Cassis

You're right in terms of the 55 years age for taking private pension funds in the form of an annuity investment.  Where you say you 'elected' to take at 74 but 'will be able to take them earlier' I guess you mean that your projections are based on a retirement age of 74, which is the pension age you gave your adviser (s)when you started the scheme(s).  I can't see that the hypothetical retirement age on which the fund manager is basing your pension projections would affect whether the French can tax you before you re-invest the fund(s).  It's just a projected value.  I can't for the life of me see how they can start taxing you on a hypothetical pension before you take out the annuity - after all, who knows what that fund will be worth when you actually re-invest it and what return you will get on the annuity?  They don't tax you on equity investments for this very reason, so I would have thought from a common-sense point of view the same principal should apply.  Oops sorry - common sense.  I forgot, we're in France now. Phil

 [:-))][:-))][:-))] Phil  [+o(][+o(][+o(] Jude

The sterilising and vacuum method is the way Jude does it as well.  She just puts the jars in the dishwasher to sterilise them - easier and safer than using the oven and does the job just as well.  She does it just before bottling.  Much less fiddly than the wax seal method by the sound of it (mind, it's not my job so I'll shut up now). Phil

So going back to your original post, this doesn't help your forward planning, then!  Actually, the papers in this neck of the woods are even worse - they never tell in advance what's going to happen, only what we missed last weekend! Phil

Fair idea - but what areT&M selling as mustard and cress?  Here's what they say about their mustard and cress packet duo: Description: One packet each of Curled Cress and Mustard. Curled Cress An all-the-year round, nutritious salad crop. Easy to grow outdoors in the summer and inside during the cold months of the year. Mustard A delicious salad and sandwich ingredient which takes up little space and a very small amount of your time. Children find it fascinating to watch it grow as in only a few days it produces healthy and nutritious food.You can grow Mustard and Cress by sowing in the same or separate containers. Sow the cress 3 days before the mustard so they will be ready at the same time. [img]http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/pix/m/seeds/4/gww4315.jpg[/img] Phil

I'm getting even more confused than usual now! I know what mustard is, what it tastes like and how it grows, I know what watercress is, what it tastes like and how it grows. What I don't get is, if cress in sandwiches is mustard stalks, why do T&M sell mustard and cress seeds as a pair of packets for children to grow separately?  The scoundrels are cheating our wee'ns! Phil

Maybe MissYesBut is suggesting an alternative to cress?  Mustard and cress are the first two things I ever grew, at infant school aged 6!  I don't think we had paper towels in those days so we used cotton wool ... Phil

So is the cress in egg and cress sandwiches really just baby watercress?  I always thought they were two entirely different things!  Well, you live and learn. Phil

I assume you're talking about social contributions?  I think it depends on your employment status.  If your only source of income will be B&B or gîtes it will depend on what basis you set up your business, e.g. whether it is registered at a Chamber of Commerce.  It is not clear whether this is required or not - certainly in some places this does not seem to be enforced.  Search 'register business' on the gites and B&B forums to see what I mean.  But there are other people on the forum who know much more about this side of things than I do.  By the way, B&B is harder work than running gites.  B&B's pretty much a full-time job - expect to start at 7.00am (latest) most days, serving and clearing breakfasts till late morning, then cleaning rooms, changing beds and towels, doing laundry etc. till early afternoon.  Then there's having to be in most afternoons and evenings to greet people arriving, taking bookings, replying to emails, blah, blah.  Do evening meals and you're looking at a 16 hour day.  Great fun!  There is a lot talk of the gîtes and B&B market having reached saturation point in some areas, I don't know if there's any truth in that or whether it's scaremongering to put people off.  You need to research the area you're thinking about very carefully before making such a big financial commitment.  But you probably know that already so I'll shut up now. Phil

Sounds almost big enough to fly in! Phil

It goes on a bit, but I think I know what I sound like to the French now! [:D] Phil

I can see there's something trying to emerge under your name but it's struggling to show it's face.  It's not a big file, is it?  The site's so slow a the minute that it might find a big avatar indigestible.  It's best to reduce the file size as far as possible anyway. Phil

Why did my last message appear twice when I only posted once?  I've edited it now. By the way, Avatar, various definitions: 1. The incarnation of a deity - from Hindu religion. From that: 2. The embodiment of a quality. 3. A temporary manifestation of something. 4. A computer generated representation of a person in Internet communications. Phil

Click on your name at the top of the page where it says 'Edit your details'.  Scroll down to the avatar section then either browse to upload an image from your computer files, or enter a URL in the appropriate box if you want to load a picture from somewhere on the Internet.  Easiest way to do the latter is to right click on the image on the Internet, click 'copy image location' and then paste that into the avatar URL address box.  Tha hard bit is choosing an image to use that doesn't make you look silly. Phil

Is there an echo in here?  I keep seeing double postings!  Or did I overdo it last night? [B][B] Yes, it's still horribly slow.  I may have to go and do some work instead ..... Phil

See this string of posts ... http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/687281/ShowPost.aspx Phil

Only thing is, Rob Roy, almost all (if not all) on the programme list are normally open all summer anyway - so what is the point of that weekend!  All the ones listed for the Corrèze charge for entry, by the way.  Sorry, but the event's a bit misleading. Phil

Thanks for the tip! Thanks for the tip! Thanks for the tip! Thanks for the tip! Phil

Here's a gypsy moth caterpillar: [img]http://gypsymoth.ento.vt.edu/vagm/slides/mcloak.jpeg[/img] Phil

[quote user="Christine Animal"]Well, what they don't have in cresson, they have in bees, but what is the other one Phil, I only know abeille...?   [/quote] The other one is 'bourdon' - a non-honey bee, like mason bees and bumblebees who tend to be solitary. Phil

Spot on with your identification and vocab, Christine!  And I believe they are both called 'cresson' in French, as you say, so that can be confusing.  On the other hand, they have two words for 'bee'  .... Phil

It seemed to go on work-to-rule yesterday evening, as you say, Christine.  Should we tell anyone in charge?  Whom? [blink] Phil

Cheers, Ian.  I'll stop kicking the computer. Phil

Is anyone else experiencing delays in sending posts?  It's taking ages for messages to load but otherwise my Internet connection and page loading speeds seem fine for this and other sites. Phil

Shame all owners aren't as well trained as your good self and your parents-in-law, Christine!  The fact is, some owners don't give a damn and will let their dogs sleep on the beds, run around in the house and run wild in the garden.  It happens.  We've seen it.  We've had to pay for the damage when it's only been discovered after the guests have left.  We've had someone describe their pet as 'only small and well-behaved' and it turned out to be a crazy boxer!  You can't differentiate a good from a bad owner/pet until they are arrive so we choose not to take the risk - end of story. Phil Of course, Quillan probably has some similar tale regarding children .... [:)]