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Misadventures in Mayenne
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
OCTOBER
Time for JJ and I to make jam. Lots of jam. With the abundance of apples in the front garden and the plentiful supply of blackberries in the hedgerows the shelves in the shed were already starting to creak under the strain of jam and jelly. When my neighbour Mr. G delivered a basket containing 10 kilos of peaches, they almost gave up entirely. Much experimenting with flavours was done, but still my favourites are apple and chilli jam and peach and lavender jelly. Just as well really as, even after JJ claimed her spoils when she left this week, there is an awful lot left. Jamming aside, October has proved to be a good month for Moo. She is getting on so well at school and in a meeting with her teacher, and my good friend Mrs. W there to help with translation, I was told that Molly no longer speaks any English at all in school, and is speaking French almost natively. Her writing is coming on a well, although she prefers to act and sing, she has a great sense of theatrics and an intuitive artistic ability. Looks like another one heading for the arts, and whilst I'm thrilled that she is doing so well I wonder if anyone in our family will ever have a flair for mathematics and accountancy. Moo has also started attending the canteen once a week for school lunches, this is a big step for both of us and she seems to be enjoying it, but all of a sudden I am told that my lunches are merely 'okay, but not nearly as good as Dominique’s'. I May have to re-think these school lunches after all. October has also seen a big potential change for me as well. As I write I am awaiting my SIRET number from the French authorities to enable me to start-up my own web design company, HillyWillyDesign. Taking a hobby to a business is a big step, but one I hope will be fun and profitable. MUCH more news of that to come.
Well at last I’m done and up to date. So from now on I will try to be a better blogger and keep the updates more regular. Now where have you heard that before?
22-10 The story of a long search.
It's not in the cupboard under the stairs. It's not anywhere in the shed, or the cave. It's not been muddled up in the laundry or put in the fridge accidentally whilst stowing the shopping. I had a good look in the garage, cleaned out the car, and it wasn't there. I've been looking everywhere but I just can’t seem to find it. I even checked in-between the cushions, but to no avail. I thought I spotted it near the multi-gym, but that just turned out to be something sticky the cat had brought in.
It's been gone for ages and I'm really starting to miss it now.
You see, when Hubs was home for the summer, I knew I had mislaid it, but we were so busy it just didn't seem to matter that much. A trip to Disneyland with Moo and AJ, numerous in-laws, aunties and cousins so soon after our return from the USA left me too worn out to hunt it down. Then when AJ went home Hubs and I had a wonderful 'grown-up' day and night in Paris where we were fortunate enough to have tickets to see a simply stunning concert by the recently reformed band 'Faith No More'. On a side-note here I would just like to point out that, after my initial wrong-footedness, my sojourn in the mosh-pits of Paris was an unqualified success.
When Moo re-started school and life began to return to normal, I felt sure it would turn up somewhere. But we then began to stare into Hubs last couple of weeks at home before the next long stretch away and there seemed to be too little time to form an adequate search party. When a rogue local goat car-jacked us and then, even after Hubs noble attempt at goat-herding, chased us down the road, I'm almost certain I saw it flapping around in his mouth. However as I watched him grow ever smaller in the rear-view mirror, It may just have been a corner of Hubs' jacket flapping around in its mouth that I had caught a glimpse of.
As Hubs flew out and back to work in parts foreign, looking for it seemed a little pointless so I made some jam instead. Then JJ arrived for one of her bi-annual visits loaded with gifts and an ominously large collection of empty jars, which we have proceed to fill over the last few weeks with various concoctions and have left the shed looking more like a confiserie and not very much like a shed.
When my darling friend and Moo's god-mother announced a surprise week-end visit from London, all thought of a further search were put clean out of my head. Well I wasn't very likely to find it on the beach now was I?
And so here we are, just the two of us once more, all of a sudden surrounded by mists and beautiful Autumnal scenes rapidly approaching the end of October. As I strolled though park hand in hand with Moo, kicking our way through great piles of crunchy leaves and watching the squirrels frantically gathering their winter stores, there among the shiny conkers, it quietly lay. All this time I thought it was gone, but it was there right under my nose all along. There was a slightly awkward moment when I had to face down a rather hungry and aggressive looking little squirrel who had taken a fancy to it, but a few scary faces and a determined attitude secured my prize.
So now I have at last found my motivation it's high time I put it back to work, there's a lot of ground to cover.
Thank you for your patience and keep an eye out for shifty looking grey squirrels.
24-10 Off we go again
And so tomorrow morning we are off, for the last time, to Antwerp to visit with hubs. The last time in Belgium as soon Hubs will be off to parts even more foreign. Macau to be exact. Yes, rehearsals are over and the venue is finally built so it's off to programme the show. It’s such a long way away ... but let’s not think about that just yet. The journey to Belgium is a pretty easy one, once you have the tickets. Booking the tickets is another matter entirely. Yet again the blood sweat and tears have been shed over the SNCF/TER/and THALYS web-sites. At first I thought it was just me and my lack of language skills that was making it such a difficult task, but as my French has improved more than a little since the first booking experience, I have now realised that it really is the system that is way too complex. You see you can't just type in 'Home - Antwerp' and find the trains you need. You can just use one site to find the trains from home to Paris, but then it only gives you the national trains not the local ones so you miss half the services and most of the cheaper trains. So it’s 2 sites open for that journey, each with their own uniquely complicated booking procedure, then another one open for the Paris to Antwerp leg. Then you actually have to find trains that get you where you need to be when you need to be there, again easier said than done. If you do manage to find the required transit then you have to book, again a different procedure for each site. You just have to hope that by the time you have booked the seats on one site, the seats from the other site have not been sold. It's only happened once, and although the refund procedure is quite clearly stated, I wouldn't recommend trying it. Timetables checked and rechecked, tickets booked, head in pieces. The one compensation is that the delivery service is excellent and I have never waited more than 2 days for them to arrive (and even though you have to use 3 sites to book the tickets are all printed by the same company and issued from the same place, but they do arrive in several envelopes....)
