Reflections of a Gite Cleaner

She tells me that it's quite hard work but good exercise.  So, when she's vacuuming she doesn't have to go to the gym!! It's one way to burn off the calories. She gets to swim in their pool when it has been cleaned if the other cleaner allows and she tells this story of how she persuaded him to go in the pool after he had cleaned it for the nth time.  Stones and cuttings land in the water, time and time again after mowing the lawn and strimming the grass that meets the paved area around the pool. She, having completed her tasks, sat in the sunshine warming her bra and naked midriff and had only just successfully persuaded him to strip off his shorts to plunge into the perfectly pristine pool.  At this crucial moment of relief and relish that work was over and wishing for the cocktail in hand,  the guests arrived.  They'd walked around instead of driving the car so had silently come upon their holiday environment and the cleaners having their "first moment of the day "relaxation".  How embarassing!  She steered them away from the pool so that he could climb out in privacy. Then they informed her they were awaiting two more adults... hmmmm... gulp ...yes ... do go to the supermarket and get your provisions ... and as quick as lightning she made up the second double bed.  Had she read the booking form? of course but the brain had not clicked that there were 4 adults with the three children. All was well. No harm done. They were happy guests.  Moral of the tale: "Enjoy privileges at a safe moment!"

House Hunting Part One

HOUSE HUNTING  PART ONE

I have spent a lot of time on the internet searching for a house to buy. I have been looking in Norfolk and Suffolk in England for 'a pied a terre',  as well as in various regions of France for a 'maison secondaire'.  Since I sold my property in England about four years ago we have been living very happily here with excellent friends, but I would like my own property.

Captain Sensible and I have thoroughly enjoyed renovating his French cottage whilst experiencing our new lifestyle with fascinating people, interesting places and a thousand and one things to do in Europe.

Many years ago Myalgic Encephamolitis, combined with severe long-term work-related issues (too much of a historical novel to bore you with the saga now!) created the consequence of a complete emotional breakdown making me too dysfunctional to continue in a career which I loved. A double prolapse and hysterectomy operation just three weeks before moving day resulted in a non-functioning bladder. On top of worry about offspring and a neighbour who wanted to claim some of my flying freehold (she knocked a hole-in-the-wall to prove her point) I know my experiences are nothing compared to others.  In between all that I broke some ribs from 'flying around' on anti-depressant medication, which I subsequently stopped (not a good idea to do this all in one go, but who needs drugs?).  More recently, a bunion op curtailed any opportunity to be physically and mentally active.  Time left for thinking about property purchase has been somewhat diminished but also I have not been decisive as to where to buy a house. My genealogical roots from both sets of grandparents have been from Sudbury, Southwold and Walberswick in Suffolk, and distant family comes from Nîmes et Nantes in France, and Edinburgh, Scotland.  I feel ever drawn to the Suffolk coastline. I feel I belong more in France than in England but I miss my family and particularly my new and only grand-child. But I do know that I want to travel around France and Europe.

I have asked myself so many questions about 

'What kind of house do I want to buy?' 

'Where do I want to buy a house?' 

'Why do I want to buy it?

'What shall I do with it?'

'Will I have enough money?'

Logic hasn't always prevailed  since being ill and although not a very brilliant home-maker, even though I am a Cancerian, I search for somewhere to feel content, somewhere that could be let out to earn an income, somewhere where it is MY home and not the home that I share with my partner and lover. 

Last November we found a renovation project in Saxtead and dashed over to UK, only to discover the noise and the speed of traffic on the road was worse than indicated. 

I went back to UK in March 2009 and after a week of looking at a variety of possibilities in Norwich, Norfolk and my beloved region of Suffolk to see what feels like a comfortable idea, I gave up!  I was on my return journey to my cousin's house in Southwold  about 6 o'clock  in the evening, when I decided and said to myself out loud in the car, "Ça y est'! That's it!  I will look for a house in France. I'm getting too stressed here in England and I can't find what I like at a price I can afford, so I'll go back and search again in France." 

Un pique-nique extraordinaire

The French ladies (four are not in the phot0) who are learning English whilst we learn French, brought merriment and mirth to the lavoir, where we had an evening picnic which lasted about 4 hours.

