mint

Yes, a charming little programme.  These concerts from Daniel Hope's home are enjoyable, interesting and, most importantly, of very good quality.  It's a lovely intimate atmosphere and makes you feel as though you might be a house guest. We do know of many young struggling musicians in London.  Their housing costs alone are enough to make life very difficult, especially if they have young children as well.  It's very sad but instead of making wonderful music, they are lucky just to make ends meet.  It doesn't bode well for the future of musical performance, does it? 

Oh, JayJay, I wonder what Eeyore will say? It's not much of a tail, but I'm sort of attached to it?

I thoroughly enjoyed this programme and I think you might enjoy it too [url]https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/097956-000-A/la-staatskapelle-en-tournee-a-dresde/[/url]

JayJay, I love the look on the queen's face and what a curtain twitcher![:D] AnOther, what a brilliant cartoon.....using a face mask to catapult Trump into what?  Obscurity, one hopes?

OK, not a cartoon but this headline from a Scottish newspaper made me laugh out loud: “South Ayrshire golf club owner loses 2020 presidential election,” read its headline.

I have seen one or two cracking ones (as in cracks you up!) on the television[:D] Can we have some contributions to brighten up Sunday?

Judith, while the inauguration isn't until January, all electoral college issues have to be resolved by 8 December. I hope the link is readable and will explain all to us who feel confused! [url]https://nationalpost.com/news/world/what-happens-next-in-the-u-s-election-key-dates-to-watch-as-the-drama-unfolds[/url]

Here's a clearer and fuller explanation of the situation in Pennysylvania: [url]https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/06/us-election-2020-state-of-the-race[/url]

Ah, good old Weegie, you have explained it before I could. The separate states have their own rules on when counting of postal votes is allowed.  In Pennsylvania, with a totally Republican political and ruling structure don't forget, the law is that you cannot count postal votes until the 3rd. Weegie is also right in saying that postal votes take more time to access, opening of envelopes, verifying identity, etc.  This has been explained both on UK and French TV repeatedly. And as someone else has explained here, Democrats encouraged people to vote early and to vote by post, on account of the pandemic.  If the postal votes benefited anybody, it was Trump because he defunded the Post Office and made postal voting more difficult.

I love that quote.  Always makes me laugh[:D]

Have been watching some of the coverage of the US elections. Whereas we say Trump and Biden are "neck and neck", the French say they are "coude à coude".  So who doesn't seem to know one part of their anatomy from another part?[:D]

Not only are thanks due to Archant but also to you, Hoddy[:D]

Norman, have you been ogling that lady?  And were you in your Recreational Vehicle?  If so, how did you negotiate those steps?[:-))]

Napoleon, I thought I heard them a couple of times last week but I couldn't see them. We are expecting the large flocks any day now.  Weather is at last turning colder, especially the nights and the mornings.

Wales-Scotland match was so boring I was drifting off to snooze mode.  So just went off for a walk before it got dark. England-Italy, such a foregone conclusion that I didn't bother watching. France-Ireland, I did want to see.  Especially, I wanted to see how some of the French players were shaping up. Dupont outstanding and Ntamack formidable, especially his kicking. Didn't think Ireland would end up with such a poor score line; now, that did surprise me though France did not disappoint and they did get 4 tries[:D] Bravo, les bleus!

And a shooting today of a priest of the orthodox church in Lyons....... When will it ever end?

Just heard Clive Woodward saying that France is capable of 4 tries!!! Plus, apparently their discipline is also much better than last year. As you predict, I don't hold out much hope for France but they do say that unexpected things happen in sport, don't they?

OK, I get that no one is interested but here is an article about the scoring so that, if you weren't bothered before, you'd be less than bothered after reading it[:P] [url]https://sport24.lefigaro.fr/rugby/6-nations/actualites/la-france-peut-remporter-le-tournoi-si-1019792[/url]

Yes, I agree with Hereford and Weegie, I would use the second box. As an aside, I had a pleasant experience with les foncs, thinking about Chessie's post here[:)] Both OH and I had separate emails from the préfecture for a meeting we have requested.  Blow me if the addresses for the meeting for him and for me weren't in different buildings about half a mile apart.  I sent an email to them asking for clarification. And here is the WONDER!  By return, within 7 minutes, they replied saying they had made a mistake, APOLOGISING (!!!) and giving me a useful answer......well, I never......

Ireland vs France in Paris!  It's been a long wait so I hope it's worth it. Guardian, your pick, stp?  I am undecided but I half fancy a punt on les bleus. Would at least make a change from talking about le confinement?

Catalpa, thank you for your useful links.

I had to go to the hunting and fishing shop this afternoon (no, not to buy guns or knives...lol) to pick up a parcel sent via Mondial Relay. The owner was very glum indeed after the last confinement.  I asked him whether he would be open tomorrow as I have another parcel due.  He said he really didn't know!  I cheekily asked what the hunters will do now during the season if he were closed.  He didn't catch the broad smile behind my mask and has entirely missed the un-seriousness of my question. His is a generations-old business so no doubt he was a very worried man. 

[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]France is scarier on all levels. I have no idea why so many Brits want to move to France. Greed does come in to it to be fair. They would not move to France for a smaller house. Which most people in France live in. I would not personally move to France now. This is going to take generations to sort out.. You know I am a big Paris fan ET...but even Paris has gone to the dogs. Im not going back any time soon. We need Chriac to pull us all together and sort this mess out.[/quote] There ALBF, I have put your post here in full so that you can't accuse me of quoting you out of context. Don't worry about our battles here.  You rant away and I will flatten you as I think fit[:P]  Go on, ALBF, you don't upset me but you might well do others.  Do try and grow up just a little, eh?  At the regressive rate in which you are going, your children will ALL soon overtake you in commonsense and adult behaviour[B][:-))]

ALBF says I have no idea why so many Brits want to move to France. Greed does come in to it to be fair. They would not move to France for a smaller house. Which most people in France live in. So all of us who have moved to France are greedy and want to live in bigger houses? Normally I would not deign to answer yet another of your derisory and insulting rants.  But I just wish you would sometimes pause to reflect on what you are going to say before sounding off. If you have "no idea why so many Brits want to move to France", why then do you proceed with your unsubstantiated allegations?

I agree with most of what you have said except for the bit about asking for advice and getting answers.  Whilst most of the questions I have ever asked have been thoroughly answered and even detailed explanations given, I think the forum is for a LOT more than just asking questions about living in a "strange" country. The forum allows us to talk about and share our experience, to play word games, to share newspaper articles, tv shows, music, gardening tips, cooking recipes, driving around France and beyond and, indeed, like you have expressed, to de-stress, indulge in a bit of listening/talking therapy, to research pointers to where best to shop for difficult to obtain items and, oh, a thousand other things. I LOVE the forum, as though that isn't evident already[:-))]  What deflates me is when people come on to ask for info they need, then they don't take the trouble to return and say whether they have followed the advice, etc.  Also, you can easily find all the posts where it's always the same people who come to ask for this, that and the other and we don't see them again until the next time they are up the creek without a paddle and need answers to their dilemmas. I could wish people were a bit more polite.  But I don't mind people having a good old ding-dong.  It always surprises me how much you can find out about someone just by reading the stuff they write on here[:D]