Tuesday

Housework plan is to hoover tonight and concentrate on the kitchen tommorow.

Put a couple of bids on e bay for items for my birthday - following my golden rule "never bid more than a fiver for anything". A little silver butterfly brooch and a green jade bowl. Also bought a snuff bottle for about £6. I bet it is not remotley as rare and as made of jade as they say it is but it looked a sweet little thing anyway. Probably dyed serpentine or onyx.

Will look nice on my trinket table anyway (if it turns up - this is ebay - don't count on anything until it lands on your doormat)

Later edit: Got the butterfly brooch. Someone else but a bid on in the last minute but it was 60p less than the bid I had put on.

Back on home soil

Couldn't update my blog in France as much as I would have liked to as my parents net connection kept going down.

Did get to go to the Roman ruins at Sanxay in the end. Went to Vouvant and Mervent as well.

Terrible journey home on Monday because of the tube strike. Had to catch a bus from Liverpool St to Victoria and that took about an hour.

Back at work now. It sucks as much as ever. Another person in my dept of 7 has resigned - after only 6 months.

Mom called up last night. Pool still is not finished. Cover not on and pump for the cleaning robot still not installed.

Wednesday

Yesterday went to Partheney. Had a walk round the old town and took a lot of photos. Then went to check on Jill and Mick's house - currently undergoing signification renovation.

Was supposed to be going to some Roman ruins today but Mom decided she wanted to clean up the house before Grandma arrives with Dad tommorow. We finished pickling the beetroot and set some raspberry vinegar to soak. Should be ready for the next stage in 7 days time.

Wind howling and blowing a gale today. No rain yet though.

People working on the pool for the third day in a row now! It looks like the lining is going down.

Sunday

Slept terribly last night. My sun allergy was itching like crazy.

Got up at 8.30. Dad decided he wanted to pickle beetroot so put two huge pans on the stove. Then went and took the dog and left me to watch it. The kitchen was filled with steam and the stench of beetroot.

There was some really ugly beetle in the garden. Like a stag beetle but with these huge long feelers. It could move really quick too. Mom got it in her net and slung it over the hedge at the bottom of the garden.

The hosepipe came off the wall while Dad was concreting and got water everywhere.

Whatever the French is for Saturday

Got up about 8.30 am which is really late for me. Had woken up an hour earlier but sat in bed and finished my first book. One down. Three to go.

Then Mom showed me some photos of the snow last winter. Really deep and great big icicles.

Took the dog for a walk about 11 am. We found some lettuce leaves by the gate and were really confused until we went down to near the veg patch and found Marie (neighbour) had left Mom some lettuces there. We picked a couple of butternut squashes for her and took them to her house as we walked Polo.

After the walk we dug up a load of potaoes - well Mom did the digging I put them in the bucket. Also we picked some more squashes and some sweetcorn. We tried to get some of the salsify but it had not done well. Soil too tough for root vegetables to go down very deep really.

Had melon and chicken and salad for dinner. Stayed out in the sun too long as my upper chest is now bright red. My arms are fine though.

Slept through the hotter part of the afternoon.

Later on had a rabbit stew for dinner. Later when it got dark Dad got out his telescope and we looked at the moon. Then it clouded over.

First full day

Woke up a couple of times in the night. At one point when it was raining on the roof I thought it was someone typing on a PC keyboard.

Got up about 8 am and took the dog down the lane with Mom. Then we went to Super U to do the shopping. On the way there we saw a camel. Circus in town and this being France they had just tied the camel up by a roundabout to chew the grass there.

On the way back a chap was driving a lorry full of lions round the supermarket car park to advertise the show. Seemed pretty mean on the poor lions.

Deadheaded some roses and picked some raspberries when we got home. Nice salad for dinner.

Dad has a terrible cold and was taking his frustrations out on the gates by "fixing" them.

Arrive en Francais

Well it is about 8pm at night here and I have pretty much just got to my parents house.

Got up at 6am. Did all the last minute washing up n stuff so I don't come home to a stinky flat.

Left the house at 10.00am. Got the train at 10.38 to Victoria. Met Dad there just before 12. Proceeded to catch the Stanstead Express from Tottenham Hale.

Flight was delayed at Stanstead. They didn't bother to tell us but we had to wait ages to board at the gate.

Mom picked us up at Poitiers Airport. About an hour drive to the house. Short tour of the veg garden - by the way it is raining here!!!!

Cup of tea and Mom is now peeling spuds for dinner, which is in the oven. Chicken and butternut squash n garden veg.