Christmas Missive December 2012



 

Dear All

Just finished the Christmas cards and both commented on how for the first time for several years there were no deletions, nobody no longer with us, no empty chairs as it were.  But, it’s not the time to be maudlin, ‘tis once again the season to be jolly.  So having a couple of days ago donned the red suit and doled out the presents to the assembled children of the parish – Ho! Ho! Ho!, and here we go again!  ...... This time last year we were in our new house and most of the rooms were habitable, except the downstairs en suite bathroom, which we have subsequently discovered used to be a two horse stable, with our bedroom above part of the hayloft!  Our return to France after last Christmas was delayed a little as the UK Passport Office didn’t like my new photo (couldn’t believe how good looking I was!) and wanted something to play down the stunning looks, although Linda thinks it was the use of a French photo booth!!  But, we were straight back to the stable renovation, in readiness for our first visitors at Easter, (it will have been a record breaking 33 this year!) as well as trying in vain a lot of the time, to get back to work on the barn / summer kitchen roofs. Winter in the Vendée was wet for much of the time and for several weeks for once colder than back in the UK, with a couple of snowy periods, one that went on for some time with unprecedented cold temperatures – for one week the frozen snow meant we weren’t able to get the car out of the hamlet and the bread van and post couldn’t get in.  Thank goodness for the freezer, but more of that later!

Once the septic tank company had caught up after the inclement weather, they got around to us and for a few days the peace and tranquillity was once again shattered as they drilled out the solid rock in front of the house for a large 3000l tank and a modern micro-station that much to the consternation of the neighbours doesn’t require a sand bed filter.  We had to get the salesman to convince them it was indeed cutting edge technology rather than us pulling a fast one!!  And as such technology doesn’t come cheap; it doesn’t get the use that it might, as we can’t afford the food necessary to feed such a system!!!!  But, joking aside, we were able to get the garden dug over and due to the previous incumbents (the chickens) not having the use of modern facilities, the soil is amazingly fertile and we grew lots of fresh produce and filled the freezers, which sadly failed in the wet weather that the Vendée had whilst we were in the UK in October – fortunately, friends found them defrosted before they started to rot and were able to re-freeze the ruined stuff for us to sort out on our return – oh c’est la vie as they say in these parts!!

Our October visit to the UK, also ended up extended as my Dad had to have a major op, from which he has made a good recovery, and will hopefully be back driving again and able to take my Mum for her two daily shopping fix!  But, this ended up our only trip away this year, the caravan languishing unused in the garden.  But we are hopefully going to remedy this next year with an Easter trip to Biarritz being planned, as well as more “Pet Shop” duty in York as most of Linda’s sister’s family go to Africa on safari in February.      

Briefly, the rest of the family:  Daniel and Lisa who are joining us for Christmas in France this year, which will be the first time they have seen our new house.  They remain very busy, Lisa working long hours in Cheltenham as well as continuing to run the local St. John Badger set and Daniel working during term time as a cover supervisor in a Gloucester secondary school and working school holidays at a local leisure centre.  He is also very busy with St John running the local Adult Division and increasing his Child Protection role.  We were able to help them with block paving their drive when we visited in October, which will help with parking which is a problematic in their busy road.

Victoria and Dermot are still in Plymouth, Victoria’s job being made permanent.  She has been working very hard a s a new teacher getting to grips with all that entails , as well as taking on the role of Duke of Edinburgh Scheme co-ordinator  They also bought a house in the middle of the year – a real bargain, dint of needing a vast amount of work doing on it.  But they have both been working very hard on the renovations and it is really taking shape and will be a lovely large house (previously two flats over four floors!) when they have finished, at least they have managed to get the heating in time for the colder weather.  Fortunately, Dermot’s submarine is in for a refit so he has had a lot of time for DIY!!  All her work, and perhaps the expense of becoming a house owner, well at least a mortgage payer, slightly curtailed her wanderlust this year, only managed the Isles of Scilly, France and Switzerland, but is already looking to next year – so far; Austria (partly with work), France/Spain, Holland (with school) and somewhere tba in the summer!!

Well, once again Joyeuse Fêtes as they say in France.  Remember, this is but a brief Family Christmas Missive for more “what we’re doing” visit the blog http://ithappenedonethursdayinfebruary.blogspot.com , or for a more esoteric offerings try the new blog: http://rogerscreativeurge.blogspot.com !! 

Love from



Roger and Linda