IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Barretts Oesophagus – Heartburn – Acid Reflux – Constant Indigestion.

I had to give this a title that covers all of these problems as I firmly believe they are all linked – especially from my own personal medical experiences.

For years having suffered with most of the problems above, (together with fighting Thyroid Problems) and then 3 years ago being diagnosed with Barrett’s – the final straw really – it is not very pleasant living with these medical conditions as many of you know, as I understand it is a very common in many thousands of people. I sincerely believe it is not down to “bad diet” it is purely down to the way your body reacts to certain foods.

Firstly I must comment on Barretts.... and trying not to be negative...
The standard medication (from experience at the local G.P.) is P.P.I’s (Proton Pump Inhibitors) to stop the mutated cells from spreading into Cancerous Cells – however, and I only speak from my experience gained over the past few years of having every type thrown down my throat and suffering continual extreme diarrhoea and stomach cramps every single morning – having been through the range and finding none that suits and even when I taking them – heartburn would return well before the next dose was due. So I gave them up for the above two reasons.

Secondly onto Heartburn, Indigestion and Acid Reflux....controlling this...
I haven’t found any medication that relieves this completely, and believe me I have tried everything, its like a lottery from day to day. Some days are better than others which led me into the research of food eaten by me to find out what affects me, and I finally found some very interesting answers which I hope someone, somewhere might agree with me as I am sure I am right. It hasn’t cured me, but it certainly has helped to relieve the symptoms, and I do know now when I have eaten this...it is very difficult with any diet to make sure that one completely avoids.......

Pepper – I always had white pepper or black pepper on my meals and used for seasoning when cooking and this is the only thing I have found which affects my digestive and bowel system extremely badly – It gives me the IBS, it gives me heartburn and indigestion – it plays my stomach up. I know that may sound strange but I have tested it on a number of occasions. When I eat out at a restaurant I make sure that what I choose has no or little pepper – otherwise I know I will suffer for a good few days. I avoid shop bought meat pies, cartoned soup, etc because these affect me.

Perhaps those with the above condition could try and avoid this and see if it makes any improvement. It certainly has helped me.

I am not a Doctor, nor do I pretend to know or understand these medical conditions completely, but I do now understand what causes my body to react to certain foods – more than any doctor that has advised me. However, if there is a qualified medical practitioner out there somewhere who can give me advice, I am more than happy to listen and try.

So there you have it..... if you have been suffering like me.... you have nothing to lose in trying to avoid Pepper.

Roll On Summer

Today has been a very good day, I have been very busy at work and time has flown.

I really do not want to do any heavy writing today after yesterdays blog. Some idle chatter suits me fine as I am tired.

It has been pouring with rain all day, and I wondered if we were due for a good summer this year, as last year we took a week off and flew to Turkey. We had an absolute wonderful time; the holiday was just not long enough. The only thing that was not good was that when we arrived home we were told England had had a mini heatwave. No sooner were we home then the weather changed for the worse. Trust us to choose that week – we could have had the best of both worlds had we chose a week earlier or a week later !!

This year we are reluctant to book any holiday until we know whether we are due for a good summer, I believe people say that if the winter is cold, then the summer will be hot. I do wish for a good long hot summer and a week away to relax. Although we do prefer to go site seeing than lazing around thats our idea of chilling out.

There are so many places we would like to visit, Egypt, Peru, Mexico, but its difficult to leave the business and unfair on our pets to leave them for more than a week. Our time will come.

Travelling is educational and I do believe that life is for experiences, for that gains knowledge and understanding which passes on from life to life. I do believe Lobsang Tuesday Rampa had the right idea. (I have written about this marvellous writer on a previous blog). History is one of my favourite subjects – and I do believe I have had many a past life. It would be great if at some stage I could be “regressed” back just to confirm my beliefs.

Its been a long cold dark Winter...............Roll On Summer !!

