La Vie En France

La Vie En France ChRISTMAS GIFTS

by Sue Burgess

It is tradition to offer « offrir » a Christmas present « cadeau de Noël ». In France the tradition is to give the presents on the evening of the 24 December and to open them « ouvrir les cadeaux » after midnight. Children often have to wait until Christmas morning «le matin de Noël » by which time Father Christmas « Le père Noël » will have called. Christmas presents « cadeaux de Noël » are generally wrapped « enveloppés » in wrapping paper / gift wrap « papier cadeau » which is brightly coloured « brillant » or « de couleur vive », sometimes surrounded by a ribbon « ruban » or « bolduc ».

In France on Christmas Eve « la veille de Noël », the children place a slipper « un soulier » or a pair of slippers under the Christmas tree « le sapin ». Before the appearance of the consumer society « la société de consommation » the gift was often something to eat (apple « une pomme » orange « une orange » or sugar candy « une cane en sucre »). In Catholic families the presents were brought by the baby Jesus. But since the 20th century adoption of the American custom, the presents are delivered by Father Christmas «le père Noël». Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, that shouldn't stop you joining in the fun and enjoying yourself. Christmas is very much a family affair in France « une affaire de famille », with the emphasis on the family getting together to celebrate with large meals rather than on giving presents. The French prefer to say that a present was offered « offrir» rather than bought « acheter» So it’’s better to say « mon ami m’a offert un cadeau» rather than « mon ami m’a acheté un cadeau».

New year gifts are called « étrennes» and were generally gifts of money such as money given to service providers (for example refuse collectors « les éboueurs»).

Here is a little Christmas vocabulary quiz. Match the French on the left with the English on the right. Vocabulary / Vocabulaire

Noël Christmas carols Les chants de Noël Christmas decorations Les décorations de Noël Boxing Day Le gui Christmas Offrir des cadeaux Gift wrap Le lendemain de Noël To give presents Les fêtes mistletoe Le papier cadeau The holiday season / the festivities

La Veille de Noël Une guirlande A garland / streamer / tinsel Christmas Eve

And if you don't like studying vocabulary, there is always a good Christmas film.

« Home Alone » (Maman, j'ai raté l'avion) « A Christmas Carol » (Le Drôle de Noël de Scrooge) « Miracle on 34th Street » (Miracle sur la 34e rue) « The Santa Clause » (Super Noël) « The Grinch Who Stole Christmas » (Comment le Grinch a volé Noël !) « A Charlie Brown Christmas » (Un Noël à la Charlie Brown)

JOYEUX NOËL À TOUS

YOU COULD ADVERTISE HERE

EMAIL US AT INFO@THEDEUXSEVRESMONTHLY.FR

ALPACAS

by Sophie Hargreaves

Hi. We are Will and Sophie Hargreaves, a former account manager in wine and spirits and former housing manager. In early 2020 we had fallen in love with alpacas, and the idea of starting an alpaca farm, after visiting a small farm that had opened in our, then, home of Cuxton, Rochester. We just knew this was something we wanted to do.

A combination of our growing love of these animals, a covid-induced redundancy for Will and the looming deadline of Brexit, brought us to the decision that we would leave the busy corporate life in Kent and move to something much more wholesome and exciting in the department of Deux-Sèvres. We decided to start an alpaca farm in the tranquil village of Sanzay.

After training on two different farms in alpaca husbandry and handling and regular visits to two others to learn as much as we could, we took the plunge and, in December 2020, we moved our home, our alpacas and our lives to Sanzay (Argenton-Les-Vallées). So why alpacas and why in France? Alpacas are often used as therapy animals and we felt so peaceful when we were with them. We knew this was what we had to do and still find it so rewarding seeing the animals having a calming influence on our visitors. As for France, we have always loved the lifestyle and culture of France and had dreamed of one day moving here. Having opened our doors on 28th May 2021, after France opened up following covid restrictions, we were so lucky and happy to receive lots of visitors over the summer. Aside from the alpacas, the best part of the job was meeting new groups of people; both local and holiday makers. Most of our visitors were French tourists, which shows just how great this country is that so many choose staycations. It’s very inspiring and we look forward to discovering every corner of the country. After a lot of hard work, the farm was able to open up its first accommodation, in the form of a glamping tent, during the summer. Again, this gave us an opportunity to jump into French culture, and we were blown away by the number of guests who invited us to join them for a drink in the evenings. It would have been too rude to refuse! We love meeting so many new people and learning about their lives and why they’ve chosen this beautiful area for their vacance.

