The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Friday 31 December 2021

Happy new year!

I've been off-line for a few days (like most of us, I suspect) as there were things that needed doing, like family to see and food to eat, but first of all I'd like to thank all the lovely lady bloggers who sent me Christmas cards. It's such fun to get a Christmas card from half way around the world (mine were all from the US this year), but to those who received cards from me, I have to apologize for my handwriting. I think we started learning beautiful cursive writing pretty young - and then somehow someone forgot lesson two! Oh I write in cursive of course (I'm not that bad) but I have to admit my hand-writing is dreadful, so sorry about that!

Christmas Eve we had a small "raclette evening" at Jordan and Jen's (which I suspect will be where most of their festivities will be held while the babe is so small). There were only six of us plus the babe and it was really nice. After dinner we played a board game (can't remember the name), but I have to admit that I tend to zone out a bit after a while so I usually offer to take care of the babe (well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it)! It's hard to explain but we obviously play games in French so it can be a bit like asking a French person to mime "Cheech and Chong", or an American to mime "Eric and Ernie" (or anyone non-French to mime "Louis de Funes" - you have to have been brought up in the culture), so I guess you can see why my mind tends to wander. Or maybe we should stick to card games - now there's a thought! That being said, I used to zone out a bit playing Trivial Pursuit when I lived in the States because I know bugger all about baseball or American football (or Cheech and Chong, for that matter). Anyhoo, one time I decided I was going to cheat next time so spent a while memorising questions and answers for "the time when". Anyway, I can't remember what the question was now, but I remember the answer was Sandy Koufax - and I almost gave my father-in-law a coronary when I gave the Koufax answer to a question about baseball!

Getting home that night wasn't much fun though as it had frozen pretty hard by the time I left (the parking lot was dreadful) and I wasn't looking forward to the drive home. Basically you can go one way round the mountain through a place called Findrol (which is an accident black spot even on a good day), or you can go "the other way" down the Giffre valley which is well known for accidents involving deer and wild boar! Well actually you can go over the mountain past André's place but that goes back down the mountain on the side of a ravine so I decided to give that a miss! It seemed to me that everyone was taking it carefully on the way home though and thankfully I didn't run into any "strays". Once I got back down to Bonneville it was back up another mountain again to where I live (and where, again, you have to look out for the animals). There was a guy behind me most of the way from Bonneville to home and I thought I was holding a good speed, but when I got to my turn off point he blasted his horn and yelled something which I'm pretty sure wasn't Merry Christmas so I reckon I might have been driving a bit too slow for him, don't you (although that could just be female intuition)! Still I did get a little schadenfreude when the eejit hit a spot of black ice about 100 metres away and bounced merrily over the sidewalk a couple of times until he managed to get the car back under control!

Christmas Day was at my place and again there were just five of us plus the babe. I can't believe he's already nine months old and has had his first Christmas! I kept my kids' high chair all these years but when I dragged it up from the basement to clean it I couldn't find the table part for love nor money! I know I wouldn't have thrown it away and just kept the chair but .... Still, it worked out well enough as it was the perfect height for him to sit at the table with us and throw green beans around with gay abandon! Of course presents meant nothing to him but he got an awful lot of pleasure trying to eat the wrapping paper and any empty box he could get his hands on! I thought Jen was very good though because she made a point of saying that she really didn't want him to be spoiled (neither do I) and how did we feel about giving just a few presents in future and sewing gift bags instead of buying wrapping paper? I'm all for it - though I'm not sure how Jordan and André feel about the "sewing" part!

The next day Jen sent me a notice from their local Mairie. Apparently there had been a very strong smell in the surrounding area and along the river Giffre that had entailed around 100 firemen being called out looking for a gas leak, so they called André and asked if they could move in with him for a couple of nights if necessary. I told André they could come here but he'd have to have Leni the Horrible Cat! It wasn't necessary in the end but the smell did linger for a couple of days and everyone was asked to check their fuel tanks for a possible leak. I'm not sure what happened but I think it's been sorted now (or at least I hope so)!

