August 22, 2013

Suddenly it’s nearly the end of August and I realize I haven’t written in ages. So, to backtrack…..let’s see …..June- Calum’s visit….he kept busy at work and made some friends while dealing with the language barrier. I think he has a new appreciation for how difficult this really is. He really struggled with homesickness, especially once camp started and he wasn’t there. It’s his first summer not being there the whole time since he was 13 years old. Alas, real life creeps in.  He finished his project and presented it and it was received well. 

The zoo trip was a bust as when we arrived it started raining, not just a drizzle but that absolutely drenching, cold pouring rain.  We tried umbrellas but after a few minutes, shoes, coats, and everything was soaked. We gave up and headed out. Home for dry clothing and hot drinks!

One weekend we were planning a meal out and suddenly found ourselves too close to the end of lunch time.  Restaurants usually open from 12-2 and then 7-midnight.  We found a little place along the river road in Fondettes. Entering we knew it was a bit more classy than planned, but with the time, we couldn’t get somewhere else. So, we enjoyed one of our best meals ever….several courses, fabulous food…..mind you it was 150 euro for the three of us-yikes! But it was a nice experience!

In the middle of June our nephew Craig arrived for a visit.  What fun we all had exploring and laughing.  On weekends Ross and Calum joined us, but during the week Craig and I explored and ate. The four of us spent a day and Disneyland Paris which was so much fun.  We visited Villandry together which was great and enjoyed a wonderful outdoor meal.  Craig and I also explored a vineyard, with our own private tour; went to Amboise Chateau and Clos Luce; found a spice shop with exotic spices and extracts and generally just had fun!  Being a pastry chef, he enjoyed every meal experience and we made sure to try several!!

One Sunday the funniest thing happened at church.  We have a sweet lady in an electric wheelchair.  It goes up and down so when singing she can raise and be higher as we stand.  Well, Calum nudges me during the sermon as we hear the quiet motor at the end of our row…..she had dozed a bit with her hand on the lever so as she relaxed, her hand must have bumped the lever and she was raising up as the speaker was talking.  The lady next to her quickly woke her and she went back down….but Calum had a good chuckle-us too.

Then on the 24^th I left for the US.  I took a whirlwind trip to Birmingham for two days and brought Liam back with me to Georgia.  He was with Lindsay and me Thursday through Saturday which was awesome!  We had so much fun….I was exhausted, but wouldn’t trade one minute!   We were also packing for camp and getting ready for that.  Calum arrived in the US the next weekend and we were off to Teen Camp. A great two weeks as always and even though as I pack I think “why am I doing this?”; once I’m there I know why!

After camp Ross arrived in the US and we did a bunch of visiting family and friends. Ross soon realized a trip to the US isn’t vacation.  He hadn’t been in a year, so he was struck with his first “I’m a visitor in my own home” moment.  Lindsay and I had already worked through those issues and we both just kind of let go and enjoy each other rather than stress over the different way we do things in the house.  We had a great time, but it was busy and crazy, so it was nice to return home to our quiet life.

One funny story after returning that Calum said “oh please do not share that”….so I have been having issues with this tooth abcess. They’ve done four procedures and hoped that would take care of it, but alas, nothing easy and I’ll have surgery on it September 3. Nothing happens here in August-it’s vacation month…literally-people take the month off.  Ross got sent home from work last week since he was the only one in the building….safety rules and all.

So, back to the story…..sorry for the personal info if it bothers you!  Anyway, with this tooth, it’s been a several month problem so over the past 5 months they’ve had me do four rounds of antibiotics. Well, never have I had so much and my lower stomach didn’t like it one bit.  I managed, and as long as I know where toilets are; life goes on.  So, we arrive home and Monday
Ross goes to work and I head to pick up Sophie. On the way I realize I am going to need a toilet, so I look everywhere. This isn’t the US where gas stations or restaurants are usually close by. So, I get there and get Sophie and asked if they had a bathroom I could use……um no, of course not.  So, as I drive home I realize this is going to be ugly and I’m in a panic praying for anything…when voila…a little dirt road into a woods is right there.  I pull into it, scope the area, grab my Mr Clean wet wipes from the car and found a nice tree hidden from the road.  You know I was desperate if I’m using a tree!!  All my Camp Li Lo Li overnight camping badge information came back to me and I’m now really using and outdoor latrine!  My kids were like “oh no you did not?” and I said the alternative in my car was worse!!  So, that’s my mortifying story of the year!!  I kept hoping it wasn’t a driveway or that some farmer would come walking through the woods. ARGH!

Since I’ve had this problem for five weeks, I’ve visited my doctor here this week. He’s pretty sure it’s from the antibiotics and has given me two meds to use.  Plus I had to go to a lab and get a cup for a specimen sample.  I won’t go into details of collecting that, but I was quite impressed with myself I must say!  Results aren’t back yet, but he’ll know it is something we need to treat more aggressively by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, these two medicines.  The first is a probiotic powder you mix with water twice a day.  I had gotten some acidophilus in the US and had been taking it, but it hadn’t helped. Plus I’ve been eating yogurt like crazy. This is the big guns probiotic.  He was pretty impressed I could buy probiotics OTC in the US.  

