More b*ll*cks about Lupus

Related to my post yesterday, there is now talk that Michael Jackson had lupus. Actually this isn't so far fetched and could go some way to explaining his wearing of the glove to cover his hand, his occasional wheelchair use, the umbrella to keep off the sun and maybe even his dependence on pain killers, if that proves to be the case. Initially I felt a little disappointed that he had not been open about this during his life but then when I read this quote from his 'friend', Dr Deepak Chopra

"if children have experienced either physical or verbal, mental, emotional or sexual abuse, then 20,30 years later they can develop these autoimmune disorders such as lupus"

..I was more sympathetic. No wonder he never felt able to be honest about it if this was the kind of cr*p he was being told! There is a link between symptoms and stress, as stress affects the immune system, but this is far from straightforward. Of course there is no reason why people who have been abused shouldn't get lupus but as far as I can see there is no reliable evidence that suggests that they are more vulnerable to it! I have never been abused and I don't drink diet coke but I still have an auto-immune disease.

Seeing red

Chairman Bill has been blogging recently about conspiracy theories, medical quackery and pseudo science. It reminded me of a post I read the other day on a forum that is designed to give information to residents and guests staying in the region around the land. This post appeared under the title 'Food and Wine' and was a tirade against the artificial sweetener aspartame, copied by all accounts from an American website. The title of the post was 'sweet poison' and basically went on to blame every medical complaint known to man on the use of this particular substance. I found most of it vaguely amusing until I got to this part.

"In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing this to be rampant. I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject. I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis.. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers.

The victim usually does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a life-threatening condition. We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once taken off diet sodas."

Well, as one of the writer's so called 'victims' of a disease very similar to lupus I can say that it is this kind of unhelpful b*llocks that really p*sses off people with lupus and other auto-immune diseases. Auto-immune diseases are not caused by a toxin but by the body's immune system malfunctioning and starting to attack and destroy healthy cells. The exact mechanisms are still a little unknown but there is definitely a genetic component. And.. yes.. there are more people being diagnosed with all these diseases but this is not due to artificial sweetener but to the fact that more doctors know about auto-immune diseases and diagnosis is easier (and there are many more treatments available). My grandmother (who lived until she was 98) would get a rash on her face in the sun. This was almost certainly lupus but when she was young no one knew what it was and so she was never diagnosed. My own illness was only identified in 1976 so before then the numbers of cases were obviously limited.

Auto-immune disorders are characterised by flares and remissions and so if anyone did feel 'cured' after stopping the diet coke then I would guess that it was most likely due to a natural remission or placebo!

I can only hope that no one with lupus is stupid enough to believe that cr*p and stop their medication in order to try the aspartame free cure! If it was really that easy to cure lupus don't you think we would all have done it by now!

I would like to conclude my moan by saying that personally, I have never really seen the point of artificial sweeteners myself and never drink coke or fizzy drinks unless they contain alcohol (now there is a proven poison!)

On a totally different note, Ian got an email from his agency today telling him that it was company policy that if he became ill with swine flu he must stay off work until he is better. Now as the only way you can be sure that you have swine flu and not the more common illness of man flu, is to have a blood test, and these are not being carried out routinely this seems to be an order that is impossible to enforce! (Of course man-flu would require a week off work anyway!)

A working holiday

Our three week trip to France is approaching fast and we are planning, packing, and organising to make sure that we have enough tools and materials to do all the work that Ian has planned. Ian always thinks we will do more than we actually manage, but even if we just do half the things on this trip then we will have worked hard! This time last year all we had was a concrete base and now we are plumbing, wiring, insulating and building walls, so we are moving forward. We are meeting Warren on Monday. Warren is an English chap with a digger who is going to dig the hole for our septic tank and various other trenches and drains. He arrives first thing Monday morning.

One thing that I did last year was to contact the head of the school of occupational therapy in Bordeaux. It was a long shot and something I wasn't even sure that I wanted to pursue as my plan was to be a full time llama farmer and bed and breakfast landlady. Anyway, my first approaches were warmly welcomed and to cut a long story short, when we are away this time I am taking a trip to Bordeaux to meet her and her colleagues and to consider the possibility of some sessional work! The winters there are long and cold and I will need something to do!

A French wedding

We had a very quick trip to France at the weekend to attend the wedding of Ian's friends Jacques-Paul and Madeline. Ian had only ever been to one wedding before in France and I had never been so it was a new experience for us.

We arrived at our hotel after lunch and checked in. We settled down to watch the penultimate stage of the Tour de France from the bed, showering and changing in the ad breaks. It was probably the most crucial stage but the Mairie was calling us and we could not be late so reluctantly we left half an hour before the end to make our way to Jacques-Paul's village. We arrived at his house just in time to join them in their 100 metre walk to the Mairie.

There was only room for about 20 people in the room so most of us stood outside while the Maire conducted the official ceremony and then we all escorted the couple back to their house.

After the signing of the papers (very important in France) the children appeared with carrier bags full of confetti, which they proceeded to throw over everything, with great relish, leaving a carpet of coloured paper all over the pavement.

There then followed something called a 'vin d'honneur', where we had champagne, sangria, brioche and sort of sweet chou pastry buns. This went on for about 2 hours with no drying up of the bar and then in true French fashion those that were invited to the meal got in their cars and drove to the 'Salle de fetes' (village hall) 4 km away. Well they had to drive since most were too drunk to walk!

There was then more drink and a few snacks and then a bit of a hiatus in the proceedings due to the non-arrival of the caterer with all the food! We never did find out what happened but when he eventually arrived at 10.00pm we were all relieved. A 5 course meal commenced with each course interspersed by dancing. Most people danced themselves sober. Unfortunately we let the side down and had to give up and return to the hotel before the cheese course at 2.30 a.m! Desert and cake were still to come!

There in spirit

I followed the stage of the Tour de France on television while my brother and sister-in--law watched it from the roadside. Although you get all the atmosphere and excitement when you watch it live you also have to stand still for ages, you see them go by in a few seconds and then its all over! So, my brother had to resort to text messages to find out the situation. Here is what we said to each other.

Last night
Lovely: Hope u r out there writing Bradley Wiggin's name on the road 4 when he comes by 2morrow as he is third overall.

Lovely's brother: Will write it just below Lovely, will be in Chinaillon village to see it.

This afternoon:
Lovely's brother: We are at the top of the Col (de la Columbiere).

Lovely: They are 40k away. Brad Wig still there but they will try and shake him off. P.S. Am watching live!

Lovely: Brad holding on

Lovely's brother: Who's ahead? We are on the right on a small slope 30ft from the peak.

Lovely: Changing all the time. They have dropped Wiggins.

Lovely: Contador. Sclecksx2 (they are brothers) and Kloden. Wigs trying 2 get back with Armstrong.

Lovely's brother: How far? Jude (sister in law) needs the loo!