We are very focused on being as eco-friendly as we can, with as little waste on the farm as possible. We use everything that the alpacas have to offer us, including their enriched poo, which is very popular with the locals! Creating both fresh fertiliser and compost tea, nothing is wasted. Everything is used including the fleeces offered by the animals after the essential annual shearing, which Sophie is currently transforming into luxury wool (it’s hypoallergenic and non-itchy). We have eight alpacas on our farm, all with their own individual charming personalities. All our visitors seem to find their own favourite; Astrid with her curious nature, Holly’s attention seeking, Blaze’s greediness for treats, Rohini’s elegance, Ringo’s cuteness, Blossom’s friendliness, Pepper’s shyness and Clove’s beauty. Learning on the job this year, it’s been a real eye-opener, tough yet rewarding. To have the animals trust us to give them routine injections, clipping their toenails and weekly health checks has been incredibly humbling.

We are very happy to have made this choice and look forward to our second year ahead and welcoming more fabulous visitors to the farm, starting with our Christmas markets and events.

www.lapetitefermedalpagas.com

@lapetitefermedalpagas for social media.

Velo4Violet : December

by Lisa Jones

It is difficult to believe that winter will soon be here! As the weather gets colder and the nights draw in, it is a lovely to take some time to reflect on the last year and the challenges we have overcome. Association Violet is run by a small, but dedicated group of volunteers, with the joint mission of transforming the lives of the children and families we work with, through community engagement, involvement and fundraising. All the money we raise is gifted, as grants, to children and their families, who suffer from epilepsy, dystonia or cerebral palsy. This year has seen a lot of change for us as an Association and we are so very grateful for the unstinting support which means we are able to continue our work of raising funds for all of those children and families that need our support as well as building partnerships with other charities and organisations who share our mission and goals.

Velo4Violet Update

The Velo4Violet challenge during the month of November was full of ups and downs for many of those that took part in this cycling based fundraiser. The weather played its part well by adding an extra challenge to many of those that took part. Freezing temperatures at night provided some difficult cycling conditions, especially for morning rides. However, everyone pulled out all the stops and whilst we are still awaiting final numbers in terms of the distance travelled and money raised, we are so proud of everyone for their efforts in striving towards their own personal goals. We have been overwhelmed by your generosity of donated bikes as well as many bike parts and spares. Over the coming months these donations will be put up for sale and all the money raised will go directly to those children who need it.

Christmas Decoration Donations

We would like to say a massive thank you to all of you that answered the call and donated your old artificial Christmas trees and decorations. Many of these items have undergone a complete transformation and given a new lease of life by the team at Naturel Crafts and all the proceeds from the sale of these upcycled items will go towards supporting the Association with the delivery of its mission.

Our team and Supporters

We are run purely by volunteers who will always go over and above the support Association Violet. Without you, we simply could not do what we do. The committee continue to strive to support organised events and activities that support our fundraising objectives and thank you for all your hard work and efforts. However, it is our supporters that really make the difference. By attending an event, buying a raffle ticket or simply putting a euro in the pot makes all the difference. If you are interesting in hosting an event or having an idea for a fundraiser, for 2022, please get in touch as we would love to hear from you. To to find out more about us, check out our website www. associationviolet.com or follow us on Facebook, in the meantime we would like to wish you all a very warm and happy Christmas.