The other is also a powder you mix with water before each meal. It’s a mineral/clay mixture that is supposed to coat the stomach and intestines.  The product has only two main uses…this one for  Colitis type stuff in the medical field…..the other is on the oil rigs for keeping the drill bits cool and the sludge off the drill. Oh I was thrilled to find that out. Since it’s in French I have to Google the info to make sure what I am getting.  I don’t think they use this in the US. Ross says they have a similar product they use called mud to lubricate a certain bearing. And it really is kind of like a cup of thin mud I’m drinking.  It has a vanilla flavoring in it so it’s not gross, but the other day I splashed a little on my chin and chest  and I didn’t realize it.  It had dried and later Ross thought I had dirt flecks on me. It has no bad side effects so I continue to drink my sludge!!

He also had me do an xray series just to make sure the abscess hadn’t hit my sinuses.  It hasn’t which is good. The process was great though. I got an paper and made an appointment for the next morning at the radiology center. Got a series of intensive x-rays of teeth and sinus…several views.  They then had me sit in the waiting room, I was confused a bit but waited about ten minutes.  Then I got called in and met with the radiologist who read the xrays right in front of me and gave me the results.  She also gave me a copy of the films and her report and she’d send one to my doctor later. So, in less than an hour all this, plus results. And the kicker is the total bill was 55 euro or about $70 US dollars.  No separate bill for reading them, no waiting….that’s it. I must say I am impressed with the health care system here as well as the regulated costs. People pay into it and they call it semi-socialist…..I’m not sure exactly how it all works, but we pay in full everywhere and get reimbursed, so I see the costs. I so wish the US could figure this out.  The costs here are determined in advance, so there is no mark up. Prescriptions are especially cheap.

So anyway, We did take last week and go for four days to Switzerland for a little get away vacation. We needed it after our US vacation J  Switzerland was amazing and gorgeous.  The Alps are hard to describe and one day we drove to the top over zig zag roads…it was amazing….. needed a car sick pill but it was worth it.  We took Sophie and she did great…dogs are so welcome here and it amazes me how they can go almost everywhere.

We swam in the hotel’s natural pool which was totally balanced with algae etc.  Pretty amazing. It’s a pretty expensive country and we planned for that, but I think living there would be difficult.

We went to the Swiss Riviera one day and walked the pier….gorgeous! We ate outside one day at a lovely restaurant and watched as birds came right onto tables looking for bread.  We laughed as a big old bird sat on a pile of plates at the side. Five minutes later the waiter used that plate to put someone’s bread on.  We just have to laugh at the relaxed food rules here, yet it works.

While sitting on a bench relaxing on the shores of Lake Geneva we watched families on boats and these really cool rental paddle boats with slides on them.  Suddenly one boy about ten decided to change his swimsuit and put on undies and shorts.  I think he didn’t realize how close they were to shore…but we got a bum view! We just laughed.

We took a three hour boat ride on the lake and it was spectacular.  The views just amazing. Sophie was a huge hit but I have to be careful as she gets nippy when nervous and kids swarming her make her nervous. I gave my -she tends to bite- speech over and over and you’d be shocked at the adults who say “oh I don’t care, dogs love me” and they stick their hand right in her face.  They pull back if she growls, but really…..

Food in Switzerland was okay, but I think we’ve been spoiled.  We just love the food here and nothing can quite compare. Saturday we went to Villandry to walk the gardens and have a nice patio meal…..it was great!

So this week, back to normal…the weather is spectacular so I’m hanging laundry out and enjoying the sunshine. I know once fall arrives I won’t see sun for months and it will be cold and rainy…so I’m trying to enjoy every bit.  I have a chair that I take out and sit and read most afternoons….trying to get just a bit of color on these legs that haven’t seen sun in three years!! I had to avoid it for a bit before we arrived here as I was in the process of my laser hair removal and then last summer it was super hot and sunny then went cool quickly.  I’ve not been this white since I was 12 and maybe never!

Calum used to comment that people here talk about weather a lot when it’s nice.  I think it’s because we get so few fabulous days that everyone appreciates them when they come.  This year August has been perfect.  It maybe hits 80 in the day but 60’s at night and it cools off quickly.  No A/C here so we manipulate the shutters and awnings to keep the sun out of the house.  It works pretty well.

So, now our fall approaches. It’s a busy one….September 5^th our friends Asia and Charles and their little boy arrive as well as a young guy named Madison.  They’ll be with us a month as they study the language before departing to Niger, Africa where they’ll work as missionaries. We’re kind of excited that we have a house we can use this way. I’ll enjoy playing with the little boy while they study…kids are my thing, so I’m looking forward to it.  I’m working on meal plans and such.

Then after they go, Tristan, Katie and Liam come for a visit.  It will be Tristan and Katie’s fifth anniversary so they’re going off to Paris for a couple days and I’ll get to keep Liam J

Then I return to the US Oct. 31^st for two weeks for a little visit.

When I put it all on the calendar it looks crazy….but I love it. Quite different from when I first arrived and spent hours alone at home.  I still love my quiet alone time at home but it’s nice to have “normal” lives here.

Next week is our annual “Fete de Rue” or street party.  They close the road and neighbors gather for a meal outside.  We went last year but were so limited with language. I’m looking forward to being able to converse more freely this year.  Sometimes when I think my language is still so limited, I look and realize how much better I communicate now.  Listening and comprehending is still my slow part, but the more I do, the better it gets.  I’m like a little kid scrunching my eyebrows and processing what’s being said…there’s a slight delay and then I get it.

So, I’m off…..not really that much interesting anymore…just life!