Lovely: 30 mins

Lovely: Heading down 2wards the final climb. Wave!

Lovely: If Brad Wig is not too far behind at top he could make up time in time trial 2morrow.

Lovely's brother: Lot of support 4 him here

Lovely: Sarkosy was at the finish

Lovely's brother: He's a knob, who won and where was Wig?

Lovely: Schlek. Wig 3 minutes down. May pick up more time 2morrow. Armstrong did well.

Smile

Someone sent me this at work today which made me smile!

I don't know where it originates from so can't credit the maker I'm afraid!

Wish I was there

I have been watching the Tour de France every evening and have been delighted to see that Bradley Wiggins is doing so well; being in third place overall and with a pretty good chance of placing in the top three by Paris. I have also become a 'fan' of Lance Armstrong on facebook. Well, I have been a 'fan' for years as it was the story of his heroic recovery from testicular cancer that gave me hope that I would get some kind of life back when I was ill myself. OK, my illness has no 'cure' as such but is controlled. Tomorrow is the longest and hardest stage of the Tour this year goes from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Le Grand-Bornand and, as you can see from the profile picture below, is a rather mountainous route!

However one thing that I am deeply disappointed about is that I could have been there at the end! The peleton pass by the front door of my brother's chalet on their way down from the Col de la Columbiere, the final climb. I cycled up it two years ago, a year after my illness. It was the first time I had really tested my body and although it hurt like hell and I had to stop a lot I am pleased to say that I got there in the end and have the picture to prove it! We went up the easy route however! The tour is going up the other side which is steeper and more twisty! Good luck Bradley!

All jammed out

I have rather neglected blogging over the past few days in favour of fruit picking and jam making. This year my blackcurrants and redcurrants were even more prolific than last year and I could leave the picking no longer. So.. last weekend I picked the blackcurrants and this weekend the redcurrants (3 hours to pick all the redcurrants!)


I have been trying to empty out my freezer so I can defrost it and I still had some of last years fruit in there. Not wishing to add more from this year I started on a bumper jam making extravaganza that ended up requiring 4 trips to Lakeland to buy more jars and lids, as many trips to the supermarket to buy sugar. The result so far is 42 jars of jam. I have jellies and jams of both flavours and now have to think of something to do with the stuff as it is beyond my needs! (I still have 2 kg of redcurrants to use up!)

This is just four of the 42!

All in a days work

One of my colleagues has the flu. No one says it is swine flu but then in July it's the only kind of flu likely to be going around. She feels a bit ill but seems to be recovering fast and so should be able to enjoy the end of the week at home as she has been signed off work until next Monday!

Ian has been working hard in France; mostly nagging the builder and other people to give him quotes. He has however plumbed in a temporary shower and toilet so we will not have to resort to going to the neighbours for our daily wash!

!

I have been enjoying watching Mark Cavendish win his forth stage of the Tour de France!

Past catches up with me

I posted earlier about our family reunion. My second cousin and I are the same age (a complicated state of affairs!) and as children we used to play together. My cousin was about 15 years older than me so when we were about 5-6 he was around 20 and apparently liked to try to impress his girlfriends. Now I don't really remember this bit but he didn't deny it so I assume it was true! At our reunion he had some old photos from those times which thanks to the wonders of modern technology (a scanner) and clever people (his young employees) I can now publish for posterity

!

This is me (on the right), my second cousin and my cousin. What better way to get a woman than to show your caring side either by taking your dog for a walk in the park or taking your young cousins out for the day! Here we are at London Zoo. It obviously worked as there are not one but two lovely ladies!

Finally here is a picture of my second cousin and me looking delightful!

A little bit of France in England

I'm a little fed up at the moment as Ian has gone to France and I don't have anymore holiday left so on this occasion I can't join him. Having a weekend to myself is always a bit of a double-edged sword these days as although I relish the time to get on with jobs and things in the house the lack of company means that I am less productive than I should be!


Anyway, yesterday I attempted to make jam from last years blackcurrants and redcurrants before picking this year's crop. The rain gave me a good excuse not go outside and the Tour de France gave me another excuse to relax in the afternoon! However, today the sun shone. One thing about living by the sea is that you hardely ever go there and as it was a nice day and I had heard there was a French market on the seafront, I decided to go. I thought that somehow going to a French market would make me feel almost like I was in France! When I got there I found there were more treats in store as it was the annual 999 rescue show! This, according to the website promised:
" a fantastic array of emergency service displays including the HM Coastguard, RNLI, Ambulance service, Fire and Rescue and the Police Service.."

Also there were representatives from the French Gendarme which made me feel a little closer to France!

Unfortunately the promised demonstration by the RNLI had to be postponed as they got called out to a real rescue! (Although it was quite sunny there was a strong wind and the sea was a little choppy!

The French market proved to be about as French as the cheese section at Tesco! This stall selling sausages (along with a couple of cheese sellers with dodgy French accents) was about the most French and they competed alongside a fudge stall, a pick and mix sweet stall, a stall selling African looking Kaftans and a man selling Greek pastries!

The town itself has tried hard to rid itself of its Costa Geriatrica image in recent times and there was some evidence to that effect. Note the advertising potential..

and row of Mediterranean looking sunbeds (but without the Mediterranean bodies on them I'm afraid!)

All in all it was a pleasant day and I enjoyed it more than I have on previous occasions. It's funny how the sun makes everything look good!

Doris Elmer

The family party at the weekend went well and it was good to see people after so many years. When you first see people after a long time you are instantly struck with how much older they look, but this lasts a matter of seconds and then you don't notice it anymore. It just goes to show how little of peoples' appearance is due to their physical features.

After a while we started talking about family parties of old. My aunt May (on this occasion I will use her actual name as she died some time ago) was a real party person. She would cook vol au vonts, cheese and pineapple on sticks, cucumber sandwiches and flans and keep the wine flowing for the adult guests. She would organise party games, sing songs and usually would dress up in fancy dress. (I have a photo somewhere which I will try and work out how to scan and post). She was always accompanied by her friend Doris.

Doris was a family friend. She married her husband Bill during the second world war. They had been married 3 months and he was killed in Normandy. She idolised his memory and never forgot him or remarried despite plenty of prompting from May. My cousin, who knew her better than me recalled that after the war she went to France and found Bills grave. She also found the farm where he died and made friends with the people that lived there. Every year she went over to visit Bills grave. She used to live in Camden Town and when I was working around that way I remember visiting her in her small council flat. Far from leading an isolated and lonely life, she was quite a key person in her community; representing the local senior citizens on various committees and attending many local clubs and groups.

After she died her friends asked my cousin what they should do with her ashes and he immediately suggested that they be scattered over Bill's grave in France. As far as I know getting official permission to do this was getting complicated so they just went over and did it anyway without permission!

Summer is here

I know that summer is really here when the Tour de France starts. We have just watched Mark Cavendish win the second stage in a great sprint finish. For the next few weeks my evenings will be governed by the highlights on ITV 4 or Eurosport.

