Monday, May 26, 2014

Happy

The Kitchen Cabinet Reveal - Delayed -

Last Monday was a very good day. The kitchen cabinets were done, except for the glass cabinet. I found something I thought I had lost and I was pretty upset about it. And I treated myself to a brand new girly drill/driver that I got at a discount price thanks to points earned mostly on cat food.

Lundi dernier était une bonne journée. Les éléments de la cuisine étaient posés (sauf le meuble vitré - toujours en attente). J'avais retrouvé un bracelet que je croyais perdu, ce qui m'embêtait beaucoup. Et je venais de m'offrir une nouvelle perceuse-visseuse spéciale fille (assez légère) grâce à une réduction obtenue en collectant des points au supermarché.


Then, as I was just back home, I heard thunder. Really? In Brittany, in May? Even if I thought it would be nothing, as I'm always afraid of storm, I called the cats in, went upstairs to close the roof windows, unplugged the TV and as I was half way between the TV and the computer to unplug it (don't imagine a marathon here, they are about three steps away), there was a bang so loud that I screamed at the top of my lungs and that the cat had their eyes popping out as if they were twice as big as usual.


Quelques minutes seulement après mon retour à la maison ce soir-là, j'ai entendu un roulement de tonnerre. Sérieusement? En mai? En Bretagne? Je me suis dit que ce ne serait rien, mais comme j'ai toujours peur des orages, j'ai rappelé les chats, j'ai fermé les velux, j'ai débranché la télé et alors que j'étais à mi-chemin (trois pas) entre la télé et l'ordinateur, bang! Un énorme fracas m'a fait hurler de peur et a fait sortir les yeux des chats de leurs orbites.


Then the Cottage was filled with silence and the strong smell of burnt plastic... Long story short, the Internet modem (I think that's the right word), the computer and the boiler died of a violent death. Fortunately, I had had the electric panel redone two years ago so that stopped the disease from spreading... Some of my neighbours lost many of their appliances like dishwasher, washing-machine, tv, fridge...


Puis, le silence a envahi le Cottage, accompagné d'une charmante odeur de plastique brûlé. La foudre était tombée dans la rue. La box Internet, l'ordinateur et la chaudière en ont fait les frais... Et encore, j'ai la chance d'avoir remis aux normes le tableau électrique il y a deux ans: il a bien disjoncté et protégé le reste de mes appareils. Certains voisins ont eu plus de dégâts.


The boiler got fixed, but it cost me an arm! I'm expecting the computer guy to ask me for a leg!

La chaudière a été réparée, mais cela m'a coûté la peau de cet endroit que vous imaginez bien et je m'attends à ce que la réparation de l'ordinateur me coûte cette fois les yeux de la tête!


I'm working on my old laptop, but loading each picture takes forever - like you can cook dinner while one is loading - and marking them is a nightmare that is testing my legendary patience!

J'ai repris mon vieil ordinateur, mais il est très très lent... Je lance le chargement d'une photo et j'ai le temps de faire mon gratin au brocoli dans mon nouveau four pendant ce temps!


I spent my week calling the insurance company, the plumber, running to the Internet store and the computer customer service. In between I tried to redo my lessons that were on my computer, unsaved of course and unprinted of course!

J'ai passé la semaine à appeler les réparateurs et l'assurance et à refaire tous mes cours perdus puisque je ne sauvegarde bêtement que quand mon chapitre est fini!


Following Marcia's advice from Mesa Mia, I thought I needed a little treat and time for myself on Sunday. After waking up early to go to two empty-your-attic sales, I stopped at the "pâtisserie" in my village and bought myself a little dessert...

Une amie blogueuse, Marcia, nous a conseillé de nous accorder un peu de temps pour nous ce weekend. Je me suis dit qu'il serait bon que j'obéisse... Le thème imposé était "rose" et je me suis arrêtée à la pâtisserie de mon village à mon retour de vide-grenier pour m'offrir une douceur.


If you're wondering if  the title is irony, it's not. The cats and I are well, the storms that day and the following day were so violent that some people died. I'm truly happy I only have little material things to take care of.


J'ai dégusté tout cela sur la terrasse, accompagné d'une bonne infusion de menthe bergamote de mon jardin et de la chanson "Happy"... Et non, ce n'est pas de l'humour : je suis sincèrement heureuse que les chats et moi n'avons eu que des dégâts matériels.

