When two giants occupy a tiny cottage with eye-catching pink shutters, surrounded by vivacious founts of enchantment, there’s bound to be some enthralling stories behind.
On this digital reflection of our French lives I write about the bewildered wonders that befell us when we chose to embrace a less demanding yet more challenging lifestyle, mainly by downsizing and keeping our choices and their ensued options as rudimentary as possible, swapping various rat-races for an everyday poetry that harks back to our past as much as to an optimistic future.
Were I to be a tree this is where my roots would be
When two giants occupy a tiny cottage with eye-catching pink shutters, surrounded by vivacious founts of enchantment, there’s bound to be some enthralling stories behind.
Bienvenue aux Pierres
As one does when living in the countryside
A more urgent than usual gaze on food
True love really does last forever
When we first met (in the local garden centre)
Powerful And Motivating Aspects Of My Work Ethic
The Impeccable Healing Properties Of Time
Its enlightenment is a useful reminder
There’s Always A Need To Disguise The Non-beauty
Hitting The One Key Just Slightly Harder
I blame puppyhood for all lost time since
A new and untold universe to gladly get lost in again
An isolated, stubby, stunted perspective on what’s out there waiting
A world dominated by magic and unenforceable growth
Spending quality time in a less color clouded reality
Intensified and made pleasurably palpable
A light longing to detain its virtuousness
Stranger Things Have Finally Happened
All that is part of my aesthetic being
Its Taste Will Reiterate Itself
Sowing the seeds of love
To guide into the now what has been long gone
I love even more that all is provided
Definitely the far better storyteller anyway
Making Dignitary Use Of The Seductive Fabrics
To beautify its pale features
Two large trees in the backyard
The qualities I love and lack
At Les Pierres Beauty Will Never Take A Backseat
Their discreet expressions of love
Few pigs get that old
Day one in the palissade
Food hungry hearts
When food is that beautiful and blooms burst with taste
One of the most vitalizing aspects of sharing
Where I need to be to feel at ease
Animatedly envisioned, my heart bleeds
To be someone’s marble plinth
More adept creators and their zeal
Recrudescence of first harvest abundances
To Surprise Unforeseen Guests With
Mint is the first to catch my eye
The Impudent Prospect Of Losing Another One
Our peonies are doing a far better job
The marking of a new era
Enthusiastically engaged in an ongoing skirmish
Know Them Well Enough To Trust Their Forgiveness
The same radiant lust for life
This blossom of all things beautiful, peaches promised
A colorful calmness that speaks wordless
How easy personal boundaries can be lost when targeted
A Playful Pantomime Too Quick For A Camera
Dated practical knowledge on fermentation
Antithesis of disappearing: here we are
Slumbering sentiment of never being able to truly fly
Pure and peerless lust for life itself
Her Journey Into The Unrelenting Fog
A Strong Association With Bohemian Culture
Endowing wings to life, all life encountered
Accustomed To The Salience Of Overthrow
An epitome of value gained
The Expected Triumphant Reference To These Cheerful Days
You edified the straightest way to my heart
Rainbows To Lead Us To The Real Gold
An uninterrupted trust in the bigger forces at work
The Ultimate Celebration Of Our Home As An Artwork
Self-restrained, simple, frugal and austere
Unveiling their secrets to us so eloquently enchanted
It truly pays to not look back in anger
Properly behold our beautiful backdrop
What needs to be on display
Old land like this breathes insurmountable magic
Balancing The Bad With The Good And The Gargantuan
The Tree I Were To Be, Roots Extending
Its Lyrical Chronicler Is Still My Preferred Choice
Never let that dirty game of dreaming fully recapture me
This Blissful Nescience I Need To Cherish
An actual happening thing here
A powerful addition to this emerging euphoria
Gaining this immeasurable wealth of freedom
Inspiration Nor Motivation Fail To Find Me
Manically Maneuvering A Rich Inner World
It lavishly lifts my spirit
The Ironic Connectedness Of Good And Bad
More Private Solution To Our Own Taste And Liking
Like the glove into which evil slips its haggish hand
Last year’s attempt to do better
To try and keep Spring out is doomed to fail
Bearing witness to the bloody miracle
It’s more likely going to be a very slow dismantling
This vibrant enticement is more than welcome
Outspokenness rules, in all the colors of its rainbows
A Sense Of Time Gone By Alongside Their Glimmer
Unconditional surrender to their surroundings
One Of The Biggest Leaps Into The Unknown, Yet Familiar
I know this is the language of fools speaking
With the right amount of educational value added
There’s always something beguiling to build on
Ignorant to what happens in the outer world
The ultimate statement of reassurance and resurrection
When pink symbolizes the abundance it does right now
Cultivated to the max at the same time
All is going to be beautiful again at Les Pierres
This too big of a longing for nature’s budding way
A Profound Magic In Every Seasonal Transition
My personal connection to the abundant beauty lurking here
More than generously exposed to the elements
So Many Angles And Mainstays To Direct You
Melancholia Imposing itself as the new kid on the block
This strange, unknown, timeless territory
What a lovely new option this perambulate was
Hope and new encouragement
One of the most beautiful spots in our p’tit domaine
Obligatory Outburst Of Energy And Joy
The Enchantment Free To Gather
The blanc canvas required for a new summer of delights
Some flaw in the fabric of life
