Merci Booclue

The family and the building site

Having not been in touch with so many for so long, it seems a mammoth task to e-mail everyone, and a much better one to update the almost forgotten blog!!

Cassi and Edie made it admirably to the end of the school year, with Cassi beginning to speak French and making it through to the next year, and Edie finishing at the crèche before starting at the Ecole Maternelle tomorrow. But if you would like to imagine that we have spent our first summer holidays in the South of France sunning ourselves and frolicking in the various lakes, swimming pools and sea, stop reading now....

We really have had a crazy summer, which started with Pat- Steve's mum, coming to visit for a week in early July. She was taken ill the day before she was due to fly back, and was unable to go. We thought it was just something she had eaten, but because she needed a doctor's note to say she was unfit to travel for insurance purposes, we got her an appointment at our local GPs. Fortunately the doctor was thorough and on examination recommended that we take Pat for an emergency scan. Subsequent scans and tests revealed that she had a cyst on her ovary which was 18cm in diameter and possibly cancerous! To cut a long story short, there was no way it could be left there, but also no way that she was going to be able to travel back to the UK as it was, so it just had to be sorted here- which given the weaknesses in the NHS was possibly a blessing. So 10 days after she had initially become ill, Pat was admitted to hospital for a week, had everything removed as well as tests to ascertain the extent of the cancer and I am relieved to conclude that although the cyst itself was borderline cancerous it has all been removed and there was no spread, so no chemo was necessary as initially feared. Having spent 7 weeks in total here with us, she left at the end of August, feeling like she had just woken up from a bizarre nightmare, but fortunately feeling incredibly well!

Amongst all this, Emma (Steve's sister) and her 3 children, Hannah, Tom and Emily, who were meant to be staying with us at the beginning of August arrived, but as we couldn't put them all up here in our 2 bedroom gite, with Pat already here, we booked them into the local campsite. On their second night there, their tent was slashed and stuff taken from their tent, while they slept- a thoroughly traumatic experience, which then required us to seek emergency accommodation during the busiest holiday period of the year in France!! Once that was sorted we (and especially Cassi and Edie) did enjoy having the family here.

The whole summer is a bit of a blur but we did also had a lovely few days when our friends Ginie and Patrick and their daughters Yelena and Sidonie visited, and we had a few days off hospital and police station visits to do a few touristy bits! Sue (Cassi's former childminder) and Rob also visited, and we all enjoyed catching up with them.

From our point of view we have spent the summer living like a scene out of Charlie and the chocolate factory, with the four of us sleeping in one bedroom. Still if you've ever read "a squash and a squeeze", or even if you haven't, you will be able to imagine how good it feels to get some space back!

Having said that, the day after Pat left, Cassi, Edie and myself drove up to Royan to meet up with my mum and dad who were on holiday, and spent another 4 nights on the airbed in a tent! Masochistic, some would say ... It was worth it anyway, to get away for a few days and of course for myself and the girls to catch up with my folks!

It has also been very difficult in the circumstances for Steve to make any major progress with the house. That said the extension is now nearly at roof level at the time of writing and now that things are getting back to normal a bit and Steve has just had a few days of peace and quiet without us girls here, the wheels are back in motion. Still, no rush to get the house done- can't imagine anyone will ever risk coming out to visit us now....

The girls and Nanny in Castelnaudary

Rob and Sue's visit

French and Russian teachers unite!

A meal out for Em's last night

The cousins together again

Cassi and Emily in Cascassonne

Lots to catch up on-but this time it is a mostly pictorial account of events! December was a busy month, which began with Cassi's birthday and my Mum and Dad's visit. Due to both parents having been poorly recently, and of course the snow which plagued December in England, on the morning of the day they were due we were still not sure if they were actually coming! Thankfully, they made it and it was a lovely surprise for Cassi to arrive home from school and find Nanma and Dats here for her birthday.

The birthday princess with Dats.

Enjoying her birthday present!

Our friends who we are renting the gîte from flew out to Australia over the Christmas/New Year period - rashly leaving their animals in our charge! - ponies, chickens, dogs and cats, which meant Steve had to stay in France looking after the zoo, while the girls and I made a long-looked-forward-to return to England for a few days.

Again, the snow looked like it might have either prevented the trip, or extended it if we had been unable to fly back, but apart from the disappointment of not being able to do all that we had planned whilst there, we were fortunate to be able to get there and back, catch up with immediate family and go to the pantomime!

Cassi and Edie with Bethan and Niamh.

Waiting for Sleeping Beauty to take to the stage.
Oh no it isn't.....

With their other cousins- Hannah, Tom and Emily, and Auntie Em.

Smiles all round!

Christmas itself was a quiet affair- just the four of us on Christmas day, and dinner and drinks at various friends houses over the festive period. We also managed to fit in some ice skating in Carcassonne, and of course a fancy dress party for New Year's eve.