The summer is on it's way
As we had to go into the lab early to lug in my ‘specimen’, my charming husband took me out for breakfast on the port. The weather is so good today we sat outside.

I'd just like to say....
If you want your stats to go up, up, up. Don't rely on Blogsites (hope there isn't really one called that). Just get yourself mentioned on Zoe's blog (twice). My average visitors for this week have gone beyond my wildest dreams, thanks Zed

S.O.S.
I still can't send my picture, Hello doesn't want to upload it, any ideas?

Update
Yesterday was the day I decided that I had the time to do my blood tests for diabetes. One test in the morning before breakfast having fasted for 12 hours. The second test an hour and a half after the start of lunch. The Doctor didn’t tell me that I would have to pee as well and he certainly didn’t mention that today I would be collecting pee for twenty four hours. On the instructions it says you must drink plenty of water. By four this afternoon I’d already filled the two and a half liter container they’ve given me. I hate it! I also had to tell them my weight in front of all the people waiting behind me, it’s not that bad, but still….. Actually all the people who work at the lab are really nice

While I was in town during the afternoon I walked up to the language school by the station and handed my CV over to the receptionist. Yes, they have a receptionist and it looked tidy and welcoming and all of the chairs were the same. There is also a bus stop right out side where three buses pass, very useful.

I received my examining hours for the first week in May, I’m working all day Monday and Tuesday which was a bit of a shock as I didn’t put my self down as free on Tuesday afternoons, as it happens I am free on that particular Tuesday. I had to phone in as I had one exam finishing at 3.30 and the next one starting at 3.05. It was 3.45.

Testing

I've been having a lot of visitors to this picture. I didn't take it! I found it in the sample images in microsoft that are with the program.

Writer’s cramp.
I spent a lot of yesterday trying to write a letter to accompany my CV. This was very hard as it has to be handwritten in French with no spelling mistakes. Spelling is no problem as I can type it out in word first and let the corrector do its work. Rob checks the grammar and that I am making sense. My other handicap is my handwriting which is really bad. I can’t do joined up because it would be completely unreadable. When I was around 7 years old in primary school we had to write on sheets of paper until our handwriting was good enough to have an exercise (copy) book. I was last in class, I got a book to write in because the teacher was fed up with finding scraps for me to write on. I would like to point out that by the age of 8 I had a reading age of thirteen, in fact I tested most of the rest of the class and I can draw quite well.

My eyes work together very well, so my specialist says, one eye sees distant things and the other close up. I wonder if this is why my handwriting is so bad. I certainly can’t hang a picture straight.

Sweet potato results
We tried them yesterday cooked a la Mary Lou. We all thought they were a little bit too sweet for our tastes. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Stop press
I've got a new boyfriend.

A special story
I’ve just been reading about Phyllis’s special angel and it reminded me of a story of my own.

When Christian and Dominique were small (before Olivier was born), we took them into the village church to see the stained glass window. This has always been special to me because it depicts St. George and the dragon, St. George being the patron saint of England (and it was his day yesterday). I swear that when we went in there was no one there. We looked at the window and talked about the dragon and suddenly noticed a nun sitting in the corner at the side of the alter. She was dressed in brown, I’ve never ever seen a nun dressed in brown before or since. Christian was always an outgoing affectionate child and ran to her with open arms which pleased her a lot. They hugged and she asked him his name, when he told her he was called Christian, she explained that he had been given a very special name.

In the past there had been a small nunnery across the road from the church, the monks (who lived across the park) and nuns left L’Houmeau in the early eighties. Did we see a ghost? If we did, she was a very nice ghost and we certainly didn’t feel afraid. There are nuns in La Rochelle, they always wear grey. As it happens Christian is the least spiritual of my three children. There is always hope.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Detachment:: drifting
   
2. Regard:: look
   
3. Community:: service
   
4. Strike three:: -
   
5. Congregation:: people
   
6. Generous:: happy
   
7. Pretention:: false
   
8. Pregnant:: no thanks!
   
9. Drinking:: thirst
   
10. Brilliance:: the sun
    

Melon for lunch?
A few serving ideas, just incase you didn't have anything else to do.

Gardening time
The irises are starting to flower and the white clematis and the flax. For a short period the garden will look lush and green. I’ll try to get some photos posted soon

Etc.
I know I haven’t posted and I’ve had a busy week. I can’t think of anything to say. Two more Columbo DVD’s arrived so we’ve got another 4 episodes to watch. The weather forecast is bad for this weekend so it looks like we might be watching them soon. Back to school on Monday. I had been nagging Olivier about doing homework all through the holidays. He checked his diary this morning; nothing to do except some music to learn for Thursday. He had a smirk on his face when he told me. He ordered a new Xbox game which came yesterday, with a free t-shirt, it fits perfectly.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Great escape:: film
   
2. Cluster:: nest
   
3. Wrong place, wrong time:: oops!
   
4. Guided::helped
   
5. Forensics:: test tubes
   
6. Pros:: cons
   
7. Safety deposit box:: black box
   
8. Quadrant:: four
   
9. Precisely:: exact
   
10. Who are you?:: Me!!

If you want to play just go here

This work business gets in the way of blogging
I’ve really missed my blogwalks for a few days and so much has been happening. Sorry I haven’t visited. My stats are down too as I haven’t been to see blog crowd or blog explosion. Hopefully next week will be quieter.

