Travelling On

apple_muncher

A well-deserved cup of tea!

Chiglepig

Karmacat said:

 Listening is better than spoken, but, business French ... hmmm.  I'd like to try!

I'm the same - but woefully out of practice, but my Mum is worse, her reading/listening comprehension is excellent, but I don't know about her spoken French because she won't speak! When I was able to visit, if we were out together she lets me answer if someone in a shop speaks to us - she's lived there since 2004 I really hope it's just because I'm there.

Suffolk_lass

Thanks for mentioning cards in Superdrug - it reminded me it is my cousin's birthday tomorrow. Card written and ready to post!

Karmacat

There were a fair few cups of tea yesterday - I was very stiff after all the weeding and cleaning, needed a day off, though I *did* do a bit more weeding later on.

Chiglepig said:

Karmacat said:

 Listening is better than spoken, but, business French ... hmmm.  I'd like to try!

I'm the same - but woefully out of practice, but my Mum is worse, her reading/listening comprehension is excellent, but I don't know about her spoken French because she won't speak! When I was able to visit, if we were out together she lets me answer if someone in a shop speaks to us - she's lived there since 2004 I really hope it's just because I'm there.

Ages ago, I had a long weekend in Dieppe with a friend who could speak French even better than I could (I was still almost bilingual at that point).  But she was *totally* bilingual (in fact, trilingual, because she was German) and I didn't want to put my spoke in.

SL, I didn't buy the cards in the end, they didn't quite do it for me - but I really need some, August is a *big* month for me!

Karmacat

So, today, dishwasher is done, YG survey done, convo with sister had, antkiller down again along the wall of the house - they can do what they want in the garden, as long as they stop building anthills, but I don't want ants in the house.  

For the rest of today:
- washing machine on.
- check mse thread on Sun caravan offers - I don't want to share a caravan any more, we swap around between the double bed and the children's beds - and the children's beds are 2' 6" wide, I just sleep so badly in those, because I'm so restless.  Sister had the brilliant suggestion of booking two caravans!  It's a risk, but it should work as long as we book on the first available day.  Got to see what the thread says.
- sort that payment to the French management company, and book in to their zoom meeting.
- bit more weeding.
- get the holiday stuff away.  Finally  

badmemory

Have you checked out the prices for renting a caravan this year?  My friend has a friend who works in the office at a site where he owns one.  He was told that for the summer they are going at over £1k a week.  Private rents are cheaper but still more than last year.  He doesn't rent his out but another friend has 2 he rents out & he took nothing last year but still had site fees to pay, so it's sent him into debt & needs to make it back.

Karmacat

£1k a week for a caravan, my word!  Covid smacked down my income from my French apartment, which was finally starting to bring a bit of income, now that I paid off the mortgage.  But for quite a few quarters now, I've only been paid 50% of the actual rental amount due.  It hits us all, sadly.  But I think my sister and I are doing our bit for the caravan owners by renting one each, instead of one between us.  I'm happy to do it, as it will give us both proper size beds, our own bathrooms, and lots of privacy.

I haven't done any weeding today, argh - but I have cleaned and tidied up all the food/ food bag that was out, porch is a *lot* clearer.   Also delayed my Asda delivery until next Thursday, I need to eat down the freezer; "shopped" from my dried beans upstairs; and made some of that energy bar recipe I found and adapted. I used dates, sultanas, dessicated coconut, ground almonds, cocoa powder and a little gluten free flour, plus much more water than they recommend.

I'm going to start early tomorrow, I think - either books or rags are going to the BHF cs, I need my kitchen table back!

debtfreeoneday

Glad you had a nice time away. 

Karmacat

Thanks debtfree, it was a real shot in the arm, so to speak 

And woohoo, I was able to take all the rags to my preferred charity shop, I got there by 9.30 or so.  The only dodgy bit is the fact that the short cut entry ways are becoming difficult to use - cyclists, wheelchairs, people standing still across the whole route having a phone call, and plenty of them not wearing masks, which is legal, yes, but I don't like it in such a confined space.  That's just my own issues in wanting to avoid the chance of long covid.  I think I might actually just stay on the roads, and not use short cuts, they have so much traffic ...  dear me.  I have quite a few books to take in, they have to go to BHF as they're expensive niche books or local history books *not* about the area I live in.

So today:
- washing machine is on, get the washing on the line
- cook the beans I was soaking.  Can I please do the thing where I chop lots of onions and chuck them in with the beans?
- finally unpack everything from the remaining holiday bag, my little trolley suitcase - it's all clean, it should be easy.  Get the suitcase put away.
- weeding/ grass cutting.  
- send details of the Sun mse thread to my sister.
- set up a new "direct debit" (a "virement") for the French management company.  I'll do that first, otherwise I won't do it today.  

Karmacat

Very odd.  The "direct debit" I needed to use has re-appeared, so I could pay straight away.  Bliss.

Also sent the caravan info to sister.  Today might go well!