Gritty Scotsman

Love him or hate him, it is inspiring to see a UK tennis player wanting to win at last. For so long the gentleman players have been under performing or not fulfilling their potential. However Andy Murray seems to have the determination, single mindedness and raw passion (as well as a lot of talent!) to succeed......and he is Scottish.....which is even better.

Is Summer starting?

At last Summer may be around the corner. It has been damp, wet and miserable in the South of France recently. In fact it has been far better weather in the UK over the last two months. The vignerons have sufficient rain....now they are worried about rot and oidium(are farmers ever happy?). Whilst we have had ghastly damp heavy skies, we have been more fortunate than many parts of Bordeaux who seemed to have had severe hailstorms...one of the nightmares for any grape grower. One saving grace for this part of the Languedoc is that we have fresh cleansing winds that can soon change the clouds and freshen up the whole atmosphere. Let's hope.

Two Glasses of Wine

  When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the

  mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine...

  A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began,

  wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.  

 He then  asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

  The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The

  pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

  He then asked the students again if the jar was full.  They agreed it was. The professor next picked up  a

  box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

  He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous'yes.' The professor then

  produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively

  filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

  'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I  want you to recognise that this jar represents your life.

  The golf balls are the important things; your  family, your children, your health, your friends, and your

  favourite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

  The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything

  else; the small stuff.

   If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

   The same goes for life if you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff.

   Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical

   check-ups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house

   and fix the disposal.

   Take care of the golf balls first; the Things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

   One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented. The professor smiled.'I'm

   glad you asked. It just goes to show

 you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a

   couple of glasses of wine with a friend.'