The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Saturday 6 March 2021

Yeah, that's just what you'd do isn't it!

My immediate neighbours on either side are the "R" family, with whom I am very close, and the "S" family who, while not as close as the Rs, are still very nice and we have done things together socially in the past. One thing I've learned over the years, though, is if you want something spread all around the village, tell it to Mrs. S in confidence. So while I will always chat with her, if I want something to stay private I never mention it to her. Not that I have much that I'm desperate to keep private, mind you - I'm pretty much an open book - but not everyone feels the same way do they. Anyway, about a month after André moved in with me I spotted her in the garden and she asked what André was doing here so much. So I told her he was getting divorced (I figured she already knew, actually) and was going to be with me until he got his own place. Well a couple of days later I went to the market in the next village over and bumped into another neighbour who I don't see so often. She asked how I was coping during these never-ending lockdowns and I said it wasn't so bad as André was getting divorced and was living with me for the time being. That's when she said that she had already heard because Mrs. S had told her the day after she found out. Not that these two are friends at all, it's just that they had bumped into each other in town and got chatting. And this neighbour said how absolutely disgusted she was that this was the kind of tittle tattle that Mrs. S liked to gossip about. So I told her it was fine as it wasn't a secret anyway but she insisted that as she, herself, is a private person she thinks Mrs. S needs to keep her mouth shut about other people's business. But that was the end of the story as far as I was concerned. Well that is until I bumped into Mrs. S this week out walking the dog on her own. Now she never goes anywhere without Mr. S, never, because he is insanely and irrationally jealous. If she wants to have a coffee in town with a gf he goes along too. He goes to the market and shopping with her and they always walk the dog together. She told me this herself, many years ago, because he at one time figured she was having an affair with Mr. R (my neighbour on the other side) and then decided it was actually my husband she was having an affair with - and all because she used to wash the bed sheets on a Monday, so that must have been when she saw her lover! I know, it's crazy-making isn't it! But all that just to say that you never see one without the other - until yesterday that is. When I commented that she was on her own she told me that he had been taken to hospital on Monday after having what is, hopefully, a minor stroke but I was to keep it to myself in strictest confidence, as nobody was to know! She then told me that she'd been in such a state that she pulled out onto the main road into the path of another car and while she was okay, both her and the other car needed repairs. So I told her if she needed me to run her around just to let me know as I was free any time. She thanked me for the offer but again reiterated that no-one was to know about him being in hospital. And that's when it struck me. I wonder if she will ever see the irony between the fact that she feels free to tittle tattle about everyone else's business but when it comes to them, she expects everyone to respect their privacy! I, of course, will keep this to myself (I reckon everyone will find out eventually anyway - it just won't come from me), but somehow I still don't think this will change her!

When I went out to fetch the mail later that day I bumped into my other neighbour (Mr. R) returning from a short walk. He's been pretty good about walking lately after recovering from his third or fourth operation to put stents in his groin to open the veins up. I commented that I'd seen him out and about quite a bit and "good for him", and that's when he told me that this summer he intended to walk from the lac Vert up to the lac d'Anterne - and I nearly fell over! It's one thing to have a stroll round the neighbourhood every day but I think he is seriously deluding himself that that hike will be within his capabilities by this summer - if ever! He's smoked for over 50 years (hence the stents), and while he did get out walking when he was a much younger man, over the 30+ years that I've been here I've never seen him go out hiking once. But I would love to do that hike so I told him if he was game for it I'd go with him. I don't see it happening, to be honest, but I would like to have a shot at it (again), despite the fact that it is rated as "hard" on the local hiking review. I've been up to a refuge called le Réfuge de Moëde before, and the lac d'Anterne is a good 90-minute hike above that, but who knows. It's spectacular scenery and maybe I can persuade Isabelle and/or my other neighbour to have a shot at part of that hike with me (the bit that I know) once the snow has melted!

The Réfuge de Moëde


The lac d'Anterne is only small, but
about another 90 minute hike past the refuge!

I've been doing pretty well lately at sticking to my one-hour-a-day schedule for getting things sorted/cleaned/decluttered, but there's obviously still an awful lot to do - not that there's a deadline of course. Still it's nice to see things slowly starting to take shape. Today I got all the bed linen washed and hung outside to dry for the first time this year. It wasn't warm enough to dry completely, of course - not yet - but doesn't everything smell wonderful when you bring it in from outside! After that I thought I'd give my sister a call as I haven't spoken to her in a couple of weeks, but blow me, what had she done to her hair? They're still in lockdown in England and she was explaining that the hairdressers are still out of bounds and will remain so for a good while yet. So as she was totally sick of her hair she'd taken her almost-bald husband's hair clippers to her head and ran them all over. Crikey, she definitely went a bit nuts! I doubt her hair is half an inch all over, but while she'll never win any prizes for Home Hairdresser of the Year, by god she could give sheep shearers a run for their money!

