Day #46 of Lockdown in France

46 Days already! And what have we done here in France in those 46 days? Well, if you’re anything like me then you’ll have tried at least to be productive…..to start with anyway! 🙂

You know the lists, you’ll have seen them everywhere “Things to do in Lockdown”. Some of them are very beneficial: Declutter, Bake, Read, Gardening, Exercise; others feel like they are pressuring you, ie: Learn a new Skill, Learn a new language even write a book!!!

I started with the “declutter” , I thought that as the house is on the market this would be the ideal time to start as, in my own words, never had the time to sort it. Guess what? Seems like that wasn’t the reason it wasnt done, lol – yep I can see you all nodding in agreement – you know what I’m saying!

Then “baking” – No problem here, especially as my girls are laying 4 eggs a day and there’s only 3 of us in the house! Antyime I say “what can I make with all these eggs?” I offer Omelettes, Quiche, Scrambled Eggs, Poached Eggs, Egg Mayonaise but the answer is always something sweet. I’ve been making Flapjacks, Banana Bread, Ginger Biscuits, Coffee & Walnut Cake, Banoffee Pie; you have visions of a large lady now dont you with all these dessert type bakes! Actually I’ve resisted the temptation, I’ve been baking and the family have been eating 🙂

“Gardening” – yep, done that. Jet washed the steps up to the front door, jet washed the patio. Cleared away all the dead stuff off the patio. Enjoyed the sunny days on the patio with family video calls. Then tackled the lawns. Oh.My.Days! Our front lawn is on a slope and it took me several hours as the weather was glorious and I needed to take a few breaks. My Fitness Tracker was impressed with me that day, instead of the usual “time to do a torso twist you’ve been still for too long” I think it actually flashed a message saying “I dont know who you are but please return this Fitness Tracker to its rightful owner!”Come back Mr Gardener – I need you!

“Exercise” – This is work in progress. I am walking Bella & Mitzy most days. I did start the exercise bike daily and had all good intentions. The bike has stopped (it has a flat tyre) but I do have a little exercise plan in place – watch this space.

So, as you can see, I started out with all good intentions but now the motivation is dwindling – actually I’m fibbing, it’s gone.. That’s why I’m here writing today. I thought if I just babbled on my keyboard I might just push myself into something – or I may have to go back to Netflix and finish that series 🙂

I wont lie to you, it has been tough. Tough in respect of not being able to just get together with friends and family. Believe it or not, tough not to be able to go to work! I know I speak for a lot of people who can relate to the isolation issue; in “normal” life you can go and visit your Family, see your Grandkids and have a coffee with your girlfriends and put the world to rights. The mixture of emotions ranges from being extremely happy after a video call with the family to being so low, fighting with the thoughts in your head that you feel alone and not good enough. But, we should all be encouraged by the goodness of humanity and the power of human connection. I hope everyone can find an inner strength, you just have to dig that little bit deeper some days but you’ll find it – because there will be a time when this will be a distant memory and things will return to some sort of normality again – we just have to be strong and keep supporting each other the best we can.

And to that end, we need to have a little humour in our days so I will try and inject a little into your day as you read this. No doubt you have all been inundated with all the funny memes, videos, jokes etc on CoronaVirus but one of the best I have come across (and related to) was this one:

author unknown

Well, whatdya know, I did learn a new language! OK, what’s next on my daily planner………

à bientôt

Time Passes

Photo by noor Younis on Unsplash

Well, 2019 gone in the blink of an eye. Now it’s April 2020. The World is not quite as we know it and all of a sudden we have time on our hands that we’d somehow lost along the way before.

And so it comes to pass that I remembered my Blog. This means I can ramble in writing to help with the days and maybe help you to get away from the World for a few minutes if you’re interested?

I’m sitting here smirking at the title. I wondered what to use as a title, I was thinking of time disappearing and not getting time to write. But, as I typed, it conjured up a memory from my childhood with my brothers.

I think, if my memory serves me correctly it was Danny’s Christmas or Birthday Gift – a Commodore 64 Games Console. We thought it was brilliant, but it was 1980 something! There was one game in particular we often played. The Hobbit.

I seem to remember, it was always in a dark forest and I think the object of the game was to find your way around go through various doors.