The soirée began with individuals arriving with baskets of contributions. After some hilarity with preparing the table and chairs, twelve of us sat down for the end of term picnic.  First of all aperos with a "Marguerita" cocktail were enjoyed with a gateau salée made with olives, red peppers and feta cheese. This got everyone off to a good start and was followed  by a terrine of tuna served with tomatoes. Exquisite! The main course was wonderfully cooked "roti de boeuf" and roast pork ( I don't eat the latter!) The cheese course was served with Sweetpea's cherry cheese confit!  A red berry dessert in small verrines, evidently trés à la mode.

Just before the dessert we gave our small gifts of Earl Grey Tea with specific instructions in English on how to make a cup of English tea.  Everyone was happy.

We knew the end was nigh when the electric street lamps went ON  at 11 pm. We were not in the dark anymore, BUT, everyone  knew that "the economies" were in action and that in about 10 minutes the lamps would be turned OFF. We cleared up 'tout suite' and the local ladies were quite right, we were plunged into darkness. 

What a feast! 

For plus information aller:    http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pique-nique

No Camera No Pics

I thought I could live without a camera in the pocket ... so to speak .. but I am missing it. 

It died!  So I have to start investigating a new one .. Blogging isn't quite so exciting without photos ... and I feel I need to breathe in some new life ... 

Progress for My Son and Bee

Hey, hey, they're moving along!  Well done! 

I have just borrowed the pic from my son's blog..Wendy Ann 2.

Neat work Sebs and Bee! 

I played for Laurie

Yeah, I did it with only a minor hiccough.  When  I think how nervous I used to get 30 years more or less ago about playing piano in public, I can't believe that this year I didn't have any stomach or head cramps before I performed.  I kept the breathing regular, because  NOW I KNOW that is what I have to do.... and I felt proud, yet quite unemotional that I had made a good contribution to my piano teacher's pupil's concert.  It was for her that I did my best!

It was for her that I knew I must not make a terrible error.

We played the first two movements of the Schubert Fantaisie and it was so wonderful to play with another human being and touch parts of my soul that as a solo pianist I do not touch. It is difficult to explain.   Of course, now I would like to learn the 3rd movement and continue to play with Laurie. She is so inspiring and motivatingly positive.  

After the Schubert I sat down , only to be invited to play "The Heart that Asks for Pleasure First" from the film THE PIANO.  Well, I can't believe how well I played it ... maybe it was a little fast to start with, but it settled down, and I think it was the best I have played it outside of my living room.  I could hold my head up high because I had not let myself down with nervousness nor let my piano teacher down. I think Mary Ash my original piano teacher and my college teacher, Mary Peppin  would also have felt proud.  Thankyou to Mary, Mary and Laurie my piano teachers who have all been 'top professionals'.  I have been very fortunate to have had such specialist teachers.  My very first music teacher was French (Mme Boucher I think)  and at primary school she taught me the little piano accordion, which I still have, ... and then I went to a well-renowned accordionist Martin Lukins for lessons and played in accordion groups and solo stage performances. 

Maybe with courage I will get the big 100 bass out again and hope it has not got too wheezy-squeezy!!

But for now I really am enjoying playing my piano... the fingers are so much stronger ... and if I type properly supporting my wrists, then I shouldn't get the wrist problems that I sometimes do, even without computer use.  

I am a lucky girl because I can immerse myself in just playing the piano if I want!!!  

Debussy next... here I am come with ' Dancing in the Rain'... in the last week, here in our corner of France, it has done nothing but rain!!!!!!!!!

Schubert Fantasie in F minor (4 hands) op. 103

At the pending  l'audition (lor - diss - ee - on)  when all the pupils of my  piano teacher give their annual end of academic year recital, my piano teacher and I will attempt to play the first two movements of this piece.   I am sad to say that I did not work hard enough to get the last movement up to spec and even the 2nd movement is 'touch and go'.  Still, there is one week left and I have to practise one hour each day to improve the hand /brain /eye co-ordination difficulties!!!  Here is one of the better 'youtube' recitals... it is performed at about our speed... but do ignore the breath intakes of the players!  It is in two parts  ... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2UcHJ4Q6jw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUjOQ2EcC_U&feature=related

Also, I may be required to play a solo. If so, I think I will choose to play "The Heart that Asks 

for Pleasure" from The Piano, one of my favourite films. When I first viewed this film, I had to 

leave the cinema, cry in the toilet cubicles, and only emerge when my daughter

became concerned for my emotional well-being!! The last time I watched the DVD I had my

eyes closed during a certain scary and physically unpleasant (to a pianist) passage!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dPS-EHl-FE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dVpd1CXYH8&feature=related

L'Ancien Théâtre

I was overawed to see this exquisitely preserved but fragile Italian renaissance theatre at the end of an exhibition  hall that we have been to many times.   We knew that it was the site of a former church and a theatre but we had no idea what was beyond the  closed doors. Veritable Magnificence!

