Chrissie

I'm SURE there was a thread not so long ago which said you could still buy premium bonds even though living in France, and it gave a site reference for downloading the appropriate forms. Have searched under "Premium" and "Bonds" but no joy. The National Savings site seems to imply that only residents of UK, Isle of Man etc can buy bonds. Anyone got any ideas? Chrissie (81)

A very basic question here: Have stripped out a very damp wine "cave", replaced the old earth floor, exposed the beams, also treated them, and doubled some of them, removed old rendering and installed a radiator and a window (yes, we do have planning permission!) As this room is not officially "habitable", I intend to use it as a sort of back-up room for drying laundry in wet weather (I'm sick of using the grubby, spidery boiler room), doing the ironing etc. In view of this, is it suitable to use ordinary plasterboard for walls/ceilings or is there something else which would be more resistant to occasional humidity? After all the care taken over the earlier work, don't want to spoil it at the last stage. Thanks in advance Chrissie (81 - VERY HOT and has been for weeks!)

I'm no expert (so expect a contradiction any second!) but it sounds lke your oleander needs some good fertiliser to help it support all those flowers. Good luck Chrissie (81)

I had to fill out a 2047 this year - a pink one called "Declaration des revenus encaisses a l'etranger 2003" Is that the one? If so, I understood it was only for incomes received outside France. Assume your works pension is received gross here and you pay tax on it in France. Perhaps they have found it hard to believe that you only have this pension as income - they have this belief that we English are all absolutely rolling in it...... Hope this helps. Chrissie

You should find that about 70% of most treatments/drugs will be covered by the CPAM. Also such things as ambulance rides and medical equipment (crutches, bandages) providing they are issued against a doctor's prescription. You should arrange for a "mutuelle" top-up insurance for the balance and let the CPAM have details of this when you go to register with them (also taking appropriate forms from Newcastle etc). The refunds will then come automatically to your French bank account from both the CPAM and the mutuelle. A similar system operates if you register with your local pharmacy and then you will not have to pay for (most) medications bought there at all, and all the forms will be sent off by them automatically. Hope this helps. Chrissie (81)

I have the same problem with a friend who uses hotmail and she has finally had to change her email provider to freeserve to stay in touch. I think if you do an internet search on "hotmail problems" you will find it is a general problem. Chrissie (81)

>>Elizabeth (Lancs) - who >thinks housework is an overrated >pastime. Couldn't agree more - a friend of mine used to have sampler on the wall which said "My house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy." I'm afraid we have to have a mammoth clean every time visitors loom on the horizon - life is too good here to waste time scouring and scrubbing all the time! I am sure that running a gite/ chambres d'hote etc must be gruelling, especially in glorious weather. Chrissie (81)

Did you leave something like an electric waterheater switched on? We found our first bill was horrendous because this had been switched on when the electrics in the house were modernised for us and was working at top temps all the clock round instead of only on cheaper night rate. Always worth keeping track of your own meter readings if you think the bill is wrong. But even now, we find the electricity bill is the one shocking expense that we hadn't expected to be so high. Chrissie (81)

I've got the chance to go to St Maries de la Mer (sp?) to go birdwatching with my sister-in-law. I'm not a birdwatching fan myself, but gather there are other things as well as beautiful scenery to be enjoyed. However, she is planning this for early November - is this too late in the year to get the best value from it? (she doesn't have too much choice on dates as she's fitting it in with other things during a trip from Oz). Also, will there be loads of mozzies at that time? Any helpful comments at all would be appreciated. Chrissie P.S. It makes a change to be posting on another area's patch! - I'm in 81 in the southwest.)

So glad to hear of your good experiences and that all is going well with your daughter. Chrissie

Oh, please don't go for these awful-tasting, fiddly, tiny things!! One of my real hates - will never return to a B&B or wahtever if they have those. Sorry Chrissie

Surely this is a "global"-type rise, resulting from the activites in the Gulf? Still much cheaper here than UK, for example. Chrissie

We are plagued with rabbits. I had a nice surprise when I "rehomed" some of those pathetic solar lamps that you buy in garden centres - daughter had given us 8 and they give off a faint gleam only - I put them around a flowerbed near our front gate and suddenly the plants stopped being decimated! Only snag is that during the day the flowerbed looks like a sort of "gnometown with streetlighting"...... Chrissie

OK, how about: There was a young lady from Leeds Who swallowed a packet of seeds Within the first hour She'd enough cauliflower To meet all of her family's needs. Chrissie (who only grows flowers and has a horrible suspicion you can't actually grow cauliflowers from seed!)

