- Coroner:: death
- Mystify:: spooky
- Corroborate:: get together
- Misinterpret:: get it wrong
- Humorless:: dry
- Calculus:: numbers
- Eye for an eye:: ouch!
- CPR:: ?
- Stitched:: all sewn up
- Facility:: ease
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Gloomy Sunday
Paul Robeson once sang a song by that name. It was banned because it was so sad that the authorities were afraid that there would be even more suicides. Rezso Seress, who composed the music killed him self in 1968 because he never wrote another tune that could match the haunting power of gloomy Sunday.
Today I feel gloomy too. Rob is working, Dom is staying with Bonnie till Wednesday and Olivier has gone off, complete with Xbox to a friends for the afternoon. It’s cold and dull outside. Yuck
Paul Robeson once sang a song by that name. It was banned because it was so sad that the authorities were afraid that there would be even more suicides. Rezso Seress, who composed the music killed him self in 1968 because he never wrote another tune that could match the haunting power of gloomy Sunday.
Today I feel gloomy too. Rob is working, Dom is staying with Bonnie till Wednesday and Olivier has gone off, complete with Xbox to a friends for the afternoon. It’s cold and dull outside. Yuck
Friday, January 28, 2005
Wrong Number
I’ve never had wrong numbers on my mobile phone before, but since Christmas I’ve had three.
The first was someone wanting to know what the Spanish homework was for the next day (pretty late in the evening).
The second was an accountant telling his client that he’d better get things sorted out quickly or they would have big problems.
The last one I had to ask Dom to translate as it was in youngspeak and I didn’t understand one single abbreviation. I wonder what the consequences of the calls not arriving at their destination were?
I’ve never had wrong numbers on my mobile phone before, but since Christmas I’ve had three.
The first was someone wanting to know what the Spanish homework was for the next day (pretty late in the evening).
The second was an accountant telling his client that he’d better get things sorted out quickly or they would have big problems.
The last one I had to ask Dom to translate as it was in youngspeak and I didn’t understand one single abbreviation. I wonder what the consequences of the calls not arriving at their destination were?
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Happy Birthday
The driver of the ‘Big Dump Truck’ celebrates her birthday today. This is the longest running blog I know (Please correct me if I’m wrong). She’s snowed in at the moment, so go along and wish Jody happy birthday.
The driver of the ‘Big Dump Truck’ celebrates her birthday today. This is the longest running blog I know (Please correct me if I’m wrong). She’s snowed in at the moment, so go along and wish Jody happy birthday.
Madame Spam
Has this ever happened to you ? I was happily surfing on Blogexplosion when I came across a really good site I enjoyed reading and then I left a comment. My comment was refused because the site will ‘not accept spammers’. I couldn’t go back. I presume I wasn’t allowed to. Because it was blogexplosion it was random. Perhaps I’ll find them again one day….
Has this ever happened to you ? I was happily surfing on Blogexplosion when I came across a really good site I enjoyed reading and then I left a comment. My comment was refused because the site will ‘not accept spammers’. I couldn’t go back. I presume I wasn’t allowed to. Because it was blogexplosion it was random. Perhaps I’ll find them again one day….
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Update on my patients and other things
Dom has gone into lycée today. Rob has gone to work but he might come back. A freezing cold, 700 year old tower is not the place to be when you’re ill.
Olivier and I are still waiting for the snow (we’re both fine, by the way). Yesterday we had two lots that lasted about 10 seconds, in fact the second lot was more like half-hearted hail. Snow is forecast again today and Thursday, please cross your fingers for us.
Dom has gone into lycée today. Rob has gone to work but he might come back. A freezing cold, 700 year old tower is not the place to be when you’re ill.
Olivier and I are still waiting for the snow (we’re both fine, by the way). Yesterday we had two lots that lasted about 10 seconds, in fact the second lot was more like half-hearted hail. Snow is forecast again today and Thursday, please cross your fingers for us.
Yesterday wasn’t too agreeable.
Early in the morning I got a message from Dom telling me she was ill and wouldn’t be going to Lycée (She was staying at Bonnie’s for a few days). Rob was still suffering (a man with a cold!!). I arrived at work for my eight o’clock lesson and waited and waited. Tried to contact my student, but her phone was off. It was cold outside and I had nowhere else to go, so I waited an hour and then went to look at the sales. I contacted her when I arrived home, she’d phoned City Center late on Sunday night to say she was off sick for a week. Lionel phoned just before midday to let me know that she had phoned after midnight. He doesn’t get up in the night to check the answer phone, does he? Office work isn’t really started till nine-thirty, ten o’clock so I’d gone before anyone saw the message, also, the office is locked so I had no access to the phone.
Let’s hope the week improves as it goes along.
