brithday treats

A nice little pre-birthday get together. Gorgeous necklace from Trishty and her fab bead making exploits, lovely flowers from Mandy's garden, a beautiful antique glass carafe from ma and pa and the most cool super duper glowing orb egg light from Erica and Ian. Or Enrique as old Madame Letissier calls Erica. Gregoire made a chocolate fantasmagoria cake and the boys played lots of babyfoot. A good way to end the week. To top it all, Sietske called and we all had a happy birthday drink with her.

Tightening the belt

Everyone seems to be feeling the squeeze right now. With food prices, petrol costs and power bills all increasing, even the average person in the street is starting to suffer from the effects of the global recession. As a business, we are in the position of having to pay higher prices for our products but are unable to pass the costs onto the customer. A lose-lose situation if ever there was one. If we get through the year we’ll be lucky I think….our bills have all increased by 35% since January, and yet our prices stay the same. People already complain about supermarket prices going up by 10% so how can we increase our tarrifs. Malheureusement for us, eating out will be one of the many things axed from the household budget if people start losing their jobs and ability to pay the rent. So this year, it is deep breaths, heads down and try to get by as best we can. No freebies for people though. After an already difficult year last year, 2008 might be the year that breaks us. C’est la vie.

scary monsters

just thought these were funny pics. Taken today for Sietske's birthday card.

put to sleep - part I

My rdv with the anaesthetist went well, I was early for my appointment and walked into a packed waiting room so expected a LONG wait. I HAD taken a book in anticipation, but no, my name was called immediately (I think the clinic must pay rentacrawd to hang out in their waiting rooms) and I was ushered through and told to undress. A very jolly but slightly mad professor looking guy bounced in to see me and, seemingly oblivious to the fact that I was stark bollock naked and feeling somewhat self-conscious, starting prodding and taking readings and asking questions. He briefly suggested that I might like to watch the operation (!!!!!!) until he noticed my now ashen face and the sudden rise in my blood pressure.....as a result I am scheduled to be knocked out with a full general and plenty of hopefully mind-bending drugs and operated on on Friday 25th at 8.30am. Should be out in the early evening if all goes well. We are going to close the restaurant that evening, as Gregoire will pick me up just in case I'm a jibbering twerp. I am still, however, reeling from the swiftness of everything. The last time I experienced anything involving an operating theatre I was in my early 20's and living in the delightful borough of Lewisham. I suffered a rather badly timed burst appendix and peritonitis (on July 2nd - I had organised a big July 4th party to coincide with a visiting American friend) and I had the clinic staff rolling around in fits of laughter with my description of my appendectomy saga and the horrific treatment I received in Lewisham hospital (which also made me realise that the last time I was operated on was in 1987 - things have changed since then I was assured). I shouldn't worry, the clinic is very very posh and I have a lovely brochure about what to expect etc - they even give you an instruction booklet on how to wash.

fingerbobs

finger flexing is not an option for me a ce moment. Had to wrestle with impatient patient (ha ha) with serious anger management issues yesterday at the clinic in Flers, but got to see the surgeon in the end and operation is scheduled for 25th April. Don't ya just love French healthcare - no waiting lists, no hanging around, just bish bash bosh and away you go. Have combination of flexor tenosynovitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and Tinel's sign...much gobbledigook but means a little weeny teeny tiny intervention. Many drugs needed though as I am such a mega wimp.

les flories d'antan

I feel like I have had nothing but meetings all week. Last Monday was the first official council meeting( budget setting) last night was the first meeting for organising the 15th August festival. After much paper shuffling and organising it would appear that the wheels are in motion and the festival preparations are in good hands (not mine I hasten to add, but the people who are on the committee and who have been doing it for years). Even the controversy over the changing format of the soirée benevoles went down better than can be expected. I just have to put my marketing hat on now and start seriously publicising the event.

helpess as a kitten

too much money owed, not enough money earned and looks like we are about to be audited by URSSAF. That's all we need - not that they'll find anything untoward, and we may even end up getting some money back, but it will be extra stress we can do without. Heads, sands and ostriches comes to mind.

april fool

spoke too soon. The dossier has been returned from madame le juge. Needs more info. Here we go again. This time we are talking family history and oh it gets too complicated, but I WILL see it through. It WILL be worth it. Meanwhile, took my first english class. Cool. Very good fun, lovely student, excellent for the lil old grey cells. No news from St Fraimbault, skies are grey and not yet springlike. Oh and the church clock has fallen out of time again. So now we are on GMT - as opposed to CET. Too many acronyms. St Fraimbault has slipped out of France's time continuum and into the UK's instead.