Reunion 2

My second weekend of reunions approaches quickly. My cousin emigrated to Australia 40 years ago. We are not a close extended family and I think the last time we were all together was at my father's funeral 25 years ago. My cousin came for a visit 5 years ago but I was too ill to come and meet everyone. However, this time I have no excuse so we are picking up my mother tomorrow lunchtime and heading off to meet with cousins and second cousins that I haven't seen for a very long time.

Unfit

We really haven't been doing much cycling this year as we have had to concentrate on the house most weekends. In fact, until yesterday I hadn't ridden my mountain bike for a year or so. We had planned to ride at the weekend, initially on the road with some of Ian's friends, but they had dropped out. Ian would have been happy not to have cycled but I insisted so to make me suffer he suggested a mountain bike ride! All the routes from my house involve going uphill rather suddenly. I picked what I thought was the easiest one but even so I had to stop twice going up the 12% hill to get my breath back! I am not very fit at the moment! Once at the top and after my heart rate had calmed down I really enjoyed being outside although I think need to get fitter so that it doesn't hurt so much! I guess it didn't help that it was the hottest day of the year so far! We cycled out to Birling Gap, which was packed with visitors.

I was exhausted and Ian was a bit bored since he can cycle so much faster than me. We passed on tea and ice cream (although I did take some photos) and headed home. I did not find the journey back quite so difficult and Ian had cheered up a bit! Despite being neat the sea the air was sultry and the sea calm but hazy.

I had a follow up appointment with the rheumatologist today. Despite my lack of fitness I am feeling quite well although he was concerned about the fact that my hands are rather puffy and seem to be getting quite tight. The decision was made to try increasing my medication and try to stretch them to keep them flexible. I also have to go and have another load of blood tests since one test I had a few months ago had a dodgy result. The trouble with having regular tests is that sooner or later one of them will be a bit strange and that triggers off a whole round of investigations which usually turn out negative. Well, I hope that is the case this time.

A sad tale

Chairman Bill writes that although he liked Michael Jackson's music none of his songs have any great meaning for him in relation to events in his life. I cannot say the same. Michael Jackson was the same age as me and so when he was singing 'Ben' and 'Got to be There' I was a teenager like him. I can remember calling down the stairs at the youth club disco for my friend to come back upstairs as they were playing our favourite Michael Jackson song. Over the years I have continued to listen to his music although have had some ambivalence about his reported lifestyle.

I will always remember where I was when I heard he had died (in bed and just about to drop off to sleep when Radio 4 news reported that it was believed that he had died) just as we can all remember where we were when Diana died and when we we heard about the 9/11 terrorist attack. (Psychologists call this flashbulb memory).

I have heard many opinions about him and his music over the last few days but this sums up my view. The whole situation was very tragic. Even as a young boy his talent was obvious but he was brought up in an abusive home and it seems never had a childhood himself. He then spent the rest of his life making amazing music but also trying to recreate the childhood he never had and getting himself into trouble as he went. After all, two boys sharing a bed together is fine when they are both children but when one is a child and one is a man with the psychology of a child then this becomes something else. He likened himself to Peter Pan, who never grew up. Although you can hide your age when you are 25, 30 and maybe for some at 40, I know for a fact that at 50 whatever you do, it shows! So, whether he died of natural causes, addiction to painkillers or some other more sinister hand, I don't know, but I would guess that he would never have coped with being a child in an old man's body.

Reunions

I am feeling quite tired after what feels like six months of socialising in the space of a few days! The day after the wedding I went to the 25th birthday party of the choir I used to sing with. In my day we were a community choir with no auditions and do-it-yourself performances but now they have moved onto bigger things. The party was in Kings Place, a new arts venue near Kings Cross station. The building was lovely and the evening was great but not nearly enough time to catch up with the 20 odd people that I hadn't seen for about 8 years! My voice was hoarse and I was getting a bit fed up with repeating the same information time and time again! I was also not very good at walking in my sandals with a heel and was disappointed to see that the venue had few seats and we were expected to stand all evening!

This week I have been at a the College of Occupational Therapists annual conference in Brighton. We are manning a stand in the exhibition with the aim of promoting our courses and the University. It has been successful but relatively hard work as we have been busy. I have also been delighted to catch up with colleagues I haven't seen for several years. A good bit of reminiscing about old times and our drunken exploits at previous conferences had ensued although this time I have been 'tee-total' as alcohol seems to make my hot flushes worse!

The big day

Yesterday was my sister's wedding so I am quite tired today (read a little hung over)... We spent the night in the guest room at my mother's apartment block, which was extremely comfortable and good value at £15.00 per night for Windsor during Ascot. Getting ourselves and my mother ready proved to be no easy task! My mother is not one to enjoy dressing up and even at her own wedding insisted on removing her headdress and washing out her set hair an hour beforehand. She was happy enough in the trousers but insistent that the hat had to go! We were under strict instructions from my sister to make sure she wore it so there was a bit of a battle with the hat coming on and off several times. In the end she wore it for some photos and to go into and out of the Guildhall and then managed to abandon it for the rest of the evening!


My sister looked very happy and my new brother-in-law's parting words were "and don't put this on your blog". So I won't.. just a few unrelated pictures and stories! (The picture is of Ian, me and my mother in the communal room at her place. Several of the ladies had come out to see the rare sight of my mother dressed up!)

My sister's big day

I seem to be a bit busy at the moment with work and other things. My sister's wedding is on Friday (it seems to have come around rather quickly) so I am rushing around trying to get myself organised to finish work tomorrow and drive over to Ian's in the evening. I was hoping to learn my reading off by heart, but I don't think it is going to happen ass there is not enough space left in my brain! This is what I have to read:

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Louis de Bernieres
Love is a temporary madness,it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.

And when it subsides you have to make a decision.

You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.

Because this is what love is.

Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of eternal passion.

That is just being "in love" which any fool can do.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.

Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.

Initial discomfort

Ian and I are quite different in some ways. I like to clearly see where I am going and like to know how things will work. If the situation changes as I go on then I am quite good at adapting but I like to see the plan. Ian on the other hand is happy to visualise the end product and what is happening today but doesn't need to have all the details filled out in between. I think you need that kind of approach to build a house as I would never have got off of base if it was up to me. However, the down side is that at times, when things seem to get stuck, Ian gets fed up. Fortunately I am quite good at seeing the positives at these times so, unless we both happen to be low at the same time, we generally keep each other going.

For the past week Ian has been a little demotivated and I have been trying to look for positives. We were discussing these issues at the weekend and both agreed that things are quite hard in that we have our houses 60 miles apart, both houses are in need of some work before we can sell/rent them, we both have busy and demanding jobs and we are trying to co-ordinate and work on a home that is a 12 hour drive away (and we do not have enough money to just give it all up and go now). We agreed that this really was too much for anyone, although we still have a clear view of where we want to be in the end that keeps us going. The problem is we both want to be there now and our respective houses no longer feel like home. 'Home' has become a building site in France. This is in a way a great feeling as it means that our spiritual selves have shifted in the right direction but unfortunately our physical selves cannot join them just yet (causing a little bit of discomfort).