Jen's mom very kindly invited me to her new place (she moved in two weeks ago) to spend NYE with her and her boyfriend, Fabrice, as she didn't want me to be alone. I thought it best to be honest and thanked her for her invite but told her that I genuinely dislike NYE and dislike being on the roads even more. That's when she said "but my friend Niko will be here too" and the dreadful thought occurred to me that she might be trying to set me up with Niko. Ehhhh, no thanks. I've met Niko and I'm definitely not interested, any more than I'm interested in being set up with anyone, thank you very much! So I'll be spending NYE all on my lonesome (and very happy about it too), while Jordan and Jen are having a couple of friends over and André is going to a friend's in Geneva and spending the night!

On another note, I'm now 14 lbs down (and very happy about it) as I still haven't really got my sense of smell or taste back. I had to laugh on Wednesday when I went grocery shopping because I walked out of the shop having paid just €14 for my groceries (I usually spend around €100), but nothing seemed to appeal to me. I'm guessing I'll start putting weight back on soon enough and goodness knows I'd like to be interested in cooking again, but in the meantime bread and cheese seems to be the extent of my culinary expertise at the moment. Mind you, I'm sure Weight Watchers is probably an infinitely preferable alternative to weight loss from catching covid! And to think of all that walking I did and got absolutely nowhere with the weight loss (1,200 miles in 2021 - definitely needs improvement)!

My nephew sent me an email the other day (after I'd been whinging about the state of British politics) giving me the name of a book - whose author he knew slightly - and which was quite a best-seller, telling me that it might give me a better understanding of just how dire all three political parties now are in the UK! I'll have to look it back up again when I've finished my current read!

Wow! I've almost gotten a
repetitive stress injury from bookmarking
pages and I'm only on chapter 3!

The book is hard-going and a bit like wading through molasses but occasionally I like to really get my teeth into something like this. I had hoped to get it in hard copy but apparently it's only sold in electronic format because at the end of each chapter there's a "QR code" where you can update your copy for more up-to-date information!

After a couple of hours of wading through that I decided I needed something a bit more light-hearted (ya don't say!) and ended up watching Being The Ricardos - the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz story - and I really enjoyed it. Man, they were a firey couple, but so well-suited - when they weren't scratching each other's eyes out. For some reason many people don't seem to like Nicole Kidman but I thought she was very good, and as for Javier Bardem (who played Desi), well that man could just stand there and not say a word and I'd be happy - but he actually can act!

And finally, I was chatting with my sister on Christmas Day and we got to talking about just how hard mom had it on Christmas Day (in particular) and wondering how on earth she managed with all those kids, that tiny kitchen, three pots and pans basically, and no appliances! We had a good laugh but I had to ask her if she thought maybe we were glorifying the past and oddly enough she said "no, I don't think we are. We were much poorer but I actually think we were maybe happier"! And I tend to think she was right!

So on that note, I'll wish you all a happy new year and hopefully 2022 will be kinder to us all!


38 comments:

  1. Happy New Year. My dh always says his parents and grandparents, who didn't have much, were happier than any of us seem to be these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tend to agree with your DH. I suppose it's because when you have very little you appreciate everything you have (hence I agree with Jen not wanting the babe to be spoiled), but in today's consumer-driven society you can have everything you want at the click of a finger or a mouse (even if you can't afford it)! And happy new year to you too (and I hope your mom keeps as well as she can)!

      Delete
  2. Happy New Year! Happy to stay in and zoom with my family (we've been doing it every single Friday night since Covid - I've really gotten to know my California sister-in-law over the past couple of years!).

    I also grew up "poor", but didn't know it - five kids and my father had to stop working when I was in high school due to heart disease.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy new year to you too. Ain't nothing wrong with being poor is there! Makes you appreciate things!

      Delete
  3. Happy New Year!! Like my Christmas, my New Year's is going to be quiet. Just thought you'd like to know that Kennedy Jr is considered a fairly extreme conspiracy theorist. A number of articles he's written have been pulled because of his use of fraudulent data. You might want to Google him to get a better idea. According to him, everything causes autism.... everything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't use google or youtube because of the censorship. I have seen articles/videos by Nobel prize winners like Kary Mullis (the inventor of the PCR test, now deceased) and Luc Montaignier that have been censored by main stream media so I watch them on other sites. That being said, the book is VERY thought-provoking. Either way, happy new year Dave!