Agree with everything said in the other replies. Basically, a dog is going to be part of your family. Don't get one until you can give it the commitment it deserves. If this puppy is as cute as you say (aren't they all - I'm the world's worst sucker!) then it will find another happy home, and you can get one later and have all the joy of bringing it up your own way. Best wishes Chrissie

Saw a TV prog on this a few years ago - it was treated as pyschological prob rather than medical one. Dog was cured by a very long and gentle re-introduction to car. It went something like Stage 1: Car is left open in driveway/garden and dog plays around it with toys. Dog is not asked to get into car. Stage 2: Dogs toys are thrown through car and into car and dog is praised if it goes in the car but not made to stay there. Stage 3: Dog is encouraged to get into car and praised and talked to with owners in it. Car does not go anywhere. Stage 4: Car engine starts with dog in car, but no journey. Dog is rewarded if calm and is anyway given a treat/praise after the session. Stage 5: Car goes out of the gate and comes straight back in. More praise and rewards. Stage 6: Very short journey with stop for lovely walk, then short journey home again. Longer journeys etc. Each stage was only considered when the dog was totally happy with the previous one. Realise this does not help if dog is happy in car but travel sick. In which case can only suggest same treatments (non-medication) as for humans - not after a heavy meal, able to see out of windows TO THE FRONT, not the side. Hope some of this helps. it's a ghastly problem, especially when so many dogs love going in the car. regards Chrissie

I have huge trouble with "croire". "Je crois" is obviously no problem but can anyone give me a phrase for "I couldn't believe it" with a different infinitive please??? Chrissie

We acquired a rescue cat who, at about 10 years of age, had never been outdoors at all, but was obviously keen to try it. To start with I carried her slowly around the garden, trying to give her a chance to get her geography sorted out. She then had to be taught about catflaps - fortunately we have the see-through sort which aren't so intimidating. I then only let her out when it was near mealtime, so she was keen to return when I rattled the plate. I was finally happy when, upon being startled by a loud noise, she demonstrated that she was able to streak straight for her catflap and safely in. She is now fine in our large garden here, and rarely goes more than 20 yards from the house, thank goodness, as she is still hopeless when it comes to things like traffic which are totally beyond her comprehension. Stick with it and Ralph will doubtless adjust to a happy outdoor life! Good luck Chrissie

Euromaster is generally competitively-priced Chrissie

Hi Sounds marvellous - wish you were near us! My only problem with your list so far would be: > >11. Insistance that all guests have >current innoculation certs and that >the owners apply Frontline and >wormers in front of us >on the day of arrival. Certificates yes, but the rest - I've never been asked to do this and would prefer not to stress my pet out on the same day they are thrust rudely away from home. Perhaps, if you feel it is necessary on health grounds, you could ask that YOU be allowed to do this shortly after their arrival, so as not to overlap doses. Also be aware, some cats, like one of ours, are allergic to Frontline. > >Do you think owners would prefer >to provide their own food, >bedding and toys? Would think that most cats have a preferred make of food amongst the top three sellers so you could stock those and anything more exotic could be provided by owners. A favourite toy/teddy is always desirable. If you are worried about cats bringing in fleas etc, I would avoid allowing own bedding..... >What have we missed out???? ...... any suggestions will be gratefully received. > Our last cattery had Radio 2 going (not too loudly) for a lot of the day and they said most cats seemed to feel it gave a more home-like atmosphere and it relaxed them. Depends on the sort of home your cat comes from I suppose!!!! Ours seemed quite happy. They also had a sort of little house (sorry that sounds twee, but it was more like a basket-sized box with a lift-off lid.) This gave the cats somewhere to hide, and yet they could be got at by liftng off the lid if necessary for medication etc. Good luck in your new venture. Chrissie

Can anyone identify a delightful wildflower near us? They started up as standard bulb-type leaves and then last week we had little green heads, which grew into dark brown mini-pine-cone affairs. Then this week the stalks suddenly shot up to about 18ins tall and today, after all the hot sun yesterday, many have opened out into a sort of miniature red-hot-poker, but the petals are white. In their masses, they are simply stunning! I would post a photo but don't have the technological know-how! TIA Chrissie

When our club handed out this year's FFG membership cards, they came with preprinted forms requiring only the doctor's signature. We kept photocopies of the signed version before handing them in to the golf club. Chrissie

There is something called "donation entre epoux" which I know virtually nothing about but have seen used when one partner is terminally ill and you wish to alter the inheritance pattern. This may not be at all helpful in your case, but the notaire should be able to advise you of the best route. Chrissie

>He pointed out that a claim >for relief can be made >for materials used in improving >the home providing that these >are itemised by the firm >doing the work. Sorry, am I missing a trick here? Are you saying that you can get income tax relief here by presenting details of materials purchased (by registered local builders etc) for home renovations? I thought that sort of thing could only be used when looking at CGT calculations. Would be delighted if income tax could be eased. Chrissie

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I couldn't get any results by searching: Having at last persuaded TOH that I do NOT mumble (!), he wants to go to have his hearing checked. Do we start with our GP, or just go straight to one of these firms that keep stuffing junk advertising in our box. (Am always worried that they would have a vested interest in selling us an expensive hearing aid that might not be necessary.) Anyone got any useful advice? TIA Chrissie