Wednesday, June 20, 2012

As I begin to prepare for our summer trip back to the US, and Teen Camp at Camp Hope, I ponder over the changes in our lives since we were at camp last year.  What difference a year can make.  This past week it was Junior 1 at Camp Hope; we’ve been at Junior Camp since we’ve moved to Georgia, so it was an odd week knowing our friends and kids were there and we weren’t.  We Skyped on Sunday with Lindsay and Calum and they both said it was weird without us but it was a great week. I’m glad the four of us will do Teen Camp together.  It was at teen 2 last year that Ross was asked to take the job in France; and look where we are now!

Sometimes I am not sure why we are here, but I do know we’re supposed to be here, so I am looking forward to figuring it all out.  The biggest difficulty and challenge has been church. We don’t have an assembly here so we’ve been going to an evangelical church.  Neither us of has been too happy there and yes, part of it is the language, but after six months, we’ve not been invited anywhere or made to really feel welcome. So, we went back to the Baptist church this week and we were able to talk with the American couple there that are here doing Bible translation work.  There is also a family from the Philippines that came as expats 14 years ago and they speak English.  She got talking to me afterwards and suggested we get together in August once we’re back and she’s back from her family visit.  YES, that’s what I’ve been waiting for, at least a welcome feeling. 

There is a loneliness issue here where you’re mostly good, but then every once in a while it hits you and you miss your old comfortable life.  My comfort level with the area and people is better, but I am ready to make some friends.

Last week our friends Dyane and Todd arrived for a short visit.  They sure picked the only two gorgeous days we’d had in a while, so we all enjoyed the warm sunshine. When we all lived in Hollidaysburg, Dyane and I did everything together.  Our kids grew up together and we did family things together.  We were reminiscing and laughing the whole time.  Ross and Todd said it was as if we went “okay where did we leave off last time” and then carried on from there.  Of course now we both have a grandchild, so there was plenty of chatting about how wonderful they are!!!

We visited Amboise and Clos De Luce the first day and enjoyed both very much.  Amboise is a beautiful town and the chateau is well kept and beautiful to go through.  That evening we sat on  our back patio until after ten at night eating chesses and bread and talking.  It’s light out late here, so we went in as the sun began to set after ten. Lovely!

The next day we headed to Villandry.  I had been to Villandry three years ago with a wife of one of Ross’ work friends.  The chateau is beautiful, but the gardens are unexplainable.  They are a sight to behold from the chateau windows as you look down and they are all done symmetrically.  You could spend a whole day and never see all of the gardens or property.  For example over some walkways they have over 1500 of one type of tree.  It takes four full time gardeners four months to trim them all and then they start over.  It is absolutely exquisite and the gardens a sight to behold.  I’ll post some pictures, but they just can’t give you the full beauty.  We’re going back in the fall to see the plant changes.  They have a nice restaurant outside the property where they use the vegetables and herbs grown in the foods.  We had a wonderful lunch under a canopy and just relaxed and talked over the meal. So very French of us!

I really enjoyed Dyane’s view and perspective on things, she gets me and how I think (that’s scary, I know).  I enjoyed showing her things and giving her a taste of our life here.  She understood the things I love as well as the difficult things J

Tomorrow night we are meeting some work couples in downtown Tours.  Since it is June 21 and the longest day of the year for sunlight, they celebrate with music all over the city.  We ‘re looking forward to a bit of local culture!

We have so enjoyed the long days.  The sun sets after ten and we’ve enjoyed our bright evenings.  Ross doesn’t get home until 6:30, so it’s been nice to have dinner while it’s light out.  Come winter, it will be dark early and although it makes for great sleeping, I prefer the sunlight!

Our temperatures have been mostly in the 60’s with an occasional day in the 70’s.  I think the Georgia heat will probably wipe me out!

Our bathroom project is almost finished.  We’re in week 8 of a two week project.  The couple who own the house designed it and had very specific taste in the décor.  The first day we used the shower, the water shot right off the base and all over the floor…..oooops. So he had to add a lip to divert the water back to the drain.  It is still too short in my opinion as when the water hits your body the spray wets the floor. That can’t be changed so I keep a tub mat there to catch the spray.  When we return to the US in a couple years we want to re-do our master bathroom, this has given us some very good do’s and don’ts. 

