What a week it's been. I haven't stopped, mind you neither has OH. The week before last I was helping some friends make a lawn. OH had rotovated the whole area for us on the Saturday, then myself and the owners raked all the weeds out of it, raked it level, sowed grass seed and raked it again! It was really hard work over such a huge area. I was raking in my sleep! My back and neck were killing me, but it was worth it in the end. The friends I was helping are great fun and we had a good laugh doing it.
On the Sunday (20th) we went to the plant fair at Mortemart. It was a beautiful setting, all around the chateau, but it was pouring with rain. I treated myself to a Spirea and a Salix. They look lovely planted by the decking. There were lots of nice crafts there, but the prices were really steep.
Last week was spent hairdressing and helping OH finish his tiling job south of Limoges. He has done a fantastic job, but it was really hard going. The owner is thrilled with it all, which is the main thing.
Well, we went to this 'do' with friends. It was as boring as we though it would be. At least it wasn't a sit down meal. There was a buffet and at least there were some other people we knew. The hosts virtually ignored us all evening and stayed with their 'new' friends (maybe they are as fed up with us as we are with them!). We made our excuses at about 11pm and escaped!
I am off to the UK on the 10th May for 4 days. I have mixed feelings about going, I want to see family and friends, but hate the thought of being in the mad hussle and bustle of the UK. I am staying with OH parents who live in the same village that we used to live in. I will catch up with my Dad while I am there, I realised recently that I hadn't seen him for 3 years - where does time go. He won't come over here, in fact since mum died he hasn't gone anywhere. I will also go and see my Auntie who came over here a couple of times last year. It's funny how dofferent people can be. She lost her husband 7 years ago and has thrown herself into everything. She is chairman of her local British Legion, plays bowls and goes for day trips. Her and my dad couldn't be more different.
We have had 3 days of 25.5 degrees bright sunshine, I have burnt my shoulders gardening, given myself a bad back from mowing other peoples grass (ok they were clients and I got paid for it, but my back still hurts!) and planted lots of seeds. Now we are back to rain and grey sky. Is spring ever going to arrive?
On a happy note, we are off to Les Herolles market tomorrow to get some more chickens!!!!! I am so excited. One of my hair clients goes there and she has got some gorgeous birds. We need pretty ones who are good layers, which is exactly what a friend of ours says he looks for in a woman!
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Monday, 28 April 2008
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Don't wanna go out!
Do you ever the feeling that you don't even want to step out of the front door? Well that's me today.
Unfortunately I've got hairdressing clients this afternoon (whose stupid idea was that? oh, it was mine). I did the wife of the couple at the end of last week and husband couldn't be there, so could I possibly do him this afternoon? Normally I would say no, but I was going out that way later this afternoon to see a garden to quote on, so as a favour I would do it. The garden people had said that they were going to be out all day shopping and could I go as late in the day as possible. I said 5pm was the latest as we were going out - I'll tell you about that in a minute. So, 5pm to see the garden, work it back to do this blokes hair, I would get to him at 3.45. Then, wifey asks if I could cut a bit more off of the back of her hair. Yes, no problem. No I don't want to wash it all it won't take long I'll just spray it. No I won't be blowdrying it or I'll charge you for the whole cut and blowdry. Fine all set and done.
This morning the garden person rang and said that they weren't going out after all and I could go along when I wanted - Argghhh! So I'll see the garden at 2pm and then do the hair client.
We are off out this evening to some friends we haven't seen for a while. When they first had their house here and it was just a holiday home, they were fun. We would see them every 2 months or so for an evening. As they were both still working they had a few tales to tell. Then they moved out here permanently and have retired and they have become less fun to be with. She drinks like a fish, tells stories we have been hearing for the last 3 years and barely goes outside the house at all. He sits quietly and makes really daft comments. The food is not my cup of tea to be honest as most of it is tinned, including the vegetables. At least this evening there will be other people there that we know.
I don't mean to sound churlish, but I really don't enjoy their company that much and would rather stay at home, especially as Doctor Who is on!!!