      Delete
  4. I think people wanted someone to mimic Lucy but there was only one Lucy. I think Kidman channeled her quite nicely, so you got Lucy, not a caricature.

    HNY!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought Nicole was good and she got that grating voice pretty spot on (most of the time). So yep, for once I actually enjoyed a film. And all the best to you and Carlos for 2022!

      Delete
  5. I thank you for the card and did not notice bad handwriting, just a Christmas greeting! The only thing remotely girly about me is my handwriting.
    I stay in on NYE also. We quit going out when our kids started driving and they went out. I guess we wanted to be home just in case we were needed.
    I watched Being The Ricardos last night and really did like it. I thought Kidman did a fine job portraying Lucy.
    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha I know that feeling of staying in on NYE (and not drinking) just in case your kids need you! I'm pleased to say mine are pretty sensible about staying over so that's a relief. And I'm glad you liked Being the Ricardos. I'm very difficult about films/TV series and can't be bothered about most of them but that I enjoyed too!

      Delete
  6. Happy New Year to you! Sounds like you had a lovely Christmas with your family and Charlie must have been the icing on the cake! New Year was quiet for me also but am hoping , fingers crossed that 2022 brings a better year for all of us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jo, and yep it was nice. Very low-key but that suits me fine (and seemingly also suits my kids). You're right about Charlie being the icing on the cake though! I wish you well for 2022 and really hope we can put 2020 and 2021 behind us!

      Delete
  7. Mystery solved - I was wondering who was sending me all those extra pounds I’ve gained over the Christmas period!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well hang onto them as I'm sure my body will be wanting them back soon, even if I don't!

      Delete
  8. I've never like NYE. When the children were young it was easy to use them as an excuse to go nowhere but once they were teenagers and wanted to do 'grown up' things we started going to family gatherings, however I couldn't wait to get home again at about 12.05! In 2016 when I had big C it was the perfect excuse to stop it all again as I had low immunity and didn't want to be near too many people and I never got round to getting back to it again and of course Covid has really put the tin lid on it so I was as happy as could be with my jammies on, big slippers, a drink and a packet of crisps watching telly with hubby. What's not to like!! It sounds very old womany when you write it down though lol. Have a great new year during which you might need to buy some new clothes to fit your new slimline look! ;P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with you on the jammies and the crips (two old women together)? Even when I was younger I hated NYE because my husband would want to party all night but guess who got up with the kids the next day and who spent all day in bed! Plus I also think it is/was so dangerous to be on the roads (not to mention the sheer expense of going anywhere on NYE). So yeah, bah humbug, I'm with you on that. P.S. hope your mom is doing ok after your potential covid scare!

      Delete
    2. So far so good. One more day to go then we're out of the 10 day woods! Thanks.x

      Delete
  9. Sounds to me like you've been extremely busy! But in a good way. I cannot even begin to imagine driving on roads like that in the dark in the winter. You are brave!
    I'm not sure I'd take everything that book has to say as truth. Kennedy appears to have jumped off the deep end when it comes to conspiracy theories. As to the title- I have a good friend who has actually known Tony Fauci (as he calls him) for many years and says he is one of the most compassionate, caring people he's ever met. In fact, due to his dedication and perseverance, he helped save my friend's life.
    So there's my two cents.
    May 2022 be a good one for you and yours!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't mind driving in the dark but driving in the dark and on ice is another thing. As for the book, I'm assuming Dr. Fauci (and possibly a few others) will sue if he is being libelled so I guess only time will tell! In any case, I hope 2022 is kinder to all of us!