So after the mind-numbingly painful task of booking the tickets we are off for 'vacances Toussaint', and I must NOT forget to change the clocks tonight, although at least we would be early..... Now I really must finish packing. I have never had my luggage checked on this journey, but by the law of Murphy it will be this time for sure. It is an interesting case, containing as it does lots of Jam and pickles for Hubs' colleagues, an air bed for Moo, a Witches costume, a crocodile and a big pink kangaroo.
NOVEMBER
05-11 Oh, this is Antwerp.
Sitting here watching 'something' on Belgian channel 4. Its a game show which largely seems to involve various members of the Belgian public being pushed into a small swimming pool by large 'comedic shaped pieces of set, whilst dressed in none too flattering silver jumpsuits. Then watching at all again several times. I'm not entirely convinced that I have fully grasped the complexities of the scoring system, but enough to say that the blues are almost definitely in the lead. I think. Once more the trip to see Hubs brought us to Antwerp. When you arrive at centraal station you cannot help to be impressed with the architecture, the crisp,modern functionality of the vast station extension with its dazzling shopping arcade of diamond merchants to welcome you. Then passing through into the beautifully restored building which housed the original ticket hall. The ornate and intricately sculpted ceiling and the spectacular clock in the grand hall are quite a sight to behold. As you approach the wide exit doors the anticipation of the architectural delights in what must be a beautiful town square, is almost tangeable. Across the barren and featureless vista the mess of toughened glass and concrete that is the new metro station entrance and the bright yellow hotel complex opposite, assault your senses, and instead of the 'wow' you were expecting to release, spouts forth a deflated and rather disappointed sounding 'Oh'. And such as it is with me and Antwerp, I keep trying to find the beauty and joy in the city, but keep getting left with the disappointed 'oh'. It's not all bad. There's a very nice park that is littered with bunny rabbits and it has a great play area. The aquarium's good - so good we got to see it twice - small but well appointed, and a very good 'shark tunnel'. Although Moo was slightly disappointed with the lack of hammer-heads, but a good day out none the less. I'm sure there are many nice things in Antwerp, we just can't find them. Given the frustrating lack of internet at Hubs hotel while we were there, we did things the old-fashioned way and took a trip to the local tourist information (TI) to try and find some fun things to do with small person in half term. I rehearsed in French German and English, (the first 2 of which are 'official languages' the last widely spoken), so I could find the right information and left the office clutching an out of date flyer for the aquarium and an advert for the local themed 'ball pit', only 4 bus rides away, and once again was left with that slightly deflated feeling. Hubs and I came up with a couple of new slogans; “Couldn't get a cheap flight anywhere nice? Visit Antwerp”, being a particular favourite of mine. I feel that the TI office may be in need of a radical shake up considering that Antwerp Zoo, a fine attraction we have previously visited, is a round 100 meters from it and not a mention was made of a there even being a zoo. Perhaps there has been a fall-out between TI and the Head zoo-keeper? Perhaps they don't like 'outsiders' coming to their zoo? Or perhaps it's just because we are in Belgium..... No that's highly unfair, I cannot tar the whole of Belgium with the 'Antwerp brush', as I haven't visited anywhere here other than Antwerp and I am sure there are lots of really nice things close by. Like Holland. We always have a good time there as it's where Hubs is, but I'm quite happy that his time there is almost up, (not nearly as happy as he and the rest of the company are mind you), and that at some point in the next few months we will be visiting him somewhere far more interesting. Hmm best brush up on the Cantonese for 'is there a zoo around here ?'
I have since learned that the programme I mentioned is a popular favourite in the week-end tea time schedules back in the UK. Who'd have thought...?
Not again.....
When we returned form Belgium we discovered that the computer was broken, again. Another day, another power supply needed. So while I await the return of Hubs to get a new one and fix it I have been relying on my little EeeePC. Its a great little notebook, but doesn't quite have the necessary 'oomph' for all the web work I need to do its quite hard to work on a design layout when your screen is only teeny. So I have been using this as an excuse to be lazy and not do any writing for HWW. But there is just so much going on that you will have to excuse the odd blip on the site, lack of new pictures or wonky alignment for now.
12-11 The countdown
So it's only 5 more days till Moo turns 5. Where has the year gone? When I asked Moo what she wanted for her birthday she said 'a party'. When I asked her again a few weeks later, desperately hoping she had changed her mind, she said ' a party'. The invitations have been printed and distributed via the 'home work book' system ,( a great system for getting a message to the teachers or the other parents), The date has been set (Weds 18th), and there is no going back. Now I have been to many a child's party, and they are not top of my list of fun things to do, and the idea of having all those children running around our house is enough to make me feel quite faint, but she has her heart set on it and I just couldn't say no. So preparations are under way, the list has been made, and the panic has set in. A houseful of 3-6 year old French kids high on sweets and pop running around looking for mischief. Please Lord let us have a freak sunny warm day next Wednesday, so at least I can throw them in the garden! Her actual birthday is Monday and the cake for school is to be a number 5, so I'm told, covered in chocolate. That's my girl. There is a big pile of parcels in the corner and a bike in the shed (although at the moment the bike is in bits waiting to be re-sprayed, and if I don't get a move on it will end up as a Christmas present and we will have to fall back on the standby gift), but I am waiting on news of the best present of all. We are all waiting and hoping to see if hubs and makes it home. We have told Moo that he won't be here as that is what we thought, but it looks like he may get a long weekend and be able to spend this happy occasion at home. I haven't said anything to Moo as I don't think I could bear the disappointment if it all goes pear shaped, but I am really looking forward to seeing her face if we get go to pick him up at the station tomorrow night. The look on my face will be pretty good too.