I had my own personal tour!!  A former French physician very kindly provided me lots of information about the history of the theatre.  He worked there as a volunteer but explained that it is very hopeful that the theatre will arrive on the list of National French Monuments by next month and restoration will start.  We conversed in French and in English. He wanted to speak English and I ploughed on in French!!  Soon an American gentleman came to the discussion.  I was asking lots of questions about when it started and when it closed. We discussed the seating, the balconies, galleries, the paintings, the original fabric of the building, and how there were two theatres - one on stage and on in the audience because the people were finely dressed and used to participate with the actors on stage.  Of course when it opened Châtellerault was a rich town with the Arms  Factory and the Cutlery industry.  He showed me where the Maire would sit, below him were the Pompiers (firemen)  and on the opposite side of the stage would have sat the Sous-Prefet and below him the Police.  The theatre could also be transformed by the addition of a false floor installed above the seating ... Voila ... a dance floor!!

I collected a leaflet, declining for the moment to purchase the books and postcards. But I have just discovered this link:

http://www.ancien-theatre-chatellerault.fr/index.htm

Evidently the acoustics are brilliant and a 'chuchoter' can be heard distinctly.   Also there are about 50 Italian theatres in France, some of which are fully restored. 

I must go back again!

FOOTNOTE to Off we go to the Magic Wood

APRIL 15th 2009 Return to the posting 'Off we go to the Magic Wood' and find the asterisk to which this footnote belongs!

FOOTNOTE

HAHA just realised what I have written!!! The operation was about 5 weeks ago. Today I returned to the chirugien. We shake hands on arrival and shake hands on departure. He exclaimed that my foot was"tres jolie" and indeed it is and I am so very pleased with it that I thanked him but he owed the success to us working together. How very French! He speaks loudly and we talk about his workload because I refer to how much energy he has. He obviously loves his work. The foot is still swollen and I feel I have to be careful about shoes and socks but he is confident my foot will not present a problem next winter. Such positivity is again very French. At the moment I can only wear the TEVA walking sandals with socks so I don't feel terribly glamorous! The surgeon says that if I walk more the swelling will go down, so that is what I will now do and build my stamina back to the 12km walks I was used to doing about once a week. It's just a bit difficult to work in the garden with the wet soil and I am afraid of wearing wellies because that is what exacerbated the problem each year.

The other point I would like to make is that whilst I was waiting to collect my foot xray-image to take to the surgeon, I discovered that the post op recovery room is called the 'Salle de Reveil'. I was describing this again to Captain S and referring to the fact that several nurses male and female would all be attending to the patients one by one, making sure they woke up nicely, that the wound was good, that they were prepared for their recuperation ward. I described them as being like worker bees around the queen bee, or like worker ants, working in a team to help and protect their species. Isn't the human race a marvellous group when they work together to treat, help, administer love and care? Thank you to everyone who has cared for me in the complicated process of preparing me for the op and in the aftercare.

Easter Sunday - Joyeuses Pâques

The weather had outwitted the easter rabbit yet again. During the night 40mm of rain had fallen and so the outdoor treasure hunt was abandoned on account of the guests not having appropriate footwear to wander around on the wet lawn. Captain S had mowed the lawn on Friday and repaired the mower yesterday. However, half of the Easter quiz could be attempted on the gravelled area of the garden. The lovely Liz won by one point. Then in the Scotland Yard board game she escaped the detectives some of whom ran out of tickets. For the first time since I attended school cookery lessons I felt brave enough to make hot-water-crust pastry.  It was easy! Captain S spit roasted a leg of lamb and served it with rosemary jus / sauce, honey glazed carrots, and cabbage dotted with red peppers. We had a new course of Yorkshire puds just before the cheese course because we had forgotten to include them in the main course. Woops!
Following those courses we served what must now be my traditional dessert  -Paschka. But much later, at a late tea time, the simnel cake weighed rather heavily even though the tiniest of slices were served with earl grey tea.