      Delete
  10. I was going to ask if my card came eventually despite mailing just two weeks before Christmas. I'd read the Kennedy book with a grain of salt. I can't go into details, but one of my kids did post work on a documentary for which he was the producer. The PR was quite over the top. He's pretty tight in conspiracy theories and never saw a medication or vaccine that wasn't tied in part to the Boogie man. You sound like you had a good holiday season. Those roads sound frightening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't received your card yet but no worries, I'm sure it'll get here soon. As for the book, the second chapter blew me away (it was all about the pros and cons of the vaccines, ivermectin, hydroxyc. and so on - which interests me), but chapter 3 I'm struggling with. It's all about "follow the money" and my eyes have glazed over a bit. I will continue with it though because I want to read the rest - about the AIDS pandemic and so on. I will take it with a grain of salt though and as I said above, I'm sure if Dr. Fauci (or anyone else) is being libelled they won't hesitate to sue! As for the roads, I can take the dark but not the ice and the dark (and the deer and the wild boars). Thankfully it was ok though!

      Delete
    2. Ugh! I'm not happy the card did not reach you yet. I promise I did mail it. Tuesday will be three weeks.

      Delete
    3. Ha, I wouldn't worry about it (I just hope your handwriting is better than mine)!

      Delete
  11. I'm glad you got home safe. The weather is often a factor when you live where there is snow and rain and freezing temps. We are in the minus F temps here, but it is expected to warm a bit this week, at least for part of it.
    I have enjoyed following your blog - I just found it this past year and love the connection your blog has with other bloggers that I also follow. Quite the blogging community. (not a blogger - more of a lurker, although I do comment fairly often) I do hope 2022 year will be a good year for you and that your dreams come true and that there are many more blessings coming your way. Happy New Year. Ranee (MN) USA

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your lovely comments Rae - I'm so glad you stopped by. Why don't you give it a shot starting your own blog? Who knows, you might like it! I just whitter on about anything and everything so it feels like I have a whole bunch of friends to natter to - even if we don't necessarily always agree! We had bloody awful weather until about three days ago and now it's just glorious, so you never can tell can you. Anyway, happy new year to you too, and let me know if you decide to start your own blog. It's really easy - if I can do it anyone can!

      Delete
  12. I've never really liked Christmas. My family was not a happy family and Christmas day just meant a whole day spent with my dad. We had not extended family nearby, so it was just us. Misery really.

    This Christmas I was so sick I didn't care that it was Christmas, so that was kind of nice in a strange way.

    Have a good new year, here's hoping anyway:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here's hoping you feel better now. While you said you tested negative for covid it sure sounded very similar didn't it, but there seems to be a nasty flu bug going round too. I still don't have my sense of taste or smell back really and I could sleep for Britain if it were an Olympic event so I guess these things take time and we need to give our bodies what they need to recuperate. You've been through a lot though - more than a lot! I hope 2022 is kinder to you and the situation with Jack (and of course Miss Katie and Gracie) settles down! All the best for 2022. A

      Delete
  13. re poor but happy - I'm sure you can be rich and miserable and poor and miserable as well. I think if there's love in your family the amount of cash you have ceases to matter.
    All the best for a healthy new year for you, Anna. I had a wonderfully silent New Year's myself, in bed at 10.30 New Year's Eve for the first time in many years. I loved it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're spot on Jo. While it's obvious that being poor can make people incredibly miserable, when you look at some of these "poor little rich kids", it's equally true that having money doesn't necessarily buy happiness either does it. And good for you for having a quiet NYE. I stayed up a little later but it was equally quiet. I reckon a lot of people will have done the same this year. All the best to you in 2022! Anna

      Delete
  14. Happy New Year!!! I am glad you're feeling better albeit still missing sense of smell/taste. I am so glad you've got the boys and your neighbours to keep a nice sense of community going.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you're doing ok - and have tested negative!!! Happy new year to you too!

      Delete
  15. Super blog. Happy new year ��

    ReplyDelete
  16. A very happy New Year to you and yours. My granddaughter got married on Saturday and Saturday night her groom tested positive for covid so we're all holding our breath. So far it's done a reverse on me because I've never felt better. Several of the attendees also caught it. I believe 2022 will be a good year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my goodness. I saw those lovely pictures on your blog. I do hope everything is ok with the bride and groom (and anyone else who tested positive). Fingers crossed. And I REALLY hope you're right about 2022. We've all had enough haven't we!

      Delete