Early in the morning I got a message from Dom telling me she was ill and wouldn’t be going to Lycée (She was staying at Bonnie’s for a few days). Rob was still suffering (a man with a cold!!). I arrived at work for my eight o’clock lesson and waited and waited. Tried to contact my student, but her phone was off. It was cold outside and I had nowhere else to go, so I waited an hour and then went to look at the sales. I contacted her when I arrived home, she’d phoned City Center late on Sunday night to say she was off sick for a week. Lionel phoned just before midday to let me know that she had phoned after midnight. He doesn’t get up in the night to check the answer phone, does he? Office work isn’t really started till nine-thirty, ten o’clock so I’d gone before anyone saw the message, also, the office is locked so I had no access to the phone.
Let’s hope the week improves as it goes along.
Stacey
will have had her knee operation while I’ve been asleep. I hope it went okay. I shall have to wait till late this afternoon to find out how she is. It’s frustrating living in different time zones. If you want to wish her well go here.
There is an update, everything went well.
will have had her knee operation while I’ve been asleep. I hope it went okay. I shall have to wait till late this afternoon to find out how she is. It’s frustrating living in different time zones. If you want to wish her well go here.
There is an update, everything went well.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Unconscious Mutterings
- Material world:: money, money, money
- Satin sheets:: slip and slide
- Blizzard:: snow
- Real estate:: houses
- Dress up:: disguise
- Wesley:: ?
- Robber:: thief
- Saliva:: spit
- Slave:: cruelty
- Shift:: gears
Question
My pupil Madame Poulet (Mrs. Chicken, as she calls herself), showed me an article in her ‘English as a foreign language’ magazine. They said that in the United States, to have the right to vote, you must be a member of a political party. I said that I didn’t think it was true. They wouldn’t need to count votes, would they? They could just count members.
Please tell me it isn’t true!
My pupil Madame Poulet (Mrs. Chicken, as she calls herself), showed me an article in her ‘English as a foreign language’ magazine. They said that in the United States, to have the right to vote, you must be a member of a political party. I said that I didn’t think it was true. They wouldn’t need to count votes, would they? They could just count members.
Please tell me it isn’t true!
Another Sunday morning
It’s wet today, later this week it’s going to be cold enough for snow, so they say. Rob is in bed with a bad cold, he slept badly and so did I. Olivier is watching X Men II in his room, it looks pretty good but I’d probably fall asleep if I joined him.
I don’t really like Sundays
It’s wet today, later this week it’s going to be cold enough for snow, so they say. Rob is in bed with a bad cold, he slept badly and so did I. Olivier is watching X Men II in his room, it looks pretty good but I’d probably fall asleep if I joined him.
I don’t really like Sundays
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Top of the pops
Over time I've joined various sites that guarantee me lots of hits and new readers. My hits have increased recently, but thanks to search engines. Mainly people looking for Patchwork this and patchwork that, sometimes for other things like; Cadbury world strike, skiing scarves, Anji bridge picture and supermarket photos. Anyway, if you've come here looking for something, I hope you find it.
Over time I've joined various sites that guarantee me lots of hits and new readers. My hits have increased recently, but thanks to search engines. Mainly people looking for Patchwork this and patchwork that, sometimes for other things like; Cadbury world strike, skiing scarves, Anji bridge picture and supermarket photos. Anyway, if you've come here looking for something, I hope you find it.
Book Corner
At the moment I’m reading a book by Bernard Werber called “The Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge” (my translation of title) Dom lent it too me. The only books of his that have been translated into English are “Empire of the ants” series. Here is an extract.
What are you reading at the moment?
At the moment I’m reading a book by Bernard Werber called “The Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge” (my translation of title) Dom lent it too me. The only books of his that have been translated into English are “Empire of the ants” series. Here is an extract.
What are you reading at the moment?
East meets West
While we were walking round to the bus stop yesterday morning, Dom and I were having a conversation about east and West Germany. When she was twelve she spent a month in Germany with a friend’s father’s family. While she was there she learnt a lot about the differences between Eastern and Western Germans. I told her that when she was a year old I made sure that she and Christian were watching the TV when the Berlin wall came down. She doesn’t remember it, of course, but she’ll be able to tell her Grandchildren.
One of the boys in Dom’s year at her lycée was the first baby to be passed over the wall. Does anyone remember seeing that? He doesn’t!
While we were walking round to the bus stop yesterday morning, Dom and I were having a conversation about east and West Germany. When she was twelve she spent a month in Germany with a friend’s father’s family. While she was there she learnt a lot about the differences between Eastern and Western Germans. I told her that when she was a year old I made sure that she and Christian were watching the TV when the Berlin wall came down. She doesn’t remember it, of course, but she’ll be able to tell her Grandchildren.
One of the boys in Dom’s year at her lycée was the first baby to be passed over the wall. Does anyone remember seeing that? He doesn’t!