The exams have been going slowly but surely. The four hour ones are very long, especially the last fifteen minutes. Yesterday ALL the students were writing at the end of the exam, the paper was set by three professors so I had to collect up three piles of copies in alphabetical order and everyone was in a hurry to get out, chaos, but I managed to keep organized. Rob offered to treat us to a Macdrive on the way home, it’s the first one we’ve had for a couple of months, so I think we could get a away with it

Another four hour session tomorrow followed by a two and a half hour lesson, hopefully I’ll fit a quick sandwich in between. The main end of year exams start 9th May. Roll on the summer holidays!!

Sweet potatoes
How do you like to cook your sweet potatoes? I’ve plucked up courage to buy some and wondered which was the best way. I also know that you will all come up with some great recipes!

Told you so
I went to the hairdressers at the top of the village (as I said I would when the hairdresser at the bottom of the village botched up my hair), to make an appointment for Olivier. I asked her to write down the day and time as I have a poor memory. Five minutes later I had to go back and change the appointment, I’d forgotten that I had another appointment at the same time. I said I had a poor memory!

Olivier’s hair looks great and he was pleased at how quickly it was cut, so we’ll be going back.

Hello, goodbye
Just to let you know I'm alive and... well. I've had some more work, a new student who's off for an interview in the States next week. As it's the holidays, I've had X-Rays and dental appointments to deal with, Olivier also needs his hair cut. Next week more exam supervision, three FOUR hour exams amongst them (migraine here I come!) .

Good news
While I was at Sup de Co I worked with Saida, who teaches Arabic. She only works part time and sometimes supervises too. She recommended that I see the head of languages, and marched me to her office straight away. Well, the outcome is that I have e-mailed my CV, there could be work starting in the new school year, perhaps correcting exam papers. They don't start organizing until June.

Friday 8th April
Blogger was down when I tried to post
Mrs. Bee
I’ve been buzzing about a lot this week. That’s why I haven’t posted.
On Monday and Tuesday, I was at Sup de Co, yes it’s exam time again, mostly retakes. I was asked how many liters in a hectoliter, in a maths exam. I answered, ‘that’s why YOU are here.’ During an English exam someone asked me whether there was more than one correct answer. The instructions said ‘choose THE correct answer’, no wonder they were retaking exams. At lunch time I took my sandwiches and ate them on the cliff top. It’s been turned into a landscaped walk with lots of benches (and litter bins). The weather was sunny with a cool breeze but lots of people were out enjoying the fresh air.

Wednesday is always a busy day with lessons and fencing for Olivier. Dom and Bonnie were rearranging Dom’s room, so I was called on to help with furniture moving from time to time. In the middle of all that, my new vacuum cleaner arrived. It sucks up the dirt really well, has a very good filter and is so quiet. I was trying to work out how old my other one was, Olivier doesn’t remember any other, so I’d like to bet around 12 years old (it was falling to pieces and I couldn’t get bags for it any more).

Yesterday was catching up day and a two and a half hour lesson during the afternoon. I was tired after that. Olivier had been to Futuroscope with his class so we had to wait up to nearly midnight to collect him from school. We fell asleep in front of Independence Day to help pass the time! Olivier had a great time, but his bag had been stolen, there was nothing in it except leftover picnic, it was his Eastpac. Apparently there is a place where schools can leave their bags, it isn’t supervised. The teacher has been taking groups there for years with no problem up to this year. A couple of other bags went missing to.

This morning will be quiet. I shall be able to vacuum to my heart’s content. Olivier has the morning off so I have to get him and a friend to school for 1 o’clock, then I come back for a lesson and then go and collect 'the boy' who finishes early and is free until fencing at six.

Next week; the holidays!

Christian came too. 

'It's okay, I won't let you fall'

When the children were younger we used to send them to 'the center' during the holidays, we could leave them all day during the week. They had lots of activities and outings to keep them occupied. They used to go for a week in July and a week in August.

I came across this photo the other day, Dominique was nearly five when it was taken.

Bad hair day
I went to have my hair cut yesterday. I’ve been going to the hairdresser’s at the bottom of the village for years. My favourite girl was Hannah, but she had twins in December (two boys, non identical). The lady who’s taken her place doesn’t seem to be able to concentrate very well. It’s much shorter than I asked for and I’m sure that when I do it myself, I’m going to have to trim off stray wisps. She didn’t say thank you when I left a tip either.
I think I’ll be trying out the hairdressers at the top of the village next time.

Handbags
Need a new bag for spring? Look here.

April fool quiz, via Zoe.