Life amongst the chestnut groves

Apparently the UK had a wonderful Easter. Well, ours was crap. OK it did get sunny later in the afternoon but still with a wintry wind. During the week we had a few hours of sunshine to enjoy walking Siena but still that icy wind.

Delia had the meeting with the anaesthetist. She did speak a bit of English but sometimes its less helpful. For instance I was puzzled about Delia going for a “puncture” whilst had she said “prise de sang” I would have known she meant a blood sample.

On Friday, we had booked a meal and a night in a Limoges hotel for my birthday (as Delia’s op was then scheduled for 2nd May). Now that they have rescheduled for the 9th it was just a very nice night out. The hotel was a bit jaded but allegedly one of the better hotels in Limoges. It looks out onto a square – which those who have visited around Xmas may remember the Xmas Fair held there. Not as picturesque now, its all ripped for resurfacing or something, the first level of the car park under it needs and umbrella when its raining, water leaks through everywhere!

Anyway, Delia ran her bath (a luxury now we don’t have one) whilst I went out to hunter/gather. Lots of high priced chocolate shops (I encountered 4, some with tasty samples 🙂 ) – but a 50€ easter egg reduced from 75€ didn’t tempt me. I ended buying a couple of chocolate muffins from Pauls and ordering two coupes de champagne from the hotel bar to enjoy with a pink faced (and purple haired Delia) who ate her muffin in the bath whilst I sat in the doorway.

That evening, the rain held off and we walked to the restaurant. The walk would have taken less than 15 minutes had I listened to Delia, instead of 30 mins with the “help” of me and my satnav. Anyway the restaurant was perfect. It was fully booked but it wasn’t crowded since many tables weren’t filled until later. The waitress was pleased that she didn’t have to speak english. She was jolly and friendly and was happy to research just what crosnes were. Looking like witchity grubs but tasting a bit like artichoke, apparently they are actually chinese artichokes, a small tuber. Whatever, they were a nice accompaniment to turbot and leeks with a champagne sauce. Delia enjoyed an entrecote steak and chips with half a baked Camembert. Dessert was brioche pain perdu for me and chocolate moelleux for Delia – all delicious. We will definitely take future guests there.

Next weekend we are off to the seaside (well, near where we have been before, on the Atlantic coast near Mimizan). We had cancelled our Berlin trip that same weekend because of Delia’s scheduled op and couldn’t rebook Berlin because our friend had made other arrangements. The anaesthetist was talking firmly about the 9th so it doesn’t look like changing again.

Delia may no doubt update you about that weekend (belatedly since we don’t return home until the Monday afternoon).

Yes Spring is most definitely here, along with my hay fever! The trees are regaining their leaves the sun is shining (mostly) and the rain is falling but it’s not cold. In France Good Friday is not a public holiday, so while I had the day off everything locally was open and it was also a friend’s birthday. So a couple of us headed off to an English Tea Room in a nearby town for lunch. It was such a glorious day we sat outside and drank our tea and ate our all day English breakfast (including hash browns – heaven) plus fabulous cake!!! Will be going back as there were so many things of the menu I wanted to try.

Then 2 of us wandered around the medieval part of the town, I found a charity shop and left with a white summer blouse and a lovely blue scarf – all for the grand total of €3. We also explored a porcelain shop (it’s a factory outlet and great value), then into the chocolatier’s shop – well it is Easter. A small chocolate each and off we went, back to our local town to make various haircut appointments – mine is next Friday morning – the usual cut and colour, but part of me does think should I go a bit wild with the colour?!

So what is to happen for the rest of the weekend? Today started out nice and I’ve done some washing – however the weather is not looking so good now. We’ve also done the house cleaning – relatively quick job with the two of us working together. Tomorrow we have planned a walk around one of the local lakes. Unfortunately for us, both of us have to do some work on Monday, but my Monday afternoon will be spent binge watching an interior design programme – or if it is a sunny day perhaps another walk somewhere?

For now, à bientôt, from our wonderful part of France – Delia

OK we have done so before but not for a while. Won the pub quiz that is. One of the best meals too (and thats saying something). We now have a regular team – with whom we have won twice before. A bit of strategy we learned too, avoid the second quiz of the month because there are some clever buggers who go to that one.

