In the midst of life...

Very sad news from Americia yesterday when we learnt that Ryans father, Fred Gengler, died in the morning. He'd been battling lukemia since his visit here in May.
This is a photo I posted of him at the time, with Shirley his wife, Ryan and Andree - he made friends when he was here, a man with a long life packed with incident, full of anecdotes and wisdom.
Im hoping that there will be a fuller account on this blog, because of that wisdom - what he learnt on the Polaris submarine where he served, how he dealt with being mayor of his community. He was a rare one.
Much love to his widow whom I hope will be visiting soon to greet her grandchild. 

Thanks to all -

 Big thanks to Bob the turkey chef - to Lily, for  not being too awful - to Helen for providing the new toy that almost kept Lily quiet for the day -









to our marvelous friends, Jenny, Ian, Angela, Sammy, Pete and Nel -

 to Ryan and Alicia who did all the rest of the cooking - except Nel's apple tart and Jenny's vol au vent - and to those sweet mates who sent cards and pressies.

Next year will be different - Alicia is pregnant :) Here is a rare, possibly unique, picture of her eating turkey. The baby is due in July so it'll be old enough to leave in the yard with the rabbits.
So they say...

xmas party

Olle-Bendick to the left; to the right, our Mayor Jean Torrent shows pictures of my paintings to Judith, Aileen and Lucette.



Below, sundry snaps...

 Bob and the mayor cut the cake; Lucette eats it while below, Ryan tells Jean about his fathers stint as mayor in America -

Andree is hiding in there somewhere as are others, camerawork pretty poor last night.

Would be feeling better today if the late-going degenerates hadn't let me open the port.

naked sell-out

Bob and I got to the sale of life drawings at Kats gallery half-an-hour after opening and there was hardly anything left!!

This is good news since all the proceeds go to heating our models.

Thanks to all concerned, models, artists and purchasers.

wrecking crew

-What Jessica and Alice did last night (the 'before' photo is below)

Christmas lurks...

 Jessica 'Le Chainsaw' and Princess Alice have an early christmas snack...
    Yesterday Bob arrived. Here we see that the works at the airport gallop onwards as they have been for some years now. I'm confident that before the planet runs out of oil we will have an airport to impress; thereafter it'll make a great museum of some sort.

In the meantime at Esperaza the piped muzack is on low volume, presumably a compromise between those that want it and those that don't. Its rather eerie, like a party is happening behind the wall or just round the corner.

Don't forget that tomorrow at Kats gallery (Rue de la Republic, just off the square) there is a mighty sale of life drawings starting at 2.00 - nudes for all:) The life-drawers of these parts are trying to raise enough money to keep the models warm so are flogging off produce at 5 euros a pop.

First casualty of the season...

.

.....or was he pushed????

Noel des retraites

Here is Msr Torrent our Mayor and mayorial candidate for 2014, welcoming us to the spectacle. Can't think of decent translations - we dont have a word for the retired that carries the same weight, and spectacle? Something to look at that you'll enjoy, perhaps.

Francine serving cake of cream and chestnut puree is a happy sight -

and here are some of the cabaret, Cosmo's sisters, who kept us very entertained:)

Integrating here is brilliant fun... thanks to all who worked hard for our pleasure x

yesterdays' morning

 Didn't get round to uploading these from yesterday - the auspicious 11/12/13 - this morning the mist was so  thick that photos are impossible. Sure it'll be beautiful later as the sun rises...

 Above, a photo of an ice bubble (for Pete)
The others just show frost on the Aude.
Brrr.

thursdays date

Todays image has nothing to do with anything, being the photo I took last night in my living room as it was spooky-nice, I thought. You might have had this mornings' frost, the heron and dippers on the river and the mist lifting off the mountains - had I remembered to take the camera.

But I digress.

Thursday - two short days away - is the Noel des Retraites party.

Starts at 2.30, Centre Culturel (next to creperie) There will be apero and nibbles and a spectacle called Cosmo's Sisters. Chanson Francais - show caberet, jazz - our kind and thoughtful mayor would like to see some brits there, so do come:)

Sunday - Bob goes, Margo arrives

 Its Sunday, where does the time go? -And Bob is off to England for a week. Here he is scrapping the thick frost off the windsceen this morning. Due to persistent sunshine its all a lot better now.

Abandoning him to his fate I went to lunch with Margo, Anne, Monique and Mairee - and Theophile, who has suddenly turned bashful (ish). Great to see them all, the creperie did us proud and softened the sadness of Bobs departure.

