lorna

We are probably going to exchange some pounds to euros tomorrow. This will be largely for house improvements over the coming year. With hindsight we would have done much better to exchange a month ago or even a week ago but in another week's time the situation could be even worse. We fear that the rate may not improve in the near future and have just decided not to put it off any longer. If it turns out that we make this exchange when the pound is at an all time low then all we can say it that we did what we thought was the best at the time. We are just thankful that we exchanged the money for our French house last year before the pound started its freefall.

My husband is a bit of a computer whizz and has ordered hardware on-line from a uk firm. When I told him about your post he wrote a note for me to include here: "Machines and components can be puchased from www.overclockers.co.uk. They will deliver it to France for not a lot. I had most of the components for a PC delivered for about £20. You can talk to them on the phone or electronically. Ordering is normally via the internet. You will need to know a bit about what you want but their staff are normally quite helpful. You can either use the pc builder to specify the various components and software or select a pre configured logic unit and select and add the operating system, other software keyboard, mouse, screen etc as required. I believe that all their machines come without any software, including the operating system unless you specifically add the software to the order. I don't think that you will get any sort of software bundle. I think that they sell Microsoft Office Home + some antivirus and other utilities. Don't forget that you can download OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org) for nothing (you can provide a donation). I have used this for years and regularly swap documents with Microsoft Office). Use the free Thunderbird for e-mail. Windows XP SP2 pro (I am not sure about home) contains an inbuilt firewall. You need some anti virus software either free (AVG, clamav, etc.) or one you pay money for." I had a look at the site myself and can see that they also supply some laptops.  

This is a useful site for identifying fraudulent emails: http://www.millersmiles.co.uk/

Statins were in the news yesterday: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7326870.stm

There are mobility centres throughout the UK which give assessment and advice mainly for driving with adaptations but some give advice on wheelchairs and scooters. If you google 'mobility centres' you will find a list and there may be one close enough to contact. Your nearest shopping centre may have a shopmobility facility where your brother could borrow a scooter and see how he gets on with it. Sometimes you will also find small ads there for secondhand scooters. Local papers could be another source. Hope you find something suitable.

I can't give you the answers myself but this site: http://www.languageguide.org/francais/grammar/ gives lots of explanation about the various tenses. It also gives rules for telling the gender of French nouns - I didn't know such rules existed! Anyway, it's a really good site for grammar. Lorna.

I agree with Sue. Also the course I am doing states that in conversational French the 'ne' is generally omitted so if you aren't hearing a 'ne' then it probably isn't there.

Our favourite program is Taratata. It is a music program on France 4 every Friday at 20.45. The program is hosted by Nagui who interviews the musicians inbetween sets. The musicians always play live and there is a complete mix of styles and nationalities. Nagui interviews in either French or English whatever his guests prefer and translates for his audience when necessary. You can get a flavour of the program by looking at mytaratata.com as the site has videos of individual performers and I think of past programs. There is a compilation program transmitted on France 2 once a month - I think towards the end of each month and usually late in the evening. We used to watch France 5 in the UK and Taratata is occasionally transmitted on that channel.  

I do sympathise - forcing a cat to do anything it doesn't want to do is not an easy task. Vets have a technique for administering tablets. If all else fails and no other suggestions help it might be worth getting the vet to demonstrate. They have a way of getting the cat to open its mouth, then they hold it shut and get the cat to swallow - I think they stroke its throat (not sure) and the cat swallows. I remember thinking my cat was looking slightly surprised afterwards! There are two methods I have used in the past but both involve giving the cat something it wants to eat. I once managed to train a cat to take a tablet from the end of my finger. This was a very spirited tortoishelle and I think we had given up on trying to force her to take a tablet. The cat was on a diet of liquidised chicken. I used to have the chicken in a bowl in one hand ready to give the cat so the cat could see and smell it. I put the tablet on the end of my finger in the other hand. She took the tablet from me and then I gave her the chicken. It was a long time ago (over 20 years) and I'm not sure how I got her started but once she got the idea it worked and was easy. More recently with another cat I micro-waved very lightly from frozen a small amount of fish fillet so that it was liquidy (we were in the uk and could buy small blocks of frozen coley fillet but obviously any fillet would do)and then crushed and mixed in the tablet. I sometimes kept a little unadulterated fish to give after the tablety fish was eaten. Hope you find a way - Good Luck. Lorna.

Yes,  I can see that might be the case.

Frenchie,  You don't mean sexual harrassment do you? That would be a member of the opposite sex making unwanted advances. If that isn't what you mean, perhaps an example would help people to understand. Lorna.

We have packing boxes (about 20) and wrapping paper supplied by our removers for our move to France. They are in our garage and will go to the tip unless someone can take them off our hands. I suspect we may be too far away for you to collect? We live in Vienne which is on the A7/N7 20km south of Lyon. Lorna.