They Break Ones Heart

You will remember from some time ago, I mentioned we had four cats and one dog. We had them all vaccinated ready to return to England, but had to wait six months for the quarantine period, seemed stupid to us as we had obviously had them vaccinated in England before going to France. So they were covered, but DEFRA rules apply and one had to wait six months again after their injections before we could return them to UK.

Poppy our eldest Persian Cat, Mother of the other three, did not make it to England, several months before returning home she became very sick – due to old age and her organs were not working properly, so the French Vet advised us to put her to sleep, there was no cure and we could not see her suffer anymore, so we had to let her go.

We returned home with our three other Cats; Muffin, our eldest, Sammy, next eldest, and our youngest Panther. Of course Sasha our Dog was with us as well and still is, although slowing up now and getting on in years.

Muffin arrived home and within a few weeks, became ill, blood pouring out of his mouth, and he looked so ill, we obviously rushed him to the Vets to be told that he was not going to make it, he was not a young cat, he was 18 years, so not wanting him to suffer anymore, asked the Vet to put him to sleep.

Well, then next came Sammy, she lived for Muffin, they were always cuddled together to sleep, and were extremely close, and Sammy took Muffins disappearance extremely hard, she slowly stopped eating and became very lifeless. Now Sammy enjoyed her walks around the orchard in France, I have some photos on a previous blog, anyhow, she was nearly 18 years, so again, getting on in years. She was so lost that she even tried to get into the dogs bed and cuddle up to her. Of course, Sasha was having none of it, and just used to sit up and look at her, as if to say, you’re in my bed again. Unfortunately, we woke up one day and she was wet all over, her bed was soaking and she could not move around, she had no life in her, so another trip to the vets, and we lost another cat.

Panther, our youngest is still with us, she has always been a loner, I think due to her being the runt of the litter, mind you, she is now over 18 years also, so she is very slow, cannot jump too well, and sits and cries for us to pick her up onto our bed. (Although she doesn’t stay long now as we have to put her down on the floor before falling to sleep as we are afraid she will hurt herself trying to jump down). She can only just make it onto the settee, after psyching herself up several times. She does demand a lot of attention now. Spoilt to high heaven is our Panther.

Sasha is doing ok, she is getting on now, but doesn’t really give us any problems apart from being a really fussy eater. Provided she gets her morning walk, she seems quite happy to sleep the afternoon, then play up till dinner time and once fed, settles again. Unless of course, there is some action in the garden during the day and she has to be in and out, in and out, and be the centre of attention. People only visit to see her !! (so she thinks). One other thing about Sasha is she always knows when one has the biscuits out with a cup of tea, she has a very good nose, even if her eyesight is not 100% now.

When it seems our animals have been with us forever, its so hard to loose them, as many animal owners will know, we just will not now have any further additions to our family. They breaks ones heart.

The Wonder of Nature

Being in France one got used to all sorts of creatures running around in the garden (and the house of some occasions) from very large Toads to Lizards and Snakes plus the occasional Wild Boar and Bull (from the next field, who liked grazing in our orchard rather than their own field). I have some wonderful stories about one particular Bull which I named Daisy (I know the name doesnt suit) I'll cover this soon.

Nothing, but nothing beats looking out into our garden here and watching the birds, we have set up quite a few different feeding stations containing fat balls, seed, peanuts, etc and to watch the tiny sparrows and tits leave the hedge and flit onto the nuts, the slightest movement and they disappear back into the privet hedge again, after a few seconds, out pops all these tiny heads, glancing in every direction until they think its safe again to fly out. Its a complete joy to watch them and always brings a smile to my face. Hopefully once we have been here longer they will accept us and not be so cautious. We have noticed our Robins have been not so quick to fly away at the slightest movement.

Of course I haven’t mentioned our Cats and Dog that travelled to France with us and back again, at a total cost for the return trip only of over a thousand pounds, but I shall cover that topic soon – however, I need a very good day to mention such sad events.