Photo by Sebastian Unrau on Unsplash

Every time we seemed to get anywhere in that game we had to wait and then a line of words would come up …Time Passess… then it felt like we would sit there for an absolute age before we could move on or do anything.

Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

When we did move onto the next stage, normally 9 times out of 10, after Time had passed we would get knocked out by the bulbous eyes in the sky and have to start all over again!!!! That phrase has often come up in real life situations and it’s always brought back the same memory. Thankfully games nowadays are alot more exciting and challenging!

However, my reason for the Time Passes title wasn’t down to the Game it was in reference to the fact that Time has passed since I last wrote my Blog. I enjoy writing. I haven’t made time for it and I feel I should as it has helped me in the past. And now so even more with the current situation we find ourselves in.

I know there are alot of amazing people out there that have given their time of late and continure to do so. All those that work for the NHS, all those medical and key workers all around the Globe and all those kind hearted people who are helping others that cant get out – to all of you I say thank you, as does the rest of the World – you are all amazing! To Everyone Else – Remember Stay Home, Stay Safe!

I have decided I will write more. If people choose to read it then great, I hope I make you smile or alternatively, I hope I give you the little break from whatever chaos or disruption is happening in your life right now. Like I said in the beginning it’s just a Blog about my life in France, past and present, tears and laughter included and I’d like to share it!

à bientôt !

Family

It’s been a while since my last blog, life got busy 🙂

However, today I felt I wanted to write as I have been thinking about the year as it closes and moves onto the next.

So although a lot has happened this year, seeing another part France, visiting Castles, having family visit us in France, getting more recognition at work, going to London and happening across Prince William and Kate (yes I kid you not, I saw them in the flesh outside the BBC!) and Amy winning in her category at a large Cow Convention..I cannot help but say my best thing about this year was May 2018 in Colorado.

It’s not been easy trying to earn a living or being away from family and holidays were limited to France or the UK; so I never in a million years thought I would have been in Colorado in May visiting my family for a wedding! We were so lucky to have made that trip….. ha ha lucky…. there’s the word – you see my family’s surname is Lucky! I haven’t seen that side of the family in 19 years! We have always been close so as you can imagine – a very emotional time. I got to see my Uncle and Aunty and my cousins’  and their families. It was my cousins son Joshua who was tying the knot with Rachel. We met up with my other Aunty from California who we hadn’t seen in decades and her two sons. My brothers and I made it to the wedding along with my husband, my nephew and my Mum.

Unfortunately, Amy couldn’t due to her taking her Finals but her time will come soon I’m sure.

The trip was too short but I am thankful and blessed to have made it and now my cousin’s daughters are coming to the UK in January AND Amy will be there too…..I’m so excited 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

It’s all about Family & Friends!!!! I’ve always said it and I always will… I love my family (every member of it)  and I miss them all. xoxoxoxoxo

Until 2019 – I wish you all a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year……..

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Bella

I was debating on two stories to share with you and then realised today is the day we took in our gorgeous Bella one year ago. So, as we’ve decided today is her birthday I’ll tell you a little bit about Bella.

A little bit of background first as to why we decided to adopt a dog from a  Rescue in France.  We lost our Lulu in 2016 to Rainbow Bridge, very suddenly due to aggressive cancer…Lulu was Mitzy’s Mum. She was such a character (as all our pets have been!)  one ear up and one ear down, but Lulu would smile at you everytime you talked to her …..

This left us heartbroken as it does to all of us when we lose a special member of the family. It also left Mitzy very very quiet and subdued.  We helped to foster a couple of dogs over the next year and each time Mitzy seemed to brighten up. So we decided on 21 October 2017 to go to Passerelles Animal Rescue for a visit.

After a couple of walks up and down the cages looking at the sad faces and waggy tails we were drawn towards a beautiful brown dog who just kept staring at Brian and when he walked away she would almost bend her head around the cage to find him!

We asked her story; apparently, she had been found wandering on the streets of Caen, no chip, no collar. She was young, they thought maybe 10 months old no more, and they believed she was an English Bull Terrier Cross with a Rhodesian Ridgeback!  as we have had Bull breeds in the past, we thought why not? Plus she had that Lulu look about her with one ear up and one down and just an adorable face 🙂

As you can see by the picture, she came home with us. We decided to call her Bella. Mitzy wasn’t too sure when she came in the house and just kept grumbling at her and hiding behind me! Bella just sat next to Brian watching this strange little white dog and looking to him for assurance.