Unfortunately I've got hairdressing clients this afternoon (whose stupid idea was that? oh, it was mine). I did the wife of the couple at the end of last week and husband couldn't be there, so could I possibly do him this afternoon? Normally I would say no, but I was going out that way later this afternoon to see a garden to quote on, so as a favour I would do it. The garden people had said that they were going to be out all day shopping and could I go as late in the day as possible. I said 5pm was the latest as we were going out - I'll tell you about that in a minute. So, 5pm to see the garden, work it back to do this blokes hair, I would get to him at 3.45. Then, wifey asks if I could cut a bit more off of the back of her hair. Yes, no problem. No I don't want to wash it all it won't take long I'll just spray it. No I won't be blowdrying it or I'll charge you for the whole cut and blowdry. Fine all set and done.
This morning the garden person rang and said that they weren't going out after all and I could go along when I wanted - Argghhh! So I'll see the garden at 2pm and then do the hair client.
We are off out this evening to some friends we haven't seen for a while. When they first had their house here and it was just a holiday home, they were fun. We would see them every 2 months or so for an evening. As they were both still working they had a few tales to tell. Then they moved out here permanently and have retired and they have become less fun to be with. She drinks like a fish, tells stories we have been hearing for the last 3 years and barely goes outside the house at all. He sits quietly and makes really daft comments. The food is not my cup of tea to be honest as most of it is tinned, including the vegetables. At least this evening there will be other people there that we know.
I don't mean to sound churlish, but I really don't enjoy their company that much and would rather stay at home, especially as Doctor Who is on!!!
Friday, 18 April 2008
Cream crackered
Have I really got a day off today? Wait, check the diary....... yes, I have!
I am so tired my poor fingers can barely type, and my brain keeps missing letters so I have to type each word twice. The past 2 weeks have been really busy with hairdressing and gardening (for other people). The gardening has been really hard work. Last December OH and I rotovated a garden for some friends. It was all weeds and they wanted a huge lawn area. The plan was to rotovate, let the frost break things up a bit, then the friends would rake all the weeds out. Bit of a cock up there. We didn't have much in the way of a cold snap, but tons of rain. This compacted all the soil and we were back to square one. So myself and our friends last week decided to start digging out the weeds. We did a day and then decided to get OH back to rotovate, which he did on Saturday.
Myself and the friends have spent Mon, Tues and Weds this week raking all the weeds out, raking it level (ish), sowing grass seed and raking it in again. My rake is welded to my hands,am raking in my sleep, where I dream of raking!!!! My neck, back, hands and arms are moulded into a raking position and constantly ache. Still it is done, we have promised ourselves that once the lawn is grown and ready will be will drinking copious amounts of Pimms on it.
Yesterday I working wih OH grouting loads of tiles for him. He has got a really shitty tiling job where 4 out of 5 tiles have to be cut, and it is in a really awkward place because the owner didn't want anything moved out of the way and it is a 45 min journey to get there. I really feel for him on this one. At least I can grout for him him and keep him company. He has been doing really long days there as it is not worth going for just a morning. He has been getting home at 8.30pm and is pooped. Then on the way home last night we had to pick up 24 sheets of plasterboard for his next job - they are heavier that you think.
At least we have a fairly easy day today - drop of the plaserboard, go to the hairdressing wholesalers, oops I have got a client later today, then collapse in front of the fire or have a long, hot beetroot bath. Beetroot bath is what one of my friends used to call it. You know, it's so hot your skin goes the colour of a beetroot!
Then working tomorrow afternoon (more hairdressing), off to look at someones garden to do a quote for looking after it.
We are missing our Guest Chickens, the garden is very empty without them. I chuckled when I read Breezy's blog about them escaping. I haven't really laid a trail of tit-bits down the road to my gate, honest!!!
I am so tired my poor fingers can barely type, and my brain keeps missing letters so I have to type each word twice. The past 2 weeks have been really busy with hairdressing and gardening (for other people). The gardening has been really hard work. Last December OH and I rotovated a garden for some friends. It was all weeds and they wanted a huge lawn area. The plan was to rotovate, let the frost break things up a bit, then the friends would rake all the weeds out. Bit of a cock up there. We didn't have much in the way of a cold snap, but tons of rain. This compacted all the soil and we were back to square one. So myself and our friends last week decided to start digging out the weeds. We did a day and then decided to get OH back to rotovate, which he did on Saturday.
Myself and the friends have spent Mon, Tues and Weds this week raking all the weeds out, raking it level (ish), sowing grass seed and raking it in again. My rake is welded to my hands,am raking in my sleep, where I dream of raking!!!! My neck, back, hands and arms are moulded into a raking position and constantly ache. Still it is done, we have promised ourselves that once the lawn is grown and ready will be will drinking copious amounts of Pimms on it.
