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

 

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

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

Note Card Party

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

 

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

Mosaic Monday
and Diane for
Beautiful Sunday

Why don't you join us?

 

Take care and be kind to each other

  Merci à bientôt

 

Shane x