August 20, 2012
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A sweet little girl.
Une gentille petite demoiselle
A sweet litttle girlEnglish version below the pictures
Après notre retour de vacances notre petite-fille Manon s’en est allée au jardin cueillir des groseilles à maquereau bravant les épines du groseillier. Elle savait que son grand-père(moi) aime la confiture de groseilles à maquereau . Je suis le seul à aimer cette confiture ; C’ était donc spécialement pour moi qu’elle accomplissait cette tâche délicate.
Manon picking the gooseberries ( behind her the wild with wonderful golden rods) Manon cueillant les groseilles à maquereau . Derrière elle on voit un terrain vague avec de magnifiques verges d ' or. Photo Janine Fauquet Juillet 2012Back from our vacations, our granddaughter Manon went in the garden and picked the gooseberries in spite of the thorns of the bush. She knew her grandfather ( me ) loves the gooseberry jam . I am the only one to love this jam . So it was especially for me she faced this hard task .
Elle n’ est plus tout à fait un enfant maintenant mais une petite demoiselle, puisque nous avons célébré son 12ème anniversaire durant nos vacances dans la vallée de la Loire dans une petite ville appelée Montrichard le 19 Juillet . Après quoi on lui offrit le délice de visiter une chocolaterie . Enfin pour finir la journée nous avons admiré le plus grand château de la Renaissance dans la vallée de la Loire, le château de Chambord construit par François 1er au XVIème siècle.
Une bonne journée de vacances !
Montrichard with its donjon ( on the river Cher) Photo Janine Fauquet
At the restaurant . Left to right : me, Antoine, Janine and Manon with her special birthday cake.
Au restaurant ; De gauche à droite ; moi, Antoine , Janine , Manon avec son gâteau d'anniversaire
Castle of Chambord . Château de Chambord Photo Michel Fauquet July 19, 2012She is not quite a child anymore but a little miss since we celebrated her12th birthday during our vacation trip in the Loire Valley at a restaurant in a small town called, Montrichard on July 19.. Afterward she got the delight to visit a chocolate factory ! At last, at the end of this day we had a glimpse of the biggest Renaissance castle in the Loire valley, castle of Chambord built by the king François the first in the XVIth century.
A great vacation day!
Comments (81)
She is so pretty and her complexion is beautiful! Love the red hair. Your vacation sounds lovely.
I love gooseberry jam!!! And it looks as if Manon had a lovely birthday ~ ~ ~
Happy Birthday Manon.
Your grand daughter is a very beautiful young girl. I'm sure she loved being with you on her birthday, and you made it a very special day for her. Especially visiting a chocolate factory...wow..that would be wonderful. That is a beautiful looking castle. The area must be a lovely place to visit.
Happy birthday to her!
And she is very pretty 
You are a Beautiful Family in both looks and character - to risk the thorns for you was very brave of Manon and very lucky for you :sunny: ilym :heartbeat:
Gooseberry preserves, special birthday cake and chocolate factory....one lucky, beautiful 12 year old ( and brother) and 2 loving grand parents..... You are truely blessed.
Cher Michel, merci pour le Mini!
Mamon a l'aire tres sympa, tres gentille. Oh la jeunesse. Ou est-elle passé (ou passa-t-elle ???). Je continue dans le passé simple! J’ai visité les chateaux de Blois et Chambord il y a 26 ou 27 ans quand nous étions tous les deux plus jeune, et avant d’être marié. C’était magnifique, nous avons fait du camping (trop vieux pour cela maintenant!!!!!!)
Mais malheuresement nous avons eu un mauvais souvenir car quelq’un a piqué l’argent de la poche de David, et nous étions empoisonné par un restauranteur. Le Food Poisoning n’était pas confortable dans un camping. Peut être c’est les vomissement qui nous ont collé si fort ensemble pour l’avenir ?
(blague – nous ‘fêtons’ nos 25 ans de marriage en septembre!).
Amitiés
Stephanie
PS ici il fait un peu trop chaud mais je ne me plaigne pas 35 degrés à l'ombre... :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:
Et non, ce n'était pas le Grisou qui aurait mangé l'oiseau (gris tigré), (mais lui aussi a bien aimé manger des petits oiseaux avant qu'il s'installe chez nous dans notre restaurant 5 * pour un chat (la cuisine)).