14-11 He made it!!
Hurray hurrah hurroo, Hubs made it home for the 'birthday weekend' despite the best efforts of Belgium and Thalys to hold on to him. I mean leaving half the train in Holland when all those people were waiting for in in Brussels was a bit silly don't you think? The discovery that his phone was out of credit so would not accept roaming calls as soon as he crossed the border made the did he catch the train or didn't he wait, all the more exciting. I managed to convince Moo that we were just going for one of our dark walks as we hung around the station watching the train he was hoping to get empty, and at the same time answer the question with an emphatic no. The next train was due in half an hour so we took a stroll around the town square and moo happily scooted around the fountain not believing her luck at being allowed to stay out playing so late - thank goodness it wasn't raining! The local tabac provided us with a snack and then it was time to try and get Moo back to the station. As I was 'Doctor Who' at the time (more about that on a later date...), I convinced her that there may well be an alien invasion force on the train and we must go to the platform to check it out. Thankfully the hoards of Raxacoricafalipatorious decided to travel on to Laval that night and Moo was only a tiny bit disappointed to see Daddy instead of the family Slitheen. (If you have no idea what I am talking about please consult any avid Doctor Who/Sarah Jane adventures fan and it will all become frighteningly clear). Moo was a trifle overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of Hubs, but soon got over the shock and was high as a kite for the rest of the evening, by the time a very late bed-time had arrived she was exhausted and after a short story collapsed in a happy sleepy heap. We weren't that far behind her. Today has been a day full of playing and mucking about, with a little covert birthday shopping in between and Moo and I are comfortably stationed on the sofa watching Peter Pan, while Hubs slaves over a hot stove to prepare a wonderfully smelling lasagne for our tea. Just the way a Saturday evening should be. We don't get too many of those and when we do they are things to treasure so I'm off to join the Lost Boys and Tink for an hour or so before tea. Lovely.
22-11 The aftermath
For once on a Monday morning it didn't take the might of an army to raise Moo from her bed. Well not after I reminded her it was her birthday anyway. Hubs had spent the night before hanging up banners and balloons and was rewarded with a beaming smile as she walked through the door. A few carefully selected presents were laid out with breakfast, with the promise of more to open at lunch-time. The new clothes were put on immediately as was the princess ring (I've been struggling to get it off ever since), and Moo was packed off to school with her '5' shaped chocolate covered cake. So far a success. Lunch was more presents and playing with the barbie princess set and using the phrase over and over again 'now that I'm 5...' After school, the last of the presents, for now, a birthday pizza and a family phone calls before wrestling a very excitable girl to bed. Hubs had to leave early the next morning, but the excitement of the birthday party scheduled for the next day kept a big smile on Moo's face.
The balloons were all over the house, the valuables were locked away and there were enough snacks to feed a small army. We we ready. Moo was on eggs all day asking every half hour or so 'is it time yet?', and prowling around inspecting my handy-work to ensure everything was just so. As it approached the appointed hour Moo relentlessly questioned on who was coming. The RSVP is quite a casual thing here so I wasn't quite sure how to answer as we had only 6 confirmed attendees and with the cold and gastro bugs doing a round of the school, I was a little concerned that we could be a little light on numbers. This is my first 'party' here, and the first time Moo has ever expressed any desire to have a proper 'do' before so I was desperately nervous on her behalf. By 2.35 my worries were allayed as the house was filling up nicely and the decision to fill the house with balloons was already confirmed as a bad one, I think I will probably be picking bits of burst balloon out of the rugs for a week at least. A stack of presents were piling up as the kids were busy ransacking the rest of house and consuming bon-bons at a rate of knots. In total we had 8, which was quite sufficient to ensure sustained jollity for a couple of hours. A couple of mums stayed for a quick coffee before taking advantage of a child free couple of hours in the afternoon, and then we were left to our own devices. The time passed quickly and I was only called on a couple of times to referee, and dish out juice and cakes. Before I knew it the doorbell was ringing and they were off, leaving behind them a sea of debris worthy of a small riot, but the Lord smiled upon me and as Diane from across the road came to pick up her little brother she took pity and helped me clean up. Thank-you so much! Moo was worn-out but went to bed content. The next day I awoke feeling like my head was in a bucket, rather handy as a bucket was required to collect the content of my stomach soon after I packed Moo off to school. And that has been the rest of my week. I have barely been able to function for the most part thanks to a bout of gastric flu. The high point of having to spend all this time in bed is that I have been re-visiting the wonderful Dr. Who wrapped in the comfort and warmth of an early Christmas present from my best friend LD. Never has an electric blanket been so appreciated. Hmm Christmas presents...best start thinking about that now I am up and about again. Well, maybe a bit more Dr. Who first.
DECEMBER
01-12 HAPPY DAYS!
I would like to begin by saying a big Happy Birthday to the most gorgeous, funny, talented and charming 14 year old I know. (That’s you by the way AJ). I am so proud to be your step-mum and I can’t wait till we can spend a bit more time together. Summer seems like such a long time ago already. I hope you have a wonderful day my darling.
And then it was December. Oh my. I won’t beat around the bush I’ve had a rubbish week or so which have felt like an eternity. Since Hubs went back after Moo’s birthday I have been feeling like the party balloons that survived the big birthday popping session. Slowly deflating. To be frank I’ve been miserable! But thankfully the gloom is passing and all is looking brighter, certainly round the village.
