The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Sunday 15 August 2021

Hmmm, so what if ...?

Well summer seems to finally be upon us, arriving in one fell swoop since last week and it's scorching here. While it's been a pain in the butt to have had so much rain for so long, I can't say I mind having missed out on these temperatures for the last six weeks or so as I just I can't take it. Which I guess is kinda sod's law that André and I ended up moving the vast majority of his stuff out to his new place this week. On Wednesday I was up and down stairs like a mad woman, packing and loading stuff and then in the afternoon we went back to the store where he bought most of his furniture to get a few extra items (coffee tables, book cases, shelves for the garage) and by the end of the day we were both wrecked. Then on Thursday I took him to a store where he could get most of the remaining stuff he needed (you know, like trash cans, linen baskets) at a reasonable price, a quick drive through Mickey D's for lunch and then back to his place to unload. Friday I told him he really needed to get some grocery shopping done because the truckers' union had threatened to bring the country to a stand still starting this weekend over the pass sanitaire and he might not make it out his front door. Oddly enough it hasn't happened because Macron decided that truckers (along with the police, the military and politicians???) should be exempt from being required to have this vaccine for their work and their truck stops/watering holes would also remain open to them! So there's method in his madness because (so far) they haven't gone on strike, but the fact that those four categories of people will not be required by law to get the vaccine proves - to my mind at least - that this pass is anything but sanitaire! But ... I digress. So I showed André where I got all my fresh stuff if I didn't want to go to the market, then on to the frozen food store which is excellent (I'm sensing he will be living at this place), and finally to the regular store for the rest of his stuff. Now this supermarket chain regularly has promotions whereby you get a sticker for every €10 you spend and it enables you to buy other goods at much reduced prices. They were doing that with wine glasses and then Tupperware recently, but I only collected the stickers because my neighbours wanted them. But this time they are doing a good deal on towels and for 10 stickers and €10 you can get one very good quality bath towel, so I started collecting them thinking they would come in useful for André. Well I had parked and gotten there before him and while I was waiting a man came up to me and asked if I collected the stickers only he had a whole pile of them and had no use for them. When I said yes I would be glad of them he handed me an envelope full, so André now has a whole pile of bath and hand towels on order for about a quarter of the regular price. I hate to even think what he has spent this past week though, but he's keeping track of it and said he is still fine. I sure hope so! 

Then yesterday I went over to Jordan's to make sure Leni the horrible cat was ok and decided to spend an hour there with him reading (me, not him) so that he would have some company. Can you believe I even gave him cat treats and the little rat still treats me with utter contempt (well after he'd had the treats that is). Oh well, I did my bit, cleaned up his food and put fresh water down for him and heck, I even emptied the cat shit out of his litter and there's not one bit of gratitude! While I know most cats are more affectionate than Leni, it just confirms to me that I'm not a cat person as I don't want to go shit shovelling for an ungrateful cat, and in the end, although I like dogs more, I really don't want to do it for dogs either, so that, at least, has put any idea I might have had about getting a pet to rest!

After that I went back up to André's (he was out running around) and spent about five hours emptying boxes and putting stuff away in this bloody heat! Man does he owe me big time. But you know what, I love his apartment and it's giving me vague thoughts of "hey, why don't I move too"? I'm very impressed with the builder and who needs a house when a two or possibly three-bedroomed apartment will do the job just nicely? I reckon I could sell this, buy an apartment and walk away with about €100,000 so it would make sense too.  Hmmmm, has the seed of an idea just been planted?

Now I love where I live, the village is beautiful and my neighbours are great, so there's that to consider, but more and more I like the idea of being able to at least walk to a shop or a restaurant rather than having to take the car everywhere. Oh I wouldn't get that where André lives either so the choice of location would have to be carefully considered, but I'm beginning to like the sound of it. Of course it would mean some serious down-sizing/decluttering this end, so with that in mind, after I'd finished cleaning today I worked for about two hours sorting and putting stuff aside for either André to take or for Goodwill! We'll see I guess, because this burst of enthusiasm has so far lasted 24 hours. I really do love this village as it is so picturesque but who knows what the future holds. It's kinda exciting just thinking about it all the same!

Jordan and Jen leave Brittany tomorrow and will drive through the night in the hope that the babe will get as much sleep as possible. They've had a great time and wonderful weather, although Charlie didn't like his first experience of the sea - he was afraid of the waves! 


But talking of the heat, I saw on the news that Syracuse in Sicily has just registered the highest temperature in Europe (I believe) - 118°F!!!! Wow, it was scorching the day I visited and it was nowhere near that temperature - but what a stunning place that was!

Syracuse, Sicily

I bumped into my friend at the mailbox the other day and we were discussing her upcoming trip to Spain (I'll be taking her to the airport) and I was saying how much I would actually like to go back to the UK and travel around, something I feel Steve and I would have done together if he hadn't died! She feels the same as I do in that when we used to go back home, it was always to see family, so you never really visited other places and there are so many places I would like to explore. André and Lily fell in love with Yorkshire and the Isle of Skye on their last trip to the UK, and my niece has just spent a week in the Lake District (I have fond memories of Youth Hostelling there) after which she and her family made their way slowly back to their home in the south of England, stopping off in various beauty spots for a night or two on the way back. She always takes loads of photos and it's really whetted my appetite to go back home whenever that might be possible and do a long trip! It ain't happening yet of course but it's nice to dream isn't it!

This isn't a very good picture, but it's of The Shambles
in York, which was the inspiration for Diagon Alley 
in the Harry Potter movies!