As Time Goes By

OK If you read my previous Blog, then you may have guessed what we now do to keep the wolves from the door. Its that four letter word that has become a household name.

Having spent the majority of money that we came back from France with on a very modest house – we had very little money to play with, but we felt a permanent residence was better than renting, at least the money we had would not quietly diminish. We now think we made the right move and are happy in our newly acquired home.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to be self sufficient in the U.K. almost impossible in a normal house; it is not even practical to grow vegetables in our small garden. French Property Taxes are extremely cheap compared to UK. and considering we had a hectare of land in France, a huge house, an orchard with many fruit trees and a number of outbuildings, etc. it was absolute peanuts tax wise and our bills were very modest. Our expenditure was minimal. Afraid in UK everything has a high price.

So with neither of us finding employment in UK, so difficult at our age, and really hampered by the fact that we hadn’t worked in England for such a long time, we had to do something to try and replenish our funds.

Iains cousin gave us a huge amount of second hand clothing with instructions, sell it for what you can get, and give me half. So our venture began, we had both Ebayed before – but on a much smaller and infrequent scale. So our learning curve began and we Ebayed most of what was given us. Gosh, it was hard work and time consuming, everything got steam cleaned or laundered, ironed etc. and we used our experience, our gained knowledge over the many years of “living” and we also researched everything that was listed so we could give accurate and precise details. Most garments sold really well, and buyers were extremely happy with what they had bought. We had many emails and positive comments.

We also tried a couple of car boot sales, which we found even harder, the loading of the car, the getting up at 4am in the morning, and then the drive and queuing and setting up – both occasions it poured with rain, and we got soaked. We were not amused and spent the following couple of days not only badly aching but fighting of a cold. I find it amusing when people say – just do a car boot or get a market stall. Are they Mad !!!

Alas, the clothes from Iains cousin were a “one off”.

However, we thought Ebay was the way to go....... and I shall explain in my next blog how we managed to make a success of it.

Settled Back In England

My oh my, its been a long time since I had time or inclination to come on here, and update everyone to what has been happening.

Our lives have been so busy but so much happier back at home again. The saying that the grass is greener on the other side, really is not true for us, as we have found out the hard way, although it would be nice to have a holiday home in Spain or Turkey . (Our experiences of both these countries is much more positive and I'll cover those later) Certainly would not under any circumstances include France in that statement.

We have a lovely house, not quite in the same league as we had in France, but who cares, we certainly don't. We have a corner plot and the garden although its not huge, its enough for us now to enjoy. Even our pets have settled back nicely.

Of course the main problem we both encountered was finding work, having been out of the country for such a long time, and being older in life, it was almost impossible to find any company to employ us, and the salary was so low it hardly seemed worth getting out of bed for and then it seemed we had a long way to travel for that meaningless, low paid, degrading job. We both had really good jobs before we left for France, so we both felt we were too old to start at the bottom again and work our way up and actually are both too old to do so.

So we took a gamble, as you have probably guessed we are that kind of people , and it paid off for us. So we both work now for ourselves, and I dare say I shall cover that in great detail as time goes on.

Back To England

Well, I know I haven't been on here for quite a while, the whole ordeal of selling and moving out of France and back to England has been so time consuming and tiring.

What I will say at this stage is that we have been back here in England for a couple of months and are enjoying every minute of it. It is so nice to be greeted with a smile when one enters a shop, its wonderful to know exactly what I am buying and the food here in the supermarkets have over whelmed us. So much choice and hardly any difference in price. One feels at home and welcome and all the problems of translating and having to think about what one says and how one says it have almost disappeared from our minds now. When a bill comes through the door its so easy to understand every word and so easy to pay without any red tape or bureaucracy. When we disagree with something its so easy to explain our problem. In fact.... its so good to be home !

All the family came over at Christmas time, something which never happened in France and we were able to serve a proper Christmas dinner, something else which never happened in France.