Allotment lunch and info for the elderly -

Attention geriatrics of Esperaza; on the 12th December at 14.30H, our Mayor Jean Torrent invites all those retired folk who live here to a free event at the Centre Culturel - booze, nosh and a 'spectacle'. Unmissable! (I think that retired is a euphemism for old so if you are still working but ancient, come on down -)

 Now back to the plot....

   The group who grow vedg on the field by the river meet once a year for fun and feedback... this is our third year together and all seem content, despite this years poor weather and subsequent loss of produce.

In the past we have had a dinner involving home grown food but since many of us have been away or busy generally, yesterday was the first opportunity to get together, late in the season and at lunchtime. Alicia did a mega bean soup, the group's consultant Jenny made the lemon tart - in the interests of full transparency, the recipe is below- Pete and Nel bought the blanquette, Ian the beer, Bieke the chocolate and clementines. Kelly is nothing to do with the project but happened to be around and blessed us with her presence:)

The evening was the photo shot for the Mayors team - great bunch of people, really enjoy being with them.  Snapped the newly-lit square en route to the rendezvous, aint it tasteful - below that, the Rue Voltaire where it crosses Rue St Michel, the enlightenment meeting the angel-

This is the tarte au citron recipe from Jenny...

It IS worth the kerfuffle (sp?) of doing the pastry. I have tried cheating and it is much less good
PASTRY
170gm plain flour
75gm demi-sel butter (leave it out of the fridge as long as poss in advance, easier if soft)
45gm icing sugar (sucre glace)
1 egg

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and drop the butter in in chunks. Using only the fingertips rub the butter with a pecking motion until soft, add the sugar to the butter using the same motion, add the egg to this mix in the same way. Gradually incorporate the flour using flicking motions and then chopping through with a knife to get a rough dough. Mix and knead quickly a couple of times to form a smooth dough. Cover and rest in the fridge for 1 hour. The purpose of all this is to handle the flour as little as possible

Roll out the pastry and line the dish. Chill again 10 minutes or so. Heat oven to 180 C blindbake the pastry 10 minutes approx with beans or similar to hold pastry, lift out beans, bake further 3 to 5 minutes until just cooked but pale. Take out of the oven and turn down to 150 C

CREAM FILLING
3 eggs +1 yolk
213gm caster sugar (super fine)
140gm creme fraiche
2 non treated lemons

Put eggs and yolk in large bowl and whisk vigourously, add sugar, whisk, add cream, whisk, add lemon zest and juice, whisk

Put into pastry case. Bake for 35 - 40 mins until filling has set.

 

More high living

 Bob, Ryan and Alicia amuse the cat at Louise and Andys gaff last night... our Kat also present but I won't labour the joke.

Lou did us proud; onion bajiis and minty yogurt; curries of beef, vedge and lentil with basmati rice and flat bread dusted in grated coconut;  fresh fruit salad.  Conversation also very good:)

 Its very very cold though we are getting afternoon sunshine. Here are Jessica le chainsaw tututut lapinne and princess Alice tete de lion basking.

Rarely spotted

Here's Corrinne, been in town for a month but managed to avoid us - here another couple of weeks if you can catch her:) Ryan and Alicia did another amazing meal - salad with Gorgonzola and smoked meat and our walnuts plus wild pomegranates that Alicia found in Montazels; long thin pasta strips with lemon, served with chick peas and our tomatoes and wild mushrooms; chocolate mousse with pears poached in port.

Dermot and Kate, Margaret, me and Bob, Ryan and Alicia all had a good night. And lest it be thought that I don't help with the cooking may I say that the wild mushrooms had been blanched, sliced and sealed in melted butter by me (last year)

Big James and his fire engine

 

James Rafferty turned 3 today and much cake was eaten - heres Kelly helping him blow out his candles.  Congratulations to Andy and Louise for having the good parenting skills:)

Final farewell

The long goodbye continued last night at St Gobains - where the 15 euro formula menu turned out to be brilliant:)
I had cream of pumpkin soup with chopped chestnuts and parsley, beef stewed in red wine with a decent mix of vedg and a tart tatin involving caramel and vanilla ice cream which may well have been home made.
Red wine was drunk.
 It was a riotous evening, Robin our host joined the table and lively debate ensued, touching on many subects that it is customary in England to avoid - sex, politics and a hint of religion, chiefly.

Margaret and John joined Kat and Leo and Toby and me for a late night drink - not only are Leo and Toby away today but also John.
We start the round of welcome parties today, as Bob gets here:)