Catalpa

[quote user="Russethouse"][quote user="Catalpa"][quote user="Russethouse"]...I do have clothes in the fabric you mention, bought in a French market......[/quote] Cloths, surely RH, cloths !!! [:-))] [kiss] [/quote]  Sorry ![/quote] [:D] Well, certainly around here, the clothes in the markets are mostly in a timeless polyester check or that trusty perennial: an animal print in a pretty, luminous, soft-to-the-touch nylon (though I've never seen a leopard with spots encrusted in glitter) so I thought perhaps the stall-holders had moved into the 21st century with poly-cotton pre-treated with enduit. I was busy imagining the marketing tie-ins: swirly skirts in a wipe clean fabric - buy one get a packet of Tena-Lady free. [:P] I looked on Amazon for the oilcloth, Coops - I really like the red polkadot and may have to buy one to cheer up the winter kitchen. But I like this too. I have 5 cats and they don't trash tablecloths. They sleep on them... but they don't damage them. Though they do have a tendency to wage war on curtains.

[quote user="Russethouse"]...I do have clothes in the fabric you mention, bought in a French market......[/quote] Cloths, surely RH, cloths !!! [:-))] [kiss]

[quote user="idun"]...nappe en coton et polyester enduit traitée antitaches.   [/quote] I've sat at tables covered with them and think they feel unpleasant, rather naff and somehow worse than the oiled cotton which seems more honest about what it is. I'm reasonably certain I've used table "napkins" at a restaurant made out of the same fabric*. Not nice at all. ETA: * thinking further, the napkins were a sort of nylon and not the same as the table covering but obviously produced to match the table fabric and to be easy wash / no iron.

When at a village "do", our 85-year-old neighbour (who has lived in this commune or the adjacent one since birth) greets some people with two kisses, some with 3 (including us) and others with 4. She knows what she's doing, most of the kissees seem to know what they're doing and we just watch the ritual, fascinated. Here it seems to be that both parties lead with the right cheek if it's going to be 2 or 4 kisses but with the left cheek if it's going to be 3. However, if you don't know in advance... [:-))] Plenty of French people say they get confused too, though.

You could also try taking a couple of ibuprofen (or your preferred anti-inflammatory) as that may reduce the itching. When I get bee stings, I take Clarityn and ibuprofen for a couple of days until the swelling subsides. But you really need to figure out what's biting you and when and prevent it continuing - otherwise you might be be on antihistamines for days or weeks. Maybe get some insect repellent from the pharmacy too. Edited to add: There are different strengths of antihistamine - for eg, for wasp and horsefly stings / bites (I get a very bad reaction) I use Telfast (Fexofénadine) comes in about 5 different strenths which are prescribed according to the level of the allergic reaction. 

Well, à votre santé then Coops and good wishes for tomorrow. <raising an attractively frosted glass of chilled Lidl rosé!> [:D]

I too tried the no shampoo technique for 3 or 4 months several years ago. It didn't suit me - I get sweaty when I exercise and I wear hats in winter. I also get wet if it's raining and I'm walking the dog or otherwise outdoors. Several well-meaning (and genuine!) friends asked if I'd got a "health" (hygiene?) problem of some kind as I smelt like a wet labrador when my hair was damp. Perhaps that's a "natural" smell but then, so is BO and that's not attractive either. [:D] I concluded that for me, regular rinsing wasn't sufficient - particularly as my hair is on the long side. I now use less shampoo (a good quality one) less often and will freshen up my hair inbetween shampoos by rinsing and applying some conditioner into the ends but stopping shampooing completely didn't suit me. And I can't remember noticing any particular benefits for my hair during the no shampoo period anyway.

Having watched a few of these shows now and trying to watch from a potential guest's perspective, I think the most important thing is for the owners to be honest and not vote (pay) tactically when reviewing the other properties. When someone struggles for a reason to justify paying £20 less than the room rate despite the fact the room, location and service clearly justifies the full price, I think it makes them look somewhat maniupulative and mean-spirited. Having got that impression, I wouln't choose to book their b&bs. As an aside, I'm not warming to most of the cooked breakfasts I've seen - which surprises me. I think bacon, eggs, sausage, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms etc just looks a jumbled mess on a plate and quite unappealing. Edited to add: The real danger with shows like this is how the production teams apparently try to wind participants up so they are more "screen-worthy" than just being straightforwardly normal, pleasant and businesslike would make them.

[quote user="Italian Girl"]Several familiar names are mentioned in this post but I didn’t see Coco’s. She was the first person that stood out on this board for me with her sometimes feisty comments. Does anyone know whether she’s still running her B&B in Normandy?[/quote]Hello Margaret [:)] Yes, Coco is still around though perhaps not on this forum. I saw her earlier in the year and she was very very busy but fine. She's in her 8th or 9th year running her (extremely successful) b&b, if I remember correctly.