It is very strange to say that neither us miss France, but we can say with hand on heart - that is the case. We even have accepted quite easily all the problems which England seems to have, perhaps it is because it is home and will always be so.

The rented house that we moved into, from the moment we entered felt more like home than France ever did.

Anyway, thats all the want to say at this moment, and I will start back dating some stories on how difficult it was to get home and then a nightmare to travel back to France for a couple of days to complete the sale on the house.

Summer has arrived

Having had such beautiful weather this past week or two, we now feel that summer has arrived. The garden is looking lovely with so many beautiful colours and such attractive plants. The Sun always makes one feel so much better.

We have visited quite a few Vide Greniers lately; the English equivalent of a Car Boot Sale. (Although the translation into English means "attic clearance" or "empty loft") It seems most villages will have one during May and June and throughout the summer months. It is always so pleasant and enjoyable perusing these stalls, talking to the French and getting to understand more about their culture and habits. We are often surprised to see some English stall holders as well, often selling English books etc. This does make a pleasant afternoon out especially if it’s in a village that we haven’t looked around, and there are so many little villages scattered amidst the countryside. All have their own identity, charm and uniqueness and are absolutely well worth a visit.

Today we woke with a scattering of rain, which now seems to have died out, and it is bright again. Summer certainly is a time when we can appreciate all the benefits of being in this wonderful region of France.

Mushrooms in France

Firstly, there are strict guidelines to picking wild mushrooms in France, and these must be followed:

French Regulations state (Article 547 Code Civil) that mushrooms belong to the owner of the land where they grow. Each commune has the right to decide whether mushroom picking is allowed, and on what days, can say what quantities can be picked, can charge a fee or can totally forbid mushroom picking in the surrounding forests.

You should contact your local Marie in the commune (or your local prefecture) where you wish to pick mushrooms and they will advise.

Tools of any sort are forbidden with the exception of knives
A knife must be used to cut the stipe so as not to damage the mycelia
Mushrooms must be a certain size before being picked so that they have a chance to release their spores
Mushrooms must be carried in a wicker basket to let the spores fall out and help propagation

Do remember that there are over 3,000 varieties of mushroom in France and only a few of these are edible. People still die in France from eating poisonous mushrooms and if not fatal can cause problems such as diarrhoea, nausea, hallucinations, vomiting, cramps, coma and more serious conditions such as convulsions, tachycardia or kidney infection.

Poisonous mushrooms closely resemble edible ones. Pharmacists in France normally have a large photograph on their wall of all the various mushrooms, and are professionally trained to identify which are poisonous and which are not, so if in doubt always consult your local pharmacy in France.

If you collect any wild mushrooms to eat do make sure that your identification checks out in every detail, weather conditions or animal damage can cause differences in appearance that could lead to misidentification and do remember that there are people who are allergic to all species of mushrooms.

One of the most deadly of all mushrooms is the Amanita Phalloides (Death Cap) see image

In case of accidental poisoning, contact the Emergency Service, and if possible, keep some of the mushrooms or the remains of the dish eaten. Do not attempt to throw up and do not take any drugs.

There are some Anti-Poison centres in France

Angers tele: 02 41 48 21 21
Bordeaux tele: 05 56 96 40 80
Lille tele: 0 825 812 822
Lyon tele: 04 72 11 69 11
Marseille tele: 04 91 75 25 25
Nancy tele: 03 83 32 36 36
Paris tele: 01 40 05 48 48
Rennes tele: 02 99 59 22 22
Strasbourg tele: 03 88 37 37 37
Toulouse tele: 05 61 77 74 47

Rain, Rain and more Rain

Well, Tired of Roaming is one thing, but being Tired of Rain is another. When is it going to stop I ask myself.

