Jugs and Flowers in France

 I have not posted a blog for two weeks because we are in France where we have no land line telephone and therefore, no internet connection.

I have finished two dresses and the crochet blanket is coming along nicely, due to no television, either.  Listening to tapes or the radio creates the perfect ambiance for hand sewing or crocheting/knitting. However, I have not got photos of either project at the moment, so thought I would share some lovely flower arrangements and some of my collection of jugs.

We are fortunate to have a very good friend who gets our house ready for occupation and fills it with flowers from her wonderful garden.

The jugs are part of a collection I have made over the years by visiting depot venues, vide grinners and junk shops.  One is even from the tip!  The lovely milk jug was a gift from a friend.



It is my dream and desire to have a garden full of flowers for picking, but at the moment, there is only some rather scrubby lavender, two yellow roses, which I am loathe to pick and a few gladioli which are just beginning to bloom.

Blue and White, a Wonderful Combination

I love blue and white.  It isn't exactly original to collect it and it isn't exactly trendy any more, but I love it.

I used to collect a lot of it.  When my children were little and hubby was at work all week, Saturday morning was my time off.  I would wander down the street to a local church where people sold antiques, collectibles and just plain junk and buy plates and saucers for 5 and 10 pence each.  I always felt like I was carrying a bag of treasures home. 

I do not have all of them any more, I  got rid of some of them, particularly saucers, and I have given some odd plates to my daughter, but  I still have some lovely pieces and my heart still beats faster when I see blue and white for sale anywhere.  I try to stop myself buying it because there is really no room for more. 

While I was photographing my bread and butter pickles, some of my collection crept into the photo on my rather messy dresser so I decided to photograph more and blog it.  Above is probably my best piece.  It is from Germany, near Munich, a present from hubby after a business trip.  It is coloured with lead paint and not suitable for food.  Just as well, or it would have been broken long ago.  

Below is a part of the wall on which it hangs along with other treasures.

Another view of the wall.

This is a dresser, built to hold my blue and white.  As you can see, not all is blue and white.  My mother's tea set and one of her cups and saucers are placed there for safe keeping.  I am afraid if I put the teapot in a cupboard, I might break the handle or the spout.  As it is almost as old as I am, it would be a pity to break it now. The darker coloured plates were a triumphant purchase in France.  The shop was closed; we were going home that day and I was desperate to have them. In quite fractured French, I managed to get the owner  to to open the shop and sell them to me.

Another view, because, let's face it, I am a hoarder and I also love gravy jugs and other things with handles, such as more teapots and jugs.

This is a reproduction ginger jar.  Another gift from hubby.  Funnily enough, he has never bought me any fabric.  Wonder why.

And another gift from hubby, who visited Moscow in the 80's for a conference and came back with this coffee pot for me. I love the overblown cabbage rose.  You can also see where it has not been dusted! Oops.

France is a treasure trove for old china and I have more there. That will be a summer blog.
 Do you like blue and white too?