Sunday 27 April 2014

Glimpses of Easter at our house



I know I'm very late posting
but here are a few images from Easter
at our home this year!




I always invite friends to share
our Easter celebration dinner with us.
I wish our family could be here too
hopefully one day in the future
we can enjoy Easter Sunday again as a family.




I used my vintage linen tablecloth I bought in Chablis
on our visit to France in 2003
the year our first granddaughter
Zoé was born. 



The green plates are French but I bought them here.
The birdcage I bought in France last year
from a little shop in
Noyers sur Serein, the pretty village in the previous post!



I found these sweet little tins just before Easter last year,
at the time I had already posted my Easter parcel
to France so I put them aside for this year!

I filled them with a little straw in the base
and added chocolate rabbits and eggs to the brim!


We received a lovely parcel from France
with beautiful Easter cards made by the girls
and a bag of chocolate rabbits for Dada and I!






We are now enjoying beautiful
warm and mild Autumn days.
I've just had a lovely walk with my cousin
and her dog 'Bertie' in Cornwall Park.
The park was full of families and their dogs
enjoying a warm afternoon in the sunshine. 





I'm joining these parties

Diane for Beautiful Sunday
and Mary for Mosaic Monday
and
Mary for Masterpiece Monday 
and for the first time
Nita for Mod Mix Monday
Deborah for What we Accomplished Wednesday

My friend Kerrie of Sea Cottage
is having a Giveaway you won't want to miss!
It includes one of her beautiful rose paintings.
It' on my side bar here is the link.



Wishing you all a very happy week
and the last April days for 2014!

Take care and 
be kind to one another

  Merci à bientôt

Shane x

 






Friday 25 April 2014

ANZAC DAY APRIL 25




Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
Anzac Day - 25 April
is a national day of remembrance
when we commemorate all
New Zealanders and Australians
"who served and died in all wars, 
conflicts, and peacekeeping operations."

It is a national holiday in both our countries.
Our soldiers have fought alongside
and supported each other in all
the wars we have taken part in.
This has created a strong bond between
our two countries.



There are rememberance services held in
every city and small town throughout
New Zealand
starting with the first service at dawn
and another at 11am in the main centres.


It is a tradition in most families
to make Anzac biscuits on this day.
Originally these rolled oats biscuits were
made and sold at fetes and galas
to raise funds for the war effort.

I made a batch of these biscuits today
as I do every Anzac Day and here is the recipe!
Please excuse the tatty page - it is from my
well used and much loved copy of the Edmonds Cook Book
a staple cooking bible found in every Kiwi home!


I hope you are able to buy Golden Syrup.
There is an english one called Lyall's Golden Syrup.
My daughter can buy this at her
Carrefour supermarket in France.


I would love to hear from you if you make these biscuits.
They are a favorite in our family
and with my French granddaughters too!


Thank you for visiting my blog
and leaving me such lovely comments
on my last post!
Take care and be kind to each other

  Merci à bientôt

 

Shane x









Tuesday 15 April 2014

Summer in France - April Note Cards



My theme for my April Note Cards is
Summer in France.

I took these photos on my trip last Summer.
They have happy memories for me
of languid days enjoying the
company of my precious family.



We made lots of day trips
visiting pretty little villages
where at first glance time had stood still.
Life seemed idyllic.

These four photos I took in
the picturesque medieval village of
Noyers sur Serein.
It is inhabited by artisans.
I was told by one of the locals that many
of the inhabitants have left large cities
such as Paris and Lyon in search of
a simple life.




To the delight of the girls
a local cat accompanied us for part of our walk
around the narrow little streets!





I'm joining Vee for her monthly

you can join too if you like
she has all the information here

I'm also linking to Alma for her
The Places I've Been party.
This is my first time joining this party.
Thank you Alma for hosting!



My box cover for the Note Cards.
 Thank you Vee for hosting!



 *** ROYAL UPDATE ***
They have had a rest day today.
Tomorrow they are visiting our Police College
and having their last "walk about"
to meet and greet people in Wellington.
Sadly they leave us at 1pm tomorrow
Wednesday bound for Australia.
They have been great ambassadors for
Her Majesty the Queen.


Thank you for visiting and leaving me your comments!


Take care and be kind to each other
  Merci à bientôt

Shane x

 






Monday 14 April 2014

The charms of William and Kate....




The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
arriving for the Palm Sunday Service at
St Paul's Anglican Cathedral in Dunedin.

 It has often been reported that both
William and Kate
enjoy adventure style sports.
From the various activities offered in
Queenstown, they chose the
thrilling ride in a jet boat
(Would you believe - even I have done that one.
Does that mean I'm an adrenaline junkie - no way,
but it's what one does in Queenstown!)



On Saturday it was Cambridge's turn to host the
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

Cambridge is a pretty rural village
named after Cambridge in England.
 Apparently there is a great community
of ex-pat Brits living there, so they came
out in force with their Union Jack flags
to see their
Duke and Duchess.


New Zealand is a very proud member of
the British Commonwealth
and we all feel a strong alliance with Britain still.
My father and uncles fought in the war
which strengthened those ties.
It has been such a joy
to have this happy Royal family
in our part of the world.

I'm joining Mary for
Why don't you join us?


 
Take care and be kind to each other
  Merci à bientôt

 

Shane x






Saturday 12 April 2014

APRIL PHOTO CHALLENGE - MACRO



Donna has thrown me a curved ball with her
April Personal Photo Challenge of
MACRO!!




I use a basic “Point and Shoot” 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3 with a Leica lens.
The second image taken in
a wheat field in France
I did some editing with the Pixlr
focal adjustment.
Please pop over to see some
very good macro examples at 
THANK YOU DONNA
for hosting, especially when you have
so much happening in your life.



We're having some beautiful Autumn weather!
I love this time before Winter.
Some mornings there's quite a heavy dew
followed by a glorious warm sunny day with blue skies!
What more could one want.


Take care and be kind to each other
  Merci à bientôt

Shane x






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