A busy week (again)!

My classes have started back up again after the school break and I'm back to being pretty full on - and I'm okay with that! Monday started with my early morning yoga class, and by god I soon realized how much I missed it! I felt like I'd gained 20 kg and turned into Lot's wife after just two weeks' absence. But I soon got back into the swing of things and thoroughly enjoyed it! It sets me up for the week actually! Then on Monday night it was back to sewing club and for some weird reason we are now at full capacity, our numbers having gone from eight to 20 this year. That really is the maximum number of ladies we can accept into the club, I feel, taking into account the space each of us needs for our different projects. So "full house" then, for the first time ever for the sewing club apparently! I was chatting with Patricia, the teacher, and she was telling me that two out of the three sewing machines that belong to the club are pretty naff (although most people bring their own machines anyway) so I took the "executive" decision to buy two new second-hand machines for the club and get rid of the naff ones! Patricia contacted her supplier and I will be heading off out to his place to pick them up next week.

I spent Tuesday morning lugging more stuff out of my living room and up into the back bedroom in anticipation of having my new floor laid soon. By 1.30 and realizing I was running a bit short of time, I jumped into the shower and then went to slather my usual body cream on before heading out for my yoga class with my neighbour, but I picked up the wrong bottle and ended up pretty much basting myself with sweet almond oil! I didn't have time to take another shower so sponged off what I could but half way through my class I realized I felt (and probably smelled) slightly like a Thanksgiving turkey! Oh well, at least I've got skin like a baby's bottom now! I asked my neighbour how she felt after the two-week break and she said stiff, "but I wouldn't give up my place for a cat", which is the French way of saying she wouldn't miss it for the world! I'm so glad for her! So then I asked her if she would now go on her own even if I didn't go, did she feel comfortable enough with the other ladies? I should have known better, because while her answer was "yes", she said she hoped I wasn't going just because of her, that I wasn't sacrificing my time for her!!! Oh cripes!! I should know her better by now! Mrs. "I-don't-deserve-anything-good"!!! So I explained to her that I was going because I wanted to take two yoga classes a week and not because of her!! Maybe if I keep hitting her over the head with a metaphorical hammer she will one day realize that yes, indeed, she does deserve to do nice things for herself! Then on Tuesday night I had my once-a-month patchwork lesson, which was our final lesson on how to assemble a Kaffe Fassett mystery quilt. Our teacher has been providing us with a new "section" of the quilt each month for 10 months, with instructions on how to make each block, but we won't know what the final quilt will look like until the end! We have made some changes to the basic blocks though in order to "jazz it up" a bit! To be honest, given how much we paid, I find the fabric a little disappointing - coordinated of course, but not some of the most exciting fabric I've seen! So yes it's a mystery quilt but I have to admit I'm not overly impressed - well, not considering all the work and money that will have gone in to it! But, and here's the good news, I've made such a cock-up of some of the blocks because I just can't cut straight/accurately! Seriously, I'm useless, and while you can work around covering up some cock-ups, I may have gone beyond that point! That, however means, that I've got to get creative to try to salvage some of the blocks and so my teacher suggested I cut all the "rubbish" blocks down to odd shapes and appliqué them on to additional, brighter (and much more to my taste) fabric to give it a different look. So that's what I will be doing (if I ever get the bloody thing finished). Oddly enough, one of the ladies took one look at what I will be doing with the "wonky blocks" and said that she would like to have done the same thing, to liven the quilt up a bit. As I say, one lady really wasn't impressed with the fabric provided and I think we are all fairly meh with it, but I'm hoping mine will finally come together when I get it all done, wonky blocks and all!

That's not my quilt - but just an idea for "wonky blocks"! Pity I've got about 30 to make!

Then on Wednesday I went in to work to use the gym/see my friends, had a drink with my friend and then shot off back to the other side of the lake for my next Italian lesson. I told you I like being busy! Thursday - pilates class - and I feel the instructor is starting to up the ante just a little, making us work just that little bit harder, which isn't a bad thing! At one point, to strengthen our lower backs, she had us lying on our stomachs, arms off the floor and then lift our head, shoulders and upper torso - which was fine as far as the head and shoulders go, but "upper torso" - forget it! I was telling my friend about it and she subsequently sent me this picture! Nice friend huh!

