I quite liked this one too! It’s been around for a while but worth repeating…

And is it me or does that look like Eric Morecambe?

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Apparantly, Mother and Father have been snowed in for a few days. It seems to have taken them by surprise. Normally if there is any snow, it is a light sprinkling, which soon disappears as the sun warms up. Not this time, however!

They had no water for a few days as the water pipes froze, they couldn’t get a roaring blaze going on the wood-burning stove as the wood was too damp and they haven’t been able to get out to buy a fresh bottle of gas for the gas burner.

I think they are snuggled under blankets and duvets for most of the evening! Probably with a drip on the end of their noses and chilblains….all very Dickensian!

Guess who’s glad that we decided not to go down until the Spring? Guess who’s revising the list of works as we speak?

1. Unpack boxes and settle kids in  Fit central heating

Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday dear me…ee
Happy birthday to me!

Hey, you guessed! It’s my birthday! And in the spirit of ilkeryoldas, I thought it might be nice to spread a little love around!

If you fancy being generous, putting a smile on my increasingly wrinkling face, or just generally cheering me up, as I tick off another year, how about choosing from the following….

1. Subscribe to the Beauregard The Blog feed

2. Subscribe to BEAUREGARD…The Blog by Email 

3. Join my community on MyBlogLog

4. Give me a Technorati vote

5. You could even email me…that’d really cheer me up!

6. Or leave a comment….it’s always so good to hear from you!

 Aww, I feel better all ready!

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I have been having a good read today of my feeds and getting lost in the MyBlogLog world of communities. With a few links and clicks, it is easy to get immersed in a different world and explore many paths.

I have noticed though, that I seem to read more blogs that deal with blogging itself than anything else. Not a problem; after all, I am constantly reminded that it is good to check out other blogs. In fact, I find them quite addictive, as I glean further nuggets of information that is going to improve my blogging.

But I do admit to finding it a bit disheartening. There are a huge number of fantastic, informative, clever, fascinating blogs that offer advice from SEO tips, to how to create great ‘copy’, how to ‘monetise’ your blog, how to attract and keep a huge readership. I find it disheartening because when I think to my little Beauregard blog, I feel very parochial. It’s that kind of ‘Closed for Lunch’ feeling! The Radiator Springs of the blogging world! It is easy to feel like the poor relation as the ‘expert’ bloggers dominate the horizon.

I’m often left wondering if the only way to succeed in blogging is to write a ‘how to’ blog of some description or perhaps an up-to-the-minute news blog or a ‘widget/plug-in’ blog. I mean, are there any people out there who write  blogs about ‘ordinary’ things with even the tiniest amount of success that the big blogs seem to muster? Are there any people out there who write blogs about ‘ordinary’ things full-stop?

But, hey…..I enjoy doing what I do and that’s the most important thing, let my enthusiasm shine through! I need to get back to basics, focus on my direction, write killer headlines,  get my opening sentences sorted, think about my audience, inject my personality, write ’sticky’ posts, at least four a week…..oh, and read lots of other blogs!

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 Oh dear….it would appear that all of my carefully crafted header images have gone AWOL at the moment. I thought it was me but having gone through my other blogs, they have reverted to the default too. Not that it’s not a good default…just not what I  want.

It’s too late to fiddle  now, I’ll check it out tommorrow…besides, Prison Break is about to kick off and all might have gone back to normal by the morning.

That didn’t sound very dedicated to the blogging cause did it? I promise to try better next time!

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This has to be one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time! I hope you enjoy it too….

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Myself and Diddy were treated today, for our January birthdays, with a trip to the theatre.

We were taken by my sister, Plum, to the Royal Albert Hall to see the Cirque du Soleil. The show was called ‘Alegria’. I have never been to a Cirque du Soleil show before, although it has always appealed to me. It was all very exciting, as we weren’t sure where we were going….it being a ‘Mystery Tour’…and we found out only half an hour before.