I believe he will paint the kitchen while we are away, so hopefully that will be a finished project when we return!  I like that they are trying to tidy up the house and re-do things, I’m just not used to the slow pace of it all. 

Tomorrow is hair day too.  I’m happy now that I have a lady to use and she listens to my broken French and does what I want.  The first of all these things is so difficult, but then they get easier.  Still, I will never get used to the doctor or massage therapist standing there while you strip.

Saturday we went and ordered my car. I think that will help me feel more independent and able to explore more.  Currently I can have the car, but have to plan and then take Ross to work.   He is getting a new company car when we return.  The car we have is the finish of someone else in SKF’s lease.   So, much as I like the Passat wagon, I will be glad to not have the length to deal with for parking.  He’s getting a Peugeot 3008, which is a small SUV.  It will be a good car for us I think.  We just wanted a little city car for me and I’ve gotten in most available.  Some I can’t fit my legs, so they get ruled out.  We narrowed it down and finally decided on a Skoda Citigo.  It’s new out this month and I fit nicely in it for it being such a small car.  Ross and Tristan liked that the guys on Top Gear rated it highly!  I went with the five door (that includes the trunk/hatch thing) rather than the three door since it gives me a bit more space.  We ended up getting it with some nice features on it as we wanted it to be re-sellable in a couple years.  It won’t be ready until mid to end of August, so that works for us.  Skoda is owned by VW and this is the same as the VW Up in many ways.  I do like the mileage, it’s supposed to get 65-70mpg.  Gotta love that!  Of course I’ll be doing the calculating in kilometers per litre, but still!  I loved the new Fiat, but it seems to be such a fad and cost wise wasn’t a great deal and it didn’t get near the mileage. Gas here is converted out to about $8 per gallon so mileage is a big consideration.   

We head to Paris on Sunday after dropping Sophie off at the kennel Saturday.  I hate putting her there for over a month, but the cost and paperwork hassle to bring her back and forth is too much.  Plus, the ladies take her into their house as a pet, so it’s not like she’ll be in a crate or cage.  She’ll be so spoiled (worse than normal). Then our flight is Monday morning.  We’re only home a few days before camp begins, so it will be busy but fun.  We’re excited that Ross’ folks will come for a couple days and also that Katie is planning on bringing Liam to town.  He’s changed so much since we last saw him.  He crawls and pulls himself up.  We watched him eat Cheerios on Skype but I want to soak in everything in person!

So, mainly this week I’m trying to use up all the perishables in our fridge.  Makes for some creative meals, but I don’t want to waste it.  I have one more language class before we go and that puts me at my halfway mark for lessons.  I’m pleased with what I know and how I can communicate, but want so much more.  I’ll start back up once we return and put in another 60 hours of class.  Hopefully by the end of that I should be even better at communicating and hearing!

So, no posts until we return in August. That is the big holiday month here, so everything will shut down….should be interesting. 

Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Another update, they seem farther apart sometimes because life gets busy now and my quiet alone times are not as frequent as they once were. I suppose that’s a good thing…..

First, to explain……the  first photo is from an ad in my local pharmacy window.  I had to take a photo of it.  Even without knowing the language, you’ll know exactly what they are advertising.  They are so open here and not embarrassed to put a poster up even if it’s a personal issue….you just have to laugh sometimes.  The second is a urinal I saw on the street.  Sorry guys if you want privacy, France doesn't have it!

We picked up William at the train station so he could be here when his family arrived.  His parents knew he was coming but it was to be a surprise for his brothers.  We had a little mix up (I’m totally blaming William for this one) and we waited for him at St. Pierre de Corps train station when he actually arrived at the Tours Centre train  station. Once we realized the mix up, we were able top collect him and get him home. 