The other day we had such electric storms, turned off everything we thought that could be affected, which included our pc’s. Once the storm had passed, or so we thought, we turned on the computers again to carry on and several minutes later with no warning came a loud crash, yes, that done it, hit by lightening across the telephone cable. Blew the box and our router, so it has taken a while to get things back to normal.

We know we should appreciate the rain, but at this stage we do not mind giving it to Inland Spain, we know how much they need it. It seems it has done nothing but rain. Think we are all suffering from Sun deprivation now, and are in need of a holiday in the Sun. Weather reports say again Rain all week and temperatures down to 14… is there no end to this and will we ever get our Summer sunshine.

We have been told that this is very unusual for this Region of France.....

So in the meanwhile, we will try to keep smiling.

Dechetterie

A Dechetterie is the French name for a Waste Collection Centre, as known in England as the local council rubbish tip.

In France they are normally extremely well organised and easy to use. Usually you drive your car onto a raised area therefore making the “tipping” part very easy, particularly if you use a tipping trailer as you can reverse right up to the edge to tip your load.

We have found our local Dechetterie to be very helpful and will guide you as to where to put the items, and sometimes help to unload depending on how busy they are.

Do try to avoid mixed loads unless you are prepared to sort it out when you arrive as they are quite strict as to what is allowed in the various containers and it can be time consuming moving the car around the area.

There are large categorised skips for all your rubbish and below is the English-French translations which may help when unloading:

French	English	French	English
Bois	Wood	Emcombrants	Mattresses etc
Ferrailles	Scrap Metal	Dechets Verts	Green Waste
Papier	Paper	Verres	Glass
Huilles	Oil	D.M.S.	Spray Cans etc
Gravats	Rubble	Plastiques	Plastic
Cartons	Cardboard Boxes	Batterie	Batteries

Most Dechetteries are open from 9am until 12 noon and again 1.30pm until 6pm including Saturdays. Although most do have several mornings where they are closed for emptying and replacing. Sundays they are closed all day.

French Customs

Some Useful Information on French Customs

Shaking hands upon greeting and parting is customary in France, (a light grip and a single quick shake) and man to woman, woman to woman, and woman to man by lightly kissing on the cheeks, it can be once on the left and once on the right, this can vary upon the region of France, (like Mayenne) it is repeated so “four times” – (left to right, right to left and repeat).

It is customary to say 'Bonjour' or 'Bonsoir' when entering a shop and 'Au Revoir' when leaving. Use the same greeting for neighbours adding Madame, Monsieur or Mademoiselle and their surname, only family and very close friends are greeted by the first name. Always wait until being invited to use someone’s first name.

The French gesture for "OK" is the "thumbs up" sign. “Zero” to the French is the round index finger touching tip of the thumb.

The French have a great respect for privacy. Knock and wait before entering into a room. Additionally, do not "arrive" unannounced. Always give notice before your arrival.

Another point to remember is when greeting a neighbour or acquaintance, avoid asking how the wife or husband is, the French see this as an invasion of privacy, it is however, acceptable to ask how the “family” are.

When accepting an invitation for a meal an accepted gift is a pre-agreed desert or cheese dish but should you wish to give flowers, never choose Chrysanthemums (given at funerals), Carnations (bad luck), Red Roses or any white flowers (Weddings). Although the younger generation are not so strict on this. Avoid giving Wine unless you are a connoisseur and can give the highest quality.

When writing a letter, this is customary to end it with the sentence “Veuillez accepter, Madame (or Monsieur), mes salutations distinguées.” Avoid the “yours sincerely”, “yours faithfully”, etc. Always commence the letter Madame or Monsieur – never with the word “dear”.

Table Etiquette in France

Useful Information on Table Etiquette in France

If invited for a meal by a French family the following information may be useful to you:

Arrive on time, if delayed by more than 10 minutes then a telephone call is in order with an explanation and arrival time. (This can be slightly different in various Regions of France, the further south the more flexible). Paris is an exception to the rule.

