A moving experience.

OK. so my blogs are like buses - they come all at once - and yes, I apologise for using a.n.others subject, but I couldn't resist it, and it's too much for a comment.

My moving experience was when we were trying to sell to come to France, or rahter ex-OH wanted to sell.

We had a couple come round - they had loads of money, wanted to turn the barns into garages for his collection of cars, wanted isolation, loads of bedrooms for her many furs and gold jewellery (got the picture?).

All went well, with the usual "we'll do this, knock this down, do that" etc. until they asked about the neighbours.

Those of you who watched the first series of "The Lakes" will have seen George, the egg man.
George was our nearest neighbour, about a mile away as the crow flies. He, too, was a farmer, and when ex-OH broke his leg one December, was a good friend and help to me.

George would come and help me with the sheep and lambing (we had about 500 ewes then), and literally could clock me leaving the lambing tunnel in the field, walk down the yard, take my boots off and go into the house. He would then phone me to see how my day went.

Now, I knew he had his binoculars trained onto our yard for his timing to be so precise.

So when the prospective purchasers of our farm asked about the neighbours, I told them that I was getting mugs printed with TEA and COFFEE on them! Why - if we stood our on the back terrace and George had his binoculars on us he would know what we were drinking!!

She obviously also wanted to sunbathe naked (judging by the tan that too cost-a-plenty) so George and his binocs. didn't go down at all well.

Ex-OH was amused either, he thought he had a sale in the bag there!

How they grow up!

The bride and groom.

Summer has been and gone, drought has gone, rain has rained and drought has returned.

Must be a poem here somewhere.

As can be expected, it rained during the main summer months of July and August. The (spring) drought returned just in time for the autumn, and here we are, 30th October, beseiged by flies!!!

The warm sun has woken them up - if they ever went to sleep - and now all the sun-facing windows and walls are covered in the things, getting into the house via any nook or cranny. Even though I'm not renowned for my cleaning up, I'm sweeping flies up daily - some doing those funny dances on their backs (can't remember the name for them).

This photo is of my three - Laura, Louise and Thomas.

We've had some visitors this year. My mum came in the summer when we all went to Louise's wedding in the south, and OH's daughter, Tara, and her boss, Liz, came over from Ireland just a couple of weeks ago. Oh, and Thomas, my son, and his girlfriend, Holly, flew into Limoges to go down to the wedding with us.

As is normal, mum had a good time when she came (and cleaned my cooker). I took her to the new Family Village shopping complex near to us as she wanted to buy a digital camera to take photos at Louise's wedding. A bit annoying as my sisters and I thought it would be a good pressy for last christmas, but mum thought otherwise. Can't remember what we, or I, actually did buy her.

After buying the camera - a neat Nikon Coolpix in red - we went on to Limoges Airport to collect Thomas and Holly. It would be nearly a year since we last saw Thomas, and the first time we had met Holly. I'm sure he, at 23 and 1.96mts, is still growing!

So, as you may have concluded, the wedding was the main item of the summer. We had a great time.

My sister had booked a gite only 5 minutes away from the reception venue. More by luck than judgement, but it worked a treat, with her 4, and my 7, really having a good laugh. Heard the one about the mummy balloon, daddy balloon and baby balloon? It's much better after a few bottles of wine! Talking of which - if you get the chance to try rose wine with a dash of grapefruit liquer do so. It's like coffee with Baileys in it - rather moorish!!

The actual wedding day was fantastic. Louise and her new husband really did everyone proud. The weather was great, though a bit hot, their local village where they got married was very pretty with flowers everywhere and the reception Chateau was super. The bride looked a million dollars, as did Jessy (her husband) and the bridesmaids, and of course all the guests.

She asked me about music for the wedding. Fight the Good Fight was suggested (but turned down) as a hymn, and Simply the Best as they left the church. She compromised with starting the evening dancing with Simply the Best (of course the bride's mother, after consuming some champers, gave it some welly!). Rumour has it that Thomas and one or two of the lads did the fully monty, but fortunately, for the guests, most of them had gone to their beds by then. My niece got plastered, sobered up and got plastered again. Not advisable when catching the plane home next day! And, Holly, Thomas's girlfriend, caught the bouquet!!

All in all, a good time was had by all, and I hope you forgive me for putting a couple of photos on here.