And finally, Friday we had a pre-planned trip for a "gastronomic tour" of Lyon. Lyon is considered the gastronomic capital of France and is only a 90 minute drive from La Roche! Actually, many moons ago before I was married my then boyfriend and I went down to Lyon regularly to see friends of his who were studying there (and who still live there, I believe)! So while we had a "students' eye view" of Lyon it was still lovely! It's a beautiful city with such a lot going for it! What's more, after pretty much two solid weeks of rain, the clouds cleared and we had an entire day of sunshine right on time!

Lyon

We spent the first couple of hours wandering round les Halles de Lyon, which was right up my street! The best translation I can think of for les Halles would be "undercover market", but it is more of a luxury market rather than your run-of-the-mill market! They have les Halles in Geneva too, of course, and while the produce there is superb, I would probably have to sell a kidney to be able to afford to shop there! But we had a wonderful time exploring all the great stalls - people were already sitting down at 11 a.m. eating oysters (and snails!)! Beautiful place!

After that we had lunch in a relatively famous bouchon called chez Paul! A bouchon is a typical small Lyon restaurant known for its good food. (A bouchon is also a traffic jam or a cork, but not in this case, obviously)!

When they talk about "gastronomic" food, in this instance I would say it is more "peasant food", based on the wonderful ingredients available locally. Lyon, being situated in east central France at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, it lies at the crossroads between northern France and the southern mediterranean region. Also, not being that far from Italy, it was one of the first regions where Italian cuisine was introduced into France! An interesting feature of our trip around les Halles was when we were introduced to the concept of les Mères de Lyon (the Mothers of Lyon), who were the ladies who really initiated the first bouchons! These were working class women who were in service in the big houses where they learned the art of fine cooking. After the first world war many of them were laid off for economic reasons and so "getting in to cooking" was a way of making ends meet!

Mère Bizolon, was one such woman who set up her own restaurant and, I believe, it was with her that the legendary, Michelin-starred Paul Bocuse started out! Incidentally, the medals that she is wearing denote the fact that she was widowed during WWI and also lost a son in that war!

One of the Mères de Lyon, who offered free lunches to returning soldiers!

After lunch we had a couple of hours to wander around and take in the sights, and it was lovely! I haven't been to Lyon for years but I'll make sure I don't leave it that long before I go back again! Well in fact we'll be back there in a month's time for the Fête des Lumières (the Lyon light show), which is supposed to be spectacular! I can't wait!

Done bugger all today!

The weather has been pretty crap this weekend, constant rain and wind, although I can't say it's been that cold. But it's been a day to curl up on the sofa and do bugger all - and that's fine by me, although goodness knows I have enough I could be getting on with!

St. Maclou, the flooring people, are coming to my place three weeks from now on the Friday to move all of my furniture out of my downstairs in order to begin laying my new floor the following Monday. That means I have to get cupboards and shelves emptied, plants moved and so on so I really could have used my time more wisely today I guess. But no matter, every time I come upstairs I bring a plant up, or if I go down to my basement I take something down there from the garage, as the big stuff will be going in there. I'm usually pretty methodical so hopefully there won't be one last mad rush the day before as there is quite a bit to shift. Anyhoo, I'm sure it'll get done! Zen!

So I've spent pretty much the whole day sitting on my backside reading - and it's been great! I finally caved in and signed up to Amazon Prime (€6/month) as I was on Amazon France looking to buy a copy of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", but it doesn't seem as though it's available to buy yet. I hear it's great! But, of course they suggested it on Amazon Prime so I decided to take up their offer of a free 30-day trial. To be honest, I buy enough off Amazon that it might be worth it anyway just to get free shipping, but we'll see. I'm also organized enough that I write these things down and don't forget to cancel them if I decide not to take it any further. In the meantime, I'll see how it goes!

In my mail box this week I got a toy catalogue (already?) for Christmas stuff. I have put a "no advertising" sticker on my mailbox but somehow this one got through. But I decided to look through it at the board games as I'm getting a little tired of some of the ones we've been using and think we need to mix it up a bit (before I die of boredom?), so I went ahead and ordered Cluedo and a game called "Ta mère en slip" or "you're mom in her knickers" off Amazon!

It's basically the same as the game where they stick a post-it on your forehead and you have to guess who you are, although in this game you get two cards to slot into the glasses, one with a person and the other showing that person doing an activity. One that I saw was "Donald Trump on Tinder" (which may not be any more far-fetched than "your mom in her knickers" to my way of thinking)! Hopefully it'll be here before our next board game evening chez Jordan and Jen - should be!

