Last week of summer holidays

0
1982
sunflowers in summer
Sunflowers are finished and so is Summer
sunflowers in summer
Sunflowers are finished and so is Summer

Last days of summer break, holy smokes did that go by fast! We had thunderstorms that shook the window frames, we had heat over 40 degrees that seemed would never let up. Somedays, I couldn’t sleep from the heat, and other days, it felt like the whole day I was sleepwalking. We had a variety of students this year, but the majority were 12-year-old girls. I cannot say how many times I have sung the song, ‘Let It Go’ from the movie Frozen.

We had lots of visitors this year too. First my step-sister Nicole and my nephew Nathan, age two, came for 5 days of fun. Then Connor, Pamela and Arpi from the US/Hungary came for just under a week. Last, Sherrin, Neil, Shane and Holly from back home in South Surrey stayed in our village for two weeks. We are expecting cousins from Hungary to visit as well, Peter, Zdenka and Sofie from Bakonysárkány this coming month for about 1-2 weeks.  I love it when family and friends come to visit, it really gives me great pleasure to host and share our French life with them!

We have three days left together without guests or students, and honestly I plan to sleep a whole lot and not wake up at the crack of dawn and fall asleep late into the night. I also plan on spending time with the children, just hanging around, bumming around and cleaning my house and garden.

This fall I plan to do some smaller renovations around the house; green paint stripping from the stairwell, door jambs and door frames and ripping down old wallpaper from the upstairs  down to the main floor entrance way. We reapply for a renovation loan to get the shutters, windows, attic installation and front door changed out is up for a possible review in September as well. The loan is 0% for 10 years, but the best part is that I get a clear glass modern front door that lets in the light. I cannot tell you how happy this will make me. I plan to buy a French door to the entrance of my kitchen to complete the idea of the light flowing straight through our house.

It is raining outside. The ground is wet. It’s misting rather than raining, and the water hangs in the air. 28 degrees and the humidity sticks to the skin. It smells like Vancouver on a summer day just after a shower. I can smell the earth just outside my window and hear the leaves rustle in the soft breeze.

Today was my last full day of work for the next 6 weeks. My French has improved and my fears of leaving the house subsides. I enjoy a moment of pause between work and regular life when Angelina and Daniel return to their school routines. I have three full days with my kids with no interruptions for lessons or to cook on demand. It is just us in our little house with orange shutters in southern France.

I have chicken soup on the stove, and Daniel and I will blast up to the market for some vegetables for it. Family time starts now.

Reflecting on our summer, we were definitely down from last year’s excellent bookings. I feel a little disappointed that I worked so much and made the same, but at least I am working.

Alfonz’s touring season is just beginning and we are turning away bookings this week to give ourselves a little break together. Tonight we are going to the beach for a dinner of mussels and fries. Alfonz graciously cleaned the floors throughout the house while I finished cleaning the rooms. With everything in order, life seems good. But there is always something burning on the horizon for us, and we are starting a little project that may just take us in a new direction. For now it is a secret project, but I will be sharing before Christmas. Wish us luck!


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