Difficult days and better things

The last couple of weeks have been difficult and I'm very glad they're over.  It's not often I get down but all I can say is - it's a good job my oven is electric!

 

I went to the hospital at Rennes and stupidly left my wallet behind on the desk of the woman who was giving me all the papers and forms for me to have an operation there.  I realised the following day what I had done and telephoned her.  She said she hadn't seen my wallet.  After giving her three or four hours to change her mind - I know where I left it - I called my English bank and my French bank to cancel my various bank cards, CPAM to cancel my Carte Vitale, my insurance company to cancel my Mutuelle, Brittany Ferries to cancel my discount card etc. etc.  There was also €150+ in it, photos, stamps, store loyalty cards, my driving licence etc. etc. 

 

Unbelievably, several days later I got an answerphone message to say they had it after all - what a surprise!   Unfortunately, she said it was in a locked cupboard and I wouldn't be able to collect it until after the holiday of the person who had locked it up.  A French guest staying with me took over the conversation as I was out of my depth in the things I wanted to say to this woman.  Later the admin woman telephoned my guest's mobile and told her that she had managed to get it from the cupboard and it was ready for collection.  Luckily a friend was going to Rennes to take her husband to the airport and I hitched a lift with them to the hospital and collected it.  Seventeen days later, today, I received my pin code to enable me to use my French card.  I am still waiting for my English bank stuff.  My carte vitale could take up to six months to renew, although hopefully it will be sooner than that.

 

Claude, my young white cat went missing for 48 hours and I thought he was gone for good.  He arrived back and spent nearly 3 full minutes with his head in a watering can drinking rainwater so must have been very thirsty.  Heavens knows where he had been I'm just really glad to have him back.

 

 

 

He came running down the lane as I went up to feed the animals 48 hours after I'd last seen him.   He has become very adventurous since his temporary disappearance and later that day I saw him climb out of the landing Velux window and walk around the roof with Purrdy looking on.

 

 

 The surgeon I was hoping to meet at Rennes - after a thirteen month wait - was not there.  Instead a person who looked as if she should still be at school saw me.  She wanted to do a more extensive operation.  I didn't have any confidence in her youthfulness and the secretary there was extremely unpleasant and rude - it was her I later had to deal with over the matter of the wallet I left in her office.

 

I felt quite unable to have my operation done at Rennes and was fretting about it all.  Finally I telephoned my previous surgeon at St Brieuc and arranged an appointment to see him on Friday afternoon.  He agreed to do the revised more extensive operation himself, thank heavens, and I shall have this on Monday, 9 September, going in at late in

 

 

the afternoon the day before.  I have total confidence in this surgeon and this will be the third op I have had with him.  His office staff are very kind and helpful too, a different situation than at Rennes I'm glad to say.

 

On to happier things.  The bramble fruits in the lane are ripening well now and I pick a small bowl each day as they plump out and become sweet.  I like them raw, but I also cook them with a little sugar and water and pour the result over vanilla icecream - scrumptious.

 

Both Middle and Small Cottages are occupied with guests; this week from Germany and from England - all very pleasant  - I've been so lucky with the people who have stayed in www.rainbowcottagesinfrance.com  and I hope next year will be as good.


I have read loads lately.  When it's sunny I spend as much time as I can in the garden and read.  Here are some of the books I've got through.  I really enjoyed The Memory Keeper's Daughter. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guilty One was my book club read for September so for once I am ahead of myself.  I enjoyed this book too.

 

The Patrick Gale books I like very much - I do like his writing style and am currently reading Gentleman's Relish also by him - a collection of short stories.   I'm trying to get into Ripe for the Picking but it the style seems a bit scathing for me and I may not continue with it.

Tomorrow I going with a girlfriend, possibly two, up to Roscoff for the Onion and Garlic Festival on there this weekend.  This a photograph from the internet.

   

We should come back with enough onions and garlic to see off vampires for the next half year or so and I'm really looking forward to the day out.

Mia, my lovely granddaughter with some super expressions!  She's four weeks old today - where does the time go?

Three things I like:

1.   The lovely photos of my new granddaughter which her Mummy posts on Facebook.
2.   Getting my operation re-arranged with someone I trust.
3.   Spending a night in my campervan so that I can have an evening out and drink a couple of glasses of wine without driving.