And finally, as I was watching the French news on Youtube yesterday, some abstract algorithm decided that I might be interested in deleted scenes from the film Love Actually - and lordy were they right! The one I watched involved "mom" (played by the wonderful Emma Thompson) being summoned to her son's school over "an incident". It turned out that the children had been asked to write an essay describing what they would wish for if they had a magic wand and could wish for anything for just one day. Well most of the kids wished for world peace, of course, and one child wished that his sick sister would be healthy for just one day. But not Emma Thompson's son of course. They made her read it out loud in front of him. No, her boy wished that just for one day, whenever someone farted, little bubbles would start floating up around them so that everyone would know who it was. They showed grandma at Christmas lunch with the little bubbles, the vicar giving his sermon in church with little bubbles and then - oh heresy - the Queen bending over to pat one of the corgis with little bubbles all around her!


At this point Emma Thompson asks if she can speak to her son in private and they leave the Headmaster's office. When her son says "sorry mom", she turns round to him and says "no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting you in a school with a bunch of pricks who can't see your story for the comedic gold that it is" - and then she completely cracks up. And that's when André said "yeah, that's just what you'd have done too isn't it" - and you know what, he's right - 'cos I'm a pleb!

Why they deleted this scene from Love Actually
is totally beyond me - it's hilarious!



26 comments:

  1. People who love to be the teller, often want complete privacy. My MIL and SIL are classic examples. That was one of my fall outs with both of them-their prying and gossiping, but are the last to fill us in on important things we should be told. Did you see the rest of the scene with the principle coming home telling her very sick partner about his story. They both then started laughing.

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    1. I reckon most people find out "everything" anyway at some point so it doesn't need to come from me. The friend who told me about the gossip is extremely private. She lost her only child in a car crash 10 years ago and told me that the thought of people "gossiping" about her filled her with dread, so she was very upset about Mrs. S - even if neither I nor André were. And no I didn't see the rest of that scene so I'm going to look it up. It's Saturday night here, I'm all alone and honestly I can't think of a better way to spend it!

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  2. Your mountains are gorgeous! I hope the hike happens for you.
    Why on earth would they delete that scene? I do really like the movie and it is one of my Christmas time must sees now.

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    1. I've hiked up to that refuge before but it was many years ago. I'm starting to chomp at the bit to get out again and as it's such a lovely spot I will try to get out there once the snow has melted a bit and the curfew is lifted. I'll take photos if I make it! And like I said to Sam, I'm going to sit and "Youtube" a few more deleted scenes because that one was brilliant!

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  3. L O L. That's how the worst gossips are - they love to talk about everyone, and butt their nose in everywhere - but their information is private. I think it is because they know how damaging taking smack can be!

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    1. I wish him well, obviously, but he is as paranoid about their privacy as she is - which makes it all the sadder that she feels the need to gossip so much. In the end it doesn't make much difference to me because I wouldn't tell her anything I wanted kept private, but it does make you wonder why doesn't it!

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  4. I thought you knew, for Mrs. S, 'don't tell anyone' is code for I want many, many calls from people asking me how I'm doing.

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    1. Sadly in this case I don't think that's true. HE is so paranoid about everything (hence the jealousy I suppose) that they will want to keep this completely private. The problem is, from what I understand his face is quite badly affected so whether it will mean him staying inside (and therefore her also) for quite some time I don't know - but I wouldn't be surprised!

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  5. I've been tempted to have my hair shaved - and dyed pink!

    I long to do some extended hikes across England. Roll on the vaccines!

    Lucinda

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    1. I've thought how nice it would be to more or less shave my head too but .... well that and dying it pink or purple but so far I haven't had the nerve. Who knows though eh! And everyone's tired of this pandemic aren't they, although as France is way behind in the vaccination schedule I won't be counting on getting mine any time soon!

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  6. What is the distance from the lac Vert up to the lac d'Anterne?

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    1. I had to look it up, and apparently it's 11.7 km, but all uphill of course. From the parts that I do know, I'd say it's (conservatively) a 5-hour hike for someone in good shape (so not me or Mr. R then)!