The Christmas decorations are almost done and we are just awaiting the tree which is expected today. When you can look out of your window and see the pretty lights twinkling in the trees, you can’t help but smile. We are a little behind in our house with only the advent calendar and the invitation to go and meet Santa next week marking the festive season. This year I’ve even gone so far as to make my own Christmas cake and mincemeat. Ho Ho Ho indeed. For more of my thoughs and seasonal reflections visit the 'Random' page.But by far the most exciting event to occur of late is something that makes me a little squeamish. Teeth. Wobbly teeth to be precise. Moo is now the proud owner of two extremely precarious looking gnashers. I am a self-confessed denta-phobe and, whilst I have no problems with regular oral hygiene, the sight of those tiny teeth wiggle around and twisting at ridiculous angles is quite stomach wrenching to observe. But observe I must. Moo was of course delighted to discover that she was the first in her class to have ‘dents tremblent’, and avails herself of every opportunity to show them off. I must be brave, I must be brave. And what of the tooth fairy? Well there isn’t one in France, just a ‘petit souris’ (little mouse) who comes along and replaces the precious pearls with a shiny coin when they eventually evacuate. Doing our bit for Anglo-French relations, he has morphed into a fairy mouse, who incidentally collects the teeth to build a pure white castle for the mouse princess. I have no idea if this last bit is true, but it was the best I could come up with when enquiring minds demanded to know what he did with all those teeth he collects. The excitement has worn off a little for now, as Moo becomes impatient with her self imposed soft food diet and her aching gums ( I can already see the big boys sprouting forth) and every day enquires, ‘but WHEN are they going to pop mummy’. I know when they are going to come out. On the exact day when I don’t have the requisite coins in my purse, I can almost guarantee it.
But now I must away as decorating calls. Not the Christmas kind, but the paint and ladder kind. We have been promising to decorate Moo’s room for a while now, and with the arrival of a beautiful new birthday bedding set from her Godmother, we now have a theme and a colour scheme. I managed to make her a co-ordinating lampshade last week, and the curtains are earmarked for a little renovation, all that is required now is a little motivation. I wonder if you can get that at Super-U?
08-12 A night to remember.....
Social gatherings are not really my forte. They never have been, and I don’t think they ever will be. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party, and I do miss the fun of an opening (or closing) night ‘do’, particularly as many I was fortunate enough to attend had an open bar. If I have allies, even just a few friendly faces to hide with in a corner, or make a spectacle of myself with on the dance floor, then I will have a great night out. But put me in a room with a large group of people I don’t know and I get really uncomfortable, add to the mix the fact of a different language and it’s akin to the 7th circle of hell. Quite why I agreed to buy tickets for the village soirée is a something I do not fully comprehend, but a twisted sense of doing the right thing and making the right impression must have kicked in, and when the local Maire, who is also our landlord, arrived at the door selling tickets to the annual village fundraiser I found myself inexplicably nodding my head and handing over the cash. I put it to the back of my mind and forgot all about it till I was out shopping for tea, then I suddenly remembered that it was the evening of the soirée and tea would not be necessary after all. I toyed with the idea of just not going, but as I had been previously whingeing about sitting at home every Saturday night, I felt it would be rather churlish to sit at home on a this Saturday night when for once I had somewhere to go, and besides which Moo had already decided that she wanted to go, so I didn’t really have much choice. I got ready, in what I thought was an acceptable manner, smart but not too dressy, and as I looked in the mirror I actually felt this might not be too much of an ordeal after all and I might just even enjoy it. My appearance was greeted with a ‘wow’ from Moo, but just as quickly as she had boosted my ego, it was flattened it in a way that only a child can. ‘Mummy, your dress is exactly the same colour as poo, you look like a big walking poo!’. Awesome.
We arrived at the salle de fete to find it bursting at the seams, I had no idea there were even this many people in the village. There were a few friendly faces, Mr. G from next door, a few ‘school mums’, and the lady from the bakers van. Sadly our allocated seating was nowhere near any of them and we ended up at the far corner with a couple of other kids and a pleasant enough, but in no way interested in making new friends, family. It would be a long evening. We were all seated by 8.30, and patiently waited for our meal, and then waited, and then waited a bit longer. Thank goodness I had given Moo a light tea earlier or she may well have eaten my hand, I was considering it myself by the time the kitchen doors started to show some signs of movement. Of course as we were in the far corner it seemed like an eternity before the food actually arrived, but at 9.45 I had a steaming plate full of pig in front of me. There is really no other way to describe the meal in front of me, I have never seen so much meat on one plate before, with so many different types of pork served up for so many diners I fear for the porcine population of western France. There was boiled ham, roasted pork, 2 different kinds of sausage, pork shoulder, saussicon and, as a nod to the arable farmers, a potato. It was a strange but delicious meal, accompanied by some local and very potent alcohol of some description. By the time plates were starting to be cleared Moo had given up entirely and was dozing lightly on my knee, I have no idea if there was to be a pudding course, but as it was already 10.45, and the plate clearing did not seem to have any sense of urgency about it, I decided to use Moo’s fatigue to my advantage and bail out. As Moo woke up she asked if there was to be dancing at this party, and was almost tearful when I told her that for us the party was over, but the promise of a dance when we had made the 5 minute walk home, cheered her considerably. We took a quick turn around the living room to one or two of Disney’s greatest hits and by the time I had carried her halfway upstairs the snores were coming thick and fast. I don’t know if our ‘early’ exit will be considered a social faux pas, or if it was even noticed, but I have given up trying to figure out village etiquette, it’s even harder to understand than French, but I think it will be a while before I bemoan my Saturday night status again.
A bientot.