We spent Monday at Chenonceau, a chateau about an hour from us.  Versailles is the number one visited chateau in France and Chenonceau is the number 2 most visited one.  It has a beautiful setting and part of the castle is over the river.  The gardens are spectacular and the weather was perfect for it.  We met Paco, Anne-Rachel and kids there for the day.  We brought a picnic lunch and really had a great time together.  I was reminded how much work three small children are as we spent the day together.  So much fun, but it made me remember those days with my own kids.   The kids are 6,4 and 1, so it is exactly the spacing we had with our three.  Lots of laughter, crying, emergency potty trips and tons of fun!

William and I took the bus and spent a day in Tours.  We met my relocation lady Valentine, whom I have not seen since February.  She was so pleased with my language progress so far.  That’s nice to hear especially when you feel like a beginner still.  We met at the SFR store to get a reduction in my rates.  SFR is our tv, internet, telephone and my cell phone provider here. Due to new competition in servers, they told me after four months I’d get a reduction.  So, my bill went from 112 euro a month to 67 euro a month.  Well worth a bus trip to Tours.  After that William and I did the French thing and got baguette sandwiches, a pastry and a drink and ate them while sitting on a bench watching people pass by.  We noticed the outfits this year come in varying styles, so more flattering than others.  I wanted to tap a few girls on the shoulder and say “you know, your boobs are actually supposed to be worn inside your shirt”….honestly….so not attractive.  And the fashion I’ve noticed everywhere is to wear your black bra under your white shirt-yikes- well at least those women and girls are wearing bras!!!

Then surprise, after I thought he was gone, who shows up by the gardener.  Guess he didn’t get fired, just spoken to. BUMMER!  I had actually hired a guy to come trim the hedges before my company arrived, so as he was doing that the gardener showed up and began yelling at the guy I hired.  Fortunately the plumber and his wife were here (I was in Tours), she gave him what for and said if he did his job, I wouldn’t need to hire anyone else.  So, he mowed the lawn, had a few cigarette breaks and left…..no weeding, not trimming, just a bad cutting job. ARGH. He hadn’t trimmed the shrubs since November, they were out of control.  When the plumber told him to do the back hedges, he complained and said it was too hot and left without doing them. So, the saga continues.  He arrived yesterday to spend three hours weeding one little area then left with weeds at the front walk. Unbelievable…..

Jacques and Claire along with Sylvain and Jean-Sam arrived Wednesday evening.  I was so happy to see them and really excited that they’ll be living about two hours away.  It’s nice to have friends nearby although I wish they had picked here to live.  We had a great few days with them, catching up and sharing our life experiences since arriving.  They’ve been away from France for 16 years and although many things are the same, it will still take some adjustment to get used to.  Our little house was full, but full of laughter and fun. 

I had been hoping to have the downstairs bathroom finished before they arrived, but alas, the two week project is now in week 6! So, 7 of us shared one shower.  Not my first choice but we managed and it turned out okay.  I’m so spoiled with a Georgia house that has three full and one half bath.  I’m posting photos of the partially finished bathroom.  It’s coming along and I am anxious to have it done.  While the landlady picked the décor and it’s not my taste, I am happy to have a new, clean updated bathroom.  The tub/shower was pretty bad and although we would have lived with it, it is nice to have it re-done. BUT I am soooo tired of all the dust and dirt.  I dust and vacuum every day and still it’s a mess.  Renovations are so much harder than original construction.  Eric, the plumber and his wife have become like friends though.  His English is so much better and my French is improving too.  His wife and I can have French conversations now.  Hopefully, the room will be done before next week when our next guests arrive!  He opened the new shower unit yesterday and it was broken-seriously- and it will take two weeks to come in.  He is going to try to get something else, but it’s not like Home depot where there are tons in stock.

We went on the bus with the whole group so they could all change dollars for euros at the train station.  Had fun downtown and went to a promotion on vegetables.  It was on the center section between the streets where they hold festivals and such. They’re encouraging kids here to eat more veggies, so they had sick kids there with chef hats on making food and planting.  Shrieks and giggles were heard all around.  A local artist recreated a famous painting with vegetables.  The photo doesn’t do it justice, it was really amazing.  A guy on a horse all made of vegetables on probably a ten foot by ten foot base.  Pretty neat.  The bus was soooo crowded on the way home we had to wait to sit and some stood the whole way.  It was hot, smelly and crowded….I reminded Ross that night why I hate the bus.  I think I’ve found the car I’m getting when we come back this summer though.  A Skoda Citigo, they’re owned by VW and the car is little but nice.  I’m ready to have my freedom back!