C'est le grand chat mâle de notre voisine (Titus) qui a du laisser ses poils blanches partout quand il a bataillé avec cet oiseau grand et fort (l'oiseau a un bec très long pour se défendre, mais pas assez dans ce cas-là!)
you guys looks great at the table =)
I like gooseberry jam Michel. Your grand daughter is beautiful. What a smile, and how sweet of her to put up with the thorns and pick the fruit for her grandfather.
The castle looks spectacular indeed. Seems like you had a great vacation. I am glad you are back on xanga.
I can tell she is a joy of the heart to you. She is a very pretty young lady! And sweet to her grandfather to brave the thorns!
Because of you I did some research on chateau chambord. Those old places are very fascinating to me. So neat! Belle histoire. (I'm rusty on my french, lol) Your granddaughter's hair is the most beautiful color!
As usual, I'm insanely jealous of your garden and its bounty. How fantastic it must be to have all that produce right at hand! This château doesn't have anything to do with the liqueur of the same name?
She is a beautiful little girl ! How sweet of her to pick the berrys for you !
She is adorable, and you have a good-looking family. I also loved the travel pictures. I hope to visit a castle someday!!!
You are spoiling her, of course, but that is a grandfather's prerogative! It looks like she is spoiling you also with the gooseberries. This will surely be a birthday she will always remember. The best to you, my friend!
A very happy birthday to Manon! Ahe is sso good to pick those oh so tart berries for you!
Such a beautiful young lady!!! I am sure you all had a magnificent vacation. And then to top it off with gooseberry jam - wonderful!!! It is years since I have had that.
what a sweet dearheart! :love: :yes:i bet i would do the same if you were my grandfather too! :goodjob: :sunny:i love her hair color! please tell her that! i always wanted hair that auburn color when i was growing up! i always love coming to your blogs. get to learn stuff. i must go to bed now!
:heartbeat: :wave:bonne nuit!! angela
Your Little Miss, her hair is the most lovely color! And a chocolate factory...what a treat!
So good to see you back, Michel~ :sunny:
She is a beautiful young lady Michel, and what a blessing she must be. I love my kids, grandkids and now my great grandkid:):) Life is good when we have our family around us.
I haven't had gooseberries in forever. I love gooseberry jam. Your granddaughter is gorgeous.
I am thrilled by the photos of your grand daughter, the thought of gooseberry jam, the remarkable castle. However I am completely taken by dreams of the chocolate factory!!!
Many blessings to you Michel, mon ami.
What a beautiful castle and granddaughter too! My hubby loves gooseberry pie ~
Manon is quite a beautiful young lady and so sweet to do that work for you, you are well loved!
What a lovely young lady your granddaughter is! She loves you very much to brave the gooseberry thorns. Manon's birthday was a happy and memorable time.
Hugs from Asia, ~ Sil in Corea
P.S. About the saying on the post "Listening to famine in North Korea," feel free to repost it. Flannery O'Conner can be a tough author to read, just as reality can be hard. A "branding experience" means being marked forever by it. You can say, "He was branded by seeing the murder."
Very cool!
Manon est tres jolie. J'aime aussi le "gooseberry jam." And pie too. Le chateau est formidable!
OMG, I LOVE EUROPE!!! Yes, she is adorable also. hehe
She is beautiful! Happy birthday, Manon!
What a beautiful young lady! You are so blessed.
Happy birthday to your tenacious little Miss! Your family is so beautiful Michel. I love Jeanine's gorgeous photo. I cannot wait to plan my next trip to France. Thank you, as always, for sharing your wonderful life over here at xanga! xxoo Cassi
Beautiful photos, and you have a very pretty grand-daughter. Happy belated birthday to her!
A lovely young lady so considerate of her Grandpa. Belated birthday wishes to her!
That castle is one I would love to see. Is anyone living there at all?
Lots of fun. Some pleasure time, and some culture time(History), and good food and....good wine I suppose.
No better way to pass some vacation time.
The castle is magnificent.
She is a beautiful little lady indeed, and she spoils you picking the berries for your jam. Next week getting ready to to school I suppose. High school? I don't know the French system. In Belgium is 'Humaniora'
I'm afraid you are still the only one who likes this jam .... together with the geese.(gooseberries) (Bad joke).
Thanks for the comment on you tube. Everything changes so quick that makes it difficult to keep up with the evolution.
Amitié
Carlo
What sweet cute grandchildren! Happy birthday. I think she has very kind and good grandparents.
I love that castle! Beautiful.
Manon and my little guy, Sam, are the same age! It is a cute one but just before the teenage years. OH MY!
What a beautiful day you had! Such scenic beauty surrounding little Manon, the REAL beauty! Happy Birthday, Manon!
