Insurers and Sorting !!!!

We suffered roof damage to our barns and also lost a wall during the storm of the 27/28th February 2010. We had the repairs completed by our builder and submitted the 'facture' to our insurers. At last it is done and we can sit back and relax a bit. No.....no way!! We received a cheque from our insurers in final settlement of the 'facture'. "WHAT the EFFF!" was my man's response when he opened the letter from our insurer, they had decided to pay just 25% of the total cost of repairs..... Hmm...

They had already refused to pay for severe damage to a 'hangar' some 7 years ago that lost its roof during a very bizarre day of high winds, hail, rain, sunshine etc. repeating itself. Apparently that day, according to the Meteo, the wind in our village did not exceed 50km per hour. In the village no, we are on the edge of the village and on a hill!! At that time we were not savvy about damage/mayors/insurers out here. We found out later, much later, that if we had had a letter from our Mayor to send to our insurers giving details about the bizarre weather we would have been OK. As you can well imagine we were well p'd off with the insurers and took the hangar off the policy.

Since we have gained more knowledge about things out here we decided to take the bull by the horns and went into town to see our lovely lady insurance agent (who does not speak a word of English). We explained the situation. She looked at the cheque, looked at our dossier, looked at my copies of paperwork from the quantity surveyor, who had been looking at lots of damaged/destroyed properties in our neck of the woods for the 5 months prior to seeing ours, looked at the paperwork and the cheque again. OK!! She will contact the quantity surveyor and get copies of his report and then contact the insurers. "Look after the cheque you have received and I will either telephone or send you a letter" she said... We wait with baited breath - as does our builder...

I have over the last couple of weeks been doing a 'daily sort out'.. Sorting the 'stuff' that has been accumulated over the past few years. I didn't realise that there was so much 'stuff' and the awful thing is that it is 'stuff' that I have accumulated. His 'stuff' is in the Barn. When the time comes it will be up to Him to sort out his 'stuff' - I dread to think what I might find! It seems to me that the larger the space to store 'stuff' then the more 'stuff' is acquired. It seems to breed!!!!

I used to have a small cupboard, and a drawer, in the UK where the 'stuff' was stowed, so when it came to relocating to La Belle France it was easy to 'sort out'. Pas de probleme!! His 'stuff' in a 9' x 12' shed in the garden was not properly 'sorted' and for weeks/months/years afterwards He groaned and griped about what was left behind. Pas ma probleme!!

I didn't realise we had so many books; romances, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy etc. as well as historical, cookery, DIY, reference, language and just easy reading. The books are now sorted into those that I would love to read again, those that He would love to read again, those that we definitely need to keep and those that must to go. They have then been sub-sorted into author/title and then into different bookcases in different parts of the house. It seems to be OK, at the moment.

"I should have been a librarian!" she shouts!!!

I have always liked to keep my hands occupied, it could be knitting, crochet, embroidery, tapestry, drawing, painting etc.. so I have a stack of 'crafty' things lurking about the place. Many of the 'crafts' that I had started were stowed away when daughter and granddaughter arrived (2006). I know from past experience what small girls can get up to when you are not looking and I did not want things unpicked, unraveled etc.

I have now found what I had started. At the moment I am finishing/completing a crochet tablecloth. It is a glorious design that I found out here in a publication in 1990. I only have to do one other motif and it will be finished. When that is done I will try to finish the cross-stitch picture that I started 4 years ago for our eldest daughter and then maybe try to finish the embroidery that my mother gave me to finish and I also have a tapestry cushion cover and a Mabel Lucy Atwell cross-stitch, the list goes on.... I also want to start knitting again - I see such awful garments out here and would rather make my own. I can sew so that will also be on the agenda - maybe next year.. After all, I do have plenty of time now.

At our local Social Centre they have 'Ateliers Adultes' - I will go to the Vendredi - cafe, tricot, broderie, crochet... and improve my French as well as complete some of my projects. I am really looking forward to it!! Will also (if He can stand it) go to the Franglais session on a Weds evening.

It is just us two now. We do not have to worry about family here or clients... We can do what we want, when we want!!