17 comments:

  1. When we were in Death Valley it was over 100 degrees and I felt like I was walking into an oven when we got out of the car! It was awful. I can't cope with the heat these days. Unfortunately our weather has broken and we've had some more rain but its still mild and we're getting a lot of sunny intervals so it's not all bad! It would be nice if we could get a bit more sun before autumn starts though - fingers crossed. Sounds like you've had a few very busy days. You'll wonder what to do with yourself once Andre has moved in properly! As for moving - I don't think I could be bothered now! The thought of packing up 40 years of 'stuff' fills me with horror! That will be payback for the kids for all the tidying up I did for them over the years, once I'm gone lol. I've been watching Susan Calmans Grand Day Out trips round the UK and I have to say there are a lot of places I'd like to visit too - and I live here lol. x

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    1. I never have been able to take the heat so I'm fine in the cooler weather, although too much rain does do my head in. As for moving, I'm not sure but one thing I know, having rented a lovely apartment in Switzerland when we moved back from the States, is that I like being all on one floor too - especially as I get older. This house is on four floors if you include the basement (where my freezers are) so while I'm sure it keeps me fit, I'm pretty sure it'll get old sooner rather than later. The other thing is I know Jordan and Jen would like to buy this place because of the farmland at the back and (in theory) the no-build injunction. So who knows what will happen. At least it'll hopefully give me the push to get rid of more stuff either way! Oh and I saw Susan Calman's programme but have never sat down and watched it so thanks for the tip!

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  2. I already know I don't clean up after dogs and cats, plus, I am allergic, so there is never a question of having one indoors.

    At least some day if you decided to move or need to move, you have had a good feeling for apartment living. Maybe the decision won't be so difficult then. The traveling does sound nice.

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    1. I've lived in apartments before and as long as your neighbours are reasonable (not too loud), it's fine, but we'll see what happens. As for the pet situation, I really do love dogs but again I don't want the constraints any more as I still want to travel while I can still manage it!

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  3. Look forward to welcoming you to Yorkshire!

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    2. I may just take you up on that - but goodness know when that will be!

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  4. I wish I could downsize if only to get rid of all my clutter! I find it hard to be ruthless and get rid of stuff. You’d think now I’m retired I’d be sorting everything out but no. Need to change my mindset and get on with it. Am sure I would feel so much better!
    I don’t take the heat well but I do like it when the suns out and it’s bright. I’m sure I couldn’t cope with the temperatures they are having now in Greece and Italy.

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    1. I am up and down with decluttering but right now I have goodness knows how many sets of bed linens sitting on my sofa trying to match them up so I can put them out for Goodwill. It is SO hard to declutter (well, for me at least) so I get what you're saying. I have TONS to do, having inherited my ex-husband's crap, plus what the kids left (plus my own stuff - let's be honest) but every time something goes out of the house I breathe a little easier. Whether or not I will downsize I don't know, but this has got to be the starting point hasn't it! Good luck with it. The way I look at it is that your "clutter" could be someone else's gold mine!

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  5. Ooh man, that place with the stickers sounds fun! Glad that the moving is finished for the most part. Moving for you might be a good thing but your little village sure is almost perfect. I want to travel again too, hopefully we all will!!

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    1. I don't usually bother with those stickers but since André needs towels and the big, good quality bath towels are going for basically €10 I thought I'd give it a go! As for leaving this village, that really will have to be a big rethink, especially since they can't build behind my house so I have an uninterrupted view of the mountains. We'll see what happens I guess (but don't hold your breath)!

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  6. We've only had a few very hot days, mostly this summer is a lot like last summer... though we've had more rain. We have 4 or 5 days of sun and then a week and a half of drizzles. Before I had dogs I had cats, they are rarely affectionate. And I'm planning on living in my house until the dogs are gone. It turned out to be a very nice investment property.

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    1. Our temperatures are way back down again today but I don't mind that as I have a lot to do. And I really do like dogs, and the occasional cat (the neighbour's adopted feral cat is adorable) but at this point in my life I just don't want to tie myself down and what you don't have you probably don't miss, right? And you're right about the house, it really has been a good investment, and since it is within commuting distance of Geneva and there is very little available supply on the market, I reckon I could sell it in about two days - going by other people's experiences. As for whether I will move or not - well that remains to be seen. Maybe I will enjoy this place more when half the crap is out of it!

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  7. You are the busiest woman! And let me ask you this- why didn't Andre's friends help him move? Of course you are capable of doing it but honestly, woman! You should have been at home, sitting in the garden with a lemonade and a fan! Well, that is my mother-perspective.
    I imagine the idea of moving is rather exciting. Keep us posted.

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    1. André had the big stuff delivered straight to his place and for the other stuff, my logic is don't bring it here, take it straight there, since you have the key now. As for his mates, well Jordan and Max are away on vacation and the others are at work (since he got the keys on Tuesday) so I don't mind really, as long as we can do it slowly. Still, it doesn't happen often does it (and it really is quite exciting, truth be told)!

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  8. I'm glad your son is all settled. He must be happy too. When we bought this house five years ago, it's two stories, one of my coworkers said, "Do you thinks that's a good idea at your age?" OMG I laughed but sometimes I think she may have been right. The stairs are harder, although now that I don't have to carry a baby up and down anymore, it's much better.

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    1. It's carrying the baby that does it isn't it!!!! I am so careful carrying the babe that I feel ancient, but one trip and bam, we both get it! So far I can definitely live with 4 floors, although mostly I live on 3, but who knows how that will work out later. In the meantime, I'm going great guns getting stuff out of here so long may it last!

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