Yesterday I working wih OH grouting loads of tiles for him. He has got a really shitty tiling job where 4 out of 5 tiles have to be cut, and it is in a really awkward place because the owner didn't want anything moved out of the way and it is a 45 min journey to get there. I really feel for him on this one. At least I can grout for him him and keep him company. He has been doing really long days there as it is not worth going for just a morning. He has been getting home at 8.30pm and is pooped. Then on the way home last night we had to pick up 24 sheets of plasterboard for his next job - they are heavier that you think.
At least we have a fairly easy day today - drop of the plaserboard, go to the hairdressing wholesalers, oops I have got a client later today, then collapse in front of the fire or have a long, hot beetroot bath. Beetroot bath is what one of my friends used to call it. You know, it's so hot your skin goes the colour of a beetroot!
Then working tomorrow afternoon (more hairdressing), off to look at someones garden to do a quote for looking after it.
We are missing our Guest Chickens, the garden is very empty without them. I chuckled when I read Breezy's blog about them escaping. I haven't really laid a trail of tit-bits down the road to my gate, honest!!!
Monday, 25 February 2008
Hairdressing Course
Well, I did my course today and it was brilliant!!!!
I got there nice and early. I am a bit obsessed with being early, in fact last night OH asked what time I would be getting up this morning, and then he said 'don't tell me, 5am!' It wasn't actually, it was 6.30am but I had been awake for half an hour before that! I just hate being rushed, and feel really anxious if I think I am running late. I think it comes from 25 years of working to appointments, and feeling really bad if I keep clients waiting.
Anyway, I got to the place where the course was being held and met up with the people running it (formateurs). I had a coffee with them and helped them bring it some of their euipment. Then other hairdressers started arriving and everyone exchanged bonjours and ca-va's.
There were 2 models being demo-ed during this morning, one using techniques I use often, and the other doing something new. They were using a Italian product range which I had never heard of before. The demos were run slightly differently to English courses I had been on and those which I had run myself. In the UK the trainer talks to the model beforehand and decides what is going to be done and why. It is then demo-ed to the students checking that they understand and answering their questions. Here we were all encouraged to give our opinions on colours and techniques.
After lunch we had models to work on. Mine was Jessica who was a student on the course. She had tinted brown hair and wanted something a bit different. I put slices of bleach through her hair and these were isolated in meche. Then I used a very dark ash brown over the rest of her hair. Near the end of development time I took the mech out of her hair (they were a light blonde) and just emuslified the ash brown through the bleached meche to tone them down to a caramel colour. I dried it all for her, and straightened it using irons and then cut a short fringe for her. We were both really pleased with the result.
The afternoon was better for me as I prefer practical sessions. In the morning as we were watching and listening I didn't really have the opportunity to chat to anyone after the initial bit where we had to introduce ourselves to the group and say a bit about ourselves. It was nice to chat to people in the afternoon.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definately do another course if the opportunity arose.
I got there nice and early. I am a bit obsessed with being early, in fact last night OH asked what time I would be getting up this morning, and then he said 'don't tell me, 5am!' It wasn't actually, it was 6.30am but I had been awake for half an hour before that! I just hate being rushed, and feel really anxious if I think I am running late. I think it comes from 25 years of working to appointments, and feeling really bad if I keep clients waiting.
Anyway, I got to the place where the course was being held and met up with the people running it (formateurs). I had a coffee with them and helped them bring it some of their euipment. Then other hairdressers started arriving and everyone exchanged bonjours and ca-va's.
There were 2 models being demo-ed during this morning, one using techniques I use often, and the other doing something new. They were using a Italian product range which I had never heard of before. The demos were run slightly differently to English courses I had been on and those which I had run myself. In the UK the trainer talks to the model beforehand and decides what is going to be done and why. It is then demo-ed to the students checking that they understand and answering their questions. Here we were all encouraged to give our opinions on colours and techniques.
After lunch we had models to work on. Mine was Jessica who was a student on the course. She had tinted brown hair and wanted something a bit different. I put slices of bleach through her hair and these were isolated in meche. Then I used a very dark ash brown over the rest of her hair. Near the end of development time I took the mech out of her hair (they were a light blonde) and just emuslified the ash brown through the bleached meche to tone them down to a caramel colour. I dried it all for her, and straightened it using irons and then cut a short fringe for her. We were both really pleased with the result.