[quote user="Val_2"]I couldn't do a B&B,we have four cats and a dog and you can never get rid of every single hair or tuft of fur nor paw prints from wet feet either,plus my Shiba has a scream peculiar to his race and also howls along to us singing so it would be far too noisy. My daughter even had a cat hair in her dinner last night even though the crockery had come from the dishwasher, they just get everywhere. [/quote] It is likely to have dropped from your clothing onto the food, Val. I am neurotic about cat and dog hairs on bedding and in food. But no animals allowed in bedrooms helps and the hairs that drop into food are often transferred from clothing so when I make up rooms or cook I am scrupulous about wearing clean clothes and I don't touch any animals while I'm in "clean" mode. With care, it is manageable. When cooking, I also "de-hair" myself regularly with a length of sticky tape and that, plus wearing a hair-less, bib-front apron seems to work. And wearing my hair back too when preparing food because it's not just animal hairs that get around. And yeah, one of our cats "sings" to guests through a small gap at the bottom of their bedroom door if he gets the chance! [:-))]

[quote user="Charly"]...who was quoting someone else: "If I had had the need fo (sic) brits, or to be near brits, I would have stayed at home in the first place" "I couldn't imagine living abroad amoungst (sic) my own" "It starts in about 10 minutes and I am cringing already" "But there are so many brits there, how can you avoid them....?" etc etc[/quote]The thing that puzzled me years ago was that, when similar comments were often made by a fair few members here and elsewhere, these same members had thousands.... thousands!... of posts to their names. So while they were assiduously avoiding British people in their own little endroits they were sitting in their homes busily contributing thousands of comments to... Brits in France forums. [blink] Go figure...[8-)] [quote user="Rose"]And... just to say I agree with the comments about UK v France... there is no need to compare... I love my corner of Britain, just as I love my little corner of the Dordogne. [/quote]And yet... [;-)] Having very happily spent the first half of my life (I'm thinking positive there!) in England, part of the fun of living in France is to compare and contrast - not necessarily in a negative way but just in an "isn't that interesting..." sort of way because the cultures are very very different. Whilst not wishing to ignite the whole DSK thing again, that is a quick and easy example of how two cultures, in general, reacted very differently to current affairs ([6]) and examining the foundations on which those different reactions were constructed was very interesting and I doubt I would have been as interested if I'd not been living here.

[quote user="idun"]For those of you who want fish and chips, make them. [/quote] Why - in your opinion - am I required to do that if they are excellent, available and affordable elsewhere? That seems a remarkably dictatorial attitude... blinkered, even. If I were in the UK I'd eat Chinese, Indian... I could make those but I doubt a Chinese person on a forum would be telling me that if I wanted a Chinese meal, I must make it rather than buy it.[quote user="idun"]There is nothing wrong with wanting food that you like and giving in to those urges. [/quote]...just so long as we don't pay someone else to make the dish for us? And, of course, turning the proposition on its head: French immigrants paying to eat French food in restaurants in the UK should be firmly told to make the dishes themselves because they aren't hard... [quote user="idun"]Rose, but there are so many brits there, how can you avoid them when you go to the supermarket or one of the fetes? [/quote]Why would you feel the need to? [8-)] So you can pretend to be the only Brit in the country...? Or more specifically, that you are the only worthwhile Brit in the region? Should other non-native nationalities be avoided too? German, Spanish, Italian... all to be avoided because they aren't French?  [blink] Sometimes, Idun, I think you're on a massive windup exercise...

[quote user="idun"]My husband shouted out 'ah good god' after a couple of minutes and we kept glancing at one another, as couples do, looking amused and flabbergasted.[/quote] Gosh! What so flabbered your gast? Please explain so I can watch out for similar incidents next week.

[quote user="Val_2"]I've tried to understand why some of these brits bother to move to France and then try to export their previous life over too, what is the point of moving in the first place? [/quote] Good point. [geek] [quote user="Val_2"]My daughter has bought a lot of new DVD's over for us to watch and we will have the four episodes of Strike Back to catch up on as well, no contest really[/quote] Erm... [:-))] Brought them back from where? Surely not the UK. In VO?? [:D]

[quote user="Georgina"]But my kids are at a difficult age where all they talk about are gays, not girls and I don't want sex with other men to be construed as in any way  normal when they have not seen heterosexual sex.  [/quote] Fascinating as it is to see you continuing to dig your hole (despite your threats to call a halt... don't, please don't... [6]) I have to enquire precisely what your concerns are. If your kids (difficult age or not) are too young to have seen heterosexual sex portrayed (ever?) then you surely aren't letting them watch post watershed drama? That being so, while you personally are uncomfortable with a gay relationship being shown, what has your children's tv viewing got to do with the discussion? They're not watching. [quote user="Georgina"]Nor do I want them joking about gays which really is what happens when they see this. [/quote] If they do, that puts you in a powerful position to start them thinking about tolerance and respect. Or not. [quote user="Georgina"]Just think you are clouding the issues with other rubbish not related to this. [/quote] And while I think it's jolly nice of you to repeat my earlier post in its entirety... twice [blink] ... while touching on tolerance and respect, I really don't think it is polite to designate as "rubbish" an argument that you just don't agree with... or plain didn't quite grasp. [:)]