Grand designs

This weekend was spent doing a long promised job for Ian's mother. She has a large garden and six water butts and Ian had promised to connect them all up to collect all the rain water from the roof and thus make sure she had enough rain water to water her plants. The first stage involved making a plinth along the side of the house to stand the water butts on. This was relatively straightforward. The next job however, assembling something Ian called a 'manifold' out of various bits of copper pipe, brass taps and hose seemed rather more complex and the finished product looked like something found in a engine room. Various lengths of plastic hose were connected up between the taps, the water butts and the downpipes from the gutter. A test-run was commenced and unfortunately the connections seemed to leak due, according to Ian, to the inadequacy of the hose clips. Hence I was dispatched forthwith to Toolstation to purchase some more of a different size.

Toolstation is a warehouse outlet for all building, electrical and DIY materials. Ian discovered it recently and we are now regular customers as they are quite good value. The staff are usually helpful and unlike their rival Screwfix they usually keep most things in stock. However, today as I entered the store the young woman near the counter disappeared in the other direction. From the rows of supplies I could here someone talking to a mobile phone. The conversation continued a few minutes more before, exasperated, the woman said "You have a customer. Can't you call back later?!" After a little while the man on the phone appeared, still talking on the phone.

"Sorry mate, just got to serve a customer.. what did you want?" (to me but still talking on the phone). I told him, he typed a few things on his computer, continued his conversation, typed a few things more, asked me again what I wanted, continued on the phone, asked me my address and postcode, continued on the phone, went and got my order, took my money and was still talking away on the phone (arranging his night out) when I left the store. Who says men can't multi-task!

Postscript: even with the new hose clips the 'manifold' still leaks. Back to the drawing board!

Job Interview from hell

It's the interview season at work and we have been busily recruiting new fodder for next year! Here are a few things I would recommend that you don't say at your interview....

I think I can be a good therapist because I had to deal with some serious shit with my friends at Uni and so I think I can do it

I find alcohol helps me when I am stressed.

I want to come here because you are all so nice.

God wants me to be a therapist.

I wanted to be a doctor but I don't think I am clever enough so I thought I would be a therapist.

I wouldn't have to work with really sick people would I?

I went out with a therapist once and he/she said I would be good at it.

I want to do a job where I can really help people (far too unrealistic).

House naming 2

We finally got round to erecting the house sign when we were in France; or at least we found a temporary home for it hopefully far enough away from anywhere where a buldozer could knock it over! I must admit I think it looks rather like a grave!

Natural beauty

I have been spending a couple of days working in Limerick and so last night I watched a documentary about 'The Calender Girls' 10 years on from my hotel room. We were commenting this morning on how beautiful these women are. Despite their age, lack of make-up and far from perfect bodies their naturalness and contentment really shine through. Another thing I did last night was write this blog entry although technical difficulties (lack of drivers for the dongle!) prevented me from accessing the wireless network at the hotel.

The most amazing thing for me about our trip to France this time was the wildlife and flowers. We were awoken the first morning at daybreak by the sound of tweeting. This was not the internet variety but real tweets from birds. Closer investigation revealed a bird's nest in the roof. The mother bird did not seem to be particularly bothered by our noise and continued to go in and out for food tirelessly from day break to sunset. Looking up into the nest we saw three little chicks poking their heads out. Even the sound of Ian firing his nail gun into a wall did not deter them and they continued feeding throughout. After a few days the noise got less and less frequent and the baby birds seemed to have moved around in the roof. By the end of the week they had flown the nest but were not far away as we saw them learning to fly from the safety of the llama house. Our neighbours had also had a nest in their outhouse and from discussions and subsequent internet research it looks like they were black redstarts. We were also woken the first morning by another strange noise that I had never heard before. It was a kind of low grunting noise and I sent Ian out to investigate! It turned out to be a rather randy male pheasant trying to attract the two girls that live in Herman’s farm. We didn’t hear him for the rest of the week so I assume he got lucky!

The rain and sun had caused the plants to grow. The dock was 4 foot high!

Ian and I walked around the land. Herman had told us that the end meadow was full of wild flowers in May but we had never been there before and couldn’t see much from the house but thought we should wander over to look. Well, we were not disappointed. Coming over the slope in the field we were got our first view of a sea of pyramid orchids and daisies. I would say that there was about two acres altogether of totally untouched meadow.

The pictures really do not do it justice. Within that we also found some of these which I think are bee orchids and probably a whole lot of other things that I don’t know about.

Unfortunately the field was also full of ragwort, which is toxic to horses and llamas so will have to go!

Girl with power tool

While Ian was plaster boarding I had a go with the power tools. I quite enjoyed strimming (well Ian calls it a brush cutter and says that strimmers are smaller and what you use in garden but it looked like a strimmer to me!). Health and Safety man would have been proud of me in my Kevlar gloves, hard hat, ear protectors, face guard, steel capped boots, heavy duty trousers and dust mask (I am allergic to grass pollen!) The only problem was that it was 30 degrees and after 20 minutes I was in danger of collapsing with heat exhaustion!

(PS. Lets see how many accidental hits I get with this title. I am sure they will not be looking for a picture of me with a strimmer!)

Water

Another quick post while Ian is in the shower. Our living arrangements are quite basic but adequate. We have an airbed carefully balanced on two pallettes, a camping stove, a kitchen work surface consisting of a piece of hardboard (that will eventually go into the fabric of the house) on trestles, a washing bowl and porta-potty. What we don't have is running water to the house. This morning I was thinking about what a chore it was to collect water from the tap and walk 50 metres to the house when I thought about people without water where the women walk 4 miles a day to collect their water and carry it back on their heads! What weak feeble people we are here in the West.

Added later: Here are some pictures of our 'kitchen'

and 'bedroom'

Time to relax

Time for a quick post curtesy of the neighbours wireless network while I wait my turn in the shower. We are 'camping' in the house and have now slept there for three nights. All in all it is very comfortable expcept for the fact that we have no flushing toilet or hot water. Our neighbours kindly offered to let us use their shower while they are away and so every evening when I can drag Ian away from work we trundle up the road with washbags in hand! I am sitting here overlooking the land with the sound of the bees buzzung away in the tree and the crickets getting a little exited after a warm sunny day. We are currently working from when we get up to when the sun goes down, after which time we collapse into bed! Despite the hard work I always feel less stressed when I get home.

More to come ...