Time for JJ and I to make jam. Lots of jam. With the abundance of apples in the front garden and the plentiful supply of blackberries in the hedgerows the shelves in the shed were already starting to creak under the strain of jam and jelly. When my neighbour Mr. G delivered a basket containing 10 kilos of peaches, they almost gave up entirely. Much experimenting with flavours was done, but still my favourites are apple and chilli jam and peach and lavender jelly. Just as well really as, even after JJ claimed her spoils when she left this week, there is an awful lot left. Jamming aside, October has proved to be a good month for Moo. She is getting on so well at school and in a meeting with her teacher, and my good friend Mrs. W there to help with translation, I was told that Molly no longer speaks any English at all in school, and is speaking French almost natively. Her writing is coming on a well, although she prefers to act and sing, she has a great sense of theatrics and an intuitive artistic ability. Looks like another one heading for the arts, and whilst I'm thrilled that she is doing so well I wonder if anyone in our family will ever have a flair for mathematics and accountancy. Moo has also started attending the canteen once a week for school lunches, this is a big step for both of us and she seems to be enjoying it, but all of a sudden I am told that my lunches are merely 'okay, but not nearly as good as Dominique’s'. I May have to re-think these school lunches after all. October has also seen a big potential change for me as well. As I write I am awaiting my SIRET number from the French authorities to enable me to start-up my own web design company, HillyWillyDesign. Taking a hobby to a business is a big step, but one I hope will be fun and profitable. MUCH more news of that to come.
Well at last I’m done and up to date. So from now on I will try to be a better blogger and keep the updates more regular. Now where have you heard that before?
22-10 The story of a long search.
It's not in the cupboard under the stairs. It's not anywhere in the shed, or the cave. It's not been muddled up in the laundry or put in the fridge accidentally whilst stowing the shopping. I had a good look in the garage, cleaned out the car, and it wasn't there. I've been looking everywhere but I just can’t seem to find it. I even checked in-between the cushions, but to no avail. I thought I spotted it near the multi-gym, but that just turned out to be something sticky the cat had brought in.
It's been gone for ages and I'm really starting to miss it now.
You see, when Hubs was home for the summer, I knew I had mislaid it, but we were so busy it just didn't seem to matter that much. A trip to Disneyland with Moo and AJ, numerous in-laws, aunties and cousins so soon after our return from the USA left me too worn out to hunt it down. Then when AJ went home Hubs and I had a wonderful 'grown-up' day and night in Paris where we were fortunate enough to have tickets to see a simply stunning concert by the recently reformed band 'Faith No More'. On a side-note here I would just like to point out that, after my initial wrong-footedness, my sojourn in the mosh-pits of Paris was an unqualified success.
When Moo re-started school and life began to return to normal, I felt sure it would turn up somewhere. But we then began to stare into Hubs last couple of weeks at home before the next long stretch away and there seemed to be too little time to form an adequate search party. When a rogue local goat car-jacked us and then, even after Hubs noble attempt at goat-herding, chased us down the road, I'm almost certain I saw it flapping around in his mouth. However as I watched him grow ever smaller in the rear-view mirror, It may just have been a corner of Hubs' jacket flapping around in its mouth that I had caught a glimpse of.
As Hubs flew out and back to work in parts foreign, looking for it seemed a little pointless so I made some jam instead. Then JJ arrived for one of her bi-annual visits loaded with gifts and an ominously large collection of empty jars, which we have proceed to fill over the last few weeks with various concoctions and have left the shed looking more like a confiserie and not very much like a shed.
When my darling friend and Moo's god-mother announced a surprise week-end visit from London, all thought of a further search were put clean out of my head. Well I wasn't very likely to find it on the beach now was I?
And so here we are, just the two of us once more, all of a sudden surrounded by mists and beautiful Autumnal scenes rapidly approaching the end of October. As I strolled though park hand in hand with Moo, kicking our way through great piles of crunchy leaves and watching the squirrels frantically gathering their winter stores, there among the shiny conkers, it quietly lay. All this time I thought it was gone, but it was there right under my nose all along. There was a slightly awkward moment when I had to face down a rather hungry and aggressive looking little squirrel who had taken a fancy to it, but a few scary faces and a determined attitude secured my prize.
So now I have at last found my motivation it's high time I put it back to work, there's a lot of ground to cover.
Thank you for your patience and keep an eye out for shifty looking grey squirrels.
24-10 Off we go again
And so tomorrow morning we are off, for the last time, to Antwerp to visit with hubs. The last time in Belgium as soon Hubs will be off to parts even more foreign. Macau to be exact. Yes, rehearsals are over and the venue is finally built so it's off to programme the show. It’s such a long way away ... but let’s not think about that just yet. The journey to Belgium is a pretty easy one, once you have the tickets. Booking the tickets is another matter entirely. Yet again the blood sweat and tears have been shed over the SNCF/TER/and THALYS web-sites. At first I thought it was just me and my lack of language skills that was making it such a difficult task, but as my French has improved more than a little since the first booking experience, I have now realised that it really is the system that is way too complex. You see you can't just type in 'Home - Antwerp' and find the trains you need. You can just use one site to find the trains from home to Paris, but then it only gives you the national trains not the local ones so you miss half the services and most of the cheaper trains. So it’s 2 sites open for that journey, each with their own uniquely complicated booking procedure, then another one open for the Paris to Antwerp leg. Then you actually have to find trains that get you where you need to be when you need to be there, again easier said than done. If you do manage to find the required transit then you have to book, again a different procedure for each site. You just have to hope that by the time you have booked the seats on one site, the seats from the other site have not been sold. It's only happened once, and although the refund procedure is quite clearly stated, I wouldn't recommend trying it. Timetables checked and rechecked, tickets booked, head in pieces. The one compensation is that the delivery service is excellent and I have never waited more than 2 days for them to arrive (and even though you have to use 3 sites to book the tickets are all printed by the same company and issued from the same place, but they do arrive in several envelopes....)
