New crowns

Before

My crowns dated from my late teens so that makes them 40 years old at least. Over the past three weeks my dentist has been working on them. They were very difficult to remove. It was pretty impressive having someone bashing at my teeth even though I knew that they weren’t real. We had the same performance with the temporary crowns, which were in for a week.

After

To my delight when she showed me the mould she asked me if I wanted them to be the same or straighter. I chose straighter and I’m really pleased with the results. They are well worth sitting with my mouth open for 2 ½ hours.

 Fortunately we have an excellent back up health insurance. Hopefully they won’t need replacing again for at least 40 years…

We have snow!

Very rare here.

These were taken as the sun was rising.  

MIL is very ill so we are off to the UK tomorrow.  Don't know how long for.  Now I have to pack.

January wraps up

I was hoping to write more posts this year. This January has one post less than last year.

MIL is in hospital again. She fell and broke her arm just over a week ago. We’ll just have to wait and see how she heals.

Dom and J-M have both had flu. Dom couldn’t speak to me when I phoned her yesterday – no voice. Rob and I had our flu vaccinations in November. Apparently this year it’s only 25% effective against this year’s flu.

I’m really starting to enjoy Facebook. There is always something going on.  

The buds on the trees are starting to become noticeable, a sure sign that spring is on its way. Time to start thinking about getting into the garden to tidy up.

How do I....?

How do I get a little button so that people can like my posts on Facebook too?  I see that some people have a row of buttons at the bottom of each post.  Where do you get them from?

I'm finding it very difficult to take a selfie with my clever phone.  As I turn the phone around, I can't see where to click.  Sometimes I get a voice telling me that they can't answer that question.  What's that called and how do I really get to it so that I can ask a real question?  My phone is a Nokia Lumia 530.

Oppressed Majority

A day in the life...

A French film with English Subtitles.  Men might find this shocking.

Postcards and Pianos

We had a long but pleasant day on Friday when we went to Bordeaux for an auction. A long day as our alarm went off early as our train was before 6 o’clock. We always allow plenty of time – especially if we have an early start.

Bordeaux was just as wet and cold as La Rochelle for a change, but we brightened up when we saw lots of very good postcards at the viewing. Rob and I plan our strategy over lunch and then go back for the auction.

We were pleased with our bids and afterwards installed ourselves at the bar at the station to look at them while we waited for the train home. We drank hot chocolate to warm us up!

I’ve written before about the shopping area in the station at Bordeaux. There is also a piano. I’m not sure if the French railways have installed pianos in all of the stations, but I know that there is one in La Rochelle too. Anyone can play. I’ve tried to find the young man who was playing in November and also on Friday evening when we were there. He was brilliant.

Here is a quick piano tour of France which includes Bordeaux and La Rochelle!

Thoroughly Modern Millie

I finally had a Kindle for Christmas and I love it already. Just before Christmas the BBC TV series Little Dorrit was televised on French TV. I really enjoyed it, so Little Dorrit is the first book I’m reading on the Kindle. Rob can’t take out the bookmark and change the page I’m reading anymore as he doesn’t know how it works. I still have real books to read; almost at the end of “The Fall of giants”

Last week I got myself a clever phone and after a shaky start I’m gaining confidence with it. I haven’t taken any proper photos with it yet (just the floor by accident). I now have to put all of my appointments onto the calendar – there are quite a few already for the first 6 months of the year. I’ve also got ChatON so I can talk to Christian in England instantly – anyplace, anytime.

I’m now on Facebook, having sworn that I would never do such a thing. Rob asked me to do something for our postcard business and I sort of got hooked. I’ve found some long lost friends, which is really nice. I’m sure that I can synchronise this blog to Facebook too….

 “So beat the drums 'cause here comes thoroughly... 

Hot off the press! 

One step in the Jazz Age! 

Whoopee, baby! 

We're so thoroughly Modern...” 

With thanks to Elmer Bernstein, who I am sure would not have liked to hear me singing…

30 years; a special anniversary

On the evening of 1st January 1985 we went aboard the night ferry to Le Havre. Sometime during that night we crossed into French waters and the start of our new lives.

I’ve now been living in France for more than half of my life. In June 1985 we were married at the Town hall in La Rochelle and in September 1990 we became duel nationals of France and the UK. Out three children were all born in La Rochelle.

People thought that we were both mad to give up our "secure" careers as bank clerks – we didn’t know it at the time, but there were many rounds of redundancies to follow in banking.

You only get one life. We don’t regret our choice at all. We’ve had our share of ups and downs – mainly ups, I’m happy to say.

Famous

I think I mentioned that Christian asked me for some photos for framing and things.  This is a tray he made including four of my pics.

Coming up next... Christmas!

Not long to go now.  I put the Christmas decorations up last Tuesday and even if I say so myself; they're looking good.

Dom and J-M will be coming for Christmas with Holly the cat.  Olivier might be coming.  He will have to spend a lot of time and money on trains so he must decide if it's worth it.  He's at work on the 26th.  Rob will be working on the 26th too.  We still find the idea strange, even after 30 years.

When I was teaching at the language school years ago.  I had a lesson at 7.30 in the morning on the 26th December.  My student didn't show.  It turned out she was very ill on Christmas day and tried to contact the school, leaving a message on the answer phone in the office which was locked.  I managed to get the next bus home after waiting around for half an hour.  The sun still hadn't risen by the time I got back!

I haven't been blogging much, or visiting.  Rob is borrowing my laptop most evenings as his is very slow.  hopefully we will be reorganised in a couple of weeks - a friend is fixing his old laptop.