Crossing The Chanel

This is a post that I started on the first night of our trip while we were staying in the IBIS hotel in place called Alencon. (The 'c' should have a cedilla under it but I can't work out how to do it on blogger!) Supreme tiredness meant I couldn't finish it at the time, so I am trying again tonight now were are home, and will incorporate tales of our return journey as well. I always find traveling interesting even when it is at its worst, as you see such a mixture of people all together in one place, and as we had decided to travel at half term certainly met lots of people! (I must remember next time why we try to avoid half term like the plague!)

So as not to be caught out this time we arrived at the port with what we thought was time to spare only to see traffic jams and queues as we approached Dover! We were 10 minutes late checking in this time through no fault of our own. We had prepared our answer to the question 'what do you have in the van?' carefully and said 'just some insulation and a few tools'. "Insulation" said the lady behind the window, "Well, that's freight isn't it?" I could sense that we had not got our answer quite right and in my impatience I snapped at her. "Freight! No its not freight! We are building a house and it's for our personal use!" My annoyance (and the queues behind us) must have done the trick and she waved us through. We drove to our lane and waited to embark, at which point Ian said, "I really need a pee". Grumpier than ever, I replied, "can't you wait until we are on the ferry? We'll be going on soon"
"No, I really must go!" and with that he got out of the van and sprinted to the terminal buildings. After a few minutes the inevitable happened and I was beckoned forth to drive onto the ferry. I called the man over, "I'm so sorry, my boyfriend has just gone off to the loo"
"Drive the van over there then and wait for him", came the reply. And that was how it happened that the first time I drove the van (a medium wheelbase transit with a fully loaded 16 foot trailer with 2 tons of plasterboard on it) was to manoeuvre it out of our narrow parking lane and turn it round along side a row of park cars! I was not amused but quite impressed that I stayed calm and didn't hit anything!

The boat was packed and the queues for the cafeteria were long. We eventually managed to get in and treated ourselves to a proper breakfast. One thing that we both noticed was that those who were sitting eating bacon, egg, sausage, beans and fried bread were, on the whole of average size, whereas those not eating breakfast but sitting in the lounge having crisps and fizzy drinks were the larger passengers!

Coming back our embarkation was less eventful except Ian went off to the loo again just as the port security came round and asked me to open the van. The man smiled when he saw the leopard print wellies and the dirty washing strewn across the back and decided to investigate no further! As it was supper time we decided to eat in the Langhams Brasserie on the boat; an expensive treat but the respite from fellow passengers justified it in out eyes! The restaurant was busy but we were in a quiet spot with two other couples either side. They were respectable looking but we were a bit shocked to see that they both downed a bottle of wine with dinner. Now as it was a car ferry and they didn't look like foot passengers I was a bit more wary of other drivers as we got off the boat! Interestingly the table of four surfers who looked like they were going to be loud and irritating drank soft drinks!

Itinerary

Just time for a quick post before we are off to France for another week. Although we work hard it always seems a bit of a break. Our itinerary is as follows

Saturday morning:- ferry to Calais (must remember not to put in any cans of foam filler this time)..cooked breakfast on the Ferry.

Go shopping for wire in Leroy Merlin in Calais (French for B&Q). See if I can persuade Ian to let me go shopping for food while he is in DIY shop!

Drop off trailer with ton of plasterboard with Ian's friend Mike (something we agreed to do after he helped us for a week).

Drive to somewhere near Le Mans and find a hotel. Go out for dinner.

Sunday: Drive to the land, set up camp in the house,

Monday-Saturday: work on house

Sunday: Drive back via Mike's to pick up empty trailer and head back to Calais for an evening crossing.

Of course I shouldn't be here blogging! I still haven't started packing!

Oblivion

Overheard at lunch time. As I was walking along the street I heard a man approaching, talking into his mobile rather loudly. He was walking at a faster pace than me so the sound was getting louder and he was getting nearer and nearer.

"Hey mate..guess what happened?.... You know I got done for speeding.. well I'd just been to the police station to show them my licence right.. and then on the way back I ran a red light and I only got stopped by the cops again!!.. yes.. would you believe it! well I said to the copper, no mate, you can't do me again, I've just paid my fine for the speeding thing.. but he said he'd have to book me.. I said you can't book me, I pay your wages... but he wouldn't have it..I was saying to him like.. I bet you have to drink a lot of Horlicks so you can sleep at night.. I mean, I had the kids in the car..."

Then the topic changed

" yes, I'm on my way to the doctors..well he reckons I've got high blood pressure.. yes.. and I've got pains in my neck..and now he reckons I've got to be tested for this diabetes thing.."

At this point he caught up with me and passed by, still talking on the phone. He was around 30, overweight and racing around without paying any attention to anything around him. He may pay towards the wages of the cops that gave him a ticket but we will pay for his insulin, his amputations and his coronary artery bypass in a few years!

It was the fact that he was totally oblivious to the consequences of any of his actions on himself or others that amazed me!

Another day in parliament

What a load of scumbags our politicians are. First of all they are caught with their hand in the till and then in indignation and to deflect the attention from themselves (and no doubt gain some kind of political advantage- I didn't know the name of the leader of the liberal-democrats until now) they blame the speaker. Not that I am saying he is blameless, but he is not responsible for all those individual MPs that submitted receipts for dog food, kit-kats, and mortgages that didn't exist. If any young person with an ounce of integrity was thinking of a political career this will undoubtedly dissuade them from that choice and attract those who are more interested in the power and the kudos and will get to their grubby ends by any means. Such is the way of the world I fear!

I can't wait for the day....

What defective evolutionary process was it that decided that it was a good idea for women to have to endure 40 years of fluctuating hormones, painful cramps, etc. and then, just when you see that misery coming to an end make you suffer from 'hot flushes' instead?

Here's how it goes.. wake up in the night sweating, pull off the duvet, freeze 5 minutes later, pull on the duvet, wake up sweating.. continue until morning.. Get up, have a hot flush just when you have finished drying yourself off after a shower and have to start again..have a hot flush after drinking a cup of tea, get into the car, have another hot flush driving to work, saying hello to boss, opening emails etc etc....

My periods have caused me nothing but trouble all my life. When all this is over I will be very happy! I will not have a crisis concerning my femininity, I will not grieve the passing of my youth but just be bl**dy glad I can live my life without being at the mercy of my hormones!

Planning the next visit

Monday approaches far too quickly! Ian and I are both in a busy period at work and also trying to plan our trip to France next week. It doesn't seem like it was only a month ago that we were there last. This time I can't take my bike as the van is full from floor to roof with insulation, copper pipe, wires, toilets, sinks etc! Good job we are not planning to travel by Eurotunnel as we would definitely exceed our 3 cubic metres of cargo. This time we will stay in the house. We have walls and a roof and windows but the water tap is up at the road and we have a temporary electric supply. These things however are all minor inconveniences. The main problem is that we have no septic tank and hence nowhere to pour the contents of the portapotty! Getting the builder to get on and install that is our next priority!