Saturday we invited Anne-Rachel and Paco and family for the day so they could see Jacques and Claire.  It was such a good day, but oh my, feeding twelve from my small kitchen was quite an adventure.  We bought a gas grill last weekend so that helped.  I have these cutting board sink covers so I can have some counter space, but then you give up using the sink.  Just some logistical issues J We managed and had plenty of food for everyone.  Back home, twelve for dinner was nothing, but here, it’s a juggling act with chairs, space and storage. I shopped for three days worth of food, but for company and my little fridge was bulging at the seams.  After that, poof, we ate and it seemed empty again.  Nice to be able to not store the extra milk in the fridge and use space for that; but it still seems crazy to me to store it on the shelf with dry goods.  

This week, it’s just me and the plumber each day while Ross works.  I’m looking forward to a few quiet days alone once he’s done.  I get up early to be ready every day since he arrives between 8Am and 11AM.  I never know, a few days I’ve cut it close but don’t want to get caught in my jammies! It’s an odd work life here, but an hour and a half to two hour lunch break seems a must.

The weather is not at all what I’m used to in June.  We get a few nice hot, sunny days, but then lots of rain and this week it’s in the high 60’s each day and breezy.  It’s lovely, but not summer weather for me.  It makes the house (not air conditioned) too warm if I use the dryer, so I hang my laundry out most days.  Then sometimes, like today I’m running out to get it quick before the clouds open up and drench my clean clothes.  Then it got clear again, so out I went to hang again.  I feel so domesticated and old fashioned, but it seems to go along with the slower pace here.  I do all of Ross’ shirts which is something I haven’t done in 20 years.  My ironing board gets set up in front of the tv once a week while I do his shirts.   Then, I had a thought today that was random…..is it weird to use two of the same color clothespin on a shirt or item?  I just can’t use two different colors on a piece of laundry, I match the clothespins.  So now my clothespins are color coordinated……I’m really losing it aren’t I?  I’m very careful though, my undies and bras always go behind other clothes, unlike most people here who hang their undies out for all to see.  Okay, so we’re completely surrounded by a wall of hedges and no one can see my laundry on the line…….but I know!  I drive down the street and people have laundry hung where everyone sees it and right out front….undies….so not me!

Even Sophie has adjusted to her life here.  She knows when I bring in a loaf of bread from the bakery that she is going to get the end and just sits and waits for it.   She runs the entire yard as if she’s the queen and chases the birds and cats.  I’m thinking of bringing back my super soaker squirt gun for the one cat next door.  It hisses at Sophie and turns on her and I’m afraid one day she’ll get hurt.  Plus the car is full of its paw prints.  It even tries to come into my house……I don’t want to hurt it but want it away from my yard.  My super soaker is fabulous with a long range (from my kindergarten water days- I had to be able to get those kids who all attacked me).  Lindsay will have to go get her own instead of borrowing mine for her water day and she’ll be so disappointed not to have it.  It holds a one or two liter bottle so you can get a lot going far!  I think it is just what I need to chase the cat off.

Anyway, Sophie is turning into a snob.  I give her the ends of cheese too and today she turned her little nose up at a piece; seems, she has decided which cheese she prefers and won’t eat the others. What a little snot!

 Next week Dyane and Todd are here and I can’t wait for that.  I’m excited to show them a piece of our new lives. Then at the end of the month we head to Georgia for our big trip home.  We’ll be at Camp Hope for teen camp a big part of the trip, but will manage a bit of Liam time in there J  I’m looking forward to a good old pedicure….the way I’m used to!!  Found one in Tours, but they put your feet in water with fish that eat the dead skin away, not sure I’m ready for that.  Painted toes are very rare here so finding a place that polishes is difficult.  Crazy, I wouldn’t have naked toes in sandals!!  I may have to search far and wide, but I will find what I want here!!

I’m off for the week.  It’s time to bring in the laundry, can’t even believe those words are a part of my daily routine!