Weirdly enough this song was playing on BBC2 while I was driving back home... I have been slightly obsessed with it since Donna wrote she danced in her kitchen to it... And I may have listened to it all afternoon and sung along... Will you join me?



I'm working on a post explaining what choices I made in the kitchen lay out.... I just need time to mark and load the pictures!


Now, have a bite and see you soon!

A bientôt,





PS1: I'm not making this stuff up... But somebody above is obvioulsy afraid I might run out of things to write!

PS1: Je n'invente rien, mais je commence à croire que quelqu'un s'inquiète que je sois en panne sèche d'inspiration et m'envoie des petites aventures!

PS2: I just realized that apart from the table runner and the cake, everything on the table was found on empty-your-attic sales (on second thought, flowers were found in my garden, so was the mint I used for tea).

PS2: Je me suis aperçue qu'à part le gâteau et le chemin de table, tout sur la table vient de vide-greniers... Euh, finalement, les fleurs viennent de mon jardin!

PS3: I think I need an intervention about those English coasters like the rose one you can see on the pictures... I have more than fifty of them and I found six more on Sunday!

PS4: I'm happy to link to the following parties.

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.fr/               Tea In The Garden            Lavender Garden Cottage          

How Sweet the Sound                       

51 comments:

  1. I do hope your insurance is covering the damage. Storms are so frightening and come s quickly.

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  2. I am glad that you and your cats are okay. Must have been some storm. Those are so scary. Hope the insurance does cover your expenses. At least you have a good attitude about it. Stay safe.

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  3. Oh my Magali! Seems like you have so many stumbling blocks lately, but like you said, at least you are still alive and well! I do hope your repairs don't cost another arm and leg.....those unexpected expenses are no fun. Hope everything is back to normal soon.

    Blessings, Vicky

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  4. I am very happy to conclude that you must have a very vigilant guardian angel...!! And I agree that you have a positive attitude about it: you suffered some discomfort, but all in all, you and your cats are safe. I like people who can be grateful for whatever good comes their way. By the way, your garden and table setting look gorgeous!! Marcy

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    1. I'm well aware my garden is not as pretty as it could be if I had more time for it... But this year is obviously mainly about the kitchen. And I enjoy being in my very messy garden! Thank you for spending some time there with me!

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  5. I love to sit and watch medium-sizes storms, but those that blow up suddenly and violently scare the devil out of me. So glad you, the cottage and the kitties are safe now. Your treat and the table look quite delicious. Good luck with the computer woes.

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  6. Oh you got me dancing again.... Happy to see you are inspired by that song as well. Don't you just love how the minute you are on a roll completing lovely renovations that you can visually enjoy and then BOOM.... along comes a reno that is anything but pretty! Geez...what is that all about??
    Hey magali, I am having blog problems, can you tell me if I am showing up as a No-reply blogger? Thank you.

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  7. That must have been a bad storm. So sorry things got fried. I got tickled about being able to cook dinner while things loaded on the slow computer. Hope things are running smoothly soon for you.

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  8. Wow, I hate storms that get so violent - a few years ago I was without power for a week because there was so much damage from a wind storm. Thankfully it was summertime, my neighbour had a generator to keep our fridges going and I had a bbq to fall back on for cooking. Many things to count as blessings...

    ps I want your dessert.

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  9. I am so sorry for your lightening strike. We had it strike a tree, run underground and fry our fuse box. A neighbor had their appliances fried but ours were ok. Weird stuff. I am so glad you and the cats were safe! Lovely pictures and yummy dessert!

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  10. I'm glad you are okay, and I'm sorry about the loss of your computer and boiler. Your tea, garden, and dessert look lovely. xoxo

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  11. Oh, I'm so sorry... but I really love your rose theme, especially your cup and framed picture. I hope everytjong will be better soon.

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    1. The framed picture is a copy of a Redouté drawing that I had found that Sunday morning in an empty-your-attic sales.