The weather has been good, sunny most days though often with a cold wind. We have managed several afternoon dog walks along the Voie Verte (a converted railway line call the “Green Way”).  A couple, whom we first met on the Voie Verte coincidentally and who also became my customers for websites – have actually come to live permanently. We met up with them and their two dogs – a deer hound cross and a beagle, called Marley and Toby (the dogs that is, they are Val and Graham). They had forgiven us for swapping their news of moving here with our plans of moving to Aus (Val and Graham, that is. For all we know the dogs still bear a grudge).  For all his size Marley was a real softie – stopping and sitting – refusing to continue after he had a small thorn in his foot. Siena hops along despite the thorn, just in case she misses some smell or better still a cyclist.

As Delia’s blog will detail, she has had some good news with the follow-up scans not showing any further spread of her cancer. She herself is up and down in anticipation of the operation on 2nd May but she is enjoying her planning  (a week early) for the weekend before to celebrate my birthday.  An overnight somewhere in Limoges and a nice restaurant is currently top of the list.

Please note that this blog is identical to my fit and fab blog.

15/03 – Just before we moved, I did the wonderful thing of going to the doctors as I needed a few things to be checked out – which to be honest I had been putting off – things like a tetanus shot, my blood check (due to my thyroid operation) and a pap smear. A couple of weeks before my appointment I noticed an indentation in my left breast, so I mentioned this to the doctor, she did a check, couldn’t find anything but sent me off for a mammogram. This was duly booked in for the 11th March. Anyone who tells you mammograms don’t hurt is lying. They hurt, albeit it is brief. They hurt more when they decide that you actually need a few more and better images. I was then informed that they had found something and had to go next door for an ultra sound and did I want my husband with me! Alarm bells start to ring. So long and short of this after Pat joined us the radiologist (I think that is what she is) showed us the images and effectively stated I had a mass and that it was small and caught early, she explained how she was almost certain that it was cancer. A few tears were shed, we then did the ultrasound, definitely not a cyst and currently nothing in the lymph glands.

A few more tears and a trip back to my doctor, who asked me if I knew and asked if we had any questions (Pat had come with me). After a short discussion she very nicely rang the hospital in Limoges to find out how I get the biopsy done and she helped with all that, wrote a letter for me to put with my scans and notes and to send off. So currently I am waiting for a biopsy – this sucks!

25/03
Biopsy has been done. This also hurts – thought not so bad due to been given a local anaesthetic. Unfortunately this doctor (who very nicely spoke English to me for the whole appointment) did find a lump up in my lymph node so I have had 3 biopsy needles stuck into me. The finding of a lump in my lymph node is scary, thankfully I don’t have to wait that long, I do have my results appointment next Monday. I have taken that day off as if the news is what we are expecting, it may be a little overwhelming so I don’t think I will get any work done. I haven’t done much work today as it has been difficult to concentrate.

27/03
I’ve just had a chat with one of my colleagues around planning if I have to go into surgery etc etc. This was not an easy conversation. Planning for things that one doesn’t yet know. My brain isn’t working at its best so that also makes things difficult, as I have to work to get paid. This is a problem with being self employed. I did think I had cover for illness, but it appears not. So a real pain in the butt.

03/04
Well I’ve been to the surgeon and had my biopsy results, I have a stage II breast cancer – which has moved to the lymph nodes. Knowing it has moved is difficult, I now have to go for an upper body scan to see if it has gone anywhere else (from everything I’ve been told and read, it is unlikely). Next appointment with the surgeon is the 10th April – where we will go through my treatment.

Here is a link that is useful:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer/stages-types-grades/number-stages/stage-2
2B on the page gives a close approximation to what I have.

So where to now, we don’t yet know. One thing I do ask of you all – I will be putting my trust in science on this – current treatment has really good outcomes. Therefore, please do not send me information and links to stuff that is unscientific and unproven – it will just piss me off. But support and good thoughts will be more than welcome.

So my fit and fab has taken unforeseen turn but I still plan on being fit and fabulous at 50!

Delia

Well we signed for the sale of our house on Monday, a very bitter sweet experience. We were happy to be selling to someone who truly loved our house and was very happy and excited to be buying it but it was sad to be selling “our” house, one we put a lot of us into. I had so many plans for our house and garden and now they won’t be happening. This is difficult for me, but Pat is happy to have his weekends back without having to worry about the next project.

We also left a little gift for the new owner, a book of photos that Pat had taken from around our hamlet and she loved it.

