Time and all good things,

My last blog from France. All good things come to an end for the next two days , and possibly more I  will be making my way home.

I have seen some things that I will remember, and I have painted some things with my new iPad Pro and Apple Pencil that I feel glad I have tackled, and some I will even cherish as glad that I was able to. 

I have met some lovely people who have taught me many things, never too old to learn. I have been here since May and I can say in all honesty I have not been rained on once, that really is amazing. I did have a thunderstorm one night but I was safely tucked up in bed.

I really have to be honest and admit I have tasted and purchased some lovely wines and have savoured again some of my favourite ales that cannot be got in the UK. 

So one last little tale from France.

A lecturer at a university is giving a pre-exam lecture on time management. On his desk is a bag of sand, a bag of pebbles, some big rocks and bucket. 

He asks for a volunteer to put all three grades of stone into the bucket, and a keen student duly steps up to carry out the task, starting with the sand, then the pebbles, then the rocks, which do not all fit in the bucket.

"The is an analogy of poor time management," trills the lecturer, "If you'd have put the rocks in first, then the pebbles, then the sand, all three would have fit. 

This is much like time management, in that by completing your biggest tasks first, you leave room to complete your medium tasks, then your smaller ones. 

By completing your smallest tasks first you spend so much time on them you leave yourself unable to complete either medium of large tasks satisfactorily. 

Let me show you.."

And the lecturer re-fills the bucket, big rocks first, then pebbles, then sand, shaking the bucket between each so that everything fits.

"But Sir," says one student, slouched at the back of the theatre, "You've forgotten one thing.."

At which the student approaches the bucket, produces a can of lager, opens it and pours into the bucket. "No matter how busy you are," quips the student with a smile, "There's always time for a quick beer."

Have a marvellous few days will be back in touch when I am basking in the rain in Freuchie.