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Friday, May 31, 2013

Flophouse Friday

I am so tired.  The trip to Brussels took a lot out of me.  Yesterday Godin stopped by and had a look at our chimney and said "no problem" so we signed the devis and wrote him a check.  Installation is scheduled for mid-July.

Here in Versailles the weather continues to be terrible.  It's still raining.  The upside is that the garden, especially the reseeded lawn, is lush and green.

Going through my photos, I found one from last year that shows what the garden looked like when we moved in.  I didn't remember it being that bad but it was.

So for Friday's post I offer you before and after pictures of our very own Versailles garden.  Then I am going to wrap a quilt around me and read bodice rippers until I absolutely have to go out later in the day.




And for a bonus (while I still have you), here is a picture of me and my red hair from the Brussels trip:




14 comments:

Christophe said...

Thanks again for going on this trip and what you're doing for this cause.
Take care, get some rest, and enjoy your beautiful garden.

I looked online for the Godin that my parents had, but couldn't find a picture of it. It is an older model, small and more on the rectangular side.

Shirl and Rowan said...

Hey, Victoria! We have been so busy I have not had a chance to visit your blog for a while. And the day I came back, what beautiful pictures! Love love love your red hair. And glad you took a trip to Brussels. Traveling can be tiring. Oh, how we know... We are about to close on our new house in Westhampton, Massachusetts on June 6. That has been tiring, too. And I thought the comparison in your garden looks would be something. It is amazing what you have done. Beautiful. Rest yourself now. The fruits of your labor are manifest.
Love
Shirl and Rowan

Ellen Lebelle said...

I hope everyone notices how nice the weather was in Brussels. Lunch outside on the terrace -- like it's supposed to be in Spring!

Christophe said...

Did you bring back those yummy Belgian chocolates?

Rosy the Riveter said...

Lovely... and the picture is great. Love that red hair; Thanks again for going to Brussels for us. NOw how about if we made you our official anti-FATCA delegate....?

Marie said...

Loving the red hair - very sassy ;-) Hope weather picks up - I am off to Paris next week for the Doctors 2.0 conference!

Anonymous said...

I know that picture!!!

Such an oven will raise the temp in your house by 5-10 deg C.

Somebody's gotta start choppin' now, if the wood is gonna be dry by winter.

Mark

Victoria FERAUGE said...

@Christophe, Don't know that one but if you stop by my house I can show you their latest catalog. :-) Would you believe that I completely forgot the chocolates?

@Shirl and Rowan, Good luck with the house. I'll be thinking fo you on June 6.

@Ellen, And the weather finally made it here. Sunny and warm today in Versailles.

@Rosy, It was a blast and I was so sorry you couldn't make it.

@Marie, If you like we could have a cup of coffee or dinner while you are in town. If you have the time just send me and email at v_ferauge@yahoo.com.

@Mark, :-)

Watcher said...

What with tripping off to Brussels, recovering your garden, and an outstanding blog, somehow you accomplish more when tired than I do on one of my more productive days! Thank you for being a first-rate communicator in what mostly feels like an uphill struggle by a small and lonely club.

The garden looks brilliant. I faced the same sort of project a few years ago, so know how much work it can be. Keeping the "before" pictures definitely helps with a sense of achievement!

bubblebustin said...

The ground was finally warm enough to plan beans today, green and yellow. Nice renovation on your garden, Victoria.
I am really looking forward to meeting you when you visit the PacNW this summer.
Keep well and thanks you for being our eyes and ears in Brussels.

Tim said...

I can't remember from earlier but did you have to do a lot of remediation to the soil in the garden?

Victoria FERAUGE said...

@Watcher, Even I was surprised at how much better it is now compared to last fall. I think being sick actually made me more productive. I pace myself and, wow, so much gets done if I take it in small chunks.

Yes, we are a small and lonely club but what I am very grateful for is that, out of all this mess, we are forming a community. We help each other. Everyone does what they can according to whatever talents he or she has to offer. I'm so proud to be a part of it and to know people like you and blaze and Marvin and Tim.

@Bubblebustin, Oh I'm so looking forward to meeting you. I will be in town when you're there in August so the party is on! I'll email you and we'll work out the details.

@Tim, Not so much. A few bags of compost and decent dirt. Now I have a compost pile so I won't have to buy it. I'm also doing a lot of mulching and that's made a huge difference. My goal is to get the soil good enough so that watering is minimal and no fertlilizer (other than manure) is necessary.

Christophe said...

> @Christophe, Don't know that one but if you stop by my house I can show you their latest catalog.

I'd be happy to meet next year. We're going to France this summer to visit with my parents in the south of France, but won't be stopping by Paris. Next strip should be sometime in 2014, likely spring break, as during the summer, airline tickets are crazy expensive. And you can meet my Frenchlings. Actually, I need a new term. They're more American than French :-)

Victoria FERAUGE said...

@Christophe, How about Framkins? Or "mes petits 'Ricains"?

When my Frenchlings were small I used to look at them and think how very French they were. There is a post there because it was very destabilizing. Now that they are older, they are finding their own balance. More interested in exploring the American side. I have a Mexican friend who had the same experience. When her girls were growing up in France they had no interest in Mexico or in speaking Spanish. That too changed and when they visit her in Mexico, they are eager to meet the relatives, speak Spanish and discover their other country.