So we are now settled into our rental and the spring weather is back to our delight. I do like the ability to walk to the local bakery. We are slowly exploring the area for walks with Siena. Pat has already sorted out his morning walk. We did try one on Thursday, but discovered a slightly aggressive dog, the owner did come out, but we turned around at that point and headed back home.

It is also very nice to sit outside overlooking the fields and drink a cup of tea (or glass of wine) after lunch or in the late afternoon. Now we need to settle into our new routines.

For now, à bientôt, from our wonderful part of France – Delia

Yes we are moved into our new abode for now, at least until November. It’s a pretty place, more open but with lovely rural views and plenty of places to walk Siena. I’ll take some photos when we have some decent weather.

One last visit to the “old” place to finish cleaning, one last trip to the decheterie (the dump) and to say goodbye to neighbours. I have compiled a photobook of Beaulieu photos as a way of thanking them for being good neighbours. We will leave one at the house as a welcome for the new owner too.

The actual final signing is on Monday – we have to do one final visit to read the meters and the new owner has to see what she is actually buying on the day (in case we have stripped out the light fittings, flooring and plumbing – which can sometimes happen apparently). Then off to the notaire to finalise the deal. I am not sure when the money will grace our bank account but I expect there will be a period of limbo when, like in the UK, the money is earning interest but just not for us.

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. Pat and I are have now moved (move 32 for me), we are in our rental place – La Jolie Maison (which means The Pretty House) which is a fairly accurate description. We have had our house at Beaulieu all packed up (this happened on Thursday) and today I am heading back to clean – this was meant to be a job for yesterday, but I decided coffee with a friend and art class were better options for me at the end of a busy and emotional week. Tomorrow I am going to sort out my desk area as Monday I am back at work.

Wallis (our cat) is desperate to get outside and I have given him 2 short forays out into the garden – the first wasn’t the best as Siena (our dog) decided to follow the cat everywhere. I did the second one while Siena was out walking Pat. Tomorrow as I’m home all day I will give Wallis the opportunity to get out and about properly. Our landlady – who lives next door – is ecstatic to have a cat nearby as she has wanted one for a while – though I’m not quite sure how their big dog will take to him.

So for now we just will have to wait for our final signing for the house to go through – which should be Monday the 18th March.

I will miss our house here in France, Pat and I have put a lot of “us” into it. I will definitely miss my bath (though I can, at least for the next week, go back to Beaulieu and have one). However part of the sadness around moving is the loss of the plans we had – the things that were yet to be done – such as the spare room and a pond in the garden. And I can’t yet plan for the next house as I have no idea where and what that is, but I am planning on enjoying the fact that we now only have the responsibility of keeping this place clean – that’s it, no maintenance, no garden work, which in some ways gives us our weekends back and we have plans to explore as much as we possibly can while we have our weekends relatively free.

For now, à bientôt, from our wonderful part of France – Delia

Sorry guys, just on hold until we have moved into our rental property.
We will be back 🙂

I started the week with a trip to the doctor. Nothing wrong (well apart form the remnant of shingles but thats another story), no, I had to get 3 blood pressure measurements because my BP measured in Paris for my visa was high. My own doctor thought this was nonsense and wrote with a history of measurements of normal BP over the last 5 years. So I duly emailed this to Paris and got a reply that I needed 3 separate measurements on 3 separate days. Back again to the doctor who was very accomodating and now I finally have an all clear, medically speaking, as far as the visa is concerned at least.

Its been a cold week, making the prospect of an Aussie heatwave seem very attractive. I’m sure I’ll tire of the heat eventually but after 63 years of grey European winters that may take a while. Cold, rain, snow… We wondered if the pub quiz on Tuesday would be cancelled but it wasn’t. We were partnered with a couple we had won with about a year ago. And bugger me, we won again! The food was good though the dessert was a bitter caramel creme, not to everyone’s taste but alternatives were offered.

Our moving process continues; The garage is almost clear of junk but oh it hurts getting rid of so much “useful” stuff. We had some items on a list that we had shared with friends and even sold some. But after two weeks I thought we needed to expand our “market” and I put them on Facebook Marketplace. Delia didn’t realise that I had put them ALL on at once. It was very busy for a while. Delia wasn’t quite ready to part with her dressing tab++le and was not happy with me that I had agreed for someone to buy it today (S unday). I did have to add a proviso that fridge and freezer wouln’t go until the end of February!

I’ve been compiling a set of photos of Beaulieu that I want to put into a photo book. I want to give a copy to some of our neighbours. They’ve been good to us and we will miss them.