Lakes and Mountains

Time to come back to reality! What a wonderful time we had though with such magnificent scenery. We stayed for the most part at this little chalet in the mountains:
where we had our breakfast and dinner provided true country french style with typical dishes from the region. Dinner was late - around 8 or 9pm and this meant that really we didn't need any other food all day!! Life is so much slower in France and there is so much space. Here is a picture of the view from Le Chalet:

Imagine waking up to that every day of your life? And everywhere was strewn with flowers:

And the markets were fulll of good, wholesome food,

the shops with lots of heart-shaped and vintage style creations,

and there were glacial streams everywhere
and cows with 'clochettes' ringing throughout the hillsides (this one kindly posed for me, knowing you would all be very interested in how they wore their bells!)

There is much more of course that I could tell but time does not allow. This month is crazy workwise and I am off up to Middlesborough this week and Leeds next week for meetings plus we have family birthdays looming and daughters 3 and 4 coming back from their travels.

However I can't resist letting you have a little peak at Mont Blanc. I was so excited when I saw it as we turned the corner. It is truly a fantastic sight if you like mountains as I do - just so spectactular and certainly not something I see on a regular basis anywhere near where I live.
Isn't it terrific? We spent one day at Chamoix and took the train and cable car up to La Mer de Glace. You can go up nearer to Mont Blanc but it was very expensive so we kept things simple as we did for all the holiday really. It was very refreshing being in the mountain air and the sun shone all week for which we were really grateful. But I must stop because this is the 100th post and I want to do another post telling you about a giveaway!

Packing paralysis!

We are off to a conference in the morning and I should be packing!! Do you ever get that last-minute paralysis about what to put inside the suitcase/bag? It regularly happens here especially with extended time of more than one night. Why is that I wonder? I guess I am the sort of person who likes to have options - trousers or a skirt, cool clothes and warm clothes, at least two pairs of shoes, jewellery. Then there is the list of things to do - knitting, quilting, embroidery, crochet, I love to do a variety of projects when I am away. Oh yes, and what about the books? Won't I have all this time possibly for reading? Now I need a selection of books - a novel, something a little more serious, something professional (no, may give this a miss this time!), something crafty, something inspiring? What about the magazines that I have piled by my bed, could they come too?

As it happens I shall have to take the laptop with me as I need to continue to do some work while I am away and hey, I probably ought to go to some seminars too as that is what the conference is about (although strictly speaking I am there with hubby who has some part in the exhibition)!!! I think it is going to be a late night while I sort all this out and here I am blogging away!! Look out for a post next week about my visit to Buckingham Palace. Hope you all have a great weekend and that the sun shines where you are.

In The Country

Last weekend we had four days in this delightful little cottage, complete with wood stove.
As it was so cold we actually had the woodstove burning and the central heating on!!! However we did have a lovely time and Saturday was warmer and the sun was shining so we took some time out here
and here

and took time to smell the roses

And to do some embroidery

Here I am using the strawberry transfer out of the The Stitch It Kit by Jenny Hart which I am using to help me get back into embroidery after many years away.

It was lovely to have time together and to sit in front of a roaring fire - something we cannot do at home and the cottage was beautifully and tastefully decorated too.

One amusing event was we stopped off for coffee on the way and I just happened to see an Oxfam shop lurking close by and said to P that I would pop in while he went to the bank!! He came to find me and I couldn't get him out of there!!! It was a books and music Oxfam and he ended up with an armful of books which he was absolutely delighted with and I bought nothing!!! You have to understand that this is a man who hates shopping and rarely does it, only when he has to or he is with me on holiday!!

On another note, I can't believe today is the first day of summer! I am sitting here feeling very chilly with a number of layers on - it just has to get warmer. On Sunday we are celebrating daughter no.4 getting into the Uni of her choice and the way she has chosen for us to celebrate is a picnic! So I am hoping for high temperatures and lots of sunshine. Hope you have a good weekend and the sun shines where you are.