The afternoon was better for me as I prefer practical sessions. In the morning as we were watching and listening I didn't really have the opportunity to chat to anyone after the initial bit where we had to introduce ourselves to the group and say a bit about ourselves. It was nice to chat to people in the afternoon.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definately do another course if the opportunity arose.
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Busy week
I don't feel like I've stopped this week. I took Misty to the vets on Monday to have her girdle and stitches removed, she was very good and is looks much better now. Unfortunately the bandage had stuck to her fur so not only has she got a little bald tummy, but a little bare patch on one side as well. She is still as cute as anything and still cuddly.
I had some new hairdressing clients this week. All really nice and a whole family living in the next village as well. We never even knew they were there!
The weather has been glorious so I have been gardening as well this week. I have dug out another barrow load of roots, these will be taken up to Breezy's place later today. I have moved plants around and feel very happy with it all. I can't wait for things to start sprouting.
I am going on my first French hairdressing course tomorrow. It is about specialist coloring techniques. I am really excited as I will get to meet other hairdressers and learn French hairdressing terminology. There is theory and a demo in the morning and then we work on models in the afternoon. I'll let you know how it goes.
I have a bridal trial to do on Friday afternoon. She is getting married in May and wants her hair put up. I love doing bridal hair, I get to be really creative and of course the photos are around for the rest of their lives, so my work gets to be seen for ages! It is a real honour to be such a big part of someones wedding day.
I had some new hairdressing clients this week. All really nice and a whole family living in the next village as well. We never even knew they were there!
The weather has been glorious so I have been gardening as well this week. I have dug out another barrow load of roots, these will be taken up to Breezy's place later today. I have moved plants around and feel very happy with it all. I can't wait for things to start sprouting.
I am going on my first French hairdressing course tomorrow. It is about specialist coloring techniques. I am really excited as I will get to meet other hairdressers and learn French hairdressing terminology. There is theory and a demo in the morning and then we work on models in the afternoon. I'll let you know how it goes.
I have a bridal trial to do on Friday afternoon. She is getting married in May and wants her hair put up. I love doing bridal hair, I get to be really creative and of course the photos are around for the rest of their lives, so my work gets to be seen for ages! It is a real honour to be such a big part of someones wedding day.
Saturday, 9 February 2008
Spring has sprung
The weather is absolutely glorious at the moment. Daytime temperatures of between 20-23 degrees C. My crocuses are all in flower around the garden, with daffodils ready to flower any day. I have a big Magnolia tree covered in buds, which is going to look spectacular.
When we first moved here, we pruned loads of wild looking trees, thinking that they were all fruit trees (it was December and there were no leaves to say otherwise). I had left one smallish budding branch on this particular tree to see what it was when it flowered - it was a magnolia! My French friend Odette later said that she had been horrified to see that it had been pruned, and we are so relieved that it has all grown back with a vengeance!
My poor friend Odette has just lost her husband this week. He has been battling cancer for a while, and it all got too much for him. She came round to tell me today, and we were all in tears. She has been married for 50 years and we are heartbroken to see her so devasted.
On a lighter note, I had my first proper French hairdressing client this week, (I have been doing my French friend Linda's hair for a while now), but this wa a proper paying client! I was so thrilled to get her call. Neither her or her husband speak any English, and it just showed how good my French is getting, as I was able to take directions to her house and discuss how he wanted his hair and have a normal conversation with them. It was a real confidence boost. We came to France only knowing a bit of French, and now 3 years later I can see how different our language skills are. There were times in the past 3 years when I wondered if I would ever understand different verb tenses, was I always destined to speak in the present tense?! Would I ever get the hang of the different order of pronouns and adjectives? And the answer is YES!!! I have got the hang of it all, I can speak in the past, present, future and conditionnel tenses, I can put a sentence together using pronouns and adjectives and all in the right order! I just need to learn more 'normal' words to go in the sentences, you know nouns.
As I go to clients house I have been amazed at the amount of English people who have no intention of learning French, but actually expect their neighbours to learn English!!! They go into shops and doctors surgeries and just push a bit of paper towards the receptionist, or just speak in English and hope that they can be understood. I appreciate that not everyone has an aptitude for languages, and that most of my clients are older than me, and age does play a part in assimilating new skills, but some don't even try. Infuriating!
