[lettuce]

I use a spinner which I find Good, but OH (who is a chef) tells me it bruises the leaves so when he's around I use kitchen paper or a tea towel that is only used for drying lettuce.

I tear the leaves, only use a knife to shred finely the leaves as we're about to eat.

Now another question, do you find that lettuce browns even if it hasn't been cut? I can't seem to keep any lettuce, other than iceberg which is not my favourite. I prefer the batvia and red leaves but they turn so quickly.

[What do you think of Corbyn's and Bercow's refusal to attend the state dinner that will be given for Trump?]

I have no views either way, but they must have their reasons, to risk the backlash.

[No Tax Paid Yet]

So, just to be sure, is an annual salary classed as regular income? I would assume so, but you never can tell ?

[No Tax Paid Yet]

[quote user="suein56"]Daft Doctor wrote : From what I've been reading though, I'm unclear as to whether or not this will happen. If, as seems the case, these prélèvements ultimately will relate to 2019 tax based on 2019 income, will the extra tax based on 2018 income simply be written off? Can't quite seem to find an answer in simple terms......

I am assuming the worst because : our income comes from the UK so we can never simulate our tax bill on the impots site because the tax software cannot cope with income received from outside the French system.

I also have my fingers crossed that Parsnips will wade in with his informed knowledge and give us his view of what might happen in our cases.[/quote]

Could you kindly direct me to the calculation part of the tax please, as although OH works overseas he is paid in euros so I'm hoping it will give us an idea of how much to put by for next year. Thanks Sue

[No Tax Paid Yet]

I must be the only one who wants to pay tax . I've declared income for 2018 and I know we should pay tax (as income above the threshold), however, it's saying 0, no tax due.

Last year we claimed for our daughter at Uni so paid 0 but now she's independant and I haven't included her on the form and it's still saying 0.

I'd rather pay as we go than end up with a big bill later.

[Cauliflower Cheese and other gratins etc]

I made a lovely (even if I do say so myself) spinach and cream cheese sauce, st agur, to go with salmon tonight. A little bit of milk and a bit of creme fraiche. No flour as it thickens nicely with the CF. Yum yum, much enjoyed it

[Giving Blood]

Oh dear. I had 2 pints of blood transfused, in the UK, in 1994 . Could I be infected with whatever?

I'm sure I would know by now ?. Maybe that's why I suffer from "brain fog ", especially before 10 am?

[Tax forms?]

I think I might be getting my forms muddled.

I'll have another look, thanks Sue.

[Tax forms?]

I can't find 2042 online, the one I see is 2042 NR (I think for non residents) and it is asking for dates of leaving/returning to France.

Is 2042 still the pink form?

[A New Life in the Sun]

Just wondering as I missed it. Why did the man friend of the woman who had a bar in France not appear for around 3 months? Were they a couple and split up?

Just to add that he did appear at the end of the programme again.

[A New Life in the Sun]

Our daughter was always getting French friends around on a Sunday as they had especially requested to try an English roast dinner. They mostly loved it although some found it odd to have meat, veg and potatoes on the same plate. Nevertheless their plates were cleared.

[Paying back 'partipations forfataire' since 2014!]

We always pay a charge too on each statement. But if we see the Dr or specialist and give a cheque, we don't always get much back. After deductions, even with ALD the same applies.

[Trying to post a copy letter.]

sorry I can't help but giving your post a bump

[Fosse/pipework problem]

Thanks Idun it's useful to know about the antibiotics, I've never even given that a thought before.

Our daughter who visits regularly has been constantly on antibiotics since November for one infection after another. Maybe that hasn't helped recently.

Anyway, a week on and it is flushing ok but I am not putting toilet paper down the toilet.

Does anyone use Lidl Floralys TP the 3 ply one in the blue packet? It doesn't actually say on the packet that it's ok for fosses, but the girl in the shop assured me it was ok?

[Fosse/pipework problem]

[quote user="idun"]Sorry I cannot help, but I was wondering how often you put bugs in it??

I admit that when we got our first septic tank, I worried a lot about such an event, but we had our septic tank for 25years and never had it emptied, checked it from time to time and no problems.