You should always wait for the host to lead the way therefore, when the aperitif is served, wait for everyone to receive their drink and the host will then give a toast, after which “glass clink” before drinking, and do not start the meal until the host has said “bon appetit” and you all reply “sante”.

A French meal usually consists of 5 courses, a starter, main course, salad, cheese course, and dessert. Water and bread are made available throughout the meal. Wine is constantly offered so if you do not require a refill, then never empty your glass. The French always fill a glass to three-quarters, never to the brim.

Fold your salad onto your fork by using your knife. Do not cut your salad with a knife or fork.

There usually are no bread plates. Put bread on the table next to your dinner plate above your fork.

To see how one cuts cheese – see our “Cheese page” at www.joinusinfrance.net

Always tear your bread into pieces before eating, never take the whole piece of bread and bite a piece off in your mouth, this is considered rude and impolite. A piece of bread (usually on your fork) is taken at the end of each course and you wipe your plate clean with it, never use your hand.

The same plate and cutlery are usually used for every course. Always finish what is on your plate. However, in a more formal setting, every course is served on a new plate, so cleaning the plate is not necessary.

It is customary to gently rest your hands on the table (not your elbows). (Do not place your hands in your lap, again this is considered rude)

Do not ask for a tour of your host's home, it is considered impolite.

(If the host offers orange juice or similar at the end of the meal, then that is a hint that its time to leave.)

A very public convenience

Something to bear in mind when visiting or thinking of living in this region of France is firstly French men think nothing of stopping their car at the side of the road, doesn’t matter whether it’s a busy dual carriageway or a single country road, he will pull over and get out of his car and urinate for all the world to see. No discreet actions taken at all and a very common occurrence here.

Secondly, it is normal practice in France to share the public toilets; therefore a woman walks past the men using the urinals to get to a cubicle, again normal practice here.

However, at some service areas on motorways etc, there are some separate toilets for men and woman, but mainly the woman’s toilet will then have what we term as a flushable hole in the ground, you will be very lucky if you find one with a seat. Should you require a seated toilet then look for the disabled sign, which would normally have one.

Dr Tuesday Lobsang Rampa (8 April 1910 – 25 January 1981)

A friend first introduced me to Lobsang Rampa over a cup of coffee some 35 years ago, when the book was placed on the table in front of me and I was asked if I had read any of his books. I had never heard of him at that time, and my friend left the book for me to read. I picked the book up and glanced at it, then unfortunately it got placed on my bookshelf and there it stayed for several years.

Out of the blue one day I just picked up this book “You Forever” and read it, I was so intrigued by this authors writings, it was so interesting I could not put the book down, and I felt after reading it I just had to know more, I went to the local bookstore and ordered every book this author had written to date. There were several books that the store could not obtain, but every book that I did manage to buy I read with total conviction more than once. Over the years one lends out books, looses them, etc and some 15 years ago, I decided to buy these books again. Only several had been reprinted and were available from USA so I ordered them. More recently I obtained the rest of my collection from Ebay from all over the world. The writings are just as fascinating today and make excellent reading.

I do keep an open mind on his books, but then again I do believe in fate, and feel sure I was meant to read his books, and learn from them. Over the years he has had many critics and was hounded by the press, but then I think we all know how the media can make or break an individual.

Lobsang Rampa was unique, a remarkable writer, one of the most fascinating and intriguing individuals with physic abilities and should you require something completely different to read, something strangely out of the ordinary, that can be truly enlightening and depending on your beliefs about life can add another perception to the mysteries of the universe. After reading about his experiences and his explanations we can all draw our own interpretation and conclusions from what he had to say.

'The Third Eye' (1956) - The autobiography of a Tibetan Lama

'Doctor from Lhasa' (1959) - Lobsang Rampa, a prisoner of war, proved that mortal man can discipline his mind and body to survive starvation and torture.

'The Rampa Story' (1960) - Reveals other aspects of the authors strange life.