Reading the blurb, they look to be concentrating on successful British people / businesses. Which is nice. Though I'm faintly surprised it's worth a 12-episode series. [blink] I don't want to live in Eymet either and have no desire to organise a cricket team anywhere, but the longer I live in France (7 years now) the more I think that anyone who moves to a different country (this also applies to the 300,000 French in London and the south east too) and works hard and builds a successful life for themselves is to be admired, not derided because they are not being French (or British or insert nationality of choice) enough. Yes, some may (successfully) be directing their business at the British community - I'm sure some French / Spanish / North African / Turkish etc people living in the UK are targetting their local nationals resident in the UK too... and why not? Or, to put it another way, I doubt we'd criticise a French person's decision to market to the British contingent in the Dordogne.

[quote user="Georgina"]...and the fact that some kids like to watch Torchwood as it is a spin off of Dr Who. [/quote] First define your "kids". Torchwood is classified 15 which means, I believe, that people younger than 15 shouldn't be watching it. I know the obvious retort is: try stopping them. True, but that's the responsibility of parents etc to control so what appears in a program should not be governed by who "might" see it. "Kids" might drink or smoke under the age of 18... that doesn't mean no alcohol should be stronger than 2%... though I might be persuaded into buying into the banning of cigarettes. [6] I do wonder why people get so worked up about sex when violence goes unremarked. What's worse in this series - several homosexual encounters or the repeated killing of Jack a few episodes ago? Or the murder of the doctor in the oven? Depiction of severe violence should always more controversial than sex between consenting adults, gender irrespective, but so often it doesn't seem to be. [quote user="Georgina"]...except that gays are to be portrayed as  normal??? [/quote] You sound as if you don't think they are. That's really not what you meant. Is it?

Oups... duplicate post...

[quote user="cooperlola"]If I don't return for a while, it's because I've thrown up into my keyboard!![:-))] [/quote] No problem! Just buy a washable keyboard... Other brands and suppliers available... [:P]

... you regroup, have a cup of tea and a choccie biccie (or ginger nut!) and then... get on with it. [8-|]

If you like this series of Torchwood, find the last one "Children of Earth" - much better. The trouble with this Torchwood is it is a 5 episode show stretched out over 10 episodes. The ideas and characters are too light to sustain 10 hours (or so) imo. ETA: I'm perfectly happy to watch attractive men with attractive men [:P] - and I suspect that those men who aren't don't have the same aversion to watching women with women... [quote user="Pierre ZFP"]Still, Captain Jack can hardly die from Aids contracted from unprotected sex can he  [+o(] [/quote] You've missed a big chunk of the plot if you've not noticed that Jack is now mortal... though no doubt temporarily.

I really like that. [:D] I don't remember seeing a photo of you before so to me that looks entirely natural.

[quote user="cooperlola"]It's suddenly got very cold in here....[/quote] Wrap a scarf round your neck immediately... that's particularly where you'll feel the draughts! Pashminas work well - they're apparently sooo last decade (darling)... but no one on this (or your) part of the fashion world would likely know that. [:D]

Simple brisk walking is very effective, I find. Okay, it's easy for me because whichever way I walk from home is downhill... but that just means I get a good workout when I make my way back... uphill. It doesn't have to be strenuous, ie, gym / weights style workouts though, of course, weights have their place because they maintain muscles and I believe have a beneficial effect on bone density post-menopause.  

This is natural, inexpensive and worth trying... though I have to say that over the number of times I've recommended it, I know very few women who've tried it - they've always wanted something they can ingest instead of trying... ... temperature-raising exercise. [:-))] I had an early, natural menopause and I happened to be very fit at the time, swimming, gymming, cycling, etc. I did this early morning before work and I did notice that on the 3 or 4 days per week that I exercised to a level of hot and sweatiness I didn't get much / anything in the way of hot flushes... or if I did, it was more a warm blush which no one tended to notice. On the days I didn't exercise, I'd notice I might have more difficulty in sleeping, might have a night sweat, etc. For those that are physically able, it might be worth trying 30 - 40 minutes of mild, sweat-inducing exercise for a few weeks to see if it does help with daytime temperature regulation. And since this thread... ...it would be interesting to know how people then affected are doing now. Anyway - if someone is physically able - I'd always suggest trying an exercise program, ideally early morning, to see if that causes some of the worst symptoms to abate, though it won't be instantaneous of course. And since I originally started saying "try exercise, it's free..." I have read of some studies that suggest my experience is more general. But it takes motivation - which also isn't available in pill form. If it was, I'd be taking it now. [6] Exercise benefits 1 Exercise benefits 2