I guess bad weather maybe also puts us (me?) at risk of "internet spending" too doesn't it. It's so easy to just click on something on Amazon or wherever and "poof" it's yours, although to be fair, I'm really not that kind of unmitigated spendthrift (unless it's for second-hand books for myself - my Achilles heel)! I have recently placed a couple of orders but they are for Christmas presents and such and a birthday gift for Lily, my DIL, who will be 32 in December. I think (I hope) I know Lily's taste - it certainly looks to be the case for books as she and I seem to have the same collection - so I'm pretty sure she will like the framed Banksy wall hanging I've ordered for her. I know I do so fingers crossed!

I was at a bit of a loose end yesterday though so I decided to check out a beautician's/spa place I had seen on my way to Tuesday afternoon yoga. I haven't been for a facial for years so I've decided I'm going to make it a more regular, monthly treat now because there ain't no pockets in shrouds! So I did a bit of googling, looking to see what Yves Rocher had to offer as I like their stuff, but the YR where I go is difficult to park at and this place is just 10 minutes down the road from me. So I've gone ahead and booked a facial for next week and will see how they pan out, with an eye to a massage next time if they are any good! My idea of bliss - well that and getting lost in a sweetie shop that also sells books!

I can now afford all these wonderful new experiences because I've just received my end-of-year "closing out of accounts" on various taxes and utilities and seemingly I'm doing really well. I mentioned before how my monthly electric bill has already gone down by €18/month just by switching supplier (and should drop by another €30/month if Max is right). Anyway, I just received my annual bill for trash collection (€118/year), which is a definite improvement over the €180/year I used to pay. The drop came about when I went into town to pick up my access badge for the local recycling centre (only local taxpayers are allowed to use it) and the lady asked me if we were still four people living in my house. When I told her that I had been on my own since 2015 she punched in a different code and I got the lower rate as a single householder! I hadn't thought of it before but I was very grateful that she asked! Actually, though, that got me to thinking that we haven't had "trash collection" round here for around 10 years - nothing is picked up from outside your home any more. You have to take even your household rubbish to bins dotted around the local villages (plus all your stuff to the recycling of course). At first I hated it but now I actually prefer it as I can get rid of my rubbish any time I want and don't have to wait for a weekly/fortnightly pick-up by the bin men. But, I tell a lie, this system has been in place longer than the 10 years I thought because it was already in place when my ex was still living here and he's been gone 10 years, so it must be about 15 years. By 'eck doesn't time fly!

Anyway, on top of the decrease in my garbage bill, I also got my annual water bill (€146/year) which somehow is down €71 over last year!! I'm not sure how that happened (although my armpits just might be a bit funky I suppose) but either way I'll take it! On top of that I have two other taxes which I guess would be the equivalent of the council tax in the UK. Taxe d'habitation and taxe foncière. They, of course, will never go down but they've only gone up by about €2/month each so I'm happy with that. Hence, my wonderful savings and decision to get a monthly facial/massage!!!

I also had my monthly "ladies lunch" in Geneva with my girlfriends last week, and Liz was telling me that she had finally been given an appointment with the French authorities for mid-January for her initial interview for French citizenship. So we were right, it takes about a year! I guess that means I'm looking at next July then. Oh well. We have a "citizens' document" you can download giving basic info about France, its history and its traditions but, to be honest, we don't think that's the kind of thing they are going to be looking for. When was Bastille Day? Everyone learns that of course (14 July 1789 in case you're interested). What other people have said they were asked was why you want to become French and they want to see if you truly are integrated into French life - are you a member of any groups or associations, etc.? So ya see, my being "Madame la Présidente" of the local sewing club (we had our AGM last week) might stand me in good stead anyway, even if I can't bloody well sew!!! That plus all the different activities I have joined in at the local community centres! I knew I was right! I guess you just need to show that you don't only hang around with your own nationality, you speak the language and are well integrated (board game evenings anyone?)! I'll find out more after Liz has been for her interview I guess! I'm glad she's going first though!