KoRn
Olivier is into KoRn at the moment and I must say I quite like them too. Reminds me of my miss-spent youth. Dom reckons Olivier is pre-Gothic.
Olivier is into KoRn at the moment and I must say I quite like them too. Reminds me of my miss-spent youth. Dom reckons Olivier is pre-Gothic.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Unconscious Mutterings
- Yoda:: Yodle?
- Mensa:: clever
- Pink:: fluffy
- Text message:: SMS
- Galactic:: Star Trek
- Chicks:: on speed
- Quesadilla:: I'll have to get a dictionary; ?
- Backpack:: ruck sac
- Socket:: holes
- Compromise:: give in
Defrost
Today I’m defrosting the fridge. A job I really hate. The only reason why I’m doing it is because, soon, I won’t be able to close the door. We bought the fridge twenty years ago shortly after we arrived here. It wasn’t long after that the door to the freezer compartment broke off, because the fridge hadn’t been defrosted. Some times I get the urge to defrost the fridge, but that’s usually when I’ve just been shopping and there is too much stuff to take out and store safely in cold bags. This morning the fridge is almost empty, so I’ve got no excuse. To speed things up I stuff hot water bottles in there. I don’t like using a hair dryer with all that potential water around.
Today I’m defrosting the fridge. A job I really hate. The only reason why I’m doing it is because, soon, I won’t be able to close the door. We bought the fridge twenty years ago shortly after we arrived here. It wasn’t long after that the door to the freezer compartment broke off, because the fridge hadn’t been defrosted. Some times I get the urge to defrost the fridge, but that’s usually when I’ve just been shopping and there is too much stuff to take out and store safely in cold bags. This morning the fridge is almost empty, so I’ve got no excuse. To speed things up I stuff hot water bottles in there. I don’t like using a hair dryer with all that potential water around.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Latest addition
I was dusting off my book marks and came across a blog from some time ago. So welcome to Pewari's Prattle to my blogroll.
I was dusting off my book marks and came across a blog from some time ago. So welcome to Pewari's Prattle to my blogroll.
Swiffered
I forgot to tell you about Rob and the swiffer. When he was putting out the Christmas decorations, Rob needed to dust a shelf, so I passed him a Swiffer. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done. He was so fascinated by it he dusted in a few other places too. Olivier’s also adopted it for dusting his Xbox.
I forgot to tell you about Rob and the swiffer. When he was putting out the Christmas decorations, Rob needed to dust a shelf, so I passed him a Swiffer. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done. He was so fascinated by it he dusted in a few other places too. Olivier’s also adopted it for dusting his Xbox.
Folle …..Moi?
I’ve just finished reading a book by Marie Christine D’Welles. It is the disturbing story of her teenage years when she was put into mental homes and given ‘sleep cures’ because she wouldn’t conform. She wasn’t even allowed to speak to her psychiatrist. Her father had suffered from mental illness and eventually had a lobotomy. Her Grandfather paid for her to go into private homes which was the root of the problem……..money! This is a story which has disturbed my sleep.
This book hasn’t been translated into English.
I’ve just finished reading a book by Marie Christine D’Welles. It is the disturbing story of her teenage years when she was put into mental homes and given ‘sleep cures’ because she wouldn’t conform. She wasn’t even allowed to speak to her psychiatrist. Her father had suffered from mental illness and eventually had a lobotomy. Her Grandfather paid for her to go into private homes which was the root of the problem……..money! This is a story which has disturbed my sleep.
This book hasn’t been translated into English.
Double oops
Yesterday, Olivier was taking one or two photos and filming with Robs camera (he shouldn’t do this without permission). When he finished he got rid of everything he’d done from the memory. He also wiped off Rob’s Christmas photos. I was delegated to break the news to Rob when he got home. He took it quite well really (Olivier was more upset). Fortunately he’d put them all onto the AOL album and he can get prints from there. Phew!
Rob’s always wears his Father’s signet ring. It broke yesterday.
Yesterday, Olivier was taking one or two photos and filming with Robs camera (he shouldn’t do this without permission). When he finished he got rid of everything he’d done from the memory. He also wiped off Rob’s Christmas photos. I was delegated to break the news to Rob when he got home. He took it quite well really (Olivier was more upset). Fortunately he’d put them all onto the AOL album and he can get prints from there. Phew!
Rob’s always wears his Father’s signet ring. It broke yesterday.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Moving in
I moved to France twenty years ago this month. So I had a look at my diary for 1985. Seems my main problem was changing the plugs over. It also snowed, a lot. It never snows here. For the first few days I didn’t have a cooker or a fridge. Not that lack of fridge was a problem in those weather conditions. Though we did miss hot food. We lived on the second floor (third for the U.S.), I doubt I could run up and down those stairs now. It all seems like a few weeks ago in some ways.
