Looks like I blinked and missed the summer......

That's what you get for taking summer holidays in June, the rest of the summer goes by in sun scorched blur.....

The last few months have seen the whole slew of Earls trotting around Corsica and England, the beach, village fetes and various action packed toddler theme parks in Cap d'Agde (a nightmare in any other conceivable existence except that of a mother with 2 kids under 5....). Friends and family have been and gone, we've worn the bbq and my basil supply out, and I don't think it would be physically possible for me to drink any more rosé.

And now, schools back on, even the youngest lady started this year, and I finally feel a little like my old self again.

The great thing about being a mom is that you get to trial run all sorts of professions without even leaving your house. Entertainer, teacher, swimming coach, hairdresser, doctor, personal chef, seamstress, McGyver, professional fort builder, you name it, I've tried it out this summer, and I have to say that standard educational institutes really don't prepare you that well for doing all of these jobs in one day, let alone one lifetime. Forget multi-tasking, being a mother is more like split-personaliting, or something like that.....

It's vendange time here in the Languedoc, narrow tractors pulling trailers overflowing with grapes. Nothing reminds me more of where I live than this sight. I haven't heard the latest news on whether or not this will be a good year for wine (has anybody out there heard anything?), but I have to say I'm feeling a bit sorry for the pickers because the last few days have been blindingly hot.

So, as well as all of the other things I've neglected to do over the summer, clean the house, write, exercise, eat sensibly, drink moderately, stop smoking- I hope to get back in the saddle again and share some more useless ramblings from the Dukedom. Thanks for sticking around......