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  12. Dear Magali,
    those things happen, but perhaps they could happen to someone else for a bit of a change? To me perhaps, thinking of that: we have no water anymore in the Old Cottage...
    I hope the insurance will do its duty and you will keep your arm and get back your leg. And a working computer, get those lessons done and enjoy life in your beautiful garden! I love your table setting, the whole atmosphere and I hope you are most happy sitting there...Your garden is so nice, and the roses are so lovely...
    Yours Sarah

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  13. pas drôle !!! et même plutôt terrifiant, la foudre, surtout si près !! c'est effectivement une chance qu'il n'y ait que des débats matériels
    bon courage pour les démarches.... et vive les sauvegardes !! mon téléphone est en panne de batterie depuis 3 jours, et c'est TERRRRRRRIBLE !!! lil

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    1. Je crois honnêtement que je vais penser à tout sauvegarder pendant quelques temps... puis je vais oublier comme d'habitude jusqu'au prochain incident ;)

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  14. I'm glad you came through the storm with minimal damage! And my hubby has been playing that song over and over again! It's quite catchy. :) You have more patience than I would with that dessert. I would have eaten it in 3 bites and forgotten to take pictures...

    -andi

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  15. We're familiar with lightning strikes here. Every time there's a storm, we unplug everything. Glad you're safe. And what on earth is that amazing dessert?? I want a piece!

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  16. I am actually the crazy one and head outside to watch the lightning. It amazes me how powerful and beautiful mother nature can be! (probably not when it strikes me one day) I am so sorry to hear of all your bad luck, but like how you were able to look past it all and take such beautiful pictures. I am thinking I need to be sitting there with you eating that dessert! P.S.... I am hoping you are able to keep your leg!

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  17. I am glad that you and the cats are safe and that the damage was mitigated. Is it common for people to lose appliances like that in storms in France? I have never heard of that happening here in the States, and I wonder why that is. I have never unplugged anything before or during a storm.

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  18. J'aurais été étonnée qu'avec l'orage il ne t'arrive rien.
    Serais tu la petite soeur de Pierre Richard ??? Ça me fait sourire, vraiment on pourrait faire un film de tes aventures. Ne change rien, t'es aventures sont plutôt distrayante, j'adore.
    Bisous bisous. Babette

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  19. Oh God I am so scared of thunderstorms that this blogpost reminded me of my fears again! Thank God you are safe!AriadnefromGreece!

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  20. Oh goodness, that's all you need isn't it, extra expense. We had a similar experience a few weeks ago, when a clap of thunder took out the phone, internet and therefore the credit card machine at work, but luckily everything in my house was ok.
    You definitely deserve that delicious looking dessert and I'm happy that you're able to smile through all your misfortune.

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  21. The storm headed our way too! Not just one flash of lightening at a time, there were about 10 every few seconds. I was driving at the time and was blinded by the strong light and the heavy rain. Never been so scared of a storm so much in my life! I hope everything can be fixed soon. Take care xx

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  22. PURE JOY! CAN YOU IMAGINE?! JUST LIKE SPRING LAMBS JUMPING FOR JOY....

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  23. I am referring to the music video...

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  24. Magali, you had quite a scare with that weather you had! Sorry about your computer issues but you have a wonderful attitude about it all. It can always be worse, that's for sure. Your tea table looks lovely and your floral arrangement is so gorgeous! That is a pretty teacup and the dessert looks delish! I invite you to link up to Tea Time if you wish. Would love to have you. Have a beautiful day and I hope you get all your issues attended to without it being too costly. Take care.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  25. Hi Magali: I hadn't seen your posts in my email inbox for several weeks, but you are back so yay! I am glad that you and the cats are okay, but sorry to hear about the computer problems. I hope they are fixed quickly. Glad to hear that the kitchen cabinets are coming along--you are making good progress--that is a good feeling! And I love the beautiful rosy table you set for your delicious-looking dessert--just beautiful. I have been out in the garden a lot lately, planting and weeding mostly, and trying to get done by today as play rehearsals begin tonight and I'll be busy again. I won't get all the way done today, but I'm further along than I ever have been for this time of year, so I count that as progress :) I hope to write a garden post soon, just having a hard time finding the time to do it--I've got lots of pictures to go through and share.

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  26. My goodness, such a violent storm! Good to hear you are ok, and faired better then some, sadly, did not. Hope the week goes well for you. Patty/NS

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  27. Oh my, what a violent storm. I usually like a little storm but when all that damage and loss of life happens. NOT GOOD. I hope you get this all settled soon. I understand about those coasters. I have too many too. AND the matching place mats as well.