Thursday, 31 January 2008
New laid lambs
On the way to work this morning I saw two lovely deer just standing by the side of the lane. They were so pretty. Then, best of all I saw some 'new laid lambs' in a field with their mums. They were all snowy and sparkly white, so adorable. I never tire of all the wildlife around me, I see something different today.
I had a new client today, and we had a really good chinwag about moving to France. She was telling about someone she knew who was moving back to the UK as she wasn't enjoying life here. Apparently she has given the following reasons: 1. It's too green. 2. They don't like all the cows and 3. Everyone speaks French. Isn't that hilarious!! How bizarre that everyone in France speaks French, and surely there are cows in the UK?!
Misty is still looking for a man, or rather a tom-cat. She woke up at 4am yelling the house down, but after an hour or so of trying to calm her down, I gave her an early breakfast and she eventually went back to sleep, until my alarm woke us up at 7.30. She has just woken up now from a nice afternoon snooze and is yowling again. Poor little thing, I wish I could do something to calm her. At least of Wednesday it will be all over for her.
I had a new client today, and we had a really good chinwag about moving to France. She was telling about someone she knew who was moving back to the UK as she wasn't enjoying life here. Apparently she has given the following reasons: 1. It's too green. 2. They don't like all the cows and 3. Everyone speaks French. Isn't that hilarious!! How bizarre that everyone in France speaks French, and surely there are cows in the UK?!
Misty is still looking for a man, or rather a tom-cat. She woke up at 4am yelling the house down, but after an hour or so of trying to calm her down, I gave her an early breakfast and she eventually went back to sleep, until my alarm woke us up at 7.30. She has just woken up now from a nice afternoon snooze and is yowling again. Poor little thing, I wish I could do something to calm her. At least of Wednesday it will be all over for her.
Friday, 18 January 2008
Another year older
I can't believe where time goes and that I haven't posted since the 3rd of Jan. I just don't seem to have stopped running about.
As I don't have other house around the world that I jet between, or a caribbean island to maintain (what a chore that would be - NOT!), what have I been doing with my time?
Well....... nothing exciting. I had a birthday earlier in the week. OH gave me a lovely amethyst necklace, which I was thrilled with. I have had clients everyday, including a new gardening client. who has asked me to do a day a week for them working in their garden. Splitting wood, shopping and thats about it.
We went for a lovely Chinese meal for my birthday. It's funny that in the UK I hated Chinese food. I remember going to a Chinese restaurant for my mother-in-laws 60th, they had asked for vegetarian food for me, and I have to say it was disgusting. It was all inedible, they produced a soup that had the texture of snot. I watched everyone around the table tucking in with relish and I went home starving. Well, OH loves Chinese food so when we heard that there were Chinese restaurants in Limoges I said I would try them with him. I have to say that they are very nice. Not a huge choice in the veggie line, but at least there is something I can eat. They are not expensive, 4 of us went last Saturday, we had aperatifs, a litre of red wine, the 'all you can eat' buffet and coffee, and it came to 20 euros each. Normally for birthdays we go to the restaurant we went to for New Years Eve, but we didn't fancy such rich food so soon after. It eneded up being just as good an evening and half the price.
I am pleased that my work is going so well. I have had to increase my prices though. after OH realised that after I paid petrol, product costs and taxes etc, I wasn't making very much. So, we spent about 5 hours working out exactly how much everything cost to buy, petrol to all my clients and time taken. He is really good at working all this out, I would have really struggled. So now I have a new price list which I hope will be acceptable to all my clients.
We are taking charge of Breezy's chooks tomorrow. Hurrah! we will have eggs at last. Our remaining 3 have not laid since the masscre. I am also tempted to get some more chooks at the market tomorrow. I would love to have a goose as well, but I am not sure if I would like the eggs. I had some duck eggs in the summer and I got food poisoning from one of them. It has made me a bit wary, but I love geese. I know that they make good guard dogs, or rather guard geese, but I am sure that if I raised it from a baby it would be friendly.
Well, OH is working today, and I am continuing my blitz on the house. In our wisdome we laid cream floor tiles in the kitchen and dining room. Cream floor tiles with 4 cats with muddy paws, and where the front door opens directly into the kitchen. With this awful, non stop rain you can imagine the state of the floor! Also we have 2 log burners and the dust that they produce is incredible, and it's black dust!!! C'est la vie!