Human nature

Elliot Morely's accounting skills were so poor that he 'mistakenly' managed to claim for a £16,000 mortgage that he had already paid. Of course we don't believe that at all, but if it were true for one moment what would it say about the level of competence of government ministers?! Thank God he was only doing something as unimportant as climate change minister! Clare Short, on the other hand was a member of the cabinet in 2006 when she claims she made an 'honest mistake' in over-claiming £8,000 in expenses for her second home. I can't help thinking that if I made an 'honest mistake' on that scale I would be out of a job and struck off the professional register and if my neighbours happen to "forget" to tell the Benefits Agency that they worked a few nights in the local pub while collecting their supplementary benefit they would probably be sent to Prison.

Another thing my father used to say was that Labour politicians always got caughtin the end with their hand in the till and Tories caught in bed with someone they shouldn't have!

No stopping the ladies

I went swimming this morning for the first time since the changing rooms at the gym have been upgraded. The ladies who don't get their hair wet were still there, walking up and down the fast lane, chatting to each other leisurely at each end and sometimes in the middle as well. Overheard in the changing room from a group of ladies:

"Hello Maud. You are looking a shadow of your former self. Have you lost weight?"

"Yes, I'm down to a size 16 and I haven't been that for over 30 years"

"Oh, well done..." (Maud leaves)

"Didn't she look well?"

"Yes, but she's lost the weight that quickly she'll probably put it straight back on.."

You're probably right. Don't you just hate these new changing rooms? There's nowhere to put your things!"

(I should add here the new changing rooms are luxurious compared to what was there before with large lockers, plenty of space, and clean and functioning showers!)

The wedding approaches

The day of my sister's wedding is approaching and we have all been given our roles. As well as reading something at the wedding my job is to look after my mother. She is a bit of a reluctant 'mother of the the bride'. She is not really comfortable with fuss and attention and once told me that if it wasn't for family pressures she and my father would have had a plain civil wedding. On her wedding morning she returned from a trip to the hairdressers and stuck her head under the tap to wash out what she considered a far too fussy hairstyle. Age has not moderated her views and the other day she said to me

"I hope you're not planning to get married soon. I don't want another one to go to!"

I looked up wedding etiquette in Lady Behave: A guide to modern manners (written in 1956, the year before my mother got married). In relation to the bride's mother, it says

" She is no longer required to dress up in any more than she would if she were going to a friend's formal wedding. The days of grey chiffon and a bouquet for her have gone.The smartest of brides' mothers we have seen usually wear a tailored silk frock or suit, not black, possibly a buttonhole and a rather gay hat and gloves".

Great Lies

I can't understand why everyone is so surprised that members of all political parties have been caught fiddling their expenses. As far as I can see fiddling expenses (or claiming that you have not fiddled your expenses) is one of the great lies of mankind. (Other great lies include "I gave at the office", "the cheque's in the post" and "It's me not you").

Take this recent reminder from our workplace...

Just a gentle reminder about your mileage claims and how these work in relation to the travel to your normal workplace. I have copied the relevant extract from the staff handbook below:

1.1 When travelling between sites you should claim mileage in accordance with the distances given on the inter-site mileage chart published on the website and in the Staff Handbook.

1.2 If you travel between your home and a location other than your normal place of work, you should deduct the miles/cost of your normal journey to work, if ascertainable, from the total and claim only for the additional cost incurred.

1.3 You are entitled to claim for parking charges. Parking fines will not be paid.

I enclose the inter-site mileage chart and also the mileage chart I have compiled using previous travel claims etc. The mileage on my chart should of course only be used if you actually travel from work.

Now who of us have not slipped in a few extra miles or combined some work related travel (which we have claimed back) with a visit to an old friend in the area? Have you ever extended an overseas business trip into the weekend and had a nice jolly with the travel expenses paid by your employer?

You are only disappointed that our politicians have been doing this as well (all be it on a larger scale) if you believed that somehow politicians were more honest than the rest of us and that would be naivety in the extreme!

My father used to say to me when I was a child

"Lovely, everyone is one the fiddle".

I used to think he was an embittered cynic!

All in a weekend's work

The weekend at home was just in time and mostly spent cleaning and oiling the decking in the garden and painting the shed roof. We did however manage a little a break as my brother and his wife came down on Saturday and stayed the night. We went out for dinner to the Cricketers Arms in Berwick. It is a nice pub which does a great selection of the local Harvey's beer and has an OK menu. The visit was a nice respite from work!

On Sunday we did more of the same. I discovered that it was my neighbours daughter's eighteenth birthday today and decided to impose one of my mad cakes on her. It was a rather hurried job making use of anything I could find locally but I enjoyed creating it!

Good intentions

This week has seemed rather busy and despite all my good intentions the headache from hell that I ended the day with yesterday prevented me from doing anything other than sitting on the sofa and going to bed. To avoid that excuse today I have come straight to the gym but rather than heading for an exercise class I have found the computer in the bar!

This weekend I am at home and Ian is coming down. I am going to see if we can have a break from working so hard and at least take a day to relax.

I decided that if I get the pig flu I am not going to tell anyone. I know that makes me a bit anti-social but then I really don't see how I would know if I got it. I am currently experiencing the delights of hot flushes; at least 15 before breakfast, and my MCTD means that I often have achey muscles, so I really don't know how I would know whether I had flu, the menopause or a flare of my MCTD! I guess if I want a week off work.......

Well, I can put it off no longer.. off to the gym!

Bank holiday weekend

This weekend was spent with Ian in London and it seemed to fly by in a haze of DIY shops, gardening and jobs. I feel at the moment that I work harder at the weekend and on holiday than I do when I am at work, which is a chance for a rest!

On Saturday we did some chores at Ian's mother's house; consisting mostly of mowing the lawn. Sunday started with a trip to B&Q and Wickes to buy some laminate flooring for Ian's flat. Not something we would choose to do for ourselves but as we are planning to rent or sell it, solid flooring seems the best choice. Over the next two days we successfully completed the floor in Ian's bedroom. Of course, the part of the job that takes the longest is emptying the room, finding somewhere to store all the contents, taking off the doors of the built-in-wardrobe and working around the mess. Despite the claims that laminate flooring is a task that any DIYer should be able to manage, it still turned out to require a fair degree of skill from Ian and a good bit of 'easing to fit'.

The other thing we did was buy all the insulation for the house in France..a full van load of fibreglass rolls. We had hoped to use paper insulation but at three times the cost we decided on the more traditional material. I think that I will have to assist with the installation on our next trip to France.

So, now I am tired after all this activity and off to bed!

What's the panic?