So after the mind-numbingly painful task of booking the tickets we are off for 'vacances Toussaint', and I must NOT forget to change the clocks tonight, although at least we would be early..... Now I really must finish packing. I have never had my luggage checked on this journey, but by the law of Murphy it will be this time for sure. It is an interesting case, containing as it does lots of Jam and pickles for Hubs' colleagues, an air bed for Moo, a Witches costume, a crocodile and a big pink kangaroo.
NOVEMBER
05-11 Oh, this is Antwerp.
Sitting here watching 'something' on Belgian channel 4. Its a game show which largely seems to involve various members of the Belgian public being pushed into a small swimming pool by large 'comedic shaped pieces of set, whilst dressed in none too flattering silver jumpsuits. Then watching at all again several times. I'm not entirely convinced that I have fully grasped the complexities of the scoring system, but enough to say that the blues are almost definitely in the lead. I think. Once more the trip to see Hubs brought us to Antwerp. When you arrive at centraal station you cannot help to be impressed with the architecture, the crisp,modern functionality of the vast station extension with its dazzling shopping arcade of diamond merchants to welcome you. Then passing through into the beautifully restored building which housed the original ticket hall. The ornate and intricately sculpted ceiling and the spectacular clock in the grand hall are quite a sight to behold. As you approach the wide exit doors the anticipation of the architectural delights in what must be a beautiful town square, is almost tangeable. Across the barren and featureless vista the mess of toughened glass and concrete that is the new metro station entrance and the bright yellow hotel complex opposite, assault your senses, and instead of the 'wow' you were expecting to release, spouts forth a deflated and rather disappointed sounding 'Oh'. And such as it is with me and Antwerp, I keep trying to find the beauty and joy in the city, but keep getting left with the disappointed 'oh'. It's not all bad. There's a very nice park that is littered with bunny rabbits and it has a great play area. The aquarium's good - so good we got to see it twice - small but well appointed, and a very good 'shark tunnel'. Although Moo was slightly disappointed with the lack of hammer-heads, but a good day out none the less. I'm sure there are many nice things in Antwerp, we just can't find them. Given the frustrating lack of internet at Hubs hotel while we were there, we did things the old-fashioned way and took a trip to the local tourist information (TI) to try and find some fun things to do with small person in half term. I rehearsed in French German and English, (the first 2 of which are 'official languages' the last widely spoken), so I could find the right information and left the office clutching an out of date flyer for the aquarium and an advert for the local themed 'ball pit', only 4 bus rides away, and once again was left with that slightly deflated feeling. Hubs and I came up with a couple of new slogans; “Couldn't get a cheap flight anywhere nice? Visit Antwerp”, being a particular favourite of mine. I feel that the TI office may be in need of a radical shake up considering that Antwerp Zoo, a fine attraction we have previously visited, is a round 100 meters from it and not a mention was made of a there even being a zoo. Perhaps there has been a fall-out between TI and the Head zoo-keeper? Perhaps they don't like 'outsiders' coming to their zoo? Or perhaps it's just because we are in Belgium..... No that's highly unfair, I cannot tar the whole of Belgium with the 'Antwerp brush', as I haven't visited anywhere here other than Antwerp and I am sure there are lots of really nice things close by. Like Holland. We always have a good time there as it's where Hubs is, but I'm quite happy that his time there is almost up, (not nearly as happy as he and the rest of the company are mind you), and that at some point in the next few months we will be visiting him somewhere far more interesting. Hmm best brush up on the Cantonese for 'is there a zoo around here ?'
I have since learned that the programme I mentioned is a popular favourite in the week-end tea time schedules back in the UK. Who'd have thought...?
Not again.....
When we returned form Belgium we discovered that the computer was broken, again. Another day, another power supply needed. So while I await the return of Hubs to get a new one and fix it I have been relying on my little EeeePC. Its a great little notebook, but doesn't quite have the necessary 'oomph' for all the web work I need to do its quite hard to work on a design layout when your screen is only teeny. So I have been using this as an excuse to be lazy and not do any writing for HWW. But there is just so much going on that you will have to excuse the odd blip on the site, lack of new pictures or wonky alignment for now.
12-11 The countdown
So it's only 5 more days till Moo turns 5. Where has the year gone? When I asked Moo what she wanted for her birthday she said 'a party'. When I asked her again a few weeks later, desperately hoping she had changed her mind, she said ' a party'. The invitations have been printed and distributed via the 'home work book' system ,( a great system for getting a message to the teachers or the other parents), The date has been set (Weds 18th), and there is no going back. Now I have been to many a child's party, and they are not top of my list of fun things to do, and the idea of having all those children running around our house is enough to make me feel quite faint, but she has her heart set on it and I just couldn't say no. So preparations are under way, the list has been made, and the panic has set in. A houseful of 3-6 year old French kids high on sweets and pop running around looking for mischief. Please Lord let us have a freak sunny warm day next Wednesday, so at least I can throw them in the garden! Her actual birthday is Monday and the cake for school is to be a number 5, so I'm told, covered in chocolate. That's my girl. There is a big pile of parcels in the corner and a bike in the shed (although at the moment the bike is in bits waiting to be re-sprayed, and if I don't get a move on it will end up as a Christmas present and we will have to fall back on the standby gift), but I am waiting on news of the best present of all. We are all waiting and hoping to see if hubs and makes it home. We have told Moo that he won't be here as that is what we thought, but it looks like he may get a long weekend and be able to spend this happy occasion at home. I haven't said anything to Moo as I don't think I could bear the disappointment if it all goes pear shaped, but I am really looking forward to seeing her face if we get go to pick him up at the station tomorrow night. The look on my face will be pretty good too.
