The Charm of Mystery....

Gecko calling...at our front door, Chateau Mango

THE WEEK THAT WAS...

The evening air sits heavy outside our doorstep, dense in the sweet scent of jasmine. Not a bad way to end the week. In retrospect, it did not seem that crazy a week..until Thursday rolled around and I had a feeling I may have gone to far.

But first, Monday...

ON MONDAY..the expat book club

The week started easily enough...with an expat book club meeting. We meet on the second Monday of each month in a local cafe in Saigon. It's been months since my last meeting and I finally made it..but I nearly missed it.  With two days to go, I still had not read the book, so I sat myself down last Saturday morning and read and read and read until I finished the book a few hours later. Have you read the ethereal and compelling book, The Shack, by William P. Young? All I can say is WOW! If you are looking for a book that is sure to get people talking, read this one. 

We decided on the following books for the upcoming months, have you read any of them?

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves 

by Karen Joy Fowler

All The Light We Cannot See 

by Anthony Doerr 

Amenable Women 

by Mavis Cheek

The Piano Tuner 

by Daniel Mason 

Book Club done...easy.

ON TUESDAY...all that is Chateau Mango and Persian Melons

Left side of house, new colour..right side, old colour. 

The consensus on the house colour was unanimous...stay true to Chateau Mango. Mr. H was very happy with your vote. Minor glitch on that one, I only had two colours to choose from. Our original colour was no longer available so I had to quickly decide between Orange Julius and Persian Melon. The closest match was Persian Melon. I told Mr. H not to worry, he would hardly notice the difference. Done, decided...let the paint cans roll in. 

Top to bottom...melon to mango. 

Well, they did...and..it is probably a better colour... softer, lighter and all the other things you try and tell yourself when you are not sure if you made the right choice. At the end of the day, it is not mango, at least not a ripe mango. It is more like a green mango. Change the house name to Chateau Green Mango? I think not. Chateau Melon, Chateau Limoncello? No and No. 

Newly painted Chateau Mango, 2012

Newly painted Chateau Mango come limoncello, 2015

Really, it is all how you look at it in the light. In the early morning and later afternoon hours, when the sun casts a warm glow over the house, it is perfect. At noon, when the sun is it's brightest...it is best to go shopping. 

Mr. H has been travelling all week and has not seen it yet. I may have to go with the "you must be colour blind" tactic...do you think he will notice the difference? 

Chateau Mango forever and always...in spirit.

ON WEDNESDAY...back at the farm

I have been pouring over gardening books and photographs this week as we tweak our landscape plans, more specifically, as we contemplate the shape and size of the stone retaining walls that will one day, pull everything together. 

Who knew a stone wall could be so challenging...it is that 'curve' again, to curve or not to curve, that is the question. 

Gertrude Jekyll helped put it into perspective when she described a garden..

'the garden to the west of the house 

abounds in charming surprises. 

It's various subdivisions are linked together 

in a simple general design. 

Each section shows some distinct way 

of making a garden picture, 

and each entices onwards 

to the next by the charm of mystery 

and the stimulus of pleasant anticipation 

of something still better to follow.'

from Gardens for Small Country Houses

by Gertrude Jekyll (with Sir Lawrence Weaver)

Published, 1912

A garden picture,

Once upon a garden...Tahilla Farm

enticing onwards,

by the charm of mystery,

pleasant anticipation,

of something still better to follow. 

 Words to feed the gardening soul.

I say we find the 'curve' in the charm of mystery.

ON THURSDAY...I should have skipped Thursday all together

via Etsy

I will just say it once.

If ever you feel the need to change your hair colour  a week before you son's wedding, as in go from light to dark...semi-blonde to brunette...don't. Stick with reading a book, painting your house and planning a garden... it so much easier.

via

Update on the Mother of the Groom dress..we are getting there. I am happy with the two outfits I had made with one minor hiccup ( at least I hope it is minor). The dressmaker left a large chalk stain smack in the middle of the dress. Not a good look. They are sending it to the dry cleaner and assure me it will be fine. Dry cleaning and silk...not sure about that one. Worst case, they start from scratch and make it again...I still have time.


IT IS FRIDAY EVENING...and the air is dense in the sweet scent of jasmine.

I am wondering.... if I should have added an extra week to my writing challenge. I  probably would have stayed out of trouble if I had...I am sure my hairdresser thinks so. ;)


On that note...how are you???  Thank you SO much for your comments on my recent posts. They are truly inspiring. I have been meaning to get back and respond to them all...and to answer those lingering questions about life in Saigon and travel tips for Vietnam. A few things got in the way this week, but I will get to them, promise!

NEXT WEEK...THE WEDDING!! 

AND I AM SO EXCITED!!

Sending wishes, heavy on the scent of jasmine,

for a wonderful weekend!

Jeanne xx

Blooming at Chateau Mango this week,
a peachy-pink bougainvillea.