'Cave of the Ancients' (1963) - Lobsang Rampas experiences in the lamaseries of Tibet.

'Living with the Lama' (1964) – Further revelations into Lobsang Rampa’s extraordinary existence – this time from a curious angle.

'You Forever' (1965) – A special course of instruction in psychic development and talks about Astral projection.

'Wisdom of the Ancients' (1965) – A book of knowledge with special sections on breathing exercises and diet.

'The Saffron Robe' (1966) – The personal story of Lobsang Rampa’s boyhood.

'Chapters of Life' (1967) – Predictions and comments on the events taking place.

'Beyond the Tenth' (1969) – Lobsang Rampa explores the spiritual potential inherent in every human being.

'Feeding the Flame' (1971) – Rampa speaks about Atlantis, The Dalai Lama and many other topics.

'The Hermit' (1972) - Introduces the ideas of human abduction and experimentation for genetic engineering purposes.

'The Thirteenth Candle' (1972) – Rampa’s 13^th book where he answers questions and gives information.

'Candlelight' (1974) – Rampa talks about pendulums and religion, and discusses media persecution.

'Twilight' (1975) - Rampa discusses the power of prayer, hypnotism, etc.

'As it Was' (1976) – Rampas life condensed into four parts, As it was in the beginning to As it is Now.

'I Believe' (1977) – Lobsang Rampa explains in detail about life after death.

'Three Lives'- (1977) – A continuation of “I Believe”.

'Tibetan Sage' (1980) - His final book with prophecies for the planet and his final farewell.

One further publication, which I should mention, an anthology which Lobsang Rampa wrote was published without authorisation in late 1958/early 1959 – My Visit to Venus, and a soft cover copy was printed and circulated in 1988 after his death. Rampa did not want this published, fearing it would be dismissed as science fiction.

Another unauthorised book 'My Visit to Agharta' (2003) Rampa talks about his visit to the Inner world of Agharta.

Spam – Name and Shame

The weather has been wonderful and hot the last few days, and this morning was no exception when we woke.

However, the day was really marred when I switched on my pc to find that some website had decided to use our domain name for Spamming purposes, a continuous flow of undelivered returned emails came pouring through into my Inbox, after several hundred I was getting really cross and frustrated. Being in France, with the technical language barrier, one can't take the appropriate action to stop it. Even then I suppose it’s not easy, (640 and still arriving) and of course as we have genuine mail from our site, I have to click each one to delete !

Why do idiots do this, I feel sure no one in their right mind after receiving a spam, would actually go to their website and risk buying any of their products. How could one trust them, well you cant, can you?

OK….. I went to their site and had a good look around, it’s just a downloading site, and an example of what they were selling for downloading on line……….

Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium for Windows Retail Price $1199.00
Our Price $149.95
You save $1049.05

Too good to be true !

http: // bb.ekodoem. com (spaced for obvious reasons) - now I DON’T want to give this Spammer any publicity whatsoever, being forewarned is being forearmed, so I recommend you just avoid them like the plague.

Digressing to Life in General

Whilst on the sit on mower this morning, dealing with the long grass in the orchard and having just completed once again one of Tuesday Lobsang Rampas books “I Believe”, (and I shall cover this topic another time as I could ramble forever about this physic and author) I remembered all the controversy years ago surrounding this gentleman, and my mind wandered onto the subject of life in general.


With the UK news recently highlighting the fact that they have now discovered a “fat” gene, it took me back many many years ago when I remember there was a huge outcry from experts who identified plastics that were used to contain food and drink products, having toxicological effects on the human body.

Scientists concluded that eating and drinking from bottles made of plastic would over a period of time affect the genetic make up of the human body and both physical and mental aspects of sexuality would be affected, together with increase in cancer, and Alzheimer disease to name but a few.

It further concluded that there was also a conflict of interest in allowing the manufacturers to submit to their own testing.