No...she is no longer a child but a beautiful young lady.
Wonderful photos.
Love,
votre amie,
Francoise
Answer to dingdongdingbat and others : Of course, Manon was happy to vist the chocolate factory . A dream .
!Yes the Loire Valley is something to see . ( but there are so many things in France that I would not have seen by myself !!!
She's very pretty and will grow up into a beautiful young woman.
Thank you for writing in both English and French! My French has completely deteriorated but your blog allows me to read in French but still read in English if I didn't understand!
Such a lovely girl! And a great way to celebrate her 12th birthday.
Beautiful pictures as we always see on your posts. :yes:
Everything is just lovely there. Ah, Manon, is a beauty! Twelve is the threshold to the teens! Such a charming family you have. Love to all
Nancy
She is precious. Grandchildren are our gift from God. I really think they are miracles to love us like they do.
I've never tried gooseberry pie. I am a chocolate pie fan.
Would like to live in castle of Chambord if there are no ghosts. :sunny:
Ah, I haven't had gooseberry jam in years! My mother used to make it--and I remember well that picking them was an unpleasant task. The bushes were prickly and they only ever seemed to be ripe when the weather was hot and the mosquitos biting.
But the jam they made was delicious.
g.
:sunny: the weather in Georgia is hot and humid right now, however there has been a coolness to the mornings this week :yes: I prefer the hot summers, it's my favorite time of the year :heartbeat: :heartbeat: :heartbeat:
what absolutely gorgeous pictures and such a pretty girl and family. i love gooseberrys. my granmother had some under the willow tree. i haven't seen any since i was a teenager except in cans.
:fun:Oh, Manon is beautiful, with pretty red hair!
Ty so very much for your congrats on the birth of my great grandson. He already owns my heart
Even without photos of horses, this is a beautiful post!
Many thanks for the recommendation on my 21Aug post. Sorry for deceiving you! My husband thinks I should put a disclaimer at the beginning of each story to avoid people thinking it is fact instead of fiction!
Manon est trés belle.
The castle (and all your photos) make me want to go to France!
What a very pretty girl Manon is! A very happy 12th birthday to her: I'm pleased to hear she had a wonderful birthday! Next year, Manon will be a teenager! And how sweet of her to pick the gooseberries for your jam!
Lovely pictures, Michel! Best wishes to you and your family!!
Belles images entourant l'entrée de Manon dans "ses teenagers' years". Elle a le même anniversaire que ma maman avait et nous conservons de nombreux bon souvenirs de cette date-là! Vive les anniversaires de l'été car souvent ils sont fêtés en vacances et on se souvient des lieux
Amitiés de Nidau :heartbeat:
dans l'attente de l'arrivée des jumeaux sur ce blog :heartbeat:
Beautiful granddaughter! And what a wonderful time you had in the Loire Valley. Thank you for stopping in on my xanga site. I miss looking in on your postings and need to remind myself to do so. I have gone to Facebook in order to keep in touch with family and reconnect with lost friends. But your xanga is always so interesting, inspiring or just fun to read!
I was in France in June and thought of you, wishing I could do more than just wave as I flew over. Your garden looks grand and your travels and family are wonderful. I will try to stop by more often. Love and Blessings, kc
Answer to Carlo above :French education system;
3 -6 years old, kindergarten
6 -11 year old: Primary school
11 to 15 year old: college
15-18 Lycée (High School), leading to the Bacalauréat (final exam of the secondary studies)
Then universities, or professsional schools, or preparation to superior schools (engineers, etc..) Or work.
''Michel, your sweet and beautiful little Manon will soon become a woman. Treasure these moments with her, as I Know you are. Château de Chambord is an exquisite photograph. AMEN''
'' Michel, ta douce et belle petite Manon va bientôt devenir une femme. Chérir ces moments avec elle, comme je sais que vous êtes. Château de Chambord est une photographie exquise. AMEN''
That is a sweet girl. The palace is spectacular! I really want to get back to Europe someday soon.
I should have just looked it up
From the Chambord website: "According to legend, in 1685 King Louis XIV visited Château Chambord, where he enjoyed a marvelous liqueur made from wild raspberries. This liqueur inspired the spirit that today is known as Chambord Liqueur Royale de France. The rich heritage of the Liqueur Royale is now celebrated in the reintroduction of Chambord, the world-renowned black raspberry liqueur for the modern mixologist. … The liqueur is crafted in a state-of-the-art facility on the grounds of La Sistiere, a magnificent chateau nestled in Cour Cheverny in the Loire Valley."
