For both of us retirement was longed and planned for but in the end came quickly and quite surprisingly, and meant we had to move pronto from the uk to France.
A lot to process and let settle while at the same time we got a puppy (which we had also planned to do when we retired but maybe not 3 DAYS AFTER WE MOVED (what were we thinking?). This is his nibs the day he arrived – thinking deeply about his new home.
John had never had a dog before so was not forewarned of the utter time consuming madness of looking after a puppy and I (who should have known better) knew it but had also forgotten. Add to that a pile of boxes which resembles (still) the warehouse where they hid the Arc of the Covenant in ‘Raiders’, an overgrown field (I mean waist high brambles and ground elder), temperatures days after day in the 40’s, and visitors for a fortnight who were very welcome and helped us greatly both with their two dogs and helping tackle the field. You can see that we might have bitten off a bit more than was masticable.
And then I was ill. For about three months. I won’t go into details but it meant I was operating at between 30 and 50% of normal in these trying circumstances. It’s hard enough being ill and I am doctor phobic never mind about doctors in France so I diagnosed and cured myself. I had JUST got myself better and had about a week of feeling like I was going from 80 to 100% when on Saturday I was struck down again with a streaming cold. Out of action again.
So I think we just have about survived the shifting of our life tectonic plates but we really need now to spend time enjoying ourselves
For the next couple of months I want to concentrate on US and making sure that we are ok and enjoying this absolutely gorgeous part of France.
Ruby&Ruch 