Les restes: Waste not, want not
Book of the day: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. This year, as part of an ongoing attempt to be greener and more ecologically conscious, I resolve to reduce further the amount of food waste produced by my family. Shortly after we moved in to our home, five years ago, we adopted a lovely big compost bin (and, naturally, one of those adorable vintage-looking food … Continue reading Les restes: Waste not, want not
Bonne Année 2019!
I have recently discovered (through Brit Abroad’s latest blog post on Christmas traditions in France) that wishing a fellow citoyen a hearty “Bonne Année!” before January 1st is considered bad luck. Enquiring of my husband (who has spent over two-thirds of his life in France) whether this new and crucial information was indeed true, I was met with a nonchalant shrug and a ‘Yep’. I have been writing Christmas … Continue reading Bonne Année 2019!
Noël en France: memorable moments and lessons learned
This year my husband, our Chou and I hosted Christmas chez us for the very first time. It was an Anglo-Irish affair (by which I really mean that my Mum and I cooked our family’s traditional Christmas roast, complete with treasured accompaniments passed down from Yorkshire by my paternal grandmother, whilst Père Noël was given an offering of whiskey and I occasionally referred to the … Continue reading Noël en France: memorable moments and lessons learned
A Sortie Scolaire to the Farm
Book of the Day: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. Two weeks ago I accompanied my Chou on his first ever school trip. It was a grand occasion – eighteen small children and nineteen adults (sixteen volunteers and three conscripts) heading off to pastures new attached to a farm so far away as to require the additional excitement of a short coach trip. This was … Continue reading A Sortie Scolaire to the Farm
Failing to fit in: L’accouchement en France
I have just received word that an essay I wrote for The Parent Voice, an online parenting magazine specialising in multicultural families, has just been published. I am enormously excited – and who wouldn’t be?! For the official (magazine edited) version, which appears online, please follow this link. There is even a picture of me sporting a terribly sophisticated post-labour coiffure, along with my real … Continue reading Failing to fit in: L’accouchement en France
A Monégasque Adventure
Sitting next to my husband as we drove along the sensational coastal road on a long-promised trip to Monaco (our first venture ending abruptly after a freak hailstorm crushed my dream and my husband’s motorbike) I felt as though we could almost have been Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock’s film, To Catch a Thief – I am, after all, a native Bristolian, … Continue reading A Monégasque Adventure
Menton: The chin of France*
Within an hour of our arrival at the seaside resort of Menton my over-excited Chou had managed to fall face-first into the Mediterranean. Luckily we came prepared for such inevitabilities (I had risen at six o’clock that morning to start the arduous task of packing, mainly comprising as much of his wardrobe as I could find clean). Having laughed unsympathetically and picked him up out … Continue reading Menton: The chin of France*
M.E. Awareness Week
So It’s ME awareness week from the 7th of May to the 13th with ME awareness day being the 12th of May. I have struggled to know where to start with ME awareness which is kind of funny considering I manage to write a blog post about it every week. I’m taking you far into […] via Hiding ME and Me — Seeing M.E In … Continue reading M.E. Awareness Week
Ça pousse, avril: So much work, so little time
A very belated happy May Day and bonne Fête du Travail to all! I had intended to resume writing last week, once I had finally caught up with life after the inevitable chaos of a two week Vacances de Printemps. France and the builders, however, had other plans. Whereas French workers are celebrated with a bank holiday on May 1st (not so in Geneva, where … Continue reading Ça pousse, avril: So much work, so little time
Three more days, three more quotes: Day Three
Thanks to the Irish Procrastinator today is my final chance to participate in this amusing quoting challenge. I have enjoyed myself immensely! The rules are simple: 1. Thank the person who nominates you – thank you!! 2. Post one quote per day for 3 consecutive days 3. Nominate three new bloggers each day Today’s quote comes from The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins. It … Continue reading Three more days, three more quotes: Day Three
Chomeuse with a Chou 