14-11 He made it!!
Hurray hurrah hurroo, Hubs made it home for the 'birthday weekend' despite the best efforts of Belgium and Thalys to hold on to him. I mean leaving half the train in Holland when all those people were waiting for in in Brussels was a bit silly don't you think? The discovery that his phone was out of credit so would not accept roaming calls as soon as he crossed the border made the did he catch the train or didn't he wait, all the more exciting. I managed to convince Moo that we were just going for one of our dark walks as we hung around the station watching the train he was hoping to get empty, and at the same time answer the question with an emphatic no. The next train was due in half an hour so we took a stroll around the town square and moo happily scooted around the fountain not believing her luck at being allowed to stay out playing so late - thank goodness it wasn't raining! The local tabac provided us with a snack and then it was time to try and get Moo back to the station. As I was 'Doctor Who' at the time (more about that on a later date...), I convinced her that there may well be an alien invasion force on the train and we must go to the platform to check it out. Thankfully the hoards of Raxacoricafalipatorious decided to travel on to Laval that night and Moo was only a tiny bit disappointed to see Daddy instead of the family Slitheen. (If you have no idea what I am talking about please consult any avid Doctor Who/Sarah Jane adventures fan and it will all become frighteningly clear). Moo was a trifle overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of Hubs, but soon got over the shock and was high as a kite for the rest of the evening, by the time a very late bed-time had arrived she was exhausted and after a short story collapsed in a happy sleepy heap. We weren't that far behind her. Today has been a day full of playing and mucking about, with a little covert birthday shopping in between and Moo and I are comfortably stationed on the sofa watching Peter Pan, while Hubs slaves over a hot stove to prepare a wonderfully smelling lasagne for our tea. Just the way a Saturday evening should be. We don't get too many of those and when we do they are things to treasure so I'm off to join the Lost Boys and Tink for an hour or so before tea. Lovely.
22-11 The aftermath
For once on a Monday morning it didn't take the might of an army to raise Moo from her bed. Well not after I reminded her it was her birthday anyway. Hubs had spent the night before hanging up banners and balloons and was rewarded with a beaming smile as she walked through the door. A few carefully selected presents were laid out with breakfast, with the promise of more to open at lunch-time. The new clothes were put on immediately as was the princess ring (I've been struggling to get it off ever since), and Moo was packed off to school with her '5' shaped chocolate covered cake. So far a success. Lunch was more presents and playing with the barbie princess set and using the phrase over and over again 'now that I'm 5...' After school, the last of the presents, for now, a birthday pizza and a family phone calls before wrestling a very excitable girl to bed. Hubs had to leave early the next morning, but the excitement of the birthday party scheduled for the next day kept a big smile on Moo's face.
The balloons were all over the house, the valuables were locked away and there were enough snacks to feed a small army. We we ready. Moo was on eggs all day asking every half hour or so 'is it time yet?', and prowling around inspecting my handy-work to ensure everything was just so. As it approached the appointed hour Moo relentlessly questioned on who was coming. The RSVP is quite a casual thing here so I wasn't quite sure how to answer as we had only 6 confirmed attendees and with the cold and gastro bugs doing a round of the school, I was a little concerned that we could be a little light on numbers. This is my first 'party' here, and the first time Moo has ever expressed any desire to have a proper 'do' before so I was desperately nervous on her behalf. By 2.35 my worries were allayed as the house was filling up nicely and the decision to fill the house with balloons was already confirmed as a bad one, I think I will probably be picking bits of burst balloon out of the rugs for a week at least. A stack of presents were piling up as the kids were busy ransacking the rest of house and consuming bon-bons at a rate of knots. In total we had 8, which was quite sufficient to ensure sustained jollity for a couple of hours. A couple of mums stayed for a quick coffee before taking advantage of a child free couple of hours in the afternoon, and then we were left to our own devices. The time passed quickly and I was only called on a couple of times to referee, and dish out juice and cakes. Before I knew it the doorbell was ringing and they were off, leaving behind them a sea of debris worthy of a small riot, but the Lord smiled upon me and as Diane from across the road came to pick up her little brother she took pity and helped me clean up. Thank-you so much! Moo was worn-out but went to bed content. The next day I awoke feeling like my head was in a bucket, rather handy as a bucket was required to collect the content of my stomach soon after I packed Moo off to school. And that has been the rest of my week. I have barely been able to function for the most part thanks to a bout of gastric flu. The high point of having to spend all this time in bed is that I have been re-visiting the wonderful Dr. Who wrapped in the comfort and warmth of an early Christmas present from my best friend LD. Never has an electric blanket been so appreciated. Hmm Christmas presents...best start thinking about that now I am up and about again. Well, maybe a bit more Dr. Who first.
DECEMBER
01-12 HAPPY DAYS!
I would like to begin by saying a big Happy Birthday to the most gorgeous, funny, talented and charming 14 year old I know. (That’s you by the way AJ). I am so proud to be your step-mum and I can’t wait till we can spend a bit more time together. Summer seems like such a long time ago already. I hope you have a wonderful day my darling.
And then it was December. Oh my. I won’t beat around the bush I’ve had a rubbish week or so which have felt like an eternity. Since Hubs went back after Moo’s birthday I have been feeling like the party balloons that survived the big birthday popping session. Slowly deflating. To be frank I’ve been miserable! But thankfully the gloom is passing and all is looking brighter, certainly round the village.