Let’s for now share a cat cave
How much better off we are now
Whether It Was For Mockery Or Reward
Still pretending to be a Renaissance man
Not only numerous but surprisingly easy to find
Dreaming of a simple but connected life
The Universe is trying to tell us something
Life is what happens in between anyway
The Start Of A Carefree Life
Numerating the most urgent construction work
Everything that’s going down in the world
Previously Made Mental Imprints And A Rather Vivid Imagination
They have internalized into new habits
A rich breeding ground for present and future life
A Return To Russia Seems Out Of The Question
Many an impression on how to remember my mama
It might happen any minute now
Enabling the magic to reach beyond our p’tit domaine
An incompatibility with family life
The soft arms of that common heart
Improved into something more sustainable
The best being a foreclosed enemy of the good
Magic is what you create by and for yourself
Paroxysmally preaching to the already converted
For its beauty to behold and bequeath
Simply commemorate this special moment of the annual cycle
Homage to a lust for life
The irrelevance of these splurges of my old pain
If only we lived in the perfect world
A Theatre Piece Sprung From Our Own Imagination
The Merrymaking Of The Christmas-like Revelries
An Intrinsic Inducement To Be Roughly Ridiculed
New pathways to explore and enchantments to devour
There’s just too much to behold in life
A house build on true love
Honor Its Medicinal Values By Naming It Toute Saine
The Newest Member Of The Family
We’re not out of the woods yet
One has to be in awe of their unbreakable chirpiness
Must have endorsement of the old stones
Triggered by the colorful spectacle of these poisonous beauties
It’s the presence of impetuous new life
Daily Reality, With Or Without Its Magic
Being an adorable puppy is clearly not enough
There’s some relief coming to the bigger world
Let it dissipate cheerfully instead by calling it on its value
A brave new world has been on my mind
The way to overcome them is to use your wits
Our new lives would be sculpted out of dreams and fantasies
Intuitively knowing it’s better to try despite all inevitability
Two weeks of lovely new pet-parenthood
It’s never blunting but contrast that comforts me unrivaled
Get accustomed to this stripped down life
Put the horror aside and focus on its beauty instead
It has lost none of its beauty or intensity
Heart for the beauty and magic that surrounds us
An Outstanding Interest In Titillating Restoratives
Benevolent neutrality keeps me safe in the middle
To appreciate being an enduring apprentice
It’s Essence Is A Higher Science To Begin With
One of the dumbest and most dangerous frivolities imaginable
Confirming love is so much more than just a feeling
A value never to be underestimated
First impression of the gents and giants of Les Pierres
When there are more welcoming wonders in the here and now
I welcome this new and already mutual obsession
Having a mother named Love helps gloriously
There’s no other way to secure his stability of character
Instinctively Committing To The Foreverness Of The Purchase
Totally Speechless By So Much Not Unexpected Chaos
Maybe because this snob just isn’t wired that way
All of this is wonderful news to me
No One Could Have Missed This Capital Letter Pink
The coming wintertime dormancy being private and invisible
Logistically Inconvenient But Proven Effective
Helping dogs to better communicate with us humans
This new fabric we can share, regardless of the distance
My formal position in the whole head versus heart debate
If money can buy you similar or superior
What in this wonderful world to write about
Always applauding the efforts of the only one capable
In the eyes, heart and mind of a romantic fanatic
It dawned on me to better start laughing generously
I treasure the beneficent luxury of having my mother close
Because of its romantic derivation and the colorful similarities
True evil can be seductively beautiful
A mighty beautiful savior that is
Ruptured, not unexpected, but entirely badly timed
To prevent prospective Cain and Abel fratricide
Guiding Today’s Research Into Its Idiom
One of the ludicrous fabrications of our time
Being the symbol of truth and justice
Colorful Natural Details That Had Me Absorbed All Summer
An always indisputable truth before but befalling more imperative
Its Importance Lying Far Beyond Shared Joy
I’m not exactly grateful for the time wasted
As an answer just now starting to bloom
The exposed wealth also entails an intrinsic encouragement
Up until now all tolerable to an extend
The Prospect Of Its Cognated Gin Around Christmas Secured
Now would be the exact time of year harvest would start
The World Premiere Of A Gay Marriage Equal Under Law
The game changer it finally turned out to be
It is remarkable how little effort nature needs
Linking work ethics and effort to its monetary value
Bringing forth a gentle duress to focus on the details
Being ignored truly is the worst punishment imaginable
To Find Out Secrets That Nature Kept
Which in essence turned out to be true
The discomfort that our love apparently invoked as well
How To Get Drunk Twice In A Day
A new house, bigger and better than any one before that
A Widespread But Easy To Refute Myth
The devising of new bewildering wonders in seclusion
Previously proven effective way to avoid all fuss
An exercise in how to comfortably get away with murder
The Most Outrageous Illustration Of This Hubris
Having a disciplined focus on our creative work
It Really Wasn’t All Just Blissful Ignorance
How one grows into becoming a giant
Now that I find myself in search of lost time
We are guaranteed not to starve
The stuff that will potentially bring out nightmares