 

She wasn’t quite house trained…..that was a little tough but she got it quite quickly. She is a very intelligent young lady. She has watched Mitzy when we make her sit and give her paw and Bella was very quick to learn that she got treats doing that! She wasn’t so good at coming to her name, so Brian used a clicker – guess what? She soon caught on and again, that clicker meant treats 🙂 She could however jump! She cleared the gate once or twice and ran off down the road – we managed to tempt her back each time and that was why the garden fence got higher! We guess that’s probably how she ended up roaming the streets, but why did no-one ever claim her?

She didn’t know how to play, Mitzy soon taught her the hang of that one – so much so that Bella now drags her along the hallway when they share the ragga, or down the garden when they play with the football.  Mitzy is very very verbal. She sounds like she’s gonna rip your head off if you play with a ragga or if she chases Bella and they roll around but she’s just being lairy ( British slang for behaving in a loud excitable manner!)  Mitzys nickname is Lairy Mary!! They are now inseparable and it feels like Bella has been here forever.

We bought Bella her own bed to match Mitzys…she loved it…..until she decided she had to kill it 🙂 This is the Bull Terrier side 🙂

yeah, yeah I know…there was a spider right? It had to die before I came home…she was doing me a favour! lol. So anyway we got them different beds which they loved…..

 

But, now they are inseparable ….Mitzy and her Sister from another Mista! They go everywhere together. If I move Mitzy follows me, Bella follows Mitzy. If we go to take the washing out to the garden to hang it out, they are there like little robots without fail. They like to charge around the garden but only when we’re with them. If we sit in the garden they just wanna sit too….

Bella loves the cat – obviously, we didn’t know if she’d even seen one let alone like one. Her and Skittles are best buddies, Mitzy still gives Skittles the Elvis curled lip when he passes but Bella likes to lick him to death.

 

And now they all share a bed..even though they all have separate beds. And I love that. I love the fact they all feel comfortable enough around each other. I love watching Bella roll on her back in her sleep with all four feet in the air – she feels secure. She loves everybody, children and animals alike (and she loves the sun on her face). And I know she feels loved because she absolutely adores cuddles….. everybody loves Bella too.

 

I have hundreds of pictures – so I won’t bore you but I wanted to share this happy dog story…Happy Birthday Bella, may you have many many more. 

Reflection

It’s Sunday… just felt I should write something to maybe get people to reflect a little.

We have had a nice couple of days, talking, laughing and reminiscing with family. And I got to thinking quite deeply about life after seeing someone who has been diagnosed with Vascular dementia –  don’t worry I’m not gonna scare you all off with some deep and meaningful “What’s the meaning of life” speech 🙂

I put myself in their shoes and looked at the world differently and it made me sad to think how people are treated when people don’t take the time to stop and listen and look at things from a different perspective, that’s all.

I have had my own Mental Health demons in the past but I am lucky, and I know I am lucky. But I could not imagine the pain of trying to fight with the mind trying to remember things and people …it’s bad enough when I have a brain block (and yes I can hear my friend saying -“it’s your hormones! we’re at THAT time of life! – she knows who she is!)

Photo by Stokpic on Pexels.com

“Be Kind, for everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about”

 

Quite a powerful statement don’t you think?  Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 🙂

Lost & Found

Have you ever got to a point in your life where you’ve felt a little bit lost? I mean lost as in what am I doing? Where am I going in life? What shall I do next? Am I in the right place for this time of my life? Have I got it right so far?

I’ve always been one who worried (notice past tense) about what people thought, how I should live my life according to others. Not intentionally. Moving to France and not having a job dented me a little too. ( I have always worked) I felt I had forgotten to be me. I tried to be self employed but I didn’t enjoy it and thereby lost all the self confidence I used to have. A lot of tears and mixed emotions occurred during this time and I wasn’t sure how to fix it.

I think the turning point was my big birthday last year along with the sudden passing of my sister-in-law ( big shock to all, she was far too young). Why was I living with all that worry? Life’s too short and there’s only one person who can turn things around and that’s me.

