Busy!

Last week was a really busy one, mainly as a result of running my neighbour around. I don't mind at all but at one point I commented to her that we must look like a geriatric version of Thelma and Louise when they see us on the motorway cameras. On Tuesday I took her to drop her car off for its bi-annual inspection, and then on Wednesday it was up at the crack of dawn to take her to hospital for her latest carpal tunnel operation. She's already had both hands operated on once but seemingly another operation was required on her right hand. In retrospect it was lucky that her appointment was on Wednesday because on Thursday there was (yet again) an accident near the motorway toll and the tailback was 5km long - we never would have made it in time! When I went to pick her up later she made me laugh as she recounted that they were all given gowns, hair coverings and plastic bootees while they sat in the waiting room, but one poor chap hadn't known what to do with the bootees and walked in with it on his head!!!! Mind you, it's not totally obvious what to do with these things is it! Then the next day I took her to pick up her car and have been in every day helping her light her fire, open cans etc. Her daughter would have done this for her but she was away in Chambéry on a training course so it was just Thelma and Louise for the duration. And again, I didn't mind at all but she was tying herself in knots saying she was "such a burden on everyone"! She actually caught herself at one point and said that she realized that was how her husband taught her to think about herself - he basically knocked all her self-confidence out the window, and she finally recognized that. She then told me that she had actually found notebooks where he had made lists of all the things he wanted to do before he died (he knew he was dying) and it listed things like "make sure she doesn't get to stay in the house after my death"; "ensure she doesn't get a widow's pension" (both of these things he actually went to a notary to do but as their marriage was such a long one, he wasn't able to get away with it). So while there was no love lost between them at the end, she had softened her heart towards him - but after finding those notebooks, she was done with him and his memory! So spiteful to the end!

She also mentioned to me that our neighbour (the farmer's daughter) had been burgled the other week. I guess her home is an easier target because it's out on its own and I'm thinking somebody knew that they were up at her bf's place in the mountains. I commented that I actually had the kids' baseball bat behind my bedroom door and she said she was getting her son's bat from him to do the same. Neither of us have been sleeping particularly well lately and when I mentioned that I'd only gotten to sleep at 3 a.m. she told me she'd actually gotten up at 4 a.m. as she couldn't sleep anymore, so I asked her to imagine that we each heard a noise "next door" and went crashing round, only to whack each other over the head with our respective baseball bats!!

In other news, there was a report of a major incident in Annecy last week and when I heard it was a bomb scare I thought "oh oh, here we go". Turns out a construction company had unearthed a 250kg unexploded WWII bomb near the train station and everyone had to be evacuated!! Thankfully they managed to disable it and everyone was allowed to return home, but can you imagine the shock those builders must have felt when they dug that baby up!

My Christmas shopping is more or less done, which is great as I hate crowds. I finally finshed scanning all the old photos that were just laying about the place and decided to make each of my boys their own albums with all the photos from their younger years. The photos aren't great as they are photos of photos but I'm so pleased with the albums and it allowed me to throw all the loose photos away. I also made an album of the two grandchildren for Jordan and Jen and think I've figured out the perfect system to keep this up every year. I mean, does anyone actually look at photos on their phone/computer? This way at least, I know the kids will pull the albums out occasionally and look at them!

This is the cover of André's.
I cropped the photo because it has his
full name and date of birth, but I'm 
delighted with the album!

The cover of Jordan's album!

Charlie and Elynn's cover!

On Saturday afternoon Jen invited me to join them and her mom for a visit to a dinosaur exhibition in La Roche. It wasn't exactly Disney, but then again nor was it Disney prices. It was very good all the same and Charlie loved it, but oh my poor ears - all those excited kids and roaring dinosaurs!

After that we all went out for Chinese food, which was really good. That place is a little gold mine but good luck to them as they work really hard. Then in the evening I went into town to hear my friend's gospel group singing. It was bitterly cold (it dropped to freezing) and they sang for 90 minutes so I'm sooooo glad I bought that new jacket recently! Mind you, the bloody mulled wine ran out after about 15 minutes so methinks some things could have been better thought out. Still, they were really good and I was very impressed with how a group of French people - most of whom don't speak English - were able to belt out some really good gospel!

As the next day was sunny (if cold) I decided to take another walk at the Lake in Passy, just to get some fresh air. As I was walking up to towards the beach area I noticed a group of women actually swimming! I started chatting to an older lady along the lines of "sooner them than me", but in fact wild swimming is apparently very exhilerating, although I'm not sure I'll ever be brave enough to find out. I've read the book Wintering twice now and one chapter is given over to how she tried wild (ocean) swimming. I think the book is really about how she tries to cope with her husband's illness and her own depression but I enjoyed it very much - and will probably get round to reading it again sometime this winter!

Insanity? And yes that is snow
on the mountains!

And finally, I stopped in at the Food Bank tonight to drop off some items. I buy for them every week and when I have a crateful I drop it off to them. I also had a cash donation for them, as a charity I had previously donated to every month has now closed so I just switched my donation to the Food Bank. One of the ladies there knows me quite well by now so I asked her if they wanted coats (brand new, never worn), blankets and sleeping bags and she told me that they no longer accepted that stuff (not enough space) but her sister volunteered at the Restos du Coeur (Restaurants of the Heart) and if we set up a time to meet she would drop them off for her sister. That got me to thinking what a lovely family they must be, with her volunteering at the Food Bank and her sister volunteering at the Restos du Coeur! So then my mind starts whirring and should I/could I/when would I, but I know I have to hold off for the moment as now that Jen has started back to work (she started on Monday) the other grandma and I will be called upon to take care of one of the grandkids at least one afternoon a week, although we're not sure when. So for now, I won't be volunteering but I am giving it some serious thought!

As a side note, the Restos du Coeur are a fantastic organization which was started by French comedian Coluche in 1985. As well as serving hot meals, they have volunteers ferrying food out to people who are housebound, picking up donations from supermarkets and so on. Looking at their website they also give assistance in learning French for foreigners, trying to help people find housing, develop viable skills and so on. It's a fantastic organization! There has long been a theory in some parts that Coluche was murdered (motorbike accident) because of his fierce criticism of the then French President, Valérie Giscard d'Estaing. In 1980 he announced that he was going to run for president and while people initially laughed it off, opinion polls showed that he was indeed very popular - hence the assertion in some parts that he was bumped off! I don't know enough about it to have an opinion one way or another, but I do know that whether or not he was a good comedian, he was indeed a wonderful man who founded an extraordinary organization that is going from strength to strength - but isn't it such a shame that we need it!

Coluche!