CHRISTMAS WREATHS

One of the nicest ways to decorate your house and to welcome Christmas visitors is to hang a Christmas wreath but do you know the history and tradition behind them? Wreaths have been around since ancient Greek and Roman times, usually as a sign of victory and power and were used to crown those with significant achievements or rank. The tradition of bringing evergreen trees into your home at Christmas time is believed to have started in 16th century Germany. These firs set the stage for wreaths to become an established part of Christmas thanks to the care taken to perfect the shape of each tree. Spare or ugly branches and spurs were trimmed to achieve the perfect shape. At that time the belief was that nothing should be wasted so wreaths were created from the excess limbs and boughs. In 1839, a Lutheran priest used a wreath made from a cartwheel to educate children about the meaning and purpose of Christmas, as well as to help them count its approach, thus giving rise to the modern version of the Advent wreath. For every Sunday of Advent, starting with the fourth Sunday before Christmas, he would put a white candle in the wreath and for every day in between he would use a red candle.

by Lynne Wigmore

Over time, various branches of Christianity adopted the advent wreath the majority of which now have four candles with one white candle, the Christ Candle, in the centre. The traditional idea of a Christmas wreath became a popular Christmas decoration by the 1900s and are now commonly found on doors (without candles). Modern, commercially made, wreaths tend to include seasonal colours (red, green, white or purple),are made with living or articifial vegetation and adorned with ribbons. For religious wreath hangers, holly and cranberries are essential to the design, the former's sharp leaves represent Christ's thorny crown often depicted during his execution, and the latter is a symbol of his blood. Christians also believed that a wreath's positioning on a door or window was especially important, seeing it as a kind of invitation of sorts for the holy spirit to enter their homes, and the evergreens used symbolize eternal life as they survive even the harshest of winters. For many, wreaths are simply a decoration to invite some holiday cheer but whether you choose to hang a wreath for religious reasons or for décor, hopefully knowing the history behind the custom makes it all the more interesting.

Life in 79

by Stephen Shaw

Anniversaries, Animals and Near-Death Experiences

This month we celebrated our six year anniversary of living in France. Was it only six years ago I crashed the hired van into the gatepost on our arrival? Ahhhh! Happy memories. Six years when we thought we had a giant rat problem coming face to face with our first ragondin? Happy memories.

My diary entry from six years ago reads:

'...Eventually get back to the house from the notaires. All the lights went out; plunged into complete darkness... then can't get out of the front door, try to stay calm, but ******* ourselves! Eventually find matches, then fuse box and switch back on. Locate candle and a dicky torch in case outage reoccurs (which it does, repeatedly). I erect bed and Anna makes meatballs and pasta – both feel shattered and a bit nauseous. The reality of the state of the house hits us and with that a huge hornet flies into our bedroom.'

Happy memories.

Not the only anniversary this month. We have had our four chickens for a year. Three eggs a day (on average) times 365 equals 1,095 eggs in the year...that's a lot of quiche! Chickens are fantastic and have moved into my top five of favourite animals, behind the Aye-aye in fourth place. They are like machines the way they scrape and peck all day. Non-stop. Then up the wooden ramp to bed as soon as the light fades. And you don't hear so much as a cluck from them until the morning. Eat, sleep, push out egg, repeat.

Two years ago, while digging in the potager, I saw a ferrel cat gnawing on a rotten courgette atop the compost heap. That little fella, who now answers to Fabergé, can be found most nights sharing our bed. I sometimes wake thinking I'm having an asthma attack only to find the cat is sleeping on my chest. I never stroke him and yet he will always sit on my lap, much to Anna, my wife's, annoyance. She can't leave the thing alone...cuddling, nuzzling, kissing... which the cat will tolerate up to a point before trying to rip her face off. Like the chickens, he is a constant source of pleasure to us and has filled the gap left by our lovely Labrador Lucy RIP.

Anna woke a few weeks ago to find the white of one of her eyes had turned red. I thought she looked quite good, like the James Bond villain Le Chiffre, but this didn't give her the expected boost I thought it would. A friend suggested it might be her blood pressure and lent her his machine. Every twenty minutes a hiss could be heard somewhere in the house, as the machine released its inflated grip on her upper arm and Anna would be heard shouting One hundred and eighty seven!. Although hers was high, what really annoyed her was that my blood pressure was excellent.

After a trip to the doctor she now takes a daily pill to stop her exploding.