I moved to France twenty years ago this month. So I had a look at my diary for 1985. Seems my main problem was changing the plugs over. It also snowed, a lot. It never snows here. For the first few days I didn’t have a cooker or a fridge. Not that lack of fridge was a problem in those weather conditions. Though we did miss hot food. We lived on the second floor (third for the U.S.), I doubt I could run up and down those stairs now. It all seems like a few weeks ago in some ways.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Unconscious Mutterings
- Pistol:: gun
- Rick:: Hunter
- Full circle:: around again
- I wish:: I hope
- Frame:: picture
- Adult:: "grown" up
- Photography:: pictures
- Stew:: Mum's cooking
- Cheat:: dishonesty
- Brad:: Pitt
I wonder if this will work
Rob has made an album of our Christmas photos on AOL. Here is the link to the photos. I don't know if it will work as a link. We do know that some poeple could not see it. Anyway, have a look and let me know how you get on.
Rob has made an album of our Christmas photos on AOL. Here is the link to the photos. I don't know if it will work as a link. We do know that some poeple could not see it. Anyway, have a look and let me know how you get on.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Pierre-Eric
Three years ago I used to give lunchtime lessons in the local catholic primary school. One of my six year old pupils used a Zimmer frame. His name was Pierre-Eric. I learnt a lot from him; how to say “Asta la vista baby!” properly, I think he was a Terminator fan. I had to take him to the toilet one day which meant helping quite a lot, its hard to pee when you can’t stand up on your own. At first I was a bit worried about doing action songs with the class, but he didn’t mind at all and sang enthusiastically . He was as bright as a button and always helpful, though he could be cheeky.
When they went off to play he watched the others run around quite happily and was never short of company, someone would always take time to stand and talk with him.
In France the schools have two weeks holiday in February, so that families can go skiing. We had a conversation in class about where everyone would be going. Even Pierre-Eric was going somewhere; the clinic, I think he was a frequent visitor there.
I wonder what he’s doing now?
Three years ago I used to give lunchtime lessons in the local catholic primary school. One of my six year old pupils used a Zimmer frame. His name was Pierre-Eric. I learnt a lot from him; how to say “Asta la vista baby!” properly, I think he was a Terminator fan. I had to take him to the toilet one day which meant helping quite a lot, its hard to pee when you can’t stand up on your own. At first I was a bit worried about doing action songs with the class, but he didn’t mind at all and sang enthusiastically . He was as bright as a button and always helpful, though he could be cheeky.
When they went off to play he watched the others run around quite happily and was never short of company, someone would always take time to stand and talk with him.
In France the schools have two weeks holiday in February, so that families can go skiing. We had a conversation in class about where everyone would be going. Even Pierre-Eric was going somewhere; the clinic, I think he was a frequent visitor there.
I wonder what he’s doing now?
Busy girl
Today I took advantage of my free time and put away the Christmas decorations. Not a task to be taken lightly in our house. Rob clears shelves in order to display his Christmas ornaments. He also manages to buy new ones every year and I’m the one who has to find room to store them until next year. We have so many decorations that we haven’t got room to put them all out. Having said all of that, the house always looks lovely for Christmas. It looks sort of naked now.
Today I took advantage of my free time and put away the Christmas decorations. Not a task to be taken lightly in our house. Rob clears shelves in order to display his Christmas ornaments. He also manages to buy new ones every year and I’m the one who has to find room to store them until next year. We have so many decorations that we haven’t got room to put them all out. Having said all of that, the house always looks lovely for Christmas. It looks sort of naked now.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Ooops
I arrived at work on Thursday and went up to the little classroom I usually use. It had been turned into a bed sit. That’s all three upstairs classrooms gone now. Down stairs is open plan, I dread to think how we will cope if someone is teaching algebra one end and I’m trying to hold a conversation the other. Fortunately my remaining lessons are early in the morning when no one else is around.
I arrived at work on Thursday and went up to the little classroom I usually use. It had been turned into a bed sit. That’s all three upstairs classrooms gone now. Down stairs is open plan, I dread to think how we will cope if someone is teaching algebra one end and I’m trying to hold a conversation the other. Fortunately my remaining lessons are early in the morning when no one else is around.
Happy New Year!!!!
I was ill over the holidays (that's where I got to). There was a stomach bug doing the rounds. It's the first time I’ve got through the holidays AND lost weight. I couldn’t even go to see Christian and his Grandma off, I cried my eyes out. Their visit went really well and the boys didn’t fight once.
I was ill over the holidays (that's where I got to). There was a stomach bug doing the rounds. It's the first time I’ve got through the holidays AND lost weight. I couldn’t even go to see Christian and his Grandma off, I cried my eyes out. Their visit went really well and the boys didn’t fight once.
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