I can't really take this pig flu that seriously I'm afraid. I understand the seriousness of a flu pandemic but when I worked in hospitals I saw people die of flu every year. In fact it was the only time any beds became vacant in the nursing homes. Okay, I know it sounds a bit grim but that is how it is. There will still be more people killed by 'normal' flu that the pig variety and it seems to me that the panic here is that rather than just affecting the old and infirm pandemic flu kills young people as well. So that makes it more of a tragedy? Perhaps it does but I suppose it depends on your point of view. We seem to have this idea in our Western and privileged society that it is only okay to die when you are old. I wonder if it is the same in Mexico where infant mortality is high and in many parts life expectancy is low. What kills people is poverty, poor nutrition and poor sanitation and I would guess that in parts of Mexico they have all three. So far pig flu in the West has been a relatively mild illness. Things may change and I may live to have to rewrite my words but my bet is if you want to reduce the mortality rate then it is better to try to eradicate overcrowding, poor sanitation and poverty, and to provide free health care to the poor, than it is to waste money telling us all how to blow our own noses.

I also find it a sad indictment on our culture that the couple from Scotland who contracted flu on their honeymoon are now being represented by the publicist Max Clifford. I can only wish that any money they make from their unfortunate experience is paid back into the health service that looked after them in their hour of need.

Bicycle links

I have posted before about our uncanny connections with all things bicycle related and the way our lives seem to revolve around them (forgive the pun!). While we were away Mike wanted to drive over to a neighbouring town to look at some metal work and other things that a woman was giving away. I can't remember the name of the place we drove to but it was about 40 km away in the Lot et Garonne and by a lovely canal. The woman and her husband had moved to this house three months before from Tenerife, where they had been living for 18years, and bought a run down and badly renovated house. They had just stripped out the insides of 5-6 apartments and were looking for a new use for some of the contents. This suited Mike quite well as he is renovating his house into one bedroom flats.

The woman told me that her husband was a keen cyclist and when I spoke to him about it he said that in his youth he had turned down a place in the 1964 Olympics as in those days there was no money in it and no possibilities of a future career in sports and he had his own career to consider in dentistry. How times have changed!

Pictures of the house

Thought I would post a few pictures of the house....




The first two are the main doors, front and back. If you look closely you can see my reflection in the back door. We don't have a front door handle or a doorstep yet!

This is Ian and Mike demonstrating the art of erecting stud walls and the following two are views of the house; one from close up and one from the road.



The final picture is of Herman's place with the field of rape in the background.

The end of winter

On my trips to the supermarket to fetch the daily supplies I stopped off in the town to look around. You can still see the wreckage from the winter storm. The willows down by the campsite were ripped up by the wind and they have still not been cleared from the river.

However, nature has been a bit more active and signs of spring are everywhere. There were at least half a dozen of these flowers over the land which I believe are pyramid orchids.

I was also fascinated by the beautiful butterfly; much larger than anything I have seen before. It was collecting nectar from the little pink flowers.

He is quite camouflaged in the picture but in reality the yellow stood out against the grass quite clearly!

Slow progress but progress never-the-less

This time last year the builder had just emerged with his digger and dug the first holes and last August we were having lunch on our block floor in an imaginary dining room. At the end of the week Ian and Mike had successfully put up the walls and ceiling of what will be our bedroom and had made a good start on the kitchen and living room (and put in the ceiling joists for the ceiling in the tower.) At times it feels like things are progressing painfully slowly with no end in sight, but when we look back we can see how far we have come. When people ask when it will be finished and when we will move in Ian says it will be finished when it is finished. I think that is quite a sensible way of looking at it.

An omission

One thing the check-in girl at P&O didn't ask us was whether we were carrying any incendiary devices or fireworks! I hadn't thought at the time, but I had made a cake for Mike as it was his 50th Birthday on the Saturday and we wanted to surprise him with a lunchtime treat. I had heard about these cake fountains or candles that are rather like an indoor firework and so hunted one out to go on the top. The cake was a sponge with white icing, which I dusted in gold and decorated in my own eccentric style as you can see below. Even Mike was impressed with the flame thrower effect of the cake fountain!

Joys of travelling

After a mad week in France working on the house we are now back and caught up in work before we get a chance to take a breath. It really does feel like I live in parallel existences at times; not sure whether I am in London, the South Coast or France when I wake up!

As usual, our journeys were eventful. We had an early start on Saturday and realised that we were a little tight for time as we approached Dover with minutes to spare before the final check-in time for our crossing. Still, the traffic Gods were on our side and we arrived at the check in with 3 minutes in hand.

"What do you have in the van?" asked the check in girl.

"Tools, plasterboard, plywood.." volunteered Ian

"Do you have any oil based paint? Any aerosols or pressurised containers?"

Ian thought a moment. "I do have a couple of sealed cans of expanding foam filler"

"Well, you can't take them on the boat..let me have a look at them (Ian gets them out of the van)..oh yes, look, they're marked as hazardous and you can't take them on.. I can't take them from you either as they are hazardous..you'll have to go over to.... " (with that my eyes glazed over and I knew we had missed the ferry!)

In the customer services department the man looked perplexed. "Well. I can't really take them off you either"

"What, you mean my sealed, fire-rated tubes of foam filler are so dangerous you can't take them?" said Ian.

"What about a can of hairspray? Can I take that?" I asked "not that I have any anyway".

"Hmmm, hairspray is a bit of a grey area.."

After some smiles and a few more negotiations the four cans of filler were disappeared and we got on the later ferry. I suspect the involvement of health and safety man for this and suspect that we were a little too honest for our own good!

The rest of the journey down was uneventful although very long and we finally arrived at 2.30a.m and went straight to bed!

Coming back we split the journey in two, planning to stop overnight when we dropped off Ian's friend Mike at his house in the Somme. We planned to leave at a civilised time but unfortunately Mike came down with an upset stomach over night and Ian followed on a few hours later, so the trip back was a rather agonizing dash between toilet stops. Sitting between the two of meant that inevitably I came down with the same thing the following morning and thus the journey up to Eurotunnel was more of the same, this time with me being the one suffering!

We did notice two good things. On the way over on P&O ferries (The Pride of Kent) the staff had definitely undergone a make over in terms of enthusiasm and friendliness (and also looked a lot smarter and cleaner than I remember)! Our crossing with Eurotunnel was also pretty effortless with no one asking about our 3 cubic metres of contents.

Going back again; the next stage

Touch wood, the French fishermen have called off their blockade of Calais after promises of more money so hopefully we will be on the move on Saturday! Blogging will be sparse as not only will we not have a network connection but my Eeee PC has died; or more specifically Internet explorer has imploded and now everything needs to be reinstalled! Ian has been too busy collecting trailers and going to France to sort it out. Mind you, after our last trip I was far too busy and tired to cope with any sort of blogging in the evening!

Ian did send me a photo of the house with windows, which I attach to show the progress. Unfortunately he also discovered that the roof leaks!

Got you!

Lovely lusty ladies is becoming my most popular page and where I get the majority of hits, according to my site meter! How sad and predictable the world is!