I applied for a job last September to clean two large gîte properties. (I do have a couple of little holiday homes I look after but they’re not busy all the time). They’re gîtes with a bit of luxury… swimming pool, jacuzzi, gym. It’s been a better year for me because I have enjoyed going out to work and being myself. So much so, it’s progressed a bit where I now assist with the Admin and help come up with ideas for when it’s quiet on the rental side. I’ve managed to find my admin head again along with my telephone voice and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. Feel I found myself again. That’s why my blog has been quiet..planning a Salon du Mariage – Wedding Fayre this Sunday. It’s been a mixture of highs and lows..a challenge too organising with the French…not the easiest of breeds to organise 🙂

For now I have found me again 😊

The Animals

I thought it might be a while before I did the introductions on the animals, but my hand has been forced!

We’ve always been a family of animal lovers. When I was 13 I was given a gorgeous white kitten for my birthday and he was deaf. Lucky was a very poorly kitty but with lots of love and attention (and Mum sitting with him all night) he made it to the grand old age of 16! From then on I guess I was hooked.

There have been numerous members of our furry family – all of them left us blessed to have them in our lives…Dweeb – The English Bull Terrier, Buster – The Staff, Cassie – The Rotty, Lulu – The Jack Russell…Marmalade & Belle the cats…to name a few. There’ll be many stories on them later.

To bring you up to present day, before I digress too much, we currently have Mitzy (nearly 7) she’s Lulu’s daughter, Bella (we rescued here in France last year – think she’s about 21 months)) they believe she’s a cross with an English Bull Terrier and Rhodesian Ridgeback and Skittles the cat (13).

 

Mitzy and Bella are best pals.  Although Mitzy can be quite a cantankerous old mare if she wants to be, Bella is soft and docile and loves her friend and her home. Skittles is an old man but he’s a scrapper. Every night he stays out, and almost every day he has a new nick in his neck, ear or fur missing. I’m guessing he’s either defending his territory or he’s just a bully! Either way, he’s set in his ways. Loves a cuddle every morning and sleeps all day.

So, yesterday evening the daughter came home with a sad story. She works on a farm and a cat had abandoned its kittens – you know what’s coming, don’t you?  She didn’t call and explain, she just turned up at 7.30pm and said her boss was going to kill it and its 3 siblings (sympathetic farmer that he is). She’d found homes for the 3 siblings but was left with the one. Amy is as soft as me and has always loved animals, so I couldn’t really blame her but you can imagine the chaos that ensued.

Mitzy heard the tiny meow and wanted to eat it and then just kept pestering to get at it – even when she was shut out of the room. Bella thought it was ok and wanted to wash it and Skittles hissed and jumped and ran!  I did all the introduce slowly stuff but no…not in our house. Fair enough, my animals are set in their ways and can’t work it out. I’m going to add a picture here – and if you’re as soft as me, you’ll look away 🙂

So, last night I was torn about whether or not to keep it and persevere but if any of you have seen my Facebook you will see my head took over my heart! She needs to be found a home………. until next time 🙂

 

SPLASH!

As a child I used to love jumping into puddles with both feet – you remember that don’t you? seeing a puddle, running and SPLASH! Well, that’s what I’m doing now taking a run up and jumping in with both feet and creating a blog! It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and didn’t think I’d have the courage to…..until recently when a lovely lady actually said to me “well why don’t you?”. So, here goes… a blog about my life in France, past and present, tears and laughter included.

We’ve been in the Pays de La Loire for 15 years now. That’s me, my husband Brian, daughter Amy and Mum Wendy. It’s been an adventure – it still is an adventure. We started with a mini “farm”, it wasn’t planned that way but with our love for animals, it kind of took its own path. You’ll read more about the animals along the way.

Why today? well, I don’t like procrastinators and that is exactly what I was doing. Also, I had such a bad night’s sleep my head was going around in circles about what I could write in a blog so it was there when I eventually woke up….just write it!

So, as my first post in my blog, I’d like to say thank you to the people who are in my life. There is a quote I read the other day that said ” Tomorrow is never promised, so today I am letting all my family and friends know how thankful I am that they are in my life“

You all know who you are……….

I’m gonna sign off for now, I have work to do but I hope this takes off…watch this space 🙂