And finally, my birthday came and went in September, and I was just thinking the other day that I didn't receive a card from Bryan! And Bryan never forgets my birthday! I met Bryan on my very first Solos holiday to Turkey in 2010 and he was a really sweet older chappie. We used to chat a lot, although our relationship was never like that! Before we flew home he handed me a copy of the book "The Power of Now", which he told me he carried everywhere with him. (Actually I already had it somewhere but couldn't be doing with it. Seems like it must be a "man" thing because Steve loved it too)! Anyway, I digress! I told Bryan if he was going to give it to me he had to write something in the front, which he did, and we have stayed in touch ever since. He has been out here twice for a long weekend and loved it, asking specifically to go back to Annecy the second time also (no hassle for me, I love Annecy)! But he never forgot my birthday (or Christmas) and always sent me a message on Armistice Day (coming up). I sent him a couple of messages but got no reply, which is not like him at all, so sadly, I'm thinking there might not be good news! He would be in his mid-70s I guess and had had heart surgery at the beginning of the year (which went well), but … I won't bother him again right now but if I don't get a message on 11 November I guess I'll know there might be more bad news, although how I would ever find out I'm not sure. Here's hoping though as he is a sweet guy and an absolute gentleman! Fingers crossed for Bryan!

Well done South Africa!

I'm gutted of couse, but well done to South Africa for a fabulous and very well deserved win! They came off the blocks firing on all cylinders - and we didn't! It didn't help that poor Kyle Sinckler got knocked out after just three minutes on the pitch but that's the nature of the game, and luckily he is apparently now ok. I suppose it was a lot to ask to beat Australia one week, New Zealand the next and then South Africa the following, but either way South Africa thoroughly deserved to win!

As a footnote, I guess it's a mark of how far South Africa has come in that they had their first black captain, who just happens to have a white wife! Just think how few years ago that alone would not have been possible! Progress, finally!

More this and that!

Well I don't know where last week went, it feels like I went to bed and before I knew it another week had flown by! It seems it's true what they say about retirement - you don't see the time whizzing by, but as long as it's pleasurably whizzing by I guess I can't complain can I!

So what's new? Well last Saturday's rugby was just fabulous. England versus New Zealand! Of course I was desperately hoping England would win but with NZ being the favourites I sure bit my way through a few nails, I can tell ya! But England played wonderfully and NZ - well it just wasn't their day. I was ecstatic about England's win (obviously) and only hope they can repeat that performance tomorrow in the final against South Africa!!!!

Then on Saturday evening we had our latest board game evening at my place. Jen suggested we do a "halloween"-themed evening so that's what we did - and it turned out great! I noticed that Jordan looked very tired but he said he had been helping another friend build his house in the morning, band practice in the afternoon and then my place in the evening!! I guess ya gotta be young right? But at least he is learning more and more skills for the day when, hopefully, they will either build or renovate their own place!

There were only 10 of this time as a few couldn't make it but it was still a great evening all the same!

Halloween itself was fairly quiet, but then it isn't as big here as it is in the US or the UK anyway, even if it is catching on! I made a last minute appointment in town to get my hair cut before I did my usual hack job on it and the kids were parading round the shops and, mostly, the shopkeepers played along and handed out the candies, although from what I heard from my hairdresser not all the local businesses are interested in this "new", commercialized celebration. I understand to a point as traditionally it is carnaval that's celebrated in Europe in February but that seems to have gone by the way in many places, and some don't feel the need for an "imported" celebration. Still, money talks doesn't it and the shops are certainly not going to pass up the chance of making a few €€€€€€! I got a few visitors when I got home as I decorate my home anyway, but being out of town we really don't get that many trick-or-treaters. I tend to live on the first floor of my house as that's where my TV room and computer are, so I figured I would do some sewing (in the dining room) waiting for the doorbell to ring rather than running up and down stairs all evening. I also took the opportunity to make "bottom of the fridge" soup for today so my time was put to good use!

In the meantime, my gardener showed up to cut my lawn one last time (I wasn't really expecting him again this season, but he comes as and when) so I asked him to cut my hedges and chop down my dying cherry tree while he was at it. And by golly he made quick work of both! My neighbours, who also use him, got in a bit of a huff the other week and started cutting their side of the hedge (they have absolutely massacred it) but I thought (a) I'd get around to it at some point - admittedly not very likely, or (b) I'd get him to do it next year, but in the end it got done by him at a very reasonable price and looks a darn sight better than their side! The husband on that side is a strange guy, ok with me, but very domineering and very jealous by all accounts (so read "slightly nuts"). As an example, she was in the habit of cleaning their bedrooms and changing their sheets on a Tuesday morning and he got it in his head it was because she "used to see her lover on a Monday"! At one point he also thought she was having an affair with my husband (she wasn't, but she would have been welcome to him all the same), and with my other neighbour (again, not true). She says she can't go anywhere without him, particularly now that he's retired - not even for a coffee with her friends! Man that would drive me nuts! And I could see that he decided to cut their hedges in a fit of pique (rather than wait for the gardener to show up) and that meant that she had to be out there with him and to hell with what else she had planned for that day! In the end, as I say, he made a real pig's ear out of it and it looks terrible! Did I ever say how happy I am to be single? Yes? Oh well then I guess I don't need to repeat myself - but I will anyway, just because it's music to my ears - man, I'm so, so, so very glad to be single!