The ports are blockaded so it must be Easter

A frustrating few days ahead I fear as we are set to go over to France on Saturday and as we are taking the newly acquired trailer (Ian picked it up a few hours ago from a Tesco's car park on the M3 and manhandled it into his garden), fully laden with plasterboard, we could not take the tunnel on this occasion. So, we are booked onto a ferry from Dover only at the moment the French trawler men are blockading Calais, Boulogne and Dieppe in a dispute over fishing quotas and we are going nowhere! Usually these things don't last too long but as the trawler men can't fish anyway since there is nothing left in the ocean for them to catch they have nothing better to do than to park their boats at the harbour entrance. This would have been timed to coincide with everyone returning from their Easter vacation and thus ensure the maximum disruption and publicity. I must say the French really know how to protest. Demonstrations in Paris usually involve riots, fires and copious use of teargas that make the climate protests in London look like a day out (which mostly they are except for the usual small group of anarchists stirring up trouble and one or two rogue police officers who have not yet been assigned to desk duties).

The fisherman all get in their boats and go home over night, only to return the following morning and start the whole thing off again! Ian and I were wondering why the navy just don't go and sink them!

We are trying to think of a plan 'B'!

Mother's tales

Today was spent visiting my mother and she was in good form. She is properly settled into her apartment now and seems to enjoy having other people nearby to the extent that it has given her the confidence to get out and about when she can. She is certainly slow and unsteady on her feet and I can understand her reluctance to walk what for her seems a long distance when it is all up hill. This is made worse by the fact that the pavements and kerbs on her route are broken, uneven and there are no suitable places to cross the street. I was going to take some photos of her trying to get around and send it in to the local council only I ran out of memory on my camera. It will have to wait until my next visit. We had a nice meal in the local curry house. Perhaps a strange choice for an Easter Sunday but I haven't had curry for ages and my mother also enjoys it from time to time. We walked up and back and then sat to rest for a while in her flat.

My mother spent most of her life as a secretary to various men. She started in the civil service and then worked for an accountant, finishing off in a big charitable organisation. She was able to take shorthand, was a touch typist and was also involved in organising the day to day life of her boss. I suppose we would now call her a Personal Assistant. She worked before the days of Internet, emails and computers when the 'boss' never wrote or composed anything himself and at best would dictate a letter for her to edit and type and present for signing. She watched the story of the senior government official who had to quit because he sent some ill advised email with some amusement.

"I thought to myself.. in my day if you had a good secretary this wouldn't have happened. We all worked for these men who were always apt to do stupid things, because after all, they are men! Your job as a secretary was to watch out for them, and if they looked like they were about to do something stupid you tactfully asked them if they were really sure they wanted to send that letter or note and pointed out what might happen if they did"

Nowadays of course once you press the SEND button the damage has been done and can't be undone, you type your own letters, and if you have a secretary and if he or she is bright enough to work out that you are about to be a bit of an ar*e then they would immediately send a copy of the email to the local tabloid journalist and take the cash reward!

Easter apart

Ian has made a quick trip to France over Easter to take yet more plasterboard while I have stayed at home. His aim was to sleep in the house overnight (something he referred to as romantic but without heat, showers or a toilet not quite how I would have described it!). Apparently the weather has been a bit grim and after a few minutes of listening to the wind coming in around the roof and door he decided to abort the mission and sleep on the neighbours' floor! This morning he phoned to say that he thought he had lost his passport (although after a few minutes of thought and a bit more searching it reappeared)! It has felt strange for me to have a whole weekend in the house by myself and although I had a long list of jobs to do so far I have not been that productive!

A (very) relaxing day

It was pouring with rain when I got up this morning and I had an early start as I was teaching in Brighton. I took the train and got soaked trying to get the parking meter at the station to accept my 20p coins; but by the time I got to Brighton it was dry and the sun was attempting to shine. After a pleasant morning I headed off further into town for my afternoon treat. I had booked half a days leave to use a voucher that my brother and sister-in-law had given me for my Birthday. This involved over three hours of body treatments, including a massage, facial, salt scrub and manicure in a spa in Brighton. It was the most pampering I have ever had in one session. I remember falling asleep and being vaguely aware that I was beginning to snore during the facial treatment! I now feel very floppy!

I walked back along the seafront. Brighton is much busier than Eastbourne, aptly named London-on-sea. I took this photo of the burnt out West Pier as it falls further and further into the sea and didn't notice the seagull at the time.

This view from the prom is how I felt at the end of my pampering!

In the meantime, Ian has gone over to France and I have a weekend to myself and a list of jobs and things to do that will take the best part of two weeks!

Building gates

The logistics of finishing off the house in France, commuting between our respective homes and moving tools and materials around the country can lead to some interesting dilemmas and challenges to our problem solving abilities (and not to mention long conversations that start "where did I leave my box of galvanised nails? In France, at your house or are they in the loft?"). Ian has been looking out for a trailer for the van and found one a few days ago that met all of his criteria. The only problem is, we have nowhere to keep it. So, a cunning plan was hatched that basically involves removing two panels of the fence at Ian's place and constructing a gate in its place. That way the trailer can be manoeuvred into what passes for his garden (a little patch of grass by the side of his flat). My task yesterday was to take a crow bar to the old fence and dismantle it..a job a quite enjoyed although Ian is cross that I did not carefully chop up all the bits of wood and put them in the bin! I should also add that my morning job involved assisting Ian to unload 36 sheets of plasterboard from the van to its temporary storage place in a neighbour's garage.

While we were outside another of Ian's neighbours, Patricia, came out. She is around my age and usually quite active but on this occasion looked like she could hardly move. Ian helped her to take out her lawn mower and she mentioned that she was having problems with her hands and feet. I asked her a little more and it seems that she most likely has rheumatoid arthritis and has been having problems since Christmas. She had started some treatment but so far was still in pain. When I told her that I had gone through something similar a few years ago she seemed genuinely relieved. "Oh, but you are able to do so much, you cycle everywhere". I told her what it had been like for a while, how at the time I wasn't sure if I would even be able to work, let alone cycle, how the first year or so is hard because it takes that long for them to work out how to treat you, medications take months to work, how it takes you a while to adapt and that for most people with the right treatment the future is okay.

I remembered having an email discussion with a fireman with MCTD when I was first ill. He told me that he had eventually made it back to work and achieved full fitness and it filled me with great hope so I hope I was able to give Patricia something positive to aim for. She seemed pleased and that afternoon she mowed her entire lawn (although it was obviously very painful for her). She said to me later "I just have to weather the storm for a while don't I?" I said "Yes, I think you do".

Now I have to make a trip to Screwfix for a box of galvanised nails!

Pantomime

The news today is full of Obama's visit to Britain. He is portrayed as the handsome prince whilst Sarkosy, the French president, is more like the evil wizard, casting gloomy spells over the glittering ball! I have one question. If all the nations of the world are having to borrow more money who are they borrowing it from? (As you can see I have never studied economics!).