And what an amazing, entertaining, joyous, beautiful  experience it was too! I never knew the human body could achieve so much or stretch so far! I now feel as graceful as a hybrid elephant/hippo, (a hippophant or an ellyotamus!) and very old and stiff. I am still coming to grips with the contortionist act…was it one of the most beautiful or one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen? I can’t quite make up my mind, although it made for uncomfortable viewing at times!

There was a girl who could do amazing things with a handful of hoola hoops. Two going up her body and two going the other way,  all at the same time. Oh, and sometimes whilst twirling a very long ribbon.

There was balancing boy, who could do a few neat tricks on a couple of sticks…never seen muscles like it! A cool act involving a complicated trampoline affair and lots of flying artistes and the Russian poles, which had synchronised throwing in the air of a couple of fit and muscle bound chaps…I particularly liked that one!

From start to finish it was pure entertainment….lovely!

Can’t figure out the contortionists though! It’s just not natural!

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Enjoy a holiday at Beauregard.Click here to find out more

I found this article today doing some background research on the Lot et Garonne. It’s quite an old article but very interesting. In fact, I want to pack a bag and go exploring now, having read it! Having seen the latest Ryanair offer, it’s quite feasible too.

I have been staying at Beauregard for 20 plus years now and it is a joke in the family that I never get to visit any places! Friends and family talk of trips to Domme, Rocamadour, the beach, the Pyrenees, Bordeaux. I have been nowhere! A few day trips to the Lascaux caves, Ste. Foy La Grande and Marmande.

I think the problem is that when you go to the same place, you become familiar with it and know that you can do the touristy-thing whenever you like. Which in my case, just hasn’t happened. Don’t get me wrong, I have really enjoyable holidays at Beauregard. I love pottering about, sun-bathing, swimming, chilling, reading my books; it’s all I need to have a great time. My motto seems to be, ‘We’ll do the trip tommorrow!’  

After all, I’ve lived in London for most of my life and have never been to Westminster Abbey…. for the same reasons , I would guess. 

And with the imminent move, I am really looking forward to doing the ‘touristy-thing’ and reporting back in Beauregard the Blog!

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 I’ve had no word from Billy, who has now left for our shores. I only hope he has a mobile phone so that he can ring me en route. It looks as though my posse of 8 year olds can help out.

‘Yes Mummy, I had a great time at the birthday sleep-over. We all carried boxes from the shed to the big truck…we were pretending to be removal men’.

I have had the under-cupboard lights in the kitchen fixed at last…it took all of half an hour. They blew this time last year. I understand how Sir Jerry Robinson  feels now! Wall….head….bang springs to mind!

I am awaiting a quote to get some blown tiles in the bathroom done. It’s all go here…..

I blame these Channel 4 programmes. Gone are the days when you can put a house on the market, complete with grubby walls and weedy gardens. You need to completely decorate first, renew all of the carpets and landscape the garden. Call me old-fashioned, but I thought that was the fun of moving into a house…now you have to do that before you put it on the market. And all because people don’t have the imagination to see beyond the peeling paper and bright green skirting boards.

Sheesh!!!

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 I had a bit of a shock last night….I have been informed that Billy is coming on Saturday, at an unspecified time, to pick up some boxes from me, to take to France.

This is good news, honestly. I have been saying for a few months now….‘we need to get Billy to do a quote, to take some preliminary boxes, from the first/initial de-cluttering stage, down to France, to get them out of my way so that I can start on the decorating’.

It seemed quite a good idea at the time. We have a lot of ’stuff’, all non-essential, but far too useful to actually throw out. Only, it’s in the way at the moment…so why don’t we ‘get Billy to do a quote……decorating’.

I think it’s the shock…things are really moving now…only a few months and we plan to make the move, we plan to be there! And so much to do!

Plus, I happen to have Diddys eight years old, birthday pyjama, sleepover party on the Friday night. Yup, four screeching 8 year old girls….methinks I won’t be in any fit state for tea-chests and cardboard boxes!

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