I have nothing to declare...

Of course I'd like to be able to continue the title of this post with 'but my genius.' But that would be far too obvious. Worse! It would be plagiarism!

Perish the thought!

But it is a nifty, catchy expression, don't you think?

A hint of daring. A touch of 'up yours!'

'I have nothing to declare but my genius.'
MERVEILLEUX!

The Irish have the knack for witty, pithy expressions.

They can pull them off really well.

I remain unconvinced that, upon arrival at the  Roissy CDG airport in Paris, in front of the customs officers, it would have the same effect if I said, "Je n'ai rien a déclarer Messieurs, sauf ma génie!" They'd be rummaging through my Louis Vuitton luggage, hunting for a wee leprechaun in a bottle in the blink of an eye ;-) Or hauling me off under a suspecting stare.

They say the French have a certain 'je ne sais quoi.'

I reckon it's the Irish that have it hands down.

In any case, Oscar Wilde definitely did.

This piece is flying out to NZ.

I'm whizzing off to give English lessons to my messmonsters

I would love to start with the analysis of the above phrase, 

but I believe, in the hands of the messies,

it would be my undoing ;-)

 Une fabuleuse semaine à vous tous et toutes mes amis

The trees are happy

"...but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in all the world.

Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head, and the North Wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement. 'I believe the Spring has come at last,' said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed and looked out. 
What did he see?
He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every tree that he could see there was a little child. And the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving there arms gently above the children's heads."

From, The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde.

This is one of my favourite stories. One I remember fondly from my NZ childhood, snuggled up in bed on a Sunday morning listening to the radio.

It seems that the trees are happy here at La Rivière at the moment, waving their blossomed branches gently in the blue sky. That's inspiration enough for me!

Back later with some Wishcasting Wednesday thoughts, a bit of Saving the World, and some globetrotting ...I've missed you over the last few days ;-)

Tuesday Afternoon Tea for two...

La Vie imite l'Art...

... bien plus que l'Art n'imite la vie,

Oscar Wilde

Je suis bien d'accord avec Mr Wilde!

Vous voyez? Je viens de surprendre 3 de mes tasses à thé, chinées dans les brocantes entre l'Australie et la France, essayant de se faire passer pour de l'art... Elles ont même détourné mes pots d'encres et gouaches pour se camoufler!

Pendant que je peins, je ne me permets que rarement les distractions du genre 'petit afternoon tea entre amies.'  Mais aujourd'hui je fais une exception! C'est Plumed Pen qui m'invite et j'en suis ravie. Ahh le luxe! Je me permets le temps d'une pause avec des amies - sans quitter la maison!

Alors installez vous le temps d'une respiration profonde et

permettez moi de vous offrir un Yogi Tea aux épices et  des bonbons AMORiNo venus de Paris via ma copine Sabina!

"Allez Ange, au boulot! Finie la pause. Ton nouveau tableau dans les couleurs douces des bonbons à la violette requested by the Dear Dr M n'est pas encore fini, et les messmonsters ne vont pas tarder à arriver..."

Voici la voix de la raison qui me sollicite!

Revenez demain, et je vous montrerai le tableau fini. Mais CHUUUUUUT, c'est une surprise! Dr M ne peut pas le voir avant jeudi 19 novembre..

Ce fut un moment de détente bien agréable mais toute bonne chose à une fin.

Mais "Les folies sont les seules choses que l'on ne regrette jamais"!

N'est ce pas Mr Wilde...