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  28. Ugh! When it rains it pours! I can totally relate to the slowness of your computer. I was having issues too, but we called verizon and they came over and fixed things. I was about to kill myself out of frustration!

    I'm so sorry you've been going through all these things, but I'm glad you found whatever it was you thought you lost. I wish I could say the same. There are so many things I'm missing since the move.

    Looking forward to your reveal!

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  29. Je crois vraiment que ton ange gardien et son copain le petit diable doivent se battre à longueur de journée à ton sujet... et suivant celui qui gagne ça va plutôt bien pour toi... ou un peu plus mal !!! Mais que faire ? Ils sont, au final, plutôt sympas...
    Bon courage !

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  30. quelle aventure ! bon courage pour la récupération des données.....
    heureusement ta pause ' tisane' au jardin semble avoir été bénéfique ! et ce bouquet maison,ravissant, j'adore !!
    bisou à toi et tes anges gardiens....
    Marry Poppins

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    1. Eh bien, la récupération des données, ce n'est justement pas donné! Je crois qu'après avoir reçu le devis de réparation, je vais avoir besoin d'autre chose que d'une tisane!

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  31. Magali,I want to thank you for a great day. My day started with reading my email while in my pj's. I was about to dress for the day but first I decided to liston the the somg you posted. "Happy" and I was just that after viewing the music video. The some stuck with me all day. And I was HAPPY! Thanks for just a good start to the day......

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  32. I feel so happy every time I listen to this song, especially when I think that Magali and cats and cottage are all safe and happy, and not blown up in the big storm!! I hope your computer gets fixed soon, so sorry about that! Your pictures are, as always, lovely, and the desert you are having looks wonderful. I would be as big around as cottage (which is small for a house but big for a person) if I lived anywhere near a place that made things like that!

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  33. PS-I am also happy you did not loose your brand-new oven!! Or the TV!!

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  34. Glad to know that the damage didn't spread Magali!!! It could've been much worse. You should enjoy that yummy looking pastry dear!

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  35. What is that gorgeous gateau? Because, it must be mine, even if I have to make it myself!!! I think your tea party setting is just gorgeous and sad about everything blowing up! But, back to the most important thing... what is that yummy delight and please ask your patisserie for the recipe. :)

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  36. I'm listening to the song as I type this, cah't not be happy listening to this song! So sorry others were hurt, but happy you are safe, I mean except for everything frying. Our desktop computer is soooooooooooo slow, it's about 15 years old, but works good. I use to kid that I could fix dinner, eat it and clean the dishes before the new page would load. So I can relate to the "frustration" using a slow one. Love you tablescape and love the tea cup.

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  37. Oh my goodness, Magali! I'm sorry to hear about the storm and happy to hear that you and your kitties are all ok. That had to be some storm! I was drooling through your entire post, staring at that dessert. It's a work of art! Your flower photos are stunning.

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  38. Maybe your photos took a long time to load, Magali, but they are gorgeous. Every one of them is delightful. I love it when you invite me to tea. Your desserts are always the best, and your table settings and flower arrangements are beautiful. So sorry your modem and boiler were damaged in the storm, however, I'm very happy to observe your positive attitude.

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    1. I keep my positive attitude if the damages are only material! And a good dessert helps with the attitude!

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  39. P.S. I LOVE the English coaster and would be happy to have a boat load of them.

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  40. P.S.S. LOVE the song. First time I've heard it. Thanks for sharing. Cuz I'm happppppyyyyyy! C'mon!

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  41. Effectivement chez toi la vie n'est pas un long fleuve tranquille...Comme toi j'ai une peur bleue des orages, si l'heure le permet je me mets sous la couette en me bouchant les oreilles, sinon je tourne en rond.
    Bon a-m.

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  42. Magali, so happy that you, your cats and the Little White House are fine. Love the photos, your treat looks delish, the flowers are lovely. BTW that song plays all of the time here, I love it. It will make you happy. Have a great week, be safe.
    Jeannie

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  43. Oh my goodness, people died!? I hate thunder storms, I do like the dog, under the table!! Poor Magali, you are unfortunate.

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