I too had a brush with death this month. Anna had purchased some sweet chestnuts, which she had wrapped in foil and bunged in the log burner for twenty minutes. She then extracted the molten parcel from the fiery furnace and offered me a nut holding them about six inches away from my face. It was at that exact moment there was a flash, accompanied by a loud bang, and I was pebble dashed with nut fragments. I looked like a Ferrero Rocher. I dropped my wine, and found my tinnitus was even worse than usual. I had a sharp pain in my finger which took the brunt of the explosion. I am still awaiting a bout of Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Anna apologised and showed limited levels of concern. She seemed genuine enough, but I have my suspicions she was trying to 'up' my blood pressure numbers.

Magnolia Farm Renovations Season's Heatings

by Owen Kitchener-McCartney

In the three years we’ve owned Magnolia Farm, we’ve spent the Christmas period here twice. Unfortunately, on both occasions, we were in a freezing cold caravan, chasing sprouts around the dinner plate with Jack Frost nipping at our noses.

This year, to save me from tears…I’m rather hoping that, instead, my chestnuts will be roasting on an open fire. Avid readers (let’s hope there are some) of my ramblings in the DSM will remember an article that I wrote a few months ago about the installation of our log burner. Whilst it is indeed, in and raring to go, we’ve still been confined to our temporary kitchen in the summer house while we complete the flooring works.

Now though, with the help of Tim the electrician, we have installed that most modern of luxuries… underfloor heating. We went for the electric matting approach which is actually a relatively simple process. After covering the area with 20mm insulation, we rolled out the self-adhesive matting onto the areas that need heating and then covered the cables with flexible tile adhesive ready for the final floor covering which, in our case was some lovely, dark terracotta tiles. There’s still work to do to get the temporary kitchen up and running before the winter weather sets in but at least we’ll be able to enjoy a cosy Christmas here on the farm. We’re not asking for much. Not being able to see our breath at the dinner table, for example, would be a treat. Maybe using some cutlery that isn’t too cold to hold would be nice. To be honest, I’d settle for only having to wear one pair of socks! Winters here on the farm have been hard work so far. This year though, will be different…apart from the sprouts obviously. Season’s heatings to all DSM readers. Fa la la la la etc.

TAKE A BREAK - SOLUTIONS - PAGES 14-16

Easy Crossword:

S E N S O R # A S S E S S # N # E # # S # # P # C # I T A L Y # U P R I G H T # I # F # # P # # K # O # D R E A M # E M P E R O R # E # S # # R # # M # L # # # P S Y C H O S I S # # # F # U # # E # # L # C # H O A R D E R # C L E A N # U # A # # O # # I # S # G R E N A D E # A G A I N # T # C # # S # # A # N # C H E E S E # B U N I O N

Sudoku:

5 7 2 1 4 8 9 6 3 8 6 3 9 7 2 1 4 5 1 9 4 6 5 3 2 7 8 4 3 1 2 9 5 6 8 7 6 5 9 3 8 7 4 1 2 7 2 8 4 1 6 5 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 1 3 9 4 3 4 6 8 2 9 7 5 1 9 1 7 5 3 4 8 2 6

Word Search:

Toughie Crossword

("Santa Claus Is Coming To Town")

# O # W # # # N # S # A # N # T U R E E N # I N A N D O U T # T # A # O # P # T # Z # D # O B I T # W A S H A T E R I A # R # H # T # # # N # # # S # T A K E T H E B I S C U I T # # V # R # A # O # D # N # # # G E R M # T U T T I # T WO C # # # A # I # H # S # I # P # # T O P A S S A S C A L P E L # H # # # M # # # I # W # N # N E V E R A S L I P # E L L A # I # C # G # E # L # S # I # I S T H M I A N # E N K I D U # M # O # C # S # # # I # S #

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

1. Father Christmas flying past the window. 2. Extra garland above large window. 3. Star removed from tree. 4. Extra black cat sat near presents. 5. Extra present near the rocking horse. 6. Extra Santa on the table. 7. Leg missing from the armchair. 8. Flowers on shelf have changed. 9. Bauble added to wreath over fire. 10. Stocking now hangs on fireplace.

CONNECT FOUR :

Q1. Bands so nice, they named themselves twice (e.g. Duran Duran) Q2. Tom Hanks films with one word title. Q3. They are all palindromes. Q4. Can all be followed by the word box.