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  7. Ah, gossips. Perhaps part of it is the attention it garners? I don't know. Feeling like you, yourself, are not particularly interesting so perhaps this is a way of garnering attention. Not making excuses by any means, just thinking 'aloud'. Our lockdown is trickling open as of tomorrow when all the schools reopen. I've had a notification for a jab but have deferred as it was Dorset and I'm in Hampshire now (have since discovered it could just be that was the closest location...). I've registered at the local surgery now, so hoping I get back in the queue before too long. I might have to look up these Love Actually outtakes - I've not watched it in years and outtakes are especially fun! Stay safe & well xx

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    1. You might be right about the "attention" bit. She's an intelligent woman but has been absolutely controlled by him their entire marriage (so she tells me). Heck she told me about 20 years ago that if she had her own money she'd leave him. She's been a stay-at-home wife/mother for most of her marriage since he made her leave her part-time job at the cheese factory when the owner's wife died and she was "obviously going to start having an affair with him", despite the fact that he was 20 years older than her. I think she's been stifled by his controlling ways for all their married life. But then again, I'm no shrink either so who knows. Good luck with the vaccine though. I'm not even close to getting mine!

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    2. Controlling a partner like this is a definite sign of abuse. It IS abuse. Whether or not it's ever gone any farther you'll probably never know. How sad.
      I love the bubbles idea. What a charming bit in a movie and I'm sorry it got deleted.

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    3. Oh he's more than controlling and always has been. Years ago she asked him what would happen to her financially if he died (he has no life insurance) and he said "I don't care, I won't be here" (nice huh) then, when she was getting his diabetes medication ready to go in the ambulance she forgot his eye drops and he called her a "stupid bitch", so yeah, he's controlling. And you're right, it is abuse. When I see stuff like that I'm so glad I always had my job and would never have to kiss anyone's backside because they controlled the money. And I did so love that scene too - as Lilycedar says, it's a good job brain farts don't smell isn't it!

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  8. I reckon those hair clipper results will make some people reticent to come out when restrictions are eased, rather than the ongoing risks from the virus.

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    1. My sister just pulls a woolly hat on - and now she's the splitting image of my mom!

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  9. Like your sister I tried cutting my hair too and ended up with a very short bob. It is uneven at the back but I am too chicken to go to a hair salon because of COVID-19. For a moment I thought about doing what your sister did but decided against it. I will let it grow a little bit and then either a friend or my sister will have to touch it up. Lol!

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    1. I actually cut my hair yesterday but I probably only take an inch off at a time and I DON'T use shears!! I've no idea what the back looks like, to be honest, but then I don't care what impression I make on folks when I'm leaving either!

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  10. I have a friend that always ends a conversation with, don't tell anyone please. One day I was with another friend when she told us something followed by the usual. To which my other friend replied I already knew it's all over face book! Her face was a picture. I do love where you live, its stunningly beautiful.

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    1. Working in HR for 20 years you just can't gossip - plus it's exhausting anyway. When things come out "generically" that's all well and good - as I'm sure this will because apparently his face is quite paralysed, but in any case it won't come from me. And you're right, after 40 years in this region I still never get tired of looking at the mountains. I just have to get back to walking in them now!

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  11. I'm just thankful that brain farts don't smell because if that was the case I would be surrounded by a cloudy of foul smelling stink most of the time.

    People tell me secrets at work all the time and I don't know why. I don't tell anyone but it is a burden to have all of this information sometimes. That poor woman. She should have left her husband years ago.

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    1. I think brain farts and menopause are definitely a thing. As for my neighbour, she was 17 and pregnant when they married and she's 70 now so it's never going to happen. I'm pretty sure she loves him and he provides well for her, but it's a golden cage, to be sure!

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  12. You know you'll be the talk of the neighbourhood if you go walking up the mountains with a gentleman neighbour!! Mrs S will have a field day lol. Good luck with the climb, make sure you tell lots of people where you're going and how long for as you may have to carry Mr R home from the sound of things!
    I don't think I've ever seen Love Actually! I've no idea why not as it sounds like my kind of film. I will have to investigate this.
    I hate getting told secrets as I just about burst trying to keep them lol. I usually tell hubby to get it off my chest and he wouldn't tell a secret to anyone, in fact I'm pretty sure any I tell him he instantly forgets anyway lol. x

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    1. We'll have to see but I'm not sure that hike will ever come to be with my neighbour, although my two lady walking friends might be willing to give part of it a shot. Who knows. To be honest, Mr. R has aged so much in the last few years, terribly thin and losing his hair, and of course having had the surgery on his legs I really don't think he'll go for it. And I don't think I've seen Love Actually either because I never sit still long enough. I've seen scenes from it but I couldn't tell you the whole story(ies) - I believe it is several stories. I think it's useful to have your hubs to tell all the secrets to. While I'm not totally immune to gossip, I just don't see the point any more because I know what I think about someone who does nothing but. Still, like I said above, I'm pretty sure people will find out eventually anyway!

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