And finally, I had my twice-yearly medical check-up in central Geneva today and the bloody roads are even worse than I remember them! Geneva is all dug up as the French and Swiss are working togther to put in extended tram lines to link up with the new cross-border trains which will, hopefully, ease the traffic situation in the city. But in the meantime, it is hell! I tell ya, if I didn't know Geneva like the back of my hand I probably wouldn't even be home by now, what with road closures, new one-way streets and never-ending roadworks! Again, I'm so glad that I no longer have to do that trip every day! But get this ladies, how would you feel having your legs up in the stirrups, with the gynae waving his medieval instrument of torture around and then asking you how you feel about Brexit!!! Seriously???? I was tempted to say "right now it feels like I'm getting f**d over twice" but thought the better of it, so just said I was against it! But heck, sometimes it makes you wonder about the definition of "small talk" doesn't it!

Getting my groove back!

I haven't felt much like experimenting in the kitchen these last few weeks. I just seem to have lost my mojo there for a while. I have always enjoyed cooking but lately? Nah, not so much! But the other day I pulled a pork roast out of the freezer and picked up a very old cookery book that had one of my favourite pork recipes in it and I realized that this book has consistently produced some of my favourite recipes! So I decided to sit down and flick through it to see what I had been skipping over all these years - I mean, you know how when you use a cookery book you tend to use the same couple of recipes over and over and never try anything else right! Well, I'm pretty sure I had this book with me when I first came to Geneva 40 years ago (yikes, 40 years!), its recipes are in ounces and lbs and the covers are hanging on by a thread. But, turns out it's still a great book. You just have to remember that one ounce is 28 grams and off you go!

So I spotted a rather nice looking recipe for cherry/almond squares, but since I didn't have any almonds I decided to substitute desiccated coconut (of which I had an abundance). They turned out rather like shortbread (with a glacé cherry on top) and at one trillion calories per slice they proved a roaring success! I also made a variation of Anne's (New Happenings at the Table) pumpkin and sausage soup, and it wasn't bad. I wasn't overly fond of the sausage I chose but it was still pretty nice. And then tonight I made a "dry potato curry" recipe also from my old book - now that I loved! One of the nice things about living on your own is that you can please yourself what you eat and it doesn't have to be a "proper" meal (shortbread and potato curry anyone?). It also doesn't matter if it doesn't turn out too well - but somehow this weekend everything seemed to turn out pretty tasty! Maybe I just need to take time out more often! When I was at the market on Thursday the fruit and veg vendor started handing me slices of clementine, kaki fruit, mango etc. to try (he knows a fruit-lover when he sees one), and as I was paying he came trotting over with a few avocadoes that were "right on the edge" and a couple of limes. Said it was better for me to use them up than for them to go off. I also have shrimp and chicken defrosting so I'm looking forward to experimenting a bit more this week! I'm glad I've got my mojo back, to be honest! I'll always remember one lady saying how she loved Christmas because she never had to think what on earth to cook that day - I think we all know how that feels don't we!

Then earlier this week I got an email from Engie, my new electricity company. I have always been with EDF but Engie had a young man going door-to-door in March trying to persuade people to switch in view of the fact that EDF were putting their prices up on 1 July and if I switched to Engie they would remain on the lower tariff for at least the next year. How long those prices stay at that level after that I don't know but I was very pleased to see that my monthly direct debit has dropped from €90/month to €72 already. Add to that the expected €30/month I should save (according to Max) by no longer heating my water with electricity and I will be well pleased as he said my new, more efficient heating system (let's face it, anything has to be more efficient than a 33 year old heating system) will supposedly not use more fuel even though it is now heating my water as well. We'll see I guess, but with potential savings of €50/month so far I'm pretty happy!

As I've said previously, I'm slowly trying to get my garage and basement sorted, as well as major cleaning throughout the house and putting the garden to bed and guess what - I'm finally starting to see some progress! I guess when you keep flitting from one thing to another rather than just sticking in one spot until it's done it's gonna take a while, but I'm afraid I'm not that way inclined - I like to "flit"! Either way, I am starting to see progress. I was just wondering how to overwinter my new lemon tree and bougainvillier when up on my Facebook feed popped a post from "Rustica", which seems to be a French gardening site, and the guy on there was "showing me how to overwinter my lemon tree". I have no idea how I ended up getting this on my FB feed but I'm rather glad I did as being French it's maybe more relevant to the weather conditions in my location than other sites! Without his expertise I think I would have made the mistake of bringing it into my house but apparently they can't take the dry heat and are better off left outdoors but protected from the cold!! So now you know!