RYC - Lol! Maybe you should go see if you can find some of my videos on Facebook and then tell me if I laugh like a witch. Thanks for the kind words. I sure don't mean to laugh like a witch!!
RYC: Yes, thank you Michel, both Wendy and I are doing well. I hope yoou have a wonderful weekend! talk to you again soon. Cheers!
ryc: Michel the teapot is not real. It is 'art' we use in Paint Shop Pro groups.
Looks very fun!! Great to see pics of your adventure!!
:heartbeat: thank you for you kind words, they mean so much :heartbeat: ilym
RYC: the paris video did have a very good observer. i loved the ending. =) The kittys are not the pussycat dolls (wasn't too fond of that band) =D
Ne lui dis pas, ça pourrait lui monter à la tête, mais Manon fait penser à une jeune Mona Lisa.
Qui comme par hasard a été peinte par Da Vinci, celui d'Amboise, comme peu de gens savent. Comme sa réelle identité est toujours un mystère, elle était peut-être Française, va donc savoir!
J'ai trouvé Chambord aussi spectaculaire à l'extérieur que décevant à l'intérieur.
Dans Wikipedia on dit à propos des groseilles à maquereau: "Dans le Nord et le patois de la France, ce fruit est également appelé « croupoux », « croque poux », « gratte-poux », « croque-poux » ou encore « Pétasse » dans la Nièvre ainsi que « groseille verte » en Belgique.". Pétasse?
C'est un fruit acidulé semble-t-il. N'est-ce pas là un atout quand on veut faire des confitures?
Happy Belated Birthday to Manon! As always, such perfect pictures ... I so love to see them.
And, I love the one of the castle, it is my dream someday to be able to visit a castle. : )
Debi
Ty so much for your kind words and support on my post about TD and the aphasia.
What a lovely trip, and such a special birthday treat. Picking any kind of wild berries in the US is always likely to give the picker a case of chigger bites. I don't know whether or not you have these pesty biting insects in France, but they can make you miserable with terrible itching. I've been traveling most of the summer. I'm glad to be home for a little while.
That castle is beautiful! I must show my sister this photo, as she loves castles.
Gooseberries is one type of berry I've never tried. What a kind thing for your grand daughter to do, just so you could have some jam. Her birthday celebrations must've been fun, too.
RYC - yes, ha-ha! It has been quite a while since I have posted. I keep planning to do another update on my book but I'm actually making such good progress on the editing of it that the "update" would be on a moving target! Still, perhaps your nudge will get me to post something. Am I correct that your town was a stop on the Tour de France this year?
Oh, yes, Manon is a beautiful young girl! Also, I love the photo of the castle. RYC: I'm sorry you are having same problems as I am. I don't know if I will get help. If I do, I'll let you know. However, as I indicated, I think I need to take time off from Xanga, especially if I don't get help. I don't have time or want to take time to deal with Xanga, ~~Blessings and cheers
Manon has really grown into a beautiful young lady! It's great that you and Janine are able to share special events with her!
Your vacation pictures are lovely. I would like to see that castle!
Dear Michel,
How are you. Am back on Xanga after ages and yours was the first blog that I had to check.have to catch up on so much of your life you post for all your readers.
Till then, sending you some very warm wishes from India. :heartbeat:
Thank you Michel for encouraging me.I will surely post soon, It's always so nice to login and have a comment waiting from you! means a lot! much love,
pallavi
So lovely to see grandparents and grandchildren vacation together. Antoine and Manon are becoming so grown up. The castle photos very lovely and interesting. Now on to the chocolate factory......make mine very very dark chocolate please. lol..................love Marilyn
She is growing up!! How great you are able to spend so much time with your grandchildren.
It is always so nice to hear how much your family enjoys each other's company.
You are very blessed.
Bonne fete, Manon
Wow! What a lovely castle! But, it needs life. It feels cold and empty.
bonjour Michel,
oui, on a été à Montrichard presqu'en même temps ))
j'y étais le 25 juillet, on allait d'Angers à Chambord et on fait une petite pause à Montrichard pour visiter les caves de Montmousseau. au lieu de déguster le vin j'ai choisi de me balader au bord du Cher et dans la ville, j'adore les petites villes marquées par l'histoire...
amitiés de Tallinn
You are blessed by these two beautiful (& handsome) grandchildren whom God has given to you and Janine. :yes:
I have never eaten (or seen) gooseberries.
:heartbeat:
Carolyn
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