I always put that down to using Bio7 regularly and was careful about toilet paper and cleaning products, although I did use bleach, that was ok for a fosse septic.[/quote]

Bugs? What sort of Bugs, never heard that before. We use natural yoghurt gone mouldy, eparcyl or tarax, and if we find any dead creatures (thanks to the cats) we put them in too.

[Fosse/pipework problem]

Not sure.

The fosse itself has 1st chamber which is the one I was stirring in the eparcyl.

The 2nd chamber has a filter that can be lifted out. This chamber had some dirty coloured liquid in but only at the bottom. It wasn't full.

I haven't a clue but does this sound about right?

[What is happening to the price of free-range eggs?]

Not just eggs but most things I buy seem more expensive.

[Fosse/pipework problem]

To update, I poured about 12 sachets of eparcyl in the actual fosse, gave it a good stir, saw a lot of gurgling then put another few sachets down the toilets. It's so messy that stuff isn't it.

Anyway, the toilet and drains seem to be better, although I think still blocked somewhere but I'm keeping fingers crossed it will be ok until Wednesday when OH can take over.

After being away for 5 weeks, poor lad is going to have a busy 5 days before away again.

[Fosse/pipework problem]

Thank you Nomoss, that helps a lot. There is someone who sorts it out only 6 km away.

[Fosse/pipework problem]

Is a debauche an unblocker plumber? What do I look for in pages jaune?

Thanks Sue

[Fosse/pipework problem]

Unfortunately OH is away until the end of the month otherwise he would have tried to sort it out. A neighbour tried to help today thinking it was just a simple blockage. She tried flushing with the hose down the pipes to no avail.

The fosse was last emptied August 2016 and before that June 2014. I've heard some people never need to empty, or at least about every 10 years. I think we must have a problem as I'm in the house alone a good part of the time.

But then, OH says I'm full of s*** ?

[Fosse/pipework problem]

The toilets on the ground floor are backing up slightly, the water/waste does drain away but slowly.

The fosse chamber 1 has solid mass almost to the top, but when giving it a stir with a big stick underneath all the mass there is liquid. I believe that the bulky stuff should be underneath the water? The 2nd chamber only has about 1/3 liquid in,

The drain pipes outside the toilets are full, and after giving them a prod with the plumber pipes, it just churns up some tissue and the water still doesn't drain.

It's only 2 1/2 years since the 3000 litre tank was last emptied and we don't have massive usage of showers or toilets as a lot of the time I'm in the house by myself.

A friend seems to think that the fosse doesn't need emptying because both chambers would be full, and not as I describe.

Any ideas?

[Applying for renewal of UK passport (from France and not online)]

Hi Minnie, yes it's quite a simple process and also pretty quick. Good luck

[French Gov't Order of Feb 6 re Hard Brexit]

[quote user=" YCCMB"]A small but important thing about offering up a translation, or even an interpretation of something: it leaves the person who did it wide open to being held responsible if their interpretation is taken as gospel by a third party and it turns out to be inaccurate.

I see both points of view. Not everyone does have the language skills to read the original text, however to berate someone for not providing a service that they are under no obligation to provide isn't really appropriate. If you can't translate something, it seems clear that you also probably don't realise how much effort and time is involved in doing a translation. It's a bit like asking a plumber to come round and install a new bathroom for you because you can't and they can. Or the requests I frequently see on Facebook pages from people saying they need some painting doing and that its "half a day's work" . If they can't do it themselves, then how do they know how long it's going to take someone who can?[/quote]

Yes I understand your points YCCMB. I also understand how long it takes to have something officially translated as our daughter is setting herself up to do this. She's pretty busy so unfortunately can't help with such a long and detailed document as this ordonnance.

Thanks for the other link CT.

[French Gov't Order of Feb 6 re Hard Brexit]

It comes from the official site Norman. But translated by someone who has/is taking time to read through it to help those of us who cannot unfortunately read it in French. It's an official document, so better to have a "true" translation. I also have a French friend who is very kindly looking at it for me, and is happy to.

Like the previous poster some of us do not have the spoken or written skills, unlike yourself.