The Christmas decorations are almost done and we are just awaiting the tree which is expected today. When you can look out of your window and see the pretty lights twinkling in the trees, you can’t help but smile. We are a little behind in our house with only the advent calendar and the invitation to go and meet Santa next week marking the festive season. This year I’ve even gone so far as to make my own Christmas cake and mincemeat. Ho Ho Ho indeed. For more of my thoughs and seasonal reflections visit the 'Random' page.But by far the most exciting event to occur of late is something that makes me a little squeamish. Teeth. Wobbly teeth to be precise. Moo is now the proud owner of two extremely precarious looking gnashers. I am a self-confessed denta-phobe and, whilst I have no problems with regular oral hygiene, the sight of those tiny teeth wiggle around and twisting at ridiculous angles is quite stomach wrenching to observe. But observe I must. Moo was of course delighted to discover that she was the first in her class to have ‘dents tremblent’, and avails herself of every opportunity to show them off. I must be brave, I must be brave. And what of the tooth fairy? Well there isn’t one in France, just a ‘petit souris’ (little mouse) who comes along and replaces the precious pearls with a shiny coin when they eventually evacuate. Doing our bit for Anglo-French relations, he has morphed into a fairy mouse, who incidentally collects the teeth to build a pure white castle for the mouse princess. I have no idea if this last bit is true, but it was the best I could come up with when enquiring minds demanded to know what he did with all those teeth he collects. The excitement has worn off a little for now, as Moo becomes impatient with her self imposed soft food diet and her aching gums ( I can already see the big boys sprouting forth) and every day enquires, ‘but WHEN are they going to pop mummy’. I know when they are going to come out. On the exact day when I don’t have the requisite coins in my purse, I can almost guarantee it.
But now I must away as decorating calls. Not the Christmas kind, but the paint and ladder kind. We have been promising to decorate Moo’s room for a while now, and with the arrival of a beautiful new birthday bedding set from her Godmother, we now have a theme and a colour scheme. I managed to make her a co-ordinating lampshade last week, and the curtains are earmarked for a little renovation, all that is required now is a little motivation. I wonder if you can get that at Super-U?
08-12 A night to remember.....
Social gatherings are not really my forte. They never have been, and I don’t think they ever will be. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party, and I do miss the fun of an opening (or closing) night ‘do’, particularly as many I was fortunate enough to attend had an open bar. If I have allies, even just a few friendly faces to hide with in a corner, or make a spectacle of myself with on the dance floor, then I will have a great night out. But put me in a room with a large group of people I don’t know and I get really uncomfortable, add to the mix the fact of a different language and it’s akin to the 7th circle of hell. Quite why I agreed to buy tickets for the village soirée is a something I do not fully comprehend, but a twisted sense of doing the right thing and making the right impression must have kicked in, and when the local Maire, who is also our landlord, arrived at the door selling tickets to the annual village fundraiser I found myself inexplicably nodding my head and handing over the cash. I put it to the back of my mind and forgot all about it till I was out shopping for tea, then I suddenly remembered that it was the evening of the soirée and tea would not be necessary after all. I toyed with the idea of just not going, but as I had been previously whingeing about sitting at home every Saturday night, I felt it would be rather churlish to sit at home on a this Saturday night when for once I had somewhere to go, and besides which Moo had already decided that she wanted to go, so I didn’t really have much choice. I got ready, in what I thought was an acceptable manner, smart but not too dressy, and as I looked in the mirror I actually felt this might not be too much of an ordeal after all and I might just even enjoy it. My appearance was greeted with a ‘wow’ from Moo, but just as quickly as she had boosted my ego, it was flattened it in a way that only a child can. ‘Mummy, your dress is exactly the same colour as poo, you look like a big walking poo!’. Awesome.
We arrived at the salle de fete to find it bursting at the seams, I had no idea there were even this many people in the village. There were a few friendly faces, Mr. G from next door, a few ‘school mums’, and the lady from the bakers van. Sadly our allocated seating was nowhere near any of them and we ended up at the far corner with a couple of other kids and a pleasant enough, but in no way interested in making new friends, family. It would be a long evening. We were all seated by 8.30, and patiently waited for our meal, and then waited, and then waited a bit longer. Thank goodness I had given Moo a light tea earlier or she may well have eaten my hand, I was considering it myself by the time the kitchen doors started to show some signs of movement. Of course as we were in the far corner it seemed like an eternity before the food actually arrived, but at 9.45 I had a steaming plate full of pig in front of me. There is really no other way to describe the meal in front of me, I have never seen so much meat on one plate before, with so many different types of pork served up for so many diners I fear for the porcine population of western France. There was boiled ham, roasted pork, 2 different kinds of sausage, pork shoulder, saussicon and, as a nod to the arable farmers, a potato. It was a strange but delicious meal, accompanied by some local and very potent alcohol of some description. By the time plates were starting to be cleared Moo had given up entirely and was dozing lightly on my knee, I have no idea if there was to be a pudding course, but as it was already 10.45, and the plate clearing did not seem to have any sense of urgency about it, I decided to use Moo’s fatigue to my advantage and bail out. As Moo woke up she asked if there was to be dancing at this party, and was almost tearful when I told her that for us the party was over, but the promise of a dance when we had made the 5 minute walk home, cheered her considerably. We took a quick turn around the living room to one or two of Disney’s greatest hits and by the time I had carried her halfway upstairs the snores were coming thick and fast. I don’t know if our ‘early’ exit will be considered a social faux pas, or if it was even noticed, but I have given up trying to figure out village etiquette, it’s even harder to understand than French, but I think it will be a while before I bemoan my Saturday night status again.
A bientot.
If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at hillywillyworld@gmail.com
forward to next month
