Here I go again, it is evening, got over this mornings rant and rave but have not achieved a lot at all. Got the Christmas cards done and posted, wrote a letter to a lady arriving next August (our first booking for the apartment!!) confirming receipt of her deposit and confirming date etc. didn't do a lot after that, a bit of tidying, babysitting, no knitting - will do some later. Started typing up the minutes of last weeks ITA* meeting. Am babysitting at the moment as Kathy has gone to play basketball in the village. Jeff is holding the baby at the moment. Ian has just come back from a very cold and wet weekend of fishing in the pays de Loire, just north of Angers.

* ITA is the International Tourist Association Deux Sevres, a group of around 35 members who run gites, B&B's, campsites etc. The association was formed 5 years ago after the Comite Departmentale de Tourisme (departmental tourist office) realised that there was an untapped resource to help them with tourism, tourist providers who were not French and who could therefore bring in more tourism from abroad. The association has been supported by the CDT up until the end of this year. They would provide a grant for us to get underway and to help with the ITA website and advertising. promotion etc. We are now a stand-alone association so now we are pulling out all stops to generate income and to encourage other English speaking tourism providers to join us. I recorded the meeting on my little mp3, a godsend, but with too many interruptions it is difficult for me to type it up.. maybe in the early hours of the morning!!! I think not....

Oh and guess what? My dear husband who has been told by four health professionals to quit smoking has had two cigarettes this evening on top of the one (or two) he had earlier. He is nicking papers and baccy from Ian now he is back....... Jeff didn't smoke at all over the weekend as there was no one for him to nick from..... Oh well - will keep posting on his health