Tuesday 25 December 2012

'tis Christmas Day and not a thing is stirring except my fingers on the keyboard, well at least in this house!

Have not done a lot, had a basic breakfast and sorted left overs for lunch.

Decided this year to dispense with the cooking of culinary treats and ordered our dinner from the local supermarket caterers, first time for us!

We had flambe'd crayfish tails followed by Ostrich with a Sauternes and Mirabelle sauce, taters and mushroom dariole and confit of chestnuts. Washed down with a locally sourced champagne (not Cristal!) and it cost less than 35 euro for the two of us.... No room for Christmas pud afterwards! Will keep that for later.

It would have cost a lot more for me to source the ingredients and cook and an awful lot more to eat the same in a restaurant...

All in all it was delicious....

I have seen what others have prepared for this holiest of days. It seems to be that people out here, at least, want to outdo others. Personally I just cannot stand pretentious people. Why do they give this air of being richer and better when they are on their uppers (in my opinion). One day they will get their just desserts, flambe'd or not.

My lovelies in the UK are fine, at least that is what they tell me. No 1 is OK, her children are OK, all is good.

No. 2 has her 'not quite ex-husband as he has not signed the final papers' back in her life. I am concerned about this. He was kicked out as he was not pulling his weight and spending money on his 'drug' needs. Daughter has sorted out all debts and got her and her children's life on track and suddenly he is back. Yes I am concerned.

No. 3  has split with the father of her children. All I can say is 'thank heavens they never married.' There have been a lot of issues and he is now with his father. His family is totally dysfunctional as far as I am concerned. Dad married young, did drugs, wife left him with two children, died of overdose. Daughter is unable to establish a long term relationship with any man of her own age, goes for men of her fathers age. Son is into cannabis, cannot do without. Brother of father lives with girlfriend and has done for many years - no children. girlfriend will not marry because of family history... Dad is locally respected councillor(?) So why did my daughter get mixed up with them??

In spite of all my grandchildren seem very well adjusted....

I am looking forward to the new year. 2013 will be a turning point for me I am sure. I will not be downtrodden any more, say what I think to the person closest and tough sh*t if he is not happy about it. I have a get away 'clause' in my life now and will take advantage of it as and when.





Wednesday 5 December 2012


Looks like the UK has well and truly gone to pot, except for young William and Catherine who are expecting – felicitations!

Not only are there past celebrities and notable politicians being accused of child molestation in the past but it seems that the homosexual lobby have taken over and want their proclivities to be included in the education of children in primary schools – no doubt nursery schools as well.

I cannot understand why the minority want to impose themselves so strongly on the masses. The cases of respectable Christian B&B owners being sued successfully by these people who wish to indulge in practices that are not the norm really annoy me. Why aren’t the judges and politicians doing their job properly and looking after the general populace.

Here we have had persons protesting vehemently in the streets opposed to the idea of gay ‘marriage’ and also a couple of homosexuals wanting to set up a mosque for like-minded Muslims.  Heaven help the heterosexual population.

A lovely French friend sends me all sorts of emails, some are decidedly pornographic so he gets a good telling off by return, some are terribly twee PowerPoint presentations that seem to go on forever with the most appalling musak as accompaniment, then there are the political emails.  

Poor president Sarkozy and dear sweet Carla, how they were caricatured and insulted over the couple of years they were in the Elysee palace. Mr Hollande is now taking the brunt of the no-sayers, along with his life long love Segolene and his new squeeze Valerie… A lot of it goes over my head but they are butt of many a joke . Most of my French friends would rather have petit Nicholas back in power….  
Says a lot..

There are also the anti-Muslim emails. Islamaphobia rules OK! 

We are little people in (very) rural France and the locals are worried.

But, it seems that there has been a lively ethnic community living not too far North of where we are for some years. My ‘dear friend from elsewhere’ (now there is a description!)  came for a short and very sweet visit and took us to a very nice town North of here. 

We have visited said town many times in the past, either for the very large DIY store or the Polyclinic where the ‘ologists’ hang out for consultations – you know the cardi, pneum, proct, opthalm, gynaec, & etc. there are probably ‘icians’ there as well but have not had cause to visit any of them.

My dear friend took us to the market – wow! I have never been to such before – except in Turkey. It seems that there is a large population of turks, & etc in this particular area and the market was, to my eyes amazing! The most beautiful djellabas, leather goods, shoes, and such a large choice of spices, pulses, vegetables . 

I loved it! It will be on my itinerary in the future.

Forget politics and racism, winter is edging its way into our lives and there are only three weeks  to Christmas… I wonder what that will bring?