While I was out in my garden late this afternoon putting another raised bed "to sleep" (i.e. covering it with compost and a sheet of weighted cardboard to keep the weeds down), my neighbour walked over and we were discussing the group of huge mushrooms (probably more properly called funghi I guess) which seem to have suddenly sprung up in my garden. Now, I routinely get a few mushrooms at certain spots on the lawn but I have never seen anything like these. We were saying, if they were edible they would be a little goldmine, but since neither of us knew much about mushrooms we decided to play it safe!

I put my hand next to one of them so you can get an idea of the size!

I had a quick "chat" with Mr. Google and they would seem to be Chlorophyllum rhacodes,
or Shaggy Parasols.

"The shaggy parasol is popularly praised as a choice edible mushroom. However, it contains toxins which can cause gastric upsets when eaten raw or undercooked, ... 

Furthermore, young shaggy parasols look identical to the poisonous Chlorophyllum molybdites (the mushroom that causes the most poisonings in North America yearly)."

Nah, I think I'll give it a miss, just in case! But, while I was chatting away with my neighbour I noticed how lovely one of the mountains looked with the sun on it just before it set! Stunning!

I also received an email the other day offering me a 15% discount on tickets for an upcoming Johann Strauss "concert". As a "frequent flyer" to such kinds of concerts it's nice to get these offers and as I like Strauss I sent a text message to my friend on the off-chance, asking if he fancied an evening at the theatre and I got a "yes, of course" back immediately! I nearly fell over, as I usually get a "we'll see, I don't know what my plans are" and so on. He must be feverish! Anyway, I jumped on it and we have now got tickets to see the New Year's concert on 9 January at the Hotel Kempinski in Geneva!

As the schools are on autumn break most of my classes are on hold for the next two weeks, although since we are all "old fogies" without school-age children my Monday night sewing club is still on. Other than that, I suspect the next couple of weeks will be quite quiet, as was this weekend, and I have rather enjoyed it. I very much enjoyed the England/Australia rugby match this weekend which I think England deservedly won, but there were flashes of brilliance from both sides, so a good match. That means that England now has to play New Zealand in the semi-finals next weekend (yikes - playing the favourites!), with Wales playing South Africa in the other semi-finals. So that's another great weekend's rugby to look forward to!

And on that note I'll love you and leave you. It's almost 11 p.m. on Sunday night here, it's raining and I don't have to get up tomorrow morning and slog my way in to work. Could life be any better!

This and that!

Well not much is happening here at the moment - just what has now become my new "normal" - my different classes and clubs are all up and running with me seeing if this amount of "busyness" suits me - and so far it does! I started the week with my morning yoga lesson at our young teacher's home on Monday. She is limited for space so we are a maximum of five people per lesson but that's not a bad thing at all. She was telling us that she has now received permission to build a yoga studio in her garden so hopefully by next autumn she will be better set up to take her association a step further. I have to say, though, that she actually lives and breathes the entire "yoga" lifestyle and while it doesn't all appeal to me, as yet (the chanting for instance), she certainly looks wonderful on it. She told us she has a newly-retired gent who will be joining us on Monday for a trial class. He is apparently very into different sports and wants to add the flexibility of yoga to his list of strengths. We'll see what he makes of it, of course, as men are often very strong but don't have the flexibility that women seem to have so it will be interesting!

Then on Tuesday my neighbour and I had our Tuesday afternoon yoga session - you know, the one I virtually dragged her to kicking and screaming and which she now loves! Actually, it gives me a lot of pleasure to see her get so much out of it as I am very fond of this neighbour. She is a very "nervous" type, says she can never sleep (this I believe as I often hear her up and around throughout the night) and suffers from various aches and pains, in part due to scoliosis! Anyway, "Mrs Hyper" here actually fell asleep in the relaxation part at the end of the yoga class yesterday! I know!!! I actually had to wake her and we were all laughing - as was she as she said she never would have thought that just a 90-minute lesson could do that for her! To be fair she wasn't the only one though. The lady next to me seems to start snoring at the drop of a hat, but this is the first time my neighbour has done it. So I guess we now have a new "in joke", but good for her!

