warm sunbeam hit me and made me stop and appreciate it. Amazing what a sunbeam can do

a beach break, smell of home and a big storm

I had a crappy day at work today so at about 4.30pm, I bailed to the beach and just sat in the sunshine for a while watching the surf. It was like a little holiday.

Before we went for dinner I took a magazine down to the pool and relaxed down there for a while - a few deep breaths after a long, exasperating day. Then I got a whiff of it..... that amazing home smell.....pine trees, fresh air, sunshine, the smell of the ocean

on the cycle to dinner tonight we were checking out all the crazy clouds... then, about halfway through our (amazingly delicious - gambas a la plancha) meal, the storm hit... from calm to chaos in about 3 minutes..... we had to sit it out in the restaurant (with another bottle of rose, and a slice of moelleux au chocolat each) until we could cycle home

family, a little sign, and a warm, fuzzy movie

my sister and her fiance are on holiday down here at the moment, we've been hanging out a fair bit....going for dinners and fun cycling missions... it's been really nice

today I was in the cookware aisle of the supermarket, by myself, when suddenly a little kitchen timer started going off...bbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz not sure what it meant, but it felt like it was supposed to go off just as I walked past..... is the universe telling me its time to do something ? I love it when you get a little prod like that...

I watched 'Whip It' tonight, Drew Barrymores coming of age film about roller derby. It was a lot of fun, a great reminder to be yourself and follow your own dreams

pool on a hot day, perrier and lime and cycling adventures

wowzers it was sooooo hot today.... thank goodness we have a pool. Went to the beach for a while but was crazy hot so just came back home and chilled ...

Cycled into town for a Perrier and lime.... ahhh the simple pleasures

we cycled to Capbreton tonight to check out the Fete des Chipirons... fun little mission that ended up with an early night, yummy dinner (salad and croquetas) and a very content me

happy happy, chez monette and full circle

so happy I could sing a little song..... had a great day with a fair amount of fun chores, some greener festival news to celebrate, an amazing meeting, lots of sunshine and a very happy Linzi

took Nat & Dave to Chez Monette for dinner....cycle via the lake,mmmmmm mojitos and lots of yummy food...

moved across the hall to our old apartment, just for 2 wks whilst the Nat & Dave, and then Mum & Dad stay in the other one.... but felt kinda bizarre coming back here. Full circle really.... I bought this place when I was 22, and all I had in my head (and my heart) was 'I want to live here'.... then I carried on travelling, surfing, working for 8 years and now I'm back where I belong

home sweet home, salade de chevre & glass of rose and a sploosh

aahhh after a long drive and a hot day I arrived back home.... very happy to be here

I stopped off at Cap'Pizza (as is standard Jeff & Linz procedure after the drive down !) and got a salade de chevre to take home along with a chilled bottle of rose...yum

Before eating my dinner and falling into bed, I went for a quick, refreshing sploosh in the pool to wash the drive off... lush :)

excited for france, barge aground, and dinner with my man

running around a lot today !! But super excited to get down to Hossegor..... trying to fit everything in and catch up with everyone before I go

Gordon and his family rented out Barge Aground for the week, an amazing boat shaped building right on the beach...we went down for a glass of wine and to watch the sunset.....good times with very good friends

Jeff and I had a really nice dinner, remembering funny old stories and adventures we've been on together

busy fun day, old friend,and independence !!

lots of running around today as I've only got one day till I go back down to France, but it was a fun day, lots of laughter and good vibes amongst the busy-ness

caught up with an old friend at the beach after work, she's over from NZ for a couple of weeks and was so nice just to hang out and have some fun

I have my own car !!!!! I feel 17 again !! Free to go where I want, when I want...ha ha ha ha :)