Heavenly but easy pasta sauce
In a house with little privacy and only shared rooms
The spectacular move from quantity to quality
To go on with this quest for love
It’s all reassuring me this is where I should be
Some of the many intertwined themes that create its story
Faking a faint every now and then
Never to be talked about again
An Important Secret Communication System
Stunningly similar to the world of humans
I’m inclined to pray to whatever’s out there
This new dogless world of ours
We Prove To Be More Convincingly Prone Towards Corny Wisdom
In a world that has completely gone mad
All kinds of new creative avenues are opening up
An unexpected but by all means pleasing surprise
The Highly Anticipated Completion Of Social Season
Meeting someone taller for the first time
On a foray for an easy way out of confinement
Becoming even more tragic in the aftermath
This is the miracle of plant miracles
A rare and unexpected experience
The Reality Of Not Being Feline
This deviant love that makes me biased
In awe with the complexity of keeping things simple
Maybe It’s Just Because They Are Peppy Pink
It became famous for its bouncebackability
Knowing How To Construct Drama
If asked we would probably both classify it as beautiful
Hidden In Lightheartedness To Perfectly Mimic The Chitchat
Now is the time the fear kicks in
When something is meant to be, it inevitably will be
World famous for their variety in taste and appearance
Impressing his diner guests with new plant foods
Super easy to make last minute
Magic is the mortar
Secure a smooth integration into our new surroundings
Safe-keeping The Magic Beans Somewhere
Getting the balance right seems more important than ever
Put in the time it takes to perfect their striving
Create Something Beautiful Out Of Anything
Our love for pink and purple
On one’s hasty way to the alluring South
It doesn’t necessarily come down to last minute planning
There Is Something Compelling In The Question Itself
Helping you get the most out of nature’s hard labor
Stress is such a violent uncontrollable killer
The maker puts a solid stamp on the taste
My new friends and their constant need for maintenance
All my love goes into the creation process
A pointless message probably, but beautiful nevertheless
Part Of The Compass With Which I Sailed Through Life
People who need to be on the same page
Because of its attractive appearance
Putting a spectacular spotlight on that single moment
What if I’m at my supreme best now ?
Something Is Magnifying These Insects Unnaturally
Living a fairytale life in a fairytale house
One of the first seeds going into the ground
A Strong Yearning To Reconnect With Her Chronicle
Being A Firm Believer In The Power Of Fermentation
Love them most for their bright and cheerful colors
Practical matters have come to dominate our thoughts
Explore Alternative Choices For The Great Wide Open
Personal desire to focus on the good
Strong Is Good These Days
A proper new room with tons of prospects
Getting Rid Of The Disease
We grabbed on to everything that new life had to offer
Feast Day Of Saint Us
This beautiful catchphrase that spoke to me
If Something Is Putting You Off
Picking them green now that they are still in abundance
Life Turned Pink. Pink Is Beautiful.
It’s okay to splurge every now and then
Having a heart that dwells in activities
An important role in our sustenance
It’s no surprise that the harvest sizes accordingly
It will always be a little different
It’s full of living bacteria and yeasts
We’re hoping that will change
Eternal hunting grounds can never be that far away
It’s been a wonderful experience all along
Equally beautiful with striking white flowers
The gospel of fermented Sauerkraut
Inside the creation process of something beautiful
Protect the heart and keep one happy
A better assessment what went wrong
There’s so much beauty in the world
Last year when it was still tiny
To dry out in the fields under a warming sun
Doesn’t get noticed the rest of the year
Processes that are strong and predictable
This is where my cheeses are born and raised
Slightly sweet, tangy, earthy & salty
Snow Queen: it makes a lovely, soothing tea too
Double win
Cooling down in the windowsill
Temporary new neighbors moved in
First year of Artichoke abundance
It’s bursting with life this time of year
Quiet and pristine in the veggie garden
The important role of traditional food production
A Very Useful Staple Item In Our Kitchen
Thing to do on Saint Johns Day
In awe of Sunset’s golden touch
On this digital reflection of our French lives I write about the bewildered wonders that befell us when we chose to embrace a less demanding yet more challenging lifestyle, mainly by downsizing and keeping our choices and their ensued options as rudimentary as possible, swapping various rat-races for an everyday poetry that harks back to our past as much as to an optimistic future.
Attempting to make our lives sustainable is more than a personal choice and has gradually lead to a multitude of decisions we have never even thought of before.
On this website we share what works for us, or woefully no longer works, obviously without claiming the same for you.
We hope that our journey towards a supplementary comprehensive celebration of nature’s beauty might just clear a pathway forward for you too, perhaps challenges a revealing reconsideration, or simply provides for an equally indispensable diversion.
Can we change the world through food? We believe we can and we support Slow Food, a global movement of local communities and activists across more than 160 countries. Together we defend cultural and biological diversity, promote food education and the transfer of traditional knowledge and skills.
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