I have been picking olives all day in the sunshine (yes, the weather was beautiful in St Remy de Provence today) but I am aching all over - the back hurts, the legs hurt and the long hot soak in the tub is only minutes away. But I don't care about my tiredness because we had a really successful day and picked a good quantity of olives- it looks like the harvest this year will be a bumper crop, so everyone is very excited.
The hours just evaporated as we worked our way through the trees. It is such a lovely process picking olives (especially when the weather is kind) as all thoughts of anything else disappear. As much as physical labour is exhausting I find the mental escape so relaxing.
Anyway off to soak forever in that bath.....
Isn't it great to be outside on a beautiful day picking the fruits of your labor? As tiring as it must be, just breathing in the fresh air and letting your mind wonder about can be very relaxing. As for the soak in the tub, a nice ending to a rewarding and satisfying day.
ReplyDeleteKris
Hope the bath was relaxing!!! Olive picking sounds lovely!!!! I could only imagine! Welcome home and I loved all of the England posts!
ReplyDeletexx Trina
Congratulations on your crop!I look forward to dipping my bread in the final product!
ReplyDeleteYesterday I spent raking leaves from our yard. A good physical workout but perhaps not so rewarding as harvesting olives...
Oh, I do hope your aching muscles feel better! You make working sound so exciting & fun. I've never harvested a crop of any kind but it sounds like an adventure! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJudith~
Vicki, I loved your post yesterday and today! I would love to come help you some year, it sounds so satisfying, organic and earthy! I do truly believe that busy life as most of us know if does melt away with manual labor and the loving sunshine on our backs. You are a blessed woman! Hope to see some photos of the trees, olives and the harvesting process.
ReplyDeleteVicki, such hard but rewarding work. You remind me of Carol Drinkwater, I love her books, I am giving you an award as you inspire me and I would like to show my appreciation. Please check out Margie's Crafts. hugs Margie.
ReplyDeleteI wish I lived closer to you! I would come over and help you... what fun you had today!
ReplyDeletehave a great soak! sip a wee bit of wine too!
callie
A theraputic soak and a lovely cup of tea is exactly what you need- enjoy! Glad you had a rewarding day...
ReplyDeleteTaking a hot bath is always the answer!
ReplyDeleteI walked through several groves during my October visit - olives were just starting to ripen. Olive trees are just so pretty - that dusty green of the leaf, and then the brilliant green of the olives before they turn black. Are you picking green or black?
ReplyDeleteKnow you feel tired but it a good tiredness isn't it? We raked leaves for several hours today after strong weekend winds brought many down smothering the garden. A bit sore now but will sleep well tonight that's for sure.
Glad you arrived home safely Vicki - I can picture it all so clearly. I'm missing Provence and do hope to return next year - do you hire elderly ladies to help pick olives, ha! ha!
Mary - ACROSS THE POND
Sounds like you might need quite a few baths if the picking lasts for weeks! Hope the weather stays perfect for you.
ReplyDeleteClare
oh how fabulous! (except for the body aching part!) - i promise if i'm ever in your part of the world I'll come and help! I'll work for olives, I love them!! xx
ReplyDeleteHi Vicki! Sounds like a great day! All your hard work has such a wonderful pay off. And your bath is the nice ending to such wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I just received your book, took a sneak peek and I can not wait to read it this weekend! It is really hard not to open it.
I can not wait!!! Miss Kris
A labor of love!
ReplyDeleteAm glad the weather was great for your first day and you arrived safely! Its cold and wet in London and your blog put a smile on my face.
Good luck with the days to come!
Poppy xoxox
Sounds like challenging, rewarding work---what a rich and satisfying day! I totally think you should start a 'working holiday' program where we city gals can come and stay at your place, get our hands messy, and help you harvest at the same time! Plus I'm really good at washing dishes...so long as you don't mind if I steal a soak in that tub now and again! ;)
ReplyDeleteOh the romance of it all! I know it would be exhausting hard work but it still sounds so romantic to be picking olives in France! Gorgeous pic too! Tracey x
ReplyDeletewait wait wait!!! is that your bath? if not or if so - I am in LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOY - I hope you are recovered from olive picking. Glad you are back home.
Loved perusing backwards to this post...what do you do with the olives you harvest?
ReplyDeleteHere, in the AZ desert we have many.
And, I also just received my copy of your book..and am intending to take big blocks of time in the in - bewteens" and soak up its pages...
blessings..lylah