Our Monday night sewing club has grown fairly exponentially too. I don't know where they put out the advertising but all of a sudden we have eight new members, making our relatively small sewing room fairly cramped, but I'm sure we'll get something figured out. And they seem to be a nice crowd so here's hoping. I was talking to one of the new ladies as I left and she was saying that one of their group had taught sewing for about 20 years at another local MJC (community college) but that suddenly they wanted to add extra classes to her schedule and drop the amount they paid her so she told them to get lost! So now that particular MJC no longer has a sewing group and I guess that is where our new members came from. It sounds to me like someone had an ax to grind but .... Our group didn't have a paid teacher until last year in fact. We had a couple of ladies who knew how to sew and would help out as and when necessary. Since they have both decided to stop (they are both a fair old age), we now have Patricia who we actually pay, but I don't feel €100 per person per year is a lot to shell out for such a group. On top of that the local commune actually gives us the room rent-free so we really have nothing to complain about do we!

And talking of sewing, I finally got my new curtains put up in the living room. If you remember my others shrunk by about 10 inches after I washed them so I dashed out and picked out two new sets, hemmed them very roughly and got the new rods put up in time to get them all up and hanging over my lovely clean windows by yesterday evening!

It's been peeing down rain today so I decided not to go in to work to use the gym as bad weather inevitably brings with it accidents/tailbacks on the motorway and I didn't feel I could face it today as I've got my Italian lesson tonight and need to be back out my side of the lake in good time for that. Goody Two Shoes that I am, I've done my homework already though! And I've actually starting going through the paperwork contained in the "handbook for French citizens", trying to learn all about the French political system, it's values and French history. I don't think it'll be too bad actually, but since I could have my interview for French citizenship sprung on me at any time (although I doubt it'll be any time soon), I suppose I should get moving on it!

In other news, I mentioned the other day that I seem to be getting more and more scam artists coming through on my email. You know, the ones who have millions of dollars they want to put into my bank account out of the goodness of their hearts! I've been updating a word document of all of their scams and each time a new one comes in I send my word document back to all of them and suggest they may want to keep in touch with each other. I guess that's why their numbers are multiplying but at the moment it tickles me to keep doing this. But I've received about 15 since my birthday on 24 September, including one supposedly from Yahoo saying that my yahoo account would be closed unless I did X, Y and Z but I was not to change my password/log-on ! Crikey! That one I forwarded to the Yahoo abuse line and no, strangely enough, my account didn't get closed yesterday evening after all. I'm also being bombarded with info from the British Government about "what to do after Brexit" - I received 15 in just the last 10 minutes, would you believe! Now admittedly I signed up for these emails and most of them aren't relevant to me anyway but crikey, talk about being bombarded!

And talking of Brexit, last night Jordan invited me, Jen and Jen's mom out for dinner near them for our respective birthdays - mine on 24 September, Jen's mom on 30 September and Jen's 30th birthday on 7 October! It was just a five minute walk from their place so he could actually enjoy himself and have a rum cocktail for starters and wine with dinner. I stuck to a glass of white wine as I had to drive, but it was a really pleasant evening with the kids I have to say. On the way back to their place I was walking with Jordan and he was telling me that he has two jobs in Switzerland "ready to go" as and when he wants them (think double, or even triple his French salary) but  ... "bloody Brexit"!!! For the one job he just has to give the date when he would be available - i.e. give his notice in with his French employers but I told him to hang fire because when Brexit rolls around he will need to prove that he has an income and that he has been gainfully employed for some time. He actually likes his French company but says it is so badly run that they can't keep the staff. For instance, he has to be at the office to pick up his work load for the day by 7.45 a.m. and then they very often have him making his first maintenance call 30 km away at 8 a.m. in rush hour traffic, and of course it's impossible! The night before last he finished at 8.45 p.m. because he couldn't get all his appointments done during the day because of the traffic! They have all told their employers that the scheduling is all over the place and they keep promising to do something about it but it doesn't seem to be happening. Then his other problem is that to take up one of the offers of employment in Switzerland he has to prove that he is legally-resident in France - which he is until ..... and even though he can get residency and citizenship in France as he fulfills all the requirements you can't actually get a bloody appointment to hand in your dossier because the French won't set up the appointments until they know where they stand! I can't blame them for that but bloody hell! Living on a knife-edge is just so bloody miserable and yet we are the lucky ones. There are some British expats who may well end up having to go back to the UK because they don't meet all the new requirements for residency in their respective countries! Can you imagine! You've been legally living in country A for X number of years and all of a sudden they rip up the rule book and move the goal posts! I know I bang on about Brexit but hey, people's livelihoods are at stake here and we are being sold down the swannie, as, I fear, will Northern Ireland be. I hope to God not, but I really think the powers that be will cut we expats and Northern Ireland adrift without a second thought and God alone knows what will happen on the island of Ireland after that!! Again, "piss up" and "brewery" spring to mind!