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Another New Year arrives
Well, didn't that year go quickly? And don't they go quicker as you get older? All in all 2007 was a good year. We had lots of family to visit, which was brilliant. Our eldest niece flew out on her own just before her 16th birthday. She was great company, a truly lovely girl and absolutely stunning. Our younger niece (now 11) came out at the end of the summer holiday with my mother in law. She is adorable too, great fun and just a joy to be with. My in laws came out in the summer, they are wonderful too, I am really lucky there.
I started my hairdressing business which is going very well. I have some brilliant clients who already feel more like friends, and through some of them I have got some more work for my gardening business. OH has had a good year work wise, including a new unexpected client in November. He really enjoyed working for him and his wife and we have been keeping in touch with them.
OH and I spent another year together living our dream. We grew our own veg, just about finished our house, got a new kitten and got some great new neighbours.
New Years Eve was very good this year. There were 14 of us including Breezy and Tech Support. One of the others brought a load of xmas crackers (they don't exist in France), and I will carry in my mind the sight of Tech Support customising his paper hat with ribbons, hair bobbles (from his cracker) and goodness knows what else, until he resembled something from Star Wars. The food was great. We had 8 courses from 8pm til about 1.30 am. Admittedly there were some course that we didn't like and others that we loved. Breezy loved the chocolate creamy pud, and ate about 5 of them! There was enough food though, that if you didn't like a couple of course you didn't go hungry. We got home a 3am!
Well, I will be taking the decorations down today. Misty will be devasted!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I started my hairdressing business which is going very well. I have some brilliant clients who already feel more like friends, and through some of them I have got some more work for my gardening business. OH has had a good year work wise, including a new unexpected client in November. He really enjoyed working for him and his wife and we have been keeping in touch with them.
OH and I spent another year together living our dream. We grew our own veg, just about finished our house, got a new kitten and got some great new neighbours.
New Years Eve was very good this year. There were 14 of us including Breezy and Tech Support. One of the others brought a load of xmas crackers (they don't exist in France), and I will carry in my mind the sight of Tech Support customising his paper hat with ribbons, hair bobbles (from his cracker) and goodness knows what else, until he resembled something from Star Wars. The food was great. We had 8 courses from 8pm til about 1.30 am. Admittedly there were some course that we didn't like and others that we loved. Breezy loved the chocolate creamy pud, and ate about 5 of them! There was enough food though, that if you didn't like a couple of course you didn't go hungry. We got home a 3am!
Well, I will be taking the decorations down today. Misty will be devasted!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Saturday, 3 November 2007
Christmas is coming ...
Isn't it bizarre how life changes. This will be our 4th christmas in France. The first we spent in rented accomodation and spent most of the day sorting out the computer and loads of receipts, then had a roast dinner in the evening.
The second we spent in our own house with a woman who 'was' a friend and her husband who we had never met before. He turned out to be an alchoholic, drinking a couple of bottles of vodkas a day (we found all the empties hidden all over the house after they left). We had invited them for a few days over christmas, they stayed for 10 days. They would get up at 10am after the fires had been swept and re-lit, had breakfast served to them, sat in front of the fire until midday in their dressing gowns, then got dressed and sat around for another couple of hours, he would then go for a walk with a bottle of vodka in his pocket, she would moan about him, then they would sit in front of the fire all evening and get drunk! It was the worst christmas I have ever had.
Last christmas we spent on our own, and had a nice relaxing day.
This year, will probably be the same, my aunt and cousin were going to come out but I think the flight costs are prohibitive.
Back in blighty, I worked full-time in an extremely busy hair salon. The whole of December was booked up by the end of September. I would be planning and scheduling my clients colours and cuts to get them ready for christmas. My own christmas shopping would be completed by the end of November as I only had sundays off in December. The bane of my christmas was the 'traditional' dressing up on christmas eve. I hated it! As if I had nothing else to do on my sundays off, I had to think of fancy dress to some stupid theme the managers had thought up. All my clients felt sorry for us having to look so stupid. I would do all the present shopping, the card writing and the wrapping. That is until one year when I refused to do his family's wrapping or card writing. I worked as usual on christmas eve, would come home to an empty house, as OH would be on his traditional christmas eve p**s up with his friends. Then on christmas morning he had an almighty fit because he hadn't thought I was serious about him having to wrap his own stuff up!!