Are we are now seeing those physical and mental changes to the Human Race taking place?

I wonder if its like global warming, nothing will be done by the governments until its too late?

Buying or Selling a Renovated Property in France

Once a property has been renovated, and is sold one has to pay tax on the profits, in other words if you pay 100,000 Euros for a property and renovate it, and its now valued and sold at 250,000 Euros, then 150,000 Euros is taxable (we understand this is about 40% of profits). One can produce all receipts for the work done and we understand this is deductible from that amount. The Notaire deals with this paperwork. So be warned and keep every receipt and bill as one can be faced with a huge capital gains tax demand.

Another thing that has come to light, in the event of us selling our property, is that it was good that we had decided not to renovate the two barns into Gites, as once that had been done then we would have had to have paid 19.6% tax when selling, unless the property has been owned for over 5 years.

We had not heard of this before, and certainly no one had even suggested this, so anyone who has renovated and is in this position may we suggest you check with the Notary Office whether it would apply also to you. It could be a rather hefty sum to pay once sold.

When buying a French property which has been renovated one should make sure you have the 10 year artisan guarantees for electrics, plumbing, heating, etc. in case anything goes wrong, and also you could have problems trying to sell the property on in the future without these. All legitimate artisans French or English, registered under the French system will provide these guarantees. No French person will normally buy without them.

There is a new survey that has to be done by law now by the seller, which is done before signing, and this now takes into account the insulation factor of the property. The cost for this is depended upon the selling cost.

We find the French law very complicated and not easy to find things out until one is put in that position. We say check and double check as once you have signed the papers you cannot back out which is why we decided to go through a French Immobilier and not to try to sell it privately.

When considering buying a property do check out http://www.joinusinfrance.net/html/buying_in_france.html

Can you identify the plant

Having been disappointed with the way that Spurs played, decided not to mention anymore about the game. So I wont.

Awoke yesterday morning to an overcast day, we decided to work on the garden again, there is much to do this time of year with the one hectare of land. It is very warm and with no sunshine or wind made it difficult to get on with any motivation, but we plodded on and most of the landscaped garden is now finished, we also have one of the vegetable plots ready for planting. Just need to deal with the grape vines, which we have three, and that side of the garden is looking good.

Stayed in last evening and watched some television, something we do not normally do, but we both enjoy the new programme Joseph, and last night was no exception, thoroughly enjoyed watching the talent, it is just a shame that we cannot vote from here in France.

This morning it’s quite misty and the forecast is hot, so we shall persevere with an area at the rear of the garden that needs clearing. There is a pretty ground cover plant that has sprung up amongst the weeds, it has small white flowers, and I cannot quite remember the name, although I know it’s a very popular alpine in England. I have searched the internet, but with no luck, perhaps someone please can remind me of the name as it appears to be really bothering me, as you will notice the earth here is already very dry.

Up the Spurs

Well yesterday the weatherman said it was going to rain today, so after nearly killing ourselves in the garden yesterday, we had planned for today to be fairly relaxing, but we awoke to glorious sunshine, and as there is much to do in the garden, made an effort. It has been a hot exhausting day and our muscles are aching. The garden does look good now though and its been well worth the effort. (Well we will think so once the aches and pains go)

Tonight I am in front of the TV, not moving for love nor money, Spurs are playing and with fingers crossed may pull something out of the hat. Really need them to do a “Man U” tonight, but am sure we would all settle for a few goals, wont be greedy and expect 7 !

Being born and bred in North London, my senior school being in Tottenham, just around the corner from the ground, and my Father being a Spurs supporter I grew up with the team, if you know what I mean. There was one season where I never missed a game, home or away. (Except for the friendly at the start of that particular season as it was in Motherwell) Alas, those days are well in the past, but I still retain that Bill Nic was the best Manager we ever had, and still support them from my armchair here in France whenever I can.

Iain cannot understand why I would like a cockerel weather vane on the roof.