And finally, I have taken to watching Strictly again after a couple of years of "nah, I can't be bothered" (to US readers I guess that equates to your "Dancing with the Stars"). Now I love Kelvin and think young Karim stands a very good chance of winning, but I have to say I am very impressed with Michelle Visage! She's not my cup of tea in any way, shape or form (she'd be what I call a "brassy blond" if she wasn't a brunette), but I have to say she just oozes confidence and she can actually dance! Add to that that she is dancing with the gorgeous Giovanni who seems to have so much fun with his partners, she has actually been a pleasure to watch. Do I think she'll go far? No, not really, but you just have to admire her chutzpah!

Sorry about that!

I went into Geneva yesterday to have lunch with some friends and on the way in my car "diagnostics" began to "ping", informing me that my headlight had just gone! Bugger! Once you cross the border there are three fairly long tunnels and I could tell instantly it was the right headlight that had gone as it was hard going in the tunnels! Anyway, I made it in to work in time for a very pleasant lunch, and then tootled off back home a couple of hours later in time, hopefully, to miss the worst of the traffic and the encroaching dusk. What I never thought about (until I got home, that is) was that I should have left earlier and dashed off to Ford to get them to fix it before they closed for the evening. But I never thought that far ahead and that effectively put the kibosh on my going to my Italian lesson last night as it means taking the back roads and what with the pelting rain and the darkness I didn't feel safe! Oh well, I'm sure I can make up what I missed in one lesson, although it was a bit disappointing not to go as I had actually done my homework you see!! Damn, and here's me being all Goody Two Shoes and all!

So this morning I had my third pilates class (it's beginning to grow on me - I wasn't sure at first) but instead of heading off to the market afterwards I ran down to Ford to have them replace the bulb before they closed for lunch. Now with my old car I used to be able to change the bulb myself but, seemingly, with this car it's more difficult so I knew I had to get down there before lunch as I had things to do in the afternoon.

After that I decided I might as well come home for lunch before heading off to do my grocery shopping so I was checking my emails when another bloody "scam" email came in - they are coming in thick and fast at the moment - you know, General X's widow who needs somewhere to stash millions of dollars in a foreign bank account! Since last week I decided I won't delete them any more but have created a word document with all their texts and emails in so as soon as a new one comes in I forward it to all the others. Little things please little minds I guess!

Anyway, while I was out shopping I received a message to say that a gift I had ordered for Jen's birthday could be picked up in town. Jen will be 30 on Monday so I thought it would be nice to get her, among other things, a copy of a French newspaper issued on the day of her birth. When I had a look at what they had, though, I wasn't too thrilled so decided to get her a copy of the Paris Match that came out the week of her birth. Now that it's arrived it doesn't seem to be the most exciting issue I've ever seen, but I guess there's not much I can do about that, is there!

Just look at that 1980s hairstyle!

Then as I was coming out of the shop I felt a hand on my arm, and when I turned round it was the "kissy guy" I made an idiot of myself with at the market the other week - you know, the one I waved at thinking it was my neighbour and as he took his glasses off and went in for the kill (the kiss on both cheeks), I realized to my horror that I didn't know him!!! Anyway, it was him and he obviously recognized me from then and said he wanted to apologize!!! Err, actually I would say it was more my fault but hey, if he thinks he goofed I can live with that! So he said he wanted to apologize to me for his "lack of respect" the other week (in French it's perfectly ok to say "I showed disrespect to you" - in English it sounds a bit naff though eh)! He said it was disrespectful of him to shout "hallo gorgeous" across the road and then trot over to kiss me (and here's me thinking "any time bud, any time!") but I explained that I had mistaken him for a neighbour too so I'm sure we were both to blame! But guess what, he told me his name was Dominique and asked if he could buy me a drink!!!! Yikes!!! When I explained to him that I had a car full of groceries melting as we spoke, he said maybe next Thursday, if I was at the market, and he would look out for me!!! I suppose that leaves me a whole week to decide if I ever intend to go to our local market again then!!! Oh dear!