Then there was whose family do we go to? What a flap! For the first few years of our relationship we spent the day apart, both of us going to our own family and meeting at home on the evening. Then I fell out with my lot, and started going to OH's family. It was very nice, but just not the same as my lots day. Not that it should be the same, or that my lot did anything different or special, but it was just what I was used to - you know, silly sayings and routines that come out year after year til you forget why they started, reminiscing over previous christmases and who did what to whom.
The best christmas since I've been married was when we had OH's parents to us for dinner. We went to theirs in the morning for pressies and drinks (they lived in the same village), had the afternoon to ourselves and then they came to us. It was really relaxed, fun and light hearted.
Now we have our own routines. I cook breakfast and wash-up, I watch crap on TV (White Christmas is essential) and OH plays computer games, I cook roast dinner (which I hate, but is his favourite, I would much prefer Indian or Mexican food), he goes back on the computer and I watch more crap. What a great day!!!!!! I love christmas trees, decorations and stuff - he is not at all bothered. Sometimes I wonder why I bother as well, I mean there is only the two of us, although I think the cats would miss the tree and all the baubles they can knock off of it!
Sorry, rant over, but it feels so much better to get it off my chest.
Isn't it bizarre how life changes. This will be our 4th christmas in France. The first we spent in rented accomodation and spent most of the day sorting out the computer and loads of receipts, then had a roast dinner in the evening.
The second we spent in our own house with a woman who 'was' a friend and her husband who we had never met before. He turned out to be an alchoholic, drinking a couple of bottles of vodkas a day (we found all the empties hidden all over the house after they left). We had invited them for a few days over christmas, they stayed for 10 days. They would get up at 10am after the fires had been swept and re-lit, had breakfast served to them, sat in front of the fire until midday in their dressing gowns, then got dressed and sat around for another couple of hours, he would then go for a walk with a bottle of vodka in his pocket, she would moan about him, then they would sit in front of the fire all evening and get drunk! It was the worst christmas I have ever had.
Last christmas we spent on our own, and had a nice relaxing day.
This year, will probably be the same, my aunt and cousin were going to come out but I think the flight costs are prohibitive.
Back in blighty, I worked full-time in an extremely busy hair salon. The whole of December was booked up by the end of September. I would be planning and scheduling my clients colours and cuts to get them ready for christmas. My own christmas shopping would be completed by the end of November as I only had sundays off in December. The bane of my christmas was the 'traditional' dressing up on christmas eve. I hated it! As if I had nothing else to do on my sundays off, I had to think of fancy dress to some stupid theme the managers had thought up. All my clients felt sorry for us having to look so stupid. I would do all the present shopping, the card writing and the wrapping. That is until one year when I refused to do his family's wrapping or card writing. I worked as usual on christmas eve, would come home to an empty house, as OH would be on his traditional christmas eve p**s up with his friends. Then on christmas morning he had an almighty fit because he hadn't thought I was serious about him having to wrap his own stuff up!!
Then there was whose family do we go to? What a flap! For the first few years of our relationship we spent the day apart, both of us going to our own family and meeting at home on the evening. Then I fell out with my lot, and started going to OH's family. It was very nice, but just not the same as my lots day. Not that it should be the same, or that my lot did anything different or special, but it was just what I was used to - you know, silly sayings and routines that come out year after year til you forget why they started, reminiscing over previous christmases and who did what to whom.
The best christmas since I've been married was when we had OH's parents to us for dinner. We went to theirs in the morning for pressies and drinks (they lived in the same village), had the afternoon to ourselves and then they came to us. It was really relaxed, fun and light hearted.
Now we have our own routines. I cook breakfast and wash-up, I watch crap on TV (White Christmas is essential) and OH plays computer games, I cook roast dinner (which I hate, but is his favourite, I would much prefer Indian or Mexican food), he goes back on the computer and I watch more crap. What a great day!!!!!! I love christmas trees, decorations and stuff - he is not at all bothered. Sometimes I wonder why I bother as well, I mean there is only the two of us, although I think the cats would miss the tree and all the baubles they can knock off of it!
Sorry, rant over, but it feels so much better to get it off my chest.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
